The Queen Charlotte Islands are unique in the world of cruising. They are relatively close by, just 150 miles north of Vancouver Island, or 80 miles from the protection of the mainland to the east. Yet to get here you have to cross notorious Hecate Strait. The Queen Charlotte Islands have numerous lovely, isolated anchorages, where the odds are you’ll share the space with deer, bear, and eagles – but no members of your own specie. There are a couple of small towns, with basic supplies, an interesting museum devoted to the Haida Indian culture, and some fascinating Haida artists to visit.

This is a very unusual photo of Hecate Strait. The last time we crossed the Straits, an intense summer low was racing towards us from the south. By the time we were secure at Alert Bay, opposite Vancouver Island, it was blowing 30 – later to increase to 80 knots. When you mix occasionally intense weather with significant tidal currents and a shallow sea bed, you have the recipe for problems. The sea buoy southwest of Moresby Island has recorded some of the biggest waves in the Pacific – as large as 100 feet (30m).

Although close by, the risk factors keep many cruisers away – which, while a pity for them, is nice for those that do come. You basically have the Queen Charlottes to yourself.

The photo above is typical of the east coast of the south end of the Charlottes. However, that patch of blue sky is not the norm. The Charlottes are part of the vast coastal Pacific rainforest which means cool and wet is to be expected, even in summer.

You will often find the entrances to lovely anchorages look like this. The Canadian charts for the east coast seem to be reasonably accurate – which is not the case on the west coast.

Here is a SONAR (left) and radar (right) image of the passage above. Again, this is typical of what we’ve found here. The entrance is a hair tight, but deep, and clear of obstructions. Still, we like to check in advance with a dinghy, and/or with locals, to make sure the charts are accurate.

If you wait to enter passages like this until the current is running somewhat against you, the water flow will usually show obstructions below the surface. The opposing current also allows you to move slowly over the bottom, yet fast enough to have good steering control.

Many of the anchorages have meadows at their heads and grassy margins along the shore.

We maintain a constant shore watch for wild life. At the bottom of this photo, to the left of center is what appears to be a black rock.

When the rock lifts its head and looks at us, we realize this is a black bear. He spends the entire day in "our" meadow.(We assume this is a he, as there are no cubs nearby.)

Deer are plentiful, and seem at ease in our presence.

There’s something in the forest which requires more attention than a pair of humans in a small dinghy. Could it be a bear, another buck, or maybe a girlfriend?

As we saw in Alaska, each anchorage has its own eagle.

And we occasionally see one of these little fellows. But surprisingly, we’ve yet to see otters.

Whales appear often enough to keep us on our toes as we cruise along the shore. At one point we are startled by a humpback crossing our path. He dives below the bow not more than half a boat length away.

We’ve been blessed with unseasonably warm weather, dominated by a high pressure system. The clouds come and go, return as fog, and then disappear completely. The warmth and relative dryness feels good after the last two months in Alaska.

If you look closely at the bottom of the photo you will notice a sailboat – one of three we’ve seen during our entire visit.

Here is the second, enjoying a lovely afternoon sail, and moving smartly along.

We expected to see lots of kayakers. This chap looks to be well outfitted – you do need to be self sufficient here. Otherwise, we’ve seen just one group of six, which we encountered in dense fog. There must be more around, just not near us.

Some of the anchorages sport old growth forests, and in the fog, they have an eerie silence to them. But many of the forests have been clear cut, with no formal scheme for replanting other than what Mother Nature can scare up on her own.

This leaves ugly scars on the landscape, and in the hearts of some of the locals. With forestry and fishing the main ways to earn cash, the use of the land is a conundrum that is difficult to sort out for many island residents. The tide does seem to be changing now. The Haida Indians have "joint custody" of the south end of the island group with the Canadian government. Extraction has stopped and they are working to preserve the traditional heritage and the environment. There is reason to hope.

Speaking of which, we’ve been reading a fascinating book, which is centered in the Queen Charlottes, The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant (Random House). It is a beautifully written look at this area, its history, modern day issues, with a focus on logging. Even if you are not headed to this part of the world, it is a great read.

Most of the east coast can be traversed in short hops, typically sheltered for much of the way. The coastline tends to be rugged. This is not the type of place in which you want to have maintenance problems.

If you’re cruising British Columbia, and want to get away from the crowds, this is a good place to start. You could easily spend an entire summer here.