1000 Tuesday morning.  All anchors are up and boats are underway. This is a really great group to cruise with.  They have quickly learned their boats and mastered docking and anchoring skills.  What a great way to start the day watching seven beautiful trawlers getting underway in the calm of morning heading out of the sheltered cove.  We motor by the general store allowing our engines to warm up and make sure we don’t create any wake that might disturb the boats on the public dock at Squirrel Cove. We are off to the small community of Okeover on Malaspina Inlet.  There is a small marina where we found sufficient dock space to tie up all of the boats.  On the bluff above the marina sits the Laughing Oyster restaurant.  What a gem of an establishment.  Chef and owner David is there to greet us at the door.  Tables have been set on the covered veranda with place cards identifying the table for each boat’s crew.  The wait staff is prompt and pleasant and foretells the terrific service we will receive for our two hour lunch.  The entrees we enjoyed ranged from oyster burgers to sautéed oysters, clam and mussel appetizers, pan seared steel head with aioli sauce, fish and chips, five mushroom soup and the seafood bisque was outrageous with seconds being ordered.    David then proceeded to play his guitar while we stuffed in the wonderful deserts and coffee.  Dave sang his version of Waltzing Matilda which was a great hit with our Australian guests as well as the rest of us.

We were quickly off the dock and off on the short run to Grace Harbour where we anchored and were off for a much needed hike up an old logging road.  We all take a look at an abandon Caterpillar tractor that is left over from the logging operations some time back.  This is an easy hike that leads, in about a half an hour, to a beautiful secluded lake that is reminiscent of “On Golden Pond.”  We admire the Cedar and Douglas Fir trees and lush under growth of the forest floor that includes some recent bear scat.

We get everyone in their dinghies and are off to our anchored boats for dinner (yes, it is time to eat again!) There is something very comforting about being in a bomb proof remote cove, the only boats here, securely anchored, good company for dinner with a nice bottle of wine.  It is hard to imagine a better evening.