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Up the West Coast of Vancouver Island:
Dixie Cove, Kyuquot Sound to Bunsby Islands, Checleset Bay
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Day 13:
Bunsby Islands, Checleset Bay |
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We returned down Kyuquot Channel and stopped off at Rugged Point Marine
Park, on the southern shore of the mouth. It is completely exposed to
the fierce west coast weather and is apparently very dramatic. We
anchored on the north side, which, with the northwest wind and swell, turned
out to be rougher than the south side, which was dead calm. |
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A short trail leads from the north to the south side. When we arrived,
the rising sun had not yet lit the beach, but the offshore rocks were aglow.
It was a very tranquil. We sat up on the rocks and had breakfast as
the sun rose over the mountains behind us. |
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The beach was lovely. This place must
really take a pounding in the winter storms though, judging by the windswept
trees. There were also many huge logs that had been blown way up on
shore. |
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We then went north to Kyuquot, a fishing
community tucked in a very sheltered cove. There were few people about
when we arrived, and the place seems to be in decline. This is not
surprising with the decline in the fishing and lumber industries. It
is very picturesque though. |
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A short walk beyond the village led to a
gorgeous beach with a view across the Barrier Islands to the vast Pacific.
The day was warm, sunny, and calm. |
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Continuing north, we passed a huge kelp bed with
perhaps 50 sea otters in it. They are extremely cute. The otters wrap themselves up in the kelp
as an anchor -- you can see it draped across their bellies. Sea otters were hunted
to extinction during the fur trade. They were successfully
reintroduced to the west coast at the Bunsby Islands just to the north,
which is where we planned to anchor for the night. |
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There was one sailboat already tucked into one
of the coves at the Bunsby Islands, but the area was otherwise deserted.
We selected an anchorage facing south over the reefs, with a view out to
Checleset Bay and the Pacific Ocean beyond. Later that evening we were
able to pick up the Coast Guard in Astoria Oregon via VHF, and could almost
pick up the fishing vessel he was talking to. That was pretty amazing
given the distance, but it is a strait run from here, with nothing in the
way. |
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The islands are wonderful dinghy territory, with
numerous channels and bays to explore. |
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