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.