Sorry all, have been trying to upload photographs to blog, but am having some technical difficulty. Hopefully as my internet signal gets stronger, I will be able to update. I have some awesome photographs to show you, check back in a week or so.
Thank You
Betty
Our ongoing adventures of cruising up and down our beautiful coast - delicious, breath-taking scenery with some unforgettable characters and adventures that make you want to buy a boat!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Day 62 & 63 - Jennis Bay
All Painted and Spiffy
Resident Heron
A very pleasant stay at Jennis awaits us as always. The place is looking real spiffy and Tom and Allison are busy moving down to the docks in readiness for their house moving.
The place is full and we meet some real nice folks. For anyone who has not visited Jennis Bay in Drury Inlet, you are indeed missing a treat. Hopefully next year we will have our motor bike as there are miles of logging roads and great things to see inland.
We met some folks that went to look for the old railroad up Aceteon Sound, but like us, they were not successful. Next time in we will give it a good try again. The directions in the book are somewhat erroneous and a bit confusing. Allison has given us a copy of "search" instructions that were emailed to her from a fellow Burrard member. With these instructions in hand, we will surely find it next year?
Onward to Shawl Bay for our last visit of the season there.
Day 60 & 61 - Turnbull Cove
Heron in Overflow Basin
Totem in Hopetown
A great anchorage that we have not stayed in for a few years. This is our last night with the group of 5. Two of the boats in the group have to head home and we say good bye to them on Day 61 of our trip.
Great hiking and great gunkholing in the area. We all took a high speed gunkhole through "Hopetown Passage" and around to "Overflow Basin" and a few other bays. Highly recommend this area as there is such great gunkholing. We found an old Fish Ladder that is still being serviced by fisheries in one of the bays, lots of fun going in and out of the rapids in the bays.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Day 55 - Burdwood Group
White Sandy Beaches!
Mist in the Morning
This quiet group of Islands just outside of Echo Bay is a great anchorage in settled weather. There are nice stern tie rings in the cliffs and a couple of real nice sandy beaches for both humans and dogs alike. Prawning is awesome and it appears the fishing is good around the area as well. We wake up to a misty morning but the weather is still hot. Sue and Penny go for a ride around in their Kayaks.
We also find an "Uncharted" island in the middle of the group of islands, there is no sign of this island on any of the paper or electronic charts. We claim it as our own Sovereign country!
Day 53 + 54 - Joe's Cove
Noone we know looking for beads
Our 7 Boat raft - stern view
Entrance to Twin Lagoon - rocks abound
"Moon Jelly"
Stephen - 6' smile and a 22 lb. coho
Excellent Shot Gayle!
Rope around the neck ?
One of our favorite bays on the coast, this tiny indent on Eden Island has the greatest gunkholing in the area. As from earlier explanations, this group likes to go "High Speed" Gunkholing,we go at fast speeds and cover great distances in our dinghies. This is the perfect terrain to do both highspeed and regular gunkholing. Hundreds of tiny little bays with wildlife and scenery that boggles the mind.
We stopped to do some fishing prior to going into Joe Cove and my nephew had the experience of a lifetime, he caught a 22 lb. Coho. Our resident humpback is still around, it was spotted (not by my camera tho) jumping straight out of the water a few times.
Everyone was arguing that Stephens fish couldn't possibly be a coho of that size, but sure enough, that night when we all anchored, it was the mother of all cohos! Congratulations Steven!
At the bottom of Fife Sound is a "Sea Lion" Rookery where upon blow up of some of Gayle's photographs, we spot a mature Sea Lion with a rope around its neck. We have since reported it to the local fisheries folks who will hopefully humanely treat the animal.
We went high speed gunkholing in and around Fife sound, visiting "Twin Lagoon", "Old Passage" and some midden beaches. Except for a few small rock dings when entering and exiting the Twin Lagoon, no drama!
Day 52 - Beaver Harbour - Fort Rupert - Port McNeil
Note the log in the background where Mike and Gordie spent the morning
Raft of three
View from our Anchorage
Great Kayak Beach and site of the first Movie ever filmed in BC
None to happy to see us!
Where the Sky and Ocean run as one
Port McNeil Sunset
Beaver Harbour is another one of those "must do again" bays. Very picturesque with white sandy and midden beaches throughout the bay. At the head of the bay is Fort Rupert. Time did not allow for us to go ashore for a visit and a trip to the museum or carving area. We'll save this for another time. We found great anchorage in "Patrician Bay" in Beaver Cove.
The beach behind us has a nice long log at which Mike and Gordie sat the afternoon away chatting about whatever boys chat about. Dogs had a great romp on the same beach and then off they went fishing. A few hours later, as we watched the beach, a huge black bear came ambling out of the woods over the log that had seated the boys earlier. We followed the large bear (via water) all around the bear, this must have been her beach! Good thing we didn't decide to have dinner on the beach.
A short jaunt from Beaver Harbour to Port McNeil to meet up with Oceanaire, Summer and Nut n' Special. Some shopping, guest pick up (Gina and Stephen on Gulf Island) and general catch up with the group.
Day 51 - Port Hardy
Groceries, Laundry and a nice lunch in the pub. And best of all, when docked in Port Hardy (The Quarterdeck Marina), and noone is using the company truck, you may take it to town to get your liquor and grocieries. The folks are great in Port Hardy, the fuel prices were good - 93 cents + gst. The sun and fog were woven together to give us a hazy take off toward Beaver Cove. Laundry and small store are right at the docks and will do in a pinch!
