August 22 - Home!

Today we had a great lunch at Saltspring Island with our friends Eva and Edward (visiting from Santa Fe) and then we were on our way home.  We left Saltspring Island in fog and rain and arrived at our home dock in Sidney under clear skies.  Tomorrow, we will take the ferry to Vancouver.  It has been an amazing summer. We are glad to be home but I'm quite sure we'll do it all again next summer...

But enough about us, how was your summer?

Tsehum Harbour, Sidney

In our spot at our home dock

August 21 - Ganges Harbour, Saltspring Island

From Pilot Cove, we traveled through Dodd Narrows.  Dodd Narrows is very narrow and has dangerously strong currents.  It is important to time your passage for slack current.  Of course, that's what everyone else is doing too.  This results in a line up of boats at either end of Dodd Narrows.  We got in line this morning and it was very interesting to travel through in a convoy, everyone wanting to make sure they got through before the current resumed.  

Lining up in single file to enter Dodd Narrows

We arrived at Ganges this afternoon and at the marina where we had made a reservation, we proceeded to the assigned slip.  In congested and close quarters, Rob managed to put the boat in the right spot but it was not easy and we did not fit.  In fact, the back of the boat hung out of the slip and the bow, if it had not quickly been tied down, would have bashed into a piling.  With the boat tied up and spilling out of its slip, we talked to the fellow in charge.  On hearing and seeing our problem, he informed us that the actual length of our boat was greater than 47 feet (i.e. and not the 45 feet we had inidcated in making the reservation); therefore, our dilemma was own fault.  It was a ridiculous conversation.  It's like someone telling you that there is a third storey on your two storey house  of which you were previously unaware.  Boat owners always know the exact length of their boat.  Long story made shorter:  we moved to a sixty foot slip.  This move, in a brisk wind, was also tricky.  The only thing worse than docking in a crowded marina is having to do it twice.  I helped by standing on the bow and yelling to Rob “Whoooooa, our dinghy (side tied for this maneuver) is going to clip that sailboat….phew, you’re ok now”.  

With the boat nicely docked, we had a walk in town and a good dinner at a very nice restaurant.  Tomorrow we will meet friends for lunch and then we are making the last leg of our journey, to Sidney, B.C.

August 20 - Pilot Cove, Gabriola Island

I am a little tired today.  Last night at Hornby Island, the wind howled and our boat spun round and round with the anchor chain making a lot of noise.  I was up a few times to walk the outside perimeter and try to determine if we were any closer to shore or to the other boats than we had been when we went to bed.  Rob was not bothered by the turbulance or outside noise.  He was awoken by my patrol however and said "Is that you, I thought pirates were on board .... I’m sure we’re anchored……just fine zzzzzz”.  Anyway, I set the anchor alarm (first time) on our chartplotter to notify me if the boat moved more than 15 meters.  Fifteen meters was an arbitrary choice (in case you’re curious) but it is also the length of the boat.  Two hours later, the alarm went off but we were still ok; I did another walkabout to find that we had swung 180 degrees but were still clear of all solid obstacles.  Happily, the alarm did not disturb or even wake Rob.  Nope, just me.

Tonight we are anchored in a pretty cove at Gabriola Island, off the Strait of Georgia.  It is not overly quiet and the wake from the passing ferries is knocking us around a bit.  Lots of artificial light from passing ferries and flashing lights near the cove entrance seem strange compared to our northern anchorages.  It has been a very hot day and we are glad of the strong wind whistling through every porthole but sleep may elude us tonight.   However, we feel close to home now; I can see Russia North Vancouver from my boat.   Tomorrow, we will line up with other boats to go through Dodd Narrows at slack current and steam ahead to Ganges Harbour at Saltspring Island where we look forward to a visit with good friends.  

The view from our stern at Pilot Cove, Gabriola Island

A beautiful night sky

A sunset walk on the beach

A ferry goes by

August 19 - Ford Cove, Hornby Island

Hornby Island is renowned for its beautiful beaches and I have noticed different birds here (a plus for me).  We anchored for the first time in days and on our first foray ashore, Blue picked up a dead seal and shook it.  I was grossed out and furious; he was smelling bad before the dead seal.  I have been  cranky for a few days now.  Not sure why but I think I am just tired and ready to be at home.  I do cranky very well and Rob is no slouch in this department.  The two of us on the boat.  At anchor.  And it’s super hot now (which we both hate). And we’re both cranky.  Fun times.  But we know that we are starting to go crazy and so we laugh about it.  Ha ha. Ha.  Where are Eileen and Bill when we need them?  

