Vancouver Island - North Coast

Beth enjoys the view down the coast from the Bunsby Islands.

Click below to see all our photos of the north coast. The file name of each photo describes what you are seeing. Use the "slide show" button located in the top right corner of the Flickr web page to easily view the photos in full screen size.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39357204@N04/sets/72157622089013716/


Haida Gwaii to Winter Harbour on Vancouver Island

Beth has already described our passage to Vancouver Island in her entertaining “Night Watch” story. There’s not much to add except we were surprised to have a big cruise ship come up right behind us when we were way offshore - about 40 miles from the nearest land. We hailed them on channel 16: “Cruse ship, cruise ship - we are the little sail boat directly in your path. Do you see us?” Fortunately the answer was “Yes” and they steered around us. We learned from this encounter that some cruise ships go to Alaska on the outside of Vancouver Island and the Charlottes - not very scenic but fast! As we approached Winter Harbour we had a bit of drama when the wind built to over 30 knots and we were a little over-canvassed. Oops - did not reef early enough - again! As we sailed into the lee of the lighthouse we came upon a fleet of sport fishing boats well out of the wind and happily trolling back and forth for the big ones. We too were happy to be out of the big wind!

Winter Harbour is a primarily a sports fishing destination accessible by dirt road from the other side of the island. There was only one other sailboat there. Shortly after arrival we had a heated altercation with an impaired fisherman because we were moored in “his spot”. Despite other spots being available he was pretty insistent on parking his boat where his fenders were tied - the local procedure for holding your spot. We had no other place to go and didn’t move but quickly did our laundry and shopping, saw the sights - including the famous boardwalk, fueled up and moved to a quiet anchorage nearby called Browning Inlet with another sail boat - True Blue. This is where we saw our first sea otter! We spent some time floating around in the dinghy trying to get some close up photos of the cautious critter - with limited success!

Brooks Peninsula

Based on a good weather forecast, the next day we decided to go around Brooks Peninsula with True Blue. It was very foggy and windy - reminiscent of Hecate Straight - but there was wind and it was blowing the right direction! Our biggest concern was being broadsided by a sport fishing boat. They are hard to see on the radar, drive fast and seem oblivious to the fog and limited visibility. Maybe it’s the beer? After we passed Solander Island at the end of Brooks, with the northwest wind now at 25-30 knots and huge swells of up to 3 meters, we decided to try broad reaching with our little orange storm jib as a test. It worked like a charm, settling the motion of the boat so much we enjoyed a relaxing lunch while Harold the Hydrovane did the driving. Once south of Brooks the fog cleared and we had a brisk downwind sail to our anchorage at Scow Bay in the Bunsby Islands.

The Bunsby Islands

The Bunsby Islands were one of the highlights of our west coast visit! Set right against the open ocean, this string of islands offered surf, spectacular vistas, crystal clear lagoons, sea stacks and mossy primordial passages. We spent a whole day there kayaking from island to island, getting tired as the day wore on but continuing onward, keen to explore the next bay or little passage. The big kelp beds were really interesting - we often spotted bright white or yellow spider crabs sunning themselves on the foliage. A very cool place indeed!

Visit to Kyuquot - aka Walter’s Cove

From the Bunsby’s we headed south a few miles to Kyuquot, also known as Walter’s Cove. We met up with our BCA friends, Glen and Heidi and their kids aboard Borboleta, their Beneteau First that was first owned by John Willson, a point of interest for those who may know John. Small world! We had a fun morning visit and later that evening enjoyed a spectacular sunset and camp fire on the beach at Barter Cove. Beth made hot chocolate for the whole gang. The village of Kyuquot is very picturesque - weathered homes, old boats and a myriad of docks and floating things filling the waterfront. We took our laptops ashore to check our email and pay a few bills, using the local wifi network - a challenging but necessary task. After the internet drama and shopping was done we toured the bay where we were entertained by a very tame sea otter that seemed to spend all his time on his back snacking on crabs and clams. Photos of this fellow were a little easier than our last sea otter encounter!

Rugged Point Marine Park

We continued a short way south again to Rugged Point Marine Park. Popular with kayakers, this amazing park has a beautiful protected anchorage with fine white sand beaches on the eastern side, and a series of stunning surf beaches on the western side. A short walk through the woods connects the two sides of the park. We spent a memorable day exploring the western beaches that are similar to Long Beach except without the people. We had the entire place to ourselves! Beth enjoyed a run on the hard sand at low tide while Norm explored the sand dunes and took lots of photos. As if this was not enough, there was a resident humpback whale in the bay that spent most of the afternoon feeding and surfacing just off the beach. The day was just about perfect except one of Beth’s flip flops floated away as the tide came up. It’s probably in Japan by now!

Esperanza Inlet - Queens Cove & Nuchatlitz Marine Park

Queen’s Cove is a quiet, protected anchorage at the western entrance to Esperanza Inlet. We had short stop there, exploring the cove by kayak. Sites of interest included a fishing boat wrecked on the beach and the empty native village of Queens Cove. This tiny village of about 6 fairly new homes was abandoned a few years ago. The homes are still intact and many contain furniture, books and even clothing in drawers and cupboards. We went into a few homes and then left, finding the place rather creepy and sad.

