August 18, 2010 - Leg 6, Day 17 - Friday Harbor to Bellingham

This is it, the last day of the last leg of the 2010 Mother Goose Guided Flotilla. It is a short trip today from Friday Harbor to Bellingham, and we made a leisurely departure (except for Navigator who left early as they had deadlines to meet). We also said good-bye to the crew of Arctic Star, who are extending their cruise with a few extra days in the San Juan Islands. It seemed a bit strange to travel without some of the goslings after having been together for so long.

It has been an awesome journey; each leg has brought incredible adventures and experiences for all our crews, from magnificent scenery and amazing wildlife to developing our skills as mariners. It has been NW Explorations’ privilege to share these waters with all our crews. We wish you all fair winds and calm seas in all your voyages and hope to see you again in the not too distant future. Thank you for a wonderful journey!

August 17, 2010 - Leg 6, Day 16 - Montague Harbor to Friday Harbor

As it is a short trip to Friday Harbor, a later departure was scheduled. This allowed for a lovely morning hike in Montague Harbour Provincial Marine Park, adjacent to our anchorage. We explored a shell midden beach, then walked through fir and madrone (arbutus) trees on well maintained paths, across a rocky beach back to the dinghy dock, and enjoyed views of the boat-filled harbour.

We hoisted our anchors one last time and got underway, cruising down Trincomali Channel past Active Pass, keeping an eye on the ferry and freighter traffic that comes through that aptly named passage. Just as we began our turn into Navy Channel, between Mayne and North Pender Islands, we had the very great pleasure of seeing a large group of Orcas heading our way. We, of course, hovered and soon we were surrounded by the whales. It was truly awesome as we watched them breaching, spyhopping, rolling, and lobtailing! They put on a great show! Some of the whales even went under Navigator which caused a great deal of excitement. Emmelina was able to identify at least one whale as belonging to J Pod, but there were clearly more than that one pod in the area, probably from K Pod, as well. These are the southern resident orcas which are a distinct group from the orcas we saw in northern British Columbia. Emmelina also informed us that this was the first time a Mother Goose flotilla had seen the Southern Resident Orcas on the route home.

After the orcas had passed us, we continued on our way past Saturna Island to cross the appropriately named Boundary Pass back into the United States and into the San Juan Islands. We made our way past Stuart and Johns Islands, along Speiden Island and then down San Juan Channel, dodging a Washington State Ferry, into the port of Friday Harbor. After clearing Customs and settling into our spots in the marina, Deception hosted a last Happy Hour, as our journey is coming to an end. This is always a bittersweet time as we remember the incredible experiences we’ve had and the friendships we’ve made. Ketchikan seems a long time ago!

August 16, 2010 - Leg 6, Day 15 - Secret Cove to Montague Harbor

Today we crossed the Strait of Georgia, the large open body of water between mainland BC and southern Vancouver Island. It was a long straight heading as we made our way to the Gulf Islands and Montague Harbour. The good news was that the strait was very calm, with smooth glassy seas; it can be very rough. The bad news was that the smoke haze still blocked our view of the mountains on the mainland. Emmelina warned us that animal sightings were usually pretty rare during this part of the trip, but there were some fleeting sights of Dall’s Porpoises.

Once across the Strait of Georgia, we cruised along the outside of Gabriola and Valdes Islands, spying some “rock sausages” (aka: harbor seals) basking in the sun, and then passing through Porlier Pass into Trincomali Channel. Now we were in the heart of the Gulf Islands, and had to mind our helms as we watched out for kayakers, other boats and ferries. We cruised almost the length of long, skinny Galiano Island into lovely Montague Harbour, a large protected anchorage which can handle a lot of boats. We all settled in, Deception refilled Navigator’s water tanks, and into the water went the kayaks and dinghies. We had a chance to relax before dinghying to shore to catch the funky pub bus to the Hummingbird Pub – a Galiano Island experience, indeed! We had a delicious dinner with a touch of local flavor (not to mention the excellent halibut), and returned to our boats as a glowing red sun slipped behind the trees. Aahh!

