We tried a new anchorage last night at the head of Tracey Harbour off Wells Passage. This protected bay was great except for the logging operation that had moved in last year. The process of unloading logs from trucks, stacking them and then pushing them into the water was in fact educational. The operation was actually pretty quiet and did not disrupt our enjoyment of the protected cove. The work crew is living on a fairly large vessel (think commercial off shore fishing size ship) and seemed to bed down early. I was able to take the kayak out later in the evening and do some exploring while Paul hung out on Talos IV. I discovered a wrecked vessel in the little bay behind us and saw remnants of floating homes from years ago. I continue to seek out bear sightings during morning and evening hours while in the kayak. So far I have had no sightings. Paul set a crab trap but came up empty this morning. Around 9:30am we departed in fog heading out Wells Passage toward Blunden Harbour. The fog started to clear as we left Wells Passage and headed into Queen Charlotte Strait. We sailed most of the way with NW winds building from 10kt to over 30kts later in the afternoon. We worked against an opposing tide to wind later in the day which produced building seas and slow progress. We thought we would make Blunden prior to the tidal change, but with the winds on our nose we needed to fall off and make several tacks to our destination. Talos IV handled it all in stride. We were doubled reefed by the time we arrived in Blunden, tired and in need of some food. The new sails were great and the boat seems well balanced with the new canvas. We are planning to stay here a few nights and then head to Port Hardy. I would like to make the passage across the strait with calmer conditions which are due to settle in a few days. Meanwhile, Bill and Claudia on s/v Sabbatical have diverted to Port McNeill for some minor repairs of their windlass. We will hopefully link up with them soon while in Port Hardy. We advised them by SSB sail mail that we can join them in Port McNeill if they need additional help. Having the ability to communicate this way has been great as there has been no wifi or cell service since Kwatsi Bay.
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Monday, July 16, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Drury Inlet Sunderland Bay
We decided to stop by Sullivan Bay Marina this morning to get some provisions and have lunch at their café. The lunch was good and we were able to restock on some things. They did not have water or wifi, so the stop over was quick. We made way to Drury Inlet in time to catch the slack. Going up the inlet requires a transition thru Stuart Narrows, a narrow, rock strewn passage which has a fast running current. 7 - 8 kts on the flood or ebb is the norm. The passage thru was no problem. Paul had an idea to try a new anchorage tonight but when we checked it out we were surprised to find a trawler in this one boat hole. Oh well…we moved on up to the head of the inlet known as Sunderland Bay. I went forward to deploy the anchor in what seemed to be a routine situation. The depths were 15 - 20ft, muddy bottom and reported good holding. I set up to deploy enough chain for a 10 foot tidal swing and 4:1 scope due to windy conditions. The anchor set readily and Paul proceeded testing the set under load. The anchor was holding steady and all of a sudden I felt a pop and the rig stated plowing. DANG! Increasing the scope did not help. When I pulled up the set I saw we had snagged a log. It wasn't terribly big, about the size of a large boat fender. It was impaled on our anchor with other debris. After a bit of chain dunking it finally fell off. I am really glad we test our anchor set for as long as we do and at a good RPM. The next anchor drop went as planned and we are happily settled for the night.
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| Janet out on bear patrol in her kayak. |
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| The crab man returns empty handed. |
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| Morning light in Sunderland Bay. |
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Thursday, July 12, 2012
Claydon Bay
We had a wonderful time in MacKenzie Sound. It was one of the more peaceful anchorages yet. We were the only boat there with fabulous views out into the sound and the sheer rock walls on the far side. We took our kayaks out for a paddle around the bay. Janet spied a small fury animal onshore that would occasionally drop into the water and then back on to shore as it made its way along. A river otter perhaps, we're not sure. We also went on a dinghy excursion to check out the area, always a fun activity for a warm sunny afternoon.
After sleeping in this morning, Paul rowed the dinghy out to check the crab pot. It was our lucky day, with two very nice sized dungeness crab just waiting for our afternoon happy hour. After the slaughter and boiling of our catch, we pulled anchor and motored out of the sound through Kenneth Passage.
