Into the Heart of Desolation Sound

Distance traveled:  19.8 miles

Travel time: 2 hrs, 40 mins

We’re loving the short distances from place to place here. Leisurely mornings are great, and getting to a destination mid-day instead of late afternoon feels luxurious. We have time to do chores, take naps, read, and if we’re in a marina, do laundry, catch up on email, buy fresh produce and more.

The trip down Lewis Channel was beautiful. Conditions were calm, sunny and warm. Temps here are at least 10 degrees warmer and much sunnier than in The Broughton Islands. We’ve heard from people who were here last month that it was “too hot”. And from relatives at home that it has been record-breaking warm there too.

We bypassed lovely-looking Teakerne Arm because we had more interesting stops to consider than we have nights left here.

Mid-day we pulled into Refuge Cove.

It’s a pretty spot, rustic and active and genuine. Bob washed the boat for the first time since we left home (something normally done at the end of every 2-3 days, but water is so precious and expensive in these parts). Cathryn touched up some deck paint, Bob bought gasoline for the dinghy, washed the windows, and we found lots of things, including our first fresh produce in awhile, to buy at the Store.

 

A small maze of docks, ramps, modest homes and a couple of tiny shops hug the shoreline.

We have internet, and thus email and access to posting to the blog for the first time in a few days as we’ve spent the last 3 nights at anchor in remote places. We’re beginning to plot our route and schedule for the return to home, and the weather forecast calls for changing conditions. We have to cross Georgia Strait again, so need to figure out when is the best time to do that. Life remains good.