Sointula to Port Harvey

We left Port McNeil about 7:45 AM to make the 3 1/2 mile trip to Sointula to be there for the arrival of the fuel truck around 9:15 .  We had been told that the fuel truck comes every Thursday and the fuel is much cheaper than anywhere else.  We needed about 1400 litres of diesel. 

So not knowing what to expect Jim called the Co Op fuel store and we were put on the list for fuel. 

When we left Port McNeil it was quite foggy and got thicker as we got closer to Sointula. It was difficult to see the marina and the docks in the fog. 

We arrived at the marina in the fog and had no idea where to go. There was another boat called Su Sez slowly moving about so Jim spoke to them and they were waiting for fuel as well. The fuel truck had not arrived and Su Sez said they were waiting behind two other boats. We docked - first at the nearest space we could see which was the spot reserved for the sea planes - just to find out more information about where to go - then we moved the boat to another spot and waited for the other boat to move to the fuel dock. 

The fuel truck finally arrived and it seemed there was no real system set in place for fuelling up. There were fishing boats on the far left side of the dock that had priority and then sports fishing gasoline boats on the far right dock that would dart in and out and the centre dock had space for two pleasure boats to fuel with diesel.   It was a mad dash to get to the fuelling spot when one boat left another would make a run for it and try to be there before anyone else could get to the spot. 

Su Sez made a dash for the dock and radioed us to say there was a spot we could move up to behind them. We untied for the second time and moved up - the dock was up too far for us to see from where we were docked.  By the time we got there a sail boat had moved in - so there was a tight spot on the port side - we tied up there to wait.  Now the wind was picking up and we were very close to a small boat behind us. The fuel truck is alternating fuelling fishing boats and then pleasure boats. 

Finally the fuel truck started to fuel up Su Sez. While in the process of fuelling Su Sez the truck ran out of fuel and had to go up the street to get more fuel. 

Once Su Sez finished we untied the our boat - for the third time - and made a dash to the spot they just vacated. There were people on the dock who helped with the lines - a few sports fisherman made comments about us docking in the fuel spot - people were waiting for fuel you know !!??? Really. We arrived at 8:30 AM and it is now almost 1 PM !!  So it is finally our turn. We got over 1400 litres of fuel. 

After fuelling we had to untie the lines and move for the 4th time.  The wind seems to be getting worse every time we dock the boat! 

We planned to spend  the night in Sointula after we finished fuelling - good thing - this was pretty much an all day event. We found a spot at the dock and tied up for the 5th time! And it was really REALLY windy by this point. The guys from the fishing boat in front of us came and helped us as we were getting blown off the dock badly. 

What an event it turned out to be. It was probably close to 3 PM by the time it was all said and done. 

There was a fellow Jim met through Trawler Forum who was in Sointula with his wife. They had their boat in Port McNeil and had come over by ferry. They had seen Phoenix Hunter and came looking for us. We were able to have a nice little visit with them. 

We walked into Sointula around 3:30.  I didn't take many photos as I left my camera on the boat.  It is a lovely little community. Well maintained, pretty views and tidy yards and houses. 

We bought some fresh garlic from a gentleman selling out of his yard. 

The marina is full of interesting old fishing boats and the people are friendly and interesting.  

Another KK42 in Sointula. 

Phoenix Hunter tied up for the 5th and final time at the docks in Sointula 

There are is a very busy boat yard and some very old boat ways on the shore. 

We will make a point of going back there again for a longer visit.  But it is not likely we would do the fuel dock dance again. 

Friday morning the weather forecast was for light wind in Johnstone Straight, so we headed straight down to Port Harvey. It was an easy and uneventful trip. Not CVR at all. 

We had a nice evening in Port Harvey. We met a couple visit a lovely big Seline - Ocean Osprey. We had dinner of Port Harvey Pizza with them at the little restaurant on the dock and then got a tour of their boat. Beautiful boat. Got to see how the "other half" live!  They are from White Rock. And they were heading north.  And we are heading south!  