It was only a short 8 mile run over to Claydon Bay; aka Slowskie Harbor, named by us. We call it Slowskie because last year there was a couple on a rather large motor vessel who would motor out each morning to the small island at the entrance to the harbor to let their dog do its thing. It was painful to watch because the dog would always be prancing around like it really had to go and just couldn't wait for the dinghy to reach shore so that he could relieve himself. The couple, who we named the Slowskies would motor by at the absolute slowest speed that the dinghy would go. We really felt sorry for the little dog, but they eventually would reach the island and the dog would jump off and take care of business. The return trip to their boat was just as painfully slow, but the dog would be riding up on the bow quite proud of himself.
We found a great spot to drop the hook. At about the same time, the sun was busting through the cloud cover for what is turning out to be yet another mid 60's plus day. Tonight we will feast on the crab for happy hour and then BBQ some steaks for dinner. What could be better than that?
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After sleeping in this morning, Paul rowed the dinghy out to check the crab pot. It was our lucky day, with two very nice sized dungeness crab just waiting for our afternoon happy hour. After the slaughter and boiling of our catch, we pulled anchor and motored out of the sound through Kenneth Passage.
It was only a short 8 mile run over to Claydon Bay; aka Slowskie Harbor, named by us. We call it Slowskie because last year there was a couple on a rather large motor vessel who would motor out each morning to the small island at the entrance to the harbor to let their dog do its thing. It was painful to watch because the dog would always be prancing around like it really had to go and just couldn't wait for the dinghy to reach shore so that he could relieve himself. The couple, who we named the Slowskies would motor by at the absolute slowest speed that the dinghy would go. We really felt sorry for the little dog, but they eventually would reach the island and the dog would jump off and take care of business. The return trip to their boat was just as painfully slow, but the dog would be riding up on the bow quite proud of himself.
We found a great spot to drop the hook. At about the same time, the sun was busting through the cloud cover for what is turning out to be yet another mid 60's plus day. Tonight we will feast on the crab for happy hour and then BBQ some steaks for dinner. What could be better than that?
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012
MacKenzie Sound
We are now in MacKenzie Sound. It is almost noon. We motored a short distance from Turnbull Cove at the head of Grappler Sound, passing through Kenneth Passage to arrive at our anchorage in Burly Bay just outside Hopetown Passage. We are preparing to do a little kayak paddle around the area to check it out.
The last two nights we were in Turnbull Cove. The highlight, besides the absolutely wonderful sunny weather in the mid 70's was our hike up and over the hill to a fairly large lake for a swim. Yes, I said swim. The water temp was in the mid 60's, so a bit refreshing, but it was wonderful. Paul wore his suit, but Janet went aunatural (mostly because she didn't come prepared). We had a great time. The fury crew mostly hung out on deck soaking up the warm sunshine.
We plan to be here for just the night before heading to Claydon Bay. We'll stop along the way at Sullivan Bay Marina for a few essentials first. After that, we'll duck into Drury Inlet. We had a great time up there last year. Eventually, we'll head out into Queen Charlotte Strait and up to Blunden Harbor. From there, we'll head across the strait to Port Hardy, hoping to arrive there on the afternoon of July 20. The plan is to spend a couple of nights preparing for our run up and around Cape Scott. Our window of opportunity based on currents opens of July 23 and closes on July 26. Weather permitting; we'll make the run around the north end of Vancouver Island, where we'll begin our sail south. We plan to arrive in Port Angeles, WA on or around August 23, where we will pickup our friend JP on August 25. That will give us a few days to get ready for our passage down the Washington and Oregon coast to San Francisco.
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The last two nights we were in Turnbull Cove. The highlight, besides the absolutely wonderful sunny weather in the mid 70's was our hike up and over the hill to a fairly large lake for a swim. Yes, I said swim. The water temp was in the mid 60's, so a bit refreshing, but it was wonderful. Paul wore his suit, but Janet went aunatural (mostly because she didn't come prepared). We had a great time. The fury crew mostly hung out on deck soaking up the warm sunshine.