Chrome Island near Hornby Island

Interesting sandstone formations on the beach

August 18 - Comox

We made it as far as Comox today and successfully traversed the dreaded “Comox Bar” which requires avoiding a line of underwater boulders upon which numerous vessels have reportedly found themselves aground.  Good technical directions are available and we followed them to a tee, crossing uneventfully. We docked at the public marina and were able to walk into town with Blue and have great sushi for lunch (it’s been so long…).  Comox is a beautiful small city and one of several coastal cities that boasts the possibility of both golf and skiing in the same day – true I'm sure, but who really does that?  We had a great dinner on the patio of a lovely little restaurant.  While we ate, Blue lounged on the adjacent lawn with a bucket of water.  Comox is also well known as a military base and we remembered Rob's father, Bill, who was stationed here for naval training during WWII. 

Fishing boats across the dock and snow-capped mountains in the background

August 16 & 17 - April Point Marina, Quadra Island

Today we traveled through Discovery Passage and Seymour Narrows to the beautiful April Point Resort Marina.  It was our third long and challenging day of travel. Today's challenge was negotiating  Seymour Narrows which has such strong tidal currents that it must (in our boat) be traversed at slack current. This stretch of water has a storied history; Ripple Rock in Seymour Narrows was responsible for 119 shipwrecks which took 114 lives.  In 1958 Ripple Rock was blown up.  Literally.  With explosives.  Even now, the narrows are very hazardous and as we made our way through, I read aloud that even in slack current, numerous boats have capsized with resulting fatalities.  Rob asked me to stop reading aloud.  Slack waters in Seymour Narrows do not look slack.  There are numerous tidal rips and we felt a bit on edge until we were all the way through.  About one-third of our way into the passage, a huge yacht, pulling a huge "dinghy" sped by.  The wake from that boat tipped us sideways so severely that all of the unwashed dishes in the galley (and they have been piling up...) crashed into the sink.  I watched our dinghy with baited breath to see if it would be swamped.  Some people have no manners.

Just before we entered Seymour Narrows, a tug pulling this load
called us on the radio to say that he needed the middle of the channel.
We said ok.

"Slack" water in Seymour Narrows

Discovery Passage is beautiful.

At April Point Marina we are relaxing on the boat on a sunny, hot afternoon and looking forward to a day of rest tomorrow.

August 17 - after four loads of laundry, boat cleaning and showers, we are going to the fancy resort restaurant for dinner.  It has been a wonderful relaxing day and tomorrow we are off to Comox.

August 15 - To Blind Channel via Johnstone Strait

We had originally planned to return to a beautiful anchorage (Forward Harbour) today but Blue is still limping and until his foot has healed a bit, we do not want him jumping from dinghy to shore (as he is required to do when we are at anchor) every time he needs to go "out".  So we have traveled further to dock at Blind Channel marina.  We were able to go with our "Plan A" route and travel via Johnstone Strait because the winds were light this morning.  It was a long journey and we needed to get the timing just right for "Race Passage" and "Blind Channel" where strong currents can be a problem.  It is a beautiful sunny day and the day's travel went well but we are glad to be settled at this lovely marina for the night.  And as a bonus, we're going out for dinner at the well-reviewed restaurant!  Blue is still limping but on the mend.  So, all is well.  I am still thinking  about yesterday's whale though...

A beautiful day in Johnstone Strait

August 14 - Johnstone Strait to Port Harvey and an unexpected close encounter

This morning, we said good-bye to Eileen, Bill and Casca.  We have spent two months together and every day was a good one. We followed their boat, Ceilidh I, out of the harbour and when our boats turned to take different paths, waved good-bye from our respective bows.

Ceilidh I recedes in the distance

Then we were on our way to Port Harvey, a 5.5-hour trip.  We were on heightened alert because we had not previously traveled in the infamous Johnstone Strait and we were on our own.  Johnstone Strait can be very nasty when the winds kick up and there was a strong wind warning due to start some time this afternoon.  We checked the currents and winds and headed into alternating fog and clear skies.