 

From Cape Caution to Miles Inlet, Blunden Harbour and back to Port McNeil

I must remind myself that from now on even if it's flat calm we need to put the poles down to go around Cape Caution. 

I was the one who said we didn't need to put them down! Jim had them halfway ready to go and there was not much wind forecast so to save time I suggested we didn't need them.  Never again! 

It's the SWELL!!  Poor Lilly barfed twice - definitely CVR.  And I was getting quite queasy by the time we got south of Cape Caution where it was flat calm.  You could see the flat water as we were approaching it traveling south. 

Looking back towards Cape Caution after we went past. The swell is gone and it's flat calm now. 

We decided to go check out a little spot called Miles Inlet. We were told it was a lovely anchorage by a couple we chatted with in Fury Cove. We weren't sure if there was any dog walks though. 

Once we got into Miles Inlet we thought it was just such a special little spot we saw a couple spots we thought could work for Jenny and we  dropped the anchor. 

We took the dingy about to explore. There is a couple little lagoons and islets and all kinds of little waterways. It is a beautiful little spot. There was a perfect little spot down the south arm to take Jenny to shore. We really liked this anchorage. 

Looking towards a little lagoon in Miles Inlet 

An easy spot to take the skiff to get to shore. 

A bit of grass for Jenny. 

A great place to explore by dingy or kayak. 

Even Lilly is trying to get a better look at the view. 

Jim found some tent poles on the grassy area where we took Jenny to shore. 

That night a very small little sailboat came and anchored in the south arm and then another sailboat came and anchored around where we were. 

A lovely sunset in Miles Inlet.  

We will come back here. It's a good good spot to come and wait to go north. 

The next morning we took the short trip south to Blunden Harbour. We were planning to go to Port McNeil for the night of the 11th and 12th. We called North Island Marina and made a reservation. We went in to Allison Harbour to see what it looked like for future reference.  It is big and open - not as nice as Miles inlet. 

We continued to Blunden where we spent the night. It is also a very large anchorage. It could hold many boats. There were 3 boats in there when we arrived. 

There is a very long dock on the shore - it is a native site and there is a sign on the dock to respect the native territory.  

The dock was good to take Jenny to shore. We walked around a bit on the beach. Lots of clam shells - possibly a clam garden. There were old logs that were from an old Long house.  

There was a small memorial on the beach for a dog named Schooner that had been killed by a cougar in 2010. 

It was a good anchorage and an interesting spot. But we preferred Miles Inlet. 

There is 3G in Blunden so that is an advantage when you are waiting to go north and listening for weather reports and stuck somewhere for awhile. 

The next morning we went to Port McNeil for two nights. We met up with a couple that had the KK42 "Golden Dawn". And enjoyed an evening visiting and went out for dinner. 

We did the usual in Port McNeil. A little shopping a little laundry.  It's beginning to feel like a home port!  

We left Port McNeil early Thursday Morning to get fuel in Sointula.  

Fury Cove

We left Pruth Bay around 9 AM with the Kk42 Free Spirit V following behind. Jim had lent them his iPad with the Navionics App all set up for them to use as their Chart plotter. They followed us for a short distance and then went to meet up with Ceilidh to help move the chart plotter from their skiff to the boat.  Once that was done they came to Fury and returned Jim's iPad. 

Fury Cove is a very pretty spot. Midden beaches with easy access to get Jenny to shore. A beautiful view that includes a peek through the islets out to Fitz Hugh Sound. 

 

A little cabin tucked away in the woods. 

When we arrived there was one other boat anchored up. But it didn't stay like for long.  It is a main stopping point for boats to wait for the right conditions to travel south around Cape Caution - therefore it is also a busy anchorage.  We really like the anchorage but at one point there was a flotilla of boats in there. Too many for us! 

