Tofino and Ucluelet

We are in Tofino, or at least we were when I started writing this blog entry, the first major town since leaving Port Hardy on the East side of Vancouver Island about a month ago.  Tofino has it all, or at least it seems that way after being out and about in the wilds on the west coast of the island.  We of course have satisfied our espresso fix.  In fact, we've tried each of the three coffee shops here in town just for good measure.  We had wifi on the docks as well, a first on the trip.

Our route from Bacchante Bay was about 24 miles and wound through and around all the various islands that pock mark Clayoquat Sound.  We were surprised at how shallow the depths were, about 15 feet in much of the sound.  In fact, for the first time, there were navigation buoys marking many of the channels.  We did our best to follow the path and managed to stay out of trouble.  When we arrived, the wharfinger had us raft up to a large fishing vessel while he found us a spot.  Paul did an excellent job of getting Talos IV up next to the other boat.  And then when a spot had been located, we discovered that it would require backing down a narrow fairway which shallowed on one side to less than 3 feet.  Once again, Paul pulled it off with no issues.  Even the wharfinger commented that that was a fine job of parking the boat.

Other than re-provisioning, the highlight of our two night stop was the run over to Meares Island in the dinghy to walk the Big Tree Trail.  The area was set to be logged back in the eighties, but protesters who actually chained themselves to the giant old growth trees prevailed and today it is open for all to enjoy.  The boardwalk is a bit rickety, but somehow it seems to fit the situation.

Janet, with our lunch in hand, along the boardwalk.

Paul was amazed at the size of the tree.

As much as she tried, she just couldn't get her arms
around the tree.

Papa bear, Mama bear, Baby bear.  Somebody was
having some fun with the wood that was used to
make the boardwalk.

This was the Grand Daddy of them all.  It is the
4th largest western red cedar in BC.  Note the
hanging gardens of ferns about 2/3 up.

The boardwalk wasn't exactly like Disneyland.

This converted wooden boat is someones home.  It sits
across the channel from the Government Docks
where we were moored.

We left Tofino at 6 AM this morning.  The weather forecast was for gale force winds kicking up to about 35 knots by early afternoon.  We estimated that it was about a 27 mile run and by leaving early, would be safely at dock by the time things got ugly.  As it turned out, conditions were even too light to sail until just before we made the turn into Carolina Passage, the entryway to Barkley Sound and Ucluelet Inlet.  The wind clocked from the south at about 2 knots to north at about 13 knots virtually instantaneously.  The fog settled in at about the same time and we had to negotiate the narrow passage with what seemed like hundreds of small fishing boats working the area for salmon and halibut.  The radar looked like it was swarming with activity.  Since we were so close to shore and the breaking waves, we had to visually identify each navigation buoy before making our turn to the next one.  We didn't want to assume that we had reached a buoy and make our turn too early only to find out that what we thought was the buoy was one of the many fishing boats.  All worked out well and when we entered Ucluelet Inlet the sun broke out and we motored on to the Ucluelet Boat Haven for the night.  Wifi on the docks again, they are going to spoil me.

Tomorrow we will venture out into Barkley Sound and the Broken Group, also known as the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, to see what adventures await us.

The west coast of Vancouver Island about mid-way
between Tofino and Ucluelet.  It was about 8 AM.

Janet, the navigator, taking a break.

The entire trip the furry crew has been fighting for
rights to lay on the red blanket.  Today they decided
to share.

Bacchante Bay

The Hot Springs Cove was really great but a little too busy. The crew from s/v Ka'sala made funny by saying it was like anchoring next to the Vancouver BC International Airport. We pulled anchor by 8AM and headed for West Clayoquot Sound. The allure of Bacchante Bay was the potential isolation and exploration of Watta Creek by kayak. The anchorage is very dramatic with steep walls of granite and trees surrounding 3 sides of a small cove. The head of the cove is a wetland. Watta Creek flows thru the wetlands into the cove. When we explored by kayak this afternoon we found the mouth of the creek and were able to make it all the way up stream to the "rapids". It was beautiful. The water was so clear you could almost believe there was no water at all. The paddle back to the cove was just before high tide. This extra level of water allowed us to re-enter the cove thru the wetland marsh. It was a great experience and the peace and quiet very much appreciated.

Tomorrow we are off to Tofino.

Paul enjoying a kayak paddle up Watta Creek at the
head of Bacchante Bay.

Janet takes a break along our Watta Creek paddle.

