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| Morning Light at Prideaux Haven, Desolation Sound Marine Park |
We spent our second night in Prideux
Haven visiting Denis and Mary on Teka III,
we had spotted their boat when we first came into the bay and were happy to see
that our paths had crossed again. I made
a batch of cookies and we got together to play a fun card game called “Spot It”
and a domino game called “Chicken Tracks.”
Before heading back to our boat, we agreed to meet for dinner the
following evening at the “Laughing Oyster,” a popular restaurant serving
five-star rated dinners located in Okeover Inlet southwest of Prideaux Haven. The morning light revealed the mountain range
rising above Prideaux Haven as we exited the bay and made our way southwest
through other islands within the Marine Park lying along Homfray Channel.
After rounding Gifford Peninsula, we turned
southeast down Malaspina Inlet; still within the confines of the Marine Park, we
motored into Grace Harbour to see this lovely anchorage. Several boats were at anchor which we recognized
from previous encounters. We circled
around the bay and headed out continuing down Malaspina Inlet which becomes
Okeover Inlet just outside the Marine Park.
As we pulled into the Okeover Harbour Authority docks, we could see that
Teka III had already arrived and they
came out to help us with our lines. The
Laughing Oyster Restaurant is located on a hill right above the docks, making
this stop a convenient stayover with access to an excellent dinner out. The inner docks are for working boats, while
the L-shaped outer dock serves as transient moorage for visiting boats offering
440 feet on each side for side-tie.
Although there is no power or water service for transient stays, the
L-shaped dock is wide and in good condition.
Moorage is on a first-come, first-serve basis but we had no problem
finding space at our arrival time of 1pm.
Before dinner, Denis joined us for a hike along the road which kept a
steep angle upward, we passed two campgrounds and an oyster yard which a local
told us had been purchased by a Chinese family – stacks and stacks of black,
half-dome plastic containers used to hold the oyster seeds were everywhere in
this maintenance yard. We kept hiking
the road thinking the top of the mountain was just around the next corner but
only another curve in the road and another hill was painted in front of us,
time to turn around.
After gathering
some information about the marina for the Waggoner Cruising Guide, we readied ourselves
for dinner. As we passed the main pier,
we saw a truck loaded with oysters and more nets of oysters being hoisted from a
boat below.
We continued around the
corner and through the pretty orchard of the Laughing Oyster Restaurant
overlooking the docks with beautiful views of Okeover Inlet.
Accessible by both car and boat, reservations are a must at this popular
restaurant serving excellent, creative seafood dishes along with other choices
like lamb and steak; Professional Chef
David Bowes keeps his clientele happy with tasty, colorful dishes leaving you wanting to come back again!
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| Lovely Grace Harbour part of Desolation Sound Marine Park |
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| Okeover Harbour Authority Docks |
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| Okeover Harbour Authority Docks |
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| Containers for Oyster Seeds (one of many stacks in the yard) |
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| Loading Oysters at Okeover Pier |
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| View from the Laughing Oyster Restaurant |
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| Tasty Dishes at the Laughing Oyster Restaurant |
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| Great Meals at the Laughing Oyster Restaurant |
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