Cecil Island to Eden’s Pool

Some anchorages are obvious on the chart. Others require a little imagination.

Eden’s Pool falls squarely into the second category.

Tucked between Insect Island, Eden Island and Fly Island, Eden’s Pool is a small patch of water sitting at the crossroads of five different waterways. It is not the sort of place we would normally look at on the chart and immediately think, anchorage. But Karen had noticed AIS targets tucked in there from time to time, which was enough to earn it a spot on our “new places to try” list.

Today was the day to give it a try.

On the way, we made a brief detour into Stopford Bay. Friends of ours have a favorite spot all the way at the southern end, and we wanted to see it for ourselves.

The farther you go, the more the outside world disappears. By the time you reach the end, you are tucked away with no one else in sight. It is one of those wonderfully secluded little corners that feels completely removed from everything around it—a true sanctuary.

Then it was on to Eden’s Pool, which offered almost the opposite experience.

Rather than tucking OceanFlyer close to one shoreline, I chose a spot near the middle, roughly equidistant from the surrounding land. That turned out to be a good decision.

With five waterways converging around us, the current finds its way through the anchorage from several directions. Over the course of our stay, OceanFlyer swung around and managed to tug on the anchor from just about every point of the compass. Fortunately, we had plenty of room in every direction, so it was more interesting to watch than concerning.

eden’s pool is an unexpected anchorage

Our other question was boat traffic. Several of the waterways intersecting here are used by passing boats, and on the chart Eden’s Pool looks as though it could become something of a wake collection basin.

In practice, it was remarkably quiet. Only one sailboat and one small go-fast boat passed during our stay and wakes never became an issue.

Eden’s Pool turned out to be a worthwhile addition to our list. It is cozy without feeling enclosed, with views opening in several directions and an ever-changing combination of wind and current that keeps the boat moving.

looking south down blunden passage from eden’s pool

Not every good anchorage needs to be hidden at the end of an inlet. Sometimes a surprisingly pleasant place to spend the night is sitting right there at the crossroads.