Day 7 - Lazy start

 

Day 7 – May 7^th   

 

After two long days we decided to take a relaxing morning and do a later start.  Headed out of the harbor about 11:00am.  Under rainy skies.

Just for fun, Glen found some 4-foot ocean swells while coming out of Seaforth channel.  He loves roller coasters. I not so much.

 

About 2:30pm we stopped at Shearwater to get some internet and cell phone time.   We did not go to the dock but just hung out in the bay getting caught up on communications. What did we do before cell phones?     Work caught up, moved on to Oliver Cove for the evening.

 

 

 

Cape Caution - Ready or not here we come!

Cape Caution – Ready or not here we come!

 

May 6^th -  Thursday  - Day 6

Got up early.  Before heading out Glen did his good deed for the day.   A large float somehow came untied from that marina during the night and was trying to float out of the marina.   Glen jumped into our tow behind and went out to retrieve it and bring it back into the marina.   Steve and Dave met him on the dock and they got it all tied up.  

 

 

 

 

Nice paintjob and reflection!

 

We pulled out to of the harbor at 7:50am.  Water was doable and so we decided to continue and all things staying a go, we will cross and round Cape Caution today.  Glen told me to put my ‘ss bracelet’ on just in case. About 13 miles to go.  

 

Glen being adventurous moved out and went through the islets – Reid and Naiad, while the others stayed over to the east by a couple miles.   If we veered a little left and went straight our next stop would be Kodiak AK (well maybe not as we clearly don’t have enough fuel to travel 1,500 miles).    The sky is spritzing our windows today, not down-right rain, just spritzing.

 

                                                     Looking toward Kodiak

 

We made it around Cape Caution with lumpy water.  The next stretch was lumpier, windier, and rainy.  Not ‘Liz water’ for sure.   I stayed under my blanket.  Apparently Glen likes rollercoasters and throwing things on the floor.  Even the pillows on from the salon chairs flew to the floor.  The only real casualty was the salon lamp shade.  He is lucky that I did not fly to the floor too.  I’m sure he will try again somewhere else along this trip. 

 

Anchored for the night at 4:30pm in Goldstream Harbor, on the north end of Hecate Island.  Still raining.  

 

 

 

Nelsea coming into the harbor

 

 

Cinco de Mayo

 

Day 5 - May 5 – Cinco De Mayo

We got up early and headed out at 7am.    Cruised up to and through Seymour Narrows without any issues.  It was a long day.   We saw a Humpback whale, sea lions, blackfish, and dolphins.  Michelle got some video of the dolphins playing in their boat wake.

 

 

 

 

Humpback just cruising along.  

 

Nice smooth water

 

 

Johnstone straight was of course bumpy but we all survived.  

 

 

 

The wind really kicked up just as we got to Port McNeil so this added to the docking adventure.  Not an issue but it was cold going outside. 

This was our previously planned fuel stop so all three boats topped off our tanks.  Next fuel stop should be Ketchikan.   We love this place, and the marina managers are the best.   They asked us if we needed any provisions and offered to make a store run for us.   Wanting to help the local economy we put a short list of some vegetables together (one combined list for the three boats) and very shortly thereafter we had our goodies, and of course they had a big tip.  We also purchased some of their special plastic fuel cans.  Apparently you can never have too many fuel cans.

The marina is definitely not busy but then it is the first week of May.   We had planned on moving on another few miles but they offered and we decided to call it a day and stay at their dock.   They put all three of us on the same dock and we were quarantined together.  There are two other boats from the US here quarantined on another dock.  A third dock has what appears to be locals or at least Canadians. 

Everyone is doing their part to stay safe, and healthy.  Wearing masks, and social distancing.  The staff said that they had gotten their 1^st vaccine but there is apparently going to be a significant delay before they can get their 2^nd.   Fortunately, they have had no cases of Covid in this town.  Let’s hope it stays  that way. 

 

I had some work to do so spent some a couple hours on the phone, computer, and a zoom conference call. 

Saw one Mink like critter running around on the dock. 

Dinner was held aboard Nelsea and was what you would expect on Cinco de Mayo ….. 

