Anchor Island (Cove East)

I woke up early this morning and started looking at a couple of weather forecasts along with the West Sea Otter Buoy. That buoy gives us real time data several miles out from Cape Caution. Earlier forecasts had made it look like Sunday would be the best day in the next several days, to cross around Cape Caution. However, the forecasts I was looking at contradicted each other a bit, and always seemed to change the closer you got to the date being looked at. This morning it looked like today would actually be the best day to get around the Cape. I called Bill on the radio after he got up, and talked to him about the weather and my suggestion that we just poke our bows out in the sound and if it looked good, to keep going and just keep an hourly eye on the Sea Otter Buoy updates. It was actually pretty decent out in Fitz Hugh Sound, with no wind, just getting some smaller swells the closer we got to Queen Charlotte Strait and the ocean. Once in Queen Charlotte Strait, the swells grew to between 4 and 5 feet. There was also some intermixed chop after we got in Queen Charlotte Strait, and the winds eventually blew out of the west at around 15kts. It wasn’t real comfortable, but it wasn’t bad. I mean my windshield stayed dry. LOL. Once we got around the Cape, and headed more easterly, we had the swells and chop behind us, so it was more comfortable.. And no rain today. Some clouds, but more sun. Still chilly in the mid 50’s. Not far after rounding Cape Caution, we turned into Outer Narrows. By that time I was a couple miles ahead of Bill and Mike. I got quite a ride as I entered Outer Narrows. Waves that eventually were building to 6 feet. Not square waves, just large waves. I also lost about 3 or 4 kts of speed. I think it was the current flowing out of that channel building up against the current in Queen Charlotte. Both Bill and Mike said the waves were not that big when they entered. The tide was beginning to turn when I arrived. As I got a little farther into Outer Narrows, the waves died down, along with the current. The Narrows become The Slingsby Channel. A little farther up that channel, we turned into a small bay behind the Anchor Islands, where we are anchored for the night.Read more