Port McNeill to Miles Inlet

Despite our goal of an early departure, it was not until 9:29am that we cast off from the friendly docks at Port McNeill. Our host, Steve Jackman, runs a great facility. My praise is not based so much on the amenities, but on the “can do", “Do you need anything else” service that he and his staff offer. This year was noticeably different at the docks. Last year we were almost alone. This year the docks were full, and full of many large and magnificent boats. At 46 feet, our Grand Banks was definitely one of the smaller vessels tied to the docks. There was an “80ish foot”, to quote the captain, custom built motor vessel on up to a 130ft sail boat from shores afar. Steve said that he had spent the last year traveling to boat shows and other venues to “get the word out” and I think it worked. Bottom line; make a reservation, especially in season, to enjoy Port McNeill, “The Gateway to the Broughton Archipelago”, as the signs around town proclaim.

Here’s the link to The Port McNeil Fuel Dock and Marina

http://www.portmcneill.com/

The conditions on Queen Charlotte Strait were smooth seas with light winds, so we decided to combine two days into one and go direct to Miles Inlet rather than stopping first at Blunden Harbour. The total run was about 41nm. Queen Charlotte Strait, like all the large passages with a southeast/northwest orientation, can be nasty; “snotty” is the term yachties like to use, when the winds come up and work against the tide. It seems we were to be spared such conditions today. The clouds had split to the North and South, leaving us with a quiet window to make our crossing and then travel up the Strait. To the south, the clouds and wind brought heavy rain and lightening. Far to our north, the sky was dark and foreboding, filled with rain. Being in the middle of these two weather makers suited us fine.

Calm Seas at Pulteney Point Lighthouse

A Fellow Cruiser Enjoys A Calm Ride on Queen Charlotte Strait

Our reason to visit Miles Inlet was the expanse of quiet water that is only a short distance from Queen Charlotte Strait. Often in the Broughtons you have to travel many miles and negotiate a rapid or two to enjoy a place like Miles Inlet.

It’s location, just south of Cape Caution, makes this anchorage a popular place to bail out of Queen Charlotte Strait when heading north, and a hideaway to duck into when heading southbound after leaving Queen Charlotte Sound and passing Cape Caution.

Entering the Southwest Arm of Miles Inlet

Arctic Star at Anchor in Miles Inlet

Miles Inlet’s other attraction is its usual double lagoons. At both the southeast and northwest arm of the “T” that is Miles Inlet you’ll find rather large tidal lagoons. The bodies of water that form behind a “bar” are always fascinating. As the tides cascade into or retreat from the lagoons, the resulting whitewater flows can be impressive. Most cruising guides suggest anchoring in the north arm or at the T (looking out at the Strait), but the tides were in our favor and we headed for the snug anchorage in the South Arm, right in front of the lagoon. It was serene and lovely. Not only were we visited by seals and an eagle, but a blue heron fished on the rocky shore just off our bow for at least an hour, entertaining us greatly. We were totally alone in Miles Inlet - just how we like it!

The North and South Lagoons of Miles Inlet

We did not leave enough time in the schedule to explore the inside of either lagoon, so next visit we'll correct that situation. It definitely looks like a great place to kayak.

Outflow at the Southwest Lagoon

Almost Slack at the Northwest Lagoon Entrance

Here is a link to another website featuring photos that show the bars and impressive flows of these lagoons.

http://bcmarina.com/Places/Miles_Inlet/Websize/thumbnails.html

Dusky Cove to Goat Island

This morning was only half fog with the sun working hard to break through. I awoke early so we could launch the kayaks at low tide.  This is a great cove to explore when the water is low and the drying mud flats attract the gulls and other foraging birds for breakfast.

Exploring the mud flats with the gulls

It’s always amazing to see dry land at low tide at the same place you came through at high tide in the dinghy. We paddled around the various islets that guard Dusky Cove exploring the drying shoreline. Crabs, a few sea stars, clams and a few small fish were the highlights of the shallow water. Our friends the seals never made an appearance, much to the disappointment of Karen.

Lots of islets to explore in and around Dusky Cove

Heading back to Arctic Star

Once all were secure again on Arctic Star, we listened to the whaleboats in order to find out what the Orcas were up to at Cracroft Point. Our plan is to go sightseeing for Orcas and Humpbacks and then determine where our anchorage is going to be for the night.

Our quest was realized as we found Humpback whales in Blackfish Sound first and then found ourselves surrounded by Orcas in Broughton Strait. The area in Blackfish was almost exactly the same location we had seen humpbacks the last two days. Same for the Orcas, they are mostly local pods, so they frequent the same areas every day, making the whale watching business a success in this area. All and all, we spent a couple of hours watching both species of whales.

Where you find whales, you'll find gulls...Lots of gulls

Modern whale watching boat

Classic whale watching boat

After all the communing with the marine life we pointed the bow of Arctic Star to Goat Island to enjoy a quite night in one of our favorite anchorages. Maybe we’ll spot the same bear we saw a few days ago!

Potts Lagoon to Goat Island

The alarm sounded its message at 6am, one hour before sunrise and a half hour before we wanted to weigh anchor. Our passage today would take us through Beware Passage. The information on this passage recommends low slack water as the ideal time to transition through this area. While it looks open, there are many islets and hidden rocks you must weave your way through.

