Grenville Channel

Tuesday May 27
OK, I know I am sounding like a broken record but you guessed it -- another early start.  Anchor was up at 5 and we had Khutze Inlet to ourselves.  Fog and clouds nearly reaching the surface of the water but brighter skies ahead.  Almost no boat traffic at all today.  Saw another group of dolphins -- they appeared to be feeding and showed very little interest in our boat.  Long narrow channels of water with snow capped mountains in the background and waterfalls all along our route.  Traveled over 90 miles today and anchored at Lewis Island.  Surprised to find a shallow place to anchor -- less than 30 feet when we arrived.  Imagine our surprise when looking at the tide tables to discover the tide would rise from 6 feet to over 20 feet and drop back to 3 feet by morning.  As we anchored, the sun came out and the wind died.  Beautiful!
McDuff still spends much of his time "undercover" but he has taken to wandering about the boat now and again.  Maybe he will learn to be a real boat cat!
We are positioned for yet another early start with the hope of arriving in Prince Rupert.  Barrie and Larry will put together a plan for dealing with the heat exchanger and other necessities.

Dolphins and Another Whale

Dolhpins

Monday May 26

Heading north and trying to make some time today.  Yes, another early start but we are starting to work like a well-oiled team.  We had the anchor up about 20 minutes after we arose - and coffee in hand just minutes later.

Whale Spout

About and hour out of Shearwater four or five dolphins put on a great show and finished up by riding our bow wake.  Fun to watch.  We slowed to pass Klemtu (another town that has essentially been abandoned.

About noon in Tolmie Channel a whale joined us for a few minutes.  He was about 150 yards from the boat and seemed to be alone.

Cruised a total of 80 miles and anchored at the base of a beautiful waterfall at the end of Khutze Inlet (just short of Butedale).  We saw very few boats throughout the day and so were quite surprised when we found ourselves anchored in a cove with 4 other boats.

Whales

Sunday May 25
Yet another early start - but the early morning waters are calm and it is beautiful to watch the day begin.  About one hour into our passage (at Addenbrook Light) three or four whales greeted us with a half-hour show.  Amazingly, we had cruised right into a pod of humpback whales and they were surfacing less than 20 yards from the boat.  Pictures of the event are on my "real" camera -- and I will have to wait until later to download them.

Reel Dream at Shearwater

Arrived at Shearwater just after noon and tied up at the dock long enough to have lunch and do a bit of shopping.  Our first time in civilization since leaving the Customs Dock in the Gulf Islands.  Craig, the owner, greeted us just as we stepped off the dock.  His dad bought Shearwater in 1947 when Craig was in 5th grade.  Craig completed 5th grade through a correspondence school.  The following year, his dad started a school in Shearwater.
Had a wonderful lunch of fresh Halibut fish and chips at the restaurant and then went to the grocery store which had everything I had forgot at home (including capers!).  After a couple hours ashore, we anchored the boat in a nearby cove next to Reel Dream (Mel & Bernice).  From Shearwater they will head west to St. Johns to fish for the summer and we will head north to Prince Rupert.

Catching Up - WiFi at last

Monday May 19:

There is something special about really being in the middle of nowhere. And you know that you have finally reached the middle of nowhere when you are beyond the reach of cell phones and WiFi! 

So, it has been several days since I posted to the blog.  On Monday we left Desolation Sound at 5 am to take the "back route" and "run the rapids".  Our timing was perfect.  We were positioned at Yuculta Rapids 10 minutes before the tide turned to ebb and began the transit.  Next was Gillard Passage and beyond that Dent Rapids which we transited at SLACK!  We continued on through Whirlpool Rapids and found good anchorage in Forward Harbor.  We were certainly glad to have Larry's expertise to guide us through this leg of the trip.  On the way home, we will be on our own.

We put the new water maker into service today and made GREAT water.   It tastes great and made for a perfect shower.  It is nice to be in control of our water supply and water quality.  The many hours Barrie put into installing the set paid off handsomely!  Even did a load of wash.  All the comforts of home!

Tuesday May 20:

Another early departure to take advantage of calm seas in Johnstone Strait.  The coffee was made and the anchor was up by 5 am.  As we were leaving Forward Harbor, we hailed a fishing boat on the radio to get a first hand account of the winds in Johnstone Strait.  Imagine our surprise when the only other boat in sight hailed us back.  It was our friends Mel & Bernice from Whidbey Island who spend the summer fishing in Canada.  They had departed from Whidbey several days ahead of us and we assumed they were already significantly north of us. 