About three hours into our journey, we had an unbelievable experience.  A Humpback whale came up under our boat, striking the portside bow (left-side at the front).  We had seen dolphins earlier in the day but no whales.  Shortly before the strike, Rob spotted a whale-monitoring zodiac boat and so was watching closely for whales but could see none.  The impact jolted the boat.  I ran to the stern (rear of the boat) with my binoculars, expecting to eventually see a big log floating behind us and waiting to hear signs that the propeller was damaged.  I was shocked and upset to see a Humpback whale breaching in the water about 30 meters behind our boat.  Rob motioned to the "whale monitor", a very nice young woman named Robin and she motored over to our boat.  We discussed what had happened and she was reassuring.  She did not know where the whale would come up and this had prevented her from traveling nearer to our boat to warn us about it.  Fortunately, we had been traveling at low speed, the whale did not make contact with our propeller and when I saw it breach behind the boat, the fluke (tail) looked to be fine (very important, apparently).  Perhaps it was a glancing blow; I really hope so.  In any event, Robin radioed her colleague, further up the strait, asking her to identify the whale (they know all of the whales in this area).  She said they would photograph and check it for injury and she agreed to call us on the VHF radio with an update.  We did not hear from her but it is possible that we were out of range when she tried to contact us.  In the aftermath, I remain shocked that in such a large body of water, a whale would come up under our boat and worried that the whale was injured.  At Port Harvey, we are finally docked and having a well-needed drink.   I will try to follow up on the whale and if I have any news, I‘ll share it here.  Apparently, Killer whales have a good sense of nearby boats and will avoid them but Humpback whales are not blessed with the same sensitivity or inclination.  I just hope that the whale is ok.
Evening update:  After a pizza at the Port Harvey marina cafe (very good), we worked on tomorrow's route.  We double and triple-checked our calculations and made a Plan A (Johnstone Strait, if the winds are low) and Plan B (a more circuitous and protected route that requires us to traverse three sets of rapids at just the right time).  This has taken until 10:30 p.m. and we are exhausted but ready to go in the morning.

August 12 - 13..... A stop in Port McNeil

While traveling in rough water around Cape Caution, Blue became restless and wanted up on the (elevated) pilothouse berth.  Once there, he soon calmed down.  So much so that he fell into a deep sleep and then slid off, falling onto the hard floor below.  It appeared that in this fall he aggravated an existing toenail injury and so, on arrival in Port McNeil, we borrowed a car and took him to see a vet in Port Hardy.  He needed minor surgery, with general anesthetic and the veterinarian was good enough to do it while we waited (or ran out to get groceries, actually).  So now Blue has a limp, a bandaged foot and.....a very upset stomach.  Enough said about his upset stomach except that it deterred us from carrying on to our next destination today (August 13th).  Instead we are having a lazy day in Port McNeil and there is nothing wrong with that.  Eileen and Bill will soon be heading deeper into the Broughton Islands and environs to do more fishing and we are now in "get home mode".  We had what we thought was our "last dinner" together last night.  In the end, that was our "penultimate" (and I've always wanted to use that word) dinner because Eileen and Bill are still here today and we will have dinner again tonight.  We are really going to miss them on the last leg of our journey; it has been wonderful spending the summer together on the water.  They have taught us well though and so we should be able to get home solo.

The patient

August 11 - Cape Caution

We were up at 5:00 a.m. and listened to a very promising weather report.  By 6:30 we were on our way around Cape Caution.  It was difficult to leave this beautiful spot and it seemed that the whales were saying good-bye as they spouted and breached all around our boat.  North of Cape Caution feels like the threshold to wilder wilds and we are sad to leave that behind.  But we have to go now, we don't know when we'll next get such a good weather report.

As we leave Rivers Inlet, we see lots of small fishing boats

In open water

The swells are picking up...

As we round Cape Caution, Rob takes a nap

Eileen and Bill's boat, M/V Ceilidh I in the distance
with their dinghy in tow

Full disclosure:  I also napped, as we traveled across Slingsby Channel, the worst part of our journey (or so I am told). However, I did not take Gravol.  En route we saw a small group of Sea Otters bobbing on their backs, very close to our boat - cutest creatures ever.   It was a good but tiring 6+ hour journey and we were glad to reach Blunden Harbour where we dropped anchor and took (further) naps.  It was extremely windy in Blunden Harbour and our boat blew round and round the anchor - we were relieved to be tucked in with Cape Caution behind us.