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Estevan Point and Hot Springs Cove

We departed Friendly Cove and immediately raised the main in preparation for a 10-15 kt blow. The winds never did generate but the swell was 2 meters and seas became more confused as we approached Estevan Point. It was a long 3 hours to round the point and get some protection. We made Hot Springs Cove by noon and were more than ready to drop the main and set anchor. Hot Springs Cove is popular because of the natural hot springs located within a provincial park. The springs are reached by walking a boardwalk of 2.5km one way. The springs shoot hot water out of the rock into the ocean. The rocks along the coastline form areas of hot pools that allow the visitor to sit and relax. It is really beautiful and a major stopping point for boats cruising south around the island. It is also very popular now with tour groups that bring people in by float plan and water taxi from Tofino. Needless to say this was not an isolated wilderness experience. Floatplanes were landing every 30-40 minutes, jet boats were coming and going. Tourists looked like ants trekking to the picnic basket on their way down the dock. We decided to visit the hot springs in the evening after the last boat of tourist left around 7PM. Only then did we make our way to the boardwalk with towel in hand. The crew from s/v Ka'sala joined us for the evening swim. It was wonderful! And we had the whole place to ourselves.

Estevan Point Light House.  We were a good 2+ miles off,
with 2 meter swell and wind largely on our bow at
5 - 9 knots.

Janet at the Hot Springs Cove park entrance.

Old growth cedar just off the trail
to the hot springs.

Paul enjoys a  nearly too hot shower in the water that
pours over the rock ledge above.

Janet negotiates her way down from
the hottest pool to the cooler pools down below.

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Friendly Cove, Nootka Sound

It is nearly 7:30 PM and we are now anchored in Friendly Cove at the entrance to Nootka Sound. We spent the last two nights at the West View Marina at the head of Tahsis Inlet. We were ready for some shore leave, the weather was unbelievably good with bright sunny skies and warm, almost hot weather. The marina had a wide open outdoor area in front of their restaurant with chairs, tables and umbrellas as well as an excellent wifi set up. They also had entertainment arranged for Friday night and we had plenty of beer on board. What more could you ask for? It was a great stay, but we've found that being moored at a marina takes its toll and we were ready to seek out an anchorage, so off we went this morning.

Friendly Cove is rich in history. It was originally explored by Captain Cook and the site trading with the local natives first began on the west coast. It is also the site of the signing of the Nootka Convention between the British and the Spaniards (a policy of free merchant ship trade between non-warring nations). I'm sure that if you are Canadian, it is part of the standard history regimen in the schools and you are much more versed on the topic than my quick summary (I hope I got it right, more or less). Today, the Nootka Light House sits high on the entrance island providing weather and navigation services for mariners.

When we arrived, we hiked up to the light house and chatted with the Canadian Coast Guard caretakers. They were able to give us a wealth of information about the area and their services to mariners. We also visited the First Nations settlement and met the world renowned carver, Sandford Williams, on the beach. He was in the process of carving a totem pole for a celebration that is to take place among his people later this month. We bought some freshly smoked salmon from him that had been smoking on the fire. We had that for dinner a bit ago and it was wonderful.

Tomorrow morning we head out and around Estevan Point, yet another turbulent rounding according to the books. Weather is forecasted to be light and if it is anything like today, it will be a smooth sail around. Our destination is Hot Springs Cove.

Nootka Lighthouse from the deck of Talos IV.

We took the hike up to the lighthouse for
a closer look.

Janet on the way up to Nootka Lighthouse with
 Friendly Cove in the background.  Note
Talos IV at anchor just over her right shoulder and
m/v Uchuck (sometimes called the Upchuckin rough
conditions) is at the dock.

Ancient totem, long since toppled over and
rotting on the ground.  Oh yea, there's
Janet holding our fresh smoked salmon
that we purchased on the beach
nearby.

s/v Ka'sala at anchor in Friendly Cove.  We shared beers
with her crew, Lyneita and Doug.

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Smooth Sailing to Esperanza Inlet

We took a kayak tour of Dixie Cove this morning and became aware we were being watched by a group of sea otters. They are very curious and very hairy! We made the decision to leave the Kyuquot Inlet and head to Esperanza Inlet after returning to the boat. The route took us around Ragged Point and thru Clear Passage before reaching open waters. Once outside the reefs we sailed downwind with 10 - 17 kts of wind and 1 meter swell. The humpbacks continue to breach off the boat, sometimes coming very close. Other times they simply surface, breathe and glide along for a while until they dive, showing us their tail flukes. The good sailing conditions held until we were well inside Esperanza Inlet, approximately 5 hours. Tonight we are on the hook at Queen Cove. The sun is out allowing us to finally see and appreciate the topography of the coastline.

We kayaked up the river until it got too shallow to go
any further.   Paul led the way.