About an hour after entering the Strait the engine alarm went off.  We slowed the boat and tried to determine what had happened so suddenly.  The top of the engine was hot but there we no obvious coolant leaks.  We shut down the engine and added water and the engine happily started again.  Mel was standing by with his fishing skiff to aid us if necessary.  Nice to have friends nearby.  The final diagnosis is a leaking heat exchanger - which we will watch carefully until we reach Anchorage where we can have it repaired.

We were anchored in Lagoon Cove before noon.  Lowered the dinghy and explored the area.  Lagoon Cove was famous for nightly shrimp feed until Bill passed away last year.  We understand that visiting boats occasionally use the resorts shrimp pots and host a shrimp feast in Bill's honor!  Beautiful location and very friendly caretakers.

Wednesday May 21:

Today was a positioning day.  We left Lagoon Cove at our normal starting time of 5 am.  Early mornings are generally when the seas are calmest.  And, it is a very pretty time to travel.  The forecast for Queen Charlotte Sound for the next couple of days is for strong winds and high seas.  Our goal is to reach Blunden Harbor when we can anchor in a sheltered location until the bad weather passes.  Arrived around noon after an uneventful passage.

Thursday May 22:

Barrie and Larry spent the morning tinkering with projects.  They worked on the GenSet and analyzed the loads from the various systems on the boat.  We now know that you cannot run the water maker at the same time as the hot water heater - or you will blow a fuse.  I made blueberry scones to reward their hard work.  Plenty of time to read and to enjoy the scenery.

Friday May 23:

Another layover day at anchor.  Conditions are improving and it looks like we should be able to transit Queen Charlotte Sound on Saturday morning.  More tinkering with projects this morning.  Mel used his fishing skiff to come over the boat and we put together a plan to go to shore in the afternoon and explore the sight of the old First Nations Village.  Mel came back a couple hours later and picked us up for the short trip to shore.  We were beachcombing for "trade beads" (didn't find any) and pottery shards (found lots).  After about 40 minutes a boat with a dozen or so First Nations people came close to shore and asked that we untie an old aluminum boat and push it out the them so then could use it to come to shore.  It was a pretty rickety set-up and Mel offered to bring the folks to shore in his boat. 

The First Nations members had come to the historic site to hold a ceremony and we were invited to witness the event.  It was an amazing and emotional event.  Tommy Anderson, a tribe elder who had lived in that village, spoke to all the witnesses including tribal children, cameramen, and the five of us.  Holding and shaking a raven rattle, and dressed in a button bear clan vest and cedar bark crown, he spoke of growing up in the community and relocation by the government.  He described a simple life, abundant food from the sea, strict parents and giving daily thanks to the creator.  Tribal songs in native tongue accompanied by drummers and dancers completed the ceremony.  Tommy thanked us for being present and we in turn thanked him for allowing to observe the ceremony.

Saturday May 24:

Yet another early start on a promising day.  Weather report signals a good crossing ahead.  The storms have moved on but the effects linger in the form of long westerly swells about a foot in height.  The trip is quite uneventful and the passage gets calmer as the morning wears on.  We see our first cruise ships and are glad to be on our little boat!  We also see our first whale of the trip - most likely a humpback.  He spouted, then sounded showing enormous flukes.  We stopped at picturesque Fury Cove for the night.  White shell beaches. 

Sunday May 25:

You guessed it, another early start.  We pulled up anchor at 5 and began our trip up Fitz Hugh Sound to Shearwater. 

Day 3 Strait of Georgia to Desolation Sound

Yet another amazing and spectacular day.  An early departure (5 am) to cross the Strait of Georgia.  Nosed our way into the Strait to discover completely flat water and no wind.  The entire 5 hour crossing was smooth with only a few ripples to rock the boat.  We made such good time that we opted to continue north to Desolation Sound.  We anchored in Squirrel Cove at approximately 4:30.  Long but really quite an easy day.  A beer on the stern to celebrate, an early dinner and plans to rise again early tomorrow to catch the slack tides for running the rapids - Yuculta, Dent, Greenpoint & Whirlpool.  The grandeur is hard to describe.

