Inside Passage 2008: June 11

So where have we been since the last update…

After Chatterbox Falls we headed to Pender Harbour. We stayed at Fisherman’s Resort and took a real shine to the place. While Ian was sorting out the Engine and doing oil changes the boys and I headed up to the Garden Bay Lake to swim in the sun shine. We spotted some turtles sunning themselves on the logs on the way. Although the boys went fishing at the lake edge I was the only one who took the plunge, the 1^st swim of the season.

Ian and the boys saw a huge school of fish waiting for the reversing rapids into a small lake beside the marina. It may have been some herring going into the sealake to spawn. We liked Pender Harbour so much we have investigated getting a spot year round for the boat there. Although when the season starts we figure it’s a very different and certainly much busier place.

After Pender Harbour still without an answer to our engine problems we headed up to Squirrel cove and got our first real sail of the trip with a good wind from the SE, we had a great run with the Jib and the new Staysail up.

Unfortunately, when we went to take in the jib, the UV strip got quite damaged flapping in the wind (something we forgot to get looked at over the winter, and it’s been exposed for the last 10 years!). (On a sail which furls around a rod rather than getting taken down, the outer edge (the leech), which remains exposed to the elements, is usually covered with an additional piece of material to protect the sail itself from ultraviolet radiation).

We had a great day at Squirrel Cove at low tide. There was a lot to be discovered! Crab, Starfish, Sea Cucumbers (California Sticlopus)... My favourite was the Leather Star, and Eoin spotted a cool green one. Conor spotted lots of yellow goop and we were delighted, when we looked it up when we got back to the boat, to find it was called Boring Sponge!

After Squirrel Cove we headed over to Campbell River ( see engine trouble log!!) . It was touch and go if we’d be able to fight the current to get in. Campbell River is very close to Seymour Narrows, where the tidal current can run up to 16 knots!! (Our top boat speed is 8 knots). We did manage to just fight the current (and a 20-knot wind!), and had a great few days in Campbell River, somewhere we might not have visited if we hadn’t had the engine issues. Good fish and chips was had at Dick's, and the boys really enjoyed the trip to the Maritime museum. The highlight for Ian and me was probably getting to the bottom of our engine problem, and a great meal at Patti’s Lighthouse restaurant at the top to of the dock, where we all enjoyed the great live music from Ocean Pearl. We also took down the jib, and found someone who could repair the tears in the UV strip.

One advantage to being in town for a few days is that you get to buy the newpapers!

After leaving Campbell River we decided to stay close by for a while and make sure everything was really sorted. We headed over to Rebecca Spit, about 12 miles away, for a few days. It had a great beach with some of the best drift wood we’ve seen, and there was even somewhere to catch ball and play football.

The weather was so good one day the first sea swim of the trip was had. The last night there was however pretty miserable at anchor, with the wind blowing heavily from the NW.

As the NW wind wasn’t going to let up we moved on to Octopus Island about 12 miles further north and with great protection from the NW. This meant we got to enjoy the sunshine the NW gale was bringing without the wind effects. A supper day was had by all with our first real chill in the cockpit with books.

Today we have moved on to Blind Channel, a small resort that Ian and I have been to before and really liked. The sun is still shining and the wind easing from the NW so we might even get to sail up the Johnston straight tomorrow. We spotted some dolphins and porpoises along the way, and once at the dock at Bline Channel, had a great walk through the forest to a huge cedar tree.