We left Seattle on Thursday evening and crossed the Columbia River Bar Saturday morning. Conditions were rough, as they always seem to be, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but otherwise we've had reasonable weather the whole run. Saturday morning prior to 9am, the Coast Guard has closed the bar to all pleasure craft. When we arrived near slack around 9:30, only pleasure craft greater than 45' were allowed to cross. So we were expecting a beating. As we proceeded, we kept expecting conditions to become at least a little difficult, but they never did. The seas were moderate the whole way across--we would have been comfortable crossing the bar in the previous boat. In fact we would have been comfortable going through in the dinghy.

We're now cruising up-river. We're going to cover a a fair distance each day by getting up early, but stopping in time for a good meal and a relaxing evening. And then on the way back down the river, we'll allocate our time to the best spots we saw on the way up.

Here's our log from Seattle to our first anchorage for the night off Fir Island. We'll be making daily live updates to the map view as we go.

04/19/12: Pennant Tonight we leave on our trip to the Columbia River. As a going-away present, our neighbours Alex and Christina Marie Kimball from Gypsy Wind gave us one of the beautiful hand-painted pennants that Alex creates from re-purposed sails.

04/19/12, 9:00pm: Foulweather Bluff With 20-knots of wind and a 1-knot current with us, we're smoking along at 10.6 knots. Our top speed is 9.5 knots, and we'd should be doing around 8 at this RPM. We've been adjusting the autopilot, as the boat is wandering a bit in the following sea. Conditions feel quite calm though. We're expecting bigger seas on the nose in the Strait of Juan de Fuca--seems like the weather always nails us there.

04/20/12, 1:30am: Port Angeles The calm conditions didn't last long. We've now got 25-30 knots on the nose. Seas are 6-8' and within a second apart. The pilothouse windows are taking frequent spray, and we had to throttle back to avoid pounding into the waves. Not a big deal, but we were enjoying the smoother ride earlier.

04/20/12, 5:45am Crescent Bay The wind has dropped to west 15-20 knots now. Conditions have improved quite a bit and we're picking up speed. Lots of vessel traffic is in the area. We've passed a half-dozen freighters already and have four in sight now: Nassau Spirit, Maersk Bering, Overseas Boston, and Forte, with several more visible on AIS.

04/20/12, 12:58pm South of Cape Flattery Our first time boating south of Cape Flattery. Conditions have improved consdiderably--winds are below 10 knots and the sky is clear blue. This sailboat running south with us seems to be having a nice downwind run. We've not seen much other traffic since leaving the strait. To avoid crab pots, we'll be running 12-15 miles offshore.

04/20/12, 8:14pm: Sunset The sun set tonight in fiery orange ball.

04/21/12, 10:26am: Cape Disappointment Light The Cape Disappointment light beyond breakers on Peacock Spit.

04/21/12: Astoria-Megler Bridge Heading towards the Astoria-Megler Bridge, that carries highway 101 over the Columbia. This is the first of many bridges that we'll pass under on this trip. With the offshore run and the bar crossing behind us, the working part of the trip is over. We're now back to normal cruising mode, under a clear blue sky and a temperature nearing 60F.

04/21/12: Miller Sands As we head upriver, many of the surrounding islands are thick with sand dunes

4/21/12, Abandoned Cannery at Pillar Rock The cannery, closed in 1947, looks in remarkably good conditions compared to ones of a similar age we've seen up the coast. The freshwater environment probably helps.

4/21/12: Fitzpatrick Island We were planning to have lunch underway, but the waters off Fitzpatrick Island were too inviting. With the temperature nearing 70F, we had lunch in T-shirts on the boat deck. The setting was so nice we almost stayed for the night, but we want to make a little more progress before stopping for the day.

4/21/12: Tensillahe Island At least 50 boats were fishing off Tensillahe Island.

04/21/12: River Rat Trap The River Rat Trap tavern in the town of Cathlamet.

04/21/12: Waterfall One of several waterfalls on the north shore of Cathlamet Channel.

04/21/12: Mount St. Helens Mount St. Helens seen from the main channel near Cape Horn. The volcano erupted in 1980, killing 57. The volcanic mudflow destroyed bridges and lumber camps on the Toutle and Cowlitz Rivers, and carried 3,900,000 cubic yards of debris into the Columbia River. That would not have been a good day to be out on the water.

04/21/12: Fir Island We're anchored in a lovely basin off the northeast side of locally-named Fir Island. We have a view to the main channel on either end of Fir, and south towards Wallace Slough. The river current is running about 2.3 knots, and is pushing us back at anchor. Perhaps a dozen small fishboats are about a half-mile away, and we we expect they'll all leave by nightfall.

04/21/12: Hanjin Washington The Hanjin Washington emerges from behind Fir Island, running eastbound in the channel. Several large freighters passed the anchorage, but the pile dike at the north end of the island deflected most of the wake. We felt only a gentle undulation when the ships passed.