Low tide affords the best possible look at the obstructions, although some never dry. We followed our plan and arrived at the start of Beware Passage right at seven. With an eye on the GPS plotter and another on the water, we had an uneventful passage. By taking it slow and following the recommended “low water” course to the north, it’s a fairly easy pass. The channel is deep, so all your attention can be directed to making good your course.

Shortly after transiting Beware Passage, we tucked into Native Anchorage on Village Island, a spot recommended by Max from Kwatsi Bay. Breakfast was on the agenda, followed by showers and a morning of doing nothing as we hoped for the skies to clear.

Except for a few dolphins that passed though the anchorage, we were alone. As has been the pattern for the last two days, the sun started to part the clouds about noon and we began to think about “where to next?”.

Our first stop was to look at the abandoned Indian settlement at Mamaliliculla. There was not much to see and we were not in the mood to make a dinghy assault on the beach and climb up to see the abandoned structures. We saw some from the boat, so we’ll save the on-shoring for another time.

Next we stopped (in the water) and looked at the Indian settlement at New Vancouver. The native Indians returned to this area in 2003 and built a very nice looking settlement with an outstanding dock and an impressive “big house”. We’ll add this to the “visit again” list to see if we can get a tour of the big house – it looks grand.

We continued a little further and dropped anchor in Mound Bay for a lunch stop. Mound was on our list as a possible overnight anchorage, but the locals gave it only an OK rating, so we decided to make this a brief layover. While having lunch, we heard on the radio that there were both Orca and Humpback whales in Blackfish Sound off Cracroft Point. As we were only 2.5 miles from there, we changed plans again and quickly made our way down Blackney Passage into Johnstone Strait. There were a few boats drifting in the area and sure enough, we saw whale spouts as we approached.

Once there, we took the engines into idle and drifted, watching and waiting. We were not disappointed. We saw numerous Orca whales. They were trying to feed on the white-sided dolphins that were there to feed on the smaller fish that congregate the confluence of Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait.

A medium sized female Orca swims by

Coming right at us

It's fun to see the different markings and to try to track specific individuals

Every fin is unique

When these two waters meet, large whirlpools and eddies form and the water churns and spins. As we watched the whales, our boat would spin gently in the whirlpool and bob in the turbulent waters. But that was a small price to pay for a good look at these mammals in action. We would see the dolphins moving along slowly and then suddenly they would accelerate, jump out of the water and swim for their lives with an Orca right on their tails.

After about an hour they moved on and so did we. Max from Kwatsi Bay had great things to say about the anchorage at Goat Island (off Crease Island), so we set course for his recommendation.

Max from Kwatsi Bay was correct. A beautiful panorama surrounds this special spot. As we settled in and after enjoying a beer on the flybridge, I went to the swim step to answer the call of Mother Nature. I was looking over at a nearby island and noticed a black rock. I was talking to myself about how we always hope that these black rocks are black bears, but we are always disappointed. Just then, the black rock moved.

“Bear!”, I called out to Karen, “come quick!” As it turned out, there was no need to hurry. The bear cooperated for the next hour as he went about his business. The funniest part of this experience is that there were a pair of very large ravens that were tormenting this bear.

Surround by noisy ravens

They would cry at him, fly mock attacks, even pick up a large piece of straw and threaten him. The two large black birds would surround him, one in the front and one behind.

What do you think the Raven on the right is going to do with that "stick"?

Air attack!

I’m not certain what the conflagration was all about, but after about 15 minutes, the bear got tired of these two, and moved on. He ate his way along the side of the island, enjoying a series of berry bushes and some hors d’oeuvres found by turning over rocks at the water’s edge.

The berry banquet

When he arrived at the end of the island, he proceeded to walk into the water and swim over to the next larger island.

Who you looking at?

Time for a change of venue

Once there, he continued his feasting on the berry buffet, until he disappeared in the thick forest. Watching him shake off the water like a large dog was really funny!

Shake it off

Needless to say, we had a great day – from now own, September 13th is officially known as “Critter Day.”

Kwatsi Bay to Potts Lagoon

Weather as predicted; as we awoke, we are greeted with low clouds and a fine mist. We are in no hurry; in fact, we spent a very lazy morning reading, working on the blog and doing a lot of nothing. 

The other boats starting leaving around 7:30 am with the last leaving just before we did; about 1 pm. We would have departed earlier, but Max wanted to chat. This is the first year that his family is gone for the winter so the kids can attend school in Port McNeill. The local school at Echo Bay was closed this year, forcing the kids and their mom to take up residence in the “big city” for the winter. Max has lots of projects on his list for winter at Kwatsi, but you can tell he is missing his loved ones. 

His loss is our gain because we were able to spend about an hour with him, listening to his stories and getting local knowledge on places to go, things to do and other destinations not worth the trouble. 

We’re as far Northeast as we planned to go. That leaves us with a three and half hour trip to make our way to the South Broughton Islands.

The weather was a repeat of yesterday, with the clouds clearing and the winds picking up in the early afternoon. The sun was welcomed for our spirits, but as we were traveling directly into the sun, spotting debris in the choppy water was a challenge. 

Karen made lunch in route and we shared duties at the helm because looking into the sun is very tiring.  

Right on schedule, we dropped anchor in Potts Lagoon. A nice sized lagoon tucked well off Clio Channel. There is a small community of float homes that call this lagoon home. The tidy little buildings sit on floating foundations that are tied to the shore. The largest of the buildings, and what appeared to be the oldest, was the site of much construction activity. It looks as if there was a recent addition made to the original building and the workers were busily running their saws and swinging their hammers. 