August 10 - Another day in Perfection Cove

It’s a beautiful day but the wind forecast prevented us from rounding Cape Caution today.  It may be better tomorrow.  Or the next day….  Or the day after that.  We really don’t know how long we’ll be waiting here.  We’ll just monitor the VHF weather channel until it looks good.  This is a lovely place to be waiting.  This morning Rob, Bill and I went whale watching and again, three whales were actively feeding nearby.  I could watch them all day.  At low tide, we took the dinghy to a sandy beach where the dogs ran around.  Whales were spouting and breaching all around us.   

Evening update:  The weather planets have aligned and we plan to round Cape Caution tomorrow morning.  We will listen to the weather once more at 5:00 a.m. and if it’s still o.k., we’ll promptly set off.  It is exactly four weeks ago today that we traveled north around Cape Caution.  We feel a little less intimidated this time but we dread a repeat of the seasickness we experienced last time.  Tomorrow morning, I plan to take Gravol as soon as it's clear that we are going. Rob is reluctant to take Gravol because it causes drowsiness but for me, I think adrenaline will override the side effects. 

August 9 - Perfection Cove, Rivers Inlet - A big day for everyone!

Today was a remarkable day.  It is Eileen and Bill’s 35^th wedding anniversary and Bill went out fishing very early this morning.  He returned with a 36 pound Spring salmon and Rob pulled up (a) crab in his trap.     With these successes, we decided to move on to Perfection Cove near Duncanby Landing; this would put us in our jump off position to round Cape Caution and would also enable us to go out for dinner at the lodge.

Happy Anniversary Eileen and Bill

Casca relaxes after a morning spent fishing with Bill

As soon as we had anchored and stern-tied in Perfection Cove, we saw a whale spout nearby.  Rob, Blue and I jumped in our dinghy and headed out to see more.  Herring (or pilchards - oily fish, like sardine) were jumping out of the water all around us – this was a prime feeding ground for the whales.  Not wanting to disturb them  with our engine noise and wake, we tied the dinghy to a rocky peninsula and the three of us scaled a large rock jutting out into the water.  There we sat, waiting.  For about 2 minutes and then, what a show it was.  Three whales were using bubbles (this is called a "bubble curtain") to herd the fish into a dense ball.  They then rise up under the ball of fish, with mouths wide open and breach the surface. We could hear their eerie and beautiful sounds echoing in the water as all around us we watched them breach, roll on their side and push their huge open mouths out of the water.  We were stunned when, about 30 feet from where we sat, two Humpback Whales pushed their heads and wide-open mouths up out of the water. Water spilled out of their mouths but presumably many fish stayed in.  Blue was crying by now and not enjoying this at all.  When we finally decided to return to the dinghy, we found ourselves marooned on the large rock…the tide had risen substantially and we were now surrounded, and separated from the dinghy, by rising water.  We jumped and splashed back to the dinghy and turned into the very narrow channel that leads to our anchorage.  There, we were again surprised to find that two of the Humpbacks were traveling beside us.  It was just amazing.

A Humpback Whale spouts nearby

Two of the whales spouting

 

The heads of two whales emerge

The spouts of both whales are visible

ok, I am actually hating this

This is the big rock we climbed up, now looking tiny and surrounded by water.
 The tide changes fast out here and you can easily get caught...

Two whales travel alongside our dinghy in the narrow channel
leading to our anchorage

A whale breaches as we turn in to our anchorage

For dinner, we headed to the lodge (again by dinghy) and again saw whales spouting and breaching all around us.  By this time, Blue had had it with the whales.  He was crying and trembling and cowered in the bottom of the boat.  I felt bad; he was scared and didn’t want to be here.  However, he recovered quickly onshore, running ahead and straight into the busy restaurant.  It's been a wonderful day all around.

August 8 - Finn Cove, RIvers Inlet

Today we moved on to Finn Cove, but not before we saw, at fairly close range, a GRIZZLY BEAR.  Our boats were at dock and I was looking at the nearby steep rock shoreline when I saw the rock move.  On closer inspection, it was clearly a brown Grizzly Bear.   Absolutely beautiful, he turned and looked at us.  Rob took Blue from the back deck and put him inside the boat.  Staying on our boat, I tried to get a photo but it was difficult because the bear was on the move.  He easily moved up the steep rock and thrashed his way through dense forest.  We have seen lots of black bears but I have never seen a Grizzly bear.  It is different.  A short while later, Bill ran the length of the docks to tell me that the bear was on the nearby shore.  I ran back with Bill to watch the bear moseying about on shore.  The dock was abuzz with excitement; it seems, a Grizzly bear sighting never gets old.

