Port McNeill to Napier Bay

Today we will cast off on our trip through the Broughton Islands. However, there is still a long list of “must do’s” before we can leave. Provisioning was first on the list. Today was the day we are going to get our fresh meats and other perishables. There are two grocery stores in Port McNeill and we shopped at both in order to try to get the best each had to offer. Once done, supplies were stowed on board Arctic Star and we then greeted the fellow from Comox Valley Kayaks who rented us our Kayaks for the next three weeks. They delivered them to the docks some two hours from their base of operation in Comox. The three of us took the two kayaks in hand and marched down the long docks toward the boat, looking like a train made up of two bright red Kayaks.

Next, we had to return the rental car. That was a 20-kilometer drive to the Budget rental car facility at the Port Hardy airport. Steve Jackman, our harbour master host at Port McNeill, was kind enough to loan us his van as chase vehicle for the rental car return mission.

After returning the car, we went into Port Hardy to the Overwaitea grocery for some even more last minute shopping. What a great store. Pricier than the one in Port McNeill but they have some of the best produce we have seen in all our provisioning on Vancouver Island.

Next we stopped at IV’s at the Quarterdeck for some halibut fish and chips accompanied by sweet potato fries with curry. “Yummy” said Karen.

By the time we returned to Port McNeill, offloaded the last of the provisions and retuned Steve’s van, it was 3:45pm before we left the dock at Port McNeill. The seas were two to four feet in swells. Arctic Star handled them with aplomb.

We were headed to Napier Bay, just a two hour drive across Queen Charlotte Strait from Port McNeill. When we arrived, there were 5 other boats at anchor. We picked our spot and set anchor.