We plan to be here for just the night before heading to Claydon Bay. We'll stop along the way at Sullivan Bay Marina for a few essentials first. After that, we'll duck into Drury Inlet. We had a great time up there last year. Eventually, we'll head out into Queen Charlotte Strait and up to Blunden Harbor. From there, we'll head across the strait to Port Hardy, hoping to arrive there on the afternoon of July 20. The plan is to spend a couple of nights preparing for our run up and around Cape Scott. Our window of opportunity based on currents opens of July 23 and closes on July 26. Weather permitting; we'll make the run around the north end of Vancouver Island, where we'll begin our sail south. We plan to arrive in Port Angeles, WA on or around August 23, where we will pickup our friend JP on August 25. That will give us a few days to get ready for our passage down the Washington and Oregon coast to San Francisco.
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| The swimming hole at Turnbull Bay. |
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| Paul all cleaned up after his dip in the lake. |
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Sunday, July 8, 2012
Waddington to Moore Bay
Since arriving in "The Broughtons" we have been telling boaters and marina operators that we are looking for Bill and Claudia on "Sabbatical". We advised Anka at Kwatsi Bay what our anchoring plans might be over the next several days. We discussed our plans to go to Waddington with a fisherman entering Lady Boot as we were leaving. He said he would keep an eye out for Sabbatical as well.
As dusk approached over Waddington we looked up and there was Bill and Claudia coming into the cove! They had been given our suspected location by Anka at Kwatsi Bay. When they arrived at Lady Boot the fisherman gave them exact directions on how to proceed to Waddington. He apparently offered to sound them thru a narrow channel en route to Waddington but they had declined the offer. Nice people up here in the NW.
We finished out our evening with Bill and Claudia planning the next several weeks. Bill and Claudia helped us eat the last of our crab before we called it a night.
This morning Claudia gave me a lesson on the finer points of paddling in exchange for some Starbuck's ground coffee. Paul went over to Sabbatical to help Bill secure some wiring to the alternator. We departed around noon and had a great sail with 15-18 kts of wind thru Cramer Passage, rounding Baker Island, up Penphrase Passage to Kingcome Inlet where we dropped the sails. We are anchored now at Moore Bay behind Thief Island. The weather was still warm enough when we arrived to shower on deck and enjoy a relaxed evening. We are the only ones here, and we haven't seen another boat since we entered Kingcome Inlet. Tomorrow morning we will dinghy across the bay and transit the very shallow channel that feeds into Shawl Bay. Shawl Bay has a small marina, bakery and a little art gallery. Where we go from there will need to be decided later…..
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As dusk approached over Waddington we looked up and there was Bill and Claudia coming into the cove! They had been given our suspected location by Anka at Kwatsi Bay. When they arrived at Lady Boot the fisherman gave them exact directions on how to proceed to Waddington. He apparently offered to sound them thru a narrow channel en route to Waddington but they had declined the offer. Nice people up here in the NW.
We finished out our evening with Bill and Claudia planning the next several weeks. Bill and Claudia helped us eat the last of our crab before we called it a night.
This morning Claudia gave me a lesson on the finer points of paddling in exchange for some Starbuck's ground coffee. Paul went over to Sabbatical to help Bill secure some wiring to the alternator. We departed around noon and had a great sail with 15-18 kts of wind thru Cramer Passage, rounding Baker Island, up Penphrase Passage to Kingcome Inlet where we dropped the sails. We are anchored now at Moore Bay behind Thief Island. The weather was still warm enough when we arrived to shower on deck and enjoy a relaxed evening. We are the only ones here, and we haven't seen another boat since we entered Kingcome Inlet. Tomorrow morning we will dinghy across the bay and transit the very shallow channel that feeds into Shawl Bay. Shawl Bay has a small marina, bakery and a little art gallery. Where we go from there will need to be decided later…..
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| s/v Sabbatical arrives in Waddington Bay. |
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| Louie enjoying an all over cat massage in Moore Bay. |
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Saturday, July 7, 2012
East of Eden to Waddington Bay
Staying in the "toe" of Lady Boot was so comfortable that we hunkered down for two nights. Paul set the crab trap at a different location and after a pancake breakfast he went to see how he did. I heard "SCORE!!!" and saw 4 Dungeness and a red crab. We measured and had to throw one back due to size. All the rest were keepers. One was very aggressive as he skittled across deck while Paul wasn't looking. Paul in his bare feet was vulnerable to attack. I arrived just in time with cleaver and chop block. We make a pretty good team! We pulled anchor after a bit and sailed out Fife Channel with 12 kts of wind. It was great fun. So far we have only seen 2 or 3 boats in the past several days. We are now at Waddington Bay and there are 3 sail boats and a few power boats. We have put ourselves in our favorite spot from last year. Hopefully we can pick up some more crab tonight. We are still trying to connect with Bill and Claudia.
