Unknown Destinations

[Amgine]

Most everyone has heard Tahiti, or Hawai'i, as lifetime sailing goals. The Carribean, the Med, the Florida Keys, the San Juan Islands...

But there are hidden, or unknown, destinations, often domestic destinations which nobody writes about even though they're every bit as exotic as those places far far away.

Here's my current example: 47º40.51'N 124º29.23'W, Destruction Island in the Olympic Coast Marine Sanctuary/Quilayute Needles National Wildlife Refuge, of the coast of the US state of Washington.

This places is so remote, even Wikipedia doesn't have an article about it. There's a brief note about the Destruction Island Light, which is now fully automated, but that's about it.

Some of best images of the island are found in a HazMat report on a FWS website. The Maritime Heritage Network write up gives little info, and reports the site is closed (the only indication that I've seen that landing might be prohibited.) The island is 3 nm off shore, and visible from US 101.

It doesn't appear to be possible to anchor at the island except temporarily in settled weather. I'd love to sail by and check it out...

[Ex-Calif]

I have seen many hand drawn charts of islands in the South China Sea showing "secret' anchorages. The photos that go with them are usually awesome. Not many of us get to experience beaches where our own footprints are the only ones for a year at a time...

All of these hand drawn charts are extremely well protected. That is, I have seen them but no one's handing over a copy...

[Lancerbye]

There are hundreds of these types of small Islands on the west coast of British Columbia and when you head South past Cape Flattery, Islands that can't provide some sort of weather protection are kind of overlooked. I personally prefer to stay out a lot further to avoid the surf and be on my way to Gray's Harbour. Maybe it was used as a dumping ground.

[Amgine]

Ex-Calif: I spent an entire day charting out a wee little locker on the west coast of Vancouver Island, rowing from place to place with a hand bearing compass and my boathook as a depth sounder. Next time I'll epoxy in two of my boom rings into the rock, instead of tying around the boulder... but no, I probably won't give anyone a copy of the chartlet.

Lancerbye: Actually, there's some interesting history regarding the island. Apparently the aboriginal people of the Hoh river were... aggressive... and killed Spanish and British landing parties on the island and up the river, which lead to the name of the island. There are a couple of spoil fields marked much further offshore to the south, but nothing is recorded about dumping at the island.

I'll probably clear back into US somewhere in the Juan de Fuca just so I can poke around this island next summer.

So, does anyone have any of their own unknown destinations?

[CptnLBS]

It sounds like an adventure !

[sussimathew]

Cruise travel has been my dreams and so far the dream has shown no signs of maturing. But whenever I come across places discussing about cruise its hard to pull back from the topic. Maybe its destined to happen for me when I get older but then I wont be able to make the most out of it. But then there is nothing that I can do about that nevertheless its always good to keep yourself informed.

[PBzeer]

Sometimes, all it takes is the end of a good day's voyaging, a lovely evening, and good company, and an "ordinary" anchorage becomes something special.