We left Melanie Cove in a bit of a rush. On Wednesday morning we discovered a not so little issue with our holding tank. It was full. When I say full, I mean full! Our fellow anchor buddies would not appreciate us polluting the bay. We were really not prepared to leave but we got all the toys back on board and were out by 0930. It seems our gauge has “resting” spots between ¼ and full. I got fake news of the worst kind and it stinks!
Once out in Homfray Channel we dug into the cruising guides to find our next stop. We had planned on spending a few days in Melanie Cove so were not prepared with a destination. Since we had already hoisted the anchor we figured it was time for a new bay to explore.
Roscoe Bay was right across the channel and looked like a nice spot for our next anchorage. The bay is on the East Side of West Redonda Island. It is well protected and the BC Parks have installed 22 stern tie rings. The one caveat being the drying shoal separating the small outer bay from the nice anchorage of the inner bay. Due to our rapid departure of Melanie Cove we arrived at the entrance about 1100 and high tide was not until 1517. We need pretty close to high tide to cross the shoal so we set anchor in the outer bay and waited for it to fill.
We saw the ranger coming out and he said we should be good by 1330. The low that morning was only down to 6’ as we were in the middle of the lunar cycle.
Around 1300 a parade of power boats came through. I contacted them on the radio to check depth and finally someone responded with about 8’. It was go time! (Two of these boats came back later in the afternoon. (I suspect they may have had similar “holding tank” issues)
Once you get over the shoal, Roscoe Bay opens up and it was obvious why this is a favored spot to chill for a few days. We anchored at the head of the bay on the North side in about 25 feet of water. We were close enough to stern tie if it came to that but there were only 4 other boaters in the anchorage. I prefer to swing if we are not impeding others from enjoying the anchorage. The challenge with a stern tie is the boat often sits broadside to the wind and does not swing like it normally would. Although this allows more boats in the anchorage it puts added stress on the anchor and the poor dude on anchor watch if the winds pick up! I’m sure you would all agree I need my beauty sleep!
Squirrel! – Remeber that shoal we talked about?
As I am writing this we just watched an young couple hoist anchor on their 20 something foot aluminum fishing boat and head out of the bay. Once he cleared the anchored boats he opened it up on plane. It’s low tide so we assumed they had some local knowledge…… nope, they got hung up on the bar! Thankfully they fhD slowed down considerably before they ran aground. We watched for a little bit and when it looked like they were stuck. I headed that way in the dingy. By the time I got out to the shoal they had gotten free but running out into the channel on the trolling motor. I have a suspicion they may have dinged the prop on the big motor. They were nice kids. I hope all is ok. The weather is calm so I’m sure they will be fine. Unless it’s dad’s boat….. but I digress
Fox glove along the trail 
Yup, same stuff, different color
Back to our regularly scheduled program…..
We kayaked to the head of the bay and took the trail across to Black Lake. It’s a very tough hike….. about 300 yards. The trail then bends up and around the North end of the lake where it branches off to a couple of swimming holes.
First part of the hike we saw the trail drop off to the left but did not realize that was the swimming trail. We wandered for a little while down the trail until it got more overgrown than we were willing to tackle in our shorts. We met a couple from the other sail boat in the anchorage on the trail. They told us where the swimming trail broke off and said it was fun but the rocks were very slippery.
Black Lake – take 1 
Black Lake – take II
We opted out of swimming in the lake for now in favor of the bay.
We took the kayak around the bay to check out the shore. We were amazed at the number of stern ties all around the bay. Some you would need to watch as the rocks extend out from shore but most are at good anchoring depth right up to the wall.
We had read there was a waterfall where some energetic individual hooked up a hose from the falls down to the water line and added a float so cruisers could fill their water tanks. We found it!
The water is deep right up to the edge so the idea was you can pull your boat up and fill your water tanks. We filled our water bottles. It tasted a little like the plastic hose as it was the heat of the day but otherwise it was cool and refreshing. The water fall was just a trickle and it was only mid June. I have a feeling this may be dry sooner than normal.
When we returned to the boat we did jump in for a swim. I checked the water temp with the boat instruments…. 72.5 degrees! Amazing!
We grilled pork chops for dinner and Linda made a nice salad. After dinner we took the “Dingy Boat” as Owen calls it, for a run up the channel. It was nice to feel the breeze on our faces as the sun started to set behind the mountains. We were a little early for the sunset but the mirror like surface of the sea and reflections from the shore made for a beautiful evening ride.
We took a look at one of the marine farms around the point. Not exactly sure what they do there or how they do it but will give me something to investigate once I get service. It’s amazing how much of stuff I research and rely on the internet until you don’t have it.
On the way back to Roscoe Cove, Linda spotted an eagle in a tree on shore. We shut the dingy down and floated. Us watching it and it watching us.
It was rather remarkable just floating along as the remaining rays of sun warmed our backs and enjoyed the evening. Here we are in this huge expanse of water and mountains with no one else around. Amazing!
We both love to find “images” in the clouds, trees, rocks, etc as we experiance the various islands and waterways we cruise. Here we find John Lennon (Rock Star?) ok, too soon. i get it. in the rocks near Roscoe Bay.
Roscoe is one of those coves where time can be non existent. We woke late the next morning. We had no special agenda so the Admiral deemed this fix and repair day. (I’ve learned to always have something planned ahead in the future! We spent the morning cleaning, fixing, repairing and just slowly moving from one task to the next. We got a lot of little issues taken care of and it was actually enjoyable to get a few things off the to do list. The day had warmed up considerably so it was time for a swim. The water temp is shocking when you first jump in but comfortable once your body gets a custom to it. I paddled around for a few moments then laid out on the hot teak deck to dry off. From there I moved to the hammock. Time stood still! We caught the afternoon tide and headed out the bay to our next destination. We were seeking some what of a refuge….
Keep your fork!
SV Pellucidar 