Magical Namu



Namu



Gardens around Cannery Buildings





Cannery Buildings



Departed Shearwater and cruised southeast through Lama Passage, crossing Fisher Channel to Codville Lagoon on King Island, another BC Marine Park.  The large lagoon is very scenic, a nice place to anchor for lunch or overnight.  After our tour of the lagoon we continued south along Fisher Channel reaching Namu Harbour and docked at the old cannery site.  Robert Draney founded the Namu Canning Co. in 1893 at the mouth of Namu River.  Between the 1930’s and 1980’s, Namu was owned by BC Packers, an important hub for commercial fishermen.  Namu supported up to 400 cannery workers, fish processors, and maintenance personnel along with their families.  The cannery included an ice plant, café, laundry, general store, bunkhouses, and office buildings.  A fire in 1961 destroyed many of the buildings and a new plant was built in 1962.  BC Packers sold the site in the early 1990’s and Namu was operated for a while as a fishing lodge.  Today most of the buildings are in decay but there is a certain charm about Namu.  The husband and wife caretakers of the guest dock have planted extensive flower gardens and built hot-houses among the cannery buildings, creating a certain magical touch.  This ghost town/cannery reminded us of Ocean Falls with its buildings from the 1960’s frozen in time.  We saw empty cans for packing shrimp still stacked along a wall, and we saw hourly time reports that had been placed above a desk.  Even the desk chair appeared to swivel as if someone had just sat there.  BC Packers simply up and left a complete machine shop, the company equipment, and even stock in the store.  The current caretakers restored the 1951 tractor that the company had left behind and they also restored one of three forklifts that were abandoned.  No one knows what will become of Namu; but one thing is for certain, things WILL change as they always do – one of life’s important lessons.



Packing Cans - Namu



Air Filters - Processing Building



A Look at the Past



Abandoned House - Namu



Namu Frozen in Time



Ghost Ship - Namu



Inukshuk



Leonard's Inukshuk



Starfish viewed from Kayak



We were delighted to see patches of blue sky and sun for our morning departure down Finlayson Channel.  The sunlight glistened on the water and contrasted with the black tail fin of a whale in the far distance, a pretty sight.  We entered Milbanke Sound, then east into Moss Passage and transited Perceval Narrows, reaching the lovely island area of Port Blackney.  We anchored for the night in Oliver Cove at Port Blackney, part of an established B.C. Marine Park.  Before dinner, we kayaked around the cove looking for signs of the old cabin that once stood here, but only a few boards remain.  Seeing numerous rocks of varying sizes, we decided this was a great spot to build a Inukshuk.  While picking up large pieces of rock, Leonard uncovered a pair of eyeglasses; could they have been from the cabin? Or had they been washed ashore?  Leonard's Inukshuk now wears the eyeglasses and stands proudly above the cove.  We said goodbye to the Inukshuk in the morning and transited Reid Passage, then cruised down Seaforth Channel, arriving at Shearwater on Denny Island where we purchased provisions and stayed the night.



Lighthouse near Shearwater



Butedale



Butedale



Old Dormitory - Butedale



From Wright Sound, we continued south along McKay Reach and Fraser Reach.  We stopped along Fraser Reach at the interesting and once famous fish packing camp/cannery of Butedale.  Most of the old buildings are falling down and it’s like walking through a ghost camp.  Lou is the only full time resident and serves as caretaker for the dock to welcome boaters who want to explore the area.  To get electricity to his house, he uses an alternator connected to one of the old turbines in the powerhouse.  During our visit, he was working on completing a grid system on which to haul out his boat for repairs and maintenance.  Lou is an inventive character, a survivor in the wilderness.  We had a nice visit, then toured the powerhouse and hiked the trail to the flume.  Lou built a flume to capture rushing water from the river falls which is delivered to the powerhouse.  From Butedale, we continued south into Graham Reach then through Hiekish Narrows into Finlayson Channel and anchored in Work Bay on Royal Island for the night.



