Listening to the weather report this morning, it became apparent that, unless we want to get stuck in Port McNeill for 4 or 5 days, we’re going to have to leave at first light tomorrow morning.

We headed for the fuel dock as soon as it was open at 0800 hrs. Steve Jackman, the fuel dock and marina manager (owner’s young son), pitched us on the fuel dock’s new marina. He claimed that they have the best WiFi in Port McNeill, they have 2 courtesy cars, and they’ll fuel your boat for you right at your slip! Though a bit more expensive than the municipal marina, the superior WiFi sold me.

While I did laundry, Al started on the grocery shopping. By 1500 hrs, we had all the laundry and grocery shopping done, so I started working on my blog. Unfortunately, the “superior WiFi” wasn’t all that superior. I worked at it until 1:00 in the morning, before resigning myself to the fact that I’d just have to try again in Ocean Falls. Very disappointing to say the least.

I was up at 0600 hrs, anxious to get back out on the water. This morning, however, I took my time. I remembered my 100 SPF sunscreen and lipscreen. I put on all the various layers of clothing required for these cold waters, including a base layer of polyester and merino wool leggings, polyester pile union suit, Solumbra SPF50 leggings, drysuit pants, merino wool socks, waterproof booties, silk turtleneck, Solumbra SPF50 zippered top, nylon windbreaker, silk balaclava, Solumbra SPF50 wide-brimmed hat, gloves, life jacket, paddle, and paddle leash. With my back to the kayak, and holding on to the rail of the big boat, I very slowly stepped into the kayak, being careful to keep the kayak pressed up against the hull of the big boat , keeping my body outboard of my feet.  Then, still holding onto the rail of the big boat I slowly turned my feet forward and slowly lowered my butt down into the seat. I did it!!!!

It was such a gorgeous day. There was zero wind, so the water was like glass. I headed for the islets first, checking out all the sea life, and then continued on around the shore. I stopped to check out some really graceful sea stars. They were a brilliant shade of orange, and their legs were very long and slender. Then I noticed something in the sand just below the sea stars. It was fairly small, but looked like a cross between a stingray and a sand shark —very cool!  Wish I had my camera.

I paddled out to the red ball we use as a float for our prawn trap, hoping to spot the dolphins. I didn’t have to wait long before the pair came over to check me out. Luckily, they lost interest when they saw that I didn’t create a wake they could play in. A seal decided to look me over too. He’d probably been down trying to steal our prawns from the trap.
When I checked my watch I was shocked to see that I’d been paddling for more than two hours. Al wants us to pick up the prawn trap before the wind comes up, so I headed back to the boat.

I had just changed out of my kayaking gear, and was getting ready to have a cup of coffee and some breakfast, when Al said, “There’s a bear on the beach. Get your kayak!”  I decided that by the time I got suited up the bear would be long gone.  And, I was a wee bit tired from my morning’s paddling excursion.  So,  I grabbed my camera instead and started shooting.   I took lots of shots of the bear, until my arm was too tired to hold the camera, and my stomach said it was time to have some breakfast.

I had a cup of coffee, a bowl of oatmeal and some fresh mango, while Al had his usual healthy breakfast of pork rinds and coffee. When I finished breakfast, I noticed the bear was still having his breakfast just down the beach. So, I suited up again, grabbed my camera, and paddled after him. It was tough keeping the paddle drip off my camera. I had to stretch my arms way forward and paddle very shallowly. Mind you, this is not the most comfortable or effective position, so I wasn’t able to make much speed. But, I wanted that bear badly enough to suffer a little discomfort.

I got to within about 50 feet of the bear and started shooting. He paid no attention to me at all. I took picture after picture, in between paddling.

He was moving up the beach at a pace that was making it impossible for me to get ahead of him, to get a better angle, handicapped as I was. Then he stopped. He’d found a juicy looking crab. I thought he’d just pop the whole thing in his mouth. But, no. He cracked it and started pulling off the legs one by one, just like I would. Amazing!

