Lund to Grace Harbour – Desolation sound

Lund to Grace Harbour  – Desolation sound

After the rain of the previous day the sunshine of the morning was very welcome. There were a few rain clouds to the west but it looked promising. We have been exceedingly lucking so far, with only one day of rain in nearly two weeks. Let’s hope this trend continues.

We all trooped ashore from the floating dock, showered and went to the Lund bakery for breakfast. What a treat it was. Katya’s eyes were as wide as saucers at the sight of the large blueberry cinnamon buns. Roger had bacon and hash browns, along with Steve. Sandy had a spinach quiche and garden salad. (healthy brownie points for her). It is amazing how simple amenities provide us with so much more pleasure when deprived of them.

Having made a trip to the general store to stock up on milk and a few other items (very expensive) and refueling we departed for Desolation sound.

We motored up inside the Copeland Islands and then onwards to Grace Harbour. An anchorage which was supposed to be very popular in the summer. On arrival it was almost empty. Great. Only three other boats so we dropped the anchor in 30 feet of water at low tide and prepared the exploration party.

The guide books recommended a walk up to a freshwater lake which is supposed to get quite warm so off we trekked. The path became a quagmire after a few hundred yards so I decided to go ahead and see what the rest of the trail was like. It traversed a stream and there were a few stretches where the water was a foot or so deep but it would be worth the effort. Off we went and were rewarded with a beautiful vista and a warm swim. Luda joined us for the dip and seemed to enjoy having the buoyancy of her life vest.

The wind picked up in the evening and swung us around on the anchor. I was up in the night every few hours to make sure that the anchor was not dragging. The winds finally abated at around 3am.

Grace Harbour to Laura cove

Another sunny day. Breakfast on deck and then the preparations for a relatively short sail to Laura Cove. Once into the main channel of Desolation Sound the winds came up so we raised the sails and went along at a very pleasant 4 knots. Sandy dropped the fishing lines in the water hoping for a chance at Salmon and Steve made sandwiches for lunch. All very pleasant.

Laura Cove is a small anchorage requiring a stern tie on the steep shores. Steve was sent out again in the dingy with the line and did a spectacular job in attaching the line around a tree despite the steep, slippery and barnacle covered rocks. It took us a while to anchor satisfactorily (for a good nights sleep) but I think we are getting the hang of this.

Roger has been our resident camera man. I think he has over 2 hours of video so far. He has also has an endless supply of English confectionary. No wonder his luggage was so heavy. But it is much appreciated by all.

The afternoon was spent fishing, no success, swimming, with Steve and Katya joining me, and Jude and Sandy went exploring in the kayaks. Later in the evening Katya, Luda and I went exploring in the forest and found a magical trail to Melanie cove. We crossed crystal clear streams, traversed long moss covered logs and saw snakes and giant slugs and other strange creatures. Strangely enough there are no flies or mosquitoes here, thank goodness.

I think we have decided to stay here tomorrow, do some more exploring.