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August 11, 2010

Sailing Atlin Lake - Day 2 (Torres Channel)

The morning dawned, bright, warm, and calm.



Atlin Lake was like a giant sheet of glass. Although the lack of wind meant there would be no sailing, I was glad. The calm water would give us the chance to test how well the canoe towed behind the sailboat and, more importantly, the clear water would help us see any submerged rocks that might be lurking ahead as we passed into the Torres Channel. Atlin is notorious for its hidden surprises. I have a sonar system that helps me gauge the depth, but by the time you pass over the object that the sonar identifies, it's too little too late.

Into Torres Channel from Atlin.
Looking back at Atlin.

Forest fires in the southeast Yukon and Northern BC meant that there was a smoky haze that either obscured or enhanced the views, depending on your perspective.
From here, it looks like there should be a ramp at the end.  Now THAT would be fun.
Happy to have successfully navigated our way through the entrance of the Torres Channel.

As usual, the kids adapted quickly to life aboard the boat. Having their grandparents aboard made things even more pleasant and, much to the kids' delight, it seemed like story time in the forward berth went on forever.

Jade loves story time.
Jade takes a break from story time to model the sea sickness bands that we keep aboard for people who don't handle a rocking boat quite so well. Since Jade has never been seasick, to her they're nothing more than pretty accessories.

It was nice sailing alongside Theresa Island.  Although it's often touted as the tallest lake island in the world, it's not.  Still, second place is nothing to be ashamed of.  It's the tallest in the Americas, at least.

I was pleased to see that, even with a full load of food and gear, the canoe towed beautifully behind the boat.




Eventually, we decided to have some shore time.  The sun was so warm and the water so inviting, I would have liked to have spent hours and hours on the little island we stopped at.








Alas, our plans were to be at the Llewellyn Glacier the next day and, motoring slowly, we still had some distance to cover to reach our planned harbour.
Approaching Cathedral Mountain
















Cathedral Mountain marked the entrance into the Second Narrows, a narrow waterway that would take us to the main part of the lake. I've heard countless stories about boaters who've been surprised by hidden rocks. Would we fare any better?

I guess you'll just have to wait for the next entry to find out!

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