Blowin' in the Wind

 

 

 

Eagle's Galore

 

 

 

 

Sullivan Bay Floating Community

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Sights!

 

 

 

 

Mud Bay Sunset

 

Hummingbird-Up Close and Personal

 

 

Waterfalls in Tribune Channel

 

 

 

 

Bow Riders

 

 

 

A BIG Log Tow

 

 

 

Good Mornin', Lord

 

 

 

 

Log Tow

 

Gillard's Passage

 

 

Squirrel Cove

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ever Present Canadian Geese

 

He can dream, can't he?

 

Rapids at Dodd Narrows

 

 

Prevost Island

 

 

 

Southern Alaska on the M/'V Catalyst-June 2009

 

 

The Forest-Alaska

 

 

 

 

Reflections-Alaska

 

 

 

 

Dawe's Glacier-Alaska

 

 

 

 

Men and Their Toys

 

 

 

Sights at Dawe's Glacier, Alaska

 

 

 

 

Dawe's Glacier-Alaska

 

 

 

 

Flora in Ford's Terror, Alaska

 

 

 

 

Ford's Terror-Alaska

 

 

 

 

More Wildlife in Alaska

 

 

 

 

Wildlife in Alaska

 

 

 

 

More Alaska 2009

 

 

 

 

Alaska on Board the M/V Catalyst-June 2009

 

 

 

 

Winter Ashore

Following our trip to Canada last summer, we decided to move shoreside for the winter. We found a perfect "cottage" in town. We were truly grateful to have it when we had snow, ice and a pretty cold winter. Summer is here again though and we have moved back on board Walking on Water for a trip around Vancouver Island. Stay tuned for updates on our adventure.

The Long Haul to Campbell River

We got a daybreak start to make a 60 mile trek down Johnstone Straight to Campbell River. The straights can be challenging and sloppy so once again, timing wind and tide is critical to comfort for both boat and crew. We would need to pass through Seymour Narrows at slack tide around 6 p.m. so needed to waste a few hours after the a.m. passage. Seymour Narrows has wicked tide rips up to 15 knots except for about 1/2 hour before slack tide, so boats literally line up waiting for the right time. We waited with everything from a tug and barge and a large cruise ship. Enjoyed a little sailing while we waited. The passage was uneventful and the fact that there is nothing to take pictures of while passing through it is a good thing! We arrived at Campbell River about supper time after 13 hours and 60 miles under our belt for the day.

The Final Leg of the Broughtons

We sailed in light airs most of the day in search of an Internet connection. We had hoped to stay in Lagoon Cove again but they were full, so just kept going looking for a quiet place to land. The breeze picked up a bit and we found ourselves accompanied by two porpoises surfing our bow wake. It was so much fun to watch but very difficult to get pictures of. We ended up in Burial Cove (what a horrible name!)for the night and planning and early morning departure down Johnstone Straight.

Heading South

Today we begin our journey back towards home. We will sail as much as we can the next couple of days if there is wind. We expect to be in Campbell River by the weekend. We look forward to coming back here soon.

We spent the night at Mud Bay...we've been here before and Chris really liked it. Three boats is about all the Bay can hold and we were #3. Bumped into some folks we met before who came over for a visit. It is amazing how frequently we bump into people in little coves after meeting them in a marina. There are dozens and dozens of hidey holes in this area so the odds don't seem very good for that. It happens frequently though. Some we have met live near Friday Harbor and come there often, so we will likely see them again at home.

Greenway Sound

We motored most of the day today but were intent on getting to Greenway Sound before 4 p.m. when Meg needed Internet access. This is a bit off the beaten path and we passed many now familiar landmarks on the way. We were once again surprised to see very few boats at this marina. There is close to a mile of dock space here which is more than we have seen anywhere but only a half dozen boats. We did meet up with a couple we met at Kwatsi Bay and enjoyed visiting with them. Today was Meg's birthday...she enjoyed ice cream (we don't see much of that!)before dinner, a nice bottle of San Juan Vineyard Siegrebbe and Rack of Lamb. What more could a girl ask for!

Potts Lagoon

We sailed half the way from Thompson Sound with a reef in the main and a nice breeze to Pott's Lagoon. This beautiful little anchorage is a narrow tidal basin with an entrance that has rapids. The only time you can go into it is at high water since it empties out at low water. We ventured in with Tip Toe just before high water and the current and wind just blew us leisurely in. We had hoped to see some black bears since they are reported to frequent this area, but no joy. As the lagoon became shallow be decided to turn back which meant Chris had to row us out against the tide and wind. He got his exercise for the day! We spent two nights here and Chris was able to enjoy several sailing excursions around the lagoon. Only a few Canadian boats shared this anchorage. We thought for a minute that Chris would be called upon for his firefighting skills as one of the floating homes had a fire on the roof. They were able to put it out quickly though and we just watched. A lovely weekend...