August 15, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 14 – Squirrel Cove to Secret Cove

We awoke to an already warm morning and were soon underway across Desolation Sound, which did not resemble Captain Vancouver’s description of it one bit. If he had seen it on a day like today, it would definitely have had a different name! The smoke haze had dissipated somewhat, but unfortunately obscured our views of the mountains on Vancouver Island. We passed out of Desolation Sound and cruised along the “Sunshine Coast” down Malaspina Strait, with Texada Island to our west. We passed by the town of Lund, which is where the road up the mainland coast ends. In addition, there were lots of houses along the shore and as we cruised into more populated areas, we noticed that we were seeing less wildlife. We did enjoy the antics of quite a few harbor seals, on and off floating logs, however!

The warm weather has certainly brought out the boaters; as we passed by Buccaneer Bay on Thornby Island, we noticed it was packed with boats. After our wilderness cruising up north, the anchorages now seem very crowded. Our destination was Secret Cove, a lovely but popular spot (it is easy driving distance from Vancouver), and even though we arrived there fairly early, finding room for our boats was a challenge. We ended up rafting 3 boats together and stern-tying Navigator, while Inside Passage found a good spot off on their own. There was plenty of time for dinghy trips around the little harbor, kayak explorations, and even some swimming as the weather remained hot. Mystic Eagle hosted dinner for the three rafted boats, and a lovely evening was enjoyed by all as we watched the lights come on in the houses around us.

August 14, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 13 – Blind Channel to Squirrel Cove

We were up early for a 7 am departure from Blind Channel in order to hit the rapids we would be going through today close to slack. It was a beautiful morning and as we cruised down Cordero Channel in the early morning light, layers upon layers of mountains unfolded before us, rising up out of the water to give the channel a fjord-like appearance. Mystic Eagle alerted the fleet to a pod of Dall’s Porpoise coming our way, and most of the boats had the thrill of having porpoises riding the bow wakes! Wow!

As we approached Dent Rapids, the boat traffic picked up as everyone was aiming for slack at the rapids. This area is home to several large hotels and resorts which seem a bit jarring in contrast to the wilderness setting around us. Even being so close to slack, the rapids at Dent and Yaculta were still running about 2-3 knots against us and the skippers had to mind their helms; their crews got to enjoy the harbor seals cavorting along the tidal rips.

As we were cruising along, the haze in the sky thickened and began to obscure what should have been a beautiful day. It smelled smoky and we learned it was caused by forest fires on the BC mainland. British Columbia is experiencing a dry summer and multiple fires are a result.

We arrived in Squirrel Cove in good time to find anchorages for all our boats; we are in Desolation Sound now, a very popular cruising ground for northwest boaters, and the anchorages can fill up quickly. Dinghies and kayaks were launched to explore the cove, and to pay a visit to the Squirrel Cove store (ice cream!) and craft shop. The day had gotten quite hot and the inviting water lured several intrepid mariners to jump in to cool off – which they quickly did as the water temperature was a chilly 55 degrees F! Mystic Eagle generously hosted a Happy Hour and we finished out a fine summer day with good company in a special place.

August 13, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 12 - Lagoon Cove to Blind Channel

We had a planned noon-time departure due to tides and currents, so some of the fleet decided to take a morning hike. It was not to be, however, as a cougar had been spotted the night before right on the main path up from the dock. The Canadian Fisheries department sent in a wildlife conservation team to try to track it, but despite their efforts, that ol’ wily cougar managed to elude the tracking dogs and officers by the time we departed.

