Exploring the beauty of Desolation Sound and surrounding areas in 14 unforgettable stops.

🚩 Howe Bay → Coffee. Calm seas. Goodbye Gwaii Haanas.

⚓ Miles Inlet → Quick sail fix. Back at it.

🌲 Blunden Harbour → History, quiet, and seals spying on us.

🛒 Port McNeill → Big shop. Boat’s full.

🦀 Kelsey Bay → Crab feast with Pete & Kim. Dockside laughs.

🌿 Octopus Islands → Slack tide magic. Mossy hikes.

🐻 Toba Inlet → No grizzlies yet, but waterfalls for days.

🏔 Brem Bay → Anchored under mountains.

🏖 Tenedos Bay → Swimming, hiking, floating in sunshine.

🌊 Squirrel Cove Rapids → Sunset ride in swirling gold water.

🏝 Savary Island → Sand, sun, and slow days.

🌳 Tree Island → Fishing, swimming, friends raft-up.

🎆 Comox → BC Day fireworks and marine fair.

💨 Henry Bay → Waiting out weather.

☀️ Salty hair. Happy hearts. Summer magic. ✨

Haida Gwaii gave us a farewell worthy of a postcard — calm seas, soft morning light, and just enough mist to make the shoreline look mysterious. On July 17, we pulled anchor in Howe Bay and set off across the wide Queen Charlotte Sound. Twenty-seven hours later, we tucked into Miles Inlet for a quick sail repair before pressing on to Blunden Harbour.

Blunden Harbour is one of those anchorages you remember — a wide, sheltered bay wrapped in rainforest, once home to a Kwakwaka’wakw village. In the early 1900s, it was a hub for fishing and trade, and remains a place of deep cultural history. Now, its glassy water and quiet shores make it a favourite rest stop for coastal cruisers.

From there we headed south to Port McNeill to load up in preparation for a couple of weeks in Desolation Sound, but first made a side trip to Kelsey Bay to see friends Pete and Kim. Kim greeted us with an incredible crab feast, and the evening was all dockside laughter and storytelling.

Next stop: the Octopus Islands. This cluster of islets and hidden coves is pure magic — but you can’t just sail in whenever you like. You have to time the rapids at “Hole in the Wall” or the Surge Narrows with slack tide, when the fierce currents ease. Miss the timing, and the entrance becomes a churning mess of whirlpools and standing waves that can easily overpower a small vessel. We slipped through at slack and rewarded ourselves with a hike through the mossy, fairy-tale forest.

From there, we sailed up the dramatic fjord of Toba Inlet in search of grizzlies. The bears didn’t show (we were too early for the salmon run), but the scenery — towering cliffs and cascading waterfalls — more than made up for it. We dropped anchor in Brem Bay for the night, surrounded by mountain walls.

Tenedos Bay was next, where we swam in Unwin Lake, hiked to Melanie Cove, and soaked up sunshine and warm water. Then it was time for Squirrel Cove — home to some of our favourite rapids. The trick here is catching the flood tide at just the right stage: enough water moving to get a fun, bumpy ride in the dinghy or paddle board. The water roars like a river, complete with whirlpools. We hit it near the sweet spot, at sunset, with golden light pouring over the swirling water — unforgettable.

Then came our sandy stop at Savary Island — soft beaches, sunshine, and a little adventure ashore. From our anchorage, we zipped the dinghy across to Lund to pick up our friend Derek for a day visit aboard. Before saying our goodbyes, we snuck in a quick appy and drink at the seaside restaurant — the perfect send-off.

From there we dropped anchor at Tree Island (aka Sandy Island), and the fun level went straight through the roof. Marc pulled up in his boat, scooped up the boys, and took them off salmon fishing while we got busy in the galley prepping a feast. That evening the crew of Oatmeal Savage joined us for a spread of lasagna, roast chicken, fresh salad, and all the fixings, and Erik and Jamie from Eh-Team rafted up alongside for the night. Somewhere in the mix, three extra teenagers from Marc’s boat decided to stay over — bringing our grand total to six teens aboard. Picture a floating slumber party with wet towels everywhere, bursts of laughter echoing through the night, and just enough chaos to make it perfect.

The next morning was more of the same — hot-dogging behind the dinghy, swimming, and the kind of summer play that leaves everyone salty, sun-kissed, and happy. Eventually, we pointed the bow back to Comox for the BC Day long weekend, enjoying the marine fair, fireworks, and more reunions with friends, before finally making our way to Henry Bay off Denman Island. 

It’s now August 6th and after waiting out the weather in Henry Bay we are now on route to Jedediah.

The sun’s been shining and we’re soaking up every last day of summer on the water.