We motored across the inlet to Nuchatlitz Marine Park. This is another area of interesting coastal islands and the site of a former native summer fishing village. Beth read about it in the Elsie’s book, “Sailing to Windward”. In the midst of the park is a large, protected anchorage, accessible by a narrow channel that the Sailing Directions describe as “tortuous”. It was twisty but not too bad thanks to our chart plotter! The next day we spent exploring this kayakers’ haven, seeing many groups paddling here and there throughout the park. Later in the day, shortly after our return to Sarah Jean, we were surprised to hear voices just outside our boat. Monique and Rod, who have a summer home in the bay, had noticed our extended stay and had come out to welcome us as boaters who obviously enjoyed the area. We invited them aboard for a visit and glass of wine. They in turn reciprocated with an invitation ashore that evening, to join them for a small dinner party with their fishing guests. Monique is a gourmet chef by profession and Rod had just landed a rare white Chinook. It was a very special evening and the food was to die for! We have never been welcomed to an anchorage in such a warm and hospitable manner - something we won’t soon forget! Thank you Monique and Rod!

Nootka Sound and Friendly Cove

Nootka Sound is the historic location where Captain James Cook first landed on the northwest coast and began the fur trade with the natives in the village site at Friendly Cove. The Spanish had been there earlier but had not actually set foot ashore. Spain surrendered the area to the British in a historic settlement that is recorded in a stain glass window in the old church. There is only one resident native family there now - a master carver specializing in masks. There is also a manned lighthouse occupied by a husband and wife team. We were lucky enough to be there to see the arrival of the “Uchuck”, an old coastal freighter that brings supplies to the coastal villages and ferries kayakers out of the inlets to the coastal marine parks. The kayaks, with kayakers inside, are hoisted on and off the ship’s deck with a special sling. Very entertaining to watch! On stormy days this boat is also known as the “Upchuck”! We were also lucky enough to be there to see the passing of the village chief title from one generation to another. Many natives had come to the old village site for the ceremony. We watched as a full canoe paddled towards shore to the beat of drums and singing. It stopped just off the shore and waited while there was a ceremonial exchange with an elder clad in a woven hat and button blanket. When this exchange was complete the canoe was turned around and backed into the beach - the custom for a friendly canoe arrival. Only attacking war canoes hit the beach bow first! How lucky we were to witness this traditional greeting and exchange on the beach. We finished our day with a tour of the light station and chat with the resident light keepers who now have many duties including first being responders in the event of a marine emergency.

We then headed around Estevan Point to the southern section of Vancouver Island. This area will be covered in our next blog posting. Thanks for joining us.

Beth & Norm

s/v Sarah Jean II

Mayne Island, Gulf Islands

August 19, 2009

My First Night Watch - a story by Beth

Beth at the helm on her first night watch!

There always has to be a first and for me my first night watch was when we sailed from the southern tip of the Queen Charlotte Islands to the northwest tip of Vancouver Island aboard our Saga 43 ``Sarah Jean II``. Our destination was Winter Harbour, a total distance of about 180 nautical miles. This would be an overnight passage.

My husband, Norm, and I were on a 3 month sailing adventure that took us from Vancouver, up the Inside Passage to BC’s Central Coast and the Great Bear Rainforest. Our most northerly stop was Prince Rupert. We had not planned to visit there but ended up at Rupert hoping to have our electric autopilot repaired. It had failed just a day’s sail south of there. The problem was apparently with the course computer so a local repair was not possible. It would have to be sent back to the factory following our trip.

We pushed on to our main destination, Haida Gwaii or “The Queen Charlotte Islands” without the electric autopilot. We still had our new windvane steering system which we would now have to learn to use. We successfully crossed the famed Hecate Strait with its short, choppy and confused seas. Winds were a steady 25 kt and waves were up to 3m high. Some even presented themselves in the cockpit as we were on a beam reach!

We had purchased our passes for the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve back in March to reserve our spot. Only a certain number of boaters are allowed in the park each day. We spent 2 1/2 weeks exploring the park and learned much about the ancient Haida culture. It was almost lost after the smallpox epidemic in the mid 1800’s. We were lucky to have 2 weeks of sunshine during our visit to Haida Gwaii with only a few days of rain. The locals commented that it was the best summer weather in the Charlottes since the 1980’s!

The time had come to do our passage south to Vancouver Island. This was our planned route so we could get some overnight passage experience. We are leaving to sail offshore in 2010 so this was our shakedown cruise to test systems on the boat, Sarah Jean’s capacities and our own abilities to handle her during passages and higher wind conditions. In Rose Harbour we radioed the Coast Guard to request an extended forecast. It was favourable: 15-20 kts from the NW for the next few days. Over the summer we had been practising with our new Icom 802 SSB radio and pactor modem, checking in with Ron Kolody from BCA on a prearranged sched and with the Great Northern Boater’s Net. We emailed updates to our family on winlink and downloaded grib files and weather faxes. These were especially interesting to us before making the passage to Vancouver Island. We wanted to confirm the Coast Guard forecast and be sure that we had a good weather window.

S’Gang Gwaay, the World Heritage Site on Anthony Island would be our last scheduled stop in Haida Gwaii. Situated in the very southwest corner, this Haida site has 17 standing totem poles and remains of ancient long houses. We motored west from Rose Harbour down Houston Stewart Channel towards the village site in dense fog. Another boat we had met had set out with us but we could not see them in the fog with only ¼ mile visibility. We knew they were there by the blip on the radar. The fog lifted only slightly for our visit to S’Gang Gwaay or Ninstints as it is also called after their chief. Perhaps it was fitting that we saw this special Haida site in the mist.

