Exclusive Hideout



Nimmo Bay Fishing Resort



Rope Swing at Nimmo



Cruised to Turnbull Cove on the mainland a short distance north of Claydon Bay.  We saw a sailboat that we had seen at several other locations and invited the couple from Vancouver, WA aboard our boat for happy hour.  Earlier in the day we took the dinghy to nearby “Roaringhole Rapids,” a very narrow entrance into Nepah Lagoon.  Boats can enter the Lagoon only at slack water.  When the current runs at full ebb, the entrance becomes very turbulent and looks like a pot of boiling water.  We positioned ourselves just off the mouth of the entrance to take a peek.  This area of the Broughton’s, consisting of narrow channels, steep mountainsides, and cozy bays, feels like a secluded hideout.  In fact, an exclusive fishing resort is located in Mackenzie Sound at Nimmo Bay, which we also visited by dinghy.  Movie stars, sport figures, and even Presidents have stayed at this resort surrounded by waterfalls and snow covered mountain peaks.



Roaringhole Rapids



Promotion within Reach

The burning question, will Lorena graduate from swab to mate?  I am making progress to that end.  Today Leonard and I switched roles.  He handled the lines as I maneuvered the boat away from the dock at Sullivan Bay; it was very rewarding and great fun.  We cruised to nearby Claydon Bay on the B.C. mainland via the narrow entrance of Grappler Sound and anchored for the night.  When setting the anchor, we find it works best for Leonard to be on the bow so he can handle the heavy anchor and straighten the anchor chain if needed, while I man the helm and back the boat.  As regular practice we take turns piloting the boat while underway, keeping two sets of eyes on the charts and on the water ahead.  My next challenge is to successfully bring the boat to a dock! – stay tuned.

Slice of Paradise



Mountain Views - Wells Passage



Left Port McNeill at 14:45 and crossed Queen Charlotte Strait, a large open body of water that takes three hours or more to cross at 7.5 knots; the weather was good for the crossing with only 10-15 knot winds and 2-4 foot seas.  Later on the seas increased to 6 feet and then subsided again once we reached the protected waters of the northern and western most Broughton islands.  It was cloudy and overcast, but we could still make out the beautiful snow covered mountain tops as we entered Wells Passage and Sullivan Bay on North Broughton Island.  Sullivan Bay Marina is perhaps the prettiest marina in the Broughton Island region.  All of the buildings are on floats and are well maintained; some of the homes in the Association even have white picket fences and the long intersecting docks all have street names.  The marina has a nice restaurant called the “Town Hall Restaurant,” and summer potlucks are held on the docks at “Sullivan Square.”  A lovely and beautiful place to live -- a tempting piece of paradise that is very inviting.



Community of Floating Homes





Sullivan Bay Marina



Mother's Day



Port McNeill Harbour

 Departed our comfortable anchorage in Waddington Bay around 8am to cross Queen Charlotte Strait back to Port McNeill.  The crossing came with 20 knot winds and 6 foot seas that subsided to 2-4 foot seas as we neared Vancouver Island.  The crossing also came with the pleasant surprise of phone calls from our families giving Mother's Day greetings, a special treat from them and the grandchildren.  Arrived at Port McNeill at 11am and took care of suppling and preparing the boat for our next leg of the trip -- northern coast of British Columbia.  After completing our chores, we had a relaxing dinner at the HarbourLight Restaurant overlooking Port McNeill.

Abort, Abort!



Waddington Bay Anchorage



View from Waddington



Departed Echo Bay Marina on Gilford Island and cruised north to Shawl Bay on the mainland to see Shawl Bay Marina, a collection of older buildings painted white with blue trim.  We had read that the marina hosts Turkey dinners at various times and regular pancake breakfasts throughout the summer months.  Like Echo Bay, however, they won't be in high gear until June.  Several houseboats line the shore; and as we entered the bay, people stepped outside to watch us – someone new was coming to town (to their bay).  Hope they weren’t too disappointed when we motored away to anchor for the night.  The plan was to anchor in picturesque Laura Bay, located on the east end of Broughton Island.  We chose a spot for protection from the south winds which had picked up. The protected anchorage turned out to be tight quarters for the size of our boat so a stern tie to shore was required in addition to the anchor.  When we went to set the anchor, however, it slid along the rocky bottom – so we aborted the plan.  Plan B, we headed south navigating through the “Fox Group” of islands to Waddington Bay on the north tip of Bonwick Island.  This area is another perfect spot for kayaking and our boat was completely protected and hidden among the many small islands and islets abloom with wild strawberries -- we spent two nights here.  Tomorrow, he head back to Port McNeill to restock the galley and take on some fuel before heading along the northern coast of British Columbia.



Wild Strawberries



Something Old Something New



Pierre's Echo Bay Marina

 









Left Kwatsi Bay at 14:40 and arrived in Echo Bay approximately 16:30 after spending time viewing beautiful Lacy Falls near Watson Cove and Kwatsi.  We moored for the night at adorable Pierre's Echo Bay Marina, which offers rental cabins and hosts pig roasts during the summer months.  Took the dinghy around the bay to Bill Proctor's Museum.  Bill was a logger, trapper, and fisherman in the area for over 75 years and has collected artifacts from throughout the Broughton Island region which he displays at his property.  Leonard liked the old tools that Bill expounded upon; I liked the old catalogs from 1901 and did a little pretend shopping for hats, dresses, wood stoves, and a nice automobile surrey for $77.45; old guidebooks that showed how to trap wolfs and coyotes were also intriguing.  Before departing, Bill showed us a replica of a trapper's cabin which he had built by hand.   A wave goodbye and we were off, returning back to the realities of our time.









Bill Proctor's Museum & Gift Shop















Bill Proctor's Trapper Cabin







Bill Proctor's Trapper Cabin Replica









Bottom of Lacy Falls













Life in the Bush


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Max rowing ashore

  Doug (Max) the owner of Kwatsi Bay Marina took us for a ride this morning in his aluminum row boat to the clearing where we saw the bear last evening.  Max took his air-horn with him in case of bear sightings -- the air horn apparently hurts bears ears and is the best thing to carry along when in bear country.  The clearing along the shore happens to be the site of a 1500 year old Native settlement -- nothing to see above ground other than a clearing for canoes.  We hiked a short trail to one of several waterfalls; and on the way back, he pointed out the remains of an old logging cabin from the 1920's.  A saw mill once stood where the marina is now.  We didn't see any bear but we did see a group of dolphins blowing and diving to herd and catch fish, it was fascinating to watch.  We soon found ourselves engaged in a discussion regarding fish farms, which are plentiful around Johnstone Strait and throughout the Broughton Island Group.  Max worked at fish farms for several years and is quite knowledgeable about the process and its far reaching effects.  "Atlantic Salmon" is now the grocery store term for farm raised salmon; "raised in the wild" is another marketing term.  Max seemed to have enjoyed our company, perhaps we were his first visitors for the season.  His wife and teenage children will join him in the summer when school is out.