The fog had completely lifted by the time we departed from Lagoon Cove and it was a beautiful Northwest summer day. The tide was still low, but that made it easier to see the rocks as we threaded our way through the Blowhole into Chatham Channel and then through our first set of rapids (at slack). We entered into a sparkling and calm(!) Johnstone Strait. We did have an orca sighting through binoculars, but they were way on the other side of the strait, and unfortunately our schedule did not permit a major detour … “time and tide (and rapids) wait for no man”…. As we cruised down the strait, the mountain vistas on Vancouver Island and the mainland became more dramatic. The current was running with us, and inevitably (it seems) we encountered a tug and tow in Current Passage, a constricted stretch of Johnstone Strait. We were out of his way, but it was interesting to watch him grinding his way against the current.

The day’s cruising schedule had been timed around the currents and tidal rapids, and Green Point Rapids were the last ones we had to transit, just before reaching our moorage. We passed through without any issue, but there was enough swirly water to give us a sense of the power of the water and why the timing was so important. We settled into our slips at Blind Channel Marina and Resort, nestled into the side of West Thurlow Island, everybody dealing easily with the tricky currents at the marina. Fresh lettuce was found at the Blind Channel store, grown in their own garden no less! The evening brought about fine dining ashore as well as cozy meals aboard!

August 12, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 11 – Port McNeill to Lagoon Cove

There was no fog in Port McNeill this morning, but there was wind. Captain Bill held a skippers’ meeting to go over docking procedures at Lagoon Cove, which can be a little tricky in windy conditions, as well as what to expect on the following day when we have the challenges of current and timing the transit of several tidal rapids.

We had hardly left the harbour when Navigator’s crew spotted a black bear on the beach. Emmelina noted the bear had to walk through town in order to get onto that beach. As we cruised by Alert Bay, noting the totem poles, a gray whale was sighted along the shore; Emmelina (aka Whale Woman) was thrilled as this was a rare sighting on a Mother Goose trip. The fact that the whale was feeding so close to a muddy beach (gray whales are bottom-feeding baleen whales) and its mottled gray color were what clued Emmelina into the fact that it was not a humpback whale.

The forecast for high winds did not materialize, but we were very aware of the current. First it was against us and we plowed along, but then it switched and we zoomed along (Deception hit over 12 knots – practically unheard of!) through island studded channels. We arrived early into Lagoon Cove on East Cracroft Island, but Bill Barber fit us all in nicely on the dock (which went smoothly), and welcomed the fleet to Lagoon Cove Marina, one of Mother Goose’s favorite stops.

Emmelina led a group of hikers on a nature walk out to the Blowhole and the “Bakery Boat Lady” arrived at the dock with sticky buns, cookies, breads, and pies. But the real focus of attention was the 5:00 Happy Hour, a Lagoon Cove tradition, whereby all the boaters bring an appetizer to share, Bill and Jean Barber provide the fresh caught prawns and stories, and a great time is had by all.

August 11, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 10 - Port McNeill Lay Day

Today was a lay day in Port McNeill – a good day to add to our provisions for the next leg of the trip and get in some good walks. While most of us slept in, the crew of Mystic Eagle got up early to go out on a fishing charter; they came back in the late afternoon with a large salmon and a halibut which they generously shared with the fleet – yum!

A trip to Alert Bay was enjoyed by other crews; this Namgis First Nations town is a short ferry ride from Port McNeill, located on nearby Cormorant Island, and is home to the U’Mista Cultural Centre. U’Mista provides an outstanding and moving introduction to the local native culture and their efforts to reclaim their heritage and the treasures which had been taken from them in the past.

Time was also spent on boat maintenance and repair, as Port McNeill has good marine facilities and needed parts are available. Thanks to Jason 2 for helping to get Arctic Star's water pump repaired!

After the chores were done, there was time to visit with other boaters on the dock and watch the bald eagles soar overhead and go after the fish scraps left by fishermen on the tidal flats. Everyone is ready to get underway again; tomorrow we are off to Lagoon Cove.

