A 3 week cruise to Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands (Part 1)

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I am composing this post from the dock at Refuge Cove on West Redonda Islands. We are at day 10 on our 3 week cruise in our 2017 C-28 Our Journey. This is our 5th trip to the greater Desolation Sound area in the past 7 years. For those considering such a trip I’d like to share our itinerary with some comments.
This covers where we have been so far.

1. 8/19 Drive to Burlington p/u boat
2. 8/20 Launch @ Bellingham to Salt Spring Marina 55 miles
3. 8/21 Ganges to Comox via Dodd Narrows 97 miles (fuel @ Nanaimo - water, food, trash & showers @ Comox)
4. 8/22 Comox to Campbell River (fuel, trash, food, showers & water)
5. 8/23 Campbell River to Van Donop Inlet 24 miles - hike
6. 8/24 Von Donop Inlet to Octopus Islands via Surge Narrows 21 miles
7. 8/25 Octopus Islands all day - hike
8. 8/26 Octopus Islands to Walsh Cove via HITW (stern tie) 26 miles
9. 8/27 Walsh Cove to Refuge Cove 16 miles (fuel, water, charge power bank, laundry & showers)
10. 8/28 Refuge Cove to Roscoe Bay 8 miles.

Note that we have not used shore power since we launched 8 days ago. We haven’t needed it with our 335 watt solar panel and Anker power bank. The Anker powers our portable freezer in the cockpit and the solar powers everything else.
I would not recommend doing the Ganges to Comox leg in just one day. Stop halfway at Newcastle Island Marine Park of Nanaimo. Wonderful place. We skipped it to outrun bad weather forecasted for the SOG around Nanaimo on 8/22.
Also, on our way from Octopus Islands to Walsh Cove, Garmin and Wagner Cruising Guide differ on slack times for Hole In the Wall. We went through as Wagner recommended and were fine. On that leg we passed Toba Inlet Wilderness Marina which I recommend staying at at least once for the experience and hike to the falls.
We find that we can, with strict conservation, go 5 full days on our 40 gallons of fresh water. Paper plates, washing pots and pans in salt water before a final fresh water rinse and such.
Today we are heading off for two nights at Roscoe Bay where we expect to stern tie again.
We are not visiting Laura or Melanie Coves on this trip but I highly recommend them.
Thoughts and comments?

 

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Sound like a great trip. We always include Teakerne Arm for a swim in the lake or in the saltwater at the base of the waterfall.
And Pendrell for a warm swim.

 

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11. 8/29 Roscoe Bay all day - hike, lake swim & paddle board
12. 8/30 Roscoe Bay to Gorge Harbor 26 miles (trash, WiFi, shore power, water & showers)

More Notes:

• Refuge Cove no longer offers shore power despite what you may read. They do have propane. I charged my Anker power bank, with permission, in the laundry room.
• In Roscoe Bay first night had 15 boats: 9 stern tied and 6 anchored. We anchored. Needed to run engine at idle for 20 minutes to recharge batteries 2nd day. Heavy overcast on 8/28 & 8/29 limited solar yield.
• Campbell River may have strong currents and eddies from the mouth of Discovery Passage up to the Discovery Harbour Marina. Breakwaters at the marina make entry and exit reasonable. Excellent nearby big grocery store for provisioning & several nice restaurants.

 

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Sound like a great trip. We always include Teakerne Arm for a swim in the lake or in the saltwater at the base of the waterfall.
And Pendrell for a warm swim.

We have been there twice and it’s been so crowded that there’s not been a safe place to anchor. The drop off from shore is incredibly steep! Beautiful though!