Go the Wrong Way: Cruising to the Discovery Islands Part 1

This year's main cruise took us up north of Quadra island as far as Sonora island and the entrance to Johnstone Strait. We sailed on Puffin, our newly christened Ontario 28 sailboat. We were away for three weeks and had some lovely hikes, a mix of crowded and quiet anchorages, lots of kayaking, a few good sails, and most importantly, no major mishaps.

We met some interesting cruisers en route, including Nick and Jenny Coghlan whom we bumped into on a hike to see Hole in the Wall. They sailed their Vancouver 27 from South Africa to here via Patagonia (see this link for information about them and the book they wrote about this). A week later, Neil and Helen stopped their car and gave us a ride into Quathiaski on Quadra island to pick up groceries, drove us home, invited us on a hike, and even had us by for a lovely supper the next night. They are serious long distance cruisers and their 47 foot aluminum boat is currently hauled out in Hiva Oa in the Marquesas islands (see this link for a great story they wrote about a trip to Spitzbergen).

A Vancouver 27 makes its way north off the Ballenas islands near Nanaimo

Our first stop after leaving our home port of Maple Bay was Nanaimo. It is full-on cruising season here and the main anchorage at Newcastle Island was even more crazy than usual. This is a large anchorage but is filled with mooring balls that are rented out by the park as well as private moorings used by an interesting assortment of live-aboard sail and power boats. We ended up swinging too close to one large power boat when the tide changed and upped anchor after supper, moving to an empty but more noisy and turbulent anchorage near the Departure Bay ferry to Vancouver.

The approximate route we took

The next day we sailed north to Codfish Bay on Jedediah Island. I have written about this island before and it is one of my favorite cruising destinations due to its lovely hiking trails, old trees, and feral sheep. Rani and I had a full afternoon of hiking and explored most of the island's major trails even getting to the top of Gibraltar Hill - the highest point on the island.

There were a couple of boats anchored in Home Bay, one anchorage over from Codfish. That is Texada island in the background.

Sheep skull and vertebrae. Not sure how they made it up into the tree. The island has a population of feral sheep and goats

My friend Ian Costanzo painted this still-life based on a goat skull we found on Jedediah a month before this trip

View from Gibraltar Hill down into our anchorage. Puffin is just visible at the edge of the trees.

Some scrambling required

This gorgeous old growth Douglas fir grows under an enormous protective rock in a hidden valley

One can make a loop out of a few trails by following a very rough path near the north end of the island. Lasqueti island is in the distance.

There is a large field attached to the old farm. This is usually a very muddy wet trail but in late July was only slightly moist.

These sheep were grazing in the old orchard behind the farmhouse. They are fairly tame because the older ones are used to people picking fruit for them in the late summer.

The old farm house overlooks Home Bay

The next day we sailed north up the Sabine channel between Texada and Lasqueti islands with a nice SE breeze for much of the day. However the forecast NW winds came in early and strong and we had a splashy motor to windward against rapidly building seas and sought shelter in the lee of Savary island. I had been there once before and found it very rolly, even though it is reasonably sheltered from the wind, because a NW swell bends around the island. This time we were luckier and got a decent night's sleep while the wind continued to blow out in the strait.

We departed early with a light NW wind and beat our way north, tacking in toward Desolation Sound and back out toward Mittlenatch island. We had thought of making for Heriot Bay on Quadra island but with wind and tide against us we decide to lay a course for Cortes Bay on the island of the same name. This bay has out-stations for two large yacht clubs - Seattle and Vancouver. Even with most of the larger yacht club boats docked, the anchorage was still quite full, with half a dozen large power yachts and another dozen or so smaller craft. Despite this, we were able find a good spot to anchor with plenty of swinging room. There are excellent hiking trails nearby and after a brief trip ashore we decided we would stay a couple of days here.

Anhorage at Cortes Bay

On our first trip ashore, we met Shelagh Baillie, who welcomed us as we walked up from the dock. She took us on a tour of her lovely house that is hidden away on several acres of old farmland overlooking the bay and we left with some of her yummy homemade cookies. Thanks Shelagh!

Shelagh amongst the splendid daisies that line her driveway

The hiking trails between Cortes Bay and Manson's Landing are very well maintained and much of the land is set aside as park

The island seems a lot greener than the more southerly Gulf Islands and these enormous skunk cabbages were quite happy here.

Higher up the Arbutus and Madrona trees dominate

The trails were better maintained than any near us on Vancouver Island. They are not provincial park trails, but are looked after by Strathcona County

'Inca Ruins'

An excellent trail map made exploring from Cortes Bay easy

From Cortes Bay we sailed north to Squirrel Cove, also on Cortes Island. On the way, we saw many boats transiting between Cortes Island and the popular anchorages of Desolation Sound to the north east.

Fuzzy view towards the mountains behind Desolation Sound

From Squirrel Cove you can access a network of trails that are maintained by locals and cruisers. The Norway Loop makes a circuit between Squirrel Cove and another popular anchorage - fjord like Von Donop inlet. We spent another two days in Squirrel Cove to explore these trails. On our second day, we climbed up to Cliff Peak. The trail was pretty rough once we left Norway loop and we met a couple coming back who said it was too difficult for them because of fallen trees. Well they were right that the trees made it tough going, but after three hours it got considerably worse. There is about an hour of bushwhacking required to reach the peak once you leave an old overgrown logging road. It is a trail in name only in many places although flagging allowed us to find a way through the salal and other undergrowth.

Rani is pointing to Cliff Peak across the lagoon off Von Donop inlet

Rani makes her way through the salal bushes en route to Cliff Peak

More fallen trees!

There is a road under there somewhere

This viewpoint is at the end of the logging road part of the trail an hour from the peak. View is toward West Redonda island, which we would visit in a couple of days

We enjoyed a BC cider at the top

Rani captured this colourful Artist's Conc fungus

Back at one of the trail heads

We had some light rain on our return to the Von Donop lagoon

View from our boat in Squirrel Cove

Looking the other way from our boat in Squirrel Cove

From Squirrel Cove we motored up to Tekearne Arm on West Redonda island. We had heard of a lovely waterfall and swimming lake here, although the anchorage was reputed to be a temporary one only. We were able to anchor for the night in deep water (75 feet) with a stern tie to the rocks after one failed attempt. Not having a windlass to help pull up the chain, we generaly avoid this sort of anchoring because it requires me to pull up about 50 pounds of chain and a 35 pound anchor when everything is straight up and down.

The falls that come out of Cassel Lake are lovely and as a bonus we replenished our washing water here. I snorkelled around the falls enjoying a wall of anemones and sea urchins. The swimming lake is spectacular, set in a tree lined bowl with granite bluffs dropping quickly into clear water. It is very popular with boaters and because we were anchored just off the dinghy dock, we saw a steady stream of dinghies passing back and forth until nightfall and beginning again the next day around 10 am.