PJ'S JOURNEY CONTINUES: Week 2 of Westcoast Sail

Aug 14 Sunday at Lagoon Cove

A quick stop in the morning at Lagoon Cove for refueling. We have great memories of this place from a few years ago. It continues to be a thriving marina. If you are there early evening, they have an appy hour where you bring an appetizer and the marina supplies a huge bowl of freshly steamed prawns (they harvest them daily). It is wonderful and you get to meet so many other boaters.
Today we check out the small store. It is too damp to walk around their garden area or into the bush.

Back out in the channel our boat and Malu pick up our prawn traps - we have about 2 gallons worth today!

The mountains are high and fall right to the tide line. Many gulls, ducks and other birds on the waters - so beautiful in their element.
White sided porpoises have raced ahead - leaping and diving again and again. Such a happy display.

We are surrounded by such gorgeous scenery. Kwatsi Bay is our destination, the marina is at the top end of the sound.

Maggilou was 'on dock' for the night but our companions anchored out.

We enjoyed a dinghy trip with S. to a hiking path where we climbed to a gorgeous waterfall. Again for me, no camera. Stewart continued the tour to the east bay. Massive rock walls with mighty trees surviving on top of them.

After that, we joined the 6-8 other boats on dock for a great potluck at 6 pm.
Sun goes down very early below these mountains.

Aug 15 Monday To Pierre's Echo Bay Cove
Early rising but an easy morning on the dock.

The guys prepared for salmon fishing. As we left the bay a Minke whale surfaced many times - perhaps saying farewell! Malu motored very close to it.

Another awesome day of sailing and fishing and motoring and watching for logs and being amazed at the varied scenery. We see waterfalls from high above on massive granite walls. So many fish farms in this area - a sorry necessity.

We stopped at Pierre's Echo Bay Marina and were able to buy milk and bread and even some fresh produce - and a birthday gift for a birthday girl.

Malu caught a 10 lb coho which was generously shared with all of us.

None of the boats has capacity to preserve our catches for long term so we share quickly.
We anchor tonight in the back of Pierre's Echo Bay.

Aug 16 Tuesday Billy Proctor's place
Breakfast was fast. Dave needed to fix the main sail. It had folded over itself inside the mast and would not release properly. We were in a sheltered bay so Stewart volunteer to go up the bosun's chair. With some of us pulling on various lines S. was able to free the top of the mainsail and the problem was corrected. Yea Stewart!

Shortly after S. descended we boarded our dinghies for a short trip to shore.
We hiked a path through a Federal Marine park, beyond a school to Billy Proctor's house and museum. (He is an interesting man and his books are well worth reading).

He has a lifetime of his own private collection of items he has gathered from land and sea. eg. bottles of all kinds from various countries (including tiny opium vials from the oriental settlements in these islands). He is well respected and frequently visited.

Back to our boats and we motor out of the cove and the guys all set their fishing gear and proceed to fish for several hours. Marg and I relaxed with books. Lunch was Greek Salad and the last of our prawns. Supper was battered cod and pad thai!

Tonight we anchor at the top of Bonwick Island in Waddington Bay with 12 to 15 other boats. Malu is excited to see 2 little replicas of his 'tuggy'. Ever gregarious Norm makes a little stop to visit - and offer them some extra cod he has (they were appreciative as they had not had success fishing!)

We were invited to Tenacity to celebrate Gayle's 60th birthday. She had made a tasty chocolate cake and added pear and custard on top. A very nice eveninng of socializing together. Sadly, no photos of the lovely party.

Aug 17 Wed. Village Island, Mamalilikula and Blackfish Sounds

Out of anchorage by 9 am. It was almost low tide but we had lots of room to manouvre. Lovely little rocky islands we had to skirt around and then we were in Retreat Passage. We saw a well maintained Indian Reservation on Gilford Is.
In 2 hours we stopped in Village Is. All but Marg dinghied to shore to explore the old school, shores, remains of a long house and totem pole - and a left over chief's house. The blackberry bramble was extremely thick and above our heads, but someone had recently hacked a good path through the area. We were careful to step over bear scat and chatted loudly to let them know where we were.