No good pictures though!

Thompson Sound

We had heard of several places that we could perhaps see Grizzly Bears so went in search of them. Thompson Sound was the closest so we journeyed off from Kwatsi Bay. No bears but a lovely area all to ourselves. Spent some time playing in the dinghy and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.

Kwatsi Bay

The wind and tide were both favorable for a trip back across Johnstone Straight to the Islands. We had up to 30 knots of wind and a single reef to make things more comfortable. The captain really enjoyed a great day of sailing. As we left the Straights entering the Broughton's through Spring Passage, we enjoyed not only great sailing but some of the most beautiful scenery. Lot's of small island together...it is impossible for pictures to capture the beauty.

Today's journey was 40 miles, all under sail, and our final destination was Kwatsi Bay, a small bay nestled at the foot of mountains over 4000 ft. The view is just breathtaking. We saw several waterfalls and the remains of a number of slides on the mountainsides. All we have to say is WOW-our God has made an amazing creation!

Port McNeill

We motored from Blundon Harbor to Port McNeill, a major reprovising stop. The grocery stores were nice but we really didn't need all that much. There is nothing remarkable about this port but we hung out for two days just the same and got a bit of work done.

Since Port McNeill is on the "mainland" of Vancouver Island, it meant we needed to once again cross the Queen Charlotte Straight to get back to the Islands. This always means watching for favorable wind and tide since it can be nasty otherwise. The Captain picked it right again and we had a brisk sail across. Although speed is hard to depict in pictures, here is one of our wake while blasting along at 10-12 knots.

The area just across the Straights as we reentered the Broughtons is so beautiful...it is one of Meg's favorites. We wish pictures did the area justice but they don't come close. Suffice it to say it is just breathtaking.

Blunden Harbour

We motored most of the day today...no wind, overcast and calm. We ended up in this large anchorage with a number of other boats. Chris went sailing with Tip Toe...didn't get far as he stopped to chat at another boat. It is great fun to be able to still going sailing even when we are at anchor.

Mud Bay on Eden Island

It has been pretty gray and rainy for a few days but we were able to sail for almost 19 miles from Echo Bay to Eden Island. After all, we're on a Maine Cat and rain only means other people are bundled up trying to stay warm and dry! We took a look at Joe Cove which is very popular, but found it occupied by a couple of boats and a little too tight for our comfort. A brief trip across to Mud Bay resulted in finding a beautiful bay with no one in it. The Captain says "this is my favorite place so far"! He says that a lot.

What do you do all the time?

We are asked this question frequently and the answer is...what we normally do! While under way and the Captain is busy doing what Captain's do, the Admiral has a variety of things that keep her busy. Besides working (she is really trying to take a vacation from this, but it's not really working all that well!), I read (currently a novel by Anita Shreve, but frequently whatever I can find in the book exchanges), sew (am currently working on a baby quilt and have fabric for three more) and knit (my newest hobby-I have finished one baby blanket, a fun scarf, several dish cloths and am working on a stroller blanket...lots of yarn for other projects still to go!). The knitting seems to be okay even when the seas are a little sloppy and I can't do anything else. We have heard that you need to have a signature "boat gift" sort of like a hostess gift when you go on board someone else's boat. I think I am going to knit these cute fish dish cloths...it seems appropriate for boaters and is useful.

It is a very productive time and I am enjoying every minute!

Pierre's at Echo Bay

We had made reservations at a popular marina for the weekend. Pierre's in known for it's weekend Pig Roasts. While we don't really have a hankering for the pig, it is a great way to meet people and find out all the good spots to visit in the area. There is also one of the "best" stores in the area and we are always on the lookout for fresh produce and milk. Echo Bay has a unique "floating village" and most of the buildings, including a lodge and the store are all on floats of some type. Fresh produce was delivered within the first hour after we arrived...like watching bees on honey, it was swarmed with boaters trying to get a few things to add to their precious stores...we won the prized cherries, but Meg is feeling pretty guilty for buying all three pounds!

We met up with Johan and Marianna again. Johanne began asking Chris questions about docking and before we knew it, Chris had volunteered to do some docking practice the next day. Within just a couple of hours, both men were beaming and Johanne was docking like a pro!

There was a golf tournament in the afternoon where kayak caddy's retrieved the wiffle golf balls floating in the water. It was quite comical. The pig roast/pot luck followed with about 60 people attending. It was actually quite good (pot lucks not really being our favorite thing to go to) especially compared to the last pig roast we went to in the Bahamas. It is good to meet new people...Chris is certainly in his element on the docks and has such a good time it is hard to get him back on board before the sun goes down.

