Kwatsi Bay to Boughey Bay

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Today is a four hour run to position ourselves for our six hour trip down Johnstone Straight. Our noon departure was dictated by trying to go through Chatham Channel near slack tide. Chatham Channel has good depth, and is reasonably wide except for the southeast end where there are two range makers to keep you in the channel.

OceanFlyer on dock at Kwatsi Bay

happy hour dock on the left

our host's home

our local sentry

It has been a while since we transited Chatham Channel, and our passage today reminded us that is it no big deal. Currents can run to five knots, but in a boat such as a 49 Grand Banks, passing with a 2-3 knot current is no problem.

As we were nearing the last quarter of the channel we saw traffic going our same way. Leading the procession was a very small “yard tug” pulling a large barge. It looked as if they were repositioning a logging camp. We slowed a couple of knots so as to not run too close to the other powerboat following the barge.

GYPSY traveler

Our late departure also meant that the morning fog had burned off and we were able to enjoy the first day of sunshine in three days. Karen and I opened up the flybridge and ran the boat from there. We did need light jackets as the wind picked up to 15 knots on our nose.

fog is our traveling companion THIS year

We arrived at Boughey Bay at our planned four hour mark only to find a  boat anchored in “our spot”. So we motored around the anchorage checking depths and found a suitable location three hundred feet in front of them. Oh well, there goes their view. The wind was still at 15 knots from the northwest, but even though the bay was open to the northwest, swells never formed.

Chicken and corn tonight for dinner; some homemade brownies for dessert and then early to bed is the plan. Our wakeup call is for 5:00am.

Monday Anchorage to Kwatsi Bay

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Fogust, the name given to the month of August in these parts, is in full swing. This morning the visibility is, as we say in the aviation world, ZERO, ZERO. We don’t mind traveling in this weather, it’s just less fun because you must be very vigilant and cannot relax and enjoy the scenery. Of course there is no scenery when it the fog is this low and dense.

not much to see outside

I keep my scan inside the boat, focusing on the radar and the chart plotter. Karen maintained a lookout for debris in the water. Since we could not see more than one to two boat lengths, we reduced out speed so we would have time to dodge and obstacles in our path.

The radar performed well, it would even trace logs on the flat water and small flocks of birds as they flew close to the surface. In Misty Passage we did get close enough to see a fishing boat anchored in the pass. But the couple of other returns from vessels produced no visual sightings.

birds are a big help in spotting logs

As we transitioned into Tribune Channel, the fog began to lift and by the time we reached our destination, the base of the clouds were about 1500 feet with good visibility below.

fog lifting in tribune channel

Kwatsi Bay is one of our favorite stop in the Broughtons. Max and Anca have been here 16 years and provide a most welcoming venue. It is not large but the 5:00 happy hour is a big draw. Every boat brings something to munch on and we all sit around and get to know one another. You always meet great people that you have so much in common with. Boats, cruising and fishing are, of course, main topics of discussion, but Max and I had a long discussion about how the “personality” of a country influences the cars they build. Karen, on the other hand, began to sing the Pharrell Williams song “Happy” while another attendee began to dance.  The dock was full, and the night was peaceful.


Pierre’s Echo Bay to Monday Anchorage

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Pierre’s Echo Bay to Monday Anchorage

Cinnamon rum French toast with imported Berkshire bacon, now that is the way to start the day. I slept in until 8:30, and then got to work in the galley making the aforementioned breakfast. Slowly, one by one, the other boats let loose their lines and departed Pierre’s.

Although our new acquaintances in Morveren had left as I fired up the stovetop, they returned about an hour later. They had run into a wall of fog on their way to Port McNeill. They hovered alongside us and asked what we thought. All we could do is tell them the pattern we have been seeing the past three days: the fog starts to lift around noon, an hour from now.

So off they went again to get it another try.

It was a little after the check-out time of 11:30 when we cast off. I topped of the dinghy fuel, fileted a salmon and paid our moorage. We both spent a half hour under the WIFI antenna downloading messages and sending more. It will be three days before we might have cell or WIFI.

While the fog had lifted some, visibility was still less than a mile and in some locations it was a quarter of that. Our plans are changing constantly. We were going to stop at some middens between Insect Island and Eden Island and do some exploring before moving on to a funky anchorage Karen found in the Dreamspeaker book between Fly Island and Eden Island.

Since the anchor spot was essentially in what could be considered a small pass where boats could transit, we abandoned that idea because of the fog. We did not want to be sitting exposed to traffic in dense fog.

