Hi

Hi – so much water has gone under the hull since I last wrote!

We really enjoyed Quatsino Sound section of coast.

Day 9 First big crossing (around Cape Scott) coming up. We left Bull Harbour at 5 am and arrived around cape at Sea Otter Cove at 10:20. On our way past Sutil Point we passed some Humpback Whales, actually had to slow down as one was crossing right in front of us. The cape was foggy and lumpy with 20 k winds – not too bad at all – just couldn’t see it or Cox Island, 5.5. mi west. At Sea Otter Cove went ashore in dinghy for a couple of hours. MaryLou rounded a corner and startled a bear who startled her. She ran and so did the bear! The bears stayed around all afternoon digging in the beach and eating grasses. We’re certainly in black bear haven. We’re the only boat in the cove today.

Day 10

Slipped off moorage buoy at 6:25 and entered Quatsino Sound at 11:00. Sunny! Made scones while we slowly fished/sailed to Winter Harbour. Watched mama bear and young cub on beach. Waters calm. Found out Ron Edgar’s wedding is off – so we don’t have to make the trip to Nanaimo. Anchored 4:30 pm in Forward Inlet –guys caught 2 small rockfish and 1 greenling – Yum Yum.

Day 11 5:40 am – pulled anchor as winds were coming into our anchorage. Light rain and misty as we traveled an hour and anchored behind Mabbott Island in Quatsino Sound.. 11:40 am – pulled anchor continuing up the Sound.

4:00 pm – Anchored at Pamphlet Cove (Drake Island) in the Sound.

Day 12 9 am Pulled anchor – only a starfish in the crab trap and 2 eelfish in the prawn traps!

Winds rising as we traveled towards Port Alice Yacht Club (Rumble Beach). The Yacht Club gave us a spot, for a donation fee, and a key to the gate. Wind still blowing and great to be tied up.

Here we are in Rumble Beach (Port Alice) in Inner Quatsino Sound and enjoying the friendliest place ever. We’re tied up at the Port Alice Yacht Club docks – only about 10 boats here although they have space for 45. Don’t know where the boats all are. Our stay is by “donation”! The wind was really kicking up when we arrived so were happy to stay for the day – on our way tomorrow to Coal Harbour via Quatsino Narrows and then working our way west out the sound again.

Went to a laundromat at the local RV park and all the machines were in working order at $1.25 each – a nice treat. Norm keeps pulling up the crab pot and checking it only to find females – but the locals assure us there are keepers here! Right from the dock. This is our sunniest day and it’s been a treat.

We really miss our buddy boat (Coastrunner) and crew -- so we keep the Kleenex box handy.

Hiked 10 min. to an RV park with our laundry. Everyone is so friendly and hospitable! Good grocery store to restock. Hiked through town which is clean and welcoming with park and walking path.

Day 13 8:25 am departed Port Alice. Mist (fog) slowly rising – wind was against us. Went through Quatsino Narrows and anchored in Varney Bay. Mary Lou & Norman got 8 rockfish. Capt. Dave repaired our engine exhaust system and then slept. It was a hot lazy afternoon – I threw all our bedding, including mattress, on top of boat to sun & air. Pulled in one keeper crab and released a female, red with eggs.

Day 14 9 am – pulled anchor and arrived at Coal Harbour Public Dock – we walked to the Indian Village with Norm and MaryLou (about a mile) on the highway to Port Hardy. Left dock at 3pm. Anchored at North Bay (near Winter Harbour) at 8:30 pm. Adventures for today:

#1 Autohelm wouldn’t release the wheel – while underway, Dave took it all apart so he could steer manually. (temp fix)

#2 Hurried to get to fuel dock before their closing at 7pm. Saw 2 powerboats being turned away. I hollered out: “Can’t you get fuel?” “No, “ they said, “He’s a jerk!!” Turns out the fuel attendant said they caused too much wake coming in and he wouldn’t give them fuel. They then bad-mouthed him, which only made him more determined. Anyway, the fuel attendant hollered at me, “ you can get fuel, you didn’t make a big wake” – so we happily pulled in – feeling a little sorry for the other guys.

#3 – As Dave and Norm cast in the lines to leave the fuel dock, Dave said, “Oops, I never push away until I’ve started the engine. He tried and tried and it wouldn’t start as we were being taken by the wind away from the dock. After a bit we put the sails up and headed towards our anchorage a couple miles away. But when we got to a turn in the inlet, we lost our wind - totally. I took the helm while Dave went below and lifted up the engine cover to work on the starter. Meanwhile the back eddies and currents are taking us backwards and towards the bank. I’m yelling out “15 meters, 10 meters, 7 meters” – Dave hollers back, “Just steer out of it!” Finally with the slightest breath of variable winds we turned away from shore – heading slowly backwards! There were fishing boats nearby but Dave’s plan #2 was to put down our dinghy and pull us. But he didn’t want to do it so soon as it would cause a drag! He thought part of the problem with the starter was because we had been gunning it to get to the fuel dock before closing and it had got hot. Finally when we turned the key, it started! That night I couldn’t sleep, kept thinking, I’m not going out to the ocean with a faulty starter and autohelm.

