Squirrel Cove to Laura Cove

With rain and strong southeasterly winds in the forecast, today's destination was dictated less by where we wanted to go and more by where we wanted to be when the weather arrived.

We chose Laura Cove.

Tucked just northeast of the extremely popular Prideaux Haven in Desolation Sound Marine Park, Laura Cove offers excellent protection from a southeasterly. Our plan was to anchor and stern-tie to the southern wall of the cove, putting as much rock and forest as possible between OceanFlyer and the approaching weather.

We knew we wouldn't be alone.

Apparently, quite a few other cruisers had been studying the same forecast and reached the same conclusion. But when you're choosing a place to sit out a blow, solitude drops a few places on the priority list. Good holding and protection move straight to the top.

the lineup of boats stern-tied at laura cove

Oceanflyer and Spellbound snug in laura cove

the one boat hole at the NW end of laura Cove

Besides, Laura Cove and the surrounding park offer plenty to do while waiting for the weather to pass. There are places to get ashore, trails to explore and, perhaps best of all, miles of shoreline and neighboring coves to investigate by dinghy.

Once OceanFlyer was securely anchored and stern-tied, we set off to explore.

The trails here are decidedly natural—narrow, uneven and requiring some attention to where you put your feet. Add a few elevation changes and what begins as a pleasant walk quickly becomes enough of a workout to remind you that you have actually been hiking.

rocky landing in laura cove

rocks can make for great “beaches”

But for us, the best exploring is from the dinghy.

Desolation Sound is particularly good for this because there is always something to see. As the afternoon wore on, we watched a steady procession of boats arrive, each looking for its own protected corner of the park for the next couple of days.

winner of the biggest dinghy relative to the size of my boat contest

And what a collection it was.

Small boats and very large boats. Sailboats and powerboats. Cruisers who made anchoring and stern-tying look effortless, and others for whom the process was clearly still a work in progress.

Exploring by dinghy provides a front-row seat to all of it.

There is, admittedly, a bit of nautical voyeurism involved. You admire the boats, study the anchoring techniques, notice clever pieces of equipment and occasionally watch a maneuver unfold while quietly wondering exactly how it is all going to turn out.

prideaux haven is always full in season

the view from prideaux haven is only one of its attractions

melanie cove is full again

even the waters just outside deoliation sound park become anchorages

a few boats found their spots just to the ne of laura cove

Endless entertainment.

By evening, Laura Cove had become a small community of cruisers, all gathered for essentially the same reason. For the next two days, Desolation Sound Marine Park would be home while we collectively waited for the rain and wind to move through.

Days like these are a reminder that cruising the Pacific Northwest isn't always about moving on to the next destination. Sometimes the weather tells you to stay put.

And when it does, there are far worse places to wait than Laura Cove.

sunset in laura cove