I started dinner early because we wanted to get to bed before 10pm. We are getting up at 6am tomorrow in order to make slack low water at Beware Passage. This small passage is a circuitous path around rocks, some visible, but most with their tops just below the water. It’s one of those many passages with a reputation that deserves respect. But with proper planning and careful navigation it can be traversed with safety.  

We’re going to take a look at the stars tonight, as the skies are clear. However, since we’re only three days from a full moon, the conditions are not ideal. Of course, not quite ideal here is a 1000 times better than back home with all the human light pollution. 

Waddington Bay to The Burdwood Group

Now here’s a change; we awoke to sunshine, not clouds, for the first time in three days. Admittedly it was a broken layer of clouds with Old Sol doing his best to peek though, but it was sunshine, nevertheless.

It is amazing how even this little bit of sunshine lifts the spirits. Our neighbors started getting underway shortly after 9am, a signal that they too were invigorated by the change in weather. The breaks in the clouds are being fueled by increased winds driven by a distant high pressure, and there are lots of high wind warnings in the nearby straits. Back among the islands where we are, the winds are fresh but not in the gale force category that plagues the more open waters.

Our plan is to visit The Burdwood Group of Islands. They are reputed to be a great location to Kayak, and having been boat- bound for the last three days, we are looking forward to getting out and exploring.

The Burdwood Group is known as a Kayaker’s heaven. As we would soon discover, its reputation is well deserved. From a boater’s perspective, the Burdwoods offer a challenge in finding a suitable spot to anchor. Most choose to only spend the day, with a picnic on one of the shell beaches being the main attraction. We were the only boat in the Burdwoods and, with the wind and water calm, we found a small anchorage between two islets in 30 feet.

It took two attempts, but we got a good set to the anchor, secured the “snubby” and dropped another 100 feet of rode on the bottom to make certain we held.

Next, the kayaks were placed in the water, and Karen put together lunch in anticipation of some pleasant paddle stroking this afternoon. We were not disappointed.

 

Karen sets out to conquer the Burdwood Group

We weaved our way though the many small islands, interrupting the native critters as we went. In fact, when we came around one corner there were a couple of dozen seals on the beach that, when they saw Karen appear, took to the water with a great sound and flurry. They followed us for a while until we left their homestead.

A new bird was spotted, a Barrow’s Goldeneye. As we approached, mom led her chicks into the water and around behind a small outcropping of rock while dad stood guard. Finally, when the family was safe behind the rocks, he jumped into the water and joined them.

When we anchored, we were in sight of one of the two largest white shell beaches in the Group. The other is, in fact, a mirror image and lies just on the other side of the beach we could see from the boat. As we paddled back towards our boat, we stopped on that other beach and got out to set foot on firm land for the first time in about 6 days.

The Kayaks on "dry land" for the first time

Maybe this is where they got the idea for the infinity pool

Arctic Star nestled in the Burdwood Group

Just above the beach was a great Kayaker’s campsite, complete with fire pits, log “furniture” including what Karen called a breakfast bar (I simply stated that it was “The Bar”). It was easy to imagine a few Kayakers standing around in the evening sunset, beers in hand, telling tales of their adventures that day.

Can't you see a group of Kayakers gathered around this "rustic bar"

Our day ended as we watched a large seal frolic right off the boat’s bow, breaching and tail splashing like mad.

Karen stops in front of Arctic Star before we call it a day

The driftwood is always full of interesting patterns

Coves East of Seabreeze to Waddington Bay

No surprise, the fog is here as predicted by Environment Canada. In addition, there is a persistent mist that makes this morning’s prime goal staying put and inside. By noon, Karen and I were stir crazy and weighed anchor for a very brief cruise over to Waddington Bay. It was one year plus one day since we had dropped anchor in Waddington.

Another motivator of our decision to move was the forecasted increase in the winds. Waddington provides better protection in any wind.

As we approached the entrance, there were two boats just turning into the entrance from the other direction. We followed them and found one other boat, a sailboat named Ghoster, anchored in the bay. The two other power boats decided to raft together so we dropped anchor only forty yards from where we were last year.

The weather continued to be the same: foggy and misty, teetering on the verge of light rain. So for the next three hours we read, worked on this blog and I processed more pictures.

Waddington Bay foggy harbour

A few more boats joined us in the Bay, bringing the total to seven. The wind picked up as forecast and the afternoon entertainment began. The two boats that were rafted together began to drift under the influence of the winds. They separated and each sought their own individual anchorage. The latter of the two boats headed over to us and the sailboat that we were anchored upwind from. It took them three attempts to decide where they wanted to be and how to prevent themselves from being too close to our boat and the sailboat.

The machinations even brought the white-bearded captain of the sailboat out of his cozy cabin to evaluate his status relative to the large boat that was setting herself between him and the wind.

All told, one other boat drifted seriously near a rocky islet, and another decided to move to another spot across the bay. Whenever the winds blows at anchor, it always seems to start a domino effect of musical chairs as captains reposition, either voluntarily or not, to best advantage.

As Karen was preparing sandwiches for dinner, she called out to me to come and help determine what she was seeing in the water. Black, but certainly not a seal, we quickly determine that we were looking a black bear swimming between two islands. It was our first bear sighting, and continued the entertainment for the afternoon.

