August 15th and 16th Shoal Bay with Rebecca Spit

August 15^th Shoal Bay to Rebecca Spit

6:00 am  59 degrees high fog

It got breezy last night and David spent the early evening sitting in the wheelhouse listening to the anchor and watching our swing. He decided to let out some additional rode and finally felt more at ease. David was able to get some sleep.

Around 11:00 a small fishing boat cruised in and his powerful searchlights lit up the entire bay. That did wake us up.  Another wakeup call came at 4:00 am when he departed. With the searchlights on our boat, I expected to hear a voice through a megaphone, “This is the FBI. Come out with your hands up.”

Lots of traffic through the rapids today. Everyone working the timing just right. Passed a fleet of small charter fishing boats all along one shore. Must be a hot fishing spot. Wish we could have 

stopped. David remarked that the rapids were exciting enough this morning that if it had been our first time through, it would have been a whole different experience! He knew what to expect, it delivered, and he was ready. Makes all the difference.

We entered “unchartered territory” for us…Drew Passage. As we did, the smoke started to roll in. Throughout that passage and Sutil Channel, we spotted several whales. It never gets old. Always exciting.

We anchored in Rebecca Spit a little after noon just across from Taku Resort. This is a very popular destination with many boats anchored and docked at the resorts. The Marine Park draws campers and day trippers. The spit is a narrow long strip of land which creates a natural breakwater. We are facing the sandy beach and can see the campgrounds and cars traveling down the road on this skinny stretch of land. It was 78 degrees when we arrived and by 2:00 it was 90 degrees.

Our dinghy was down in no time and we went exploring. Ended up at the Heriot Harbour Inn pub for a beer and then walked to the store for groceries trying not to buy more than we could carry back to the boat. We noticed a schedule of artists performing at the inn and put our names on a waiting list for a storytelling and music performance on the 19^th. If we get tickets, we will make it work.

                                                                Heriot Harbour Inn

                                                                  Giant chess board

Our friends, Geoff and Donna, were to meet us in Campbell River on the 19^th. They have been anxious to escape the smoke-filled skies in Medford, Oregon. When I texted that we were seeing smoke, as well, Geoff checked the air quality in Vancouver. Surprisingly, it was worse than in Medford. They questioned the sense in spending all that money just to see more smoke. Reluctantly, they made the difficult decision not to join us. Disappointment all around, but we certainly understood. Just hope they find a smoke-free alternative! We look in the direction we are headed and can see lots of smoke in our future.

August 16^th Rebecca Spit

Our itinerary has a bit of wiggle room now that we are not going to Campbell River. Staying here another day did not take much consideration. We are enjoying ourselves. This morning we headed out to do some fishing. Right off the bat, I snagged a very young sand shark. Minutes later, I pulled up a larger shark whose fin was hooked. It was whipping about as David tried to release him. I was afraid he was going to flop into our boat and start chomping on something!

The next tug I got was a strong one. I was working hard to reel in the line. I turned to David and said, “This feels like jaws to me!”  Instead I had managed to tangle my lure in a bed of kelp and my hook brought up a slimy green mass. We figured we were in shark country so motored on into the harbor and tried our luck there. I was holding David’s pole when I got a hit. He finished reeling it in and on the end was an even bigger shark. We gave up. Figured we would try fishing off our boat. Where are all the halibut and salmon, eh?

David is taking advantage of the nice weather and is scrapping window frames and sanding. The guy knows how to have fun.

Crowds of adults and children were enjoying kayaking, sunbathing, swimming, paddle boarding, and fishing while soaking up the sunshine.

August 14th Sydney Bay to Shoal Bay

August 14^th    Sydney Bay to Shoal Bay

67 degrees     smokey

After a morning visit on the Belle from our dinner companions, we shoved off at 11:00 and headed for Green Point Rapids.  Our guests were most complimentary about the Belle which made us feel quite proud of her.

Whirlpools greeted us leading into the rapids. The sailboat in front of us was towing its dinghy and that small boat was being pushed from port to starboard. We were to hit a certain point on an island halfway through the rapids at 12:44 for the best crossing. We reached it at 12:42…BAZINGA!

The rapids proved nothing compared to the powerful wake created by a large yacht speeding past us. The Belle and its shaken  contents definitely felt its presence. 

It took two attempts to get a good hold in Shoal Bay. There is quite a shelf in the bay. We were experiencing depths at 90 feet dropping quickly to 30 feet. It had warmed up to 76 degrees and there were traces of smoke circling the mountains outside the bay. The Belle was bathed in glorious sunshine.

Heard there was a pub on shore so it took no time at all to drop the dinghy and head for the dock. It was a pleasant stroll on the pier to the green grass and flowers surrounding the pub, cabins and main house. There is an extensive vegetable garden, and you are welcome to purchase anything that appeals to you.