When Rob from Free Spirit V returned Jim's iPad he offered to take Jim out fishing after lunch. They went off in Rob's skiff about 3 PM - in the rain and fished for about 4 hours. Jim caught a very nice Coho!!  It rained hard most of the day. 

The next day - Friday - there was supposed to be a strong wind warning and the weather was supposed to be better Saturday. Then the weather forecast was changed to include strong winds Saturday and Sunday as well. Free Spirit V left Friday morning to go to Dawson's Landing because the weather was "supposed" to be windy until Monday or Tuesday.  

In the end the wind never materialized on any of the days predicted. 

We were going to leave Saturday morning but it was raining so hard and we were both still feeling the effects of our colds we just couldn't bring ourselves to going out in the rain and putting up the skiff,putting out the poles and pulling the anchor. So we stayed another day.  We chatted a bit with a couple from Sechelt. But our colds kept us from enjoying a Happy Hour on their boat. 

A group of Grand Banks travelling together from Alaska to Bellingham arrived on Saturday. 

The weather was rain - heavy at times - off and on all for the three days we were there. 

We left early Sunday morning. Just after all the Grand Banks. 

Back to Pruth Bay

Summer is over. At least it feels like summer is over. 

We left Rock Inlet early in the morning - without even trying to get Jenny to shore. 

It was only 3 hours to Pruth Bay so we could take her for a nice walk on a nice beach and make up for Rock Inlet and the disaster that Namu has become. 

There was a Gillnet and Seine boat opening happening as we crossed Fitzhugh Sound heading towards Hakai Pass. We had to go around a couple of gillnets in the water.  Lots of Sports fishermen out as well.  We had to wind our way a bit through all the boats. 

When we arrived to Pruth Bay there were about 12 boats anchor, including 3 other Krogens - Ceilidh, Free Spirit V and Bolero. 

Pruth Bay is looking pretty empty!  Summer is over in the Central Coast. Most boats are heading south 

We stayed 3 nights. It was nice to be back to Pruth. Jenny loves the beach. Jim got to say hello to the beach seining crew before they went off for their break. 

We didn't get a chance to do the long beach walk that goes to the 6 beaches to the south. The weather was a mixed bag of clouds and sun and then rain - heavy at times.  But we did walk West Beach a few times and I collected some drift wood and shells for my shelf. 

We got invited by Bill and Eileen from Ceilidh to do a Krogen boat crawl to their boat and Free Spirit V and then our boat. It's always interesting to see what other Krogens look like inside. They are all the same - but different!  There is a saying among Krogen owners -- "When you've seen one Krogen you've seen One Krogen". 

Jim seems to have picked up a cold somewhere - probably Shearwater. So he has been a little congested and coughing and not sleeping well.  He went out fishing a couple of times but he didn't feel that well and didn't stay out too long. So all fish were safe. 

By the time we were ready to leave on Thursday morning Jim had passed his cold along to me!  

A big barge bring supplies to the Hakai Beach Insitute. 

Our plan was to go to Fury Cove - which we are always calling Furry Cove after Furry Creek!  We were planning to stage out of Fury Cove to make the trip south around Cape Caution when the conditions were good for the crossing. 

Both the other KK42s left on Wednesday after a morning of fishing.  We went for a walk along West Beach and when we came back we saw Free Spirit V back and anchored up.  Apparently their Garmin plotter was not working so they had returned to Pruth for the wifi and to see if they could get it working again.  They never could get it working so they were planning to follow behind us to Fury Cove the next morning. 

Namu and Rock Inlet.

Namu used to be a very busy fishing community. There was a cannery, stores, homes, bunk houses numerous docks and floats. Boats coming and going - mostly fishing boats but pleasure craft as well.  There used to be a number of docks there but they have all fallen into a state of disrepair and into the ocean. 

We anchored up in an Inlet a little further in called Rock Inlet - well named!  A lovely little spot but a very Rock filled inlet with nowhere to take Jenny to shore. 