As the sun set, we began to see a break in the clouds in the distance. Hopefully the wind will die down as forecast and the clouds will give way to blue skies.

Lady Boot Cove to Seabreeze Cove

I slept in till 10:30 this morning. The low fog from last night has lifted but a low ceiling does remain. It is a bit colder and the pressure has risen some, so we’re hoping for clearing weather later.

Foggy morning

Our travels over to Seabreeze Cove only required an hour. It was an interesting route, through small passes and around rocks and small islands. Though not difficult, it was more interesting than some passages.

Seabreeze Cove is an interesting spot. Surrounded by little islands, you get views out from the anchorage, making the small cove seem much larger. There is plenty of room to anchor, but you must give the drying beach to the East respect as it shoals very quickly and far sooner than you might expect. We anchored in 20 feet of water on a plus 9 foot tide.

The holding was good and we settled into another lazy afternoon. Today’s temperature is hovering around 58 degrees F, making it one of the coldest days so far. Adding the overcast skies to the cooler temperatures, the afternoon looks like it will be spent tucked cozily inside Arctic Star.

Peaceful anchorage

We did spot a new bird on our approach to Seabreeze Cove. It was a Pelagic Cormorant, an all black tall bird that, according to the book we have on local birds, smells and “swims like a fish.” Fortunately, we were not close enough to confirm the odiferous traits of this species. The boat is equipped with XM Satellite Radio so I spent some time catching up on the political race as I did some minor boat-keeping chores.

Laura Cove to Booker Lagoon

Low clouds greeted us this morning. Not too cold and an occasional mist and light rain. We made the most of the morning by doing nothing. About 11AM we begin to muster for a Kayak around Laura Cove at low tide.  

While not the best Kayaking grounds, we nevertheless made the most of it by exploring the shallows and taking a few pictures. Karen made certain she got one photo of me in the Kayak to quench the cries of “where are the pictures of Bob?!?” that typically accompany our vacation photos. 

Bob poses for a picture  

Our neighbor returned from one of his fishing expeditions and was busying himself on the stern swim step of his Uniflite Cruiser named Rockfish. Karen and I paddled to his boat to investigate. He was busy cleaning a 25lb Ling Cod. An ugly fish for certain that hangs about on rocky ledges. What it lacks in looks it makes up for in taste. We hung around the stern of the boat getting a lesson in fish filleting – then low and behold, we were offered a filet of our own. Lacking any fresh seafood on board, we did not turn down the generous offer. 

What a big Ling Cod! 

Heading back to Arctic Star 

 Our departure to Booker Lagoon was dependent on the proper time to enter the lagoon through Booker Passage. This narrow passageway has currents that run strong and is best traversed at slack water. Therefore, we set the power low and had a leisurely cruise off to Booker Lagoon. As we departed, we radioed the vessel Rubenesque, offering up our just-vacated prime anchorage. 

As we approached close to Cullen Harbour and Booker Lagoon, we started to feel some swells from Queen Charlotte Strait. The Lagoon itself is massive, and a favorite spot to wait before crossing this oft-windy and swelly Strait. We waited for “slack”, and although the guidebooks told us to wait for 30 minutes after slack at Alert Bay, it was clear that we could enter sooner, which we did. The passage is narrow but fairly deep. As we moved into the passage, we saw a large group of porpoises chasing baitfish inside the Lagoon. 

Booker Lagoon is so massive that it took us a while to find a spot to anchor that was cozy enough for our taste. We poked our bow into a couple of coves but they were just too open and ordinary. Finally, we found the perfect spot in a cove on the North side. 

The views don't get any better than this 

Anchor set and beer in hand, I’m off to determine how I’m going to prepare that fresh Ling Cod. 

Greenway Sound to Laura Cove

Low ceilings greeted us again this morning. We are on our leisurely schedule timetable which means we’re not going anywhere till early afternoon. 

I walked the docks and took some photos of the marina. Karen continued to devour all matter of books. Originally we talked about going for a hike up the old logging road on Ick Mountain, but that plan fell victim to the desire to “rest a bit more”. We did a little provisioning in the marina store and spent some time with Tom and Ann. Today was the last day for the marina’s helper, so we talked with her as she waited for the floatplane to take her back home. 

The beautiful docks at Greenway Sound 

The main "highway" at the docks 

We way farewell to Tom and Ann and their summer helper  

Life on the Greenway docks  

As the morning turned to afternoon, the skies cleared and the sun made an appearance. That was our signal to bring in our lines and set the bow toward Laura Cove. 

Not much more than an hour later, we were snug in the little cove, stern tied to Broughton Island. There was one boat in the Cove when we arrived. It was an older cruisernamed Rockfish, made by Uniflite . It was anchored in the center of the cove. This presented no problem, as stern tying is the custom when it is crowded here and we had plenty of room to do so. 

The trick with this stern tie is that it was high tide. It is always preferable to stern tie at low water so you get a good look at the rocks, but that is not always possible. I poked the bow in close, taking note of water depths and comparing them to the amount of water we were going to lose at low tide. This computation gives me a target as to where I want the boat to end up and from that spot, I can calculate where to drop the anchor. 

Since it was not low tide, Karen did not have to do her usual “Mountain Goat” act of scampering up the rocks to find a suitable spot to tie to. Rather, she could reach our intended dead tree trunk from the comfort of the dinghy. 

