Sunday May 28th, Day 14, 470 miles north of Anacortes. Today we are anchored in Rescue Bay, a cove off of the main channel of Mathieson Inlet. it is low tide and we have been watching for bears, but none so far. The flotilla life is going smoothly and I am enjoying having destinations decided for me, arriving into them early enough to do some exploring, visiting with the great folks that are on this trip with us and doing boat projects. We have been side tying with the wonderful people who have the largest boat in the flotilla when we anchor. It is pretty funny to see the two boats side by side.
We crossed Queen Charlotte Strait and Cape Caution on Thursday and the wait for calm winds and seas was worth it. Becky was dreading another rough crossing. We did 81 miles that day and ended in Purth Bay, where there is an Oceanographic Institute and a trail to a beach on the Pacific that we walked.
We saw Humpback whales coming and going from Hecate Island and in Fitzhugh Sound. It is always exciting when there is a whale directly under the boat and you have to quickly take the engine out of gear. One actually blew 25 yards off of my STBD Beam and then again 45 seconds later off of the Port.
The Ghost Town of Ocean Falls was our next destination, the site of a former pulp mill that has been idle since the 1980’s. We had a great potluck and encountered our first insects, so I spent the afternoon installing a magnetic closing insect screen on our door. One of our mates set out a crab pot and I broke out our steamer pot and the Butane Stove, so in return they set our pot out for us and brought back one keeper, but we cooked five for the potluck and I had my fill of those.
Last night we stopped in Shearwater and were surprised by the quality of the food at the Pub. Great Chowder and Fish and Chips. Another great evening with folks for a meal. It is a great group we are traveling with and I am adjusting to shorter trips most days.
The boat continues to run well, we are happy onboard and I am enjoying my sister working on the fourth 1000 piece puzzle. Though I have to admit that I was run off of the last one. I was working on it late at night before Becky told me to turn off the lights and come to bed. Cell service and internet are spotty but our new friends are allowing us to use their starlink for this posting.