I was so fascinated, that before I knew it, I had drifted to within about 25 feet of him! I threw that kayak in reverse, back-paddling for all I was worth, paddle drip being the least of my concerns. The bear never looked up.

I followed the bear up the beach until he finally headed for the trees. About that time I heard Al honking the horn. The wind was coming up and he needed me to help him pick up the prawn trap. I wrapped the camera in my jacket as best I could to keep it dry, and as I shallow-paddled my way back to the boat, I remembered that I bought a rain poncho in Seattle to protect my camera from paddle drip — another item to add to my checklist.

When we picked up the prawn trap, we were delightfully surprised to find 102 good sized prawns! Things are picking up. Al forgot to use his secret sauce on the bait when he set the trap the first day. (I may have to make a checklist for Al.) Obviously, that secret sauce works. Too bad we’re leaving this afternoon.

I peeled all the prawns and put them in the fridge for tomorrow. Today, we’re having Al’s delicious Pork Carnitas Taquitos, before our last avocado goes belly up.

Slack tide is at 0437 hrs. So, after dinner, we pulled the anchor and headed for Port McNeill. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the winds were fairly light, so our crossing of Queen Charlotte Strait was very pleasant. However, as soon as the sun set, a dense fog rolled in. I HATE fog.

I got up early this morning, eager to go exploring in my kayak. Al was still in bed. Half asleep, it took me several false starts before I finally got all my various layers of clothing on and my kayak in the water. Then, while holding on to the side of the big boat, I started to sit down in the kayak, at which point it shot out from under me. I was barely able to grab the rail on the big boat, or I would have wound up in the drink! I’m sure I’ll have a few bruises from this fiasco.

It took me awhile to regroup, but I finally set out on my excursion. I paddled around the little islets near the anchorage. The sun was still low in the sky creating beautiful shades of green in the seaweed exposed due to the lower low Spring Tide. The lower low tide made it possible to see sea life that isn’t normally visible at low tide, like giant sea cucumbers (stichopus californicas), a beautiful bright orange hydroid (garveia annulata), sea anemones, sea urchins, and lots of things I had no idea what they were, but were fascinating. About this time, I realized one other thing I had forgotten this morning — my life jacket. Oooooh, no! I immediately had visions of suddenly springing a leak, or being capsized by a seal, or one of those cute dolphins. But, then I settled down and assessed the situation, determining that those probabilities were remote under the current conditions, so I continued on, ever vigilant for the sneaky seals and dolphins.

There is a very old and small one room shack, in a mini-lagoon near where we are anchored. The little lagoon is an idyllic spot. Even though the wind was blowing quite a bit out in the anchorage, in this little lagoon the water was absolutely calm, and the silence was deafening. A mallard duck who was enjoying the peace and quiet took flight when I entered. Years ago we met a young couple who were making the shack their home for the summer. There isn’t any electricity or fresh water, and they paddled their canoe many miles each week to a very small store in Echo Bay, to restock their supplies. (Oh, to be young again!) Every year we check to see if anyone else, or maybe the same young couple, are calling it home for the summer. So, I checked it out and found that the glass windows are still unbroken, and the roof repairs seem to be holding, but it was empty. Something I did discover, which I didn’t remember from other visits, was a considerable midden right in front of the shack. It’s obvious the indians, many years ago, found this spot an excellent place to live also. And, judging by all the shells, they really enjoyed the abundance of clams as well. Now, you don’t dare eat the clams here for fear they might be contaminated with paralytic shellfish poisoning… so sad.

By the grace of God I made it back to the boat without sinking or being capsized. Al was getting ready to go pick up the prawn trap. He found 51 good sized prawns in the trap…yay!

So, tonight, for an appetizer, we had scrumptious prawn cocktails, with a good glass of wine. For dinner we had prawn scampi. And, for dessert, Al whipped up a batch of his dark chocolate peanut clusters….deeelish! Now, this is cruising.

It’s still overcast this morning, but the rain is gone. Our destination today is Waddington Bay, a place we haven’t been, in at least 15 years. Waddington is dotted with pretty islets and a great midden, so I’m looking forward to doing some paddling there.