We carefully watched the rocks as the water receded and later took up some anchor rode to move the boat 20 feet further from the rocks, giving us an extra margin of clearance. The nice thing about Laura Cove is that the rock ledge drops precipitously, giving you a nice line of demarcation between the obstructions and clear water. 

Dinner was followed by Karen reading and Bob working on photographs for the blog. All is well today and we look forward to exploring Laura Cove tomorrow.

Jennis Bay then to Greenway Sound

This morning was typical of the region, cloudy. However, the overcast quickly dissipated and we welcomed first, the sun, and then the blue skies. Also, the forecast predicted more clouds for the afternoon; we all embraced the warming rays and set about enjoying the day.

Karen grabbed a book and found a comfy place in the sun to read. I tagged along with Tom as we went to check his crab pots and shrimp and prawn pots. Gathering these sources of protein is a major pastime in these parts, whether you are a boater or a resident.

Tom is no exception. Every day, sometime twice a day, he checks his pots. Today's harvest was small, a couple of dozen prawns and two rock crabs.

Tom pulls in his first prawn trap

The crab trap, however, was empty. Empty of crab and of bait. Tom suspected that the bait bag was at fault, letting the tempting morsels of prawn heads drift off. So, a new bait bag was secured to the trap and back over the side it went to lure more of the tasty Dungeness crabs for the next day.

There was one casualty of the day. My “go-to” 18-200mm lens was rendered inoperative when I slipped and fell getting off the boat. My plan is to make do with my remaining lenses since getting a replacement out here would be a time consuming and somewhat expensive undertaking.

We loafed around Jennis Bay for the rest of the day, waiting for high slack tide so we could go back through Stuart Narrows. When the time came, we said our good-byes to the Allo family, promising to send them lots of pictures of the joyous time we spent in their company.

On the way toward Stuart Narrows, Karen spotted “spouting” near a small island. We were treated to the rare sighting of two Orcas feeding, a big male and his female companion. We had not seen Orca since 2005, so we were very excited and I got a decent picture of the male as he surfaced to take a closer look at us.

This is why we lug the "monster long telephoto" on these trips

Our destination was Greenway Sound to say hi to Tom and Ann, do a little laundry and take on water. Since Sullivan Bay was on the way and we had never stopped there, we took a very short detour and tied up at their docks to see what it is all about.

Kids will be kids

Sullivan Bay is unique because in addition to having a restaurant, store and fuel docks, they also have a number of floating homes.

Sullivan Bay Marina

These give the place the look of “Manhattan on the water” versus the more modest marinas in the region. I was craving chocolate, so a Snickers bar along with a bottle of wine and some garlic rounded out our purchases at the store.

As we tied up at Greenway Sound, we were greeted with the ever friendly smile of Tom. He and Ann created this marina many years back and built it into a respected and renowned landmark in the Broughtons. They are ready to retire and have had the marina for sale for a couple of years now. But with high fuel prices has come less traffic for every marina this year. Hence, the offers are not flooding in, and Tom and Ann continue to wait for the right offer.

Tom invited us to watch Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech with he and Ann, so Karen and I grabbed a couple of beers and joined them in front of the TV. By the time we got back to the boat, grilled cheese sandwiches were about all we could muster the energy to prepare for dinner. Of course, we followed the gooey sandwiches with a Nanaimo Bar from Greenway Sound’s store.

Muirhead Islands to Jennis Bay

We awoke to clouds and light rain. It had rained on and off all night. I wanted the rain overnight so that all the salt spray we had accumulated on the exterior of Arctic Star would be washed away.  

However, our plan was to Kayak around the islands, so rain was not welcomed once daylight arrived. Not to be deterred, we suited up in our foul weather gear and launched the Kayaks. It was low tide, the time we think ideal to explore in Kayaks as so much is revealed by the receding waters. As we paddled around, we found clams, orange sea stars (star fish to those who have not yet been told they are not fish), crabs and a variety of little bits of life that cling to the rocks.   

Karen kayaking in the rain   

Off in the distance was a small rock island that dries with the low tide. On this now dry rock was a colony of harbour seals. About 50 in all. Karen set a course for the aquatic mammals. They let us get within about 300 yards before abandoning their rocky outcropping and entering the water with a splash. 

Shortly thereafter, we were surrounded by seal heads just visible above the water. They kept their distance at about 100 yards, but they shadowed us as we continued our travels past their temporary home.  

 All in all, we explored for about an hour and a half before the rain and cold drove us back to the warmth of our boat. Once aboard, we stowed the Kayaks and dinghy and retreated inside for a warming shower and lunch.  

Our next stop was Jennis Bay. This marina is only a couple of years old. It was built by Tom and Allyson Allo. Allyson had spent many summers here as a child when her Dad was a logger in the area. It seems she gathered up Tom and their two children and, as she tells it, kidnapped them to this magical place. When they arrived it was a bit of a disaster. But they persevered and rebuilt and added to what they found. Now they and visiting boaters enjoy a beautiful bay with spectacular views and peaceful waters.  

Their son, Orion, aged 10 and daughter, Charlie Marie, 8 are a delight. They are ever full of energy and eager to share their world with guests.  

Charlie Marie....Charming! 

