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Spirit of
Freedom's Gunkhole Adventure 2009
June 12 - October 11, 2009 1,615.4 nautical miles
Part Nine: The West
Coast of Vancouver Island August 8-28
The fourth leg: Nootka Sound to Hot Springs Cove
Aug 19 We left Tahsis to cruise through more of Nootka Sound--we saw more whales!! Excellent whale watching actually! We spent well over an hour watching three humpbacks splashing, tail slapping and spy-hopping.
After doing quite a bit of touring we finally arrived at Friendly Cove at the mouth of Nootka Sound where the Nootka Light Station is. The cove itself is shallow and fairly sized. There were several boats permanently anchored however, making it difficult to find a good spot to drop our hook. There is a large government dock at the light station, but it was full of boats, including the Uchuck III, the main supply boat for the West Coast of Vancouver Island. The long floating dock that usually extends out into the cove that is owned by the Mowachat Band was not there as we expected. We attempted to anchor, and after being unable to get a set after four times, due to a lot of kelp over the sand bottom, we opted to go elsewhere. The cove just didn't feel very friendly! The lighthouse is very pretty though, and I had hoped to go ashore and tour it. The Mowachat Band owns most of the uplands, and do charge a "landing fee" but it is worth it to see the light station and to take the hike above the beach thru an old Indian graveyard and on to a lake. The old Catholic Church is full of wood carvings and has two stained glass windows in it that were a gift from the government of Spain. The windows commemorate the transfer of authority over the area from Spain to England in 1792. I am disappointed we were not able to visit.
We set sail again and sailed all the way into Bligh Cove, thru the long narrow channel cutting into Bligh Island, nearly dividing it in half. A great downwind sail. Deep in the channel (Ewin Inlet), where it was less than 200 yards wide there was a good-sized Minke whale feeding; we didn't even disturb her as we sailed past. The anchorage is lovely and peaceful, and full of herring that whirled and swirled and splashed. BJ, Tricia and Angle did a long dink tour.
Aug 20 We left Bligh Cove and tried to Round Estevan Point today. Tried and failed. The current and wind was against us, we were only making 1.5 knots!! The seas built and built, not bad, but certainly not cooperating with us. We finally gave up and turned back and had a fantastic downwind sail all the way back to Bligh Cove. Just before we entered Ewin Inlet, we were treated to a show off in the distance of two humpback whales, repeatedly leaping clear out of the water, over and over! Unfortunately it was too far away to photograph, but fantastic to watch! Two other boats were in the cove when we arrived back, with a third following us in. One of the boats was a little fishing boat; they left shortly after we arrived. The sailboat anchored near us launched a kayak, and the woman took off for a tour while the man stayed onboard, obviously doing some sort of repair. After a bit the kayaker came alongside; turns out it was Elise Hulsizer, author of "Voyages to Windward." She visited with us for sometime; and complained quite a bit about how busy it is along the west side of the island now, as compared to twenty years ago when she and her husband started cruising it every summer.
Aug 21 We left the cove
at 4:30 AM, under Radar with a bow watch; it was pitch black and we had a very
narrow and rocky channel to exit, as well as an anchored boat showing no lights.
But since the current was going to be with us, and hopefully the wind would
cooperate as well, it was the time to leave; we really need to get around
Estevan
Point! You hear the most about the difficulties of Cape Scott and Brooks
Peninsula, but oftentimes it is Estevan Point that gives sailors the most grief.
It certainly did us! We got out of Ewin Inlet and left Nootka Sound; flat calm
and no wind with just a mild swell. What a change from the day before. We
motored all the way to Hot Springs Cove, with it raining most of the way. Bleak,
foggy and rainy. Now this was much more like the West Coast!!
When we pulled into Hot Springs Cove the sun came out and the day became beautiful. We were the only cruiser at the dock; but there was boatload after boatload, and plane-load after plane-load of tourists being deposited to hike to the hot springs. Hey!!! We got here the hard way! The hike along the boardwalk to the springs themselves is a great hike through impressive forest with some great views along the way. Dad, due to the distance and the number of staircases on the hike, elected to stay onboard rather than visit the springs.The Hot Springs are lovely, but they were absolutely crowded with people! One man climbing in, crowded right over me, stepped on my foot and broke/smashed my toe! It hurt like hell! (and continued to hurt for nearly two months, staying bruised looking until mid-October) The springs are amazing though, the way the come out through the rocks on the beach; while you soak you are cooled by ocean waves flushing in. The springs do not smell, and you do leave very refreshed! Just before dark, after the last tour boatload left, BJ and Tricia hiked back out to enjoy the springs by candlelight, it is their anniversary after all! They had the springs to themselves, but on the hike back at 10:30 PM, met 7 people heading out to the springs, having been delivered to the dock. There is quite the community on the other side of the cove, including a small resort which delivered the guests for a midnight soak, not the isolated destination of years past. In fact, we have been surprised by the number of boats and people we are encountering; this coast is very busy, and very populated!
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