Leg 1, Day 11 - Klaskish to Winter Harbour

This morning we lifted anchor in Klaskish and headed for our final destination on Vancouver Island, Winter Harbour. This small town was only about a three hour cruise and was town we had seen since we left Tofino. The cruise to Winter Harbour was beautiful and the town itself was picturesque, nestled on the shore of a large bay and surrounded by fantastic views of rolling mountains. At the top of the dock was “The Outpost,” a small store which provided the only fuel, liquor, and groceries available in the area. All of these operations are run by a man named Ron who was very friendly and accommodating to us. When we arrived, he dropped what he was doing to come down the fuel dock and give diesel to our five thirsty Grand Banks. Captain Brian and Ron spend this time catching up, as they’ve become old friends over the past years from NW Explorations’ travels up north. After fueling Ron offered to open the store up early for us, which we gladly accepted in hopes of getting some fresh produce and more provisions. As we fueled and shopped, a seaplane gracefully landed in the bay and pulled up on the float next to the fleet. The Brantley’s son, Jason, had flown all the way from New York City to join his family on the rest of the adventure up to Ketchikan. We were all excited to have a new member to share this experience. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing, kayaking, hiking along the beach, and visiting with one another. There were some great photo opportunities, including some shots of the masses of sea otters that make their home within the bay. One otter in particular was not shy about coming in close to the boats and spent a lot of time loudly chomping on some crab just off the dock. Tomorrow we will have a lay day, so we will be able to continue to enjoy the gorgeous vista Winter Harbour offers. The day will be bittersweet, as we unfortunately have to say goodbye to George Cree who is flying back to Texas, but we get to welcome Annie and Sue Cree, wives of Rick and Hal who will be joining us for the rest of Leg 1.