Powerhouse - Butedale



Turbine - Powerhouse



“Das Boot”



"Das Boot!"



Hawk Bay Anchorage



We left Colby Bay in the morning and continued down Principe Channel which is susceptible to winds coming in from the ocean.  We encountered 25 knot winds, fog, and 5 foot seas.  We thought of the movie “Das Boot” when the German U-Boat was riding through high wind and waves.  We were the only boat on the high seas until we finally spotted another boat passing us in the opposite direction.  We repeated the words from the movie when the German U-boat saw another U-boat passing by, “Das ist Tomsen, Das ist Tomsen!”  It was an emotional moment in the movie which we can now relate to; it's always reassuring to see another boat.  Turning east through Otter Channel, we headed for Hawk Bay on the west side of Finn Island to anchor for the night.  We awoke the next morning to more rain and fog to continue our eastward direction into Wright Sound, connecting up with our earlier northbound route and the protected waters of the “Inside Passage.”



Birds Hitching a Ride



Waterfall - Inside Passage



The Next Generation



Kitkatla Dock



Fishing Skiffs - Kitkatla



We cleared customs in Prince Rupert and left the next day heading southwest through Ogden Channel and anchored for the night at a lovely spot called Captain Cove on the northwest end of Pitt Island.  In the morning we saw a black bear along the shore before departing for the Native village of Kitkatla, located across Ogden Channel on Dolphin Island.  Kitkatla is home to the Gitxaala Nation and site of a missionary church built by locals in the 1930’s.  We visited the church and walked through the village consisting of graveled streets and look-alike homes, perhaps a government housing project.  As we walked through the community, a Native official stopped to visit with us and told us a story about his grandfather.  His grandfather was seen by some young boys crying at the burial grounds.  The boys later asked him why he was crying.  The grandfather said, “I am not crying for those who have died, they are already gone; I am not crying for myself, I will soon pass away; I am crying for the young people who will no longer be able to fish freely.”  It is thought that grandfather foresaw the coming of fishing restrictions and regulations.  It seems to have come true; as non-residents of Canada it cost us $250 per person for the base fishing license and salmon tag.  The price for a fishing license is dependent on several factors:  fishing location, type of species, and number of days requested – a complex system for a modern world.  We departed Kitkatla and rounded McCauley Island where we saw several whales then continued south down Principe Channel for anchorage in Colby Bay on the east side of Banks Island.



Missionary Church



Visit with Native Official



The Next Generation



Housing - Kitkatla

A 100 Mile Crossing



Morning Fog



Nothing But Ocean and Sky!



"Land Ho"



We left Sukkwan Cove near Hydaburg, AK in the morning and headed for “Dixon Entrance,” the large body of water separating Alaska from British Columbia.  Gale warnings were in effect so we stopped at Elbow Bay on Long Island to anchor and wait for better weather.  We left at 5am the next morning in light wind and morning fog.  Our day’s journey took us around the south tip of Prince of Wales Island (Cape Chacon) and across the open waters of Dixon Entrance, east by southeast to Prince Rupert in British Columbia – nearly a 100 mile journey.  There’s no place to go if the seas get rough, only rocks and reefs show their face.  Since we would be entering Canadian waters, we set our clocks one hour later, losing an hour during our crossing.  As we progressed east, the waves continued to build, reaching 5-6 foot swells; we came to appreciate “Got d’ Fever’s” 8-foot bow.  It was a balancing act with the boat rocking and pitching, and even Java got so she could balance herself by leaning from side to side and front to back on her four little legs.  She soon tired of this exercise however and put her back-end against the helm and took a nap.  Fog was also a factor; and with radar turned on, we were able to avoid other vessels, including an Alaska State Ferry.  The fog later dissipated, revealing only ocean for as far as the eye could see, a wondrous sight.  After hours of seeing nothing but water in all directions, we could finally say “land ho” - we spied Dundas Island off in the distance.  More islands came into view and we finally reached Venn Passage leading to Prince Rupert.  We arrived in Prince Rupert at 6pm Pacific Daylight Time – a 12-hour voyage!



