Click here to return to the Story of our Cruise
Chart of Puget Sound, Straits of Georgia, and Desolation Sound
This chart shows Bellingham which is our home port and where we started our cruise. Puget Sound is the entire area running south from Point Roberts through the San Juan Islands past Whidbey Island and down to Seattle and Olympia. The San Juan Islands are comprised of San Juan, Orcas and the many other islands grouped around them. The San Juan Islands are a wonderful cruising area in themselves with remote anchorages tucked away amongst beautiful islands. We have spent many weeks amongst the San Juan Islands and some of our favorite places like Succhia nad Cypress are right here at our doorstep. This is where we cruise when we take families and couples on our learn to sail cruises.
The Canadian Gulf Islands are the natural extension of the San Juan Islands north of the border with Canada. The border is marked on this chart with a series of crosses in a line. The Gulf Islands begin with Saturna and Saltspring in the south and run north to the island of Gabriola and the town of Nanaimo. This whole area is superb cruising with many Provincial Marine Parks.
The Strait of Georgia lies to the east of the Gulf Islands and reaches north to where Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia converge. The Thormanby Islands are at the entrance to Malaspina Strait to the east of the southern tip of Texada right above the word "Chan" on the chart where it says "Sabine Chan" for Sabine Channel. We stopped at Powell River on the way north and replenished our supply of fresh vegetables.
Desolation Sound begins between the southeast point of Cortes Island and the point just to the west of the entrance to Malaspina Inlet. Tenedos Bay is just to the west of the "S" in the word "Sound" where the chart says "Desolation Sound'. You can see how the harbor wraps around and is perfectly protected.
East and West Redonda are just above Tenedos Bay. The two islands are separated by a very narrow cut on the north side. Prie d'Eau Haven is the little cluster of small islands just to the west of the capital "D" where the chart says "Desolation Sound".
Heading South again, Jedediah Island is between the southern tip of Texada Island and Lasquetti Island in the Sabine Channel. Nanaimo is the town right next to Gabriola in the Gulf Islands. Friday Harbor is on San Juan Island about half way down the the east side of the island just above where the shore reaches out in a promontory to the east. Spencer Spit on Lopez Island is a long sand spit on the east side, near the top, of the island. Lopez Island is the largest island just to the south of Orcas Island in the San Juans. Bellingham Bay is the open water just off the city of Bellingham.
(For a sense of scale, Texada Island in the middle of the chart is 27 nautical miles long = 31 land miles.)