After a leisurely morning in Pender Harbour we weighed anchor at 10:30 headed for Lund. Outside the protected harbour the wind was blowing SE 6-13 kts., so we sailed some, motored in the light air, and flew wing & wing for a bit. We had mostly sunny skies this day and the next two.
In Lund we spent the afternoon looking around the marina, checked out a couple of shops and then went back to the boat for dinner.
The next morning, we had fresh blackberry cinnamon rolls from Nancy’s bakery for breakfast. Not our normal fare but if you’re in Lund these are highly recommended by the guidebooks.
Lund has a harbour walk and we found a trail that led to the beach, so we were able to get a little exercise before we departed for Desolation Sound.
Arriving in Desolation Sound we had a 10-14 kt. wind from the SW so we sailed for several hours in the flat water and moderate breeze, enjoying the sunny day and the fantastic mountain scenery.
The entrance to Prideaux Haven is narrow with a couple of turns but is plenty deep even at low tide. Watch the plotter and keep an eye on the chart and the passage will be uneventful.
There were only two boats in the main basin and eight more in Melanie Cove so compared to past years’ trips this was very uncrowded.
The next day we found enough breeze to sail, so we beat our way SW for 30.7 miles to Drew Harbour on Quadra Island. Very few boats were here also, so finding a no drama location to anchor was easy. The weather turned foul overnight, with the beautiful sunny skies giving way to low clouds, wind, and rain. The forecast for the next several days is looking good though. While checking an issue with the grey water pump system, I discovered freshwater in the battery compartment and I’m still looking for the source. It is often said that cruising is working on your boat in exotic places.
Next, we are headed to the Broughton Islands which requires transiting Seymour Narrows or a series of rapids through the islands to our NE. The wind is forecast to reach 25-30 kts. in Johnstone Strait for the next two days, so we are going to opt for the longer route through the islands and wait for a better forecast for Johnstone Strait.
Sailing First Light 