Shearwater, BC

June 30, 2010

We left Port McNeill early to head north. As we rounded the Pulteney Point Lighthouse on Macolm Island to cross Queen Charlotte Sound, we had calm seas and the currents were with us. We cruised past Blunden Harbour, our original destination, and dropped anchor in Skull Cove just north of Allison Harbor. During our stay in Port McNeill, we spent some time with Kathy and Ron Guttormsen on “Nordic Sun”, friends of ours from the Port Orchard Yacht Club. Ron recommended Skull Cove to us and we were glad we took his advice. This is one of the closest anchorages to wait for good weather to round Cape Caution, and it was beautiful and well protected. (Thanks Ron!) The weather reports were predicting 10-20 knot winds, so we weren’t sure if we could make it around Cape Caution that next morning, but we decided to try. We got up at O’Dark 30 and headed out. We were surprised that the water was calm with just a little southwesterly swell (which you always get some of on these ocean crossings) until we got around the Cape. YEAH! The wind started to pick up and the seas got a little bigger, but since we had made it almost half way, we decided to forge on. We made it safely to Fury Cove.

LOOKING OUT FROM FURY COVE

Fury Cove is a beautiful anchorage and we managed to get the best spot just in front of the shoreline that provides protection from the open water at low tide, but allows wind and water over the land at high tide that can cause an uncomfortable ride if there is some weather out of the southeast. The weather was good and we spent a quiet afternoon and night. We met Lauri on “Scrimshaw” from Bainbridge Island while we were anchored. She takes TWO dogs on her kayak for their shore break! Max and Maddie have learned to use the pee mat, so we don’t have to take them to shore every time they have to go potty. We were surprised when two helicopters flew in and landed to explore on the beach! You never know what you will see in these out of the way inlets.

HELICOPTER TAKING OFF FROM FURY COVE

We decided our way to explore was a lot more fun because on our way out of Fury Cove the next morning on our way to Purth Bay, we saw a pod of whales slapping the water and breaching to round up a school of fish! Just as I was trying to take some pictures, the batteries on the camera went dead! Murphy’s Law never fails to hit at the worst possible minute. We actually saw one of the whales come almost completely out the water, however, that will have to be one of our “fish stories” because we did not catch it on film. We did manage to get a couple of pictures of them slapping the water and one of a whale right in front of one of the many cruise ships that go up this channel, as it came up to feed on the fish with it’s mouth open. It is quite loud when they slap the water to round up the fish. Amazing!

WHALE BREECHING JUST AS A CRUISE SHIP PASSES

Arriving at Purth Bay, we got a good spot close to the dinghy dock. There is a short hike past the lodge there that ends up on the ocean side of Calvert Island. It was a beautiful beach with lots of drift logs and small islands just off shore. The weather was changing and the wind was making lots of breaking waves on the beach. Max and Maddie had a great time running on the beach. We would later wish we hadn’t taken them because Maddie got sick during that night. It was pouring rain and it was the middle of the night at anchor, so that is one of the downsides to having the dogs with us. Maddie seemed better in the morning, so we left to go out Hakai Passage on our way to Bella Bella.

HAKAI BEACH

It was a little rolly in Hakai Passage because of the wind since the ocean swells come in there, but Maddie just slept through it. She is usually nervous when the boat rolls, so she must have been exhausted from the previous night. I am glad someone got some sleep! There was a huge rain squall that blew in just as we were heading for Bella Bella, so we decided to continue on to Shearwater (Ron’s nemesis dock from another trip north!) because we did not want to tie up to the outside of the dock there. It can get rather nasty on the outside of the dock when the wind and waves pick up. We got to see Lauri and Mike from “Scrimshaw” at the dock and she told me about her dogs having gotten sick a few years ago, just like Maddie did. She said when the tide is out and the dogs walk on the shore, they pick up all kinds of bad stuff on the feet. Then they lick their feet and it makes them sick. We will now have a foot wash when we go out for walks on the shore. Thanks for the tip, Lauri. We did the laundry and went out for dinner with Lauri and Mike and their friends, Fred and Jeannie, from the “Nammu.” They are on their way back to Alaska north of Anchorage with their new 43 foot Beneteau sailboat. It had a fully enclosed cockpit that was perfect for Alaska. We enjoyed meeting them and had a great pizza for dinner, which is hard to find in Canada. We plan to leave for Ocean Falls today.

