The maze of islands and waterways that border Queen Charlotte Sound has long been one of our favorite cruising ground. The terrain is complex, the scenery is varied and impressive, and the anchorage choices are many. The adventure level ranges from sheltered waters, to open ocean, to tidal rapids. You can laze in a tranquil anchorage, go for a hike, or take in a complex ecosystem that includes whales and other water creatures, all manner of waterfowl, and colorful tide pools filled with life. Soft sand beaches and rolling surf give the outer islands a surprisingly tropical feel. If it were not for the driftwood, you might think you were in Polynesia.

The only thing there isn’t much of is civilization. Small communities are nearby and seasonal lodges operate in the summer, but Queen Charlotte Sound has no permanent population centers. Compared with the size of the region, relatively few boaters cruise these waters. Anchoring in company is uncommon, and several days can pass without seeing another pleasure craft, let alone another person.

In this new blog series, we'll be highlighting picutres and destinations from our cruising guide, Cruising the Secret Coast. Below are highlights from Hecate and Calvert Islands in southern Queen Charlotte Sound. Click the map icon to view them by location.

Invisible Falls Invisible Falls is our name for the waterfall that flows into a basin on the southeast shore of Calvert Island. The flow is particularly impressive after heavy rains. Trees surround the basin, making the falls difficult to see. We travelled Fitz Hugh Sound several times before noticing them.

Kwakshua Channel Kwakshua Channel leads off Fitz Hugh Sound, and separates Calvert Island from Hecate Island. From the south, it is the park’s first entry point. The channel is wide, deep, and easily run. With protected anchorage at the head and two water-view hikes, it’s a popular stop.   This picture was taken looking east down Kwakshua Channel towards the Coast Mountains.

Keith Anchorage Keith Anchorage is deep, with two drying arms. The snug basin has good wind protection. We’ve overnighted there during a southeast gale and had only light winds.

Pruth Bay radio tower With a 360° view from the radio tower above Pruth Bay, you can see clear across the park to its Northern extreme. .

Pruth Bay Pruth Bay has been a popular anchorage for as long as boats have traveled the Inside Passage. Besides good holding and protection, a trail leads to beautiful West Beach on the west shore of Calvert Island.

Hakai Beach Resort Visiting boaters sometimes can make dinner reservations at the resort.

Mosquito Carving This elaborate carving of a mosquito in a tree at Pruth Bay apparently was made by a logger or a caretaker in the early 1980s.

West Beach Beautiful West Beach, with its Pacific Ocean views, is a must-see attraction at Pruth Bay. In fact, it would be worth a stop at Pruth Bay just to visit West Beach. The beach is reminiscent of Hawaii, with breakers rolling in on soft sand that on a sunny day can be almost too hot to walk barefoot.

Whittaker Point Cove Whittaker Point is a popular anchorage with room for several large boats

Adams Harbour Adams Harbor is a wonderful spot,with interesting places to explore by dinghy. A private resort, not visible from the water, is tucked into the trees at Sandspit Point. This marvelous driftwood dock connects the resort to its float.

Sandspit A wader from the resort enjoys the warm water and soft sand at the spit.

Kayaker Camp Kayaking is popular in Hakai. You'll see their camps on sandy beaches throughout the park.

Waveswept coast The constant ocean swells carve beautiful formations into the rocks around the area.

Outer shores In calm conditions, we recommend an investigation by dinghy along the outer shore of Adams Harbor. As the little craft bobs up and down, you'll feel really "out there." The more daring you are, the closer you can approach the shore.

Stony Saddle Cove Stony Saddle Cove is close to the activity to the south, yet has total privacy. Delicate rock formations surround the cove and a sandy pocket beach is at the head. Stony Saddle rises to the east, and bluffs are visible across the main channel to the west.

Cruising the Secret Coast For details and these and other Queen Charlotte Sound Cruising destinations, see our cruising guide, Waggoner sister publication Cruising the Secret Coast.

Tramp Harbor is an unusual anchorage on the east side of Vashon Island. The harbor is mentioned in the cruising guides, but not with a glowing recommendation. The anchorage is open to the north and southeast, but makes a good stop when winds are calm or from the west. Southwest winds can blow over the isthmus between Maury and Vashon Islands, but the anchorage is so close to shore that the fetch is minimal and the boat simply moves a bit at anchor. We’ve overnighted there comfortably during gale-force southwest gusts.