Double click for a better view of the bear on the rock

And then we were on our way to Finn Cove.   The owner of a closed fishing lodge in Finn Cove had generously invited Bill (and by association, us) to pull up at her lodge docks for the night.  No one, not even the owner, was there.  We were happy to spend the night here.  It was strange to walk around the deserted docks and see signs of what was, only last year, a busy fishing camp.  The main dock has a street sign over a bench that says “Bullshit Boulevard” and it is clear that this was a lively place.  Blue, ever the nuisance, instantly found a cat that still inhabits the docks and also, the cat’s food, which he promptly ate.  Bill gave the cat fresh salmon so I think we're square with the cat.

August 7 - Dawsons Landing

Before dawn, Eileen and Bill went fishing.  They traveled relatively far by dinghy and by 7:30 a.m., Eileen had caught a 28 pound Spring salmon!   Rob and I went out to drop a crab trap and explored some inlets, hoping to see bears on the shoreline.  No bears today and so we headed home at noon, just as a tired but happy Eileen and Bill were pulling in.

The diminuitive Eileen and her big catch 

Groceries are getting sparse again but tonight, with frozen brussel sprouts, paneer (brought from Vancouver), cashews and also from the freezer, a piece of Ling Cod and Roti bread, I made an acceptable curry and basmati rice.  Bill and Eileen joined us for dinner and the curry was the high point; appetizers were cherry tomatoes and potato chips and for dessert, instant butterscotch pudding.  It’s been almost a month since we shopped at a fully stocked grocery store and our meals are becoming a bit of a hodge podge as we combine the odd combination of our remaining supplies with the available groceries.  No matter how sparse the grocery selection, however, a good liquor stock and selection is always on offer.  We’ll stay one more night at the dock and then move on, taking another step closer to home. 

August 6 - Dawsons Landing

We came back to Dawsons Landing to drop of Quina and Dylan who will take a Grumman Goose aircraft on the first leg of their trip home.  Quina is not keen to fly on this small amphibious aircraft, and Bill does not miss an opportunity to (jokingly - ha ha) fuel her fears.  Nevertheless, she was brave and even funny as she boarded the plane.  

The Wheelers - Quina, Dylan, Bill, Eileen and Casca

Before he left, Dylan generously gave us two crabs.  Rob has cooked the crabs and put a bottle of white wine in the freezer to chill.  It is a sunny, summer day and we will have a nice evening here.

Female crabs must be thrown back.  The one on the left is a female -
with a larger white area on the underside.  

There are several small recreational fishing boats nearby.  They have set up a tent camp on their dock and they are making a lot of noise.  The dock owner warns us that they will be rowdy tonight.  Until 9 p.m.  Then they will reportedly crash so that they can get up at 5 a.m. tomorrow and go fishing again.
Now that we are officially on our way home, we can estimate that we will round Cape Caution again on or about August 11th (weather permitting).

August 5 - Finn Bay, Rivers Inlet

It was a beautiful sunny day and we spotted another Humback Whale as we set out this morning for Fury Cove.   The prospect of strong winds re-directed us to Finn Bay, a picture perfect spot where we now sit alone (i.e. just the two boats) near an empty, non-operative fishing lodge.  There are many closed lodges on this coast and some are for sale.  With fishing stocks low, the heyday of fishing lodges seems to be a thing of the past.  It is depressing to see them falling into disrepair.  

At Finn Bay, we anchored and stern tied our respective boats to shore.  This is an exercise that only a few weeks ago would have taxed our abilities but today, it went off without a hitch.  By Jove, I think we’ve got it!

Rob has gone fishing with Bill and Blue.  A chicken breast is thawing, just in case…  I love these afternoons alone on the boat.  For me, it is the epitome of peace. The late afternoon wind is trying its best to spin the boat around but the stern tie is holding fast.  The gentle rocking motion could theoretically cause me to nod off.  Theoretically.

We had a farewell drink with Quina and Dylan aboard Eileen and Bill's boat tonight.  They are great company and caught a lot of fish.  A lot.  And crab too.  Dylan has grown up fishing and now gives his Dad a run for his money.

