On the move

After our short stay in the Octopus Islands, we decided that it was time to put some miles under us. We have been making relatively short hops all the way up here and we have realized that we really haven't gone very far (we actually realized this a long time ago and have given up on trying to get to Alaska this year). We are starting to understand the fact that there is no way that we are going to be able to see everything that there is to see up here. There are really years worth of exploring to be had in the Northwest and we aren't planning on taking years in the Northwest to explore, so we decided to pick a handful of places that we really want to see on this trip and make an effort to see them.

The first step is to cover some ground. Off we go. From the Octopus Islands we picked a path that would take us to the Broughton Archipelago via Johnstone Strait. Johnstone Strait is another long body of water that can be extremely challenging. The typical weather patterns on the Strait are fairly calm mornings and then rip-roaring afternoons when the sea breeze kicks up. We have been hearing steady reports of winds between 30-40 knots in the afternoons. The problem with Johnstone Strait is that the current generally runs in the northwest direction and the wind generally runs in the opposite direction. When the wind and current oppose each other like that, the seas get steep and rough.

When we left the Octopus Islands, the weather forecast was calling for south east winds which would be perfect for us. A southeasterly would basically push us along exactly in the direction we needed to go and make an easy passage for us. When we got to Johnstone Strait it was flat calm. That is the second best thing to a southeasterly. It's an easy day but unfortunately incredibly boring. We turn on the autopilot and listen to the hum of the engine for hours on end. About 6 hours into our passage, the wind came out of nowhere. Zero knots of wind became 30 knots of wind on our nose with steep waves that made the boat shudder and come nearly to a halt with each pounding. It was difficult to make much headway so we decided to take shelter in a place called Port Neville.

Port Neville is now the place that we will remember as being the worst night of sleep in our lives. Our guide books recommended anchoring in a spot that is basically just off of the Strait. The books say that there can be some current running through the inlet and to make sure your anchor is set well. Anchor set well...check. The books didn't tell us that the inlet becomes a raging river and that the ground that we are anchoring on is strewn with rocks so every time the boat shifts, there is a grinding noise from the anchor chain over the rocks that reverberates through the boat. Johnstone Strait had wind in the 30-40 knot range all night and we had 20-25 knots where we were anchored. We had the raging river under the boat, we had the grinding of the chain over rocks, and we had driving rain that sounded like hail on a tin roof. A tri-fecta of anti sleeping devices (actually a quad-fecta if you include the howling wind).

We also learned in Port Neville what the phrase “pitch black” means. There are no cities, towns, houses, or cars anywhere near here, so there is no ambient light at all. That means that when it is dark out...it is DARK. With the quad-fecta of noises going on, it was hard to believe that we were really sitting well on our anchor. The easiest way to make sure that you are where you are supposed to be is to go outside and look around. I had been looking around quite a bit while it was light out and was feeling pretty good about how our anchor was holding us but Brenda started getting nervous when night came. She decided to go on deck and make sure that we were where we were supposed to be. She came back inside about 3 seconds later with panic in her eyes saying “it's too scary out there!!! You go look!” It was DARK. Since the storm was raging, there were no stars...no moon...no light whatsoever. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face. It was really disorientating to be blind except for the tiny spot that our flashlight would light up. It was time to bring out the big guns. Brenda's mosquito hunting spotlight had to come out and get used for what we actually purchased it for...spotting land at night. Despite the quad-fecta, we were exactly where we were supposed to be.

When morning came, we decided to hit the high seas and head for a better harbor even though we have heard great things about the history of Port Neville. It had the longest running Post Office in the province and a little museum that are now both closed, bears frequent the shores, and some other odds and ends that we were planning on checking out but couldn't muster up the energy. And really we just wanted out of the place. The wind had calmed down to about 15 knots mid morning and another system was supposed to roll in so it was time to move.

Up to Port Harvey we go. We anchored in the bay and took the dinghy to the marina to check things out. This place calls itself a “marine resort” which I was thinking would be more like some of the other resorts that we have seen. Apparently at this place, marine resort means run down whole in the wall with rickety docks and a grouchy owner that lives next to a logging camp with derelict boats and piles of garbage everywhere and a dog that growls and barks at every boater that shows up. We thought that we would have dinner at the restaurant but the owner told us that if we weren't paying customers of the marina then we couldn't be paying customers of the restaurant. Maybe she was having a bad day and maybe I was expecting something different. Either way, we were happy to have a calm night and catch up on our Z's while we were anchored in the bay.

The next stop was Lagoon Cove which was a great little spot. We anchored in the bay and took the dinghy to the marina to check out the area. This place had old world charm. The owners had taken great care to make this a destination. They put some hiking trails in, a couple of exercise stations (one was a push lawnmower and the other was an ax to chop firewood), they had happy hour on the dock for all the guests, a great swing on an old growth cedar tree, and the sweetest old lady who owned the place. Her and her husband have owned the marina for about 30 years (she is 80). Her husband unfortunately passed away last year and now she is on her own and trying to sell the place because it is too much for her to handle by herself. We spent quite a bit of time talking with her and when she found out I had a background in construction, her eyes lit up. Her husband had been the one to take care of all the maintenance and since he wasn't around anymore, she had some things that needed tending to. We were happy to help out but some of the things that needed taking care of were short on supplies. There isn't a Home Depot around the corner up here so we could only do so much. She had a barge coming later in the season with lumber and odds and ends so we did what we could and parted ways. We really enjoyed this place and wish the best of luck to the owner.

Next stop was Kwatsi Bay which was another impressive anchorage with 6,000 foot tall peaks and rock walls that completely surround the bay. While we were exploring the bay in the dinghy we came across something neither of us have ever seen before and I'm not sure that we want to see again...hundreds and hundreds of sharks in the shallows. You read that right...sharks...by the hundreds. We tried to take pictures for proof but we were both too scared to put our hands and the camera under water long enough to get a good picture. We hung out in the dinghy drifting over them for probably an hour trying to figure out what was going on. They weren't feeding on anything so the only thing we could come up with was that this must be a breeding ground. It was pretty cool to see. (I should clarify that these weren't man-eater size great white sharks but 3 to 4 footers....we still don't know what kind of sharks they were...but they were everywhere!)

So that's it for now. We haven't seen any more bears, still no whale sightings, no dolphins, no cougars, and no wolves (we have heard them howling at night though). We are still on the move and will report more when there is more to report.