Our first few visits were in the winter, when winds are generally from the south, so we originally anchored close to southwest shore. Low tide there brings the residents out to beach-comb and horse-back ride. Recently we've been visiting in the summer, and anchor off the northwest shore, with better protection from the prevailing summer northerly winds. The nearby fish haven attracts scuba divers, who arrive in groups on charter boats to explore underwater.

The area around the narrow strip of land between Vashon and Maury islands is called Portage. Before the land-to-land connection was built, the neck carried water-to-water traffic between Tramp Harbor and Quartermaster Harbor on the other side. The distinctive two-story building visible ashore is the now-closed Portage Store. The store was established in 1903 and operated for a century.

The charted pilings in front of the store are the remains of the old dock where the Mosquito Fleet landed. These ships supplied regular passenger and freight service to Puget Sound communities from 1850 to the 1930s. Reminiscent of those historic vessels, the Royal Argosy on occasion makes a long slow pass through the harbor and around our anchored boat.

Nearby is what we have dubbed the “Portage Fitness Club.” When we last visited the area, old broken-down exercise equipment was strung along the road facing Tramp Harbor. You won’t get much exercise, but you couldn’t ask for a workout with a finer view.

Just south of the fishing pier, a walled abutment makes a good dinghy landing point. We've taken the bikes ashore there for an island tour.

The anchorage is a light show in the evening: against a backdrop of light from Vashon Island and the mainland, six different radio towers on Vashon Island flash within sight and a constant stream of planes land and take off at Sea-Tac airport across East Passage.

Anchoring notes: For good southwest protection, anchor in 3-5 fathoms directly north of the three King radio towers shown on Chart 18448. Better northerly protection is in 6-8 fathoms south of Point Heyer and west of the fish haven.

At the turn of the 19th century, the US government built six forts to protect the Puget Sound and the naval shipyard at Bremerton from water-based attack. All have since been decommissioned and sold to the State of Washington, and five are now state parks. The three heavy batteries at the entrance to Admiralty Inlet are perhaps the most well-known: Fort Worden near Port Townsend, Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island and Fort Casey, midway along the west shore of Whidbey Island. Middle Point (now Manchester State Park) and Fort Ward, also popular destinations on opposite sides of Rich Passage, provided extra protection for the naval shipyard. (Map of area).

The sixth fortification, Fort Whitman on Goat Island in Skagit Bay, guarded the entrance to Puget Sound through Deception Pass and along the east shore of Whidbey Island. Goat Island is part of the Skagit Wildlife Area rather than a state park, and further differs from the others in being accessible only by water. The fort also is relatively unknown, despite the thousands of boaters that pass close by each year en route through Swinomish Channel. Fort Whitman, like many batteries of the period, is completely invisible from the water. Even though we've been ashore there, when we passed Goat Island on our way to and from TrawlerFest in Anacortes last weekend, we could see no evidence of the fort. The only clue to its existence is the decaying dock along the north side of the island.

The Battery Harrison gun emplacement, with mounts for four six-inch disappearing guns and supporting buildings, form the majority of the fort. When we last visited in 2007, the battery was in good condition, with relatively little graffiti compared to some others we've seen. Even though we were expecting the battery, it's a bit of a shock to find such huge infrastructure tucked away in the woods out of sight.

The remains of a mine field control and observation post are down the road beyond the battery, on the western tip of the island. They were more overgrown than the battery.

If you go: It's an easy dinghy ride or paddle from the Deception Pass area to visit Fort Whitman. The trail to the fort starts along the north shore, behind and about halfway along the dock. The trail head is difficult to spot from the water, but was reasonably obvious once we were ashore. When we were last there, a log was strapped straight up onto another one at the trail head. The going is steep for a short distance, then becomes wide and easy when the trail joins the road to the fort.

Cann Inlet, according to one government report, is a well protected and popular anchorage on the west side of Swindle Island, with impressive waterfalls to the north, and opportunities for scenic viewing and shoreline exploration. Part of the inlet is also a registered boat haven. We were definitely interested. The only problem was that Cann Inlet is uncharted. Well, not completely. Chart 3726 does show the shoreline, but no depths or hazards. And the entrance to the anchorage basin is narrow and shallow. But once inside, the anchorage is spectacular.

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