We prefer to eat our meals, read and generally relax outdoors as much as possible. In the cool and sometimes rainy Pacific Northwest, this at times can be a challenge. But we're motivated to make it work. On our previous boat, the covered aft deck allowed us to be outside even when rain was falling, so long as the temperature was into the 50s and winds were moderate. Installing canvas around the open rails would have given us better wind protection, but it also would have reduced rearward visibility and somewhat darkened the boat. We also could have enclosed the entire area, but we weren't keen on the windage that would add, or the hassle of having panels to open or remove when wanted to be "really" outside or if big storms were forecast.

Instead, we had installed a propane heater behind our table on the aft deck. If little wind was blowing, we could be warm and comfortable outside in 50-degree weather. The heater ran off the same tank as the barbecue and produced between 8,000 and 42,000 BTUs per hour. (Ours was a Mr. Heater model MH42T with 3 burners.)

If the temperature was warm enough, but the winds were too strong to be on the back deck, we'd set up a table in the cockpit. Wind protection was good, although space was a little tight.

The current boat has a spacious covered cockpit with solid walls that provides much better wind protection. We missed having a heater out there though--often the temperature isn't quite warm enough to be outside when we wanted to be. We considered installing a propane heater, but we'd been rather enjoying the reduced propane load of an electric oven and no propane heater. Diesel is the fuel we have in greatest quantity, so it made sense to leverage that somehow. We looked at various portable diesel heaters, but all would require space to store, be a hassle to get out and put way, and we'd need to plumb into the diesel system somehow to fill it. In the end, we decided to make use of the diesel heater we already had--an Olympia diesel boiler from Sure Marine--and plumbed two outlets into the cockpit that feed under the table. The output isn't as hot as the propane heater was, but this does take the bite off the temperature in cold weather, so we can be outside when we'd otherwise be too cold.

We loved having the outdoor heat on our trip to Prince William Sound last year, but rain still was a problem. The boat deck ends about two feet short of completely sheltering the cockpit and heavy rains would soak the the furniture. We're pretty stubborn though--and would find a way if the temperature worked. In the bottom left picture below, we stuck an large rain umbrella in the table to deflect the rain, and in the bottom left the furniture is drenched and I'm sitting on a rag and a pillow to keep dry.

We recently solved the rain problem with an eyebrow bimini. Canvas Supply Company, who did all our canvas and floor covering, built the sturdy canopy. The fabric portion can easily be removed if we are concerned about taking on big waves on the stern. Now, even if heavy rains are falling, the cockpit and furniture stay dry. That first weekend after it was installed we were slightly disappointed not get get any rain to test out the bimini--the weather was warm and sunny with no precipitation. But with the weather this past week, we've had several good rain tests.

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.

For us, one of the keys to living comfortably in the small space of a boat is to reduce clutter and keep our frequently-used items easily accessible. Reducing clutter isn't just for appearances--it also means we can leave the dock on a moments notice without having to spend a half-hour stowing loose items. And if commonly-used items are properly organized and easily accessible, we won't waste time searching for something we've misplaced. The key to keeping things organized is to make it easy--we aim to have systems so that items can be retreived and put away properly with minimal effort. When something is frustrating to access or stow, we're less likely to put it away properly. We try to follow a couple of simple rules: 1) if we spend too much time dealing with a commonly-used item, we find a new place or stowage system for it and 2) if we have to move a less-frequently used item to access a more commonly-used one, we find a new place for that first item.

Stowing items means you need to have a place for them. As much as possible throughout the boat, we added locker doors and made even small dead spaces accessible. Then we tried to make maximul use of those smaller spaces, particularly the ones we'd access most frequently. Three small lockers with shelves in the salon are a convenient place to store keys and other loose items, but the shelves are small compared to the vertical height of the space. To make best use of the storage, we early on added a 4-hook key rack to one and two 3"x6"x2.5" bamboo boxes to another. The bamboo boxes effectively turn one shelf into three.

One place we found frustrating to deal with, but took a while to solve, was the laundry area in the day head area The only convenient space available to store detergent etc was in the open area on the washing machine lid. But this meant we had to move things off every time we opened the lid. It wasn't a huge deal, but it was breaking rule (1). We tried just putting everthing on the floor for the few hours a week when we did laundry, but didn't like that much either--too messy-looking. We had a difficult time finding a storage system that would attach to the louvered door, be big enough to hold detergent bottles, yet not be too tall or deep for the space. Eventually we found these kitchen cabinet organizers. They are designed to hang from a cabinet door, but we removed the hanging part, attached the two together with cable ties, and screwed the whole unit onto the cabinet door. A hook above holds our folding laundry basket. As a separate item we also added a magnet, visible in the upper left of the vertical picture, to hold the dryer door open. When loading and unloading in rougher water, we no longer have to worry about banging our head on the swinging door.

Another rule (1) violation was glove storage in the pilot house wet locker. We'd been just keeping them in a pile on the locker floor, but were always digging through trying to find the right pair. We had a small strip on the door above the louver to install hooks, but needed a way to hang gloves that wouldn't extend above the top of the door. We settled on an eight-hook key rack and these Grip Clips. The clip's non-slip rubber grips hold the gloves well, and they easily hang on the hooks without preventing the door from closing. We expect to find more uses for these clips.

For other organization ideas, see Really Useful Boxes and Galley storage.