At 6:00 am the following morning the passage south began. We headed out of our anchorage in Lousoome Bay as the sun came up over the hills. There was not a cloud in the sky. How fortunate we felt not to be battling the fog we had experienced just yesterday. We motored out past Cape St. James where the wind picked up and we raised our sails. Cape St. James is reportedly the windiest place in Canada, but not today. We had only 9 knots, but enough to fly our spinnaker. Before the cape was out of sight I spotted my first puffin! I was thrilled to finally see one of these rare west coast birds!

We began sailing with our spinnaker and small jib poled out to windward. When the wind picked up we replaced the spinnaker with our genoa. For most of the day we sailed with double headsails – genoa and jib in a lovely 15 kt breeze, from the NW as forecast. Downwind sailing truly is the best. It is so comfortable. The sky was a brilliant blue and we made good speed averaging 6.5 – 7 kts. I managed to let go of the sight of land without too much concern. I had some butterflies in my stomach the last few days thinking of this passage. Too much wind was a concern but that had not materialized - 15 kts of wind was perfect! Mainly it was the night passage – fear of the unknown - that caused my anxiety. Would I be able to wake up and do my watch successfully? Would I be able to stay awake all alone out there in the dark?

I napped in the evening after dinner in the sea berth that we had prepared in our aft cabin. Then the time had come. It was dusk and night was falling. Very unfortunately just before dusk the clouds rolled in and covered the sky. I had dreamed of being on night watch with a million twinkling stars overhead. On this night however there were no stars, not even a moon. The sky had become a dark grey and the water a darker grey, bordering on black. Between the two there was a very faint line – the horizon. It became so black I could not see the sails. Norm is an excellent strategist, always thinking and planning ahead. On a sailboat this is a wonderful attribute. He knew that we would want to reduce sail at night so he set our small jib out on the whisker pole so sail trimming would not be an issue. The wind was off our quarter so this set up was perfect for our downwind sail. We were comfortable sailing at a reduced speed of 5 kts as night settled in.

Norm and I did 2 1/2 hour watches at night. It was really a 2 hour watch as the ½ was spent making tea or a snack and feeding the helmsman. I managed my first shift without incident. Norm loaded the jib furling line on the winch for me so I could partially furl it easily and reduce sail if the wind picked up. I was amazed that a comfortable sailing speed during the day of 6-7 knots, at night was more like 4-5 kts. The swells, the jostling of the boat in the darkness and of course not being able to see a thing added to my sense of anxiety. Sailing at a slower speed therefore felt much better.

My wrist watch said 2:30 am – time to wake up for my next shift. I knew Norm would be tired and would need a break so I scrambled out of my warm sea berth “nest” and pulled on my foul weather gear – pants, jacket, boots, toque and mitts. It was not raining but the layers of clothing were needed to keep warm at 52 degrees north! Norm and I joke that we wear the same amount of clothing for sailing that we wear for skiing! My headlamp went on over my toque so I could see in the darkness of the cabin without putting on the lights. This would spoil Norm’s night vision at the helm. I grabbed a snack and made a cup of tea from the thermos and headed up the companionway to the cockpit to report for duty. Norm provided me with a report: we were nearing Triangle Island and he gave me the compass heading that he had been following. He said he could hear squeaks and squawks beside the boat in the dark. It was as if he jostled a seabird from their sleep with the hull of the boat. Norm gladly pulled off his boots, jacket, foul weather pants and toque and climbed into the warm sea berth I had just vacated.

I first checked our compass heading to be sure we were on course. Due to the failure of the course computer on our electric autopilot we were following our course with only our compass. I checked the chart plotter for our position and then looked up to check the masthead windex. Both it and the compass were lit up which was very helpful. I looked at the sail but all I could see was blackness. It’s an eerie feeling and somewhat unnerving to be surrounded by blackness. It’s a challenge to the senses to no longer be able to see what is happening on the boat. I just had to feel the wind and have faith in the instruments. The windvane steering system was working well to keep us on course with occasional hand steering for course correction.

To keep occupied as I sat at the helm I began to write this story in my mind. Suddenly I heard breathing behind me and then a loud splash. I was totally awake now and my imagination was running wild. What was that? A whale? A seal? Before I could come to any logical conclusion I heard the sound again on the starboard side of the boat – a big breath and a splash. I looked – blackness and then a streak of stars in the water - phosphorescence. Then the monster from the deep surfaced on the port side and then all around the boat, teasing me as if it knew I could not see it. Finally it dawned on me – they were dolphins. I recognized the short splashes, breathing and the darting to all sides of the boat as the activity of dolphins. They love to swim with a moving boat. I felt my grip loosen on the helm. These were my friends, not sea monsters and now I was no longer alone on my night watch.

When my watch ended Norm came up into the cockpit sleepily after a short 2 hour nap. The sky was beginning to lighten. With the return of daylight we unfurled the genoa and poled out the jib to windward. Our double headsails gave us more speed as the morning began. I made us a cup of tea, warmed a couple of muffins and we watched the sunrise together. We had achieved a milestone in our sailing careers – completing our first night passage together on our own boat. It was a good feeling. I climbed into our sea berth for a well-earned morning nap!


