The Simple Life



Dawsons Landing



In the morning we visited with Bud and LaVey, from Bellevue, WA who cruised into Duncanby prior to our departure.  LaVey is a photographer of wildlife, including birds, waterfowl, bears, whales, and other marine life.  Her photographs are exquisite and are sold at gift shops and marinas.  We ended up making an exchange, one of my authored Cleats & Eats books for one of her photos – "a good trade."  We departed early afternoon and cruised to Dawsons Landing further up Rivers Inlet.  This “town” consists of an old-fashioned general store and several homes/cabins on floats and an adjacent seasonal fishing/boat rental business.  Nothing fancy here, just hard-working folk – fishing, logging, and seasonal tourism, a common thread in north British Columbia.  We shopped at the well stocked general store with eight people including ourselves; one of the locals commented that the whole town must be there since a line had formed at the cash register!



Large Beams for Store Float



Rope Ties on dock instead of Cleats





Local Character



Cape Caution to Duncanby



Cape Caution



Left Blunden Harbour at 5:45AM with predicted 3 foot swells and light wind, a good time to head out.  When we reached Cape Caution at 9AM, we encountered large swells but nothing truly dangerous.  The boat pitched up and down but “Got d’ Fever’s” high bow was reassuring.  We arrived at Duncanby Landing in Rivers Inlet around noon time.  This fly-in fishing resort opens late June so we called ahead and got permission to tie up at their dock.  We received a friendly welcome and enjoyed seeing this charming place of white buildings and red coloured roofs.  According to the caretaker, Jed Bush’s lawyers have come here to fish.  The resort has cabins, a restaurant, and a hot tub!  And thanks to their internet service, this blog posting can be received in a timely manner.  For a special treat, the caretaker invited us to his cabin to watch the hockey game (the Stanley Cup playoffs) between Vancouver BC and San Jose.



Duncanby Landing



Duncanby Cabins



Matters of Importance



Blunden Harbour Anchorage

 We spent two nights in Blunden Harbour to await good weather and to await our insurance coverage date of May 15^th for the area beyond latitude 51 degrees north.  Boat insurance coverage is usually provided for a defined cruising area and some insurance companies have a restricted time window of coverage for certain areas.  The west side of Vancouver Island is another designated cruising area and coverage can be added as needed.  Additional restrictions may apply to boaters cruising in a foreign country.  In B.C. Canada, foreign boats are restricted to a maximum stay of six months after which they may be subject to certain Provincial taxes.  It is our understanding, however, that a request for additional time can be made through the Customs Border Patrol.  These issues are all matters of importance on top of equipping and maintaining one’s vessel!  Speaking of timing, our sailboat friends from Vancouver, WA sailed into the harbour; we took the dinghy over to say hello and left Java in charge of “Got d’ Fever.”


Java Waiting Our Return



Making Water



Queen Charlotte Strait looking toward Broughton's

 




Departed Jennis Bay at 10:20 in the morning and made an easy transit through Stuart Narrows at slack water.  Reached Queen Charlotte Strait through Wells Passage and headed north with 4-6 foot following seas and blue sky.  The clear day brought expansive views in all directions, a sight to behold.  Arrived at lovely Blunden Harbour (behind Robinson Island) around 13:30 and anchored in this roomy, yet well sheltered harbour with four other boats (crowded by previous standards).  While underway in the vast open waters of Queen Charlotte Strait, Leonard made more water!  Our boat’s water-tank holds 250 gallons of water and we use about 20 gallons of water per day -- a 10-14 day supply.  As we continue north, there are fewer opportunities to get water at marinas so it's great to have a “watermaker” on board that replenishes the supply.  A watermaker works by forcing salt water under pressure through a membrane (similar to a filter), allowing only the fresh water through, while dumping the highly concentrated salt water back overboard.  Watermaker’s can be very expensive; the more water they make, the more expensive they are to purchase.  Money-conscious Leonard purchased a used watermaker from a shop in Portland, Oregon.  But, oh!  There’s the cost of installation; and in our case, some parts needed to be fabricated.  In the long run, we probably didn’t save a whole lot of money, but it surely must be the best tasting water ever to be found!











Great Tasting Water!













 





Watermaker



















Farewell Broughton's



Jennis Bay Marina



Arrived at our last stop in the northern Broughton’s, Jennis Bay, at 13:30 via Stuart Narrows and Drury Inlet.  Stuart Narrows was running at a 3 knot currant, which doesn’t sound like much but proved to be quite strong through this narrow passage; a whirlpool began to form off our starboard.  “Got d’ Fever” handled it well and we sailed through the worst of it without incident.  We were the first pleasure boat to arrive at Jennis Bay for the season, got our picture taken and added to their guest photo album.  This tiny marina was a logging camp during the 1940’s and early 1950’s and began as a marina in 2006; miles of logging roads now serve as trails.  During our visit, the owners of the marina were working on a new covered structure for their Tuesday Cajun potlucks.  Later in the evening, four boats came to the dock after crabbing and catching shrimp to moor for the night and celebrate the season.



Logging Trails



Crabbers / Shrimpers



We depart tomorrow back through Stuart Narrows and out Wells Passage to Queen Charlotte Strait, then north along the coast of British Columbia.  Planned anchorage stop is Blunden Harbour to await weather prior to rounding Cape Caution -- we will not have internet connection until Bella Bella (approx. May 28^th).

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.