Davis Bay to Muirhead Islands

A bright light awoke us. What was that? OMG, it was the sun! The morning was crystal clear and calm. We had spent a peaceful night; no wind, no waves, no current to speak of. Davis Bay is a great spot, ample of room, good holding and beautiful views in all directions.

Davis Bay Anchorage Panorama

Karen continues to insist that the drying beach to the northeast is a perfect “bear beach”. It would be except there appears to be no bear here. That did not deter Karen from posting a lookout on the stern and enjoying a quiet morning reading what must be her 19th book of this trip.

Karen Splits Her Time Between Reading and Watching the "Bear Beach"

We took it easy this morning as we attempted to chill down from our mechanical adventures and transition to vacation mood. Therefore, it was not until one o’clock when we lifted the anchor for a short cruise to the other end of Drury Inlet and the Muirhead Islands.

The last time we visited the Muirhead Islands we stern tied on the south side. This time, we planned to anchor in the one-boat anchorage in the bay on the north side. We had explored this anchorage last time in the dinghy and liked it because we could anchor without a stern tie and have the place to ourselves.

A Beautiful Cruise Over to the Muirhead Islands

Shortly after we anchored, a Nauticat sailboat anchored in the south bay where we had been last year, so we were happy we chose the northern spot. After dropping anchor and enjoying the vistas on all sides, we launched the dinghy and explored the western end of Drury. The logging operation at the Western end appears to be shutting down with most of the equipment gone expect for the M/V Sir James Douglass, an old Coast Guard boat that was used as a base of operations. We later learned that a new logging camp was starting up in adjacent Actaeon Sound.

Karen Takes the Bow Watch for the Dinghy Expedition

As we were heading back from checking out the logging "leftovers", we ran into Tom from the Nauticat. He was out in his dinghy trying to find a spot where his cell phone would work. He and his wife Sharon, who remained on the Nauticat, have an invalid mother at home and he was trying to check in to confirm that all was OK. I offered to lend him our satellite phone so he could make contact. He was very grateful and said he would row over later to Arctic Star to take advantage of our offer. 

We continued our explorations by checking out the lower end of Actress Passage, the entrance to Actaeon Sound. We wanted to preview because tomorrow our plan is to transit Actress Passage and enter the sound for "off the grid" exploring and secure an overnight anchorage. It all looked straightforward, though we didn't go as far north as Snake Pass in the dinghy. We were confident the next day would be fun and well within our skill set.

Not long after we had the dinghy stowed, Tom appeared on our stern in his dinghy. We invited him aboard and gave him the satellite phone and a short briefing on its operation. Good news: all was well at home. We offered Tom a beer and settled into some boat talk (I have been a fan of the Nauticat ever since I saw one at the Annapolis Boat Show twenty years ago) and exchanged information about good anchorages. He lives in Qualicum and also sails in Mexico, so he had wonderful stories to tell.

Bob's special meatloaf and roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary were on the menu. We had another lovely clear night and a good night's sleep.

Many folks pass by anchoring in the Muirheads and continue on to large Sutherland Bay. We love the Muirheads, it's a kayaker's dream (and great for exploring by dinghy, too) and has very remote feeling. Give it a try if you haven't done so yet!

Arctic Star Enjoys a Peaceful Anchorage in the Muirhead Islands