Scenic Voyage



Tribune Channel



Departed Lagoon Cove late morning and cruised north crossing Knight Inlet and on through Sargeaunt Passage, a narrow waterway leading to Tribune Channel.  Scenic Tribune Channel is surrounded by snow covered mountains and numerous waterfalls cascading through the steep granite face and forested mountains below.  We arrived 15:30 at the tiny marina in Kwatsi Bay on the mainland of British Columbia just across the channel from Gilford Island.  There are no roads, land phones, shore power, or cell phone coverage, but there is WiFi service via satellite.  Several waterfalls are within Kwatsi Bay and we saw a bear roaming the shoreline -- a very pretty place to visit.



Tribune Channel



Prawn Feast

Had fun accomplishing several chores while at Lagoon Cove, Leonard chopped some wood and I mowed the lawn.  Went hiking on the trails and came across an old-fashioned wood swing hanging from a large tree, very cool!  The potluck at Lagoon Cove was great fun with the usual mix a folks and interesting stories.  The shared prawns were absolutely delicious!  We put out our own prawn trap last night and hauled up about a dozen prawns this morning, which we processed and put in the freezer.  Only takes a few minutes for the prawns to cook in boiling water -- when they float to the top, they're done.  Today we head for the north end of Tribune Channel.

A Sense of Humor



Clio Channel



 We arrived at Lagoon Cove Marina yesterday evening after cruising through Beware Passage, a challenging passage requiring careful navigation with lots of twists and turns to avoid rocks and reefs.  Beware Passage leads to Clio Channel and then to Lagoon Cove located on the northwest end of E. Cracroft Island.  The owner of Lagoon Cove Marina must have a sense of humor or perhaps is a smart businessman.  He has “exercise stations” set up for his guests:  an old fashioned pushing lawn mower (mow his lawn and you get free prawns at happy hour); work with an axe and fill the woodshed; hike the forest trails; or play a game of horse shoes; or work in the garden.  Potts and pans are provided in the Crab Shack to cook your own crab -- saves a mess aboard the boat, what a great idea!  You can also burn paper trash in the burn barrel located near a totem pole made out of boat parts.  Definitely a fun and rewarding destination for boaters.

Lagoon Cove Marina

Forgotten Past

Today we traveled by dinghy to Mamalilaculla, an abandoned Native village located on the west end of Village Island.  This is the site of the last great Native Potlatch thought to have taken place around 1921.  Potlatches had been banned since 1884 but continued to take place in secret.  At Mamalilaculla, several band members were charged for violations and the ceremonial items confiscated -- many of these items can be seen at the Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, which we had visited earlier.  The site is overgrown but we walked through the brush and found several buildings - some fallen, some still standing.  We also discovered a fallen totem lying on its back by the water’s edge.  Pilings still remain along the white shell beach mixed with shards of china.  The buildings seemed haunting, if only they could speak.  Now only bears roam the area.  As I approached some large beams of a once grand Longhouse, I was startled by a noise in the bushes and turned around to see the back end of a black bear bounding off through the bushes.  I don’t know who was more startled, me or the bear!  It certainly was up close and personal.  I took a picture of his calling card (droppings) as proof of our encounter.  After leaving Mamalilaculla, we cruised through Beware Passage, spotting two other abandoned Native villages on our way to Lagoon Cove.



Fallen Totem



New Vancouver

We arrived at “New Vancouver” on the north side of Harbledown Island in the afternoon and tied up at the concrete guest dock.  The nautical charts mark this area/bay as “IR” for Indian Reserve.  It’s the ancestral home of the Da’naxda’xw Native band, who were moved off the land in the 1960’s and are now resettling the village.  The Native name for the village is Tsatsisnukwomi.  The village has a Longhouse and an Administration/Treaty Office.  After docking, we walked upland to view the Longhouse with its lovely painted art work.  We also saw trees that had been felled for future projects, including canoes and totems.  An interesting place that could become a tourist site but that doesn’t seem to be a priority for the Native band.  The 80 year old village Chief came in with his fishing boat the next morning and visited with us before we left.


 





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Tsatsisnukwomi Dock



At the Office




At the Office

 

It’s interesting to note that the previous three blog entries were posted via the “dinghy office” – internet connection through our “blue-tooth” cell phone feature.  When cruising through Blackfish Sound, we noticed there was cell phone coverage.  This morning, we went for an excursion via dinghy with our computer in-hand and stopped at the entrance to Blackfish Sound.  Got out the computer, got connected, and sent emails and blog posts.  Must have looked like we were fishing, who would have guessed we were doing such a crazy thing!  Returned to the boat and before hoisting the dinghy back aboard, we ran fresh water through the outboard motor to flush out saltwater which helps prevent corrosion, a regular practice we have adopted.  Left Goat Island Anchorage in the afternoon and headed two miles southeast to New Vancouver (Tsatsisnukwomi) to spend the night.

Pocket of Charm




Telegraph Cove

 
 Departed Port McNeill around 12:45 and made a stop at Telegraph Cove located about two hours east of Port McNeill.  The historic sawmilling village of Telegraph Cove was built in the 1920’s and 1930’s.  The village is absolutely charming with brightly colored buildings on pilings over the water, a perfect setting for a movie.  Plaques describing the history of each building are posted along the boardwalk.  In addition to family houses, other buildings included a hospital, bunkhouse, and freight shed.  Today, these historic buildings are used for pubs/cafes and accommodations for tourists who fill the little village during the peak summer months.  Moorage for boats over 30 feet is limited and maneuvering space is tight; we were able to find space on this nice April spring day.  Another delight was the Whale Museum, but that’s another story to be told.





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Telegraph Cove