While underway, I took a look at our calendar, which I had marked with all the Spring Tides and Neap Tides. I wanted to see when a favorable time would be for rounding Cape Caution this year. After doing some calculating, I realized that, if we wanted to round Caution during a Neap Tide, which would be much more comfortable, we should be heading for Booker Lagoon, instead of Waddington. Otherwise, we’d be spending another 2 weeks in this area. So, Al agreed that we should alter course for Booker Lagoon. There’s always next year for Waddington.

In Johnstone Strait, I spotted this commercial net fisher hauling in a load of fish.

When we arrived at Chatham Channel, the current was running 6 knots. The current was with us, but I was still nervous about it being squirrelly.  Al insisted that, because there are no rapids indicated on the chart, we should have no problems. And, thankfully, he was right. We got up to 11 knots, saved some fuel, and were under control the whole time.

The wind and seas were perfect for traveling. We threaded our way through Spring Passage without any problems and arrived at Cullen Harbour, just outside Booker Lagoon, an hour early for slack at Booker Passage. So, we anchored while Al did some preparation for dinner.

I noticed that the little stone man at the entrance to  Booker Passage had moved to the other side of the channel.  Now, how did he do that?

We went through Booker Passage a bit early, and got through without any problems at all. There were a couple of prawn buoys in the Lagoon, but no boats anchored.

Al went out to set the prawn trap as soon as we finished dinner, and was greeted by a pair of dolphins. We haven’t seen any dolphins here for the last several years. He said he had to slow down because they were having so much fun frolicking in his wake he was afraid they might land in his lap.

It’s raining as we pull the anchor at 0700 hrs, headed for Forward Harbour, weather permitting. We have to get through lots of narrows and rapids today, and, since today is another Spring Tide, timing is critical.

We got to the east end of Hole-in-the-Wall a bit early for going through the Upper Rapids of Okisollo Channel, so we anchored for about an hour in Florence Cove, waiting for the current to slow to 2 knots at Okisollo. While waiting, I checked the tide tables for slack at Lower Okisollo, Green Point Rapids, and Whirlpool Rapids; checked the distance between each rapid; and, based on our average speed of 8 knots, calculated that we could get through all the rapids without too much pain.

Okisollo was a piece of cake. We had the current with us and got up to 11 knots of speed at times. The boost in speed made us a bit early for going through Green Point Rapids, so we anchored at Cordero Channel Cove and had dinner. By the time I washed dishes, it was time to head out again. The current at Green Point was now running 2.7 knots against us — not so much fun, but we only had a mile of misery, so it wasn’t too bad.

Our timing at Whirlpool Rapids was perfect. We had a bit of current going with us and made Forward Harbour by 1800 hrs. There are a couple of boats anchored when we arrive, and 6 or 7 commercial fishermen came in to anchor for the night, just before dark. It’s still raining, but I’m not complaining.

We enjoyed a quiet night and awoke to a light rain that was gone in an hour. The overcast skies bring a welcome relief from the heat of the last few weeks.

Right after breakfast I launched my kayak. There was a bit of a breeze blowing, creating short chop on the water. I paddled along the rocky shoreline, checking out the interesting sea life exposed as a result of the low tide. I paddled to within a half mile of the general store, wishing I’d brought some money with me so I could buy some milk. I only have a quart left, and then I have to start mixing up powdered milk. Powdered milk is OK for my oatmeal, but not very tasty to drink, even ice cold. I’ll have to remember to put some money in my life vest pocket for future excursions.

It looks like they give kayaking lessons at Squirrel Cove.

We have another beautiful sunny day for travelling and are underway just after sunrise. Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, which will be a relief after all this heat.

The run up to Squirrel Cove was blessedly uneventful. I did, however, get a shot of this tug with three barges in tow.

I also spotted this pair of Canadian Honkers with their only child out for a Sunday cruise.

There were several boats anchored in Squirrel when we got there, but nothing like the crowd in Smuggler.

