The Barkley Sound

20 - 24 July 2010

Fog has been infiltrating the inlets and bays. Most of it has burned off by late afternoon, but it makes traveling the inside passages and inlets a bit treacherous. We opted to head out to sea. Visibility was at best 3 miles and at worse 1/2 mile, but still preferable to what we could see on the shore - like a shroud hanging over the land. Seas were calm with very little wind as we made our way to the Barkley. The whales decided to travel along with us on this trip, as well. I thought that a rock pinnacle was off our port side, when it was a whale spy-hopping. Then along our starboard side - right NEXT to us - a giant humpback came out of the water. We could see his entire head and back out of the water. The fog was a blessing! We would have missed it all had the skies been clear...

We decided to skip the city of Tofino, a good sized town on the Central Vancouver Coast, and head to the port town of Ucluelet (pronounced You-Clue-Let) on the north end of the Barkley sound. We made for Spring Cove, at the mouth of the inlet. Several homes dotted the shoreline, but it was still quite private. Dave ventured into town and the marina the next morning, and came back to pull up anchor and resettle at the end of the inlet, across from the marina. Once we were re-anchored, I noticed that our friends from Hot Springs Cove (Bob & Kris) were anchored off our starboard bow. They putted over in their tender and kidnapped me for a hike to Amphitrite Point. It was an enjoyable walk with views of the rock infested shoreline, although the fog was drifting in and out of the point, the trip was a beautiful one. The change from being on the boat to being on land seems to make land all the more precious to me. We planned to meet up at Pipestem Inlet the next day for Oysterpalooza. An adventure of oyster gathering, and oyster feasting...

We pulled anchor early the following morning and headed into the northern corner of the Barkley Sound. It was foggy along the outlying coastline, but inland the sun shone bright. We found a snug cove at the mouth of the Pipestem Inlet and set anchor. I rowed the tender to shore with our stern line and tied it to a tree. We had 2 wonderfully restful nights at anchor. There were a few sailboats across the cove from us, but it was a very private and serene little cove. The Luna arrived later in the afternoon, and the four of us set out to explore Lucky Creek. The creek meanders through meadows and wood to a storybook waterfall. I climbed u[ the rock face of the lower fall to see the pools above, then scurried back down the rocks and into the boat. The trip can only be made at high tide (or you will hit bottom in the shallower sections of the stream). We made it out successfully and then headed up the Pipestem into a small lagoon that was awash in oysters! We filled our buckets with oysters, and I filled my sack full of pickleweed (which I found on the shore), and set off to prepare our feast. the party was held on the Luna; a magnificent 47 foot sailboat. I was amazed at the utilization of space that she had. A wonderfully comfortable home. Another great evening spent with friends...thank you, Bob & Kris for your hospitality.

The following day we headed towards the Broken Group; an assortment of islands in the center of the Barkley. The fog thickened as we journeyed down the channel. Thank goodness for chartplotters and GPS!!! We entered Effingham Island from the southwesterly side to bypass the multitude of rocks from the lee side. Not exactly and enjoyable day on the water - traveling through fog is not one of my favorite things - a bit disorienting, but we made it to the island to find the sun breaking through and the fog lifting. We found a tidy nook to anchor in at Effingham Bay and stern tied to the shore. I thing that Dave just likes to watch me row and scurry up and down the rock ledges...A comfortable anchorage with an outstanding view of the sunset.

There is much in the Barkley that we wish to come back to explore, but duty calls and we must return to the states to attend to business. Afterwards it is our hope to return and remain for the summer. There are so many things tucked away in each and every corner of this great island. One could spend the rest of their lives exploring its gems and never tire of it.