Broughtons August trip

Terrific blog, Robbin! You really captured the heart and soul of the Broughtons! I especially enjoyed the segment on Billy Proctor, an institution as well as a wonderful character. Anyone looking for a sample of the way things were, just has to sit down with Billy for fifteen minutes.

A note on that brown water. Most of the coloring comes from tannins leached from leaves, principally alder, and is akin to what comes from tea leaves. However, any surface water in the Broughtons should be treated before drinking, and the best solution is to take on beaucoup water from a reliable shoreside source, as time allows.

The many practical notes in Robbin's blog make it a good primer for anyone contemplating a cruise through the region.
 
A wonderfully descriptive blog of the trip. It brings out the difficulties that the floating camps face--and that is so important for all of the visitors to understand.

Well done! Thank you!
 
Thanks Fred for posting the link, and to the rest of you for the kind words about the article. I figured out how to add links to make it easier to find specific sections, and, of course, added more pictures!
 
I enjoyed the words and photos you two. Glad you had a nice trip and I plan to read about the next one. I first visited the area by kayak about 10 years ago and have been fascinated and enchanted with the area ever since. We should be back there in the next 2 years if all goes as planned.

I average two trailering trips to the island each year and my trick with driving up is to take the 5:15am ferry from Tswassenn to Nanaimo and push north and launch all in one day. Its a long day but worth it when you are anchored in a lagoon by dinner and have days of sleeping-in to look forward to.

Greg
 
We originally had an early ferry from Anacortes but they lost one ferry so the afternoon sailing was the only one.
If we trailer again I will take the BC ferry and not WDT ferry.
 
Anita Marie":21cc1bjk said:
We originally had an early ferry from Anacortes but they lost one ferry so the afternoon sailing was the only one.
If we trailer again I will take the BC ferry and not WDT ferry.
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From Oak Harbor, the Port Angeles ferry allows you to avoid all of I-5. BC ferries run about the same cost as the Port Angeles - Victoria ferry. The drive along Hood Canal is beautiful, albeit mostly on a curvy two lane highway.

Agree the Anacortes to Sidney ferry sucks.
 
Trailering north, up island, consider the BC Ferry on their Vancouver Island promotional days. About half price off on the trailer fee this year. I do as Greg said, make the first ferry (05:15), and drive up and launch the same day. Not hard, or get a late ferry and stay at the Campbell River Trailer Hilton (AKA Walmart Camping club lot, with about 23 of your closest ferry friends whop are also north bound.)

I grew up in Sidney, and we used the Anacortes ferry all the time. Those days it was leave early and stop at all the islands each way. Different now.

Great blog, super pictures, and nice write up. So sorry you missed Port Harvey, it is just around the corner from Laggon Cove, and the run UP Chatham Channel is fun. It is like running up hill on the water, and you get to do the Securetay call and the Range Mark run.

Good blog for anyone going up it gives a good all around view. I was surprised at you disappointment in the wildlife. I have found bears and whales in multiple places there along with the seals, otters and even raccoons.

Nice to have two boats so you can get pix back and forth and include them in the photos. Glad you had such a good trip.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Great blog post and photos. Our family was at Echo Bay Aug 10/11 in our 22' C-Dory so we probably just missed you. We stayed a couple of nights in their lodge accommodations which was very nice, a considerable upgrade on the space of a C-Dory and probably almost as nice as some of the huge yachts tied up out front. My 2 boys had a lot of fun dock fishing with the friendly local dog Sam-Sam. And we had the same experience prawn fishing, I think we did 4 sets to get a total of about 30 prawns. Really enjoyed Billy Proctor's museum, some incredible stuff there. Most interesting for me was all the old time fishing gear like his kelp cutter flashers from the 50s and handmade wooden lingcod plugs.
 
Robbin, VERY well done! I will want to study that again when Patty and I are ready to head up to the Broughtons!

We would not take any ferry, and unless somebody has time constraints, I don't know why anybody would. David on Anna Leigh and I went through the Broughtons in 2006. In fact, one of the frequently seen "random pics" on the C-Brat opening page is Daydream tied up at Sullivan Bay. The building in this photo is in Robbin's pix as well!

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In 2006, I launched in Blaine and ran up the mainland side from Blaine to Gorge Harbour to meet David on Anna Leigh in Desolation Sound on our way to Alaska in seven hours, pedal to the metal!

Being retired, here is how we would do it now.

Blaine launch - head over to the Gulf Islands to Cabbage Island for the first night. Cabbage Island to Nanaimo, taking our time with stops wherever we want to. Up Vancouver Island to a point to cross back over the Strait to go up into Desolation Sound behind Texada Island. Around and over to Campbell River, stopping at all the great Desolation Sound anchorages. When conditions are right, out the Johnny, and you are there. No expensive ferries, no bad roads. Wait for weather wherever we have to.

Anyway, that is what I am thinking!
 
........to Cabbage Island for the first night
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Pat,

What is it that you like about Cabbage Island?

I have a photo, which David took (or maybe you??), of Tosca from when she was your sister-ship Anna Leigh anchored at Cabbage Island. It's still my favorite photo of the boat. Ever since I bought her, I've wanted to go to that place. In fact, I've been thinking of going next Month!

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