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A Whale of a Day

Our departure this morning was delayed by several hours as fog moved in and settled just as we were preparing to get underway. It was close to noon before we could pull anchor and motor out. The route from the Bunsby Islands to Kyuquot Sound would take us through the Barrier Islands, a wide spread group of islets that lay off shore for a good 15 miles or more along the coast. All of the guide books and the Canadian Sailing Directions stress that you must exercise caution transiting the area to avoid all of the obstacles. There was an inside shorter route, but it was not recommended in reduced visibility or rough conditions. And a more conservative route that takes you to the outside, but is much longer and exposed to potentially higher winds and ocean swell. It was a calm day with winds only at about 4-5 knots and the swell was predicted to be around 1 meter. Given that, we opted for the conservative route and in the end our choice paid off with many whale sightings throughout the day.

The first was a group of humpbacks making their way through the Barrier Islands on their way north. They were off about half a mile or so, but still very thrilling to see. And then, as we approached the entrance to Kyuquot Sound, there were two humpbacks right in the middle almost blocking our way into the sound. We diverted our course to make our way around them. They must have been feeding because they were continuously breaching and diving showing us their tail flukes as they went under. At one point, one of the whales breached just to the forward beam of the boat. Once past these bad boys, we entered the sound and a mile or so up another humpback surfaced just to our beam and was lazily swimming along on the surface going the same direction as us. We did our best to keep our distance and even went to neutral for a while. Eventually the whale went under and that was the last we saw of it. Janet snapped a few photos, so when we have wifi, we'll post them along with a few others.

We worked our way further into the sound to Dixie Cove where we dropped anchor for the night. The cove is accessed through a narrow channel and then there is an outer and an inner cove. We had our choice as there were no other boats and opted for the inner cove. Paul put a crab pot down and we settled in for the night.

A humpback whale breached just off our port bow.
Way cool!

This guy popped up on or starboard side and just followed
alongside for a few minutes before diving down.

When they blow, there's quite a load hiss noise,
especially when their so close.

We had to divert our course and manuver around
these guys who were blocking the entrance to
the sound.

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Bunsby Islands

We are now in the Bunsby Islands, a Provincial Marine Park. It's an amazing cluster of islands just off shore from Vancouver Island. Our run over here from Columbia Cove took us through a minefield of islets, rocks and underwater reefs. We had yet another sighting of Humpback Whales cruising by on their way north.

Yesterday, we took the hike from Columbia Cove across the Jackobson Peninsula through an old growth forest to the beach on the far side. Along the way we munched on huckleberries hanging from the branches and ready for our enjoyment. The beach was incredible, warm and a totally unexpected delight. It was at least a mile long with soft white sand. The shore above the beach was riddled with driftwood and flotsam washed up from the many storms that must battered the shoreline during the winter months. We kept our eye out for Japanese tsunami debris, but saw nothing but fishing floats, presumably from local fishing boats, plastic bottles and the like. We were the only ones there, making it feel very remote and isolated. Later in the day, we took the kayaks out for a jaunt around the cove. The water is fairly clear with visibility down a good 10-15 feet. We saw what was left of a coast guard cutter that had gone aground several years ago. It was amazing how the sea had literally bent and crumpled the all metal vessel into nothing but a pile of twisted metal and shards.

Once reaching the Bunsby Islands earlier today and getting the anchor set, we took the dinghy out for a bit of exploration around the islands. Among other sights, we saw numerous sea otters. Apparently they are one of the few success stories of a re-population of a nearly extinct species along the west coast of Vancouver Island. Their numbers are now in the 2,700 range along this coastline. Once back on Talos IV, we spent the late afternoon watching the local bald eagles hunt for fish in the cove. Janet cooked up a crab fettuccini dinner with some fresh crab that the crew from s/v Ocean Psalm gave us as we were departing Columbia Cove. It was a delicious way to wrap up another great day.

Tomorrow, we plan to head out to Kyuquot Sound, about 10 miles further south. We will likely hang there for a couple of days and check out a couple of different anchorages.

Talos IV at anchor in Scow Bay, Bunsby Islands.

Eagles nest just outside Scow Bay.

Paul looking a bit pre-historic on the hike to the
beach at Columbia Cove.

Janet reflected in the memorial to an CF-18 Hornet
pilot who lost his life attempting to assist
a fishing boat caught out in a storm.

Janet on the driftwood strewn beach.

We found lots and lots of floatsam on the beach, but
nothing from the Japanese tsunami.

Paul on the beach, a short hike through old growth
forest from Columbia Cove.