Day 2 Kendrick Island

Another day in paradise.  A leisurely start to the day - away from anchor just after 9.  Amazing weather.  We traveled under blue skies all day, while just to the west rain was falling on Vancouver Island.  Took just over 3 hours to transit north along Galiano and Valdez Islands arriving at Gabriola Pass minutes before slack tide.  Slid through easily and then as the winds were still blowing, we opted to spend the night and wait for the morning calm to cross the Strait of Georgia.  It looks like we will have perfect weather in the morning.  We avoided the busy harbor of Nanaimo and anchored in a small cove on the east side of Gabriola Pass - very quiet but we are not alone!  There is an out-station for the West Vancouver Yacht club here and the dock is full!  Still plenty of room to anchor.
While Barrie turned-to and spent the afternoon working in the engine room, Larry and I deployed our tender "Toot" for the first time.  "Toot" was my present to Barrie last summer for his birthday and this is her first voyage.  I got to drive!  We transited Gabriola Passage and rode the rapids and then headed over to Silva Bay to check out the boats before returning to "Chug".  An early dinner and an early to bed.  We have a 5 am start tomorrow.

Day 1 - Montegue Harbor

All in all, a great start to the trip.  We arose just in time to cast off at 5:05 am from our dock in Lagoon Point.  The moon was full and the waters wonderfully calm.  With a high tide of 8.1 feet, we had plenty of water to easily glide out the restricted entrance.  Admiralty Inlet welcomed us with just a few ripples and we were soon headed north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca where things got more interesting.  Strong west winds blew all night and built up a significant swell that was being met with the ebb current.  A confused sea resulted in some significant ups and downs!  Not the best of plans, party on the dock, late to bed, things not carefully stowed and rocking and rolling.  Luckily we were able to batten everything down quickly and ride it out.  Lopez Pass was our path out of the chaos and into the calm and sunshine. Just before crossing the border, a US Coast Guard helicopter did a double fly-over of our boat.  They even swooped low to read the name on the stern.  Eventually, they moved on and we made our way north to Bedwell Harbor to clear Canadian Customs.  We've heard all the advice - go early or late and just phone in - but here is was 2:00 and we thought why not go now.  Larry told us that in 30 years he had never had his boat boarded by Customs.  Well, there has to be a first time and this was it!  We spent a leisurely 1/2 hour on the dock while they worked their way through the boat and we passed with flying colors.  The Customs Agents said they say Duffy's paw come out from under the covers but never saw the cat.  From Bedwell, it was a leisurely jaunt to Montegue Harbor on Galiano Island.  The anchor is down and the sun is just starting to drop in the sky.  We covered 63 nm in about 10 hours -- slow and steady. 

Delayed Departure

Well, the best laid plans......Our Thursday departure has been pushed off a day and its all my fault!  Over the weekend, I experienced an exquisite toothache!  So, Monday and Tuesday were devoted to visits to dentists.  Since I needed a bit of time to heal and boating is supposed to be relaxing, we opted to push out our departure.  So, our new departure is Friday morning and the good news is that the high tide is 45 minutes later.  Took the winter canvas off the boat and stowed it away for the summer.  It will be nice to be underway.

Early Morning Departure

We are closing in on our departure.  Since this is our first BIG trip on Chug, there seem to be endless projects to complete both on the boat and at home.

We have an early departure on Thursday morning --   really early.  Need to be on our way before 5 to catch the tide.  We need at least a six foot tide to depart from Lagoon Point and this photo (taken at low tide) is proof enough of that!

Weather forecast is good!

Bon Voyage (a week early)

Thanks Mary!

Last night we celebrated!  My friend Mary and her husband Mike hosted a gathering of the Alaska bound travelers and a close knit group of friends for a "Bon Voyage" party.  We ate well, had a glass of wine (or two...), traded lots of stories and were only marginally harassed about leaving town for almost 2 months!  Something about a bear hat, a pirate hat, false teeth (don't ask), Scrabble with snap-in tiles, and MREs.  We are incredibly fortunate to have had such a fabulous bunch of friends all in the same place at the same time -- making it a very special evening indeed.  Thanks to all for their love and support -- Mary & Mike, Lisa & Bill, Sue & James, Larry & Wilma, John & Anita, Susan & Bob, and Collette (all the way from New Orleans!).

North to Alaska

Stunning sunset from the Port Townsend ferry looking north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  In just 10 days we will be headed north to Alaska.  Still plenty to do to get ready but we are making progress.