From Hot Springs Cove

I find that I am very much crimped in my choice of subject matter by not being able to look and see what I have already written about.

Anyway, these past few days have found us at Hot Springs Cove, north of Tofino, the prime destination of most West Coast cruisers. We're happy to get here; our luck with the weather has been not great and the sailing has been pretty lousy for the last few legs. Well, everything south of the Brooks Peninsula has been bad, really... we left the Klaskish Basin (a lovely spot, if I haven't already mentioned it) on a day that was dawning sunny and forecast to have moderate winds--just the thing for rounding Cape Scott. We were leaving early to make a long hop to our next destination, because we had already waited a couple extra days to avoid gales.

Almost as soon as we got out the entrance, though, we got into heavy fog, and a sloppy swell with hardly any wind to speak of. And that pretty much describes everything since: motoring or motor-sailing or sitting almost becalmed in a lumpy white nether-world where no one and nothing else was to be seen.

Beyond that, out of poor planning or tenacity, most of our anchorages in the interval have been marginal and rolly. We didn't mind so much, since the weather is pretty settled, but it's nice to get in here finally where not a tiny little lump of ocean swell can penetrate.

We stopped off at a place called Rugged Point which is a marine park that was pretty neat. There were miles of interesting beach to explore on the outside, and we did, walking all the way down to where a small stream comes out of the mountains and into the sea. We spent a lot of time poking around the tideline and found some (possibly) tsunami debris... plastic bottles with Japanese labels, and, more disturbing, lumber that looked like it might have at one time been the frame of a house. But strange stuff from distant lands washes up out here all the time so who is to say when and whence this came? We also found two oil barrels from Korea. Empty, fortunately or not.

After Rugged Point we jumped to the aptly named Rolling Roadstead. It's a vast, safe anchorage that is right out on the ocean, protected by a longish island but otherwise open to wind and swell. Despite that, there's absolutely nothing to hit in there and very firm holding, so we were fine for the night, despite bouncing around a bit.

We had planned to continue south for Hot Springs that day, but three things happened: one, no wind to speak of; two, solid fog (again); and three, a 0643 forecast update for thunderstorms. Not long after, I heard the first echo of thunder. So, we decided to get the heck out of Dodge and go up into Esperanza Inlet, where we stopped at Esperanza, a tiny village tucked onto the side of a mountain, and Tahsis, where we stopped last time. We hadn't planned to go there again; it's a neat little town but it's a long way out of the way and there's nothing much else along the route to see again. But, it is tucked in between two very high ridges, and seemed about the safest place you could be with lightning on the prowl.

So, we stayed a night, met another, much smaller boat also heading around the Island, and the interesting guys aboard her. So, that was worthwhile.

We did have a couple short stretches of decent sailing after that, out to the entrance to Nootka Sound, and then the next day down along the peninsula to Estevan Point. Unfortunately, at Estevan, just as we found last time, the seas were quite rough. Worse yet, just south of there, the wind died--again. So, we motored the last fifteen miles to Hot Springs, but in compensation for the wind dying off, the waves also receded, and the sun came out, so it was an otherwise good day on the water.

We'll probably stay here a few days to savor the accomplishment. The place is absolutely over-run with tourists (not that we aren't also tourists!) coming in on speedboats and aircraft between about 10am and 5pm, but before or after those hours, we pretty much have it to ourselvses. We're the only boat here now.

When we came in, there were two Dutch boats anchored out. We've heard about these guys from EVERYONE else we have talked to on the coast here... unfortunately, I can't exactly remember their claim to fame, but it has something to do with the Northwest Passage. They either came through it or they are going home that way, or something. They are supposedly very nice and extremely interesting, but, alas, they pulled out the day after we arrived and we never got a chance to meet them. Perhaps at another stop.

Anyway, we'll be heading to the bright lights/big city of Tofino next, but we're in no rush, having picked up some supplies and refilled our water tanks at Tahsis. It's been foggy here, too, but we can wait almost as long as we like for better weather, and we plan to!