SHEARWATER TO BOTTLENECK

OUR SHEARWATER STOP OVER WAS A NICE BREAK TO STOCK UP ON STUFF AND HAVE A GOOD MEAL AT THE PUB. THE POWER AT THE DOCK DID NOT WORK LAST NIGHT SO WE SHOULD HAVE ANCHORED OUT. GOT STOCKED UP ON FUEL, FRESH VEGIES AND FRUIT. TODAY WE HEAD FOR BOTTLENECK LAGOON WHICH IS ABOUT 45 MILES NORTH. THE EAGLE SHOTS IN THIS BLOG ARE THE RESUOT OF OUR NEIGHBOR THROWING HEARING IN THE WATER AND THE LOGAL EAGLES SWOOPING DOWN TO PICK THEM UP. THEY ARE VERY FAST AND I MISSED THE PICK UP.

JUNE 28 2010 Duncanby landing to Kisameet Bay

We left Duncanby Landing with a good overall feeling about this resort. Great service , fishing and crabbing! Our next stop is a drop dead beautiful place called Kisameet Bay. When we got there is was steady rain all day, all night and the next morning so decided not to walk the trail to Kisameet Lake and we pulled anchor and headed for Shearwater on June 29 which is the last stop for supplies until Prince Rupert.

CROSSING CAPE CAUTION TO DUNCANBY LANDING JUNE 27 2010

CROSSING CAPE CAUTION TO DUNCANBY LANDING IS ALWAYS A STRESSFUL ORDEAL WAITING FOR THE WEST SEA OTTER BOUY (WHICH IS WAY OUT IN THE PACIFIC) TO BE ONE METER OR LESS SO WE KNOW THAT MAKING THE 52 MILE CROSSING HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF BEING REASONABLE. THIS CROSSING IS SERIOUS BUSINESS AND U MUST PAY STRICT ATTENTION TO THE WIND AND WAVE ACTION BEFORE MAKING THE CROSSING. ON THIS DAYTHE BOUY WAS 1.1 SO WE LEFT BULL HARBOR AT 07:00 AND MADE A GOOD CROSSING WITH LARGE ROLLERS BUT NO BREAKING WAVES AND A TOLERABLE FREQUENCY. WE DID SEE A FEW WHALES AND THWE WEATHER WAS CLEAR,

DUNCANBY LANDING IS A GREAT PLACE, COMPLETELY REMODELED AND WONDERFUL CRABBING AND FISHING. THE STAFF IS VERY HELPFUL AND THE RESTAURANT IS FIRST CLASS. THEY TOLD US WHERE TO SET THE CRAB POTS AND AFTER 3 HOURS WE HAD OUR LIMIT SETTING THE STAGE FOR A GREAT CRAB FEED THE NEXT EVENING.

BULL HARBOR

PORT MCNEAL TO BULL HARBOR

WE LEFT PORT MCNEAL AT FOR BULL HARBOR WHICH IS OPUR STAGING POINT TO CROSS CAPE CAUTION. BULL HARBOR IS AN INDIAN OWNED ISLAND AND A VERY PROTECTED ANCHORAGE. AFTER SETTING THE HOOK WE TOOK A HIKE TO THE BEACH AND WERE STOPPED BY A NATIVE DEMANDING $5 FOR EACH PERSON FOR THE "WALKABOUT" ON THEIR LAND WE REFUSE AT FIRST AND HE SAID GO BACK TO YOUR BOAT HE LEFT IN A CLUD OF DUST IN HIS OLD FORD PICKUP AND THEN WE DECIDED TO PAY THE RANSOM BUT ONLY IF HE WOUOD GIVE US A RECEIPT. DOUG HANDLED IT WHEN HE RETURNED AND THE NATIVE WAS VERY CONFUSED AT THE REQUEST FOR A RECIEPT BUT FINALLY WENT HOME AND RETURNED WITH A HAND SCRIBBLED RECIEPT AND WE PROCEDED TO THE BEACH WHERTE THEIR WERE MANY COOL ROUNDED ROCK AND GREAT SCENERY. IT WAS A 4 MILE HIKE BUT WAS WORTH IT WHEN WE WRRIVED AT THE BEACH.

Port McNeal June 25/26 2010

We left Cordero at 0:600 in an attempt to avoid a NW wind on an incoming tide. We were fine for a while but then we started to really rock and roll and the dinghy did not like it, jerking from side to side ... after about an hour of this strange severe chop which made our boat rock fore and aft... fortunately we have stabilizers and we did not roll much. With Doug in the lead we decided to forge on and the water calmed and we arrived at Port McNeal at 12 noon.

After a nice lunch at the local pub I got a well deserved haircut , Cheryl went shopping and then I hit the local marine store which has an outstanding selection of good stuff.

