09/03 - 09/18 - Desolation Sound 2005

Hey pat , I am waiting on susan to get home and then we are leaving tonight or tomorrow for the ferry. If wee can get out of here in time for a ferry tonight we will cross tonight and launch early in the morning. if not we will see you on the 7:45 ferry. I have reservations for that one just in case we can not get one tonight. man you got to love this weather.
 
Geez, I hope all these guys can get back into the country!

If they do, there is a photo album set up for the pics. It is near the top of the Cruises and Events album list.
 
Interim report on the Desolation Sound Gang.
Meander and crew were in the Desolation Sound area for two weeks from Aug 28th to Sept 10. We traveled up the east side of Georgia Strait and had a great run from Vancouver to Lund in less than 5 hours. The first week we traveled north from Desolation to the start of the Johnstone Strait, a brief stop at Rock Bay to talk to Dave Mar on Cute-C, around Blind Channel, back along Codero Channel, through the Dent and Yaculta rapids and then back into the main Desolation sound areas. We kind of felt a bit like Luna the lost whale, we kept calling looking for our C-Pod but got no answer :cry: . That was until thursday Sept 9 when we found Mac and Linda on Two Lucky Fish anchored in Roscoe bay. We had a great evening visiting with them. Next day we were scheduled to start home, but the gods conspired to arrange a gale warning which prevented us from leaving and allowed us to meet several more members of the Brat bunch. We got to spend two days in Squirrel Cove anchored with, Cavu, Sea Spray, True Story, Clara, Bambina and Two Lucky Fish. We probably would have met Anita Marie as well if I hadn't told him that the pod was moving to a new location, as the plan had been that morning, and then it turned out no one pulled anchor to test the rough conditions. Anita Marie had spent a very rough night (Thursday Sept 8) at a dock near Toba Inlet. So rough in fact that they couldn't stay on the boat! They spent the night on shore, although I didn't hear if it was in a cabin or what. No damage to their boat but not fun. The rest of us were securely anchored in Squirrel Cove. We did a lot of swinging but no one dragged anchor. We had two great days at Squirrel cove, confined by the wind. We had a shore party each night and several dinghy gatherings during the day. On Saturday the 10th the wind died and Meander headed for Vancouver as we unfortunately could not stay for the Gorge Gathering that night. The conditions were excellent on Saturday for a 4.5 hr return trip to Vancouver, 106 NM. Once home we called the restaurant where the Pod was gathered and thanked them for an excellent visit! Daydream and Bess-C had arrived and it sounded like a good time was happening. Other than the wind on Thursday and Friday the weather had been excellent and it sure seemed as if the Brat pod was having an excellent trip! I'll try and post a couple of pictures tonight.
Ron
 
we had a great adventure almost 500 NM logged :lol: the get together
@ Cortes Bay was great I so enjoyed meeting everyone
thanks all for all your advice to a new boater
we ran back to Anacortes with a night spent @ Secret Cove the next day
we went "down the gut" in ripples to .5 chop very nice
i trailered home tue. after getting a few things looked at buy the factory
Thanks for working me in they had 5 people on the boat and it was
done in one hour :shock: :shock:
again thanks to all for your help and friendship
:cry sorry i couldn't stay longer
john schuler
 
Hi all,

After meeting with the boats at Blind Channel on Sunday we went to Cordero Lodge( three miles away) where we stayed until today. We are back at Blind Channel for water, power, ice and showers. The weather is bright sun and light winds today.

Since we don't have any fixed schedule, we will stay up here until the weather gets too wet or cold.
 
We made it home easily last night - after leaving Roscoe Bay at noon (with 3.5 ft of water in the channel), we ran to Salmon Point in glass conditions. We had just finished loadng on the trailer when True Story pulled up - and Tim & Pam quickly loaded as well. Aneasy drive down to the ferry, (although we arrived 1 hour before departure, we barely made it on), a 2 hour ride then a 2 hour drive home. All in all - 11 hours from Roscoe Bay to South Whidbey / home. Not bad at all!