So much broken glass debris on the beach, fun for the beach combers and I found nothing that I wanted to keep.

Soon we are ready to explore Knight Inlet to Blackfish Sound. More fishing ... and finally - Dave caught a sockeye, Jim caught a ling cod, and Dave caught a rock cod!! Heard happy sounds from our companion boats too, Stewart pulled in a coho and Norm caught a pink salmon. Happiness reigns!

Then, across the inlet whales began dancing and cavorting. Far away from us but what a display!

It was a huge splash but we never really saw the whale!

We are now into more sea traffic as we cross the Queen Charlotte Straight - 3 barges, 1 cruise ship and many small fishing boat - in wonderfully calm water.

Tonight we anchor in a hidden inlet on the south side of Malcolm island, each boat anchored alone.

Aug 18 Thur. Civilization at Port McNeill

We motored to Port McNeill in the early morning fog and tied up in their marina It felt good to be ashore and be able to walk anywhere.

We took our laundry out first, then shopped at a convenient thrift store. All six of us had a lunch and coffee at MUGZ, very nice to relax and have another good visit.
Later we shopped for a few boat items and groceries. By 4 pm we were back to the marina. I relaxed, Jim washed the outside of the boat, Marg took Annie for a walk and others did their own business.
N&M are happily visiting some of the people and places they lived in (like Alert Bay), some 50 years ago when they were working on missions boat. They have had great fun reconnecting.
Tonight we relaxed, me at my laptop and Jim with his Bryce Courtenay novel.

Aug 19 Friday Through Queen Charlotte Strait in fog

Got away from the dock around 10 a.m. Took the opportunity to walk a few blocks - saw the world's biggest burl. It is massive. It was taken from the bottom of a huge spruce tree.

It was sunny as we left Port McNeill.

As we entered Queen Charlotte Strait we encoutered heavy fog. Dave and Stewart use their radar.

Norm delayed his leaving to spend more time fishing around Malcolm Is.
The fog cleared by noon. Saw a couple of grey whales and a couple of dolphins. There are many patches of sea birds and the occassional eagle flies overhead.
This has been another gorgeous day at sea - only sad for Dave as there is not even enough breeze to put his sail up.

Cod pieces with mango salsa, red pepper, cilantro, onion, black beans, all wrapped in a spinach tortilla for lunch. Yum. Brownies and peach for dessert.

By evening we were anchored in the NW end of Drury Inlet.

Not many boats here but lots of commercial crab markers along both sides of the inlet. We put down crab pots too and a couple of hours later Norm had a good Dungeoness crab in his trap.

The air was so warm all evening so it was enjoyable to sit in the cockpit and eat our evening meal and have a glass of wine.
Norm is rafted to us as usual and we have a great sleep. Water temp 13C

Aug 20 Sat Drury Inlet

We hung around in the a.m., taking dinghy trips through various coves in the inlet. Stewart took his dinghy to Sandleman Bay and saw a sow and 2 cubs. He came back and picked up Gayle and his binnoculars and camera. We followed a little later. It was so extremely calm, the water like a mirror, it was difficult to discern where land ended and the mirror of the water began. We met another couple who were also out in their dinghy, had a little chat with them and then carried on our ways.

We slowly motored back down Drury Inlet. Our prawn trap was full of ... sunfish! Heavy but not so edible! We stopped to pull in the shrimp traps which are down about 120 metres. Some nice prawns!

Along the easy wandering out of the inlet we saw a few rocks with seagulls and seals so we motored close to investigate. Dave wanted photos too so he left the boat on auto - not realizing that he hadn't changed the angle much. He came quite close to putting us on the rock. Marg was at the wheel and she turned us safely back to the deeper waters.