Chris woke up in the predawn hours hearing something outside...a good sized log found its way alongside us with the tide and was bumping against our hull. With trusty boat hook in hand, he guided it away and as I am typing, it is floating back out to sea. Another daring rescue!

Mamalilaculla...how do you say that?

We arrived at a lovely cove on Village Island and the Indian village of Mamalilaculla known for it's Indian ruins. The old government dock is now just old pilings but supposedly you can go ashore and be greeted by the natives, including a few bears. While we opted not to find out for ourselves, we did see one of the native black bears...our first response was "he isn't very big!" (Now I really wish I had a good zoom lens).

We are experiencing very low and very high tides this week so much caution is needed when anchoring to ensure we have enough water left under us at low tide. When we arrived at high tide the water comes all the way up to just under the tree branches. I then took this picture at low tide (down 16 feet) and you can see that the beach came to meet us...it's a good thing we are "bear tight" as they practically could walk right up to us if they wanted. The landscape certainly changes with the tides.

Lagoon Cove

We technically "arrived" in The Broughton's today and stayed at a little marina in Lagoon Cove. This is also the beginning of nightly happy hour's in all marinas. The owner's tell us this is some of the best shrimping and crabbing in this area-we wouldn't know since we don't have so much as a fish hook or crab pot on board. They put a pot down in the morning though and had quite a pile of fresh shrimp to share at happy hour...yummmm. Met a nice couple, Johan and Marianna on a Grand Banks.

From here we continued Northwest toward our next destination. The captain declared it was a "great day of sailing" as he maneuvered our craft through the tricky "Beware Passage" under sail. The sun shone, the light but steady breeze wafted us along and this was an example of why we'd chosen to come here in the first place.

Passage through Johnstone Straight

We woke up early the 2nd morning at Blind Channel resort and got a weather report for Fanny Island-- 4kts of wind. This is an indicator that Johnstone Strait was 'quiet'. The Captain determined it was time to go since we had 4 more hours of a favorable ebb tide. So off we went, flat calm, a little fog here and there and we made it all the way down to our intended cruising area. We even sailed a little bit going through Havannah Channel. The wind that teased us soon disappeared so we anchored at an odd Indian village called Matilpi. The anchorage seemed a bit tight and had strong current and the day was still young so we headed off to Lagoon Cove through Chatham Channel which is a bit tight but turned out to be no problem.

Blind Channel

Hanging out...we have Internet! Waiting for weather. The other challenge when running these narrow passages is that a favorable current spits you out into an unfavorable prevailing wind in Johnstone Strait. When wind and tide go against one another the ride becomes like riding a bucking bronco--for hours! Only there's no where to 'fall off' to stop the ride.

So we're hanging here at Blind Channel Resort closely monitoring the weather forecast. Uh-oh, 25-35 knots of wind against us tomorrow, doesn't sound good. The fun part is meeting other folks who are also waiting and seeing how everyone else lives.

We stayed for two nights and had dinner in the marina restaurant one evening. It is supposed to be the best restaurant in these parts. We enjoyed the night out, but agreed that we like the "restaurant" cuisine at home better! We tried to go out for a walk and found these beautiful flowers growing out of a big tree stump. We also found a ton of mosquitos so, once again, thought home looked pretty darn good!

Bound for the Broughtons

We stopped off at Refuge Cove in Desolation Sound to do laundry and drop off garbage at the garage scow. Also, a quick grabbing of the WiFi signal and we're off through the Rapids. First, Yaculta, then Gaillard Passage, then Dent Rapids. These are narrow channels through the mountains that separate the Queen Charlotte Straits up north from the Straits of Georgia south of Desolation sound. We'll be running for several days and about 100 miles through them. They're beautiful, stunning and hard to grasp without being there. Our weather has been awesome.

The rapids are salt water and tidal where the tides must squeeze through and the water speeds up to 16 knots! Much faster than we (or most sailboats)can go. This fast moving water is literally like white water rapids with waves, whirlpools, upwellings and eddies that can threaten even commercial vessels. The trick is going through these narrow spaces just when the tide direction is changing. It stops for 10-20 minutes while it changes direction. That's when everybody tries to get through. Our pictures aren't very impressive--it means the Captain got the timing right. Impressive pictures mean somebody else took them while we struggled to avoid serious trouble due to having gotten the timing wrong.

Log tows are an efficient way to move a lot of logs. These tugs can only go 1-2 knots so slack water through these passages is very important. Guess who we met in the narrow spot?