The Marina is famous for Gumbo Night on Tuesday. Although we arrived on Tuesday, this late in the season with only one boat on dock, Gumbo Night was not in the cards. However, we were in for an even better and more special treat. It was Orion’s 10^th birthday, and we were invited to help celebrate.  

Crabs were cooked, prawns were boiled, and Orion sautéed the shrimp using his secret recipe while Tom made spinach artichoke dip. Karen and I brought wine and tried to help as best we could.   

 

 Let the feast begin   

  

 

 We all toast Orion on his 10th birthday   

After our feast, Allyson suggested we all “have a Kayak”. So Karen and I launch our red kayaks and the family split between two double kayaks and off we went to explore the bay.   

Allyson leads the way  

   

Tom captins the #2 kayak 

Bravo, the pirate dog, also launched into the water (against his master’s wishes and commands) and proceeded to swim in trail. Bravo lost his eye to a wolf attack earlier this summer and now sports a permanent wink.  

Bravo takes the wet route 

It suits his personality, which is loving and warm. Bravo’s sidekick is Kitty, the cat. Kitty is a fearless all black male, who just wants to be loved. Of course, Karen was most accommodating to his affections.  

While Kitty stayed behind, we proceeded to a small island (Huckleberry Island) in the bay where Orion and Charlie disembarked to pick berries. Soon the power swimmer Bravo joined them onshore. The adults, in a brief moment of “adult time, continued on to explore the abandoned barge that lay just beneath the surface of the back bay. Allyson even found and retrieved an old kite of Orion’s that had broken its tether and was thought lost forever.  

Allyson finds the long lost, missing kite 

Called back to the island of abandoned children by cries of who knows what is wrong, we retrieved the kids and Bravo, now content to sit with Mom in the Kayak.    

We retrieve the kids from "Huckleberry Island"  

Orion tries to get Karen to tow them back home  

Bravo thanks Mom for coming to get him, no swimming back today!!   

Dad and Orion paddle home   

It was a perfect “Kayak”, no wind, glassy seas and a sun low in the sky.   

Karen enjoys the frolicking fun   

Upon our return, all turned their attention to more food.  

 The requested birthday dessert was homemade blueberry and huckleberry pie, made with fresh picked huckleberries from nearby Huckleberry Island.  See, I can use "huckleberry" three times in the same sentence.  

I can only imagine what the wish was   

 

Charlie makes us smile   

We followed the sweets with a few party games before the yawns won the night and we all bid adieu for a good nights’ sleep.   

 

Arctic Star snug for the night in beautiful Jennis Bay

Davis Bay to Muirhead Islands

What a beautiful morning; blue skies and sunny, relatively warm weather, meaning about 67 degrees F. The low tide in Davis Bay revealed lots of previously unseen rocks and ledges. Luckily, we knew they were there from the charts!

 

Karen enjoying the morning sun

 

Bob had to join in the sun bathing

Karen cleans the anchor rode as she brings it onboard

Our destination for today is a group of islands known as the Muirheads. Its draw is its reputation as a great place to Kayak. As we headed down Drury Inlet, it was absolutely smooth as a mill pond. I spent some time photographing the pattern the boat wake left in the flat surface of the water. This is something we seldom see, as there is almost always a ripple on the water’s surface due to the prevailing winds.

Drury Inlet...smooth as glass

 

 The approach to the Muirheads involves a bit of weaving between rocks and small islands, but the charts are well marked and our arrival at low tide means that many obstructions are in plain sight.

 

 Due to the small size of our chosen anchorage, a stern tie was in order. The first stern tie of a trip is always an event we do not look forward to. It takes a couple of these to get back into the swing of things and this one was no exception.

 

 The stern tie is an art, which involves precise judgment of distance. You want to be as close to shore as possible to keep the amount of line you need to pay out to a minimum, but, at the same time, not so close that you find yourself on the rocks come low tide.

 It took me three times to get the distance just right. The hard part is judging how far out to drop your anchor in anticipation of how much forward the anchor rode will pull you away from shore. We had the added challenge of a cross current. We have faced these before. What typically happens is you get the boat just where you want it, but by the time you try to tie the stern line, the current has swung the boat out of position. We have used the dinghy as a tugboat in the past to reposition the stern of the boat long enough to set the stern line.

This time I decided on a different approach. As I backed the boat to shore, I maneuvered such that we were well up into the current. Then, I dashed down to the stern and threw over a stern anchor. As the current began to swing us back to the position I wanted as a final location, I set the anchor. It worked! The Stern anchor held the boat in postition until we could set the stern line ashore via the dinghy. Once the stern line was secure, I retrieved the stern anchor, it’s mission a complete success.

Later in the day, we took a dinghy ride around to check out the locale. The trusty portable GPS was with us to ensure we missed all the rocks. We took the dingy up to Sutherland Bay, checking out the logging operation, the supply boat “Sir James Douglass” and the Interfor floating barge camp and cookhouse, the Cypress Mist.

 

Dinghy Captain Bob

Sure was a pretty day

We continued on and saw the marked entrance to Actaeton Sound, but decided against it. We checked out some interesting anchorages on the north side before we headed back to Arctic Star to relax. There were tons of seals nearby as night began to fall, barking and grunting so loudly it seemed as if they were fighting well into the evening.