                                                               

                                                            The pub porch

We sat out on the front deck of the pub which was actually a house. You order your drinks at the kitchen counter. The “living room” was an art gallery with pottery, photographs, books and t-shirts.  While on the deck, we were joined by five Canadians including our bartender.  They shared local knowledge of several areas in Northwest BC and told plenty of “fish tales”. We were warned that as we make our way south, there will be even more smoke. Our friends, Geoff and Donna, are meeting us in Campbell River. They texted us saying that they were so anxious to escape the smoke in Medford, Oregon. I fear they will find no relief.

                                                                   Garden Gate

I had only one pint of beer and was looped. Forgot how much more potent beer is in Canada.

August 13th Douglas Bay to Sydney Bay

                                                                Smokey skies

August 13^th  Douglas Bay to Sydney Bay

Departed  11:20  60 degrees  cloudy

Having two days in Douglas Bay was a wonderful escape from the long days of cruising. I have to admit that I was feeling a bit weary from having to slog our way through heavy fog for days. The stillness of Douglas Bay calmed me and David’s all the better for it!

We felt “recharged” as we left after a leisurely morning timing our crossing of Whirlpool Rapids today at slack tide. This is our first rapids in a series of rapids ahead of us over the next three days. There will be short hops between rapids. Shorter cruising days suits me just fine.

Yep, there were whirlpools in Whirlpool Rapids but they were manageable. It was hard to believe that it was slack tide. There was no slacking on the part of the whirling water. Don’t even want to think what it would be like at maximum flood! David said there could be currents flowing up to 7 knots.

The Belle cruised through Wellbore Channel to Chancellor Channel past fish farms and stripped forests from logging. We entered Loughborough Inlet and tried out a new anchorage in Sydney Bay. There was what we thought was fog masking the mountains, but when David put down his window, he said, “Oh, no, that’s smoke. Smell it?”  We have heard different accounts as to the number of fires burning now in BC from  600 to thousands. We were told that 165 fires were lit by the lightning storm we witnessed in Cutter Cove. Visibility has drastically been affected.

                                           Book exchanges are found at most marinas

Met a couple at the dock when we were cruising the bay in our dinghy. They have a “one-off” (not factory built) boat designed by Captain Robert Beebe, one of the founders of the Nordhaven powerboats which are built to cross the oceans. Abbie and Jim are from Rio Vista, California and moor their boat in Bremerton, Washington. We were invited aboard their boat, Compass Rose, and chatted for quite some time and were invited back for a barbecued ling cod dinner.  Jim has a honey of a spot where he hooks huge ling cod. However, he did not divulge where this cod “gold mine” was.  

                                           David walking past the Compass Rose

Another couple on a sailboat at the dock, Julie and Dennis, were hailed to join us for appetizers at the picnic table on the dock. They were from the Tacoma area. Abbie shared a little about their recent trip circumnavigating Vancouver Island, a trip David and I had considered doing. She described it as a “storm run” and not a pleasant or relaxing trip. We crossed that idea off our list.

On our first trip to Desolation Sound we cruised into Beaver Inlet which is just on the other side of the point from Sydney Bay. We had read that the most protected anchorage would be found in Edna Cove. When we got there, we found a float home taking up the entire cove. We were a bit disgruntled that someone would stick a float home blocking the best anchoring spot around. As I remember correctly, we anchored near Edna Cove but did not have good protection from the wind so didn’t get much sleep.

What we didn’t expect to hear was that Abbie and Jim owned that float and lived there for 10 years!  They remembered seeing us in the inlet. They got tired of all the blasting being done by the logging companies to construct their roads and all the noise from their machinery. They were also annoyed by curious boaters that would cruise close to their dock and peer into their windows.

The dock in Sydney Bay is owned by a gentleman named Dane. He is selling the dock, house, out buildings, boathouse, and logging rights for most of the bay property for a mere 4 ½ million dollars. It is a beauty of a spot.

                                                               Heron on the logs

August 11th and 12th Cutter Cove to Douglas Bay

August 11th

60 degrees and cloudy

We cruised down Chatham Channel at low tide with depths dropping as low as 19 feet. Lots of whirlpools pushed us off course and plenty of rocks demanded our attention. The engine was running at 1200 rpms, but we were still cruising at only 3.9 knots. David had used the Furuno radar to determine the tides and this was not what he expected. According to David, we should have entered the channel at slack tide. It wasn't slacking in anyway.

Once we entered Havannah Channel, things smoothed out for us.  We spotted several active logging sites along the way.

                                                   Getting ready to haul up the anchor

We planned to pull into Port Harvey for the night hoping to get a spot on the dock. We visited the Red Shoe Pub for some cinnamon rolls during our last visit in this area. In 2015 the barge holding the store and pub sunk. It was rebuilt in 2016, and we were looking forward to checking out the new facilities.

David rechecked the weather report for Johnstone Strait which we planned to traverse tomorrow using Port Harvey as our jumping off place. The conditions tomorrow were not going to be great and the strait can get mighty nasty.  At that moment, the winds were light and as disappointed as we were not to stop in Port Harvey, we thought it best to "get while the gettin was good".

