Going South

What feels like our eternal search for wind continued as we left Billy Goat Bay on Helmcken Island bound for Waiatt Bay and the Octopus Islands.  No wind again but a lovely day.  One thing about Billy Goat Bay is there is a lot of kelp.  We pulled a lot of it up on the anchor and caught a bit on the way out with the rudder.  A brief pause once we were out, a burst of reverse that chopped up the kelp and on our way again.  

Dawn @ Billy Goat Bay

Had a good push of tide with us so we made great time down Johnstone Strait.  The currents around the Walkem Islands were intense with lots of eddies and whirlpools.  We did hit 10+ knots through there however so all good.  We turned into Okisollo Channel and slowed down to try and get closer to slack tide at the lower and upper rapids near the NE side of Quadra Is.  We went through about 2 hours before slack with the current running with us.  We followed the advice in the cruising guide (and watched a local who went ahead of us) and stayed close to Quadra Is. through the lower rapids.  Lots of unsettled water on either side of us as we shot through but the channel close to shore was calm, fast, but calm.  When we turned the corner towards the upper rapids, it was a different story. It is noted that there are dangerous rips and overfalls and they're not kidding.  We went straight east towards Grant Island from Cooper Point, following a channel of flat water.  The rips and overfalls were incredible but we stayed well away.  A bit of turbulence when we got abeam Hole in the Wall, but again, no issues so on we went to Waiatt Bay.  Anchored in more or less our usual spot just outside the marine park boundary, launched the dinghy and went to explore the cruisers shack.   Cathy and I had been here in late May and it was interesting to see how much had been added since then.  

Waitt Bay Sunset - Octopus Islands

We left Waitt Bay the next morning to catch the tide turn through Surge Narrows.  On the way to the narrows, we passed a couple of large launches going quite slow and they ended up following us through.  I guess they figured if a 40 ft sailboat could go through a 65 foot Norhaven could as well!  We anchored in Heriot Bay briefly to make it easier to get to the store and stock up on meat and veggies, then off down into Drew Harbour to anchor for a couple of nights.  Noticed Tatoush was there so stopped by and invited them for happy hour the next day.  Paul and Suzanne came by the next day and we had a nice catch up on where we'd all been.  Really nice couple!

Drew Harbour Sunset

Next stop on the run south was Lund.  We left Drew Harbour early enough to try and arrive at Lund around check-out time, 11:00, in hopes of getting a spot on the docks.  It was a drizzly kind of day, no wind, as usual, but we did get onto the dock.  We did stick out a bit as they misheard our length and thought we were 30 ft., not 40.  Ended up with one boat rafted to us, no issues at all for us as they were happy to have us leave around 08:00 the next morning.  Mother and daughter sailing together from Desolation back towards Seattle.  On a side note, many years before in the early 2000's, we went into Powell River and looked for a boat to raft up to.  We were summarily snubbed by everyone and instead of push the issue, we left.  I did say then that if the situation was every reversed, we would welcome another boat to raft up with us.  It was nice to have this come around!  

The weather cleared by early afternoon and it turned out to be a lovely day.  Had lunch at the bakery, and picked up a cinnamon roll for breakfast!

Boardwalk in Lund

Lund Evening

We left the next day, just after 08:00 and we weren't 100 meters from the dock when the engine quit again.  Pulled out the headsail, and with current with us, managed to get safely out of Lund Harbour.  It was easier to do that than try and get back to the dock.  Checked the fuel tank again, no issues.  Checked the fuel filters and found the port side Racor was fouled.  Changed that, primed the filter, bled the system and got going again.  A giant pain but that wasn't the end of it!

We motored down Malaspina Strait to Pender Harbour and into John Henry's Marina.  We'd managed to book that the day before while in Lund.  Beautiful new docks, decent general store and the added bonus of garbage and recycling, which was welcome as we hadn't been able to deal with any of that since we left Port McNeil.  

The next day, I started the engine early to let it run and good thing, it stalled again from fuel starvation.  Bled the system once more, got it running and off again to try and get to Gibsons by 11:00 to get a chance at a dock at the Harbour Authority docks.  With the engine issues still plaguing us, I wanted to be at a dock.  Managed to snag the last available slip at the Harbour Authority so had lots of time to explore around Gibsons and try and sort out the fuel issues.  There was a Friday night market that evening so we stopped there for some music and gin tasting! We're loving the growing craft gin community in BC and bought a lovely bottle of "Joker Gin" from the Bruinwood Estate Distillery.  No real luck troubleshooting the engine but I narrowed the issue down to the dual Racor system.  There is a small air leak that that is causing the engine to lose its prime.  Decided to wait until Bowen Island to try and fix it.  

Closed due to Staff Shortage!

Gibsons Harbour Authority Marina

Got the engine started Saturday and headed out towards Bowen Island.  We sailed, motored, sailed, motored, and finally, after round the north end of Bowen we turned the motor off and tacked our way to Snug Cove.  A bit of a discussion about or reservation (made it in May) but got it all sorted out.  With our arrival at Bowen.  I temporarily fixed the engine issue by taking entire Racor system out of the fuel circuit.  I had enough pieces on board to build a fuel line hose mender so all good.  We love Bowen Island and Union Steamship Marina, we always have a good time there.  Cathy and I had a couple of walks, and generally relaxed.  Got the boat sorted after Jan and Tony left for NZ on Tuesday and get ready to sail across to Nanaimo the next day and hopefully resolve the fuel issue once and for all.  I ordered a new RACOR fuel/water separator from Harbour Chandler in Nanaimo, a single unit, not dual (dual unit was going to cost upwards of $2500!!), this should fix the issue!

