Squirrel Cove – Cortes Island

When we arrived at Drew Harbour the weather was fair with a moderate SE wind which the anchorage provides good protection from. The next day brought fog, mist and rain so we hid out in the cabin and read.

After two nights the skies cleared, and the wind clocked around to NW and the velocity picked up considerably. Most of Drew Harbour is open to the NW so we decided to go Squirrel Cove which is well protected from all wind directions. We motored upwind and set the genoa when we turned south and sailed until we entered the approach to Refuge Cove. During our brief stop we got a few groceries, filled the water and fuel tanks, and dropped off the garbage.

We dropped the anchor at 6:20pm in Squirrel Cove in sunny warm weather and a NW breeze. This is a large anchorage so finding a spot with plenty of swinging room was no problem.

We spent the next several days hiking, kayaking, reading, napping and relaxing. The wind was calm most all the time so the low noise level and cool nights made for good sleep except when I would occasionally wake up to the buzz of a mosquito.

We made the 15-minute dinghy ride to the general store for a few provisions, and I was able to find an obscure plumbing fitting in the well-stocked marine parts section in the basement.  Our grey water system is running slow so I’m going to replace the pump with the spare and flush the lines using the fitting just purchased.

We decided to not go to Alaska this year due to unforeseen circumstances delaying our planned start date by a month. So not wanting to go all that distance in a rush we are going to cruise as far north as the Broughton’s and save Alaska for another year.

For the next several days we are going to remain in the Desolation Sound area and check out a couple of anchorages we haven’t been to before.  We’re also going to see if we can catch a willing lingcod or rockfish for dinner.  Salmon fishing should be good in Queen Charlotte Strait & Blackfish Sound which opens mid-July.