We are up before 5, make a cup of coffee and watch the sun rise.
When it is sufficiently light we begin to pull the anchor and soon the
windlass begins to strain as the anchor breaks loose from the bottom.
And then it continues to strain and in a few minutes it is easy to see
why. A large root ball (maybe 6 feet square) comes up with the anchor.
We spend the next half hour trying to separate the root ball from the
anchor. We lasso the root ball and tie it off to the cleat before
lowering the anchor. Soon the anchor is on board and we are on our way
just before 6:30.
 |
| Butedale Docks 2017 |
Last night we considered pushing on to Butedale rather than staying in Khutze. Our newest guide book is from 2014 and from that it seemed that the docks had continued to deteriorate. It would have cut several miles off of today's travels but not knowing the condition of the docks and not having alternate anchorage nearby - we opted to stay in Khutze. This morning, we depart from our route and take a close look at Butedale. There is one large motor yacht and two sailboats tied to a "newish" looking dock with a very new looking aluminum gangplank. While the buildings from the old cannery are still in various states of disrepair, the dock appears to usable. Good information.
We continue to work our way north
through the narrow inland waterways. Most of the day, the tide is in
our favor and at times we approach speeds of almost 10 knots. All along the route we see waterfalls. The snow pack was quite heavy this year and the waterfalls are beautiful. In the distance I see a whale surface once and then again. Several hours later Barrie sees a whale breach. We hope to see more whales along our way.
 |
| Butedale Waterfall |
The anchorages along this stretch of water are few and far between. We ultimately set our sights on Lewis Island and finally drop anchor at 6:30. We have run just over 12 hours today and we are ready to stop for the night. The good news is that we just 3 hours from Prince Rupert. We will be there before noon and can take care of ordering parts for the water maker and checking in at home.
We continue to work our way north
through the narrow inland waterways. Most of the day, the tide is in
our favor and at times we approach speeds of almost 10 knots. All along the route we see waterfalls. The snow pack was quite heavy this year and the waterfalls are beautiful. In the distance I see a whale surface once and then again. Several hours later Barrie sees a whale breach. We hope to see more whales along our way.
No comments:
Post a Comment