Java's Support Technique



Haida Country



Hydaburg



Totem Park - Hydaburg



The day’s cruise took us through Ulloa Channel between Prince of Wales Island and Suemez Island.  We passed an attractive fishing resort called Waterfall Resort with new looking cabins for accommodations and work sheds in what appeared to be old cannery buildings.  We continued southeast, reaching the Native village of Hydaburg located on the southwest side of Prince of Wales Island.  Since the village docks looked to be in poor condition, we anchored two miles south in Sukkwan Cove and took the dinghy to the village.  Hydaburg was created in 1911 when three Haida villages consolidated in order to provide better schooling for their children.  We stopped by the village “Carving Shed” and received a friendly invitation to watch the craftsmen at work.  The village had received grant monies to replicate old totems that had been collected from abandoned villages.  Some of the poles being replicated were from the 1930’s & 40’s, which were retrieved by the CCC’s and copied by Natives at that time.  The poles we saw being replicated were scheduled to be installed at the village Totem Park.  Anyone interested can participate and help carry the poles to the park; unfortunately for us, the event was another week away.  We noticed children in the village fishing along the river.  Hydaburg doesn't have a commercial fishing fleet, subsistence fishing is the name of the game here.  Financial support appears to come from the timber industry.  While anchored in Sukkwan Cove, we noticed a ship from China loading logs across the bay.  We were told the local forest land is owned by a Native Corporation and we suspect that the Natives own shares in the company.  We watched as two tugs maneuvered the ship into position and a smaller boat carried the mooring lines to the mooring buoys anchored along the shore.  A little later in the day, another ship from Asia arrived and went through the same procedure.  While contemplating what to fix for dinner, two Native fishermen and a young boy came over to our boat in their skiff to offer us a fish; they had a large bucket filled with Sockeye salmon!  We paid them for one of the smaller fish and had a great visit.  They expressed concerns about the fish migration being affected by the timber industry.  They also wondered why more visitors didn't come to their village.



Haida Craftsman



Carving Shed - Hydaburg



Totem Replica Next to Original



Ship from China Loading Timber



Buying Fish from Haida Natives



Alaskan Life Style



Klawock's Cannery



Old Town - Craig



Old Cannery - Craig



Spent the day touring the older section of Craig, including the old cannery with lace curtains still hanging in the office windows.  Craig’s new working cannery is located on the opposite shore in the bay and is active day and night, typical of many modern day canneries in Alaska.  We also toured the Native fishing village of Klawock, a short 7 miles north of Craig.  Residents in Klawock are employed in the village cannery or work for the local saw mill, while others are part of the fishing fleet.  Fishing boats come and go at both Craig and Klawock, a major source of income as is true throughout Southeast Alaska, creating other businesses that support the fishing industry.  I think this whole state would stop dead in its tracks if it weren’t for the abundant fish and timber resources.  After viewing the totem park in Klawock, we motored back to Craig and anchored in the bay for the night.  What a great place to watch the floatplanes come and go, another important business in Alaska providing mail service, supplies, and bringing in guests for the fishing lodges.  Planes landed on both sides of our boat, coming and going within minutes of each other.  One plane landed and made a turn on the water with only one float touching and another plane squeezed between our boat and the old cannery – impressive.  The underlying theme in Alaska is the casual life style.  There doesn’t seem to be a class system here or a mind set that makes comparisons.  People here are enjoying life to the fullest in the simplest of ways.