From Port McNeill, BC

June 25, 2010

We made it to Port McNeill as planned. The laundry and food shopping are done and today, Friday, is just a veggie day except for a little boat cleaning. Our passage from Kwatsi Bay was in calm and smooth seas so a non eventful ride – the kind we like best. EXCEPT – on way over Karyl said she saw some water on the floor of the forward head. I went down to investigate and found a steady stream of water coming from one the fresh water hoses underneath the sink. I turned off the water pressure and found a small hole in the hose. This is the hose that came with the boat from China and I have had nothing but trouble with this Chinese hose developing small holes. I have replaced most of this hose but this one I didn’t and now paid the price. I was able to repair it by cutting off the small piece with a hole and reconnecting it but it was very difficult as I had to squeeze my overly large body into a very tight space under the sink while we where underway.

Brand New 180 Foot Megayacht. That's a 50 Foot Boat Beside It.

After we got tied up, a little 180 footer came in and tied up to a different pier. This is a brand new boat and on its first cruise. The guy driving it looked too be about 90 years old and no doubt was the owner and he did a great job getting it into a tight place – tight place for that size of boat. Most boats this size have a professional captain to do these difficult maneuvers. Then a couple hours later another megayacht, but this one is only 150 footer, came in and dock right across from us blocking out the sun, if there was any. Speaking of weather, it has felt just like winter here, cold, windy and no sun.

The Little 150 Footer Docking. Can You See Our Little Boat Just In Front?

Our plans from Port McNeill is to leave tomorrow, Saturday, and head up to the vicinity of Cape Caution. We have a 20 to 30 mile passage around Cape Caution which is open to the ocean and can be very nasty in high winds. We will find an anchorage that is close to Cape Caution and wait for a good weather window to go around. Right now the forecast says that will be Monday morning. If it doesn’t come, we will go back into the Broughtons and just cruise around there waiting for good weather. Sometimes it can take 2 weeks to get the weather one wants to go around.

The Broughtons

June 22, 2010

Our last update had us at Refuge Cove in Desolation Sound on Wednesday, June 16th. On the way out we dropped our garbage off on a garbage barge. Somebody has set up a little business here where boaters can dropped off their garbage for a fee - $5 for a light bag and $10 for a heavy bag. This is really needed as there is no place to leave garbage in this area. All garbage needs to be hauled out by boat to, I’m guessing, Campbell River.

Our destination this day was Shoal Bay, but to get there we have to go though a few passes where the water can be just like a fast running river. One has to time this passage for slack current or when the tide is close to its highest or lowest level. At this point, the current stops and in short time, reverses direction. Anyway, we got though these rapids OK as do 99.9% of other boaters in spite of the horror stories you hear. We then headed to Shoal Bay for the night. It turned out to be a 2 day stay because of a bad weather forecast. Although we stayed mostly because the fun people we met there. It is owned by a single guy named Mark. He somehow gets people to stay the summer maintaining and improving the place for room and board (and free beer!), so he gets some real characters. Most of them are retired, but one fellow (that looked like a young Robert Redford!) was an architectural student from England. He was there to try out some of his ideas while on summer vacation. Another was a musician and singer from Brownsville who provided entertainment in the evening. Everyone had a great time.

Shoal Bay

On Friday we left Shoal Bay and continued north again going though Greene and Whirlpool Rapids and then headed into Johnstone Strait. It has a bad reputation for high winds and waves, and since it started blowing about 20 MPH, we (Karyl and the dogs!) decided to stop for the night at Port Neville. I have been to Port Neville before and remember the quaint little museum and store, but Karyl had not been there before. However, when we arrived we found out it had been closed for a few years because the owner was in poor health. It was still a nice place to walk around and the dogs liked all the grass. There is also still a small dock which we took advantage of. We had no trouble docking as the wind pushed us into the dock. Thank goodness for a couple of boaters that grabbed our lines!

