On June 17 I left home with a friend to drive to Port Hardy and pick up another friend's 37' sailboat for a delivery trip to Kitimat. The boat will make it to Haida Gwaii for a vacation cruise with its owner and some guests, but getting there and home again is for delivery crews.
We arrived in PH at 12:30, changed with the earlier crew there, car for boat and set out to round Cape Caution during an uncharacteristic calm afternoon. Sails went up at Pine Island and we were able to maintain 7 knots till around the Cape. Late evening light allowed us to get to a good anchorage for the night.
Sunshine the next day and we sailed/motored to Fish Egg inlet. Went all the way in and anchored in Oyster Bay. Explored the nearby bays by dinghy, returning to the boat just as the rain set in.
Next day a quick trip across to Hakai Institute in Pruth Bay and a walk to the best beaches on the coast. Then a great sail out into the open ocean, to get around to the west side of Hunter Island, where we found a one boat sized anchorage for the night.
Then to Shearwater for some fuel, Pub lunch and a shower, then on to Rescue Bay via Reid Passage, for the night. Sunshine and fair winds most of the way.
After Rescue Bay we went into the Fiords, Kynoch inlet and Culpepper Lagoon. Here the most photographed waterfall in Kynoch usually has a cloud ceiling well below the mountaintops, but we were treated to sunshine the whole way in. In the morning, at the end of Culpepper, a pair of Grizzlies were clam digging when I went to explore the estuary in the kayak.
Drizzle and light wind with us that day, to Butedale to see that it is indeed being demolished by a resident backhoe, then on to Bishop Bay and a visit to the hot springs. We got one of only two mooring bouys there, so didn't need to seek a shallower spot to anchor.
The final day was again damp, until we came around the last corner, 8 miles from Kitimat. The MK Bay Marina is in a serious rebuilding phase and had told us both that we couldn't stay and that we could. When we got there, they were very nice about finding a way to allow us to stay, and even got us to the Terrace airport in the morning.
Sorry about the lack of pictures. I have lots, but they are still on my phone and I haven't had decent wifi enough to transfer them over. When I get that done I will add some. Immediately after getting home we left for our vacation on Retreat and have now arrived at Cortes Bay, where I am writing this.
We arrived in PH at 12:30, changed with the earlier crew there, car for boat and set out to round Cape Caution during an uncharacteristic calm afternoon. Sails went up at Pine Island and we were able to maintain 7 knots till around the Cape. Late evening light allowed us to get to a good anchorage for the night.
Sunshine the next day and we sailed/motored to Fish Egg inlet. Went all the way in and anchored in Oyster Bay. Explored the nearby bays by dinghy, returning to the boat just as the rain set in.
Next day a quick trip across to Hakai Institute in Pruth Bay and a walk to the best beaches on the coast. Then a great sail out into the open ocean, to get around to the west side of Hunter Island, where we found a one boat sized anchorage for the night.
Then to Shearwater for some fuel, Pub lunch and a shower, then on to Rescue Bay via Reid Passage, for the night. Sunshine and fair winds most of the way.
After Rescue Bay we went into the Fiords, Kynoch inlet and Culpepper Lagoon. Here the most photographed waterfall in Kynoch usually has a cloud ceiling well below the mountaintops, but we were treated to sunshine the whole way in. In the morning, at the end of Culpepper, a pair of Grizzlies were clam digging when I went to explore the estuary in the kayak.
Drizzle and light wind with us that day, to Butedale to see that it is indeed being demolished by a resident backhoe, then on to Bishop Bay and a visit to the hot springs. We got one of only two mooring bouys there, so didn't need to seek a shallower spot to anchor.
The final day was again damp, until we came around the last corner, 8 miles from Kitimat. The MK Bay Marina is in a serious rebuilding phase and had told us both that we couldn't stay and that we could. When we got there, they were very nice about finding a way to allow us to stay, and even got us to the Terrace airport in the morning.
Sorry about the lack of pictures. I have lots, but they are still on my phone and I haven't had decent wifi enough to transfer them over. When I get that done I will add some. Immediately after getting home we left for our vacation on Retreat and have now arrived at Cortes Bay, where I am writing this.
