Pender Harbour to Kendrick Island

Predict Wind let us down today. Only the second time on our three-month trip. But, according to Karen, it let us down quite badly.

We have been monitoring the forecast for the Strait of Georgia days before we arrived at Pender Harbour. There are lots of open water crossings we have made this trip, and they have been quite good. We wanted this to be the same, so we were really watching weather. Earlier on, yesterday (Monday) was the time to cross, but that had changed to today a few days ago. That’s why we spent an extra day in Pender Harbour. We knew the winds would be from the SE – not our preference for this crossing – but they were to be only 5-15 kts until afternoon and the seas were to be small.

Well…the winds were from the SE as forecasted, but the winds were not 5 – 15 kts. Instead, the base winds were over 15kts with with gusts to 22kts and the waves easily reached 3 feet for the first part of our trip rather than the one footers in the forecast. The ride was very wet, the boat was continually doused in salt water. We got salt spray as high as the flybridge windows.

The only good news was that the restricted area, Whiskey Gulf, was inactive, so we were able to tack and get a better ride than staying on our initial course. Despite our best efforts, though, things went flying in the galley as I was trying to cook while underway. Nothing broken though!

As we got closer to the Vancouver Island side of the strait, the wave action diminished some and the ride was still sporty but more comfortable.

The water sandwiched between Kendrick Island and Valdes Island is not well known. It is just off the eastern entrance to Gabriola Passage, so many people go right past Kendrick when they are transiting the pass.

The West Vancouver Yacht Club has an outstation with docks and mooring balls there but the anchorage itself is roomy enough to accommodate us non-yacht club boaters. It’s also close enough to easily dinghy to Silva Bay or visit the park marine park in Wakes Cove.

We have been to the Kendrick Island anchorage many times and like it because it a nice place to rest after crossing the Strait of Geogia. We are also fans of Gabriola Passage, as it has far more latitude and far, far, far, less traffic than Dodd Narrows. Plus, it is a straight and short shot through the passage.

looking southest down the Strait of georgia from Kendrick Island

When we arrived, there were only two sailboats anchored and no one on the Yacht Club dock or moorings balls. We expected more neighbors, but given the strong SE winds, that might have kept the boaters away as the head of the anchorage is open to SE winds. That said, the anchorage is protected from SE fetch, except for a brief time at the highest tides. We were happy for the breeze as the sun came out in force once we arrived.

the view back to the north east toward silva bay

WVYC docks attached to kendrick island and their mooring balls in the anchorage

A few more boats came in during the afternoon hours, a triple raft on one yacht club mooring and a few smaller sailboats. We were happy to just relax after our crossing, which was more lively than we had wished for.