Pruth Bay Layday

The predicted good weather window materialized right on time. So, we launched the dinghy and tied up at the designated dinghy dock area on the Hakai Institute dock and made our way to the West Beach.

the haki institute docks

looking back into pruth bay

The trail was slightly overgrown in places but remains an easy 15-minute walk to the beach, with boardwalk in many boggy places. Because of the recent rains, there were large puddles to skirt on the non-boardwalk part of the trail, the first time we have seen this in our visits.

well maintained path to the beach

recent rains made for some muddy patches, but the soil drains quickly

the path to the beach has all the comforts

plenty of directional and informational signage

 When we came out of the woods we were greeted by sunshine, blue skies, white, puffy clouds and no rain. The weather seldom cooperates so well, but we’re not going to question it and just enjoy one of our favorite beaches on the West Coast. As PNW cruisers know, there are not a lot of amazing sandy beaches to be found, and this is one of the best.

breathtaking waet beach

 We knew that one other group of 2 from the small sailboat Endurance had come to the beach before us, but we only knew that from their inflatable kayak tied to the dock and footprints in the sand. West Beach is so large, you never feel crowded even with people in view.

even the smallest details on this beach are beautiful

Karen walked the beach looking for “treasures” and tried to capture some of the magnificence of this location with her iphone camera while I flew the drone to get a new viewpoint of West Beach.  We walked around for a long while, jumping over small “runoff rivers” and climbing over large driftwood logs and between rock crevasses. It was just amazing to be in the sun after all the recent dreary days.

karen beachcoming on west beach

there is great exploring past the souith end rocks at low tide

at low tide you can walk into these eroded rock formations

low tide reveal colors of the various organisms that make their home here

noth end of west beach

west beach is one of many, there are six more if you walk the path to the south

Later, back at the boat, we continued to be amazed at the anchoring habits of our neighbors. First, Purth bay is large and, being this early in the season, there is an abundance of space to anchor. Nevertheless, the incoming boats tend to crowd the boats already at anchor. To add insult to injury, so many boaters drop the anchor over the side and never back down on the ground tackle to make certain it is set.

In fact, this morning, after a couple of boats left, we moved to the south side of the anchorage to distance ourselves from two that anchored well within our anchor circle late yesterday. Just as we dropped anchor in our new spot, a large sailboat dropped its anchor maybe 100 feet off our bow and then went below.  We called to them that their spot was not going to work. Their reply? “Oh we thought you were leaving.” Really? Karen shook her head and said we were anchored and planned to stay that way.  So up came their anchor and down it went, this time just slightly astern of us. As more boats arrived, they continued to make a bee line over to our location, leaving acres of open possible anchor spots in their wake. Typically, this type of behavior is more pervasive when summer is in full swing – but not this year. This phenomenon actually seems to be on the increase and is not limited to sail or power – both types of vessels display this behavior.

close anchoring in large purth bay

Nevertheless, were were entertained by all the anchoring antics and had a great evening, even as the rain reappeared not long after we returned from our sunny beach excursion. 

rainbow in pruth bay

Green Island Anchorage to Pruth Bay

A very short trip in showers and clouds across Fitz Hugh Sound and about the same distance west in Kwakshua Channel (nearly bisects Calvert Island) brought us to Pruth Bay and the home of the Hakai Institute. We again caught up with the Mother Goose Fleet and passed most of them on our way to anchor fairly close to the Institute Docks.

if you look closely, you can see the end of a rainbow on the west side of fitz hugh sound

Pruth is a “must visit” on the Central BC Coast. The anchorage is incidental. The real reason everybody stops here is to walk the magnificent beaches on the west shore of Calvert Island. There are 7 of them, though most only visit West beach proper. The entire area is part of the Hakai Luxbalis Conservancy.

The Hakai Institute graciously allows boaters shore access at their dock (and WiFi) and maintains the path through the woods to West Beach. Another great attraction, which is often overlooked, is the hike to Lookout Point where you can look out to the beach and the Pacific Ocean, and also gaze back into Pruth Bay. The entrance to this well-maintained trail is located on the south side of West Beach. Look for a small sign and a hanging float near the TSUNAMI EVACUATION ROUTE sign. Enter there and follow to the signs up to the overlook, ignoring the trail signs for beaches two through seven.

The weather for a beach visit was marginal. Karen had paying work to catch up on and I focused on making meatloaf because we promised our friend Bill (Mother Goose fleet leader) gin & tonics along with meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner, and I did not want to disappoint.

one of the mother goose dingies goes for a beach explore at pruth bay

 Based on our various weather databases, there should be a five hour, no cloud window tomorrow, so that is when we plan to head out to enjoy West beach. Fingers crossed it really happens!