Beth Cooper
S/V Sarah Jean II
August 2009

Haida Gwaii - The Queen Charlotte Islands

Beth explores the old village site of Skedans

Photos of Haida Gwaii North

Click here to view photos of Charlotte City and Haida Gwaii's north island: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39357204@N04/sets/72157621945997078/


Photos of Haida Gwaii South

Click here to view lots of photos of our trip south to Gwaii Haanas Park: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39357204@N04/sets/72157621821529155/



Adventure to Haida Gwaii

It was time for the BIG trip across the famed Hecate Strait. It has a reputation for being a difficult crossing due to its very shallow waters – 60’ for much of the way across. It lived up to its reputation for our crossing. The waves were short and steep and the wind built from a pleasant 15 kt to a steady 25-27 kt from the NW with an occasional big wave breaking over the side of the boat and into the cockpit. This was my first experience with large waves and I must admit it was daunting to see a wall of water coming down onto the boat. The wind was just ahead of the beam so the waves were hitting us broadside. Our route from the northern tip of Stephens Island (Squatterie Bay- a local fisherman’s anchorage) to Queen Charlotte City was 80 nautical miles. The crossing took 13 hours. We left in fog and cloudy skies but when we were a few miles off Skidegate Inlet, the entrance to our anchorage, the skies cleared and the sun came out and we knew we had finally arrived! It was a wonderful feeling sailing into beautiful Bearskin Bay. I had flown to the Queen Charlottes last year for work and could hardly imagine sailing here but we had done it! The San Charistoval Mountains in the distance had a wonderful glow from the evening sun, the water sparkled and we were tired but very content!

We spent a few days in Bearskin Bay, relaxing, exploring, and visiting with other cruisers. One day we rented a car from “Rustic Rentals” and drove north up Graham Island past Tlell, Port Clements and finally Massett. We watched the sports fisherman at Masset clean their catch of salmon and halibut and we drove the eerie dirt road to Tow Hill. North Beach is an amazing site, over 70 miles long stretching out to Rose Spit. We walked for miles and hardly covered a fraction of the length of the beach. Most people drive their cars on the beach (not allowed by our rental car company). We watched crab fisherman standing in the shallow surf in hip waders snatching crabs with big nets! The next day we bought a few more provisions, paid bills online and enjoyed a visit and a drink in the cockpit with “Swift Current", a Sabre 45 that arrived in the anchorage. We had met Howard and Lynn back in the Broughtons and it was nice to run into them again.

Last March I had purchased passes worth about $100 per person to the Gwaii Haanas National Park located in the southern half of the Queen Charlotte Islands on Moresby Island. Gwaii Haanas means “Place of Wonder”. Before we could enter the park we had to attend an orientation session at the Haida Heritage Center in Skidegate. This is a beautiful new center built as a longhouse with a museum and a “Bill Reid learning centre” for young Haida artists. Gwaii Haanas is often referred to as the Galapagos of the north due to its remote location and the existence of many birds and wildlife not found anywhere else. The Haida have lived here in Haida Gwaii for over 10,000 years. In the 1800’s after the arrival of Europeans this unique civilization was almost lost due to a smallpox epidemic. With the formation of the park in 1987 there was a huge effort to preserve this special place for generations to come. Watchman sites are at many of the ancient Haida villages including Skedans, Tanu, Windy Bay, Hotsprings Island and S'Gwang Gwaay. The knowledgeable guides at the sites are usually descendants of Haida from that village. The highlight of our visit to these islands was definitely learning about the Haida culture and its people.

We were lucky to have 10 beautiful sunny days in Gwaii Haanas. The locals said it was the best weather they had had since the 1980’s! Since there is no fuel available in the park, we sailed everywhere we could – upwind, downwind - in light air and strong winds. When we did have to use the engine we motored at only 1800 – 2000 RPM’s in an effort to conserve our fuel. Norm had filled up 3 extra jerry cans of diesel for reserve which we had standing by. There are many lovely anchorages all down the eastern coast of Moresby Island and this is the route we chose to follow.

We explored Cumshewa Inlet and the deserted Haida village site here. Skedans was the next village. This is one of only 2 sites with standing poles. Most villages, including Skedans, had an island out in front which was a burial island. We sailed past this island after our visit to view the sea lions and birds and then enjoyed a lovely light air spinnaker run into Thurston Harbour where we anchored for the night. We went for an early morning kayak and saw racoons feasting on mussels at the water’s edge at low tide. Deer grazed in the meadows and oyster catchers chirped at each other as they also enjoyed their low tide breakfast. Kayaking is a wonderful way to get close to wildlife for photo opportunities and we love exploring anchorages this way. There aren’t a lot of hiking trails in Gwaii Haanas so the kayaks provide a great form of exercise.

Tanu is the site where Bill Reid was laid to rest. We visited his headstone and toured the remains of the ancient longhouses. Sean, our guide, was very knowledgeable. The weather was hot and sunny in Echo Harbour where we stayed for the night. We even went swimming after a vigorous kayak. There is a hidden lagoon next to the anchorage that leads to a waterfall. Our friends on “Swift Current” had moved on but that evening as we sat in the cockpit we watched a very pretty boat arrive. The name was “Osprey” and it belonged to Elsie and Steve Hulsizer. Elsie wrote the book “Voyages to Windward” which I devoured last year when we sailed to windward up the west coast of Vancouver Island. We kayaked over to say hello and ask Elsie to sign our book and invited them aboard Sarah Jean for a seafood dinner. What a delight it was to meet them.

