Oceanus Summer 2026 — Actual Cruise

Gig Harbor → Desolation Sound → Home

5 Weeks | 492 Nautical Miles | Mostly at Anchor | Orcas & Humpback

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Voyage Overview

This is the completed Summer 2026 voyage of S/V Oceanus, updated from the original 32-day planning itinerary to reflect the stops actually made. The five-week cruise covered 492 nautical miles based on the final Navionics route. The cruise was overwhelmingly an anchoring trip: only five nights were spent at docks.

5 WeeksDuration

492Nautical Miles

5Dock Nights

~30Nights at Anchor

#	Stop	Approx. Leg	How We Stayed / Notes
Start	Gig Harbor	— nm	Anchored / departure
1	Port Ludlow	32 nm	Anchored
2	Spencer Spit	~30 nm	Anchored
3	Reid Harbor	~18 nm	Anchored
4	Roche Harbor	~4 nm	Dock — 1 night (northbound)
5	Van Isle / Sidney area	~17 nm	Anchored / customs stop
6	Montague Harbour North	~16 nm	Anchored — favorite beaches
7	Nanaimo	~30 nm	Dock — 2 nights
8	Pender Harbour / Garden Bay	~31 nm	Anchored — weather hold
9	Refuge Cove	~46 nm	Anchored
10	Squirrel Cove	~4 nm	Anchored
11	Refuge Cove	~4 nm	Anchored
12	Grace Harbour — Desolation Sound	~7 nm	Anchored
13	Melanie Cove — Desolation Sound	~5 nm	Anchored — cruise highlight
14	Pender Harbour	~50 nm	Anchored
15	Nanaimo	~31 nm	Anchored
16	Montague Harbour North	~30 nm	Anchored — returned for the beaches
17	Roche Harbor	~21 nm	Dock — 1 night (southbound)
18	Spencer Spit	~16 nm	Anchored
19	Port Ludlow	~30 nm	Anchored
20	Kingston	~28 nm	Dock — 1 night
21	Blake Island	~22 nm	Anchored
Finish	Gig Harbor	~20 nm	Home

Individual leg mileages are approximate route-planning values. The authoritative completed-voyage total is 492 nautical miles from Navionics.

Pender Harbour / Garden Bay — Northbound Weather Hold.
Oceanus remained anchored in Pender Harbour while waiting for a suitable weather window before continuing north toward Refuge Cove and Desolation Sound. The schedule gave way to conditions — exactly the flexibility the five-week cruise allowed.

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Pender Harbour — Photo Gallery

Oceanus at anchor during our Pender Harbour stop and weather hold.

Oceanus anchored in Pender Harbour — Oceanus at anchor in Pender Harbour.

Bow view of Oceanus anchored in Pender Harbour — Oceanus viewed from the bow.

🏖️ Montague Harbour North

One of our favorite beach stops on the cruise.
We enjoyed it enough to make Montague Harbour North a stop in both directions.
The north side is known for its distinctive white shell beach and sheltered waters.

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Montague Harbour North — Photo Gallery

Favorite scenes from the north anchorage, beach, paddling and sunset.

Shadow happily running on the beach at Montague Harbour North — Shadow enjoying the beach.

Calm anchorage at Montague Harbour North — A calm morning in the anchorage.

Sailboats anchored at Montague Harbour North — Boats at anchor in the sheltered harbour.

Paddleboarding with Shadow at Montague Harbour North — Paddleboarding with Shadow.

Shadow watching a paddleboard from the dinghy — Shadow keeping watch from the dinghy.

Orange sunset over the water at Montague Harbour North — Sunset over the harbour.

Golden sunset viewed from Oceanus at Montague Harbour — A spectacular sunset from Oceanus at Montague Harbour.

Montague Harbour Provincial Marine Park sign — Montague Harbour Provincial Marine Park.

Shell beach at Montague Harbour North — The distinctive beach at Montague Harbour North.

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Montague Harbour — Beach & Shadow Videos

Three clips from our time at Montague Harbour North, including Shadow swimming and enjoying the beach.

Shadow swimming at Montague Harbour North.

More beach and swimming time at Montague Harbour North.

Shadow and Yinglan enjoying the water at Montague Harbour North.

