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Pierless Blog - 2026-05-27, 28 - Blind Channel to Forward Harbour / Douglas Bay

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  May 27th - Wednesday - Departure Time 5:45 a.m.   We are working our way NW to Johnstone Strait.  Johnstone is a difficult stretch of water this time of year because the prevailing winds are NW and the strait itself is oriented NW.  It is also know for frequent high winds.  This means when the winds are up and the current is moving NW against the prevailing winds, sea conditions can become quite dramatic...  We've been avoiding of Johnstone Strait so far, but there is 12 Nm stretch which cannot be avoided.  From Blind Channel we will stay north of West Thurlow Island, then cut north through Wellbore Channel to continue west above Hardwicke Island.  At the end of Hardwicke, we will enter this 12 Nm section of Johnstone Strait. Though not as bad as Johnstone, the channels we will travel are also oriented toward the prevailing winds, so it can still be challenging, though there are more places we can duck in for relief.  Gale force winds are s...
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Pierless Blog - 2026-05-26 - Von Donop to Blind Channel

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May 26th - Tuesday - Departure Time 8:00 a.m. Von Donop Inlet to Blind Channel / Charles Bay Anchorage We departed Von Donop at 8 a.m. on our way to Blind Channel.  This leg of our journey will take us through four areas with hazardous rapids, three of which are within a 4 nautical mile section.  Timing our arrival at each of the first three rapids will be important as well as getting through all three in a minimum amount of time.   The Three Rapids Slack tide at Gillard Pass was to happen just before 3 p.m.  We wanted to hedge our timing by arriving early for the passage through Yuculta, then Gillard and finally through Dent.  We arrived fairly early and attempted Yuculta, but the current was too strong against us to continue.  We dropped back and waited at a small indentation on the west shoreline for about 45 minutes.  Our next attempt got us through Yuculta (though slowly...) and then on to Gillard.  We were early on both passes, but this...
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Pierless Blog - 2026-05-25 - Von Donop Inlet (Rest Day- Weather)

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  May 25th Monday - Waiting out weather in Von Donop Due to high winds and rain, we decided to sit the day out in Von Donop Inlet and explore the lagoon near our anchorage.  We saw a  boat anchored at this location last year and thought it would be a great place to take a break.   Von Donop Anchorage looking into the lagoon We slept in for a change (what a treat!).  There was rain and wind overnight, but no where near what others experienced in the area.  It really felt like we were in a micro rain shadow.  Compared with last year when there were around 12 boats in the inlet, this year we saw two other boats. After eating, we set to work inflating and rigging our two paddleboards for use.  We both have rigid paddleboards, but they can not be stowed below deck, so we decided the inflatable type would be better since they can be stowed below.  They are also more stable which worked well for me as I am new to the paddleboard experience.  Da...
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Pierless Blog - 2026-05-24 - Ford Cove to Von Donop Inlet (Cortez Island)

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 May 24th - Departure Time 5:30 a.m. We left the breakwater at 5:30 a.m. expecting favorable currents all the way to Seymour Narrows.  In reality, the helpful current did not materialize...  We kept on course in the hopes that conditions would change, but to no avail.  After considering our options for moving north, we decided to go NE using the smaller waterways among the islands to work our way north.      Route to Von Donop Inlet This put us on a path between Quadra and Cortez islands.  We cruised this area last year, so were in familiar territory.  We headed to Heriott Bay Marina near Rebecca Spit for fuel but they closed shop at 3 p.m., so we were too late.  The winds were picking up and predicted to rise to gale force in some areas.  We raised the main and jib and headed NE to Von Donop Inlet, arriving about 7:00p.m.  Von Donop is a great area to explore and is quite protected from winds.  We spent 2 nights there las...
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Pierless Blog - 2026-05-23 - Nanaimo to Ford Cove - Hornby Island

