Hisnit to Friendly Cove. Nootka Sound. August 20-21.
27 August 2009 | Friendly Cove: 49 35.7N, 126 36.7W
Photo: Nootka Lighthouse at Friendly Cove
Our west wind charm finally failed us. Leaving Hisnit Inlet for Friendly Cove we were met by a blast of southeast wind so strong we decided this was not the day to anchor there. We changed jibs and tacked through the Spanish Pilot Islands, sailing into Ewin Inlet, a secure anchorage in the heart of Bligh Island. As we entered the anchorage, hundreds of pilchards jumped and splashed around us.
We woke the next morning to rain, gray skies and an empty anchorage. Light westerlies were predicted and everyone else had headed south around Estevan Point. By noon the sky cleared and westerlies set in. I wondered if we had made a mistake in staying in Nootka Sound another day.
We sailed to Friendly Cove, entering the cove and dropping anchor under sail. The Cove, named by Captain Cook for its friendly inhabitants, was once a gathering place for fur traders and a thriving native village. Only one family, the Williams, lives here now but in the summer it's a major camping/gathering spot for the natives.
We first climbed up to the lighthouse where we met the new lighthouse keepers, Mark and Joanne Tiglmann, who were busy clearing brush. When we told them we were off a sailboat, Mark asked. "Did you sail in like Captain Cook?" We assured him we did "I'm glad to hear it," said Mark. "We see too many sailboats motoring. Why do they have sails?"
We had noticed that one of the two houses at the site was empty and asked about it. Joanne pointed to it and said, "That's my house. As the assistant lighthouse keeper I'm entitled to a house." There used to be two families here and Joanne worked for nothing. Now there's only one but Joanne gets paid.
We went back to our boat and listened to the weather report. West winds, 10-20 knots for the next day. Sounded good, but could we believe it?