August 10, 2010 – Blunden Harbor to Port McNeill

We were able to have a more leisurely departure this morning as the trip across Queen Charlotte Strait to the town of Port McNeill is a short one. Several of the boats need to refuel, and if provisions are running low, Port McNeill is the place to take care of both needs. However, as we left Blunden Harbour, we immediately entered into the fog. This area is a very busy shipping channel, so we needed to pay close attention to our radars (and for those boats equipped with it, AIS). As the fog lifted, we were treated to the sight of some Dall’s Porpoises arching sleekly along in the calm water.

We got into Port McNeill and found our slips waiting for us at Steve Jackman’s Port McNeill Fuel Dock and Marina, along with helpful dockhands (Thanks, Steve!) After settling in there was time to explore the town, and choose a place to dine out for dinner. A pleasant evening ended with an amazing fire-y sunset.

August 9, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 8 – Fury Cove to Blunden Harbor

The Mother Goose fleet was up at “o’dark-thirty” this morning as we prepared to make our crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound around Cape Caution. This is one of the open water crossings we make and can be challenging. After checking the weather and sea condition reports, and with knowledge of the prevailing weather patterns, Captain Bill determined on an early departure to get us across the sound while the seas and winds would be at their calmest. We left Fury Cove just at first light and indeed, our crossing proved to be quite smooth with only two foot swells and no wind waves as we watched the sun come up over the mountains on the British Columbia mainland.

After rounding Cape Caution we stayed closer to the mainland side, cruising along the craggy shoreline that showed the signs of the harsh weather this area can experience. Off in the distance we could now see the north end of Vancouver Island. We detoured through the Millar Group, a chain of rocky islets, to check out a Stellar Sea Lion haulout – one of the islets was just covered with these large mammals – while a humpback whale spouted on the other side of us! Then it was on to our anchorage at Blunden Harbour where there was plenty of room for everyone to anchor individually. Here we executed a water transfer from Deception to Navigator, as Navigator had taken on some bad water at Shearwater which necessitated the disinfecting and pumping out of their tanks, then refilling them from Deception’s tanks. This was accomplished expeditiously, and the crew of Navigator happily went off to make ice for their evening beverages.

A dinghy exploration of Blunden Harbour and its tidal rapids, led by Naturalist Emmelina and First Mate Jordan, filled out the afternoon, and we celebrated a successful crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound, a cruising milestone, with a social hour aboard Deception.

August 8, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 7 – Shearwater to Fury Cove

We left Shearwater on a pretty clear morning – no fog! – and cruised past the First Nations town of Bella Bella into Lama Passage, where we had to dodge a lot of logs in the water. The morning light on these wooded islands dappled them in myriad shades of green, and it was beautifully calm as we transited Fisher Channel on our way into Fitzhugh Sound. We made our way along the jagged mainland shore with occasional whale sightings. We nosed our way into Namu Harbour, another old defunct cannery community that does have caretakers who welcome visitors. Then further on cruised by the mouth of the Koeye River, a river known for its salmon runs and where a First Nations longhouse is located. This is an area which has been inhabited by the native peoples for thousands of years.

As we neared Fish Egg Inlet, we started seeing lots of whale blows – to the right, to the left, and all around us! As we hovered around watching the humpback whale show, a sailboat hailed us – it was the Spirit of Freedom with Captain Bill’s uncle and cousin aboard. They had recognized the NWE fleet (we are a pretty distinctive group up here), but still, there is something about unexpectedly running into your relatives in the wilderness….

We entered into Fury Cove, a sheltered anchorage with a beautiful white shell midden beach. This was also the most crowded anchorage we’ve been in so far, and we rafted together in two groups to reduce our footprint (boatprint) in the cove. Several shore parties explored the beach and tide pools, then it was back to the boats for an early night - for tomorrow we cross Queen Charlotte Sound.

