Knight Inlet

                                                      Look closely...do you see the witch?

KNIGHT INLET/CUTTER COVE

David timed the tides just right and we cruised along the inlet at an average of 7.5 knots.  It was a bit choppy but not uncomfortable. I loved the feeling of the inlet with its sparkling glacier green waters. Strangely, we only saw one sailboat and one tug during the entire journey.  At one point the depth reached 2600 feet!  This area is known as a bear haven so, needless to say, I was excited about the possibility of finally seeing a bear in the wild.

There are very few good anchorages in the inlet but Glendale was supposed to be the most protected so we headed there. After almost 4 hours boating, we explored the cove for a spot to drop anchor. David was up top in the dodger and I was at the bow ready to start the anchor when given the word. Suddenly, David “put on the brakes” and started moving in reverse.  Apparently, the depths had gone from 100 feet to 10 feet in a rather short distance! David was back peddling quickly to get out of the shallow waters.

We did not expect to discover an Eco-Lodge in the cove and its location was probably the best place to anchor but for obvious reasons, we couldn’t take advantage of that. We finally settled on a spot in about 30 feet of water but we were in the open. It was a bit windy but not of any concern at that point. We put out our stabilizers to help temper the rolling motion.

 

                                  A clear cut in the shape of a high-heel shoe!

We sat up on the dodger and observed small excursion boats motoring along the shoreline most likely watching for bear.  They would always come by the shore closest to us so we thought we had a pretty good chance of catching a glimpse of a bear during our time there. Our binoculars were glued to our hands.

                                          

That evening around 7:00 the winds grew in strength. We were swinging constantly in a 180 degree arc…so much so, I was getting dizzy. We could hear the wind howling toward us and then “smack!” it would hit sending us in our half-circle track.  We even considered pulling anchor and heading out but it would be another 2 hours before we reached the next possible anchorage, and it wasn’t too promising as a safe refuge from the blasts of wind.

We stuck it out. David didn’t allow himself to fall asleep until around 3:00 a.m. when the winds finally settled down. It was a very unpleasant night and to top it all off, the shoreline was bare of bear. 

                                                 Made in the shade

Our anchor was clean but we pulled up a large granite rock with it which I saved. Our anchor must have been gripping a much larger rock below or a bed of rocks to keep us from drifting because there was no muddy bottom to sink into.

                                         Boat deck from dodger to stern

While we were hauling the anchor, we had a real “National Geographic Moment”.  We witnessed a bald eagle circling a small bird in the water.  In spite of other birds trying to ward it off, the eagle swooped down, caught its feathered target in its claws and carried it to a log where it became breakfast.  I would rather have seen a bear.

                                                     A bit of snow left

We reached our destination, Cutter Cove off Chatham Channel, around noon.  It was difficult finding a spot to drop anchor because of all of the crab pot buoys (which could be a good sign for some crab). Our first attempt ended up being much too shallow at our stern. Our second attempt seems to have worked out just fine but we are in direct line again to any winds if they should start up.

Fortunately, we had a lovely night and were able to catch up on some sleep. Our morning was blessed with the biggest catch of the trip with 22 crabs trapped in all!  Lots of females in this haul but we were able to save four big males. The sun is shining, the water is glistening, the waves are gently dancing and there will be crab for dinner tonight…can it get any better?

We watched a commercial crab boat come through the cove hauling up their many traps. They drop several pots along a line stretched between two buoys and use a large pulley to haul them onto the boat.  The pots are quickly emptied, re-baited and dropped once more. There is always a rapid fire of females and undersized males tossed back into the water. I am fascinated by the efficiency of the crew. I wonder if they will even care that they have come up 22 crabs short today. Ha!

                                           The professional crabbers

We are off in a few minutes to Burial Cove on East Cracroft Island.  We have to time the tides just right because we will need to navigate a very narrow stretch of water and the current can become challenging.  We have anchored or docked in 16 different coves, sounds or resorts while just in the Broughton Archipelago.  Number 17…here we come!

                                           The remains of a logging pier

                            My shadow witch turned into an eagle!