Early vs Late

We got rained on as we were approaching this bay and anchoring, but for the most part it was a dry day. Cold, but we'll take it.

This was a busy little bay when we were here last year. Boats and people everywhere. Of course it was the middle of summer. It's deserted now, cold and gray. Off season.

That brings up the question I posed at the beginning of the trip. Would we find more boats in the anchorages late season, as it is now, or early season, as it was last time we did this trip?

For the peak season, we can expect anchorages to be busy, but how does early season (mid-May to end of June) compare to late season (mid August to end of Sept.)? Off peak, the kids are in school and the weather is less reliable, so that throttles back the tourist hose considerably.

The answer, in early season there were very few boats out on the west side of the island, but there were boats. In late season we didn't see anybody out there. It was kind of spooky. I felt like the last kid coming in from recess. For the more popular areas; San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, Broughtons; there were fewer boats out late season than early season. Perhaps boaters are eager to get out in May and have had their fill by September.

Reporting from Becher Bay, BC