We filled up our water tanks at Freshwater Bay where there is a hose running from a stream. A prawn boat pulled in behind us and while we were chatting to them I asked them if they had any extra prawns for sale. The captain suggested a trade and asked if we had any “spirits” on board. So we traded an extra bottle we had for 50 fresh prawns. A fair trade I would say! It was another brilliant blue sky day and after an easy upwind sail we enjoyed a soak in the best “spa” on the west coast at Hot Springs Island. There are 3 different hot pools to choose from and of course we tried them all. One in particular sits on the edge of the ocean and we soaked and baked in the sun. It felt like heaven. That evening we literally collapsed in our V-berth for a deep sleep. We have slept so well on the boat and have only had 2 windy nights aboard. The wind always seems to die at night making for restful sleeps.

We awoke to fog the next day with visibility only ¼ mile but we pushed off for Windy Bay, the next village site. We were greeted by Al and Gladys, the watchmen who welcomed us into their home. Gladys was baking bread and pies which I observed with great interest. I had successfully made bread aboard the boat this summer but I quizzed Gladys for her tips. She also hand weaves hats made from cedar bark and teaches the Haida language. Al took us for a walk through the old growth forest which included a 1000 year old Sitka Spruce that takes 15 or more people to surround it holding hands. As we were leaving to head back to our boat in our dinghy Gladys gave us an extra pie crust! What a treat! I had apples on board so that night I produced a pie in the galley oven!

We sailed upwind out of Juan Perez Sound with the windvane working excellently and hunkered down in Bag Harbour for the next 2 nights as the rain set in. I quilted postcards and Norm installed our new electronic active radar reflector. We emerged from down below to check out the harbour and spotted what looked like killer whales. We donned our foulies and climbed in the dinghy so Norm could photograph them. After observing them and checking our reference book we learned they were Risso Dolphins. We spent a couple of hours watching these fascinating creatures that looked like small killer whales. The rain finally stopped the next day and so we headed off in our dinghy to explore Burnaby Narrows. The water is very clear and there is an amazing amount of sealife in a small area due to the tidal currents. Norm took a photo of “mussel” beach.

Rose Harbour is at the southern tip of Gwaii Haanas and is an old whaling station. There are 3 private homes here, the only ones in the park. We anchored for the night and then headed west the next day for S’Gang Gwaay, the world heritage site on Anthony Island. This was our last village site and the most remote. It is located on the southwest side of Haida Gwaii. The fog was so thick as we motored over that we couldn’t see a boat that was just behind us also going to see the village. Thank goodness for radar! We found the recommended bay to anchor just south of the village and tried to avoid the numerous kelp beds and rocks. We radioed in on the VHF to request permission to come ashore as is the custom at the watchman sites. Our guide came down to the beach to meet us as we approached in our dinghy. The fog was lifting slightly as we approached this ancient village with its 17 standing totem poles. It was perhaps fitting that it was a typical foggy Charlotte day. Our young guide explained the layout of the village, the carvings on the poles and told stories of the fierce chief of this village. She had learned all she could as she wished to reclaim her Haida heritage.

We reluctantly left S’Gang Gwaay or Ninstints as it is also called (named after the chief), and headed up Louscoome Bay in the sunshine searching for a quiet anchorage for the night as we prepared to leave Haida Gwaii. We had called the Coast Guard for an extended forecast and it looked good: 15-20 KT winds from the NW so we decided we would go the next day. We had some work to do first to prepare for our overnight passage to Winter Harbour on Vancouver Island. It is 180 miles and our longest yet and our first overnight passage on Sarah Jean II. We had to deflate and roll up our dinghy and store it under the boom. The life raft is stored in the cockpit locker for easy access. I checked our ditch bag to ensure it had everything in the event of an emergency. Norm installed our jacklines to attach our tethers when going onto the foredeck. We plotted our course on the chart and got out seasickness meds so they would be handy. I prepared turkey chilli, fresh buns and muffins for easy meals for the passage. And we called our contacts on shore, Bob & Janey to let them know we will soon be leaving in the morning and with our ETA for Winter Harbour. We are ready! So long Haida Gwaii and thanks for the memories!

Great Bear Rain Forest

To see the latest photos click here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39357204@N04/sets/72157620909813698/


Today we had a very sweet sail up Roscoe Inlet. The wind was behind us – we set our genoa head sail and sailed all the way up the inlet to our anchorage. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing between 10 and up to 20 knots. This is what it’s all about! It was very relaxing just having the head sail up. Roscoe Inlet – especially the head of the inlet- is quite spectacular. We explored it the next day and it rivals Princess Louisa in beauty. Granite cliffs with waterfalls and snow capped mountains. Beth baked cinnamon buns and served up hot chocolate to celebrate at the head of the inlet.

Every night we put the hatch covers on over our forward berth to keep out the light so we can sleep! We are truly in the north up here. The sun doesn’t set till 10:00 pm or after and it is still light till almost midnight! It then gets light again at about 4 am! Way too early for me. We thought we might see the northern lights up here but can’t stay up late enough to even see the stars! The long evenings are really lovely but often we don’t realize how late it is. It will be 9:00 pm and we haven’t had dinner!