Arctic Star stern tied in the Muirheads

Genoa Bay to Fossil Bay

  Genoa Bay to Roche Harbor: 20.6NM

Roche Harbor to Matia Bay: 16.7NM

Matia Bay to Fossil Bay: 2.4NM

Up early in Genoa Bay to head for Roche Harbor and re-entry into the good old USA. We left about 9am for the 1 hour and 40 minute passage, seeing lots of great scenery and wildlife along the way.

Of course, as you might imagine, things don’t always go according to plan. As we got close to Roche Harbor, Bob took a potty break and left me at the helm. When he came back, he asked if I had slowed the boat down (which I hadn’t). Son of a gun! The starboard engine was stuck at 1800 RPMs. We had lost throttle control on that engine. Bob had to shut it down and glide onto the customs dock with just one engine (not really a big deal, it just sounds really cool). We were lucky that Customs wasn’t too busy and there was space for us without having to wait.

Bob cleared Customs while I tried to raise the charter company on the phone. It was a comedy of errors. Bob had the better luck. The Customs agent actually searched the boat, making Bob and I stand on the dock. Not sure what contraband he was seeking, but he did confiscate our lemon, lime and 2 jalapeno peppers. He also said heartily “Welcome back to the United States!” That was actually nice to hear!

Bob got tired of waiting for the call from the charter company so he went down into the engine room and found the throttle arm had detached from the engine. Hmmm…after cursing a blue streak because there were some missing bolts and tight fit issues, he got the boat up and running and we gladly left for Sucia and Matia islands.

Sucia means “foul” in Portuguese. Not foul as in odor, but foul as in “reef-strewn”. Need to watch your navigating around Sucia. But first we went to Matia Island, a nearby wildlife preserve. It was nice in Rolfe Cove and we snagged a mooring ball, as the dock was full. We had lunch and went ashore for a great walk around the island.

Best of Times snugged to a mooring ball in Matia Bay.

Docks at Matia Bay, Best of Times in Background.

Karen in old growth tree on Matia.

Old growth trees are truly massive.

We chatted with the folks on the dock for a while and teased the owners of the Nordhavn 40 about waxing their boat at the dock on such a lovely day. What dedication! Now, off to Sucia, where we caught a mooring ball in Fossil Bay. We just hung out on the boat and did a little pre-packing in anticipation of turning the boat in on Friday.

That was after we had to move the mooring ball from the back of the boat to the front in the howling wind. In a powerboat like ours, it’s easiest to boathook the mooring ball and attach a line from the stern. But because all boats ride best with their bow into the wind, you need to “walk” the ball around to the front. Not usually an issue unless the wind is howling. Bob inherited that job as I lacked the upper body strength to do it! We read and rested a bit, then had a lovely salmon dinner and an early evening.

Glenthorne Passage Genoa Bay

Glenthorne Passage to Fulford Harbor: 9.3NM 

Fulford Harbor to Genoa Bay: 11.5NM 

 Our trip is winding down, as we have to have Best of Times back to Friday Harbor in the U.S. by Friday morning. We also had to drop off the kayak (affectionately called “the canoe” by me) on SaltSpring Island today. So we took one more morning kayak in Glenthorne Passage, We went at low tide, which is definitely the most interesting. There were gobs and gobs of the purple starfish, crammed into newly exposed crevasses as the water receded. A few orange ones were seen here and there, but not a lot.  

 

Looking back up Glenthorne Passage from our anchorage. 

 We kayaked along the shore of Secret Island, which has cabins with small docks, and said hi to a resident who thought it was a terrific day to enjoy kayaking. He was right. As we headed toward the head of the cove and the private dock there, I thought I saw a dog on the dock watching us. Guess what? It was a big seal. He was high and dry on the dock, sunning himself. We approached stealthily and he watched us intently. Not threatened or unhappy, just alert. He scooted to the other side of the dock when we got close, but as we went around to the other side of the dock, he just sat there, craning his neck from time to time to see what we were up to. He reminded me of my cat Aspen. If he can’t see us, he must be hidden, right? Wrong!  

 We kept on kayaking and Bob pointed out a blue heron just feet away on the rocks, blended so well into the background that you could hardly notice him. How beautiful is all this wildlife? 

 On our way back to the boat, another boater said hello and “it’s a great day for kayaking, eh?”  All those Canadian “eh” jokes appear to be warranted. Really nice folk, they just say “eh” like we say “uh” or “huh” or “right” or “yes”.  

 

Picture perfect in the Kayak. 

 We decided to drop off the kayak in Fulford Harbor where the kayak place was located rather than going back to Ganges. We did this because we’d never been to Fulford and it sounded nice in the plethora of guidebooks you need for a trip like this. We found the tiny dock that abutted the kayak rental place and stayed there for 2 hours while we had a great lunch and reprovisioned at the local store. 

 Not content to linger, we headed to Genoa Bay for the night. Another spot in the guidebooks, it sounded lovely and like a nice marina, as we were ready to tie to a dock and have some shore power for the evening. Pretty place, nice docks, and an apparent convention of Nordic and American Tugs, by the look of it. Bob and I walked the docks, looking at the boats and some very nice boathouses, and I remarked that all we needed to make it a perfect day was a kitty. 

 Needless to say, ask and ye shall receive. There was a small art gallery on the docks, and the woman who ran it had a lovely 18 year old Maine Coon named Toby. This cat was so affectionate, I sat on the floor and it came over and sprawled out next to me and let me pet it for 20 minutes or so. Every time I stopped, Toby butted me with his head and convinced me to keep rubbing his jowls and his ears. This was fun! 

