Wednesday July 16^th @0530, the coffee is on and poured, I have started the fire in the stove to take off the morning chill. It looks like a clear day starting, I’m guessing, there is morning fog…. It isn’t raining at least and the fog is high on the hills so I’m thinking it will burn off fast.  We are at anchor near our northern terminus of the trip and today starts another phase of the voyage; Ben and Kassia come. Ellie is excited, in spite of being displaced out of her cabin.

We parted with Scott, Katherine and Revel 5 days ago in Lagoon Cove. It was great traveling with them, getting them through the Rapids during slack tide, and showing them a few of the favorite spots. Ellie had fun with Katherine for a few movie nights with her. We miss seeing Scott with his baby seat in the bow of the dingy, with Revel signaling the way as he tries to ride him around to get him to sleep. We were with them since the San Juan’s where I brought Scott a starter from Anacortes. In Anacortes our trip started with a three day visit with Claudia and Lyshira where we visited Friday Harbor, to drop off a starter, Stuart Island and Garrison Bay, which I call English Bay, because it is where the English had an occupation during the 1860’s when the Canadian Border was in dispute.

It has been a great two and a half weeks, it seems longer, and I pinch myself whenever I look over and see Becky smiling and working away and when I see Ellie lying on the Settee reading what must be her fifth book. We have had some great evening dingy cruises when we set the crab pots and she has been a lot of fun and is enjoying herself.

For her Birthday the three of us went on a Guided visit and a Jet Boat to Glendale Cove to see the Grizzlies, it was a beautiful Day.

Yesterday we left wonderful and surprising Sointula. Sointula is on Malcolm Island and where the Ellie K was left for a month 5 years ago. I had originally gone there just to have lunch at the Burger Shack for Fish and Chips, but when we got there “Puget Lady” and Tom whom we met in Lagoon Cove was there and we decided to stay because it was laundry day and the moorage was cheap. The marina had bicycles to lend so after lunch the three of us took off on them. This turned out to be a 15-kilometer marathon and in spite of Malcolm Island being flat, we found a large hill that the single speed bikes, and us couldn’t handle. It was an ordeal. After diner I called Tim Motchman, who watched the boat 5 years ago and reconnected with him and his wife. Ellie and I had a great visit and they came down to the boat in the morning to look at our Kayaks. Tim is a renowned wood carver and Shelia is a wonderful Water Color Artist and their home and Garden are a wonderful retreat. The three of us went back after breakfast, so Becky could see their work. The visit with them was a marvelous surprise and I am grateful for their hospitality. The next surprise at Sointula came at the Marine Hardware Store. The three of us drove up on our purple and pink bicycles, with a mission of replacing the prawn trap I lost in Lagoon Cove. The super moons this month, have caused some large tides and it got swept away. Anyway, Andy Anderson was there having some coffee, and when I asked for some leaded line, which they didn’t have, he said he had some over in his shop across the street. Andy is the grandson of an original Finnish Founder of the Island and owns the Marine Railway and Boat works his Grandfather built boats in. It is a Marine Museum of sorts and he showed me the original toolbox his Grandfather brought over from Finland. We had a great talk and when I was leaving he wanted to show me the Railway. There was a boat on it, which I had my eyes fixed on. When I was about to leave I asked to take his picture and then I noticed a nameplate off of the Island Maid II. This was a friend of mines boat, in Portland, and then I remembered that he had bought the boat in Sointula. Sure enough, the same Andy Anderson, small world, then a whole batch of stories started, my patient wife and daughter, I thank you. On to Port McNeil to re-provision and then a slog across the Queen Charlotte Straight with a small taste of an ocean swell and fog for an hour and a half, where I had to dodge a Cruise Ship returning from Alaska; then an afternoon clearing of fog for a view of the Mountains of the Broughtons.

Ellie learning to drive the dingy

Internet access is very limited and very slow so we haven’t had a chance to post until now.

We are currently cruising surrounded by incredible mountain ranges, some with snow some with just beautiful trees.  I don’t think I can imagine any place better then this.  While we had rain and stormy weather the first two days that I was able to join the crew, this morning the sun came out and this is what summer is all about.   Scott and Katherine and their 6 week baby, Revel are great cruising companions.  Scott has a 32ft Nordic tug with a huge salon that is great for gathering for happy hour.  Ellie is learning to drive the dingy by herself but had to be rescued by Scott in his dingy since ours had died while she was out exploring on her own.

Paul is being very patient with me as I continually pepper him with questions regarding boat maintenance and navigation protocols.  The rainy weather also brought some water that had us rolling a bit and it caused a full socket set to break loose and dump all over the engine room.  It is a good thing we all like a good puzzle since putting all the sockets back in the correct order took about an hour.  The other several hours yesterday was spent cracking crab we caught the night before.

We caught some shrimp but they seem to be more scarce this year.  Scott and Katherine will leave us tomorrow as they head back south.  We will really miss them as they are such good company.  In a few days my daughter and her fiancé will join us on our boat so it will be quite cozy with 5 of us on board.  We are looking forward to more fun with them.