June 22nd - Smuggler Cove

A rain shower started as we pulled out of Princess Louisa Inlet and it continued for an hour or so after we left. Between our brilliant timing and the small tidal change, Malibu Rapids was pretty easy.

We even got to briefly sightsee at the Christian youth camp located on the shores of the rapids as we motored by. They have a outdoor pool on the small peninsula that forms one leg of the rapids. On the way in all I remember seeing in my peripheral vision were people cannon-balling into something. I am sure they get great amusement watching us boat drivers obsessing about not grounding our boats.

We got to Smuggler Cove (June 22) shortly before 3 PM but it took us over a half hour to drop the anchor (twice, the first was to close in), paddle to shore with one end of a line, thread it through the eye bolt cemented into the rock, pull myself back to the boat using the outgoing line as a hand line (too hard to paddle with the return line) with the line end and then tighten the line to pull the boat back to the position it needed to be in. Of course, a rain shower started just as we started this process.

I've wanted to stay in Smuggler Cove for some time. It is a series of small coves with many islets and is a BC Marine Park with walking paths on shore. Also, it is convenient to crossing the Strait of Georgia to the Canadian Gulf Islands on the Vancouver Island side of the strait.

We'll probably spend two nights here and head towards Silva Bay near Gabriola Pass on Sunday. We're moving to keep a schedule of returning to Anacortes on Saturday, June 30.