July 8, 2017 - Port McNeill

Great fuelling up, watering up and getting that laundry done!  The place is 1/2 empty, sign of the lack of boats up here.  Mac's will stay here a few more days waiting for impeller parts to come in.
Off to go fishing in Blackfish Sound!  Hope no-one is in our little spot.

Burdwood Group

 

A Sea Lion Rookery - funny to have so many names to call a group of Sea Lions, if in the water, they are called a raft, if one male and a bunch of females, they are called a harem and if in lounging mode, they are called a rookery!

 

July 6 & 7, 2017 – Lady Boot Cove

A new place to anchor for us.  Friends of ours (Rick and Faye) have said that this is one of their favourites.  Close to the fishing grounds, very protected and the crabbing is great.  They are absolutely correct on all counts.
I dropped the crab trap and in a matter of hours had about a dozen Dungeness crabs in my trap.  1/2 were female and will live to procreate some more, but those males went straight into the pot for a smorgasboard seafood fest.

The boys were able to haul home a 40 lb. halibut, yum, fish and chips with a crab salad for a starter!

Photos for the past few days still to come!

July 4 & 5, 2017 – Burdwood Group of Islands

Such a scenic place, we stay an extra night and will head off to the Halibut fishing grounds in the morning.  Gary and Wendy take a trip to Echo Bay and were promptly told that the fresh groceries in the store are for moorage customers only…..have those people lost their minds???  WTF – why would you have a store and not want to sell everything in it? Desperate way to try and get moorage customers in.  I have spent hundreds of dollars on groceries in preparation for my vacation but know that I will need produce and dairy along the way.  Dumb way to entice moorage customers, trying to get us to spend $1.35 ft. for a nights moorage so that I can have the pleasure of purchasing a lousy head of lettuce?  No thanks, will do without!

There are very few boats in Echo, we suspect that due to the July 4 holiday for the Americans, that all are up at Sullivan Bay for the fireworks.  Although it does make one wonder if others have been treated to the same verbal exchange on fresh produce/dairy and are also staying away.  I’m just stubborn enough to do without and drive 25 miles out of my way to find it elsewhere.

July 3, 2017 – Bond Sound

Off to our favourite anchorage, Burdwood Group.  Enroute, we see two BYC boats, “Kingfisher” and “Escape” who are making their way south.  Both are being “posers” in front of Lacey Falls – great photo you two!  A few dolphins along the way, but nothing in the numbers we are used to seeing.  Perhaps there is no more food for them or the Orca have been chowing down.  Gary and Wendys stay at Kwatsi was a good exchange of stories, one was of the Orca corralling the porpoise into Kwatsi Bay and then having a smorgasboard, Nature is cruel!  This apparently happened twice in the last two years.  The bloodbath continued until the Orca were satiated.

After anchoring, a bickering session ensued. Actually, more like a STFU verbal exchange, good thing we were the only people in there, someone would have made me wash out my mouth with soap!  Getting a sternline to shore is stressful at the best of times, but when the captain forgets to tie the boat end off it gets a little hairier!  Dumb-ass!  A wet butt and pantleg and a un-graceful dumping into the dinghy, we manage to get both ends back to the boat for a tie up.

 

July 2, 2017

A calm ride up to Kwatsi Bay.  Mike and I opted to stay on anchor in Bond Sound (at the head of the sound) in the hopes of seeing some wildlife.  The MacGregors headed off to Kwatsi to stay on the dock.

A quiet night with no wildlife, a few porpoises but certainly not the numbers we usually see in Bond.  In the morning, we were sitting enjoying our morning coffee, when not 50’ off of the boat, a humpback sounded.  At last, wildlife!

The Wagoneer apparently says not to stay here, too windy, we just happened to have a calm night, no drama!  A little bit of chop at tide change, but other than that, a relatively calm night.

July 1, 2017 - Port Harvey

Port Harvey:  Arrived around 5:00 pm after a relatively calm passage up through the all the rapids. 2.5’ chop, a little spray on the windows but quite manageable. We arrive to full docks (reservations a must for July 1, which we thankfully had) to the rousing sounds of Capt Charlie and all the guests decked out in their Canada Day regalia.  Gail and George were busy cooking up Ribs and Corn for dinner (Yum) and we settled in for dinner and a lively game of cards.  At 10:00 pm the fireworks started.  A show that could rival Canada Place display!  After around a 45 minute show, we finished our cards and to bed we headed.  Much to our surprise, dinner and fireworks were compliments of George and Gail, how generous is that!  We thank them so much for being there and their hospitality.  For those boaters that frequent it, send your emails off in support of George and his Marina.  And even those that don’t, if you don’t respond, they won’t be there for you when you make the trek to the Broughtons.  There are too many of the small destination boat resorts that are disappearing.  We must support them.  Heidi Soltau - hsoltau@rdmw.bc.ca

June 29-30, 2017

Leaving Pender and heading to Squirrel Cove in Desolation Sound.  Another great travelling day with flat calm seas and a hot sunny day.  We run into the Mac's and Bubb's and have a nice dinner with both.  Ruby's boundless energy is spent making her swim around Squirrel Cove with Mike encouraging her from the comfort of his dinghy.  Finally she is calmed down!

Entering Desolation sound, another stellar travelling day!

June 28, 2017

Off on another adventure.  Beer and groceries loaded on the boat, work is in fairly capable hands.
A short trip to the Broughtons (Our Happy Place!). 

Our first night, we made it from BYC to Pender Harbour to sleep and get the bridge washed down. A very smooth ride from the club to Pender - just over 3 hours.

Two weeks in a shelter to do our varnish left us with a lot of dust inside our bridge.  Nothing a good hosing down won't fix. All clean and off to Squirrel Cove to meet up with our travelling companions, Gary and Wendy and to see our good friends Terry and Cindy!

Saw this little guy in my morning walk with Ruby in Pender Harbour

"Downy Woodpecker"

Missing these two already!