Thursday:  Today is beginning sunny and warm.  We leave at 0800 to time Race Pass so we go through at slack or a slight flood.  Currents can run up to six knots and the wind promises to be from the northwest.  This combination can result in lumpy seas during the ebb.  Moreover, at ebb we would hardly make any headway and also have little or no control.

We arrived at Blind Channel Marina, a lovely spot with good facilities and tied up for the night.  A group had happy hour on the upper deck of Raven Magic, while others hiked up to see the old-growth cedar,  then some went for supper in the restaurant while others cooked on board.

We are expecting wind and weather tonight and the waves and wind are building already.  The marina is open in the direction of the wind and waves and the halyards are already slapping, so we may be in for a rocking time tonight.

Friday: The night turned out to be quiet. 

Today we are off to Big Bay Public Dock and the departure is to be mid-afternoon to ride the tide down Cordero Channel and arrive at the Gillard Rapids at slack.

The day proved to be rainy and grey, but people wandered around and entertained themselves until departure.  The flotilla pulled out on schedule and motored down through the currents in Cordero Channel, arriving right at slack. 

At slack, we all went through Gillard Passage without incident and tied up at Big Bay community dock.  We then had a final barbecue and called it a day.

The slack in Yaculta Rapids tomorrow is at 0520 and we want to be there right on time as that opportunity is very short before the the whirlpools start up again as the current increases to as much as ten knots at flood. 

The next slack tomorrow is noon, and most of our boats chose that departure, but that late departure puts arrival at Powell River into evening hours.

Saturday: Three boats traversed the Yaculta Rapids without incident and motored towards Powell River, encountering twenty-five knot winds and chop on the nose after leaving Calm Channel.  Two persevered to Powell River and one decided to sit out the blow in Lund, along the way.

Intrepid is back at the dock in Powell River now and the other boats will be arriving as the day wears on.  We have one last get-together tonight and that is it for the 2014 Cooper Dreamspeaker Broughtons Flotilla. 

This was a record turnout with ten boats and thirty people participating.

Follow us in real time on the Spotwalla or Spot website.

~DAY four~

Although the winds were blowing 25 knots when we went to bed, the night was quiet and in the morning the wind had dropped to almost nothing.
We motored out past Port Neville, then Milly Island and turned west on Johnstone Strait towards Port McNeill.  We had intended to sail, but the Strait was dead calm and we motored directly to Port McNeill.

We've finally officially arrived at The Broughtons, even though we are actually passing them to the south and spending the rest of the day and night at Port McNeill, just south of our target area. The plan is to fuel up, provision, and rest up tonight; then travel the 30+ sea miles to Turnbull Cove on the mainland north of the Broughton Islands tomorrow.  From then on, we'll just do short daily trips from one bay or marina to the next and enjoy the area. 

We all arrived at Port McNeill mid-afternoon and tied up at North Island Marina and went ashore.  At 1700, we had a skippers meeting and the plans changed.  The forecast is for winds up to 35 knots tomorrow, so that is a good reason to stay put and enjoy Port McNeill. 

The decision now is to stay in Port McNeill a second day to wait out the gale, then cross to Claydon Bay which is  a bit closer and better sheltered from the expected winds than Turbull Cove.

 

Follow us in real time on the Spotwalla or Spot website.

NORTH of DESOLATION SOUND & CAMPBELL RIVER ~ but still within the protection of our lovely VANCOUVER ISLAND is the BROUGHTON ARCHIPELAGO & your once-in-a-lifetime chance to explore it as part of a group led by the DREAMSPEAKER CRUISING GUIDE TEAM is here



this captivating group of islands, islets & passages that make up an exquisite region remains chalked full of wildlife, untouched harbours & quaint villages

your leaders literally WROTE THE BOOK on this region & plenty of great times were had at their 2013 event in DESOLATION SOUND


DETAILS:

our adventure begins JUNE 14 2014

come to our session & meet the DREAMSPEAKER TEAM  LIVE  &  IN PERSON

got a book? ~  get it autographed ~

need a book? ~  we can hook you up! ~

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1 at GRANVILLE ISLAND (starts 6.30pm) RSVP

check back at our site, we'll roll the cameras to capture some fo the 'preliminary' magic

the famed & favourite authors ANNE & LAURENCE YEADON-JONES will be personally guiding our COOPER BOATING flotilla to the most beautiful area of our coast – DESOLATION SOUND

 

ANNE & LAURENCE are experienced sailors who, over the last 25 years, have logged thousands of cruising hours charting, recording & photographing their travels along the rugged and beautiful coastline & islands of the PACIFIC NORTHWEST

 

check out the entire DREAMSPEAKER CRUISING GUIDE series HERE

we will be boarding our boats in POWELL RIVER in the late afternoon of SEPTEMBER 11^th, departing the next morning (12^th) & then returning to the base and homeward bound the morning of SEPTEMBER 19^th

 

SEVEN days of exploring the delights of DESOLATION SOUND with its spectacular mountain views well-maintained marinas & tranquil, protected anchorages

 

at this time of the year the water will be the warmest for swimming - the tidal patterns allow us to have the warmest water north of MEXICO! 

 

the whales should be heading south & we hope to cross paths 

 

NOW you can experience all of this from the authors’ perspective & under their personal guidance ~ FLOTILLA ITINERARY HERE  

 

EXCLUSIVE - ANNE & LAURENCE will be skippering and managing a beautiful sailing vessel from the COOPER BOATING charter fleet

 

there are three, two-person cabins available for you to join them on this adventure

 

NEW SAILORS may get a thorough introduction to being crew;  EXPERIENCED SAILORS may join in & practice navigation, helming, sail trim …. participate as much as you wish & HAVE FUN! 

 

price per person:  $1,999  plus GST

 

includes food onboard, bedding, fuel, moorage & the boat coach skippers’ guidance for this special excursion ~ dining out is not included and galley duties are shared across the crew

contact our shore crew today to join this crew!