We have had such beautiful weather so far on our trip but now it seems as though we are in for some rain. Norm installed our rain catcher to help fill our water tanks. The pressure is dropping on the barometer – not a good sign. We motored over to Mathieson Channel to Rescue Bay as there was no wind and the rain began. Fiordland, up Mathieson was reported to be beautiful. We decided to go even though it was overcast and we were glad we did. The scenery was stunning! The fiords are very narrow with high mountains of granite. The clouds lingered at the top of the mountains and the day was quite grey. It reminded us of “Lord of the Rings’. Everywhere you turn there is another waterfall. We were able to enjoy “Kynoch Falls” all to ourselves. Not another boat in sight. We nosed Sarah Jean right up under the falls and felt the spray on our faces. Amazing!

The famous “Spirit Bear” or Kermode bear resides only on Princess Royal Island up here on the central coast. They are actually a type of black bear and as we rounded every point I would scan the shore with my binoculars for sightings of this or any bear or wolves! We spent a few days around this island in Laredo Inlet and in Surf Inlet. In the evening or the mornings we kayak around the bay and explore the river bed as that is reportedly where the bears are often sighted. But alas, no luck! We did see tons of beautiful and very large Lions mane jellyfish in our Surf Inlet anchorage. It is amazing to watch them move through the water and they are very orange! We put our crab trap out in Laredo but only caught one undersized red rock crab.

We heard STORM WARNINGS on the VHF radio when we were anchored in Laredo Inlet. There were big SW winds blowing out there! We had gusts of 30 knots in our anchorage! So we decided to stay put for a while and had a relaxing morning of reading. When the wind died down a little we decided to venture forth and practise our high wind techniques. It was wild out there! The main sail was double reefed and the self tacker partially furled. Blowing up to 25 knots. Luckily we were heading north up Laredo Channel and the SW wind was behind us again. Shared the channel with 2 VERY large cruise ships! Norm perfected our downwind technique using our double head sails and the new whisker pole. We were rocking at 8- 9 knots!

After a week of hardly seeing another cruising boat, Beth had a BIG need for some social contact! We were headed for Bishops’ Hot Springs and hoping that there would be some other boats. Another great downwind sail up Whale Channel and the sun came out! Yahoo! The rain began again in ernest upon our arrival at the hotsprings so we wasted no time enjoying a very lovely hot soak in the tub overlooking the anchorage. Boy that felt good after sailing all day. We were lucky to be able to find a place at the dock as it’s quite deep for anchoring in the bay. We met other friendly boaters from Ft. St. John who took our lines when we arrived. They had trailered their power boats to Kitimat and put in there, coming down Douglas Channel to Bishop’s. Everyone came on our boat for a visit and a drink. Later another sailboat came in with some very soggy sailors. We invited them to raft to us and invited them to the party! We mentioned we were headed to the Charlottes and it turns out this fellow wrote the guide book we have on Haida Gwaii! What a coincidence. We ended up talking to the wee hours!

We stopped in at Hartley Bay to refuel and check our email with our Wifi booster. Not much here in this northern Native community except fuel and satellite dishes. The Hartley Bay people are famous for rescuing the ferry passengers when the “Queen of the North” sank just a mile or 2 away at Gill Island. We sailed by the spot the next day and heh – Gill Island is very big – not sure how the people on the bridge of BC Ferries missed it!

Nearly every morning we listen to the HAM radio and check in on the Great Northern Boaters Net. It’s quite entertaining and we pick up information on good anchorages and on weather as well. With no cell phone reception or internet and often not another cruising boat in sight for days the HAM radio has been our only lifeline to other human contact! We also check in with our contact from Bluewater Cruising Association 3 days a week. These contacts allowed us to hook up with Ron and Meredith on “Erramus”. They invited us aboard for dinner in Miller Bay on Pitt Island and served up some freshly caught perch which was delicious. We really enjoyed their company and the evening aboard their 40’ Valiant.

Our plan was to head to the top of Banks Island and prepare for crossing Hecate Strait to Queen Charlotte City. The weather had improved again – high pressure and sunny skies. The tides were good too – neap tide which is small changes in tides. However our autopilot decided to pack it in! Because we so close Prince Rupert we decided to go there to see if it could be fixed. We were disappointed by this change of plan as we were anxious to head over to the Charlottes while the weather was good – sunny with NW winds. However, as we have heard from many a cruising boat, it’s very common for things to break down especially autopilots! So on July 1st it was off to Prince Rupert to stay at the yacht club in Cow Bay – only a stone’s throw from downtown. While Norm was working on the autopilot and talking to the local electronics people, Beth did the laundry and reprovisioned. It was hot and sunny and we actually really enjoyed this quaint waterfront town with its large sportfishing and commercial fishing operations. There are eagles everywhere! We enjoyed an excellent seafood dinner at the Cow Bay Café right on the water. They had fireworks in the harbour for Canada Day.

The verdict on the autopilot is that the computer on the unit failed and cannot be repaired up here in the north. Replacement would be thousands of dollars and a week’s delay so we have decided to go without it and push off to the Charlottes. It’s not an essential item. We do have our Hydrovane – our wind steering system which will steer the boat when we are sailing. We’ll just have to hand steer when we are motoring. Our chart plotter system still works and of course we have paper charts so we will be fine.