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Friday, July 6, 2012
East of Eden
We are in Lady Boot Cove on Eden Island in the Broughton's. It is called Lady Boot because it's shaped like a boot with a heel and a toe. We are in the toe. The locals call it East of Eden and it is easy to understand why. The cove lies on the east end of the island and is about as close to paradise as one can imagine for these parts. We are the only boat here and we haven't seen any other boats since late yesterday. The sun is out and temps are approaching the 70 degree mark, almost unheard of in this area. The best part is that the forecast is more of the same for the next four or five days.
Paul put a crab pot out yesterday afternoon, but we came up empty this morning with the exception of a star fish trying to catch a free ride. It is now almost 11 AM and we haven't even made up our mind about where we are off to today. We are considering Waddington Cove, a sweet little anchorage nestled into a cluster of islands called the Fox Group along Retreat Passage. We were there last year and it was a great spot for exploring with the dinghy. We have kayaks this year, so all the better.
We are still looking to connect with Janet's brother Bill. He should be in the area, so we'll try to hail him on the VHF.
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Paul put a crab pot out yesterday afternoon, but we came up empty this morning with the exception of a star fish trying to catch a free ride. It is now almost 11 AM and we haven't even made up our mind about where we are off to today. We are considering Waddington Cove, a sweet little anchorage nestled into a cluster of islands called the Fox Group along Retreat Passage. We were there last year and it was a great spot for exploring with the dinghy. We have kayaks this year, so all the better.
We are still looking to connect with Janet's brother Bill. He should be in the area, so we'll try to hail him on the VHF.
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Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Port Harvey Doesn’t Disappoint
We arrived in Port Harvey after a long day of rain, cool
temps and poor visibility. I believe we logged 53nm. We had several discussions
about ducking into Port Neville or pushing on and finally decided that it was
reasonable to push forward as the weather was holding and we had plenty of
daylight left. The Strait was about as calm as could be.
We have been into Port Harvey twice and had an idea of the
perfect spot for anchor. We were very lucky as we rounded the corner to find
“our spot” open and waiting for us. The anchor set well and Paul had a crab
trap out within a few minutes of arrival. We made a quick meal and evaluated
our tides for transit thru Chatham Channel. Paul figured our departure time and
we went to bed by 8:30 ….Hey, it was a
long, long day.
The next morning we had over slept and were a bit rushed to
get the crab trap in, cook up a big Dungeness and get the boat to Chatham
Channel for slack. Chatham
Once thru Chatham Channel we ducked thru The Blow Hole, a
shallow narrow cut that places you in Lagoon Cove off East Cracroft .
We were not satisfied with the holding for anchoring so went around the island
to the next inlet. We found it deserted, roomy and with very good holding. The
chart does not give this spot a name, but Paul said he thought it might be
known as Bones Bay 16 foot
tidal swing which was fun to watch and had an opportunity to do some shore
exploring. The sun came out for happy hour as we had our daily beer and feasted
on fresh crab. This is the “Broughton Experience” I remembered and had been
looking forward to the past 2 weeks.
We are now in Kwatsi Bay, a short 4 hour motor (there was no wind) from our cozy little anchorage. This is the first marina we've been in since Lund, yes, that means showers, water and wifi. The owners are hosting a 4th of July BBQ and potluck. It should be fun.
We stopped here last year, but it was so rainy and cold that we could hardly see the beautiful and majestic mountains surrounding the bay. It is an amazing place. There is a waterfall out back behind the marina (it would be very cool to own your own waterfall).
Tomorrow we are off to the heart of the Broughtons. We plan a stop at Pierres Marina in Echo Bay for fuel and a few groceries and then we'll seek out an anchorage in one of the many small coves nearby.