We had just a wonderful time. A great pleasure to meet Ron and Ann on Meander - we were secretly very glad the weather turned "bad" so they had to stay. The dinner at the Gorge was terrific, as was the impromptu get together at Prideaux Haven. Of course I'll never look at oysters quite the same...nor at Bailey's Kisses.....

Thanks to all the Brats - making our first adventure into Desolation Sound a safe and wonderful trip.

Now...about next year....???
 
The reviews are in and the gig was a smash! No mechanical, electrical or emotional breakdowns. Flawless on all counts. Well, except that my new to me 188C pulled a gag similar to Tyboo's 2006. Great to see all of you, and I think everyone feels it was worth their time, money and effort to make the Desolation Sound rendezvous. Good show, everyone.

Home at 2:30 a.m. this morning after leaving Salmon Point with Fred and Robbin at 4 p.m. This time I squeaked past the border without a strip search.

Buster's glad to see me; I'm glad to see him, the shower, bed and head. Now back to sleep.

:cat
 
CAVU had an uneventful trip home, arriving in Spokane Thur evening. We had a wonderful cruise and enjoyed meeting many new C-Brats. This was my first experience in Desolation Sound; what a fantastic cruising area. It is well worth the trip from almost anywhere to experience this world class cruising paradise. Excellent weather, superb company, and scenery right out of National Geographic-WOW. As a side note, thanks to Ron on Meander for the directions to Lund. I think I was the only boat to take that route, but getting around Vancouver and the two ferries to Lund were extremely easy. Parking in Lund was easy, although costly, and as soon as you launch you're in Desolation. Plus you can visit Nancy's Bakery which is almost a destination in itself. Thanks Brock for putting this together.
 
What a fantastic time. Warm days, cool nights, calm seas, lagoons, passes, rapids, rock islands, exploring, seals, madronas, showers, oysters, cruising at 5 knots, anchoring, dinghies, including our perfectly self-sufficient C-Dory, all led to our best vacation ever.

Thanks to all who made our trip enjoyable and a special thanks to the "Catman" who proposed the idea in December and volunteered to lead the group with out actually leading.

Tim and Pam
 
Fourteen days, 232 nautical miles, great cruising, great people new and old. Special thanks to Brock for starting this thread and also for helping get my boat back on the trailer at Salmon Point yesterday.
The cruising was amazing with a different place to see and anchor just around the next point. We even had the weather on our side.
Thanks to everyone for their friendship, sorry we were unable to meet Meanders crew at Squirrel Cove but I have a feeling there will be another time.
Robbin is editing all the pictures and hope to post them soon.

Fred
 
Patty here. Should have posted our thoughts on the trip last night when we got to Birch Bay and were feeling great about everything. Went out to wash the boat this morning and found that someone had cut our ratchet ties and ripped off our dinghy. Now we're feelin' kinda' down. More later.
 
Ron B. from Calgary here. I'm just loving the pictures coming out of
Desolation Sound. They're truly breathtaking...I've actually gasped as different images come up. I hope having the dinghy stolen hasn't spoiled the trip for you, Pat and Patty. That's really crappy. I'm sure I'm just one of many enjoying these photos, what a magnificent area. Thanks for sharing.
 
We just got home at 4:30 today (Sunday). We left Pat and Patty sleeping at the dock at April Point Lodge around 6:30 am on Saturday morning. We hustled back to Salmon Point to get the boat on the trailer while the tide was high enough and got the 12:45 ferry out of Nanaimo. We stayed last night at the The Majestic in downtown Anacortes, and got up this morning to clean the boat and get it put away.

We had a great time for our two weeks. The Broughtons were wonderful. Wild, virtually empty and good fishing. Then to Gorge Harbor to meet up with the group on Saturday night the 10th. That was a classic great time, and we had a lot of fun cruising and hanging out with various members of the group for the rest of the week. The weather was fantastic for the two weeks. Except for the storm that blew through on the 8th, it was sunny virtually every day, and Desolation Sound temperatures felt like summer. We've gone to Vancouver island at this time for years, and I've never seen such a perfect stretch of weather.