Docks at Klawock

 


Totem Park - Klawock

 

Bringing in the Fishing Net - Craig



Floatplane Landing Near Our Boat



Floatplane Service, Important Business



Hard to Come By



At the Craig Fuel Dock



Pumping Fuel



When traveling in southeast Alaska, boat supplies can be hard to come by.  Fuel stops are manageable with large fuel tank(s) on the boat, but finding parts and services is a much bigger challenge.  Towns with a significant population are usually able to provide services and supplies for boaters; but when hold up in a remote location, parts have to be flown in by floatplane.  While in Craig, we were able to purchase a battery replacement for our boat’s Genset.  A Genset has a diesel motor that’s connected to an electric generator which provides AC electricity for the boat; the Genset is used when the boat is not connected to shore power at a marina.  The Genset can also be used as a backup battery when the house batteries fail to start the engine(s).  We were anchored out earlier in the week at Appleton Cove when Leonard noticed that the starter motor on the generator sounded weak as a result of the battery’s low voltage.  The fuel dock in Craig had the correct battery for purchase as well as engine oil (the boat is due for an oil change after another 80 hours of motoring).  The more immediate concern was the matter of lifting a 140 pound battery into its housing box in the engine room with little head room and minimal space to move about.  A young strapping teenager from the warehouse put the battery on a dolly and brought it down to our boat.  Older strapped Leonard soon put this young man to work and between the two of them they managed this herculean feat.  Of course they had to get the old battery out first; lifting a 140 pound battery straight up out of a box without damaging other mechanical systems was no easy task.  The new battery was then lifted down into the lazarette of the cockpit, into the engine room, and placed into its housing box.  With success realized, “Hi, I’m Leonard,” “Hi, I’m Tommy,” rang out with enthusiasm in the engine room as they both lay contorted in a confined space.  I am sure this young man had no idea what was in store for him, this was NOT in his job description!  Being a larger individual, he was cramped in a hot engine room with sweat pouring down his brow, we appreciated his help immensely and paid him accordingly for his time, no way we could have done this by ourselves!  We also took on fuel while at the fuel dock.  When we first arrived, the attendant gave us the wrong hose, unleaded gas (UNL), instead of the hose coming from the diesel pump.  We noticed the error and avoided yet another potential disaster!  Gas in a diesel engine ruptures the cylinders and destroys the engine.  Diesel in a gas engine can be cleared out, but gas in a diesel engine is fatal.  When pumping fuel, we always double check, making sure we have the correct hose to the correct pump.  Leonard also tests the fuel by putting a little on his finger; diesel has a distinctive smell and feel.  We motored back to our slip in the marina and finished the day walking around town.



Lifting 140 lbs. into Engine Room



Starting Genset to Test New Battery



Big, Bigger, and Biggest



Craig, A Welcome Sight



We left Port Alexander at 10:15 in the morning to make the 75 mile trek to Craig located on the west side of Prince of Wales Island, exposing us to the elements of the Gulf of Alaska.  The seas started getting rough around Cape Decision and continued to build as we headed south.  A pod of whales passed us as before, making their journey in the opposite direction.  We cruised near Kuiu Island and the Spanish Islands in rough seas that were still comfortable for us so we continued along the west side of Warren Island.  At this point, the sea’s started to build creating swells between 6 to 7 feet tossing us from side to side in a more violent manner.  Plastic drinking cups and food supplies in the cupboards and in the refrigerator tipped over and rolled around.  I went in the galley to check on things and grabbed the free-standing table to keep my balance; it started to tip so I lowered the table top, which lowered its center of gravity.  When I checked inside the refrigerator, a jar of olives had tipped over and its juice was running over the shelves.  Got d’ Fever was managing well but we were a little uncomfortable with these aggressive seas, something fishermen deal with on a regular basis.  Oh did I mention we were also in fog with only 1 to 2 miles of visibility.  We quickly decided to go on the east side of Warren Island, which gave us some protection from the large swells and made for a more comfortable ride.  By then, Java couldn’t wait any longer and went out on the bow for her potty break; she wasn’t the only one in need!  I started picking things up that were strewn about and began cleaning the inside of the refrigerator.  When I opened the cupboard doors to begin dinner preparations, items came tumbling out.  We continued our cruise past Heceta Island, crossed the Gulf of Esquibel, and then motored between San Fernando Island and Prince of Wales Island, arriving at 8pm in Craig, a welcome sight.



Indication of a Rough Ride