Meanwhile, in the galley, MaryLou has made the biggest pot of fresh fish chowder (lasted us 3 days) and is quite oblivious to everything going on above.

Hey, it’s their 51^st anniversary today: (song for MaryLou, in pj’s)

“Here comes the bride, in with the tide,
She has been for quite a ride!”

(and for Norm, at dinette)

“There sits the groom, in the saloon (salon),

‘My Mary, my Mary, still makes my heart swoon.’”

8:40 pm - dinner (chowder) at last!

Day 15 – 8 am pulled anchor and headed to Klaskino Inlet. MaryLou is reading “Cape Horn – One man’s dream, one woman’s nightmare” – our problems seem very small in comparison to what Reanne and Don went through. They are the authors of the guidebooks we follow religiously both here, in Alaska and in the Broughtons.

11:00 am - in Quatsino Inlet - dropped prawn traps further up inlet and went back to mooring buoys – decided later we don’t like mooring buoys (covered with rubber tires) as they marked up the front of our hull after a night of banging around. Dave spent the afternoon being super Capt. Dave! He got to the bottom of the problem with the autohelm steerage and replaced to small sheared pins – made one with part of a drill bit and one with part of an allen key! Saw 2 black bears today and a buck swimming across Quatsino Sound on our way here.

5 pm – pulled prawn traps and were revulsed by Slime Eels or Pacific Hagfish – they only live 300 or so feet down – are blind – and cover everything with a toxic slime when threatened. After dinner (sweet & sour meatballs) went beachcombing – nice long beach with lots of bear scat. Dave stayed behind and became Super Super Capt. Dave as he repaired the starter switch problem (one we’ve had for a year or so but was getting worse until it failed yesterday).

Day 16 – 7:50 am Departed Klaskino Anchorage buoy. Fog patches only -- a relief not to be socked in – haven’t had any fog to speak of since Cape Scott. Toured Klaskish Inlet and then headed around the infamous Brooks Peninsula between the peninsula and Solander Island (home of sea lions). Happy to have only rippled seas and light winds and are counting our blessings as the days have been sunny and warm. 3:00 pm anchored on mooring buoy in Columbia Cove. Dinghied to end of bay and pulled boat well up onto beach (tide was going out and then coming in while we’d be gone) to hike over land to beach on other side. This is without a doubt my favourite thing so far. Long, sandy beach with the back covered with driftwood. We played about an hour before hiking back. The trail was about 30-45 min. with the first 15 min. being a maze of windfall – we clung to wet moss covered branches and hoisted ourselves up and over trunks and branches. MaryLou and Norm were like teenagers hiking over the maze.

Day 17 - 10:00 am untied from buoy at Columbia Cove. Made pumpkin muffins as we had to wait for tide to come in so we could leave. Heading towards Checleset Bay, Dave caught 2 dusky rockfish. 1 pm – anchored in Bunsby Islands in Scow Bay. Have made friends with Lee & Penny on a power yacht “Rhapsody” and sailboat Vola. All got together on the beautiful yacht for happy hour and Lee showed us the pilot house (to die for – if you’re a power boat affecionado.

Day 18 – waiting out a gale so decided to stay put here for a day. Made cinnamon buns and shared with fellow boaters. Norm & MaryLou went fishing and came back with a pail of 9 fish – silver grey rockfish, greenling, vermillion rockfish, dusky rockfish, and Puget Sound rockfish. Norm has been doing all the fish cleaning – what a guy!! We are joined by another sailing boat, Ocean Frog, and gave them 3 filleted fish.

The 2 fishermen bravely headed out into the vast Pacific Ocean (nearly- they were 2 minutes away from their anchorage) only in their little dinghy to bring back sustenance for their starving boat-family (who were washing up dishes from a huge meal). About 5 minutes into their mission, they disparingly dropped their hooks into the salty brine.

Immediately they started landing (baby) rockfish (2)– “oh, well”, says Dave, “”this is good for crab bait.” ..and so it was.

The fish were rendered senseless - 2 mighty blows. Then they said, “Hey, there’s no fish here – let’s move!! “ Across the mighty bay they went – about a minute’s journey – and continued jerk fishing (not the guys, the type of fishing). Norm almost caught one – a fish chased his lure right to the surface – but the lure was too big to go in the fish’s mouth. Dave to the rescue – his shiny yellow lure was the right size. “Norm,”says Dave, “.I’ve caught our fish.” ...and so it was, a lovely greenling.

And they sang: “ No gaff, no pail, no nets….we’re kings of the sea.” Anyways they did land the fish.

The poor boat people can eat again.

Day 19 -- Decided to venture out in the storm and headed to Walter’s Cove at Kyucuot. We’re rafted to Rhapsody and Vola is tied up on the other side. Ocean Frog said he would try to come tomorrow! Happy little rendezvous - how quickly we become friends when you’re alone in the waters. There’s a restaurant here but it’s not open and a grocery store that provided all our needs (for a price – but well worth it). In the cove, you can look across to the native village of Kyucuot. We’ve managed to get wi-fi so you’re the lucky reciprients of our luck! Having tea and then a short hike to the beach – slightly rainy but warm enough.