We enjoyed cruising with and getting to know all of you better. Sorry, Pat & Patty about your dingy.
 
OK, our Desolation Sound pix are up, more or less in chronological order - please let me know if I have got any person / boat / place wrong...

Our trip:

9/10/05 - Launch at Salmon Point, over to Gorge Harbour, about 14 miles, about 10 C-Dorys, dinner at the Floathouse Restaurant was excellent!

9/11/05 - The long run, with Bess-C, True Story and Bambina, from Gorge Harbour to Blind Channel, about 53 miles. Through Dent and Yaculta Rapids, both were pussy cats this day. Shelly and Lyle provided two salmon that we BBQ'd on the resort patio at Blind Channel - impromptu feast! Nancy H pulled in just in time for supper.

9/12/05 - From Blind Channel to Von Donop Inlet with Bambina and True Story, about 45 miles. Hiked over to Squirrel Cove. Very nice spot, very quiet.

9/13/05 - From Von Donop Inlet to Prideaux Haven, via Deer Passage, Pryce Channel and Waddington Channel. THE most scenic cruising we have ever seen! Another pretty good group, oysters, shore party, great evening! About 34 miles.

9/14/05 - From Prideaux Haven to Roscoe Cove, with Refuge Cove for fuel and water in-between. At Roscoe Cove, short hike to Black Lake. Group dwindling, but still about six or seven C-Dorys. About 19 miles.

9/15/05 - From Roscoe Cove to Grace Harbour, about 20 miles, now down to Bess-C and Daydream. A long walk back to lake, lots of neat old stuff in the forest, a rustic fresh water shower right at the head of the harbor (or "harbour").

9/16/05 - From Grace Harbour to April Point Resort, Quadra Island, with Bess-C. About 31 miles. Excellent dinner at the April Point Lodge. Bess-C was gone before we got up.

9/17/05 - From April Point back to Salmon Point, about 14 miles, pulled out, down to Duke Point, ferried back to Tsawwassen, crossed border to Birch Bay.

9/18/05 - In a.m. discovered dinghy stolen, bummer. Washed boat, back to Fall City.

OVER AND OUT.
 
I have not had time to post pic but will soon. we had a great trip and enjoyed seeing everyone there. The weather was great the whole time and susan enjoyed the fishing for once. She landed two coho in the 12 lbs range. We just caught the ferry on the way home sunday. Parked the boat and had dinner with my parents by 6pm sunday. Went to look for the camera in the boat tuesday night and found out that all 4 of my rods and the screen for the c-80 where gone. Some piece of sh*t took the stuff right out of my own back yard. I just got done with the insurance lady and I dont know how much was covered yet.
 
Hi all,

Glad to hear that everyone made it back ok. We stopped in Campbell River at Discovery Harbor for two days and then to Gorge Harbor for three nights.

Today we ran back to Pacific Playgrounds. Weather still sunny bright and with moderate northwest winds.

We are going back on the trailer and moving down to the Gulf Islands, we will base at Osborn Bay R V park in Crofton.

Pat & Patty, Sorry to hear about your dingy theft. Hope you have insurance!
 
Wow guys,

I just had time to look at ALL your fantastic photos. What mouth watering scenery and great cruising. Gives me something to aspire to for my own photos with my little Nikon. I just may have to buy a better camera. Great work from the West coast.

Dun (CTYankee)
 
We had a great time at DS. Sure sorry we did not make the dinner at Gorge Harbor but it was our friends B-Day and they had a rough day on their charter boat with loosing their anchor in Squirrel Cove, so we stayed and celebrated with them.
It was great to meet everyone during that first week. I was also fun to meet up with C-Dories over the next week as we cruised around.

I will try to get my pics up as soon as I can. Pat - I can not find your pics?

Steve
 
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