We just returned from a nice long weekend cruise through Desolation Sound, our first on our new to us Ranger 25SC. Friday evening the Sutil Channel decided to test our resolve, and threw at us some of the biggest swells I’ve ever navigated. Our inaugural run in the tug showed her to be a capable cruiser, able to handle much more than we were willing to. Our intended destination of Refuge Cove proved too far and we pulled into Cortes Bay and anchored for the night. The next day brought sunny, warm weather and much calmer seas. We decided to explore Okeover Inlet for the day, as we had never gone that way on previous Desolation trips. From there we cruised in to spend the night in Refuge Cove. The dock was busy and there were lots of visitors, but it seemed odd to see only Canadian boats. Also, we missed the restaurant, bar and live music from previous visits, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves just the same. Sunday took us through Waddington Channel and Pendrell Sound, which is truly spectacular. We hugged the rocks on the east side on the way in, and the west on the way out, admiring the rock faces and the shoreline. Sunday evening had us anchored in VonDonup Inlet on Cortes Island, but not before we had a juvenile humpback surface right next to our boat, and a half dozen or more Dall’s Porpoises playing in our wake. Finally, on Monday we were set to make our way home to Campbell River, and we encountered 4 more Ranger Tugs exiting VonDonup Inlet... one outboard model whose name we didn’t catch, as well as “Tried & True” “Sod Buster” and “Coddiwomple”. We didn’t meet any of the owners, perhaps on another trip when social distancing isn’t the order of the day. From there we had a leisurely, and uneventful, cruise home taking with us the memories that can only be found off the beaten path along an unspoiled waterway.
