Remember that AU = Anchor Up and OD = off the dock.......for brevity.
June 14 OD 0700. The weather gods have been exceptionally good to us this year. Sumner Strait is flat! We were bound Port Beauclerc on the west side of Sumner Strait. G. Vancouver weathered a mega storm there in 1793...I just love being a part of the history of these remote places. We are again having holding tank issues sooooo since the water is flat and the winds predicted are minimal we will put in a long day and head to Red Bay to anchor tonight.
June 15 AU 0500. Sumner still flat. Long day ahead. Made K'town at 1615 and passed Katie B's ship leaving KTN as we were arriving. Small world.
June 17 Gary spent all day the 16th on the tank. I hope the danged thing is fixed. It is becoming a source of frustration. OUr problem is that we can't pump overboard, which is what most people do up here in the wilds. For you city folks there are VERY FEW pump out stations in remote BC and AK. They are fewer than internet connections. This is not good because in these remote areas we have to be self reliant. Keep in mind that Gary is extremely mechanically talented and when he can't fix it there is a real problem. He was starting to get a bit cranky!
So this AM we were OD at 0700 to the fuel dock to find that they opened at 0800.
Here is a good place for a point about AU and OD times like 0430, 0500, etc. In the summers in BC and Alaska the water is normally calmer early in the morning before the afternoon warming starts to kick of the winds and hence the waves. As the winds and waves increase the ride gets less comfortable. Early departures are hard but worth it in the long run. And then you usually finish your cruising day by 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Of course, we are going to bed early too!
Okay, we got our fuel and got away to find Clarence Strait and Dixon Entrance flat at 1230.
The best kind of water on Dixon Entrance.
We are heading around the south end of Prince of Wales Island (from now on POW) for a few days.
At 1630 we cruised into "Double Scotch Byte" (we named it)
Sort of open to the ocean but behind a couple of small islets too. Quite lovely and the weather is calm and will remain...so what the hey? The holding tank works, the dinghy motor works, the water is flat....Life is good.
June 18 0700 AU It came up clean but we didn't budge all night. Very nice settled weather anchorage. Dixon is still flat...not even a low swell this morning. At 1100 we cruised into Elbow Bay on Long Island in Cordova Bay SW POW. Good anchorage. Nothing special but good protection if needed.
Another calm water totem at Elbow.
June 19 AU 0845. The dog has been pill less for days now. Everything is improving. Portage Bay at 1130 to find one sailboat and one bear.
June 20 AU 0630 Leaving will be require a bit of concentration. Sulzer Narrows ( the entrance into Portage Bay) is shallow at best and the tide will be some lower than when we came in. We made it through on a 5.2' tide with 7.5 ' under the boat. 0830 we cruised into Deer Bay with about 10 pounds of prawns that we pulled up on our way in. 1215 AU and onto Eek Bay
PRAWNS in a Dick's bucket!
June 21 0730 AU Hydaburg at 1000.
Totem in cemetery at Hydaburg
No cell phone service from the boat and that was the whole reason we went there..certainly not for a retail experience....Father's Day...dang! Sorry Chester. We moved onto the McFarland Islands. There is one unmarked and uncharted rock, mid channel about 10' deep on a 0 tide. Gary named this place "Single Malt, Drop the Hook. Let'r Rip Bay".
June 22 Au 0545 Over the rock on a 9.8' tide with 18 feet under the boat. Gorgeous spot; unknown/unpublished by Douglas. We made our way into Craig about 1130 and had some pizza in town, picked up a few grocery items and called Gary's dad a day late.
June 23 OD 0800 Picked up some fuel. The water is flat but strong winds are predicted in the next few days. We are heading for a secure anchorage. At 1300 we made our way into Cyrus Cove. Beautiful, bombproof and a bear on the beach. What more could you ask?
Back in the land of otters.
June 24 AU /Gary fished a bit for salmon but had no luck. We were in the midst of a lot of whales.
At 1430 we made our way into "Whales and Otters and Bears! Oh, my! Bay" June 25 Winds are predicted. We are heading south. We were in Cordova Bay between 1300 and 1500 hours. It is semi open water. We were taking 3-4 foot head seas and the boat did great!! Bumpy but not uncomfortable...and I am a woos!
1600 Dunbar Cove. Stormy!! 35 kts at Sukkwan Island...just about 10 miles away. 15-20 where we are on the hook. Tucked in nice and cozy.
June 26 AU 0740 Winds calm inside. 20kts outside and blowing 50 north at Eldred Rock.. We are still OK. Diesel is now 3 weeks without pill. He did great even yesterday in 4' seas. Peeing and pooping on the grass mat without fail. At 1330 we got back inside to Portage Bay. Prawn and crab pots are out. salmon in fridge. Good day with flat water. This is the year of repeat ports and anchorages.
June 27 AU 0700 Good crab and prawns. Cooked! Good water for cruising 2 days to Ktn...Ooops! out of propane. Thank God for the cooked prawns and crab in the fridge! Dixon Entrance flat again....living right. 1610 into Gardner Bay on the SE side of POW. We shared the bay with about a dozen fishing vessels who left to fish at about 0200.
June 28.. AU 0540 Clarence Strait flat. Into Ktn at 1130 for fuel, propane, Safeway, laundry.
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