Hartley Bay - July 19th

Hartley Bay. 

On the map you can see Hartley Bay is #9 

Butedale which is #7

Klemtu is #6

We decide we were going to do the southern half of the "Inside Passage". The half we didn't do last year. Last year we went down Grenville Channel when we were travelling south from Prince Rupert.  

South of Hartley Bay you travel south along the east side of Princess Royal Island. This is the route the BC ferry -- Northern Expedition takes from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy. 

We left Weinberg and traveled north east through Otter Channel to Hartley Bay to spend the night at the public dock there. We had heard good things about Hartley Bay. 

We had a nice trip - very little wind and lots of whales!  Whale spouts everywhere we looked and we didn't hit a one!  One came very close to a sailboat we were passing. 

As we were going into Hartley Bay we were listening on the VHF radio as the Coastguard was discussing a kayaker who was older and in a bay in the area and there was some concerns expressed so the Hartley Bay auxiliary coastguard unit was going out to check him out.

Hartley Bay 

  

Hartley Bay has a fairly small dock and when you go in you just find your own space to tie up. The space we started to pull into bow first - was apparently already occupied by someone, just off for a few minutes getting water. So Jim had to back up and around the end of the dock and back into the space on the other side. It was quite the tight spot as the breakwater was right there as well. We are getting pretty good at this!  We docked nicely - only one loud -- STOP - needed.  If I must say so myself it was quite the successful docking. 

The boat that was in the other space returned. He was a resident named Kyle. Very nice guy. He liked that space because he got the village wifi best from that spot. 

Kyle had two dogs. Snowy a beautiful Husky and Puma a spaniel of some kind. 

Lilly was most interested in the dogs and kept watch over them all evening. 

Hartley Bay is a very nice little village. We went for a walk about and chatted with a few women who were busy picking berries and currants for jam. The village is all set up on a board walk. 

The door at the community hall 

There is power on the dock. A gas dock but no store. 

The most exciting thing about Hartley Bay - Kyle gave us a lovely sockeye fillet!!  One whole side!  Thank you Kyle!!