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 May 23rd:  Departure Time 8:00 a.m.  -  Saturday After an engine check and minor adjustments, we untied from the mooring ball and headed over to the short-term tie at the port dock.  We needed some groceries and fuel, so paid for 3 hours at the pier. We left the dock at 10:30 to continue north.  The channel north from downtown takes you along the waterfront between Nanaimo and Newcastle Island.  It is narrow with lots to look at as you cruise by.  We passed one interesting wooden boat on our way.  We saw a family of 7 with a dog in a very small dinghy depart from this boat...   Boat at Nanaimo Heading north we pass Pipers Lagoon.  There is a small cluster of islands here with many small homes/shacks built years ago.  Descendants of the original occupants have been allowed to continue living there.     Route to Ford Cove From Nanaimo to Ford Cove there is very little to see or do as you continue north in Georgia ...
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Pierless Blog - 2026-05-22 - Bedwell Harbor to Nanaimo

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 May 22nd:  Departure Time 6:30 a.m.   Route North We got up early to beautiful weather, raised anchor and departed Bedwell Harbor for Nanaimo.  There are two common routes north to Nanaimo.  One stays on the inside of the Gulf Islands and the other goes outside into Georgia Strait.  The inside passage is more scenic as you wind through the many islands along the way.  The challenge is going through Dodd Narrows south of Nanaimo.  Since currents in the narrows can reach 8 Kts and above, timing your passage is critical in order to avoid hazardous conditions.  The outside option is exposed to Georgia Strait, so weather and sea conditions are a greater concern. With Dodd Narrows, it comes down to timing.  If you can not be there near slack tide, going through is not a good idea.  We monitored our progress north and decided we needed to take the outside route.  This required us to traverse Porlier Pass, which was flowing fast again...
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Pierless Blog - 2026-05-21 - Sailing to Haida Gwaii

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Overview of our 2026 plans: This is the continuation of my blog of adventures aboard the sailboat Pierless.  I purchased the boat in Mexico and sailed her home in 2024.  Last summer my friend Dave and I spent three weeks sailing up into the Desolation Sound area.  This spring we are heading farther north to Haida Gwaii. Haida Gwaii is a remote archipelago off the coast of northern British Columbia.  It is also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.  It has a rich native history, pristine forests and abundant wildlife.  There are two main islands, Graham in the north and Moresby in the south.  There are about 140 additional islands scattered throughout the archipelago. The southeast coast is a national park (Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site).  Haida Gwaii sites about 60 to 100 miles off the coast of British Columbia.   Our original plan was to circumnavigate the archipelago during the month of May and early June, ...
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Pierless Blog - 2025-06-21/22 - Tenedos Bay/Desolation Sound

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 June 21, 2025 - Laura Cove to Tenedos Bay Tenedos Location       Path to Tenados Bay Saturday, June 21, we raised the anchor and headed to Tenedos Bay.  We enjoyed our two days at Laura Cove and had a great time exploring the area on foot, paddle board and dinghy, but we were ready to explore more of Desolation Sound. Leaving Laura Cove Dave at the helm      The move to Tenedos Bay was a short trip of about 6 1/2 nautical miles.  We stayed outside the small islands this time to enjoy a more expansive view.  There are several anchorages in the bay, so we had a few options.  One is close to a trail leading to Unwin Lake, a popular swimming spot.  The anchorage has many stern-tie locations to accommodate more boats.  Unfortunately, a boat was already anchored without stern-tying.  This lets them swing with the tides and basically sweep the entire anchorage.  We decided it was a bit dicey, so headed to the "inn...
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Pierless Blog - 2025-06-19/20 - Refuge Cove to Laura Cove/Desolation Sound

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 June 19-20: We left Refuge Cove at 10:30 a.m. for Laura Cove in Desolation Cove.  This would be short but pleasant trip of about 13 NM or about 3 hours, and would be our first anchorage in Desolation Sound proper.  The provincial park is fairly large, but this section is the most frequented area of the park. Passing Martin Islands We made the most of the short trip, passing inside the Martin Islands then between Morgan and Melville islands.  I do enjoy passing close to land when depths allow!   Morgan and Melville Islands Threading William and Scobell Islands Laura Cove is a real gem in the Desolation Sound archipelago- smaller than other anchorages and well protected.  We wove our way through the channels and rocks to our anchorage toward the end of the cove.  There were two other boats at the anchorage and everyone was stern-tied.  Stern-tying is an effective way to accommodate more boats in an anchorage.  You drop your anchor, then b...
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