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The Broughton ArchipelagoThe Broughton Archipelago
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The Broughton Archipelago

June - July 2023
Trip by boat in a Cutwater 28 from Salt Spring Island to the Broughton Archipelago north of Vancouver Island. Read more
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  • Janet TaylorThe Broughton Archipelago
    Day 10

    Bond Basin to Booker Lagoon

    June 25, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    After breakfast, we left Bond Basin on glassy calm water. We motored ahead and went back to Sullivan Bay Marina to top up our fuel and water for another night at anchor.

    We met up with Scout in Wells Passage, where we saw a healthy black bear having his breakfast on the shore.

    After leaving Drury Inlet, we followed Wells Passage into Nowell Channel. Turning to the east, we made our way to Fife Sound.

    We decided to spend the night anchored at Booker Lagoon. Getting into the lagoon requires going through the very narrow Booker Passage. Once through, the Lagoon opens up and is actually quite large with several good places to anchor. It's a really lovely spot hidden away, and we had the whole place to ourselves.

    We had a quiet afternoon on our own boats. I went for a kayak around some shoals near where we had anchored. A very curious seal followed me for a bit, but he was too quick for me to snap his picture.

    Sea Senor invited us all to their boat for appetizers, and more than two hours went by in a flash. The temperature dropped significantly with the setting sun, so it was a chilly trip back to our boat in the tender. We fired up our diesel heater and spent a quiet evening reading books about Billy Proctor.    Read more

  • Janet TaylorThe Broughton Archipelago
    Day 11

    Booker Lagoon to Telegraph Cove

    June 26, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Jon was up at 6:00 a.m., ever so slightly annoyingly cheerful! I was ever so slightly annoyingly grumpy but perked up a bit after a cup of coffee and some oatmeal. We had to be up early so that we could get through the narrow passage out of Booker Lagoon. The current would be a bit too much for our boat at any time other than slack.

    We waited on the other side of the passage, and Scout soon appeared out of the mist. We set a course across Queen Charlotte Strait toward Blackfish Sound. After about 25 minutes, Lady Gayle also appeared out of the mists, making its way to Sointula on Malcolm Island. They have a much faster boat than the rest of us, so they will join us at Telegraph Cove later.

    We arrived at Telegraph Cove at 9:30 a.m. and immediately made our way to the Sally's Cafe for some delicious lattes. While we were there, we met an interesting fellow, Robert Yourns, from Texas. He was traveling in a 16 foot Jon boat with a 40 hp outboard. This is essentially a little open aluminum skiff. He had trailered his boat from Texas to Port Townsend and then had traveled all the way to Ketchican, Alaska, in this tiny boat. At night, he would set up a tent on the boat and put a mattress in the narrow space between all his gas tanks. He was able to get into some very interesting places with his little boat but he had also been out in six foot waves in this thing. I was impressed because you couldn't pay me enough to travel that far on the ocean in something that small. If you want to look him up on Facebook, his account is Ageless Wanderer.

    We spent the rest of the day having showers, doing laundry, cleaning up the boat, and visiting all the little shops, art galleries, and the whale interpretive centre in the village.

    At about 4:30 p.m., Lady Gayle arrived, and eventually, we all made our way to the deck of the pub for drinks. Later, we shifted inside and had a very good meal at the restaurant. After wandering around the village a bit more, we settled down for a very peaceful evening tucked safely into Telegraph Cove.    Read more

  • Janet TaylorThe Broughton Archipelago
    Day 12

    Telegraph Cove to Lagoon Cove

    June 27, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We were up early again to cross Johnstone Strait before winds picked up. Scout had been tied up in a very tight spot at Telegraph Cove. After helping them get out of their spot, we followed them into the Strait.

    It was very calm but also very foggy and slightly unnerving to be boating somewhat blind. We we made it over to Baronet Passage with no problems.

    Traveling along Baronet Passage was like traveling in a river, and at times, the current was quite strong.

    Scout and Yin & Yang arrived at Lagoon Cove at about 11:00 a.m. and Lady Gayle arrived about an hour later. Lady Gayle had generously offered to take us all to Glendale Cove, which is in Knight Inlet, in their very fast boat. At the end of this cove, there is a shallow grassy estuary that grizzly bears like to frequent. It was windy and wavy in Knight Inlet, so we had a lumpy ride to Glendale Cove.

    When we arrived, we radioed Glendale lodge, and a skiff came out to speak to us. The two fellows in the boat were with a First Nations group that work to protect the bears from too much stress from humans. They gave us a pamphlet with information on respectful viewing of the bears and left us to our viewing.

    There were three large bears on the shore, which we were able to see through our binoculars. We couldn't get any closer because the Cove was very shallow, so we anchored and launched the tender. We didn't really get close enough to take pictures even in the tender, but I did try.

