A summer week of exploring, and a summer storm to remember

The boys and I took off for an end of summer trip and a last chance to swim in comfortable salt water in 2016. It has been an incredible summer, filled with adventures, and yet light on big boat trips. Now that the boys are big enough, we are tackling some favorite backpacking locations to expand their familiarity with North American geography. This year was the Canadian Rockies.

But this kept us from getting up into Desolation Sound or further north this summer, and that is a sadness. To partially make it up, and to appease our need for summer swimming in BC, the boys and I took off for a quick trip into the northern Gulf Islands. We knew we didn't have time, or want to push enough, to get up to Jedidiah or our favorite places further up the Straits of Georgia, so we aimed instead for either DeCourcy or Wallace.

Our first day out from Anacortes was lovely and calm. We powered our way to Prevost Harbor on Stuart and didn't get there until fairly late due to a late start. It was a rare thing indeed as we dropped anchor and never even went to shore. Due to it being August and all the fair weather boaters, the part of the anchorage near the public dock in Prevost was packed. Few seem to know there is an easy and lovely anchorage over by the County Dock and Erickson farm that has great holding and no obstacles. We dropped there, and enjoyed the better views out to the coast ranges and Boundary Pass.

The next day we were off north. In the end we decided to stop at Wallace Island and not push the additional time to DeCourcy. We poked our noses into Conniver Cove and were surprised to find that there was room for us stern tied against the eastern shore. We arrived fairly early, around lunch time, and were delighted. Anchoring in this cove is a very sketchy proposition, as I have related in previous posts. The holding is really poor in a torn up mud bottom, and the spaces are tight. This time, with our Mantus Anchor, I had great confidence we would not budge, but our neighbors were still a concern.

We had no sooner dropped the anchor than we had on our swim shorts and were jumping in. Oh the joys of salt water swimming in water that is above 70 degrees! My temperature gauge said the water in the cove was 80F, and it might have been at the surface.

Owen paddling our inflatable kayak in Conover Cove, Wallace Island

We enjoyed this day and the morning of the next doing all the lovely things one can do at Wallace. Owen paddled the kayak, as did I. Elliott stayed in the hammock for extended periods. We walked north up to Panther Point to view the twilight on the water. We played frisbee in the field. All a joy.

Since we only planned on four days, and we didn't want to go from Wallace all the way back to Anacortes in a day, which is 50 miles, we left on Saturday after lunch and made some distance south down to Winter Cove on Saturna. Our last visit there was this winter, and we were alone. Now there were dozens of boats, and it was festive. There was even a competitive softball game going on in the field above the dock. Red against blue, local teams. We watched a few innings and enjoyed being fans.