We fueled up putting on 2000 liters of diesel, got the boat washed by two cuties and got a Garmin chip for the inside passage that I somehow lost for the Seadoo. Cheryl got a cool pair of yellow rubber rain boots that she has lusted for, for years.

Nat served up a wonderful Oyster wrapped in bacon treat before dinner and we turned in early.

Today we head for Bull Harbor to anchor for the night and hopefully get calm waters to cross Cap Caution on Sunday.

Cordero Lodge June24 2010

We left Octopus Islands headed for Cordero Lodge after two great days and some great rides on the Seadoo. I went through "Hole in The Wall" and back at slack current and it was a blast.

We have many great memories of Cordero since the early 1990's and it still has a great charm. Rienhart is getting up there in age and is moving very slowly now and the dinner was nice but not the quite the same as in the past. We had to ask about the schnapps at the end of the dinner and she finally brought out the board and we all had a shot of ice cold schnapps.

Photos from Octopus Islands

Cordero Lodge June24 2010

Once again we visited our favorite German restaurant on the way North.

The 6 of us had a great German dinner topped off with Strudel and Vanilla Ice Cream and ice cold schnapps.

Tomorrow we head for Port McNeal a 66 mile journey and we will shove off at 06:00 to try to avoid forecasted strong northerly winds on Johnstone Straights.

Octopus Islands for two days

We left Gorge Harbor with a very favorable feeling of this newly remodeled resort and headed for Octopus Islands. Colliers went to Quadra Island to visit their friends place and dig clams , Stewarts were still ion Campbell River visiting relatives and getting their Gen set repaired. We had not been to Octopus Islands for over ten years so we were looking forward to it. We stern tied in the Islets in a wonderful spot suggested by Nat. We find that the 65 is a bit more of a handful to stern tie than the 38 but after an hour and a half we got it done and were secure for the stay.

The next day at slack current I took the Sedoo for a wonderfully exhilarating ride out of the Islands and clear through the Hole in the Wall and back which id a narrow channel about three mile in length.

That afternoon the Colliers and Stewarts arrived and we were treated by the Colliers to a fabulous clam pre dinner feast then Nat led us to the museum that the Timm's said to be sure to visit. It is an old well kept an open cabin filled with mementos from boaters visiting this land mark over the years and we did see a shell collection that the Timms had created and place there on display some years ago. Nat and Sean created a small crab encased in acrylic the night before and left it there to be on display for years to come. a fuzzy photo proves that we all made this visit.

This morning I took another great ride for about 20 miles on the route that we took to Cordero.

We pulled anchor at noon thirty and headed to Cordero Lodge by way of Johnstone Straights and Blind Channel. We will have a very tasty German dinner tonight and this legendary Resort.

Dinner at The Float House in Gorge Harbor on Cortez Island

Last night we had dinner at The Float House at Gorge Harbor.

Yes a major part of these floating trips is trying new restaurants at different resorts and this one is a winner. The Gorge Harbor resort has new owners and the meals were excellent! Shown here with Jim & Cheryl are Nat and Linda Collier with their 10 year old Grandson, Sean. Also a stunning view of Reflections and Sea Jay.

Jim has still not had a drink of alcohol in 12 weeks and it is still hard but the pounds are slowly rolling off..

Gorge Harbor is completely remodeled with new docks swimming pool and beautiful landscaping.

We had not been here for about 15 years and that was the day before Cheryl broke her hip on Sea Jay 1. We will have dinner here tonight in their restaurant and report on all the fixins. We anchored out in the middle of the putting great faith in our new anchor

Nanaimo /Denman Island / Henry Bay

Left Bedwell Harbor for Nanaimo where we picked up our 5 dozen bottles of home made wine we had ordered last year. We decided to keep it in boxes rather than pack all those bottles. After several tastings we decided it was good wine. Had a nice dinner and lunch at the Coast Hotel served both times by Ann Marie who gave Cheryl several tips on where to get a Kentucky Derby hat for the Tea to be held in Echo Bay. Cheryl found a whole , (hat dress & neckless) outfit in the mall. Next evening we went to a Italian restaurant with the Stewarts and Colliers and their grandson Sean. Got our fishing licenses, stocked up on fresh fruit and purchased a salmon to hang on the wall that I have been looking at for two years. We left Nanaimo and cruised to Denman Island in calm waters and very nice sunshine. Anchoring at Denmon Island was very nice and it allowed Cheryl and I to test the newly installed folding Swim step ladder on the Seadoo. I took it to a shallow area & slid off the machine in to the ice water with Cheryl close by in the F 16 (just in case)and deployed the ladder while bobbing in the water in my Mustang suit the ladder came down nicely and climbed back on the machine with out a hitch. Hooray! now I can fall of and get back the Seadoo even in 50 degree water. Today we cruised to Gorge Harbor on Cortez Island.