Dodger and Thrasher - 6/13

Planning for the final few days is complete.  There are separate current tables for east and west Juan de Fuca Strait.  Current in the strait gets up over 3 knots during spring tides, but thankfully it’ll be half that this week.  That’ll give us some latitude to go against the current if it makes more sense than leaving later after the chop has built up.  Final timing will depend on the whether forecast. Our priorities are safety, comfort, and fuel in that order.

We’re in Dodger Channel tonight, a shallow anchorage, staged for a run down the coast tomorrow morning and into Port San Juan, just past the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  We’ll be able to look across the straight and see Neah Bay from there.  We’ll be going along the West Coast Trail tomorrow, doing in one day what it took us a week to do on foot several years ago.  Dodger Channel is between two small islands near the town of Bamfield where the hike ends and tomorrow night’s anchorage, Thrasher Cove, will be where the shuttle boat from Port Renfrew dropped us off to start the hike.  It will be interesting to see if we can see any hikers along the coast tomorrow.  The hike was spectacular so I’m looking forward to seeing it from the perspective of the water.

We were able to dinghy to shore at low tide this afternoon.  We found an old First Nations cabin  in the trees and the rocks were perfect for scrambling around on. The book tells us there is archeological evidence of a First Nations village that operated on this site for centuries.  Oh to be able to step back in time for a quick look around.