Sunset over Unions Steamship Marina - Bowen Island

The Broughton Archipelago - 2023

We left Fly Basin to start our slow journey south under overcast skies and no wind.  The wind does come up of course, but only in the afternoon and when we're trying to get places, we don't wait unfortunately.  It was a very calm trip around Cape Caution and on to Allison Harbour.  We anchored down the bottom of the harbour and took a tour in the dinghy to explore the bottom to "arms" in the anchorage that are too shallow to get in with Cygnet.  Found a flattish beach with a several bits of abandoned machinery.  We walked through a small cut to another bay but not much more of interest than that.  We went back around into the other "arm" and watched the kingfishers as they went back and forth.  We did see some amazing small ducks that instead of flying away from us, the ran on the water.  It was bizarre to watch.  The wind blew down the harbour but no issues for us.  By nightfall there was 6 boats in, 2 sailboats, and the rest varying sizes of big launches.

Abandoned Machinery
in Allison Harbour

A view to the Other Side
Allison Harbour

Not Falling off a Rock!
Allison Harbour

We left after 09:00 for the short trip down to Blunden Harbour.  While we're not getting wind, we've been getting current with us just about everywhere we go.  So three hours later, we're tucked up on the inside of Blunden Harbour.  I had a bit of work to do so Cathy and I didn't get much time on shore.  Nice place and would have enjoyed a longer walk, oh well.  Wind came up like clockwork in the afternoon, again!  We were well hooked so no issues.  

Looking out onto Queen Charlotte Strait
from Blunden Harbour

Jellyfish - Stranded at
Low Tide - Blunden Harbour

Over to Port McNeil for my birthday.  The strait was glassy calm as we made our way across.  The reflections were amazing.

Reflections on Queen Charlotte Strait

Got into Port McNeil and it was full on chore time.  First was laundry, no issue, not busy.  Next was fuel, a few issues.  Propane refill is easy at North Island Marina.  Take your empty tanks to the office on the dock, they fill them and put then back bside your boat.  Easiest way we've ever experienced!  I needed to sort out our dinghy gas and that's where is all started to get messy.  I was filling the small jerry can from the 20 liter jug and the spout slipped out, spraying me with gas.  Oh well.  Next was diesel.  They bring the hose to the boat, and I had 2 x 20 liter jugs to fill and the main tank.  The fuel nozzle is really designed for bigger boats and I ended up overfilling one jug.  Got that sorted then came the main tank on Cygnet.  It took a long time to fill trying to make sure it didn't back up the fill pipe.  This is a problem we have all the time and the key is patience.  Got there in the end but still managed to get some diesel on the 2nd pair of clean pants I'd put on that day.  I kind of gave up after that.  We did go to the liquor store and grocery store to get a nice wine for dinner and the fixings for steak, caesar salad, and garlic bread for Cathy and I.  Jan and Tony both can't eat salads so it was steak, pork and veggies for them.  Caught some beautiful sunset photos from the boat, a nice end to the day.

Sunset at Port McNeil

Sunset over logging crane
Port McNeil

Sunday in Port McNeil was another load of laundry, more food, and a nice long walk.  We did meet up with an interesting couple, Rick and Pru, who have been coming up here for years.  Pru was a net controller for the Great Northern Boaters Net up until 2010.  In their late 70's, they keep very active.  Sailing in the summer, gold panning in Alaska, and an RV to tour around the rest of the year.  They knew Pat and Bob (MV Tonga) who we last saw in Napier Bay in 2007.  As of last year at least, they were still in the Broughtons on Alder Island.  We'll try and get hold of them while we're here.

We put a plan together to see a few places in the Broughtons before we head further south, so on Monday morning, we cast off the lines and once again motored out and once more, back across the Queen Charlotte Strait.  This was the third time we rounded the north end of Malcolm Island past the Pulteney Pt. Lighthouse.  Amazing clouds on the strait as we made our way into Napier Bay.  

Amazing Clouds on the Strait

More Reflections on the Strait

We were hoping to get some hiking in but its now an active logging operation.  The same accomodation barge is still here that was here in 2007, but now call "Gypsy Logger".  The little brother is next to him, "Gypsy Junior".

Floating Logging Camps

We did take a brief dinghy tour around them bay, very sheltered.  When we were last hear in 2007, someone had made up a "dead logger" on the shore.  After 16 years we found the remains of the "dead" logger that has been in repose for a long time, not much more than his hard hat has survived.

The Logger 2023!

The Logger 2007

The next morning brought the usual overcast conditions and we needed to wait to leave to head to Turnbull Cove.  I had a meeting for one of my contracts and Cathy has an online exercise class.  She started these classes (in person) when she was recovering from breast cancer.  Inspire Health, an organization that provides supplementary services for cancer patients and survivors, runs these classes and they offer them online as they are able to reach a much broader audience.  With Starlink, Cathy can still take part, no matter where we are anchored.  It turned out to be a good thing that we had these commitments this morning.  Just before we going to start getting to leave, Jan saw a black bear on the beach at low tide as he (or she) rooted around for clams, crabs, etc.  1st bear sighting of the trip.

First Bear Sighting this Trip!

