9-25-19, Weds., Lagoon Cove to Shoal Bay

Overcast, showers then RAIN

Jon paid our moorage (and unbeknownst to me, grabbed more Klondike bars) and we departed around 8am. Our long journey today took us through several of the rapids that need to be well-timed. It was calm enough to go down the Johnstone Strait instead, but we opted for the more interesting inner passages.

• We began by turning SE down the Chathem Channel (with up to 9.6 kts in our favor in the narrows!)

• South-southwest down behind Hull Island in the Havannah Channel where the rain showers started just after 9

• Out the Havannah Channel and SE down the Johnstone Strait

• Slightly NE into the Sunderland Channel, then

• SE into the Wellbore Channel and through the Whirlpool Rapids

• Slightly NE again through the Chancellor Channel

• Through the Green Point Rapids and into the Cordero Channel

• 4pm arrival at Shoal Bay where it promptly started to rain in earnest just as we had to rig for mooring at the public dock.

Items of note along the way were a bear and some bow-riding dolphins. Both were in the vicinity of D’Arcy Point as we entered the Chancellor Channel. The good-sized black bear was scrounging along the beach near a river that emptied into a shallow bay just N of the point. The dolphins were swimming westward down the Chancellor and detoured over to our boat. For the first time this trip they were actually bowriding. You could really see their sleek torsos through the clear cobalt turquoise water. The fickle creatures were quickly bored however, and disappeared after a few minutes.

Near Shoal Bay is a semi-resort area. There seems to be some kind of settlement or resort just west of Cordero Island. We also saw a sign proclaiming Under New Management at a previous stop of ours, Cordero Lodge. However, it looks like the transient dock is only attached to land by a rope and the lodge itself looks to be sinking at one corner. It looks like it needs more maintenance to be a viable stopping place once more.

There was no sign of the hummingbird feeders that we so enjoyed during our stay. It made me wonder what those scores of Alan’s hummingbirds are doing for food now.

Black Bear enjoying low tide NW of D’Arcy Point

Shoal Bay would be inviting on a sunny day

The public dock at Shoal Bay

I wonder what happened to this little guy at Cordero Lodge

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