⚓ Melanie Cove — A Favorite Anchorage

One of the standout anchorages of the entire five-week cruise.
We worked Oceanus all the way inside Melanie Cove.
We were the last boat in, with an amazing spot directly across from the beach.
The protected, intimate setting and beach made this one of our favorite places of the trip.

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Melanie Cove — Photo Gallery

Scenes from one of the standout anchorages of the cruise: exploring, playtime and quiet water with Shadow.

Melanie Cove anchorage beneath dramatic clouds — Entering the spectacular Melanie Cove area.

Boats anchored among rocky forested shores in Melanie Cove — The protected anchorage inside Melanie Cove.

Couple enjoying a sunny day in Melanie Cove — Enjoying a sunny day in Melanie Cove.

Dinghy ride with Shadow in Melanie Cove — Exploring Melanie Cove by dinghy with Shadow.

Dinghy view across the calm water in Melanie Cove — Exploring the quiet coves and shoreline.

Shadow balancing during an outing in Melanie Cove — Shadow showing off his sea legs.

Shadow waiting during an outing in Melanie Cove — Shadow ready for the next adventure.

Still water and mountain reflections in Melanie Cove — Morning reflections in the still water of Melanie Cove.

Forested shoreline reflected in Melanie Cove — Forest and shoreline reflected in the anchorage.

Mountain and cloud reflections in Melanie Cove — Another glassy morning in Melanie Cove.

Oceanus anchored in Melanie Cove — Oceanus tucked into Melanie Cove.

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Prideaux Haven — Photo Gallery

Mountain scenery, anchorages and dinghy exploring around Prideaux Haven.

Prideaux Haven with mountain and dramatic clouds — The dramatic mountain backdrop of Prideaux Haven.

Boats anchored in Prideaux Haven — Boats tucked into Prideaux Haven.

Couple enjoying Prideaux Haven — A sunny Prideaux Haven memory.

Exploring Prideaux Haven by dinghy with Shadow — Looking for a beach with Shadow.

Quiet swimming hole in Prideaux Haven — A peaceful swimming hole in Prideaux Haven.

Exploring Prideaux Haven by dinghy — Exploring the coves of Prideaux Haven by dinghy.

Shadow standing in the dinghy in Prideaux Haven — Shadow on another Prideaux Haven dinghy adventure.

Dinghy cruise through the islands with Shadow aboard — A sunny dinghy cruise with Shadow along for the ride.

Warm shallow green water explored by dinghy in Prideaux Haven — Enjoying the warm, shallow water while exploring Prideaux Haven by dinghy.

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Prideaux Haven — Dinghy Concert

A memorable dinghy concert in Prideaux Haven, right next to our Melanie Cove anchorage.

Dinghy Concert — Prideaux Haven, beside our Melanie Cove anchorage.

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Underway to Desolation Sound — Photo Gallery

Scenes underway in British Columbia, from sailing Oceanus north to the dramatic entrance and quiet waters of Desolation Sound.

Oceanus sailing under a clear blue sky — Actually sailing — a beautiful day underway aboard Oceanus.

View from Oceanus while underway in Canada — Underway through the spectacular waters of British Columbia.

Approaching Desolation Sound with mountains ahead — Approaching Desolation Sound.

Dinghy being towed through Desolation Sound — Underway in Desolation Sound with the dinghy in tow.

Oceanus underway near a BC ferry at sunset with Shadow watching from the cockpit — Sharing the waterways with a BC ferry while underway in Canada at sunset.

🌲 Desolation Sound

Actual stops included Refuge Cove, Squirrel Cove, Grace Harbour and Melanie Cove.
Grace Harbour provided a large, sheltered Desolation Sound anchorage.
Squirrel Cove added another exceptionally protected anchorage to the route.

🦀 Spencer Spit — Beach & Dungeness Crab

Spencer Spit was one of our favorite San Juan Islands stops.
We especially enjoyed the long beach and spending time ashore.
We caught Dungeness crab while we were there — one of the memorable treats of the cruise.
The combination of the beach, protected setting, and crabbing made Spencer Spit a stop we enjoyed in both directions.