We left Napier Bay bound for Turnbull Cove, about 9 miles away.  We had the tide was with us all the way.  We got into Turnbull shortly after noon and anchored on the NW side of the Cove.  We did figure out later that the sunniest spot was in a small cove on the NE side.  Turnbull was as calm and as peaceful as Cathy and I remembered it.  There were a few boats anchored but lots of room for everyone.  I put the crab trap down in the afternoon and left it overnight.  The next morning I got 2 nice dungeness crabs, enough for dinner.  We went for a walk up to Huaskin Lake.  The trail goes up at a nice rate, not too steep, and the view from the lake was worth it.  This area has been logged in the past and the amount of abandoned machinery is unreal.   When we went ashore for a walk, Cathy and I decided to kayak over and Jan and Tony took the dinghy.   We went at low tide in the morning (I had a meeting in the early afternoon) and the shore was sticky mud, very sticky!  I did put the prawn trap down outside the cove in about 80 meters of water, but only hauled up 4 undersized prawns, oh well, at least we got some crab.

Later the second evening, I stuck my head out for one final look around and when I looked over to the beach, there was a black bear rummaging around at water edge.  Got a picture but it was a bit too far away.

Huaskin Lake Dock

Huaskin Lake

Turnbull Cove

Turnbull Cove Calm Evening

We left Turnbull Cove shortly after 9 am and headed south, bound for Cypress Cove.  We stopped by Sullivan Bay and dropped Jan and Tony off with the dinghy while Cathy motered slowly around and I continued in a meeting.  They came back with ice cream for all of us, a liter of milk, one head of broccoli and hot chocolate, $60.00!  Jan tried to mail a postcard for Cathy from the post office there but the lady had no idea of the cost of a stamp for a postcard to NZ and was afraid it would get lost anyways.  A bit weird for a Canada Post Outlet.  We left there to go to Cypress Cove but when we got close, we saw a big fish farm taking up half the bay.  Not something we wanted to share an anchorage with.  So a quick conference in the cockpit and we decided to head to Simoom Sound.  It was a very good decision.  We passed a humpback on the way, and I actually got a couple of good pics.

The Hunp...

The Tail

We got into Simoom Sound and found a good place in the NE side of the sound.  Took a stern line in, OK Tony took a stern line in, and we settled in for a couple of nights.  The guys on the Tiamat, a Beneteau 42,  came over to say hi when we got settled and introduced to their pet bearded dragon.  Cedric and Kevin were great.  A really lovely couple and we talked at length about heading down the west coast of Vancouver Island as they've decided this was the next part of their journey.  When Jan and Tony were talking to them a bit later, they got on the subject of sea sickness tablets.  Cedric and Kevin  had scopolamine on board.  Jan has used it with really bad experiences to offered them some of her tablet, cyclizine, non-drowzy, and you remain functional! 

The next day, after a morning of work, Cathy and I went exploring around the anchorage.  Stopped by Blue Haven, a Ranger 31, and had a great chat with Fran and Carl and got an invite back to their boat for Happy Hour at 5 PM!  Next stop was a 40 foot sailboat, Wind Runner, with a couple from Leavenworth WA.  Larry and Sally, again, great people who've been buddy boating with Blue Haven for some time up.  We stopped by Tiamat on the way back and mentioned to Cedric and Kevin that they were invited as well, and they decided to change their plans and stay one more night.  They also asked to borrow our Starlink, and as they were close enough they were able to got on our network. They were able to catch up with family and check weather for the next few days as they tried to figure out when to head around Cape Scott. We all ended up at Happy hour and shared stories and plans for a couple of hours.  Wonderful time and the most social anchorage we'd been in.  

The Mountain Behind Simoom Sound

We left Simoom Sound on July 21, in the rain, and made our way down to Joe Cove.  A bit of rain, brief wind, and not many boats out.  

Leaving Simmom SOund

Clouds and Mist

Cathy and were in Joe Cove in 2007, and the raft that was here then is still here, but no longer useable.  We have the anchorage to ourselves, and the day cleared up nicely.  We put the prawn trap down and we'll collect it in the morning.  The chart actually shows that this is a good prawning area so I'm hopeful.  We checked out a midden in the cove on the way back in found a trail but didn't walk far as we hadn't tied up dinghy.

Cathy on the Midden

The Midden!

Cygnet in Joe Cove

Sunday morning dawned with thick fog, but enough visibility to go collect the prawn trap, just!  So out in the dinghy.  I stopped at the entrance to Joe Cove to make sure my navigation app on my phone was working as the fog was pretty intense.  Found the trap, pulled it up and we had around 10 prawns, so not too bad, enough for a snack. I was glad I had the navigation app on my phone as I had got turned around and couldn't see Joe COv e through the fog and actually started heading the wrong way.  

The fog cleared a bit later and in the early afternoon we pulled up the anchor and headed for Waddington Bay, all of 5 miles away.  Waddington is very protected and there were 8-10 boats already there.  Lots of room however so we found a nice spot and settled in.  Cathy and did a kayak tour around the bay before dinner.  The rain started overnight and continued most of Monday, as expected so a quiet day.  I did get lots of work done so all good.

Reflections in Waddington Bay

Kayak Touring...