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| Paul about ready to feast on crab caught this morning in Port Harvey. |
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| Thompson Sound (Janet's name sake) as we motored by in Tribune Channel. |
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| Paul at the waterfall behind the marina at Kwatsi Bay. |
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| Janet enjoying the first bit of sunshine that we've seen for several days. |
Monday, July 2, 2012
Johnstone Strait
It is 11:30 AM on Monday morning, July 2. We are motoring up Johnstone Strait as I write this blog entry. Janet is at the helm and there is a steady rain outside with a light breeze on our stern. Earlier this morning, we awoke early to transit the Upper and Lower Rapids leading in to Hoskyn Channel (again, all of the rapids must be transited at slack and require careful analysis of the tide and current tables). Once thru the rapids, we rode a 2 knot ebb current out to Discovery Passage and worked our way around Chatam Point and into Johnstone Strait. The current is shifting around, sometimes on our stern giving us a good push and other times on our bow, slowing us considerably.
Our plan is to make it to Port Harvey by sometime later today (ETA is 5:30 PM). We will anchor out, but there is a small marina and store there. Last year we dropped a crab pot down off the back of the boat and had about four dungeness crab the following morning. We are hoping to do the same this time around.
Since the last post, we hauled anchor at Heriot Bay and made our way up Hoskyn Channel to transit Surge Narrows on the afternoon turn. Once through the narrows, we passed through Tentacle Channel into the Octopus Island Group and spent the night at anchor in preparation for today's passage.
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Our plan is to make it to Port Harvey by sometime later today (ETA is 5:30 PM). We will anchor out, but there is a small marina and store there. Last year we dropped a crab pot down off the back of the boat and had about four dungeness crab the following morning. We are hoping to do the same this time around.
Since the last post, we hauled anchor at Heriot Bay and made our way up Hoskyn Channel to transit Surge Narrows on the afternoon turn. Once through the narrows, we passed through Tentacle Channel into the Octopus Island Group and spent the night at anchor in preparation for today's passage.
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| Chatham Point Light House marks the south east end of Johnstone Strait and the northern end of Discovery Passage. |
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Saturday, June 30, 2012
The End of the Road
We are in Lund, BC, also known as The End of the Road. So called because this is where highway 101 ends it's run north. I like to think of it as the Begining of the Road for us.
I am sitting in Nancy's Bakery charging the computer and writing this blog. Janet has gone to the store to buy a few additional provisions. We will depart in a bit for Herriut Bay, our jumping off point for the Broughtons. Tomorrow we will have to time our departure to make it up through the rapids which must be transited at slack.
We had a great run on our sail north out of Pender Harbor yesterday. Winds were largely on our stern with steady winds of as much as 27 knots. We reduced sails (reefed) to the second reef point and sailed with our main only. Seas were a bit confused at first, but as the day progressed a gentle swell from the south, along with a current of about 2 knots, carried us North at about 6.5 knots.
We continue to check out our new stuff and work out the kinks. New sails are fabulous, rigging is holding it's own, lazy jacks are easy to use, reef nettles keep the foot of the reefed sail under control, preventers are easy to use and do a great job of holding the boom over where it should be, all making for a great experience on the water.
We have a few photos to post, but I forgot to bring the camera up, so they will have to wait for our next wifi opportunity.
I am sitting in Nancy's Bakery charging the computer and writing this blog. Janet has gone to the store to buy a few additional provisions. We will depart in a bit for Herriut Bay, our jumping off point for the Broughtons. Tomorrow we will have to time our departure to make it up through the rapids which must be transited at slack.
We had a great run on our sail north out of Pender Harbor yesterday. Winds were largely on our stern with steady winds of as much as 27 knots. We reduced sails (reefed) to the second reef point and sailed with our main only. Seas were a bit confused at first, but as the day progressed a gentle swell from the south, along with a current of about 2 knots, carried us North at about 6.5 knots.
We continue to check out our new stuff and work out the kinks. New sails are fabulous, rigging is holding it's own, lazy jacks are easy to use, reef nettles keep the foot of the reefed sail under control, preventers are easy to use and do a great job of holding the boom over where it should be, all making for a great experience on the water.
We have a few photos to post, but I forgot to bring the camera up, so they will have to wait for our next wifi opportunity.
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| Winds were up, making for some fairly gnarly looking seas. Check out these white caps. |
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