Green Island Anchorage Layday

Rain day = laundry day. having on board laundry is a must for extended cruising. OceanFlyer is particularly nice in that we have a full-size washer and dryer like you would have at home. They are in the engine, which Karen thought initially she would not like, but, as it turns out, it’s a more than acceptable compromise. We keep a large linen closet in the master stateroom, and the washer/dryer are out of the way until you need them. 

Most important is having the 220-volt dryer that is vented to the outside. Our clothes dry quickly and completely, unlike other options we have experienced aboard most boats.

Hunkered down day means I’ll work on photos, blog copy and boat projects. It’s a welcomed change from traveling long hours.  Karen is working on a research report for a client and has her head down.

I mentioned in my post yesterday that Green Island is one of our favorite anchorages. That’s because, although it looks small on the chart, there is plenty of room. We also like the views in all quadrants. You do not feel hemmed in. The only downside is that some swell can sneak in from Fitzhugh Sound when the rocks in the pass cover at higher tides. The fetch can also be reflected around in the anchorage, but we have never been uncomfortable. On the occasion you get beam-to the fetch, you’ll get a brief and gentle rolling motion.

looking out to fitz hugh sound from green island anchorage

Ahclakerho to Green Island Anchorage

Today is the day to move, the winds and seas are forecasted to come up tomorrow, so today we will leave Ahclakerho and go to Green Island Anchorage just off Fitz Hugh Sound.

 At high tide last night, 2am,  the anchor alarm sounded. We did touch the western boundary I marked on the anchor alarm. I checked all was well and as the tide retreated, we quickly moved east to the position we held most of yesterday. Happy that we didn’t have to do a re-anchoring dance in the middle of the night. Ask me how I know that is not fun.

We awoke to a high broken overcast and the occasional spot of sun. No rain, as forecasted, and light winds as we retrieved the stern tie and hauled anchor. It was a bit frustrating to see the sun and all the glorious upchannel views as we were leaving, but this anchorage is pretty in any weather. Next time!

our neighbor last night gets a early stert on a day of prawning

It would appear that slack in the Ahclakerho channel is 1.5 to 2 hours after slack at Leroy Bay on a 1-foot tide. When we transited at slack at Leroy Bay, we still had about 2+ knots of current on out stern. In the narrowest portions, the water swirled and required attention at the helm, but nothing to worry about. Most of the shoreline is steep to and the channel wide with well charted features.

As we were making our way back out to Smith Inlet, I spotted a blow and a whale breaching. We continued our heading and by the time we got there all the feeding activity had subsided. Nevertheless, the first humpback spotting of the season.

We had a good trip with some 2-foot ocean swells spaced at a nice distance. The only real confused water was when we rounded from Smith Inlet across the mouth of Rivers Inlet. It didn’t last long. Once we entered Fitz Hugh Sound, the swells stopped and the ride was pleasant.

Green Island anchorage is one of our favorites. It’s not far off of Fitz Hugh, so it’s quite convenient. It gets its name from the distinct bright green patch of some unknown shrub on a small island in the anchorage. It is so recognizable that you can spot it from space on Google Earth.

the unmistakable “green” island that gives this place its name

While in season this anchorage can be busy, we were alone with our pick of anchor spots. We chose to anchor between the island and the opening to Fitz Hugh sound, with great views in all quadrants. Later that afternoon another boat came in and anchored on the far side. That was it.

The weather turned cloudy and rainy, so we stayed cozy in the boat for the rest of the day.

evening approaches in green island anchorage

Ahclakerho Lay Day

The rain has set in. We may get a short break today so we can explore the anchorage. But the long-range forecast is mostly rain for many days. Still, its quite pretty here and we are securely tucked away.

rainy morning in the ahclackerho

The Commercial prawners are all around the Central Coast, and they even made it all the way down into the Ahclakerho. They seemed to be rewarded for their journey as we saw prawns in almost every trap as they pulled them onboard.   

Our stern-tie has worked well and accommodated the rise and fall of the 14-foot tidal range.

oceanflyer sits well on her stern tie in ahlackerho

the view of the stern tie from oceanflyer

the “ramp” up to the tree is handy in almost any tide height

and aerial view with the ebb current setting oceanflyer

As the rain decided to take a brief hiatus, we launched the dinghy. Karen wanted to go to the end of Broad Reach, but as we poked our nose into the Reach, the chop was just too much for a such a long ride. So, we explored the nearer confines of our anchorage. While we could go too far without encountering that wet chop, we did manage to find some interesting nooks and crannies to explore.

looking back up the ahclackero channel

We will definitely come back in better weather to explore all the way down to Ahclakerho basin!

a special place, seldom visited