Port Neville Store

The next day, Saturday, we got underway at 5 A.M. because high gale force winds (20 to 30 MPH) were predicted for Johnstone Strait later in the day. Usually the winds are not too bad in the early morning, as it was in this case. On the way to one of our favorite places in this area called Lagoon Cove Marina, we checked out Port Harvey, a place that was recommended to us. It had a small dock and store, but we did not stop. Lagoon Cove Marina has been our first stop in the Broughtons, another famous cruising area. Lagoon Cove Marina is owned by a colorful character named Bill Barber. Its claim to fame is the nightly happy hour where Bill provides freshly caught prawns. He goes out everyday and catches the evening feast and everybody on the dock brings a dish to complement the prawns. Part of the fun is that Bill is a very good story teller and he never ceases to get a good laugh. We met several people heading to Alaska our first trip here and got many good tips on places to go, etc. They have a couple of small hiking trails and it is a good place to go exploring in a kayak. It has become a tradition that we stop here on our way north.

The Dock At Lagoon Cove Marina

After Lagoon Cove we headed up into the Broughtons and set the anchor in another favorite spot called Waddington Bay. This is a very protected basin that has a complicated route to get into it. It looks easy but if you follow the easy way, you’ll be on the rocks.

The next day, Monday, we went to Joe Cove. This is another favorite place of mine and is again, very protected. It has a small float anchor in the middle with room for two boats. When we got there, a sailboat had one side of the float so we took the other. We got down the kayaks and did a little paddling around the bay. The people in the sailboat where very nice and we enjoyed talking to them.

Tied To The Float In Joe Cove

On Tuesday we headed further up into the Broughtons to a small marina called Kwatsi Bay. This is way up Tribune Channel where we passed a neat waterfall and tied to the dock. We had heard that this was a must see place and even though it was 20 miles up and 20 miles back, we did the trip. The place really looks like a work in progress and I was surprised the owner has had it for 12 years. But we did have fun and meet some nice people. I have an internet connection so I will try and send this out but it is very slow.

Tomorrow, we’ll start heading back to a big town called Port McNiell so we can do shopping and do the laundry. Hopefully, we’ll be there on Thursday.

Kwatsi Bay Marina

Desolation Sound and Beyond

June 15, 2010

After spending 2 delightful days at Gibson’s Landing we took off on a rainy Wednesday morning heading to one of our favorite anchorages, Smuggler’s Cove, about 20 miles up the coast. This is a tight anchorage that usually requires each boat to drop their anchor and then stern tie to shore. There are also plenty of rocks which give another incentive to stern tie. The park provides rings that have been drilled into the rock in various places around the cove to which we tie our line to and loop it back to the boat. Doing a “stern tie” prevents the boat from rotating around the anchor and holds it in place so less room is needed per boat. This requires me to launch the dinghy and row the line ashore while Karyl stays on the boat to feed the line. Then I get out of the dinghy on to slippery rocks, thread the line through the ring, I climb back into the dinghy and row back to the boat, towing the line behind me. This is our first stern tie this year, so we were pretty rusty. We will be well polished before this cruise is over. The rain stopped and the sun came out, so we enjoyed sitting out in the cockpit having a glass of wine. Also, there were only 2 other boats in the cove. Our last time in Smuggler’s Cove, there must have been 15 other boats. It can get very crowded during the height of the cruising season. It is a fun stop that can also be gotten to by car. There are short backwoods hiking trails that can be fun if it is not raining because they can get muddy.

Again, we woke up to a steady rain on Thursday and had to get the boat underway. We got soaked! The rain stopped about mid morning and the wind was not too bad, so we headed up Malaspina Strait to Powell River and tied up to the dock. We needed to replenish our fresh vegetables anyway so we went to the nearest store, a Safeway, about 2 miles away. After climbing the very steep hill at the beginning of the trek, it seemed more like 10 miles!

"Violet A" In Grace Harbour

Then we headed to Desolation Sound which is considered one of the most beautiful cruising destinations in the world. Our first night there, we dropped the anchor in Grace Harbour, a place we have been to before. The day was quite nice and we went ashore for a short hike.

One Of Many Views From Prideaux Haven

The next day we went to the heart of Desolation Sound, Prideaux Haven, and anchored in Melanie Cove. We have been in Prideaux Haven many times in years past, but this was the first time we were able to anchor in Melanie Cove. It is usually packed with boats, but this time there where only 3 boats when we left. I guess it’s the time of year and the crowds haven’t made it up here yet. We spent 2 days there, staying the second day because of storm warnings. However, the weather wasn’t bad at all.