We left the next morning to head over to Echo Bay Resort and Marina.  We hadn't been in Echo Bay since 2007 and when we last visited we parked our last boat, Tarun, on the bottom.  for more details, look back in the blog to a post from May 2007!  We called into the marina and got our dock location and I decided to go bow in.  In hindsight, not the best idea as we would have to back out and we had no idea of what might end up behind us.  So we swung the boat around using some long lines and pointed her bow out.   It was chore day again, so laundry got started and checked out the store for provisions.  Echo Bay Marina changed ownership and few years ago and it is struggling to keep up with what it once was.  There is only a couple of staff, and they're run off their feet, so much so that the have a hard time getting fresh provisions so the food available was pretty scarce.  When we were last there, the school was still going, but it closed in 2008 and subsequently burned down unfortunately.  Windsong Sea Village is still there, and currently remains separate from Echo Bay Marina.  One of the things I really wanted to do in the Broughtons was go back to Bill Proctors Museum.  I had to do some consulting work in the early afternoon, so Cathy, Jan, and Tony took the dinghy to go around instead of walking the trail.  We'd been told it would be quite muddy, wet, etc. after the rain.  My meeting finished a bit early, so I headed out to walk over.  The trail was great, no issues at all.  Got over to the museum, and Bill Proctor shuffled out of his house to come over to open it up.  He's moving a lot slower now but still lives on his own and is getting around.  He's 88 this year and has been in the Broughtons since he was 4 days old!  I got him talking about his life and fishing, and what's going on around the area.  He's had an amazing life and he's collaborated with a couple of other locals and published a few books describing it, "Heart of the Raincoast: A Life Story (1998)", "Full Moon, Flood Tide (2003)", and "Tide Rips and Back Eddies (2015)", all available on Amazon.  While I was talking to Bill, Cathy, Jan, and Tony showed up.  They had been visiting an art gallery just around the corner.  The museum is a lifetime of collected odd bits, or as Bill Proctor puts it, junk.  I disagree, it's an amazing collection.

Artifacts From the Beach

The Museum

We said our goodbyes to Bill, and Cathy and I walked back to the marina.  Finished off the laundry, had a shower and started getting dinner ready.  We got interrupted a bit by an impromptu gathering on the dock.  There were only 5-6 boats in the marina, and we ended up meeting more of boaters out exploring.  I talked with Brad who with his wife Laea were visiting his sister and brother in law while they cruised the Broughtons.  Brad and Laea used to have a Beneteau that they sailed around the Bay area.  Very interesting guy and Laea has a smile that light's up a room.

Windsong Sea Village

Echo Bay Marina and Resort

After a night at Echo Bay, we planned to go to Lacy Falls and then anchor in Kwatsi Bay.  Thought we'd leave around 9-9:30, but not to be.  Couldn't get the engine started.  We just couldn't get fuel to the motor.  I took the fuel line off the Racor system and blew back into the fuel tank.  It took a bit to blow back but got there without passing out.  OK, so try again, still no luck.  Next was to try and bleed the fuel lines on the motor.  ended up cracking open the plug on top of the main engine fuel filter, but all I got was bubbles when the fuel pump was running.  So off to look at the fuel tank.  When I checked the line out of the fuel tank, it had a small crease and it looked like it was leaking.  This is the copper pick-up tube that runs to the bottom of the fuel tank, and out the top, connecting to a fuel shut-off valve and then the fuel line to the motor.  Talked about various ways to sort this out and ended up sanding the copper tube to rough it up, mixed up some 5 minute epoxy with West System 406 adhesive filler, and sealed up the fuel line.  Let that set up for about 20 minutes until it was hard, bled the engine again at the main fuel filter and voila, the engine started, all good, or so we thought.  So off finally around 11:40 through Hornet Passage into Tribune Channel.  Once again, the motor started to cough and loose power so I switched to the other Racor filter (we have a twin Racor filter system for the fuel before it gets to the engine filter) and the motor steadied up.  One of the things about the  Racor filter is that it's also a water separator.  The bowl on the first filter was almost full of water.  No idea where the water came from but OK.  So the engine is running, seemingly OK.  After discussing with all 4 of us, the decision was made to go through to Lagoon Cove Marina and bypass Kwatsi Bay.  We had wanted to stop in Kwatsi because it's typical to see Orcas and Porpoise in the Bay.  Oh well, it turned out it was a good thing we didn't.  Got to Lagoon Cove OK but couldn't get to the dock, they were full, so we anchored about 750 feet away.  To make the day complete, when we were anchoring, the dinghy painter had come undone where it was tied inside the dinghy out of the way of the towing line.  None of us noticed this and when Cathy started to back the boat down to set the anchor, the painter wrapped around the prop and the engine quite.  Not a huge issue as we were anchored but I did have to go for a swim.  The instruments showed water temp around 17C so not too bad.  I dug out my fins, mask and snorkel and jumped in to see what was going on (side note, the water was NOT 17C, much colder than that)  The line was well wrapped but no damage anywhere so I managed to cut it all away with a lovely new knife that one of my managers had given me for a retirement present last year (awesome knife, thanks Huck!).  Back on deck about 10 minutes later and once again the beginning stages of hypothermia setting in.  I've experienced this more ofter this year than ever.  Maybe I should stop swimming in really cold water.  Anyways, a warm shower on deck and all good