🐚 Reid Harbor & Gossip Island — Our Secluded Anchorage

Just inside Reid Harbor, near Gossip Island, is a small white shell beach that became one of our favorite places in the San Juans.
We anchored Oceanus near Gossip Island, close to the beach, rather than staying with the main concentration of boats farther inside the harbor.
We were the only boat in that area, giving the anchorage and little shell beach a wonderfully private, secluded feeling.
It was the kind of quiet anchorage that made the five-week cruise special — beautiful water, a favorite beach nearby, and Oceanus sitting by herself at anchor.

⚓ Reid Harbor note: Stuart Island Marine State Park provides public moorage and good anchoring throughout Reid Harbor, but some surrounding shoreline and facilities are private. Shore access should always respect posted property boundaries and current park guidance.

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More Voyage Moments

A few more scenes from the five-week cruise — passages, working-waterfront traffic, and life aboard Oceanus.

Tug and log boom near Dodd Narrows — Sharing the water with working traffic near Dodd Narrows.

Shadow asleep aboard Oceanus after a day of adventure — Shadow completely crashed after another day of cruising.

Couple together in Gig Harbor before departure — One last photo in Gig Harbor before setting off on the summer cruise.

Yinglan and Shadow together aboard Oceanus — Yinglan and Shadow enjoying life aboard Oceanus.

Shadow wearing his yellow EzyDog life jacket aboard Oceanus — Shadow asks the cruising question: “Are we there yet?”

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Home Again — Gig Harbor

After five weeks aboard Oceanus, the familiar entrance to Gig Harbor came back into view — the perfect ending to an unforgettable summer cruise.

Entering Gig Harbor by water at the end of the cruise — Coming through the entrance and back into Gig Harbor.

Gig Harbor entrance and lighthouse from the water — The familiar Gig Harbor entrance — home again.

🐕 From Sailing Companion to Great Boat Dog

Over the five-week cruise, Shadow became increasingly comfortable and confident aboard Oceanus.
While underway, he was especially comfortable wearing his life jacket. He settled down, rested during passages, and was very well behaved.
At anchor, Shadow learned to swim and did great. By the end of the trip he had become a very good, confident swimmer.
He discovered that he loves the water, beach time, and especially dinghy rides.
Montague Harbour North and Melanie Cove gave him some wonderful opportunities to enjoy the beach and water.
This cruise confirmed it: Shadow is turning into a great boat dog.

🐾 Boat-dog safety note: Shadow's life jacket remained part of his underway routine even as his swimming skills improved — a good habit around open water, current, cold water, and unexpected conditions.

🌊 Orcas & Humpback Whale

During the five-week voyage, we encountered two pods of orcas.
We also saw a humpback whale during the trip.
These encounters became some of the unforgettable wildlife moments of the 492-nautical-mile cruise through the Salish Sea and British Columbia waters.

Of roughly 35 nights away, only five nights were spent at a dock: one night at Roche Harbor northbound, one night at Roche Harbor southbound, two nights at Nanaimo, and one night at Kingston. The remainder of the cruise was spent at anchor (apart from the final return home). That made anchoring — rather than marina hopping — one of the defining features of the voyage.

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Planned vs. Actual

	Original Plan	Actual Cruise
Duration	32 days	5 weeks
Mileage	~415 nm	492 nm
Difference	—	+77 nm / ~19%
Dock nights	Not a defining metric	5 nights
Route character	Schedule-driven plan	Weather-driven, mostly anchored

2026 Desolation Sound note: BC Parks lists ecological-restoration restrictions in the Prideaux Haven area, including trail closures affecting the Melanie Cove Beach Trail. The voyage record preserves what Oceanus experienced; future visits should always check current BC Parks advisories.

🏁 Final Voyage: 5 Weeks | 492 Nautical Miles

Gig Harbor → Desolation Sound → Gig Harbor
5 dock nights (Roche Harbor 1+1 · Nanaimo 2 · Kingston 1) · ~30 nights at anchor · 2 international border crossings
Favorite beach stops: Spencer Spit, Reid Harbor/Gossip Island, Montague Harbour North & Melanie Cove
Signature anchorage: deep inside Melanie Cove, directly across from the beach
San Juan highlight: Dungeness crab at Spencer Spit & a secluded Gossip Island anchorage
Wildlife: two pods of orcas & a humpback whale
Shadow: confident swimmer, dinghy enthusiast & great boat dog