Looking Into Roscoe Bay

If you aren’t bored yet, we then headed over to Roscoe Bay. This is a place that you can only enter at near high tide because it has a bar into the inner bay that is almost dry on low tide. We took the dinghy over it at low tide and got stuck in 8 inches of water! So once you are in Roscoe Bay, you stay until the next high tide.

Walking In The Entrance To Roscoe Bay

Some More Gibson Landing Pictures

I don't think any explanation is necessary. A beautiful place to be sure when the sun is out.

Gibsons Landing

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

We spent the day with brother, John, and his wife, Joanne, and had a homecooked dinner of ribs and berry pie. YUM! The next day, we left Oak Harbor after a break in the 40 knot winds to head to La Conner. It was still a little breezy when we left, but after we rounded Strawberry Point, the seas were calm and the wind was behind us.

Brother John and Wife Joanne In Oak Harbor

We spent one night in La Conner then headed to Bellingham, where we stayed two days. Our friends, Tom and Louise Greene, came by for a visit and we went out for dinner at a Chinese buffet restaurant. We stayed the extra day in Bellingham to let the weather calm down a bit.

Tom & Louise With Dexter

We met Graeme and Wanda Manning on “Electra” from Point Roberts and traveled with them from Oak Harbor to Bellingham. They gave us tips for entering Point Roberts as it can be rather shallow. We went to dinner with them at a quaint little restaurant on the water after arriving in Point Roberts. The food was good and we enjoyed our visit with them and Diesel, their sheep dog. They also brought along some of their “private reserve” wine which we shared with them. We spent a quiet night at Point Roberts Marina and left early to catch the favorable tide and calm winds to round the Fraser River Delta on our way to Vancouver. The sea gods took pity on us traversing the Straits of Georgia after our “crossing from hell” last year. We have never seen the Straits of Georgia so calm!

We were not lucky enough to get reciprocal moorage in Coal Harbor in Vancouver, so we stayed in False Creek at the government dock for a mere $60 a night! We met up with Carrie and Steve Hales, our friends from Yuma that live in Richmond, BC. We went to dinner with them at “Earl’s” and did a little reprovisioning at Safeway. “Earl’s” is a trendy, reasonably priced restaurant with very good food. Carrie brought some Tim Horton’s donut holes that we enjoyed along with some almonds and wine they brought before going out. We made the mistake of leaving them on the table when we left, and Max and Maddie took that as a sign that we meant for them to have some while we were gone. Needless to say, Max and Maddie were thrilled! I think we must have gotten home a little early as one of the donut holes had to be quickly hidden under the stuffed rabbit behind Ron’s chair to save for later. We were sure we would see those donut holes again, but we got lucky. However, we did see the almonds that they had also eaten on our walks over the next two days - undigested!

"Violet A" Secured For The Day

We left early on Monday morning to head north to Gibson’s Landing Marina. We are enjoying traveling a different route and staying in new destinations to Desolation Sound. Our usual route takes us up through the Gulf Islands with a trip across the Straits of Georgia. Heading north from Bellingham to Point Roberts is not the preferred route for boaters because of the windy conditions common from Point Roberts to Vancouver, but it turned out great and we saved a day by taking it.

Gibson's Marina

We left early on Monday morning to head north to Gibson’s Landing Marina. We are enjoying traveling a different route and staying in new destinations on our way to Desolation Sound. Our usual route took us up through the Gulf Islands with a trip across the Straits of Georgia which can be challenging. Heading north from Bellingham to Point Roberts is not the preferred route for boaters because of the windy conditions common from Point Roberts to Vancouver, but it turned out great and we saved a day by taking it.

Gibson’s Landing is a popular tourist destination with a large fishing fleet. Molly’s Reach was the back drop for the longest running Canadian television series, “The Beachcombers.” There is a museum, fun shops and a variety of restaurants along the waterfront within walking distance of the marina. Most are closed on Monday’s, so plan your trip to Gibson’s. The marina suggests reservations in the summer and they have good amenities, fuel and a pleasant, helpful staff. We also had sunshine while at Gibson’s (finally!) and there is a gorgeous view of the snow covered mountains to the northeast from the bay.