August 2nd and 3rd Prince Rupert to Lowe Inlet

                                                                Gill Netter


August 2^nd Prince Rupert to Lowe Inlet

Departed 6:40  55 degrees cloudy

David rechecked wind forecasts and this morning we determined it was wiser to follow the same route we traveled when heading north rather than what we had planned last night.  The “tried and true” route would give us more protection from the predicted high winds tomorrow and the next day. Being familiar with the territory was certainly an advantage, as well, in case of any weather concerns.

Surrounded by fishing boats, we cruised Chatham Channel, wound our way around small islands in Arthur Passage before heading into Grenville Channel which would lead us to our destination for the evening. Our speed ranged from 4.0 knots to 7.3 knots depending on the tides. The last two hours of our 9 ½ hour trip were the slowest…we were so ready to call it a day. If paddling would have helped, I would have been one with the oar.

                                                           A seiner hauling in its net

                               

Our return trip to Grenville Channel was quite different than the first time we were here. No sunshine. Today we have clouds resting on mountain peaks and grey skies. But, the channel could not be calmer and that was a blessing.  We were sandwiched for a time between two boats which were also docked in Prince Rupert. When the lead boat, “LivLife”, overtook us, we recognized the owner as the kind gentleman who helped us dock. We were passed by a cruise ship and two tugs hauling a horizontal raft of logs which caused quite a wide load to avoid.

In my past blogs I always had fun listing amusing or clever boat names that I came across. On this trip, not many have captured my interest. David spotted one yesterday that he thought was quite clever…”Seas Today”.  Some “Honorable Mentions” are “Bonus Check” and “Lillian Rose” which is listed only because it is the first boat we have run across with the name “Lillian” in it. I am still on the look out for names to share. Stay tuned.

During our extensive cruise today, we listened to a Sue Grafton book, and the cruising was so smooth that I was able to work on my boat journal. I normally stay clear of any writing while boating because I can easily become nauseous and then irritable…first mates need to sustain a pleasant mood at all times.

We pulled in to Lowe Inlet and anchored in 123 feet where we had seen a sailboat anchored the previous time we were here. It afforded us great protection. Any other boats entering sought refuge on the other side of the slender island out of our view in shallower depths, but that area soon became quite crowded especially the following day.

Again before going to bed, we discussed the winds and realized that the decision to stay or shove off needed to wait until the early morning. At 5 am the decision was made to stay put. Winds were predicted to reach 30 mph, and we didn’t want to get in the middle of it.

I took full advantage of an unplanned morning and just read in bed until around 10:00. Around 10:30, we watched a boat enter the bay and surmised that for a boat seeking anchorage so early in the day, conditions must be rough out there.  A “parade” of boats continued to pass by.  David went out in the rain to drop our crab pots and cruised over to the smaller bay. He counted nine boats there at 1:00. The two boats we came in with last night, decided to remain another day, as well. We made a wise decision.

                                                               Crab  whisperer

I used some of the sourdough starter that Diane had left us to make scones today. Dangerously delicious. I am using today as a “catch up” day for laundry, cleaning and journaling. David is still trying to figure out all the ins and outs with our inReach unit. We have not been able to send messages out on it, and one boater shared with us that he had linked it to his iPad and was able to easily send out messages. Jeez, we are so technologically challenged.

I am still wrestling with our Horizon radio which has the AIS radar. The channel scanning has stopped working, and when I follow the manual instructions, nothing changes. I think a phone call (when we have service) for assistance is in order. It frustrates us knowing that we are using some of our equipment only marginally.  There is so much more all this technology can do for us, if we could only figure it out!

It rained all day. The perfect excuse to just snuggle in.