It’s Taco Wednesday. 

 

 

It’s a beautiful day in Paradise!

It's a beautiful day in Paradise!

Day 4 - Tuesday morning we headed out under sunny skies and decent water.   Although Glen made me worried when as we pulled out of the harbor he came back and handed me my seasick bracelet packet.    But it turned out to only be a battery test as the water was great all day.    Sunny and smooth 'Liz water' all day; Perfect.     The snowcapped mountains were beautiful. 

 

 

 

It being such a sunny and smooth water day we decided to push north.  

We stopped for the night across in a protected anchorage across from Campbell River.

 

Oddity -  First time I've ever seen Horses, yes real horses on the beach up here.  No, it is not a sandy beach.  It was rocky and there were two horses down there grazing on seaweed.  I don't think seaweed is part of the normal diet for a horse.   😊

The plan is to get up early and get to and through Seymour narrows early.

 

  

 

 

Canada - Here we come!

Canada – here we come!

Day 3 - Early start as we had a 9am appointment at the Van Isle customs office for our inspection and potential approval for our trip through Canada.  

Peter Jung traveled on Magic from Seattle and said he was the only MD board.  Glen referred to him as ‘Co-Captain’ to the customs officers.  I guess he got promoted on Monday morning.   Per Peter, MD stands for Marine Domestic.  He will be with the group (possibly boat hopping) until we reach Ketchikan.    He does do dishes and drives occasionally, and I’ve heard but not yet seen that he can do windows too.

 

Customs – Yes Sir, No Sir, anything you say Sir.

Getting through the check in process was pretty simple.  A phone call with lots of questions, followed by a trip to the dock and more questions and paperwork exchange.   They liked our plan and thought we’d done a great job in preparations.  We got clearance for a 12-day passage through Canadian waters.  We were reminded to stay on course and not ---- go to shore, go into a town, or coffee shop, and basically be ‘good’.  None of the four working the dock had been vaccinated.  All three boats were cleared and we headed north.

Smooth water and uneventful cruise.  Even Dodd Narrows was a breeze.  

 

 

We stopped and anchored in Nanaimo Harbor for the night.  Customs/Harbor patrol stopped by twice to check on us and ask us questions.

At 3:30pm I found out that I had a conference call at 4pm … whew, had internet access and made the call/conference.  This was the first of many that I will be attending this summer.

  

 

2021 - Alaskan Adventure - We are off!

 

2021 - Alaskan Adventure  ---  We are off!

Day 1 - We left home (well the marina) on Saturday May 1st at 10:00am to meet up with Steven and Michelle Nelson m/v Nelsea, and Dave and Jane Mehlum m/v Bidarka in Roche Harbor to start this adventure. 

We are towing our 16 ft jet boat this year as Glen thinks it will be an additional toy for playing or exploring.

Dave and Jane moor at the same marina as we do so they were basically with us from the start.   

Smooth water and sunny sky, a good start.

At 1:30pm we had a whale sighting.  A family (mom, child, and big daddy) of Orca playing near Rocky Point north of Langley.  We of course slowed down and watched for a bit.  Took some photos but nothing spectacular.    

We arrived at Roche without incident.  Steve and Michelle were there with friends after their fishing derby (got fish but no keepers).  Diane and Willard Thomas were also there for fishing.  They had planned on this Alaskan adventure with us but life got in their way. 

 

 

 

 

 

Four RHYC boats social distancing at the dock in RH – Nelsea, Sea Life, Bidarka, and Magic Moment (not in photo)

 

The group spent the evening and all the next day just hanging out visiting and doing final preparations for the trip.  This year due to the Covid situation, the Canadian Border is closed and no one can go visit in Canadian waters.  But we did our homework, made plans, lists, itineraries, talked to people, talked to Canadian customs and other officials, made sure everyone I our group was vaccinated, had negative Covid tests, oh and put up our quarantine flags. We had a celebratory ‘first supper’ out at McMillians on Sunday evening and called it a night. 

 

2021 - Alaskan Adventure - Yep, we're at it again! North to Alaska!