August 7, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 6 – Bottleneck Inlet to Shearwater

The Mother Goose fleet awoke to a misty morning, and as we exited Bottleneck Inlet, we were greeted by a humpback whale – maybe the same one we saw last night. We proceeded down Finlayson Channel, scanning the shores for bears, when suddenly a pod of Orcas found us! They were all around us; it was hard to know which way to look. Navigator’s crew had great orca juju as a large male surfaced several times just off of their stern. Unlike the pod of orcas we had seen earlier, which had stayed together in a fairly tight group, these were more spread out and were probably hunting, according to naturalist Emmelina.

Continuing on after the orcas left us, we entered into Jackson Narrows, a passage that has a tight constriction at its eastern end. Captain Bill had timed our transit for high water slack and all the boats successfully navigated the narrow rocky channel which then opens out into Mathieson Channel. We cruised along rocky islets and islands and saw another humpback whale before entering into Reid Passage, a scenic passage into Seaforth Channel, but alas, we didn’t see any bears.

Once in Seaforth Channel we began seeing more boats, especially as we neared the towns of Bella Bella and Shearwater. Steve, the harbourmaster at the Shearwater marina, was expecting us, and had places on the dock for each boat (Thanks, Steve!). As soon as we were secured, we headed up the dock to the Shearwater Store and Pub (and wi-fi connections for those who had been forced to be internet-free for several days in the wilderness). It was a fun evening as we chatted with other boaters on the dock and enjoyed a festive night out.

August 6, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 5 – Hawk Bay to Bottleneck Inlet

Those of us who awoke early today were treated to the sight of a breaching humpback whale just outside the opening to our anchorage. Mystic Eagle took off early to do some more whale watching and the rest of the fleet soon followed.

We cruised through Wright Sound, an area where a number of channels converge, then along McKay Reach where some of the boats were treated to the experience of having Dall’s Porpoises ride in their bow wakes. These mammals seem to express such joy, as if bow riding is just a great game to them. As we traveled along these channels, the depth readings of over 1500 feet are indicative of the glacial action that carved out these fjords, as well as the hanging valleys and jagged rock faces of the mountains on either side of us.

As we cruised along Finlayson Channel, alongside Princess Royal and Roderick Islands, naturalist Emmelina informed us we were in the “Great Bear Rainforest”. We kept a lookout for bear sightings, especially for the rare “Spirit Bear”, a white black bear found only in this area, but the deteriorating weather apparently kept them out of sight. The rain became a steady downpour (we were in a rainforest, after all), and we peered through it at the derelict old fish cannery at Butedale. Just before entering into our anchorage in Bottleneck Inlet on Roderick Island, we sighted another Humpback whale. We set our anchors and joined by a couple of playful harbor seals, settled in to enjoy a calm and cozy rainy night.

August 5, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 4 – Newcombe Harbour to Hawk Bay

The skies were overcast this morning but there was no fog as we departed Newcombe Harbour. We cruised down Petrel Channel, detouring through Ala Passage to check out the “Math Islands” (Sine, Cosine, Tangent and Azimuth), before entering into Principe Channel. We kept a sharp lookout for whales as we had seen them in this area last year, but no luck. That was about to change, though, as we entered Otter Reach. We hovered after sighting our first Humpback whales, but that was just the beginning … As we entered into Squally Channel, we saw whale blows and flukes in all directions – and then a breaching whale – and then another! Another whale put on a prolonged display of tail slapping, over and over again. It was truly awesome! Needless to say, we hovered and watched the show for quite awhile. Some whales came close enough to some of the boats that they could hear (and smell!) the whales’ breathe. Inside Passage reported that whale breath is very fishy stinky smelling. On the other hand, how many people get to say they’ve smelled a whale?

We reluctantly headed for our anchorage in Hawke Bay on Fin Island, as the whale show continued. Hawke Bay is a tight and slightly tricky anchorage, so we rafted Mystic Eagle and Inside Passage to Deception, and Navigator to Arctic Star, thus limiting our anchoring footprint. Once our boats were settled, though, several dinghies went out to continue the whale watching and even those of us who remained on our boats could still see whale blows and flukes just outside and framed by the opening into our little bay. What a memorable experience!