We settled in for the night and Lagoon Cove marina had told as soon as boats started to leave the next morning we could come in.    The next morning, boats leaving, so I went to start the engine, no go again, couldn't get fuel to the engine again.  So I took the active Racor off to replace it with a spare (I'd already replaced one of the 2 Racor filter sabout a week before) and the filter was black, lots of grunge, so OK, maybe we had a bad case of diesel bug (an organism that can grow and thrive in diesel fuel).  Bled the system once again, and the motor started.  So anchor up and off to the dock.  But we're not done yet.  Cygnet has an inspection hatch on the diesel tank and I wanted to see how bad the fuel was.  So off with the nuts, pulled off the hatch, and no evidence of diesel bug, just nice clean fuel.  I took a flashlight and peered into the tank, then I looked at the where the fuel pickup tube.  Cygnet is designed with the diesel tank molded into the hull and all along the bottom edge of the tank was this white pile of something.  It didn't look right and there were 2 big chunks of this white stuff lying just in front of the pickup tube.   We figured out that these chunks were getting pulled into the fuel pickup tube and partially blocking the tube when the motor was running, but not completely.  When I blew back into the tank, I was blowing these chunks out of the tube, and problem solved, briefly.  I could reach the bottom of the tank so I stuck my arm in to pull out these chunks, and they were crystalized fuel.  I stuck my hand in again and ran is all along the front edge of the tank and pulled out a handful of the crystalised fuel.  So got it all cleaned out, put back together, and turned the key to see if I could get the system to prime (it's designed to self prime and I shouldn't of had to bleed it)  Primed right up and started right away.

Crystallized Diesel Fuel

Cathy in meantime was searching on google to try and find out what could cause this.  It turns out there is paraffin added to diesel and in certain conditions, if the temperature is below 4 degrees C, the paraffin can crystalize out of the fuel.  This year we left the boat for 2 months, March and April, with only enough heat on to keep it from freezing.  This may have been the culprit.  I have additive for this but had stopped using it.  I won't stop again!

With that out of the way, we could relax and take a breath.  Lagoon Cove is an interesting place.  They host a happy hour every evening starting at 17:00.  They typically supply a bowl of fresh cooked prawns and boaters bring a small plate to share.  We went up the first night we were there and that was dinner!  There was tons of food.  Managed to meet up with another person from the Ham net as well.  John and Barb off Aeris, a Grand Banks 42  Had a nice long chat with them, really nice couple.  They have a place in Pender Harbour and keep their boat our front!   We walked all the trails around the property and generally chilled out.  I did get a good tip the second day about where to put the prawn trap down so Tony and I went out to try one last time.  We left it in for 4 1/2 hours, all the time we really had, and got 18 nice big prawns.  I was told that we should leave the pot down for 24 hours, they are typically pulling 120+ prawns in that time.  We did the math and we were on track for that many, so a good haul.  I marked it on the chart!  Went to Happy Hour again, and ran into Brad and Laea, they had arrived that day.  Got caught up with them and talked at length with Holly, who, along with her partner, bought Lagoon Cove in 2016.  They work hard at making everyone feel welcome and are absolutely wonderful people.  They used to have a kids camp in Northern Minnesota, so have lots of experience dealing with large groups.  They live at Lagoon Cove year-round and are open year-round as well.  Off-season they primarily cater to commercial boats for fuel etc.   We will definitely go back the next time we're in the Broughtons.

Happy Hour Gathering Place

Cygnet @ Lagoon Cove

Trail Map - Lagoon Cove

Face's in the Tree!

We left Lagoon Cove just after 8 in the morning to catch the tides through Chatham Channel and out to Johnstone Strait.  Had a good run down to the strait and by mid-day, we turned the motor off and sailed on a deep reach down to Billy Goat Bay.  Lovely sail with a few easy gybes in 10-18 knots of true wind!  Billy Goat Bay is nicely sheltered but there are now signs up warning you to stay off the island, its private property and under video surveillance.  Not exactly a welcoming place.  With this stopping off point, we are now out of the Broughtons and into the Discovery Islands  

Sailing to Remote Places

When we parted ways with Bob and Sue on My Windsong, we spent a few nights in Prideaux Haven, then moved on to Grace Harbour.   Prideaux Haven was not too busy, but it did get hot.  We had an early heat wave.  We found a path at the top of Melanie Cove that connected with another trail to Laura Cove.  We walked for awhile but the heat was a bit much so we headed back.  Got a few good photos on the way though.

   

Melanie Cove  

Low Tide @ Prideaux Haven

Grace Harbour was our next stop and when we anchored we were buzz bombed by quite a few hummingbirds.  They were attracted to the red kayak, and the red stop cord on the outboard.  They hung around for awhile and I ended up putting up a screen on the hatch to make sure we didn't get one inside.  We stayed in Grace for a 4 nights, had a good walk on shore, motored around and waited out a pretty significant NW wind.  

Jellyfish in Grace Harbour

When the time came to go we started out with the intention of going to Lund, then on to Comox but we had good wind so we gybed our way to the south end of Savory Island and headed across the strait to Comox.  We had an absolutely wonderful sail and dropped the sails when we were almost into the harbour.  We went earlier than originally planned to Comox but we had a few jobs to do on the boat, including servicing the 2 heads and getting provisions on board before Jan and Tony arrived on June 18th.  We did a lot of running around, took buses over to Courtney a few times, walked heaps and got everything done on our list.  The brief mention of servicing the heads doesn't do the job justice.  It got spread out over 2 days.  The aft head was easy, rip and replace the entire Jabsco pump assembly, 15 minutes.  The forward head needed the pump serviced, and all the black water lines cleaned out.  Pump was done one day and it took me the better part of a day to remove, clean, and reinstall the black-water lines and service the diverter valve to the holding tank, NOT my favourite job.

