My Adventure Story
Over a period of a week we have been working north and west up the Inside Passage. We left Nanaimo, BC after meeting our old friend Foss Tug's great guy-Norm Manly. The morning was clear and a brisk wind was blowing, but was forecast to moderate as we headed north on the Strait of Georgia. It was kind of like a rocking horse for the first two hours then it smoothed out and we were gifted with a beautiful run with few boats. Gaining Chrome Island we slipped into the Baynes Sound and found a lovely anchorage at Henry Bay. This is beautiful spit of sand that streches from Hornby Island towards but does not touch Comox or Cape Lazo.
The next morning we clear the Comox bar and Cape Lazo standing proud to port for Campbell River.
The weather has been,for the most part, good with a few sunny days. Except that much of the time when underway to Quartz Bay we had limited visibility (about 3 miles on average) caused by the wild fires in Eastern BC. At last count over 400 different fires caused the smoke you'll see in two of the pictures. We went around Cape Mudge for Quartz Bay at about 1830 to 2000 hours. The smoke was so thick the setting sun could barely poke through.
We've found the tides to be doing their "own thing", and generally not what was forecast. The result was that we were "pushing" against the tide much of the time but have maintained at least 6.5 knots average.
I must say that we lost an old hand during this journey. The LORAN system was officially shut down-while I was using it-thank you very much! Even with the GPS system being so vibrant, the old LORAN system worked very well and ALL those waypoints I had stored were very helpful.
After a great stay at Quartz Bay with many shrimp caught, we headed back around Mudge and through Seymour Narrows (Ripple Rock) and dropped the hook in Granite Bay (off Kanish Bay. Beautiful night. BUT..
The next day it was dense fog but calm-flat conditions and the opening day for gill netters seasons. We left Granite bay at 4 knots and using radar and the Mac Chart System we felt our way through the gill netters and around Chatham Point onto the Johnstone Passage. The currents and winds whip and change and sometimes challange us, but passing Port Neville it softens and we enter the Havannah Channel and find purchase at Matlipi, the 3000 yo native camp site. We are here with the ghosts of years past.
I sifted the clam midden for beads and brac but find nothing. Fish are biting so I bring in a couple of ocean perch.
The next day slide through the Chatham Channel and onto the Knight Inlet working our way up the Shoal Harbor to spend a beautiful and quiet night. Desiring to see what the new owner has done to Greenway Sound Resort we pull up the Talon from the bottom and head out. We tied up to the dock to be greeted by the new owner with an invite to come to Happy hour! We meet so many great folks, it is fun. Greenway is coming back- Hooray!
Today we leave Greenway Sound for the Mackenzie Inlet and will relax in the wilderness.
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