Victoria → Port Renfrew
The trip kicked off early on August 2nd with a huck across the Georgia Strait, Vancouver to Victoria. We hit some moderately wavy conditions along the way, but all in all it was smooth sailing — metaphorically, at least. The winds were not in our favour for the sails. We pulled into the inner harbour marina around dinner time, and I popped over to visit a friend working at Swift Brewing before heading back to the boat to prep for departure. That's when the real trip begins.
The seas were kind to us on the leg up to Port Renfrew. Sheltered by Washington's Olympic Peninsula, conditions along this stretch tend to be fairer — and this day was no exception. We were just outside the bay we'd planned to anchor in when we caught a glimpse of a whale's blow. We waited around, and it put on a bit of a show: lots of tail flipping, lots of blows, no breaches. We weren't complaining.
We settled in at anchorage just off the beach, where hikers were setting up tents along the Juan de Fuca Trail. As a fog began to roll in, we fished off the side of the boat and did a bit of trolling — and the whale from earlier matched our pace perfectly, cruising a couple hundred meters off the starboard side. No luck on the fish, but the whale more than made up for it.
The Broken Islands
We committed the next day to fishing at Katrina's request. We had some catches, though none were keepers. Next time. We ended up anchoring at the Broken Islands and went for a hike — and it was absolutely remarkable. These islands are visited by so few people that they feel truly wild: shells you won't find anywhere on the eastern coast of the island, jagged rocks shaped by years of rough tides, and the kind of quiet that's hard to come by. It was a really incredible sight.
Ucluelet → Hot Springs Cove
We docked in Ucluelet to pick up some extra crew — and a cat who made it immediately clear she is not a fan of the seafaring life — and spent a little time exploring the town before an early rise the next morning.
By 7am, we were far off the coast and trying our hand at halibut. Riley reeled in a beast within the first hour — not enormous as halibuts go, but it was half her height, which felt like it counted for something. The waves picked up seriously on the way back, and the cat and I were both feeling a little green by the time we turned north toward Hot Springs Cove. Worth every bit of the struggle.
Once we were in the sheltered cove, the sea otters showed up. We dropped anchor, watched the sea planes take off, and then headed ashore for a dip in the hot springs. It's a beautiful walk to the pools, and incredibly relaxing once you arrive — sulphur smell and all (you get used to it). The pools cool down the closer you get to the ocean, so we settled somewhere in the middle. Going late in the day meant no tour groups, which made all the difference.
Tofino & Meares Island
The next day — my birthday — brought calm waters and blue skies, making for a lovely journey back south to Tofino. Adora joined us for a birthday dinner, and it was a perfect evening.
The day after, we hopped over to Meares Island, home to some of the oldest trees on the west coast. We wandered the island and I was completely entranced by the sheer size of some of those cedars. We got a little lost on the way back, which felt appropriate. Once we made it to the boat we rounded the island to Windy Bay — one of the calmest anchorages of the whole trip, surrounded by raw cliff faces towering hundreds of feet above the water. We paddleboarded, fished off the boat, and set the crab trap. A good evening.
The next day brought some serious waves, which did nothing to slow Katrina down. She had a number of catches and ended up keeping a massive salmon. Some people are built for this life.
Heading Home
Sadly, the last day came quickly. We hopped off the boat in Tofino, got a solid surf session in, and then made the drive across the island to catch the ferry home.
It was a trip that's going to be hard to top. But we'll try.
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