A quick look at the charts and we set our course for Monday Anchorage. It got its name from the novel, Curve of Time, where the author was blown from her anchorage one Sunday night (now known as Sunday Anchorage) to this anchorage now known as Monday Anchorage. It was a fairly tense journey, as the fog had come down almost completely and Karen was out on the bow looking and listening for a boat we saw on radar. Turned out to be a small fishing boat, no AIS.

PLAYING pee-a-boo with our neighbors in the anchorage

With the fog forming a white blanket with no signs of dissipation, Karen and I spent the afternoon in the boat. Karen worked on reports for her clients, and I woredk on pictures and text for our blog and took care of “boat chores”.  We really didn’t get to see any of the anchorage, or explore the white beach behind the second island. Oh well – there’s always next time.

Waddington Bay To Pierre’s Echo Bay

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To no one’s surprise, it is foggy this morning. Waddington Bay provided us with a peaceful night. I don’t think we moved more than one boat length in any direction in response to the coming and going of the tides.

We were the first to depart, about 11am. Our plan is to go drop the hook in the Burdwood Group and do some exploring before backtracking a little to Pierre’s.

Clouds paint the landscape

There are not many places to anchor in the Burdwood’s, and we wanted to go back to the ledge we found between two islands so many years ago [insert link to old blog entry].

Our travels are uneventful, but with the big tides, the waters are rich in debris. An “as plotted” course never works for long, as we end up dodging all manner of logs.

"hairy" logs are the easy ones to spot

As we round the small island that guides us to our chosen spot, we find a sailboat already there. We figured there was a 50/50 chance it would be occupied. So reverse course, and off to Pierre’s.

Pierre’s at Echo Bay is one of few success stories for a marina in the Broughton’s. It has become a destination spot you must visit when in the area. Pierre and his wife Tove have continued to build facilities and innovate with interesting events that are a major draw for the boating community. Tonight is Prime rib night. The prime rib is roasted in the huge BBQ pit made famous by Pierre’s pig roast. Karen is not a fan of prime rib but she says she is doing it for me. Really it’s just how the schedule worked out that we were here on a Thursday, one of two prime rib nights; the other being Monday.

Pierre's iconic "lighthouse"

great dinghy tricked out for salmon fishing

Our assigned spot on the dock was behind Morveren, a boat in the same charter fleet as ours: NWExplorations. We said hi to the people on board and later joined them at the prime roast feast.

full house for prime rib dinner

the houses on the other side of echo bay

How was dinner? Exceptional. Even Karen liked it very much. I got my “end cut” which is the only way I enjoy prime rib; it was tender, juicy and full of flavor. The BBQ pit makes this the best prime rib I have ever had. Along with the entrée, you get a baked potato with every topping, two vegetables, bread, salad, and dessert; all fresh and well prepared. We were amazed at the efficiency of the operation. With 55 for dinner, they did a marvelous job of getting everybody fed in only one hour, but you did not ever feel rushed.  In addition to Pierre, Tove and two staff they had 3 volunteers that served the crowd with cheer. If you’re going to be in the area, check out the schedule of activities and meals at Pierre’s [link] and make it a point to stop. You will not be disappointed.


Pearl Pass to Waddington Bay

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As the weather report predicted, we awoke to fog again. It matters not since we have a lot of “real work” to do this morning. Most of my projects seem under control today, but Karen has multiple reports to write so we’ll sit tight and try to make some progress in fending off the real world.

From our calm anchorage, we work and listen to the whale watching boats on channel 07A. Our plan is to divert to see some whales if we can locate them on the radio. Our initial destination for today was Dusky Cove [click here to read about our last visit], but that was changed due to the forecast winds of 15-20 out of the North West tonight. Dusky is open in that direction, and even though Dusky is one of our favorites, it could become a less than pleasant night if the winds and fetch roll in.

Compare this low tide view with the next picture

High tide and the rocks are almost "gone". An important lesson in the Pacific Northwest.

Therefore Waddington Bay will take the place of Dusky. A perennial  favorite, we expect not be alone. With good protection and lots of room, we think it will be a place many boaters seek out tonight.

Finally around 2pm we put our computers down and weighed anchor. The fog had started to lift around noon and now was clear beneath a scattered layer of clouds. The afternoon winds have not yet made their appearance, and in the protected passes, the water was calm. We poked around and checked out a few coves along the way to see any one of them could charm us to select them over Waddington Bay.

They did not, so we motored on. As expected, we found three boats already at anchor in the bay and one attached to the bottom just outside. The M/V Cowabunga was a tiny Nordhavn, sharing the bay with a sailboat and a cute-as-you-know-what all aluminum version of a NW trawler measuring about 42 feet. I’d love to check out its interior layout. For some reason, I’m attracted to all aluminum boats like Silver Star. I guess its their no-nonsense exterior and rugged good looks.

If I ever get a second boat, it might look like this