South to Rose Inlet

We left the morning of June 29th to make the 40 mile run to Rose Inlet. The seas were quite a bit better but we had the poles down and the fish in the water. 

We had a good trip and were happy to be heading towards SGang Gwaay finally. 

Beautiful morning sky. 

We traveled through the Houston Stewart Channel - which has quite a strong tidal current - past Rose Harbour and went looking for a spot to anchor in Rose Inlet. It was very windy in Rose Inlet and there were a couple of sailboats in there. One anchored where we were hoping to go, behind a little island outcrop on the east side of the Inlet. We ended up anchoring in the same area but we were not too pleased with the wind and the current. So we pulled the anchor and moved to a small bight on the west side. We held well but the wind blew all night. We felt it was not a very interesting or pretty spot to anchor. Both sailboats left a couple of hours after we arrived. 

Interesting sailboat in Rose Inlet 

The next morning there were strong winds - SE 20-30 knots predicted so we left Rose Inlet in search of a better anchorage that we hoped would protect us from the SE winds. 

We took Phoenix Hunter out in the direction of Anthony Island to see what it would be like to access SGang Gwaay. Even with the poles and fish the swell and the wind and tide were more than what we wanted to be experiencing. 

There was a cross on the shore of Orion Point on our way to Balcom Inlet 

We decided to go into Balcom Inlet. A small Inlet that is on the north side of Kunghit Island. The Douglass book didn't have much to say about it - except it was subject to Willwaws from the south and unknown bottom. And violent Yawing as a result. 

Williwaws - our latest nautical term!!  

The first night in Balcom it was very windy and the water was bright with luminescence. I was not liking the constant blowing wind as much! But it was a very pretty spot and the holding was very good. Lots of mud and shells on the anchor. 

The next day ( Canada Day )the wind went down a bit. And we decided to go out for a little tour in the big boat. Jim tried to do a little fishing but there was still took much current and wind and tide to hold the boat in any sort of position.  

We went back to Balcom and took the skiff down and went for a little walk on the beach. Balcom has a lovely shore and a couple of creeks that have soft mossy banks and could be good bear territory. We saw deer on the shore though. No bear. 

The wind is starting to make us a little weary. 

The next day we went to Rose Harbour and anchored up for the night. It was windy and there was a very strong current. There is a mooring bouy there but we didn't take it. We should have. We took the skiff about the Harbour. 

Float planes bring tourists in and out of Rose Harbour and then they are taken to SGang Gwaay by zodiac.

Rose Harbour is an old Whaling station and there are three houses there - a couple of them operate as guest houses for visitors who want to see SGang Gwaay. We met the owner of the Rose Harbour Guest house. They offer meals - authentic Thai cuisine and take their guests by zodiac to SGang Gwaay. 

The next morning July 3rd we went to SGang Gwaay. 

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