We took a little dingy ride around after we dropped the anchor. We found one little spot that had a little stream and some old rotting dock material - accessible only at a very high tide. We took Jenny to shore for a bit there.  

It was a very difficult place to get Jenny to shore. 

We took the dingy around to Namu and found a spot we could tie the dingy and wander around the old cement wharfs and building in Namu. Such a sad state it is. 

An old steel pressure canning cooker.  

Homes sitting empty and abandoned. 

The inside of the Namu General store. Everything just left and now a mess.  

So sad it has become such a disaster - and a terrible environmental disaster as well. 

Still some beauty left. 

There were a few Gillnet boats anchored up in Namu harbour.  When we got back to Phoenix Hunter there were a couple of Gillnet boats at anchor there as well. 

For Jenny's evening walk Jim had to go back to Namu as there was no possible shore access in Rock Inlet at a lower tide. He said there were some people wandering around Namu and shooting a gun into the water. Jenny was a little agitated and he had to ask them to stop for a bit to get her back to the skiff. 

It was interesting to see but I don't think we will need to go back there again. 

Chapple Inlet To Clothes Bay And Back To Shearwater

We left Chapple inlet around 8 AM with a one foot tide. Boy the water was low!!  

This is where we had the issue with the inaccurate chart and going very close to a reef the last time we left Chapple Inlet mSo we were pretty cautious. At least we knew where the reef was and could avoid it this time. But we didn't have a lot of water under the boat at times!  I was on bow watch again.  Jim did a marvellous job navigating us out of there. 

We had another long day of 48 miles to our next stop of Klemtu. It's hard to believe we are working our way back home. 

The trip to Klemtu was nice. The weather was good, no wind or rain. 

The BC Ferry - Northern Expedition was at the terminal in Klemtu. It is a narrow pass in there and as soon as we passed the ferry it left the dock. 

Jenny was happy to go to shore in Klemtu. She likes the little grassy area there. It s much bigger and more accessible than the shore at Chapple Inlet. 

The following morning we continued to head south - next stop was Shearwater. We didn't go into Raven Cove as we had done on the way up. 

When we got to Shearwater we dropped our anchor in Kliktsoatli Harbour just on the other side of the breakwater from the Shearwater Marina. We didn't need water or power so we decided not to tie up to the dock. We did take the dingy to shore and enjoyed a nice meal at the pub. We both had the Shearwater burger - which was very good!  

There was a brass Quintet playing on the deck during the dinner hour - they were called "Fish on Five"  or "Five on Fish" or something like that. Quite fun!  It was a lovely warm and sunny evening on the deck. 

Whales!

We were the last boat the leave Lowe Inlet. The sailboat was the first to go!  Always keeners those sailors!  

The fishing boats all unrafted and left just before we hauled anchor. 

The last part of Grenville Channel was just as slow as the day before. We went 5-6 knots!  But it was flat calm again. The weather was lovely. 

We were a amazed by all the large logs tossed along the shore by the winter high tides. 

Once we were out of Grenville Channel we entered Wright Sound and we started to see Humpback whales.  We were head through Wright Sound - along the Gill island shore through Whale Passage.  We must have seen 30 or 40 whales along Whale Passage. 

 

A Humpback whale between us and the BC ferry - "NorthernExpedition"  

We saw Humpback whales for a good two hours as we travelled along Whale Passage.  Lots of Cows with their calves. Not a lot of breaching and jumping though. They seemed to be just travelling along. 

We were close to Hartley Bay and we were able to get 3G for 1/2 hour or so as we travelled along.  The BC ferry - Northern Expedition was coming down the channel behind us. It then travels down the Inside passage on the east side of Princess Royal Island.  

And we travelled past Gil Island where the BC Ferry Queen of the North struck the shore and sunk. 

Two crosses on the shore for the two people who died when the ferry sunk off Gil Island. 

We went to Chapple Inlet for the night.