Kismet Caused a Commotion While Anchoring at Pearse Island

Pearse Island Satisfied Most of Our Anchorage Needs–

Most of our nights, while in the Broughton Archpegleo, will be at anchor. With only a few good marinas available and our affinity for anchoring, Jim’s research will most certainly take us to some scenic lagoons, coves, bays, islets, and inlets. Jim has an innate ability to plan our cruising days and nights to be as seamless as possible. We’ll throw the hook in the afternoon after a day of cruising and sightseeing. Some days we’ll only anchor one night, but if we really like a spot, we’ll anchor two or three nights.

I can already tell that our MO during this trip, especially while in the Broughtons, will be days of cruising to cover territory. We want to see as much of the islands, mountains, and fjords as possible, followed by well-researched anchor spots in the areas we cover that day. We hope to have a secure and well-protected place to sleep comfortably. Also, we are looking to have a suitable spot to commune with nature and see as much wildlife as possible. Sometimes we enjoy sharing an anchorage with a fellow boater nearby for sharing information about the islands, their boats, or local knowledge. A lot of the boaters we have talked to while in the Broughtons have years of experience cruising these waters.

Pearse Island was a great find!

The Pearse Islands group is in the western Broughton Archipelago (part of Cormorant Channel Marine Provincial Park). Pearse Island provided most of our anchorage needs. Well-protected, the anchorage is long and narrow. As we entered the small channel, we caused quite a disturbance with our feathered friends in residence. A flock of small birds immediately greeted us, chirping loudly, nonstop, and flying helter-skelter above and around our boat as we slowly made our way in, testing depths, to throw the hook. Amidst all that commotion, we also noticed two eagles perched in their nest right above our boat. Soon, they would glide down to sit on a rock to check us out. After a bit, the commotion calmed down; we seemed to be accepted into their space.

The birds certainly satisfied our desire for a wildlife encounter, but then, just after we had dinner, a group of about seven or eight seals showed up in the water by the rocks on the starboard side of our boat. They were busy playing and eating, and a couple of them were rolling around on top of a smooth, exposed rock. They didn’t seem to mind us being there; business as usual for those guys, I guess. We certainly met our wildlife quota for the day!

The other thing I made a note of in this anchorage was the patterns made by the trees and rocks along the shore. It differed from other places we’ve anchored; maybe it was just more decayed tree trunks lying this way and that, but it was quite beautiful.