We are finally in the Central Coast! We feel like we've rushed a bit to get up here, moving through the weather windows as they presented themsevles, and now can slow down a little and enjoy. We have a vague notion of heading to Haida Gwaii, but we are not holding ourselves to anything.

We travelled around the dreaded Cape Caution two days ago, in the company of Cam and Marianne on Mayknot. There were some big swells, but overall it was a pretty nice day and we arrived in Fury Cove on Penrose Island, just north of Rivers Inlet, around noon. There was only one other boat in the anchorage and the white clamshell beaches were sparkling in the sun--it seemed just about perfect. When we woke up from our naps, we were surrounded by powerboats who had slid in undetected--a bit of a surprise, but they were all well enough behaved, so it was fine.

The next day Ron and I carried on up Fitzhugh Sound where we saw a humpback female and youngster feeding off Kwakshua Channel. For a long time now we've wanted to stop at the Koeye River but whenever we've been driving past the conditions haven't been right. It's right across Fitzhugh from Hakai Pass and if the wind is blowing, temporary anchorage is difficult. But on that day, the wind wasn't too bad and the tide was high, so we dropped the hook in a semi-sheltered cove and dinghied up the river a couple of miles. It was very beautiful, with lots of grassy flatlands where you just know grizzlies and wolves and minks and otters and all kinds of things were lurking in the tall grasses, but all remained invisible to us. That little trip has been on my list for a few years now, so it was gratifying to finally see it. But it's not exactly off the list either -- we'd like to come back in the fall during the salmon run and actually get to see the grizzlies and the wolves and the assorted friends...

We spent that night at our old friend Codville Lagoon, hoping to see baby seals and moms lolling on the rocks. Only saw one baby seal and one mom, but that one baby was awfully tiny, so we think maybe we are a bit early for the nursery scene. We did watch a peregrine falcon in a tree though, as it quite impressively found and ate a meal of fish not far off our stern in the anchorage.

Yesterday we met up with Cam and Marianne again at Shearwater, the cruisers' hub in the Central Coast -- groceries, gas, showers, laundry, pub -- a busy place.

Picture: For years, eagles were a common sight on an old dead tree in front of the resort. Now the tree has gone and the eagles have found a more modern, if temporary, roost.