Five and a half hours later we anchored in the popular Douglas Bay in Forward Harbour on the cusp of Desolation Sound.  We are treating ourselves to a two night stay. We have the time and need the rest.

We got a call from Ron about noon checking up on us the next day. He thought we were cruising Johnstone Strait today and was going to chastised us for taking such a risk (he is always checking the weather). I am sure Ron was relieved when David explained that we were anchored in Douglas Bay for a second night and would not be traveling on the strait again this trip. We did good.

12 boats joined us in the bay last night.

August 10th Grebe Cove to Cutter Cove

August 10th

Departed 9:15  cloudy  light fog in cove...got worse

As we headed into Retreat Passage, the fog intensified. David's eyes were focused on the radar screen working it like a video game while I concentrated on searching the water for other boats and logs. Not a pleasant ride.

Whenever we are boating in uncomfortable conditions, my pet question asked mainly in jest is always, "Why are there no other boats out here?"  Today was one of those days. We were quite alone. Luckily, the tide was in our favor and was pushing us to a screaming speed of 9.4 kts hurrying us along through our discomfort.

Blessedly, it was a short cruise to Cutter Cove...about 3 hours. Once the fog lifted, the potato chip bag was ripped open and the contents devoured. Just a little stressed.

Anchored in 36 feet. It was sunny and 69 degrees with a bit of a breeze. We were joined by a converted forest ranger boat named Forest Ranger II which is a classic beauty.

Oh, what a night we had!  Around 11:00, I noticed that David was not in bed and found him sitting in the wheelhouse watching the lightning storm over the mountains. It was a real light show and heading our way. About four hours later, we were awakened by the loud booming thunder and flashes of light. Then the rain came tumbling down. It was a mighty downpour but didn't last all that long before drifting off to the next target.

August 9th Blunden Harbour to Grebe Cove

August 9^th  Blunden Harbour to Grebe Cove

Woke up to sunshine pouring in to our stateroom. Hallelujah!  In the time it took me to dress, we were back in fog soup…my mood quickly changed. 

But, wait!  Once out in Queen Charlotte Strait, the fog began to float away. We could even spot Vancouver Island!  “This is cool being able to see, isn’t it?”  said the skipper with a grin.

Learned a new word from David today. I pointed and said, “There’s a whale’s spray.”  David said, “No, not spray. That’s the spume.”  I have been seeing spume everywhere and didn’t even know it.  I can imagine the whalers of long ago spotting a whale and screaming, “Spuuuuume!”

                                              Just missed the whale flipping his tale...

The seas were so friendly today that David was able to leave his less anxious first mate at the helm long enough for him to make some bread. Love the smell of bread baking. Love the butter that melts on it.

David urged me to enjoy the ride out on the bow. I perched in my favorite cruising chair and soaked in sunshine and loveliness. How did I get so lucky?

Our plan was to anchor in Waddington Bay but once we were in the Fox Group Islands, the task of weaving through rocks and islets became less appealing. David found Grebe Cove on the chart, and we scooted in there and grabbed a mighty fine spot. Waddington Bay is one of the most popular destinations in the Broughtons, and we could already see several boats anchored there. We had this cove all to ourselves.

                         We finally had to get rid of the webs. Couldn't see through the windows!


After lunch we took the dinghy out to try some fishing. I caught a baby halibut about 15 inches long. We released it, but I was encouraged. Maybe this evening off the bow, I will hook one I can keep.

 Water maker has malfunctioned but we have plenty of water in our tank.

                                                       Entrance to Grebe Cove

                                          

August 8th Fury Cove to Bunden Harbour

August 8^th  Fury Cove to Bunden Harbour

6:00 am departure   Foggy, once again

It was a stinky muddy mess after we hauled the anchor up. The chain links were covered in mud which created a challenging clean up this morning. Before shoving off, we put the fish in the water. We were off to the “big water” today rounding Cape Caution and passing Egg Island, and we wanted every advantage. To our dismay, we woke up to another foggy morning. Visibility was about a half mile.

During our journey, there was a radio call concerning an American traveler who had fallen off a dock. He was unhurt but had lost his wallet in about 20 feet of water. Apparently, a lot of cash was having an unexpected swim, as well. A diver was being requested to retrieve the wallet.

The BC waters have produced many floating logs and one managed to hook on to our fish cable. We had to stop and use our pike pole to push it off. It eased off easily since the seas were so smooth. No wind on the water creating waves…no wind to blow that annoying fog away!

After 8 hours of fog fatigue, we pulled in to Blunden Harbour to find it drenched in sunshine! That was our reward.

                                                  Here comes the sun

Last time we were here, we spotted a mama bear and cubs on the shore so we were on bear watch. They didn’t show up for the party.

David often wakes up in the wee hours of the morning and reads. Last night while in Fury Cove, he turned his light on and began reading and was attacked by hundreds of gnats (we keep our windows open).  He slammed his book closed and  went below to read for a while. When he opened his book back up, he found the pages covered with scores of  little black dots…gnat punctuation.