Trying to find anchorages that provide both great protection from the elements with shallow waters and good shore walks isn't easy in wild areas.
So with the charts mentioning an old dock and beach in Blunden Harbour, I decided we needed to go have a look.
The place didn't disappoint, a huge harbour protected from all sides with plenty of anchorage room in 20 to 50 feet of water. There used to be a Native American village there, but it was moved decades ago, with only a few remnants visible nowadays.
Best of all there is a large dock, if a little old, so landing ashore is simple.
The beach is beautiful, the waters are clear, and we enjoyed walking the shore.
There were obvious signs of bear presence, so we didn't push inland too much. We had found a nice spot to rest for a couple of nights, and we enjoyed a calm relaxing stay, punctuated by walks ashore with Princess.
On the morning of the third day we decided it was time to move on. Leaving in early morning fog, we had a short visit from a whale, appearing out of the mist to Princess' warnings and disappearing about as fast.
The fog lifted in time for our arrival in Sullivan Bay. What a neat place!
About 15 floating houses nestled at the back of a wooded bay, with 4,000 feet linear docks for visitors, a small grocery shop, fuel and even a small restaurant (closed this time of the year).
The welcome was very friendly, with everyone wanting to pet Princess and give her treats. The shop manager opened the shop whenever we needed, so we were able to replenish the essentials: Bread, eggs, chips and ice cream. Of course Di had a different list of essentials, including tomatoes and a few healthier options.
Best of all, being at the end of the season there were only 3 other boats with us, and by the last night, the other cruisers had left. Most had only come in to hide from a gale warning. I was aware of it, but believed that it wouldn't affect us much in the inside channels, which proved correct.
The marina had a 3 nights for the price of 2 deal, which we took advantage of. We enjoyed the quaint atmosphere and charming people very much. Di and I could definitely see getting a floating house in a similar place one day if and when we transition away from the boat.
Walks for Princess were obviously limited since there are no access roads, and the only way in or out of Sullivan Bay is by boat or float plane. That being said, walking the docks, and making use of the dog's area meant we were never bored.
Sullivan Bay even has a golf course, a Par 1, next to the international airport.
There was an end of season vibe to our stay. From the closed restaurant to the General Store winding down, and most of the remaining locals packing up for the season, we felt very lucky to have a chance to be there in the quiet times.
The bad weather did come in, more rain than wind, so our walks ashore were wet affairs but the boat remained a safe and dry place for all.
Despite all the water raining the docks' hoses only had local lake water, as at this time of the year their spring wasn't flowing sufficiently. We were advised not to drink the water but to boil it if needed. I figured it was just simpler to continue making our own water: The bay was beautifully clear, so using shore electricity we ran our water maker for a few hours to top off our water tanks. It's been more than 3 weeks now since we've refilled our water tanks from shore.
By the last day we were the only remaining cruiser in the marina. The manager was talking about shutting down the generators providing electricity to the houses and docks, and it was time for us too to move on.
We have great memories from both Blunden Harbour and Sullivan Bay. The most amazing is that there probably are plenty more places like this to discover on our way down.