Eagler in Comox (Not our Mast)

Comox Glacier

   

June 18th rolled around and Jan and Tony arrived around 19:30, travel weary but in one piece.  When we planned the trip with them, they agreed that they they only needed one day to recover before we headed out so they got one day!  Lots of shopping done, boat stowed away and Tuesday morning we left.  First stop, the fuel dock, only to find thy had no diesel so a slight change in plans.  We headed to Squirrel Cove but made a quick stop at Refuge Cove for fuel and a look around.  Jan and Tony were last there in July 2003 on Tarun, their first trip to Canada to sail, it hasn't changed much!

A night at Squirrel Cove then off to Big Bay.  We got the tides right and tied up before noon.  Moorage is $2.00/ft. and showers were $5.00 each.  Not a cheap night at dock.  I had work to do so Jan, Tony, and Cathy went off for a hike.  Had an early night then off the dock the next day to catch the tides Dent and Greene Point.  We motored all the way and shot through all the current passes just as planned.  We originally planned to stop in Port Harvey but we had current with us and we were able to motor sail in the NW wind on Johnston Strait so we decided to go on to Farewell Harbour.  We turned into Blackney Passage and hit the full tide running against us to we dropped down to 2 knots.  We pushed through and eventually made the anchorage.  The local fishing lodge has put mooring buoys everywhere so we ended up anchoring out front of the lodge.  Not a friendly place but a we had a quiet night after a long day.

Tony Dressed for Summer on Johnston Strait

    

 Leaving Big Bay

Farewell Harbour

The next day it was on to Port McNeil, where we'd made reservations @ North Island Marina to deal with laundry and more provisions.  Nice marina, they fuel your boat where you tie up.  No showers or toilet facilities but you can buy a shower code from the information centre and use the shower block near the municipal marina.  I did manage to find a spare alternator belt (it's and odd size so was a bit surprised to find one in Port McNeil).  Met up with one of the net controllers for the Great Northern Boaters net, Gord (VE7GC) off MV Luna.  It's always great to put a face to voice on the radio.  We're checking into the net everyday if we can.  The ham community continues to be a great support to boaters but there are fewer of us checking in to the nets every year.  We visited the local logging museum and checked out the worlds largest burl.  Unfortunately, some kids had set fire to the burl the week before.  It was in a cage but they poured gas on it and set it on fire.  Apparently, it took quite a while to put the fire out.  I just can't understand the need to destroy something for no reason.

Worlds Largest Burl (a bit charred)

After a couple of nights we had a good weather window to head north so we left early and made for Cape Caution and beyond.  It was foggy on and off and calm so we motored all day.  We had current with us and with a long period swell less than one meter, it was a easy trip.  We made our with into Millbrook Cove and anchored for a couple of nights.  We did find that the navigation that make the entrance easier to find was nowhere near where it was supposed to be.  Tony and I fished the next day.  Caught a few rockfish but threw them back.

Cape Caution Light

Queen Charlotte Strait

While Millbrook Cove was nice, there is no walking or places to explore on shore so when we left, we headed up Smith Inlet to Dsulish Bay to have a walk on the beach.  It was a beautiful place, lots of driftwood, some unknown animal tracks, and very peaceful.

Dsulich Bay Natural Sculpture

Dsulish Bay

Old Growth Log - Dsulish Bay

Sailors have a often used expression when planning a voyage "Our plans are written in the sand at low tide"  While I've used the expression and the idea behind for years, this was the first time I've put it into action.  Our next destination, written in sand, at low tide!

Our next Destination

We left Dsulish Bay and headed back down Smith Inlet to make our way north to Rivers Inlet and Goose Bay.  The cruising guide mentioned that there was a old cannery there that we could tour.  There was, but it's been bought up by a developer and is being turned into yet another fishing lodge.  That makes 4 lodges in the immediate area.  The most exclusive of them is Duncanby Lodge, where we've been told you have to be invited, you can't just make a reservation!  We anchored at the bottom of Goose Bay and thankfully it was a calm weather pattern as we were completely open to the north.  I put the crab trap down, and left it overnight.  When I checked it in the morning, I had maybe 15 crabs, all undersized, so back they went!  There were a  couple launches with 5-6 traps down between them.  I'm not happy when I see that.  Put down a trap, and catch what you need, but don't pack your freezers full of crab.

Duncanby Lodge

Looking North out of Goose Bay

After one night in Goose Bay, it was time to move on again.  The plan for the day was to try for some salmon outside of Goose Bay and then head up Rivers Inlet to Dawson's Landing.  No luck with the salmon fishing, as per usual.  Some day I'll catch one!  

Dawsons Landing was an interesting place.  When we got there just after 12:00 and they were closed for lunch.  Their hours are a bit restrictive, they're open 10:00 - 14:00 but closed for lunch 12:00 - 13:00.  The place is all built on log floats and has been around for many years.  It's getting pretty run down but it's still there and they still have provisions, fuel, laundry and showers, but they are expensive.  Showers are $2.00 for a minute and half, we didn't bother with laundry.  We did top up on fuel and picked up a few provisions.  The lady that in the shop had been there for over 35 years and her husband had grown up at Dawsons landing 35 years before that.  

Dawsons Landing

Derelict Tug - Dawsons Landing

We left Dawsons landing and headed down Darby Channel to get to Fury Cove, our next stop for a couple of nights.  There is still a sign posted at the entrance to the cove restricting people from going on shore.  This has been in place since COVID restrictions started in 2020.  There were a few boats anchored, it's a very sheltered place and a common first stop coming north into the Central Coast.  We went fishing again the next day, but didn't catch anything big enough to keep!

