Eden’s Pool to Crease Island

It is not a long run from Eden’s Pool to the anchorage behind Crease Island, but this is one of those passages where the journey is every bit as interesting as the destination.

The route threads through a maze of small passages and between islands of every shape and size. Rather than following one broad channel, we wound our way from one opening to the next, with each turn revealing a new view. Rocky shorelines, forested islets, narrow gaps and hidden waterways continually appeared ahead of us, giving the trip a real sense of exploration.

Adding to the atmosphere today was fog.

Fortunately, it was what I like to call “interesting fog.” Not the thick, all-enveloping variety that reduces the world to the radar screen, but just enough to add drama to the scenery. Wisps of fog drifted among the islets, alternately hiding and revealing the shoreline, while visibility remained good enough to comfortably see the rocks, kelp and other obstructions around us.

It transformed an already engaging route into something even more memorable. At times an island would seem to appear out of the mist just as another disappeared behind us.

Crease Island itself is a popular anchorage, and it is easy to understand why. It is conveniently located, spacious, well protected and offers comfortable anchoring depths of generally less than 30 feet.

Its one defining challenge is kelp.

There is plenty of it.

No matter where you choose to drop the anchor, you seem to end up sitting in a floating forest. The kelp reaches the surface at all stages of the tide and surrounds the boat, making careful anchor placement—and a little patience when retrieving it—part of the Crease Island experience.

There was one other boat anchored when we arrived. Over the course of the afternoon, three more cruisers worked their way in and found their own spots among the kelp.

crease island is a popular anchorage

looking east from crease island anchorage

After spending the morning weaving through mist-shrouded islands and narrow passages, settling into Crease Island felt like an appropriate ending to a day that was much more about exploring the route than simply getting from one anchorage to the next.

the afternoon fog tries to reclaim crease island anchorage

And judging by the growing collection of boats around us, we were not the only ones who thought Crease Island was a good place to stop.