    The trip home was even lumpier than the trip out. On a calm day, the trip would have taken 45 minutes, but it ended up taking two and a half hours. Apparently, Knight Inlet is rarely calm. Because of its direction and steep banks, the wind often howls through here. It was nice to see Minstral Island and finally get behind it out of the wind.

    After supper and a shower, we were just settling down for the night when a group of drunken merry revelers wandered past our boat. One of them tripped and fell on the dock right by his tender. He was chuckling to himself as he slithered into his tender without a life jacket to return to his anchored boat. I kept an eye out to make sure he got there safely because I didn't want to find him later floating in the water. It was a good reminder of how boats and too much alcohol really don't mix!    Read more

  • Janet TaylorThe Broughton Archipelago
    Day 13

    Lagoon Cove to Blind Channel

    June 28, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We had another 6:00 a.m. wake-up call so that we could time our trip through Chatham Channel at slack. Mother Nature is really not cooperating with my sleep schedule!

    The clouds and mist were already lifting as we pulled out of Lagoon Cove at 6:30 a.m. and I made coffee as we went through the very calm Blow Hole. Chatham Channel and Havannah Channel were also calm and clear as we went through, but up ahead, we could see that Johnstone Strait, while calm, was shrouded in fog.

    We fired up the radar and ventured into the Strait. We encountered small groups of boats traveling together so that they would be more visible on radar. Eventually, the fog lifted, and a flotilla of boats, the majority of which were sailboats, appeared out of the mist coming toward us. At one point, we counted more than 15 boats. It was quite a sight to see. They were all taking advantage of the calm seas and direction of the current to make headway in Johnstone Strait before afternoon winds blew up.

    At Chancellor Channel we turned east. Seas were calm, skies were sunny - it was a perfect day. We arrived at Blind Channel in the early afternoon.

    We had a leisurely afternoon of visiting and finished the day with a delicious meal at the restaurant.    Read more

  • Janet TaylorThe Broughton Archipelago
    Day 14

    Blind Channel to Teakerne Arm

    June 29, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Yet another early wake-up call. We were considering different routes south, but they all involved going through some kind of rapids. In the end, we decided to literally stay with the devil we knew and return past Devil's Hole in Dent Rapids. And as per usual, to get to Dent at slack, we had to get up at the ass-crack of dawn! Can you tell I'm feeling a bit testy?

    I made us coffee, and we enjoyed a serene, beautiful trip while we sipped our brew. Boats started appearing at the north end of Codero Channel, and we all slowly motored toward the rapids. Because it was slack, we had another uneventful crossing of Devil's Hole.

    After Yuculta Rapids, we entered Calm Channel and from there into Lewis Channel. This is where I took advantage of the long, straight run and had a nap.

    We got to Teakerne Arm at about 11:30 a.m. and got anchored near a small public dock. We had something to eat, took naps, and then took the tender over to the dock. From the dock, there is a path that takes you to the lake that feeds the waterfall at the end of Teakerne Arm. We jumped into the clean, clear, very warm water of the lake and enjoyed a half hour of swimming.

    Back at the dock, we said goodbye to Lady Gayle as they were heading to Comox for the night and then home the next day. Scout joined us on our boat for a cold beverage. As we were visiting, our anchor alarm kept going off, indicating that we didn't have a good hold with our anchor. Rather than mess around trying to get a good hold and then spend the night worrying about breaking loose, we decided to join Lady Gayle in Comox. I very reluctantly said goodbye to the intrepid crew of Scout. They have been with us for most of this trip and they were absolutely wonderful to travel with.

    We arrived at Comox Valley Marina and civilization just after 7:00 pm. Lady Gayle was waiting for us, and we all walked over to the Blackfin Pub for a late supper, and then Yin & Yang settled in for the night.    Read more

  • Janet TaylorThe Broughton Archipelago
    1
    Day 15

    Comox to Silva Bay

    June 30, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    This morning, Lady Gayle left Comox sometime after 7:30 a.m. and Yin & Yang left at noon. With our group all now off in different directions, the Broughton Archipelago cruise is essentially over.

    A Great Escape was back at home on June 27, Lady Gayle will be back to Salt Spring Island around midday today, Yin and Yang will spend the night at Silva Bay Marina and be home midday on Saturday and Scout is heading to Heriot Bay today and then home on Sunday.

    It really has been a most excellent adventure with the most excellent people. It was the first time in the Broughtons for all of us, and we have all broadened our seafaring experience over the last couple of weeks. It will be so nice to sleep in my own bed tomorrow night but I know as soon as we slip into our berth at the Salt Spring Sailing Club I will wish I was back in the wilderness of the Broughtons with all these amazing people I call friends.

    Thank you for following along with this trip report. In closing, I will leave you with the following quote:

    “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ernest Hemingway    Read more

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