 Tonight we’re off to dinner at the restaurant just up from the docks and then tomorrow we’re off to Roche Harbor to clear U.S. customs and get ourselves back into the States.

Pirate's Cove to Glenthorne Passage

Pirate’s Coveto Princess Cove: 13NM  

Princess Cove to Glenthorne Passage: 10.3NM 

We had heard that holding was poor in Pirate’s Cove, and that anchors had a tendency to drag, but we were snug with our well-set anchor and stern tie. It was a hazy, cloudy morning, and we were in no hurry to move along, so we took the dinghy over to one of the two dinghy docks to hike a bit. 

   

Pirate's Cove complete with a treasure chest. 

 

Someone took the time to hand paint the welcome sign at Pirate's Cove. 

Pirate’s Cove has been a marine park since 1966, and it has wonderful trails that are easy to walk and really pretty. We walked to the other side of the island where some kayakers were making camp.  There are nice campsites and I am always amazed how clean the outdoor toilets are and how there’s always toilet paper. Guess those park hosts keep pretty busy. 

 

The B.C. parks maintain a nice infrastructure. Take a look at these nice stairs to a campsite on a beautiful little bay. 

 We went back to the boat and decided to depart. It was a bit crazy again, as the wind wanted to blow us into the concrete park host floating dock while we scurried to haul in the stern tie and get the anchor up. Captain Bob came through again, and off we went, back through the tricky entrance (at low tide you can really see those dangerous reefs) and out into deep water again. 

 

Best of Times in Pirates Cove.  

 

Trawler enjoying a peaceful, secluded anchorage on the south side of the island. 

Our agenda was to stop at Wallace Island, a favorite from our last trip. I had decided that we’d anchor in Princess Cove and have lunch aboard before doing some exploring. Another shallow and interesting entrance behind us, we snagged a great spot to anchor and had lunch while we watched other boats come and go. It was fairly low tide, so it seemed like a great time to kayak. 

The kayaking was just so-so until we noticed the rocks that are part of the reef guarding the entrance to Princess Cove. As we headed that way, we heard lots of snorting. Yes, there were seals! We were able to get within 75 feet or so of a bunch of seals sunning themselves on the rocks. The younger ones were a bit unsure of us, but the two big bull seals just stared at us with pretended indifference as we snuck closer (“snuck” being a tough thing for a bright yellow kayak to do). The seals were really funny, they liked to swim near and check us out, and then zip away to a safe distance. We even saw one seal get a mouthful of water and spit it directly onto another one’s face. Just like kids! 

We headed to Prevost Island and Glenthorne Passage for the night. I was anxious to check out this anchorage as we had enjoyed Annette Inlet earlier in the trip. The anchorage was absolutely lovely and there were only 4 boats at the head of the cove. Quiet and peaceful, it was a lovely evening.

Roscoe Bay to Melanie Cove

Roscoe Bay to Refuge Cove: 4.3NM

Refuge Cove to Melanie Cove: 8.6NM

Awoke to another great day in Roscoe Bay. Got out the kayak and tooled around, checking out the drying shoal and the head of the bay and all the boats along the way.

Best of Times in Roscoe Bay.  

Best of Times as viewed from the Kayak.

During our travels we noticed a unique from of art. Small rocks piled up on other rocks at or near the shore. We thought they might be there to indicate unmarked hazards.

Roscoe has more than its share of "rock art"  

Perhaps they simply marked that a person has passed this way. Most are simple structures, comprised of a few rocks balanced to stand the test of time, but without meaning we could decipher.

However, one composition did catch our eye.

A creative hand, or an enlarged self-image?

 We decided to head out to Refuge Cove to reprovision a bit before heading over to Melanie Cove in Prideaux Haven for the night.

Refuge Cove was hopping. As we left Roscoe Bay, it was rather windy and there were some waves and white caps. When we got to the docks, there wasn’t a lot of room, but Bob decided to wedge the boat into a spot that meant that the prevailing wind was going to try and blow us off the dock, not onto it. Not only did he do a great job of docking, but also, as I tossed the stern line to the nice fellow on the dock, it turned out to be the guy from Coyote Blue, recipient of our salmon the day before!

 He told us that it was supposed to really blow hard that night and that gale force winds were forecast for both Johnstone Strait and the Strait of Georgia. Hmm. We went to provision, found great stuff, and while our friends on Coyote Blue decided to stay at the dock for the evening, we headed over to Melanie Cove as originally planned.

The store at Refuge Cove.

 Bob said that MC would be sheltered from the winds. To my eye, it looked as if, while sheltered, the winds would still whip down the cove. Wonder who was right?

There were lots of boats in Prideaux Haven and Melanie Cove, the two quintessential anchorages in Desolation Sound. Still, there was more than enough room for us and we set the anchor well in case the wind picked up.

 I wanted to go kayaking, but Bob wanted to chill out first. By the time we climbed into the kayak, it was blowing pretty good. Our “upwind” paddle was painfully hard, and it started to rock and roll a bit as we left Melanie Cove for Prideaux Haven. We cut our kayak short and headed back for the boat. Well, going downwind was really fun. We were smoking along, doing warp speed without moving our paddles at all. In fact, we held the paddles out as if they were mini-sails and grinned all the way back to the boat.

Oh yes…it blew hard that night! And rained sometime overnight as well!