We enjoyed the rougher waters today

August 4 - Green Island Anchorage, Fish Egg Inlet

Rough start to the day.  The dinghy engine is still not ok.  Rob dropped a bowl of cereal and the non-breakable bowl shattered in a million pieces (I do not exaggerate).  I have seven insect bites on my face, at least two of which are large black fly bites.  As we started toward Green Island, I descended into a fine whine which included a recitation of things that I miss, a very few of which include: not wearing non-marking soles, clean hair every day, a Slurpee on a hot day, a hot day, carrying my things in a purse, the things that I would carry in a purse.   It went like that.  Rob listened but would not engage.  And then, in Fitz Hugh Sound, we encountered a couple of Humpback Whales spouting and breaching.  We stopped our boats to watch a fabulous display and I was immediately back in the zen zone with a smile on my bitten face.  I am excited to be on our way home but I want to enjoy every minute getting there.  We won’t be back here for a long time and I know we’re going to miss it.  This afternoon, Rob fixed the outboard motor on the dinghy(!) and went fishing.  I told him to be careful.  He told me to instead wish him luck.  I told him to be very careful.  

August 3 - Pruth Bay, Fitz Hugh Sound

It was a long but beautiful journey to the Pruth Bay area today.  We traveled through Hakai Passage, which opens on the west to Queen Charlotte Sound.  We avoided the popular Pruth Bay anchorage and instead anchored nearby in a tiny cove.  It was a bit of a nailbiter getting settled in a good spot in this small, shallow cove and wondering whether low tide would leave us beached (it didn’t but we had only about 1.9 meters to spare).  After anchoring, we traveled by dinghy to “The Hakai Institute” in Pruth Bay where we took an easy walk through the woods to a beach that is as beautiful as any I have ever seen.  Exiting the trees, the spectacular sandy, deserted beach was actually a bit of a shock.  The dogs ran hard, up and down the beach.  Sometimes a dog can show you what pure joy looks like and this was one of those times.  

Eileen and Bill with Casca and Blue in tow

Rob 

Unfortunately, Blue drank so much saltwater (chasing and biting the waves) that he felt ill and cried and pawed me all the way home.

Our dinghy outboard motor is giving us trouble and so it took us a long time to get back to the boat.  Not sure if we’ll be able to figure out the problem on our own but we’ll try…we really need the dinghy to work.

August 2 - Good-bye to Pam and Lyle and on to Fancy Cove

Today, Eileen (who had spent a few days in Vancouver) and her daughter-in-law, Quina, joined us on our boat and together we dropped off Pam and Lyle in Bella Bella. We were sad to see Pam and Lyle depart.  It has been an absolute tonic having them aboard; they are such easy and wonderful companions.  We then proceeded to meet up with Bill and son, Dylan (husband of Quina) at Fancy Cove.  At Fancy Cove, Rob rather expertly backed our boat up beside Eileen and Bill’s already anchored boat and we tied the boats together. Bill and Dylan had been fishing non-stop since July 30^th and had enjoyed tremendous success. When we arrived Bill was at least an hour into cleaning fish and Dylan was removing what looked like his 1,000^th prawn head.  We were later treated to prawn tempura and a salmon-tasting, pitting Humpback (pink) salmon against Spring salmon. It doesn’t get any fresher than this and both were delicious but there could only be one winner.  The verdict:  Spring salmon rules.  

I know we're supposed to catch crab in our crab trap but
I am always so impressed with the Sea Stars we often catch
(and release).   This may be the biggest one yet. 

I think this is a Sunflower Star, the fastest and largest sea star
 which eats basically any other living organism it encounters
(according to Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic
Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes by Andy Lamb and Bernard P. Hanby,  Harbour Publishing 2005 -
a beautiful book!)

August 1 - Back to Shearwater

We awoke to a picture perfect day.  What a difference; under brilliant blue skies, Ocean Falls looks more like the idyllic spot it once was.  We traveled back to Shearwater today so that we can drop Pam and Lyle off at Bella Bella tomorrow.  We sat outside for most of the journey to Shearwater, soaking up the warmth. 

Rob and Lyle driving up top

Blue sleeping on the bow

Me, annoying Blue

Back at Shearwater we went for a hike with Blue.  During WW II, Shearwater was a military seaplane base.  A rusted and coiled barbed wire barrier (now cut to permit passage on the trail) is a powerful reminder of the fear of invasion.  Nightcaps and a spirited human rights discussion followed fish and chips at the wharf restaurant - when we get together, the four of us seem to love a good argument.

Pam took this picture of the rusted hull of a very
old-looking tug at the Shearwater dock

Meant to post this for Forit Bay:  the guys going fishing