Fury Cove

After 2 nights at Fury Cove, we upped anchor and headed further north to Codville Lagoon.  Still no wind so motored with the main to give us a bit of lift.  The entrance to Codville was narrow but the tide was pretty slack so Cathy had no issues getting us in safely.  It took us a couple of tries to get anchored where we were comfortable as the lagoon is quite deep.  We ended up anchored on a rock shelf in the middle of the bay.  When I was pulling up the anchor after the first try, the chain stripper on the windlass ( the part that makes sure the chain doesn't wrap around the gypsy) bent and the chain jammed.  Had to un-bolt it to free up the chain.  Got the anchor up but when I tried to straighten it and bolt it back on, it turned out the holes in the windlass for the bolts were stripped.  I thought I could get away without the stripper but learned pretty quickly that it's an essential part when we went to pull up the anchor to leave 2 days later. 

The cruising guide we're using described a trail from Codville Lagoon to the Sager Lake as a tough track that you basically had to bushwack your way through.  Cathy and I decided to give it a try and was the guide ever wrong.  The track has been upgraded and is well maintained.  There are lots of boardwalks over the marshy bits to keep them from getting ruined and all in all the walk was great.  Sager Lake has a beautiful gold sand beach and was well worth the walk.

Sager Lake - Codville Lagoon

Codville Lagoon

Sager Lake

The ongoing saga of our leaking rudder shaft continued to give us trouble but I permanently mounted another bilge pump in the engine bilge and and wired it so we could plug it into the 12V.  I ended up teeing it into the line from the aft bilge pump and it seems to work fine as long as we remember to check that the pumps are switched on, and plugged in.

We left Codville after 2 nights and headed to Shearwater to re-provision and hopefully fix the windlass.  I had to pull the anchor mostly up by hand which is a pain.  Again, as per usual, no wind but it was a short trip, 17 nautical miles.  I had tried in May to reserve at Shearwater but never got a response.  I tried one last time from Codville the night before we left, and by morning, I got a response that we were good to go.

Shearwater is a long dock with tee at the end.  1500 feet of dock space and they use every bit of it!  We were on the inside so the prevailing wind was blowing us off the dock so no squeaking fenders!  The harbour master and his wife were waiting to grab out lines and make sure we got tied up close to the boat behind us.  Very nice couple who sail their cutter to Mexico every fall and then back in March so they can run the marina over the summer.  I spent a good few hours that afternoon fixing the chain stripper, getting it bent just right, finding new longer bolts and re-tapping the holes in the windlass.  After a lot of trial and error I was satisfied that it would work and with the longer bolts it would stay put and not work loose.  

Shearwater Marina

Shearwater

The Store at Shearwater

The next day, Monday, we took the water taxi to New Bella Bella where the big grocery store was.  We were told the fresh food shipment comes in Monday morning and would be on the shelves by Monday afternoon.  We also hoped to get a tour of the Big House (longhouse) but it was closed.  Jan and Tony managed to talk their way into the gift shop so picked up a few things to take back to NZ.  When we got to the grocery store, they had a sign up that they were closing at 14:00 to unload the food shipment and would re-open on Tuesday.  We managed to find enough fresh veggies and other staples to re-stock as we were leaving early Tuesday morning to head to the hot springs in Eucott Bay.

Mural in New Bella Bella

Big House in New Bella Bella

Our last night in Shearwater Tony and Jan got given a large salmon fillet from some friendly fishermen on the dock so we had a bit of a feast of salmon.  There was a dock party with the crew off Columbia III and others on the dock,  Columbia III a classic wooden ship launched in 1958 that has seen service on the BC coast in various ways since then.  She is now the Mothership, of Mothership Adventures, an eco-tourism company operating on the west coast.  The host of the dock party was a woman named Mosha, on Harmony, a Stan Huntingford designed Passport 40.  She was returning from single handed trip up to Alaska.  

The day came to leave Shearwater and we were away early to catch the tide up Gunboat Passage on our way to Eucott Bay and the hot springs.  This has been on the must see list for Tony (and all of us) since we started planning this trip in March in NZ.  As we worked our way up Dean Channel under motor (of course), we started seeing a few horse flies.  Nothing too bad, but is was a pre-curser to what we would see at Eucott.  When we turned into Eucott, the horse flies swarmed us.  I've never seen it like this before, even growing up in eastern Canada and hiking in the spring.  We doused ourselves in deet and jumped in the dinghy and headed to shore to get at least some hot spring time in.  There was a group of kayakers there who were out of the hot spring, and covered head to foot.  We jumped in, stayed for a bit, got a few photos and headed back to Cygnet.  We pulled up the anchor and got the hell out of there.  Another issue in Eucott for Cygnet was depth.  There's not much in the anchorage and we anchored with 4 meters under the keel at high tide with a predicted 4 meter drop in the tide, not a good look for us!.  We don't ever want to park Cygnet in the mud with her wing keel.

Eucott Hot Springs - We're Lords of the Flies!

We collectively decided to head to Ocean Falls, about 25 odd miles south down Dean Channel.  We had tide with us so we ended up making pretty good time and tied up to the municipal dock at Ocean Falls at 19:30.  Cheap moorage, $26 a night plus $10 a night for power.

