A spectacular sunset at Reid Harbor, Stuart Island, our favorite quiet anchorage in the San Juan Islands.
This week Cruising With Phoenix reached 20,000 views! Thanks to those of you who are following our blog and to all the others who end up here looking for information about boating or cruising in the Pacific Northwest!
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.
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.
Garden Bay in Pender Harbour, mainland B. C., looking Northwest. The anchorage was very comfortable and the evening was delightful.
It was calm and overcast with a light drizzle this morning. The forecast for Georgia Strait called for light winds rising to southeast 10-15 later in the morning. We really don’t like to try to cross Georgia Strait in any kind of southeast wind. We have had consistently rough passages crossing Georgia Strait in southeast wind, especially when the wind opposes the current at any point during the crossing. However, we had been in Nanaimo LONG ENOUGH, so we decided to head out toward our Pender Harbour destination and see what the conditions were like.
Cruising With Phoenix 