Thanksgiving weekend sail: Clam Bay (Gulf Islands)

October 7-10, 2011: 
Fall sailing means decent winds and empty anchorages.

Left VRC home dock (Vancouver) on Friday morning, motoring out to Point Grey bell buoy. Winds were accurately forecast to be NW 10-15 kn, giving us a great sail (averaging 7kn) the 20 nm from Point Grey across to Porlier Pass in the Gulf Islands. We arrived a bit early at the pass, which was ebbing about 2 knots -- no problem for us -- we shot through into the Gulf Islands.

Crossing Georgia Strait

Approaching Porlier Pass

We had hoped to meet up with friends over in the Gulf Islands, but they had to cancel. So we decided to spend the weekend at Clam Bay. We motored the few miles from Porlier Pass over to Clam Bay and dropped anchor. A favourite anchorage of ours, there was only one other boat anchored.  Ahhhh, the joys of off-season cruising! Although it always has room (it can easily hold 20-30 boats), Clam Bay is often pretty busy in the Summer. But not this Thanksgiving weekend -- never more than 4 boats anchored the whole weekend.

Clam Bay

Preedy Hbr (Thetis Is.) looking towards Vancouver Island

We had some great weather through to Sunday eve. We had planned to sail back Sunday before 20-30 kn SE winds forecasted for Monday, but the forecast changed to sunny with no wind Sunday, and SE 15-25 kn Monday. So, we opted to stay an extra night and get a good sail back Monday (albeit, in the rain). Sunday turned out to be a classic beautiful southwest BC Fall day -- sun!.

Monday proved boisterous (up to SE 23 kn with bouncy seas in Georgia Strait) and wet/rainy, but a good sail until the winds died at Pt. Grey.

Always a great weekend sail when we can sail across the strait there and back!
All in all, an excellent B.C. Fall sail!