Shoal Bay

From Dent Island it was a short 8 mile ride on a favorable current to one of our favorite spots, Shoal Bay. The view from this bay is easily remembered, as we look across the channel at Phillips Arm at a beautiful array of mountains. We always enjoy keeping company with Mark xxxx, whose cheery personality and unending projects to improve the property make this a special place to stop and catch up as well as meet other boaters over a drink at the little “cottage/pub” he runs. Mark always manages to attract an interesting crew of volunteers to help him on his place, in return for food and a place to sleep.

It rained in the morning of our second day here, and then was somewhat misty and cloudy the rest of the day—weather that’s badly needed as they’ve had no rain for over a month. Not only is the vegetation quite dry, the water supply on these islands is very low. So the weather was extremely welcome.

This picture is taken from deck of the pub, showing the dock with Phillips Arm in the mist. Tamarisk (our boat) is at the end of the dock on the right, with the black forestay.

Tonight we ate the oysters I picked at Pender Harbor, fried in bread crumbs, together with a salad of fresh greens from the garden that Mark keeps for both his use and to refresh supplies on passing boats. I was able to get a cucumber, a couple of squashes, some great-smelling dill, snap peas, parsley and nice tender lettuce leaves. I also picked some kale, which I put in a soup for lunch. We’ve dumped our garbage in the compost pile, put bottles and beer cans in his recycling, and gifted a large batch of miscellaneous paper to his burn barrel. We’re ready to move on.

We’ll move to Forward Harbor tomorrow, a small bay at the south end of the Johnstone Strait, and hope to head up the Strait on Monday, weather permitting.