Ocean falls is an abandoned mill town that was built in 1905.  They built a dam to provide power to the mill and the town and in its heyday, there was upwards of 3700 people living and working there.  The mill became unprofitable in the early 70's and the BC Government bought it and operated it until the early 80's when it shut for good.  The townsite at Ocean Falls was levelled, houses burned down and land left to return to its natural state.  There are still a few of the larger buildings there but they are derelict and have been stripped of most anything useable. The dam is still in operation and provides power into the BC Hydro power grid and provides power to this part of the central coast.  There is an eerie feel to the place.  Met a couple of locals, a woman who runs a gift shop that mainly sells to the boating community in the summer, an Argentinian couple who are running a small BnB, ice cream shop and bakery.  Most of the remaining population in the area lives in Martin Inlet, a couple kilometers away. There are between 25-50 residents, depending who you talk to!.  It's an isolated existence, not much work other than the fish hatchery serving the salmon farms.  With the current moratorium on salmon farms and the likelihood they will get shut down, there won't be much left!

Abandoned Apartment Building
Ocean Falls

Abandoned Office Block and
Apartments - Ocean Falls

Operating Dam and Power Station

Ocean Falls Municipal DOck

Mermaid overseeing the
Municipal Docks

Not much traffic to watch out!

Don't cross the Bridge, there be Bears
(We crossed the Bridge)

Cemetery at Martin Inlet

After 2 nights we felt it was once again time to move on so we decided to start slowly heading south.  First stop, Sea Otter Cove.  We had the anchorage to ourselves for the first night, a first for this trip.  We toured around the bay, checking out a few bits of shoreline the day we arrived.  I set the crab trap and checked it after the tide change, nothing.  Re-set the trap in a different place, checked it in the morning, nothing.  Set it again further out, checked it later in the day, nothing (seeing a pattern here yet?)  One last set with a fish carcass and again nothing.  I give up!  Tony and I did go fishing and caught a variety of Rock Fish, enough for dinner.  Small fillets but lots for the four of us.  Our first completely caught fish meal.

Tony on a Log

Outer Beach at Sea Otter Cove

Tony's first halibut
(a bit small so back it went!)

It seems like time keeps marching on so we left the next day to head to Pruth Bay, a stop we had been planning for since the beginning.  We actually got about 45 minutes of sailing in on our way south.  When we rounded Bayley Pt into Hecate Channel, we caught sight of a small pod of Orcas, 2 calves, and 2 adults.  We got to watch them for about 15 minutes, absolute magic!

Orcas in Hecate Channel

We slowed down to fish for salmon before we went into Pruth, but again nothing.  Tried a few different combinations but no luck.  Did loose a bit of gear but that happens!  When we got into Pruth, there were about 10 boats at anchor in the main bay and more came in by early evening.  The next day, we all headed to shore to check out the walks.  Went over to the South Beach and up to the lookout.  We got to the beach at low tide so lots to walk around and see.  The lookout was amazing both looking out to sea and looking inland.  

Pruth Bay is home to the Hakai Institute  (https://hakai.org).  They bought the fishing lodge that was there a few years ago and conduct long term scientific research as part of the Tula Foundation.  Check out their website for more details on what they do.

Casual Walking!

Cathy and a Tree

Cathedral Rocks on the Beach

Looking Over Hecate Strait

Had a plan to fish outside of Pruth for lingcod but it just didn't happen.  Oh well.  I did fish a bit off Cygnet in Pruth, but all I caught were small halibut using a Buzzbomb lure.  We did meet up briefly with Jim and Allison on Lily D, a couple we've heard on the ham net a few times.  They arrived the same day we did and came over in their dinghy after they took their dog (and themselves) for a walk.  We also met a few people on the beach when we went for a walk.  One couple had a lab/poodle mix named Boots, super friendly and easy going.  They are on a Commander launch (Deb and Norm on Quiet Storm).  We've kept running into them but more on that below.

After 3 nights at Pruth, it was once again time to move on.  Our plan was to anchor in Big Frypan Bay on Penrose Island.  It's on the other side from Fury Cove.  We did check it out but it was too deep for us to anchor and where it was shallow enough we would have been on a lee shore.  So off once again to Fury Cove,   It is a great anchorage.  Shortly after we got anchored, My Windsong came in along with Tatouch, the friends Bob ands Sue are buddy boating with.  We all met up on shore after caught up on where we've all been and what we've been doing.  On the way back we stopped by Quiet Storm who had left around the same time we did from Pruth Bay.  Jan and Tony were quite taken with Boots and wanted to get their dog fix in (and say hi to Debbie and Norm again).  Tony went over again a bit later and got a picture of them with the dog!  

As we were getting ready to leave, Bob came over and handed us a nice salmon fillet.  He managed to get a few using only a Buzzbomb.  Right place, right time I guess.  Salmon for dinner tomorow after we round Cape Caution.  

We left around 09:00 to make our way another 28 miles south bound for Fly Basin in Smith Inlet.  Here we sit just now as I finish off this part of the blog.  We have a few horse flies to deal with but Tony is a killing machine for horse flies.  We didn't even bother launching the dinghy today, just having a lazy day and getting ready to round Cape Caution tomorrow morning, officially ending our time on the Central Coast!

Looking up Smith Inlet

To put this part of the trip in perspective (Port McNeil to the Central Coast) we've covered 353 nautical miles from Port McNeil and back to Fly Basin.

Port McNeil and Almost Back (Last Stop Fly Basin)

With Jan and Tony onboard, we covered 497.96 miles so far from Comox to Fly Basin

We're off the Broughtons next after a couple overnight stops to get to Port McNeil to re-provision.

MORE TO COME!