Anchoring – this is what I have dreaded leading up to this
trip and now we are in a secluded and remote bay that requires we do it. I’ve given myself pep talks and used positive
visualization techniques and all I can really picture is us tied to a dock. And this trip is all about anchoring in the wilderness, not docking in cute island towns.
So after our 9 hour, mostly grueling, passage
from Port McNeill, we are now faced with this.
We’re at a perfect looking spot in 60 feet of water near the shore and
Jim heave-hos the anchor and 225 feet of chain follow it down the drink until it grips the
mud and we’re set. But are we
really? I can’t see that anchor down
there and now my visualization skills kick into high gear and I see us floating away. And that’s what keeps me awake at night.
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| View at Twilight from our Anchorage in Pruth Bay |
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| Pruth Bay |
The next morning we are still in the same place as we were last night when we went to bed so I calm down and we jump into the dinghy with Zippy and
motor around the corner and over to the head of the bay. This is the site of an old
fishing lodge that has been privatized by a foundation that opened the Hakai
Beach Institute, an environmental organization.
They have cabins that house students from various universities as well
as archeologists engaged in research.
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| Remote and Raw |
Our own research takes us across a public path to the west
side of Calvert Island to a cove that is inaccessible by boat, plane or car. To say that it is spectacularly gorgeous is
to diminish its beauty. We spend a
couple of hours walking the remote beach and exploring in sheer wonderment. We later found out that if you sit on the driftwood and wait, wolves wander onto the beach. Even Zippy understands the magnificence of
the place demonstrating an enhanced level of enthusiasm – or maybe it was just that
he was happy to be off the boat.
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| Enjoying the wilderness |
On the way back to the boat, our dinghy motor fails and just
to show what a state of Zen we’re in, we simply shrug. Several hours later, after Zippy is jumping in circles and crossing his legs, it dawns on us that we have no way to get Zippy to shore for
potty duty – but wait – we have the Loo-Liner.
The homely orange float, which we brought
with us for just such an eventuality, is worthless. It sits too low in the water, is unsafe for
the three of us and it's too tippy for Zippy, or us. We snap to plan C; kayaks to the
rescue. So every time Zippy has business
on shore, we paddle – 20 minutes to shore, 20 minutes back
from shore – 20 minutes to shore.... we’ve got
to get that dinghy motor fixed.
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| Seals Watching our Paddling to and Fro |
After two nights
anchored in this peaceful and picturesque spot where we are the only boat, I have to reevaluate
my entire anti-anchoring position - which I will do next time we are securely docked.
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| Leaving Paradise |
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