Dispatches

For the past several years I have been enjoying sporadic sailing adventures around British Columbia, tagging along with some good friends who had become enamored with the sport. This year my boyfriend and I made the decision that it was time for us, too, to become sailors. We have always enjoyed our time on the ocean, and liked learning the skills and techniques involved, but have never received any formal training. We convinced some like-minded friends to learn to sail with us, and promptly signed up for a 5 day live-aboard “Cruise and Learn” program in breathtaking Desolation Sound.

Our Cruise and Learn began with a quick flight from our home in Vancouver to the town of Powell River, the gateway to Desolation Sound Marine Park. The small plane hugged the rugged coastline, and we were treated to aerial views of the Sunshine Coast, a special treat for me as this is where I was born and raised.

After the half-hour flight, we touched down in Powell River and set off to find our sailing instructor and trusty yacht “Shadowfax”, aptly named after Gandalf’s swift steed in the Lord of the Rings. We rode in an old, converted station wagon-cum-taxi to the Marina, where we immediatedly spotted our sailboat, the prettiest boat there. We were feeling pretty pleased with our luck.   We unloaded all of our gear and met our instructor, Les, an old salt whose life revolved around a lifelong sailing obsession and tending his beehives. A taciturn fellow, he gave us a rundown of our sailboat and all of it’s quirks before leaving us to settle in and adjust to life aboard.

Our first night was spent aboard Shadowfax, moored in the Marina. We did some studying and some last-minute preparations before getting to bed early. We awoke at dawn the next morning after a rough sleep (I was later to discover that I would never sleep well moored to a dock. The constant noises of the boat rubbing against wood and the slapping of the dingy against the bow was hard to ignore). We made a quick and hearty breakfast before finally setting out for Day 1 of our sailing adventure.

We chose to make our sailing trip in early May, so we could pick up our basic sailing skills and have the entire Summer to practice. As May is still a bit dicey weather-wise, we made sure to pack our foul weather gear. It turns out we sure needed it on our first day! It was blustery, rainy and cold. The sea was a dark and forbidding blue, and my hands never quite warmed up until we finally anchored for the night.

The one truly amazing event, though - besides gaining our sea legs – we had the fortune to experience was on our first day at sea. We were taking turns skippering the boat, getting a feel for the wind, when all of a sudden there was a great frothing of the water in the distance. We grabbed the binoculars and were amazed to see an astoundingly large pod of Pacific Whitesided Dolphins coming right for us! There must have been 1500 Dolphins jumping and racing our way. They swiftly enveloped our boat, coming within mere feet of the 5 flabbergasted humans aboard Shadowfax. After a few minutes they were just specks in the distance behind us, but they were an amazing highlight even our instructor Les, after 30 years on the seas had never experienced before.

After a chilly wet day, the clouds finally parted in the late afternoon just in time to anchor in deserted Grace Harbour. We had only encountered a few other vessels throughout the day, and enjoyed having the beautiful harbour all to ourselves. The protected waters were calm and glassy, and we anchored easily in the muddy bottom.  Desolation Sound is a popular area for boaters in the Summer months, despite the few settlements and amenities. Earlier trips I have made to the area were busy, with hundreds of pleasure craft tooling about and enjoying the beautiful islands, majestic fjords and snug coves. Early May, however, allowed the area to live up to it’s name. Desolation Sound was indeed deserted.