Ten to fifteen knots of wind is the forecast for this morning, diminishing in the afternoon. We decide to get an early start, and if conditions look good for crossing Georgia Strait when we get to Nanaimo, we’ll head across the Strait. With some luck, we might be in Smuggler Cove on the mainland this evening. I hate leaving Montague without getting an ice cream, but we’ve got some time to make up, so we can’t dawdle.

Sea conditions were very good when we left at 0700 hrs, and we made good time to Dodd Narrows. The wind, however, was picking up, and conditions out in the Strait weren’t what you’d call ideal. However, they were reporting 4 knots of wind at Mary Island, where we’d be headed, so we decided to stick our nose out and give it a go. It was a bit bumpy for the first hour. The seas were right on our beam, so we had to tack back and forth across the Strait to minimize the rock and roll. Luckily, we only had 18 miles to go.

Being Saturday, and a beautiful sunny day to boot, Smuggler was full of boats when we arrived. I thought we’d have to continue on to Boho Anchorage on Lasqueti Island, but Al was able to wedge us in between a couple of small boats. The boat next to us had three large dogs aboard. I can’t imagine where they all slept. The owner was tying a stern line ashore, so he wouldn’t swing.

This is such a gorgeous spot, and the sunset was spectacular.

Al has us up at 0500 hrs this morning. He was anxious to get headed north again. I was sure it would be foggy, since it’s been foggy in the morning for the past two days. But, I was wrong. By 0600 hrs we were underway.

Sea conditions looked good as we headed for West Point Lighthouse. I got this shot of Mt. Rainier as the sun was just starting to rise.

They’re reporting 11 knots of wind at Smith Island, so Al decided to take the protected route up through Deception Pass. Slack isn’t until 1402 hrs, so we’ll anchor this side of the Pass and have lunch if we get there early.

We had great traveling all the way up. However, as Deception Pass came into view, it was obscured by a big fog bank.( I knew that fog was going to get me). So, we anchored and had lunch. The wind had built to 20 knots, gusting to 30, and the fog was not dissipating. So, Al reluctantly decided we’d wait for the next slack at 2000 hrs, hoping to get as far as Hunter Bay before anchoring for the night.

When Al called on the VHF for a report on fog and sea conditions between Deception and Lopez Island, the Coast Guard responded. They said they had 200 yards of visibility, and flat seas. So, we waited some more. Then, around 1445 hrs, the fog suddenly lifted, so we decided go for it.

The current was really running through the Pass, slewing us this way and that, and the swells were huge as a result of the current being in the opposite direction of the wind, which was blowing about 15 to 20 knots. But, we soldiered on. Pretty soon the swells dissipated as we got further from the Pass, and the winds just kept dropping, until we had about 5 to 10 knots. We’d made the right decision. I put in a course for Montague Harbour, figuring we should make it well before dark, or at least, before dark, dark.

Crabbing season is in full swing in Canada. There’s a minefield of traps everywhere in Plumper Sound. And, of course the sun was so low it was shining right in our eyes, making it almost impossible to see them. When not dodging traps we were dodging B.C. Ferries, making it a Class A obstacle course. The Spirit of B.C. ferry seemed determined to run us down, so Al called him on the radio to ascertain his intentions. “Right. Passing red to red”, he responded. I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but luckily Al understood that “red to red” meant port to port.

We arrived at Montague at 2030 hrs, with plenty of sunlight left. It looked like lots of people got a headstart on the weekend. The anchorage was full of boats.

We’re having a heatwave in Seattle, with temperatures hitting 80 degrees. There isn’t a breath of air in the marina. I know, 80 degrees doesn’t sound very hot. But, for Seattle, it’s miserable.

We’ve both been busy little bees. I had to do laundry, and then the provisioning. I did manage to get this photo of a blue heron that hangs around the marina.

Al’s been busy getting the old refrigerator disconnected from the propane and electrical connections, so that it’s ready to move off the boat. He also canniballized all the usuable parts, just in case we need them for the new refrigerator. The man is always thinking ahead. He was able to hire a couple of marina workers to lift it off the boat and onto the dock. It weighs 132 lbs.  When the new fridge arrived, everything was ready to be hooked up.