COLUMN GUNKHOLE

BY DEANE HISLOP

Grace Harbour, Desolation Sound

Relax, explore and daydream

AAfter pounding into a northwest wind the past couple days while cruising north from Nanaimo, it was a welcome relief to round Sarah Point and enter Desolation Sound with its calm and clear conditions. The scenery was as spectacular as Arlene and I remembered.

Much has been written about the sublime cruising destination of Desolation Sound. The choice of anchorages, with their mountain vistas and protected waters is extensive and all offer something special to make them unique.

For us, Grace Harbour located on the Gifford Peninsula is one of those places. This part of Desolation Sound Marine Park really has it all. It’s completely enclosed and protected, so the weather can be blowing out in the sound, but inside the harbour it’s cosy and calm.

We guided Easy Goin’ southeast through Malaspina Inlet, placing the Josephine Islands to starboard and Cavendish and Rosetta rocks to port.

GOOD ANCHORAGE CAN be found at the mouth of Grace Harbour north of Jean Island in 20 to 30 feet (six to nine metres) of water over mud. But we elected to proceed into the inner harbour. We entered the narrow, unobstructed passage which has plenty of depth for safe transit. There were a handful of boats already enjoying all that the harbour had to offer. This large anchorage can accommodate a few dozen boats.

Arlene stepped out on the foredeck and released the “hook” as I positioned Easy Goin’ near the western shore. We had a good firm set in 30 feet of water, where the sticky mud provided good holding. The only foul bottom is a shallow area, well charted, in the centre of the inner harbour which is a large rock lying 12 feet below the surface.

The balance of the afternoon was spent watching a harbour seal popping up to check us out, then quickly arching its back to slip below the surface as we relaxed on board absorbed in our surroundings. While relaxing on the bridge, favourite beverage in hand, I imagined what the area was like when the Sliammon First Nation occupied these shores. I envisioned more sea life and wildlife, the surrounding forest would have been old growth, the scent of smoke from campfires would be in the air and children would be playing in the water.

IN THE EVENING, after touring the harbour by dinghy, we turned on the VHF radio for a weather report. At Cape Mudge, only 16 miles away, the wind was blowing 23 knots but in the anchorage the wind was absolutely calm and silent and remained that way all night. There wasn’t one generator running. The only sound was an occasional bit of laughter from a distant boat.

After a night of solitude and then a leisurely breakfast and coffee on the back deck I hopped in the dinghy to go ashore to do some exploring. At the head of the anchorage there are a few campsites and a trail that leads through the forest to a beautiful lake. It’s about a 15-minute walk.

On the way to the lake there is a living museum to be discovered in the brush. Evidence of the logging activity of many decades ago lies slowly rusting away and being claimed by the forest. A dozer, cable pulleys and items that defy interpretation were just left where they lay when the logging companies moved on.

The trail winds a short distance further through the lush forest to the lake’s edge, where a grassy clearing provides an excellent area for a picnic or a swim. The lake has a peat and mud bottom, so the water is slightly murky but beautiful. A pair of loons were calling making it a mystical visit.

AFTER LUNCH WE once again jumped in the dinghy to set-out to explore for a potential new anchorage. We headed for to Lancelot Inlet and Isabel Bay, three miles away. What we discovered was a lovely bay west of Polly Island with plenty of potential and the next time we are in the area we are going to have to spend a night or two there.

Upon returning to Easy Goin’, we enjoyed a fine bottle of wine with a delicious barbecued dinner then relished a full moon rising over the anchorage. Life just doesn’t get any better!