The sun is shining again today. We will head south and find a good cove for jumping off across Hecate Strait on July 4! We’ll hopefully celebrate with a beam reach with 20-25 knots from the NW.

Love to all our family and friends, we miss you!

Beth & Norm
Prince Rupert

Central Coast - North from Cape Caution

To view our latest photos click here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39357204@N04/sets/72157620102232406/

Our route north would now take us out into Queen Charlotte Strait, the large, stormy body of water between the mainland and the northern section of Vancouver Island. The prevailing northwest winds can be a challenge, especially around Cape Caution, which juts out into the strait making the wind intensify. Listening to the weather forecast we heard that strong southeast winds and rain were expected the next day. Knowing this could mean a great sleigh ride up the coast, rather than fighting a headwind, we left Sullivan Bay early on June 16 and motored out into the Strait. We weather guys were right! By about noon we had 18-20 kts behind us pushing us up the coast at 8-9 kts! The Central Coast is essentially like the west coast of Vancouver Island - nothing out there until you hit Japan and lots of swells. We had a slight injury during the voyage. The lid of the chart table fell on Norm’s head while rummaging for something. Ice and beer cured everything later in the day! Lesson learned: Those little springy things that hold lids open in boats are next to useless in rough seas!

We finished the day at Fury Cove on Penrose Island. The approach is interesting - through a small channel with surf breaking on rocks on either side. Once through the entrance there is a huge lagoon with beautiful sandy beaches along the exposed ocean side. We stayed here for a couple of nights for some boat work - Norm changed the oil and re-bedded some deck fittings that were leaking. We explored the area in our little inflatable kayaks and Beth collected about 20 huge eagle feathers she found on the beach. Great spot!

Listening to the Great Northern Boaters Net on the ham radio, we learned that our friends Cam and Marianne from BCA aboard May Knot were in the area and heading our way. We organized a rendezvous at Kwakume Inlet which was only 16 miles north of Fury Cove. We had a great spinnaker run up Fitz Hugh Sound, again lucking out with a southwest wind. We spent a very enjoyable evening with Cam and Marianne - wine on their boat and BBQ dinner on ours. They mentioned they had seen a bear and several wolves on a previous visit there but we had no such luck. The next morning was cool and rainy so Beth decided to do some baking producing some great scones and her first delicious boat-made bread that I dubbed the “sea loaf”. Nothing better than the aroma of baking in the boat on a stormy day!

Our next destination was Pruth Bay on Calvert Island. At the end of the bay is an exclusive fishing lodge called Hakai Beach Resort. It is open only in July and August for wealthy people who fly in to slay big fish. We met Fred, the friendly caretaker who lives there with his wife for 10 months a year looking after the place. Talk about solitude! A short hike across the island lead to West Beach - a huge crescent shaped bay that reminded us of Schooner Cove and Long Beach. The bay is dotted with lots of little craggy west coast islands. There was pretty big surf pounding on the beach - the roar we had heard from our boat anchored on the other side. It was pretty cool to be on this spectacular beach and be the only people there! We had our sat phone with us for emergency communication so Beth decided to call the kids for a little Friday afternoon visit. Gotta like that technology for keeping in touch! When we got back to the boat a series of squalls came through followed by sunshine producing a massive rainbow - a fitting end to a great day!

Our next destination was Bella Bella to pick up our forwarded mail and get fuel and provisions. We decided to go the more adventurous outside route rather than the cruise boat channels. Heading out Hakai Pass into Queen Charlotte Sound we were greeted by squalls and large confused seas - swells of about 2 meters going different directions - and little wind. It didn’t take long before we were both feeling a little green. Fortunately Beth had a few remedies handy, the seas settled down into a rhythm and a nice southwest breeze sprung up. We headed up Queen Sound, between Hunter Island and Goose Island on a broad reach and then sailed through the Lillooet Passage into Hunter Channel and up to Bella Bella. We are still amazed by our luck with wind direction for the past few days!.

We arrived at New Bella Bella on Saturday afternoon only to find the post office closed. This is a pretty basic aboriginal village without much charm so we filled up on water and fuel and headed across the channel to Shearwater, the preferred boater’s destination with a good grocery store, marine store, internet and the all important pub. We enjoyed dinner and draft beers at the pub and then retired to the boat where we watched our first movie of the trip on Beth’s laptop - the original Shrek. Now that is a funny movie!

We’ll stay in Shearwater for a couple of days doing chores and stocking up on provisions before heading north to Banks Island and across to The Queen Charlottes. Our next update will likely be in early July from Queen Charlotte City where we’ll have internet access again.

The Broughtons

For more photos click here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39357204@N04/sets/72157619737314893/


After a great visit with family in Comox we headed north up Disovery Passage by Campbell River. This channel is where the ebb tides start to flow north and flood tides south - opposite of the Vancouver area. Just north of Campbell River is Seymour Narrows, one of the fastest flowing tidal rapid areas in BC with currents of up to 13 kts and big whirlpools. The only way through is at slack tide - when the current changes from ebb to flood - or the other way around. We decided the wait overnight for slack in Gowlland Bay, just south of the narrows and then ride the ebb north the next morning. Our next stop was Blind Channel which was amazingly quiet. We enjoyed looking at the intricate shell artwork montages that adorn the dock, building walls and event the restaurant. These were created by the former owner. With free wi fi we took our laptops to the marina deck and got caught up on things at home but being on a budget, we left the marina and anchored for free at Charles Bay across the channel.

