Tom Bay to Troop Narrows

2026.7.22 – Tom Bay to Troop Narrows

One of the advantages of traveling at displacement speeds is that time is often your greatest tool. Rather than forcing the boat through marginal conditions, we simply adjust our schedule and let the tide work for us.

Today's departure from Tom Bay was dictated by Perceval Narrows. While the narrows themselves are wide, well charted, and straightforward to navigate, the real consideration lies just outside. When a strong ebb collides with incoming Pacific swells, the water can become surprisingly rough as the opposing forces stack the seas.

Fortunately, neither the tide nor the weather had any interest in making things difficult. By timing our passage near slack water and with only a gentle swell rolling in from the ocean, we slipped through in calm conditions. It was another reminder that a little patience often pays far greater dividends than horsepower.

Our destination, Troop Narrows, is one of those places that doesn't attract attention because of dramatic scenery or challenging navigation. Instead, its charm lies in the collection of small coves tucked along the passage, each offering a secure anchorage with a different perspective on the surrounding mountains and scattered islets. It's the kind of place where moving a few hundred yards can completely change the view from your salon windows.

At the southern anchorage, the sage grass lined shoreline becomes excellent bear habitat early in the season, adding another reason many cruisers linger here. This time, however, our visit is less about wildlife and more about preparation.

We'll spend a couple of quiet days at anchor before returning to Shearwater. Civilization, at least by our recent standards, awaits us there—laundry, fresh water, a handful of boat projects, route planning for the next leg south, and, perhaps most importantly, treating the ship's chef to a few well-earned meals ashore before we once again trade marina docks for remote anchorages.

troop narrows is one of those undiscovered ancorages