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Puffin around Brooks Peninsula

We woke this morning and took a walk down the boardwalk around Winter Harbour. The board walk is the main "avenue" thru town. There are really no paved roads, the road from Port Hardy to Winter Harbour is a dirt logging road. According to a local that we had conversation with, the Dept of Transportation maintains the boardwalk, since they built it way back when….and therefore are required to keep it functioning. The community of Winter Harbour is moving away from commercial fishing and becoming more of a "sportsman's paradise" with superb fishing (we saw beautiful fish coming off the boats), fishing lodges and cottages for the summer season. I hope they succeed in maintaining their community. The man at the fuel dock told us they had humpbacks this winter coming into the harbor and feeding just off the docks. When we get wifi we will post some photos of the boardwalk, etc. Having returned from our walk we reviewed the weather and made the decision to head out to get around Brooks Peninsula. The decision to leave Winter Harbour was based on flat seas, little to no wind and a strong blow coming over the next few days. We ended up departing the dock around 11:30 am. We made a successful rounding of Brooks Peninsula arriving in Columbia Cove at 7PM this evening. It was a long run (42nm) and we had a few highlights (well, interesting situations…) First of all, the Canadian Pilot describes the waters off Brooks as some of the most hostile on the west coast. The peninsula is stuck out from the coastline, jutting almost 5 nm into the pacific. There is a shelf that rises steeply off shore from this land mass. The two combine to create dangerous conditions for mariners. We were nervous at having to make this transition as we had heard it could be challenging. The weather we had this afternoon was the most perfect we could have hoped for. Seas were flat with 1-1.5 meter swell. Wind 5-7 kts. Fog had lifted and visibility was 5-7 nm. As we headed around the point of Solander Island we saw our first Puffins! They were bobbing in the swell. The fog began to settle in on the back side of Solander Island, but the visibility was still 1-2 nm. We have been navigating using charts, GPS and Radar. The chart plotting with lats and longs every 15 minutes has been fun and keeps us sharp on skills. While we were commenting on the fog settling in our GPS failed. Why do these things happen at the most challenging moments? I am very thankful for the navigation class and the skills practiced in our offshore class taught by Craig Walker at "Tradewinds Sailing". I am also glad we have been doing the navigation on the paper chart. We did have a hand held GPS which we powered up and used for a while. Paul rebooted the main GPS awhile later and it seemed accurate. Tonight we are at anchor in Columbia Cove. It is tucked behind Brooks Peninsula and seems well protected. Tomorrow we hope to do some beach combing and exploring.

Janet enjoying a stroll along the boardwalk at
Winter Harbor.

Paul on the Winter Harbor boardwalk.

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Crossing the Bar and Rounding the Cape

We awoke this morning at 4:00am to get the weather report via SSB. It sounded good and after a hot breakfast we pulled anchor and headed toward Nawhitti Bar. There were two other sailboats heading out ahead of us as we departed. The fog had settled in and we were in the soup before leaving Bull Harbour. We decided to catch the bar on the last hour of the flood, hoping for flatter seas and little wind. The strategy worked well for us and the bar was basically a flat run, a non event. This was the first challenge of the day and we felt a huge sense of relief leaving it behind. The next challenge was the rounding of the cape. Cape Scott can be nasty with different currents and heavy seas meeting at the western most tip of the Vancouver Island. The books that discuss rounding Cape Scott state "if you find yourself in trouble off Cape Scott, you are in trouble…" The cape has sunk and capsized substantial vessels per Waggoner Cruising Guide. The Canadian Pilot describes the cape as producing heavy seas and overfalls, dangerous to small craft. It alerts mariners that heavy seas may seemingly emerge from nowhere with the collision of currents. We set our course for the cape with fog and furry crew our only company. It took 3 hours from crossing the bar to rounding Cape Scott. We never saw the cape nor did we experience any heavy seas except for some confused wave and swell for about 6NM directly off the tip. After clearing the cape the swell settled into a NW pattern, 1 meter and very little wind. We had a large pod of Orcas pass to starboard headed north. The dorsal fins were like sabers slicing above the water. They were magnificent! The fog stayed with us until we entered Winter Harbour. The other two sailboats came out of the fog like ghost ships as we approached Quatsino Bay. This was a long, long day with 63NM. We are spending tonight at a government dock which so far has been an interesting experience. We have met several sailors at the dock attempting circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. It is an eclectic grouping of characters. We are all committed to heading south at this point, as we can't go back now. We will probably anchor out tomorrow…..

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Cape Scott.....Not Today!

We woke at 3:30 AM this morning to pounding rain on the deck of the boat.  Undaunted, we got up, dressed and made a pot of coffee.  We needed to be fully coherent to listen to the 4:00 AM weather update on weather radio.  The cats thought it was wonderful that we were up in the middle of the night and wanted to play, but we had to put them off so that we could take care of business.  To our dismay things had changed for the worse with near gale force winds forcasted to build from the northwest by early afternoon.  It was a difficult decision, but we made the no go decision after discussing our options.  We both went back to bed and didn't wake until about 8:00 AM when water dripping from the condensation forming on the hatch cover was hitting me in the face.

We are now back in Port Hardy.  Looking at the extended forecast, it looks as if Thursday will be the first break in the weather.  If that holds true, we'll make another run to Bull Harbor on Wednesday for a run around the north end of Vancouver Island on Thursday early AM.