Laura Cove to Refuge Cove

It had been a long time since we last visited Refuge Cove, long enough that our memory of the place was mostly centered on one thing: the store.

That has changed.

Refuge Cove has grown into a much more complete cruising stop, and almost everything we saw was an improvement.

The community is organized as a cooperative, with both residents and local businesses participating as members. That cooperative operates the docks and helps support what has become a surprisingly complete collection of services for such a small place in the middle of Desolation Sound.

the sancuary know as refuge cove

There is fuel, a floating trash dock , a grocery store, gift shop, gallery and restaurant. Water is available on the docks, although there is no shore power. Visiting boats can also tie up for as long as four hours at no charge, which makes Refuge Cove an easy stop for cruisers who simply need to reprovision and move on.

There is, however, a rhythm to the place.

The rush begins around 10:00 in the morning and continues until about 3:30 in the afternoon. Boats arrive, crews scatter ashore to buy groceries or fuel, perhaps have lunch, and then cast off again for their next anchorage.

Come before or after that window and finding a space on the dock is usually much easier.

Naturally, we arrived around noon.

Despite hitting Refuge Cove right in the middle of the busy period, we were still able to find a place for OceanFlyer and tie up.

oceanflyer finds a spot in the cross dock, still room for more

From there, we joined the routine.

We stocked up on groceries, wandered through the gift shop and gallery, filled our water tanks and made a trip to the trash barge. By evening, with most of the daytime traffic gone, things had quieted considerably and we settled onto the restaurant patio for dinner overlooking the cove.

good look at the layout of reguge cove docks

Rather than leave, we decided to stay overnight, paying $2 per foot for moorage.

What struck us most was how useful Refuge Cove has become.

From anchorages throughout Desolation Sound, it is close enough that cruisers regularly make the trip by dinghy. From Laura Cove, where we had spent the previous night, it is an especially easy run. Others arrive by boat from nearby anchorages simply to take on supplies, dispose of trash or enjoy a meal before heading back out.

the cove to the NW is a pleasent anchorage

It has become something of a small oasis for cruisers moving through Desolation Sound.

That was not how we remembered it.

On our last visit, the store was the primary attraction. Today, Refuge Cove feels like a real cruising hub—still small, still informal, but now offering enough services to make it a genuinely useful stop.

the garbage floating dock just off the entrance island. $2 a bag.

Some places we revisit are best left as memories.

Refuge Cove was better the second time around.

We’ll be stopping again.

Gorge Harbour to Squirrel Cove

Squirrel Cove is one of those anchorages that almost every cruiser seems to know.

For many, it is not a one-time stop but a place they return to again and again. The reasons are straightforward: good protection, plenty of room, and a convenient location whether you are working your way north or south through Desolation Sound.

There is also a useful little store just outside the cove, which makes Squirrel Cove an easy place to pause and replenish a few supplies before moving on.

looking out the entrance on the right toward the store and government dock in the distance

For those looking for something a little more adventurous, there is the lagoon.

Getting in and out is all about timing the tide. We made the trip once in our kayaks and quickly learned that lesson firsthand. The ride in was easy enough, but we did not linger long. By the time we turned around, the current had picked up and we had to paddle hard to work our way back out.

the entrance to the squirrel cove lagoon at a lower tide

Timing, as they say, is everything.

The store can be reached by dinghy at its drying dock when the tide is roughly eight feet or higher. At lower tides, the nearby government dock provides a more dependable option.

Because the store serves the local community as well as passing boaters, it carries a surprisingly broad selection. For cruisers looking to top off groceries or pick up a few forgotten items, it is a very handy stop.

For us, though, Squirrel Cove was less about provisioning and more about pausing.

squirrel cove looking back from just inside the lagoon

We were beginning to position OceanFlyer for the wind and rain forecast a few days ahead, and Squirrel Cove offered a comfortable place to spend a quiet day while we watched the weather develop.

Sometimes a familiar anchorage is exactly what you need.

I think the final line works well for this leg because it gives the post a reason to exist beyond simply describing Squirrel Cove.

Rebecca Spit to Gorge Harbour

An hour after leaving Rebecca Spit, we found ourselves back at Gorge Harbour.

We stopped here early in the season on our way north, when the docks were nearly empty and the resort had yet to shift into its summer rhythm. This time, we arrived to a very different Gorge Harbour. The docks were busy, the resort's summer activities were in full swing, and we were going to get a chance to experience another side of a place we thought we already knew.

busy docks at gorge harbour

the anchorage in gorge harbour is alos busy

The dock staff greeted us with plenty of smiles and enthusiasm, along with just a touch of uncertainty about exactly where they wanted to put OceanFlyer. The marina was expected to be full that night, and every foot of dock space mattered. There was some measuring, reconsidering and repositioning before the final verdict was delivered and our lines went ashore.

shoreshide view of the docks

gorge is a large, well protected natural harbour with a dramatic entrance

Once settled, we turned our attention to what Gorge Harbour Resort had to offer. Beyond the practical attractions of the store, fresh water and fuel, the resort has a fireside patio overlooking the marina, with live entertainment scheduled throughout the summer. After weeks when our evening entertainment often consisted of watching the light fade over an empty anchorage, this promised a pleasant change of pace.

The next morning brought the local farmers and craft market, held on the resort grounds. At least, "farmers and craft market" was how it had been advertised. As it turned out, the farmers apparently had other plans, leaving the craftspeople to carry the day.

there is even more activity on the shore side of the gorge harbour marina and rv park

The more memorable event came later, when members of the local Indigenous community gathered to share traditional songs and stories. Their presentation quickly drew a crowd from both the marina and the campground and gave us an unexpected opportunity to learn a little more about the people and traditions of Cortes Island.