The fish cleaning trays were constantly busy with everything from halibut, large springs, pinks and coho being cleaned.
The fish cleaning trays were constantly busy with everything from halibut, large springs, pinks and coho being cleaned.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Day 47 - 50 - Secret Bay
"Yoshi's Nemesis"
My what Big Teeth you have Grandmother
I like my salmon fresh - preferably caught by fishing rod
Mama told me to stay close to shore
"Ladner Lass" picking her way through the narrow opening
This fishboat didn't maker her next season!
Oyster Catcher flyng towards us with a sea eel dinner
Some sort of Red Lichen growing on the rocks
The group goes gunkholing around the kelp beds
Abandoned Cabin in one of the bays whilst gunkholing
Severe Winds in the area cause the trees to grow on an angle
Curious Baby Bird hanging around all day
A view towards the opening of our bay
Our 7 boat raft in "Secret Bay"
This little unnamed bay is not written up in any books and is such a beautiful little bay, with protection from all winds and virtually invisible to the outside world. Since we cannot find any other information on this bay, we have decided to call it "Secret" Bay. The gunkholing is fantastic in this area and the fishing second to none. All of the boys have limited out on their maximum catch of Salmon. All coho, no springs (except for one - Gordie caught a 29 lb Spring yesterday). Tony has been nick named "Yoshi the Fishing Guide" as he and Marko have been virtually fishing day and night! The only fishing problem there are here are huge Sea Lions picking your salmon off of your line. You either have to reel in fast or chance these wily (Huge) creatures trying to get into your boat to get the salmon! We have spent most of the week here and the weather has been fabulous. Fog all around us, but our little Island sanctuary seems to be immune from all the bad weather and fog
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Day 42 - August 6 - Smith Inlet to Napier Bay
Sea Lion Rookery mid coast
Check out the lazy one laying across the front
An uneventful crossing south. The seas are calm and we stop to fish for a while. We have spoken to all of our friends and family and we are to meet everyone down in Napier Bay.
Enroute south, we first heard these sea lions prior to seeing them. There must have been over 150 of them on the rocks. Most were not jumping into the water, just staring at us and barking obnoxiously. Very smelly and rowdy!
Day 41 - Spider Group via Duncanby to Smith Inlet
Our "Friend" the Washington State Ferry
I wasn't kidding about the Flies in "Fly Bay"
Note the lack of branches on this side of the island
We went to anchor in the islands outside of Duncanby Landing with the intentions of visiting family friends at their Fish Camp "Black Gold" - it is late (7:00 pm) and there is a boat in the only safe anchorage around. We made the decision to go and try Smith Inlet which is on our way down and not a place we have frequented much in the last bunch of boating forays upcoast. After consulting the charts, we decide on Fly Cove on the south side of Smith Inlet. We arrived around 9:00 pm and anchored in the bay with another boat already inhabiting the bay. No time for exploring but the bay is aptly named. We awoke in the morning to our boat covered in flies????.....The area is worth exploring some more on our next trip and perhaps we will have the answers to the questions we asked ourselves last night - Why are there no fish camps in here? The head of Smith has the third largest Sockeye run in BC and we are sure there must be other species of fish in the area? - we do not often hear of people coming in here and the "Book" does not elaborate too much on this area - perhaps it is drive by for most boaters and not a destination?
Day 40 - Namu to Spider Group
"Sooke Post looking for someone to save?
Addenbrook Lighthouse
George helping me knit
View from our Spider Island Anchorage
Mike hits it big with Coho
A leisurely meander through Hunter Island brings us back to Swordfish Bay to fill the freezer up with fish again. Alas, it was not to be, fish 1, Mike Zero. We would have been better of to stay in Namu and to have fished off the docks for Coho!
We hear from Lloyd and Sandy who are tucking into one of the millions of coves in the Spider group but due to his ongoing Battery problems, we think he has now shut his radio off as we do not hear from him again.
Day 38 & 39 - Namu Harbour
Grapevines in Renee's Greenhouse
Peach Tree with Fruit in Renee's greenhouse
Shaman at dock in Namu
Garbage Burner
Renee's green thumb at work
The big town of Namu (overview)
Gilnetters await their opening
The original Cafe in Namu
Pete and Renee looking for Halibut
It has been approximately 10 years since we have last been in Namu - the current caretakers - Rene and Pete have done been good for Namu. There is a lot of available moorage and we take advantage of the space and hang out for a couple of days. Fish are being caught right off the docks at Namu and the docks are full of fish boats waiting for a one day opening on Chum.
Rene and Pete have been here for approximately 5 years and although the place is falling into further decay, they have managed to make a little oasis amidst the crumbling ruins. Renee has a green thumb to the extreme, she has a greenhouse attached to her summer float home with one cherry tree, two peach trees and grapes growing in it! On shore, she has more tomato plants and assorted vegetables with a fruit bearing Fig tree growing amongst the rubble. We meet new friends, Bob and Pat on "On the Edge", and have a couple of fun nights kibitzing with them and their group from 100 mile house. They are awaiting guests (their daughter) from 100 mile house but due to the ever growing forest fire in Bella Coola, it will be doubtful if they make it through as the road is now closed. We hope to run into them again in the upcoming month as they are also out until end of September.
The gillnet fleet is amassing in Namu both on the docks and anchoring as they get an 11 hour opening tommorrow. How they could possibly make a living on this short opening is beyond our comprehension! We beleive it is a chum opening as we are told by the fisherman they only make around .10 cents a pound on the pink salmon, they couldn't hold enough to make it pay!
A must do stop for any boater in the area!
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