All - we are trying to mate our Delorme/Garmin InReach device with the blog. Here is the url to follow us:
https://share.garmin.com/RonRisden
Hopefully this will show an hourly track for us while we are moving (as long as we remember to activate it!). Give it a try and let us know how it works. Ron
We left Gorge Harbor to head over to the other side of Cortes Island to Squirrel Cove. It wasn't a very long trip, but it did give us the chance to sail some. As we left the harbor passage we were able to raise the sails and had a quite an enjoyable time as we proceeded around the southern end of the island. We were sailing mostly down wind and on a beam reach (wind from the side).
Once we started to head over to the eastern side of the island, the wind shifted to come more in front of us. This also provided some good sailing, but under reduced sail. It was @ 20 knots and we were not feeling like beating ourselves up, so we went with a single reefed main and a full genoa. Kirsten was at the helm and said it was one of the most enjoyable times she has had at the wheel!
We came into Squirrel Cove slowly, as we were checking out the places to put the anchor with care. In our reading of the local guides (Best Anchorages of the Pacific Northwest and the Waggoner Cruising Guide) they noted that many old logging remnants remained on the seabed. Old logs, cables, car parts, and other miscellaneous items had combined over the years to snag more than one anchor. The Cove is actually divided into two parts; an Inner Cove and an Outer Cove with the Inner Cove being much more likely to catch the unwary boaters anchor. We opted to stay in the Outer Cove (even though we could see many boats anchored in the Inner one) and added a trip line to our anchor. We slept well.
In the morning we left to retrieve our crab pot which we had put out the night before and to take a look at an unusual feature of Squirrel Cove. At the head of the Inner Cove is the entrance to a salt water lagoon. This lagoon was discovered by George Vancouver's men, (remember the English vs. Spanish thing? Ol' George was big in these parts - has a whole city and an island named after him!) who expected it to be fresh water but were surprised when they tasted it to discover it was salty. Turns out when the tide is high, the water runs into the lagoon through a set of rapids and when the tide turns and is starting to ebb, it runs out into the Cove, mimicking what would be a fresh water lake running over rapids into the Cove. You can take your dinghy into it for a short trip, but can easily get stranded if you don't time it right!