August 4, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 3 – Prince Rupert to Newcombe Harbour

After a pleasant night at anchor in Pillsbury Cove, we started the day with a fun water taxi ride from Prince Rupert Adventure Tours (water taxi and sightseeing tours) into Prince Rupert to do our provisioning. Our taxi skipper, Mike, was delightful, providing boat to dock service with good cheer and a smile (Thanks, Mike!). After our shopping was completed, Mike ferried us back to our boats; we hoisted anchors and set off – into the fog. Thanks goodness for modern radar technology! It is hard to imagine navigating without it. (We are apt to hone our radar skills on this leg as August is known colloquially as “Fogust” around here.) We also prudently made sure that we each kept a visual on the boat ahead of us.

As the fog cleared we discovered we were traveling along tree-covered rocky islands with snow-capped mountain vistas in the distance. We cruised along the sparkling waters of Petrel Channel under now clear blue skies into the lovely anchorage of Newcombe Harbour, an inlet on Pitt Island. Everyone found a good spot to drop anchor and once secured, gathered for a social hour aboard Deception, where we enjoyed good company and yummy munchies. And another day came to a peaceful end.

August 3, 2010 – Leg 6, Day 2 – Foggy Bay to Prince Rupert

Orcas! We had barely left Foggy Bay when sharp-eyed naturalist Emmelina spotted a large pod if orca whales off in the distance, but coming our way. We all slowed our boats and isled while at least ten whales came past us, ranging in all sizes from a large male with an enormous dorsal fin to several smaller ones. These are the fish-eating orcas which travel in matriarchal groups, in contrast to the more solitary transient orca which prey on marine mammals. We kept our distance, but they came close enough that we were able to see the white markings around their eyes and hear their exhalations.

Our crossing of Dixon Entrance was smooth with no chop, just a little swell. We soon saw the red and white Canadian lighthouse off of Dundas Island and knew we had left Alaska and were now in British Columbia. We threaded our way through the Moffet Islands which are very picturesque, plus it broke up the straight open crossing to make it more interesting.

We wound our way through Venn Passage into Prince Rupert, B.C.’s most northern port city, and cleared customs. Here we received the unwelcome news that despite having reservations at the marina there was no space for us. We decided to anchor in the very lovely Pillsbury Cove across the bay from Prince Rupert – good holding and well sheltered with plenty of room for all of us. Ever resourceful Emmelina arranged for a water taxi to get us up into town tomorrow for our much needed provisions!

August 2, 2010 – Mother Goose - Leg 6, Day 1 – Ketchikan to Foggy Bay

The Mother Goose fleet is off on leg 6, cruising the Inside Passage from Alaska through British Columbia, Canada to Washington. We left Ketchikan on a clear morning and cruised down the Tongass Narrows on our way to Foggy Bay. As we gradually left the urban hustle and bustle of Ketchikan behind, we began seeing more and more fishing boats. Of the five major types of fishing boats found in Alaska’s waters, we saw (and dodged) three of them – till-netters, purse seiners, and trollers. We particularly had to keep a sharp lookout around the netters and seiners, as their necks extend a fair distance from their boat and we sure didn’t want to inadvertently get too close to them.

After cruising along in calm seas, we negotiated the zig-zaggy entrance into Foggy Bay, a lovely cove. Here we successfully accomplished a five-boat raft-up (no small feat on our first day out!). First mate, Jordan, executed some awesome on shore acrobatics to set the stern ties and we all settled in for a cozy first night of the trip. Some members of the fleet went on dinghy tours of Very Inlet (avoiding the rushing rapids, although they were cool to see), and others went out fishing with some small success. It was a beautiful evening to end an exciting day.