June 28 – Prideaux Haven to Refuge Cove

leaving prideaux haven

The fog had cleared by the time we left Prideaux Haven. This was our view as we approached the entrance on our way out of the anchorage. The clouds had lifted a bit, and even though it was still cloudy, we could see some of the mountain tops.

Refuge Cove, on West Redonda Island, is a main supply point for boats traveling in Desolation Sound. The facility includes a fuel dock and a store with basic supplies, a small selection of fresh vegetables, dairy items, frozen foods, a full liquor store, a post office, and a small café/gift shop. Their moorage includes power and WiFi, so we decided to head over there.

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June 26-27 – At Prideaux Haven

prideaux haven view

When I was out in the kayak paddling around the Prideaux Haven anchorage, I saw this sailboat which was anchored with the best views of the nearby mountains. This is one of the prettiest anchorages we know. It’s even gorgeous with the heavy cloud cover.

We ended up staying two more days in Prideaux Haven, one of the premier anchorages in Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park. The unsettled weather persisted, including strong southeast winds in the straits. However, it was calm in the anchorage and was a good place to stay until we had better traveling weather. Our day started out cloudy and dry, but the rain set in by mid-morning and turned into a downpour for the rest of the day…and night…and next day…and night… You get the picture.

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June 25 – Dent Island to Prideaux Haven

sonora lodge

As we left Dent Island, we navigated through the rapids…first Gillard and then Yuculta. The Sonora Resort is a fishing lodge that is located on one side of Yuculta Rapids and is a rather large facility.

It rained hard all night and we had lots of noise from the Canoe Pass turbulence, when waves splashed against our stern as the current reached peak velocity. Between the rain on the deck and the waves on the hull, it wasn’t a great night for sleeping! Our barometer was still low this morning (1008 millibars) and it was foggy again and raining hard. We had our choice of leaving Dent Island when the current was slack at either 0600 or 1200. We decided to wait for the 1200 slack, hoping the fog would clear out and the rain would let up.

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June 24 – More Eagles at Dent

dent island low tide

It rained hard most of our second day at Dent Island Lodge. During one of the rain breaks, we walked around on some of the paths. Looking back at the marina, this photo shows the beach at low tide and some of the larger boats that came in today.

It rained hard overnight and was still raining when we woke up this morning. It was also very foggy and the forecast called for southeast winds of 15-25 knots. Decided we’d spend a second day at the comfortable Dent Island Lodge docks. It seemed like a better alternative than trying to navigate through the rapids in fog!

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June 23 – Our 40th Anniversary Dinner

alice & jim at dent island lodge

Happy 40th anniversary to us! We had the entire dining room at Dent Island Lodge to ourselves, and enjoyed the wonderful food at a table with a view of the marina. A perfect celebration!

What a wonderful place to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary! Our anniversary was actually earlier in June, but this was as soon as we were able to get to Dent Island. And we immensely enjoyed our delayed celebration. Dinner at Dent Island Lodge is always special, and this time we even had the entire dining room to ourselves. No other guests came for dinner tonight. They set up a large table for us that overlooked the marina. What a perfect setting!

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June 23 – Arrival At Dent Island Lodge

dent island sign

Hooray! We made it to Dent Island Lodge to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. A nicely carved sign identifying the lodge is posted at the top of the ramp up from the docks.

We arrived at Dent Island Lodge around noon, and it was still sunny. Clouds were approaching on the horizon, and filled in later in the day. How nice that we had a gorgeous day for our arrival and for the cruise from Squirrel Cove! After we got Phoenix tied up and things put away, we spent some time exploring the lodge and walking on the paths of the surrounding grounds. Some of the rhododendrons and azaleas were blooming, adding a nice touch of color. It’s such a pleasant place to be.

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