The next day we left at the crack of dawn to get the right timing through the Green Rapids and Whirpool Rapids as we headed north for Lagoon Cove. This charming family marina is famous for its hospitality, especially happy hour on the dock with Bill, the resort owner. Boaters bring their drinks and apppetizers and Bill provides all the prawns you can eat. On this occasion Bill entertained the group by walking onto the deck with the leg bone of a bear and then spun a yarn about the bone that kept everyone in stitches!

From Lagoon Cove we headed across Knight Inlet and up Tribune Channel towards Kwatsi Bay. We had a nice breeze behind us and decided to set the spinnaker. There was some drama when the whole thing came crashing down on the deck just as Norm was raising it - the heavy furler narrowly missing his head. The halyard was stuck at the top of the mast so Beth sent Norm aloft in the bosun's chair to recover it. The seas were calm and the view from the masthead was amazing - even had the camera! This done we rounded the next point to find big wind coming up the channel. We raised the sails and beat up the channel into 20 + knots having our first good hard sail of the trip. During our sail we were passed by a couple of schools of dolphins! We kept going until we got to Lacey Falls, a spectacluar cascade of pulsing water that spills down a huge granite slope in veil after veil of white water - hence the name. After taking photos from all angles we turned around and had a fast, downwind sail to Kwatsi Bay.

Kwatsi is a tiny family marina owned by a fellow named Max who now lives there alone. His wife and kids moved to the Vancouver Island this year so the kids could attend high school. He was anxiously awaiting their return for summer holidays.

The bay is surrounded by high mounttains and granite cliffs, similar to Princess Louisa. The next morning we went for a short hike to view the waterfall we had been listening to all night! After that Beth hit the little gift shop which was stocked with sorts of great stuff including fireweed honey - perfect for tea. We did our best to support the one man Kwatsi economy!

From Kwatsi we headed west down Tribune Channel to Echo Bay, the heart of The Broughtons with its picturesque red roofed marina village set against a west facing cliff. And yes - it really does echo in Echo Bay! We stocked up, mailed a few postcards and then headed for Laura Cove, a quiet little anchorage nearby. The wind sprung up - so with 15 nots our beam we made tracks for the Cove at 8 + knots and kept our fuel tanks full!

Our final stop was Sullivan Bay on North Broughton Island, another essential stop in the area. The entire village is floating - there are only docks and float houses snd float stores and float laundry. It is like a mini Venice of the west coast. The coolest thing is the beautiful artwork on many of the fuel tanks and propane tanks. These tanks were essential but ugly until someone had the clever idea to make each one into a little creative masterpiece. Sullivan Bay has a restaurant so we enjoyed dinner out with a couple from Chilliwack who were docked next to us. And then it started to rain - what a shock after 2 weeks of sun!

Our plan is now to head further north up Queen Charlotte Strait around Cape Caution. This is a little bit more in the open ocean so a careful watch on the weather is required. The forecast is for 15-20 knots from the south east which should push us in the right direction!

Leg One - Point Roberts to Comox

After a whirlwind weekend of retirement and bon voyage parties, house cleanup for renters and trying to figure out how to get ALL THAT STUFF into he boat, we managed to push off the dock at Point Roberts at high noon on June 1st. Since then we have been incredibly lucky with the weather - not a drop of rain so far and sunshine every day. Not the BC coast we've known in the past!

We are slowly working our way north towards the Queen Charlottes - we hope to be there by early July. The first stop of our trip was Mayne Island where we picked up Beth's Mom, Sally. We then headed to the Sunshine Coast and to Princess Louisa Inlet, located up Jervis Inlet north of Pender Harbour. You enter this magical place through the Mailibu Rapids at slack tide. Beyond the rapids is a lagoon surrounded by granite cliffs and snow capped mountains that soar straight up to 6,000 feet. At this time of year the high alpine snow pack is melting fast creating hundreds of waterfalls that cascade over the cliffs into the sea below. At the end of the lagoon is Chatterbox Falls, a huge waterfall that is like a small Niagara! This area is a BC Marine Park with a dock near the waterfalls. We stayed here for a few days, hiking, kayaking and visiting with other cruisers. The cool mist from the waterfall was refreshing in the 30 dregree heat!

From Princess Louisa we headed for Lasqueti Island, en route to Comox where we visited family and dropped off Sally and our pooch, Tessa. We decided to leave Tessa with Sally for the summer - good company for her and we thought Tessa's bladder might be challenged by some of our long, overnight passages that are planned!

The boat is working great - no problems to date. We have done some sailing but winds have been light and are often on our nose, blowing down the long coastal channels. On our way back from Prncess Louisa we had about 22 kts on our bow and a few knots of flood tide against us. Needless to say we just powerd straight into it rather than making a thousand tacks back and forth to get back to the ooast. Sarah Jean II motors al atong up to 8 1/2 knots which is great in such conditions.

We are now heading north to the Broughtons, a region of thousands of islands, bays and channels across from Point Hardy.

We've posted some photos of our first leg on our Flickr site. To see the picks go to the link below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39357204@N04/sets/72157619514891385/

Wishing you all well. Will send more updates as connections permit!