By evening, the fireside patio was again alive with music. Rather than join the crowd, we claimed our own private balcony on the flybridge. Dinner came from the resort's food truck, while the music drifted across the marina and over to us.

Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Gorge Harbour delivered on quite a few fronts, but perhaps the most interesting part of this return visit was how different it felt from the place we had stopped earlier in the summer. Same harbour, same docks, but an entirely different experience.

It is also becoming clear that our cruising is beginning to change. The quiet anchorages and wilderness stops that defined much of our summer are gradually giving way to busier harbours, marinas, restaurants and communities as we work our way south.

It is a different style of cruising, but not necessarily a lesser one.

Sometimes the trick is simply recognizing when the scenery has changed, adjusting your perspective, and enjoying what the next harbour has to offer.

Carrington Bay to Rebecca Spit

Well, today we doubled yesterday’s cruising time—to a full hour.

That is one of the pleasures of this part of British Columbia. Destinations are tucked remarkably close together, and for now we are happy to bank these short travel days. We know there will come a time when getting where we want to go will require most of the available daylight. Today was decidedly not one of those days.

Our destination was Rebecca Spit, a perennial favorite of ours and, judging by the company we usually find here, of plenty of other cruisers as well.

The spit forms a long, protected anchorage along the eastern shore of Quadra Island. It is popular from both directions: boats fill the water while campers and travel trailers occupy the park just beyond the shoreline. Yet despite all that activity, the anchorage is large enough that it rarely feels overwhelmed. There always seems to be room for one more boat.

the spit at rebecca spit

one of the most popular provincal parks in BC

the “Shallow” east end with campers on thr shore

rebecca spit from east to west

Part of Rebecca Spit’s appeal is that it offers a little of everything.

Going ashore on the spit itself could hardly be easier. There are numerous friendly dinghy landings along the beach, and from there a network of trails makes it possible to walk much of the length of the spit. Water is never far away. The trail winds beneath the trees with frequent opportunities to wander out onto the rocky beaches, first on one side and then the other. After spending days moving from anchorage to anchorage, it is a particularly pleasant place to stretch our legs.

the walks at rebecca spit are not to be missed

the tip of the spit is a never changing panorama of boats

M/V Oceanflyer and m/v spellbound rafted in rebecca spit

the ferry to whaletown is always on the move

our landing spot on the beach at rebecca spit

thena warroir princess, admiral of the m/v spellbound, makes the most of the beach at rebecca spit

For a complete change of scenery, we can point the dinghy toward Heriot Bay.

Landing at the Heriot Bay Inn puts us within easy reach of its pub, restaurant, gift shop and pleasant grounds. The pub makes an easy lunch or dinner destination, while the restaurant offers something a little more ambitious when we have had our fill of pub food. Either way, simply sitting outside on solid ground for a while has its own appeal.

haroit bay inn and docks

haroit bay is home to the ferry landing, hariot bay inn and the government docks

From the inn, a short walk along the road—often lined with vehicles waiting for the ferry—leads to the local shopping hub. The well-stocked grocery store is the main attraction for cruisers looking to replenish fresh provisions, but the same stop also offers a liquor store, post office, gift shop and coffee shop. After spending time in more remote anchorages, having so much within a short dinghy ride feels almost extravagant.

The ferry terminal adds another dimension to Heriot Bay. Boats, campers, island residents and ferry traffic all converge here, giving the little community a surprising amount of activity.

And for cruisers who prefer a dock to swinging on the hook, Taku Resort on the western shore offers a small marina that gets consistently good reports from those who stay there.

Rebecca Spit is hardly a secret, and that is part of what makes it different from many of the quiet anchorages we seek out along the coast. We do not come here for solitude. We come because it combines a protected anchorage, easy shore access, beautiful walks, provisioning and a bit of civilization—all within a few minutes of the boat.

rebecca spit always seems to produse stuning sunsets

With that combination, it is easy to understand why Rebecca Spit remains a perennial favorite.

And why we keep coming back.

oceanflyer enjoying the sunset show at rebecca spit

Von Donop Inlet to Carrington Bay

Today’s journey was little more than a short hop from Von Donop Inlet to Carrington Bay—another new anchorage for us this season.

Karen had read about several pleasant walks near the head of the bay, where a narrow channel opens into a tidal lagoon. The trails are part of Carrington Bay Regional Park and wind through one of Cortes Island’s more frequently visited stands of mature forest.

Carrington Bay with the lagoon at the head

looking back out from carrington bay NW to Sutil Channel

We have found that wherever a trail can also be reached by road, there is usually more development and upkeep—the natural result of easier access and heavier use. That was certainly the case here.

The unmistakable landmark at the lagoon entrance is an aluminum footbridge spanning the channel. We landed the dinghy just west of it, where broad granite slabs provided an easy, dry place to step ashore.

The trails lived up to what Karen had read. They were well maintained and threaded with the sort of rustic infrastructure that industrious visitors seem compelled to build when left to their own devices. Even the privy on the east side of the lagoon entrance—unexpected, thoroughly improvised and cleverly assembled from found materials—continues to serve the kayakers and boaters who camp nearby.

After our walk, we returned to OceanFlyer and settled in behind Little Jane Islet. The evening was calm, the anchorage quiet and the moon just short of full.

mother nature puts on another show for us

Some cruising days are defined by currents, weather and careful timing. Others ask for nothing more than a short passage, a walk through the forest and a peaceful night at anchor.