Even though there were some jobs that still needed doing, we departed Oak Harbour on the 16th May at about 1030hrs and motor sailed to Bellingham via La Conner. On the way we sighted a brave green "Pelican" hard on the wind crossing over to one of the Gulf Islands, We arrived without incident and docked at 1830. The main purpose of this side trip was to get our rigging surveyed and to get our diesel cabin heater repaired.

Cruising is almost more about meeting people than the actual journey. In this case both the rigger and the engineer were super helpful and professional. The survey turned up a couple of problems. Two 1-centimeter hairline cracks in two of the swages and a cracked back up tang on the lower port shroud. Fixing the tang turned into one of those memorable little events that bring you into contact with colorful and solid people. Our rigger told us that his buddy would make a new tang, providing I could get the old one off and be at his shop by 5 p.m. I was given some very vague directions (about half a mile he said, just over the bridge) and a phone number. After zipping up the mast and drilling out the fastenings, breaking three drill bits in the process (must stock more spares) I scooted off up the road. It was then about twenty past four. Once over the bridge I was really puzzled and ducked into a little shop for directions. I tried phoning but no answer. We looked for the phone number in the book and came up with his address, which was halfway across town. Hmmmm. I said. The young man in true Samaritan style said, "Mum, look after the store I�ll be back soon" We drove off to the address that was a residence not a workshop and way out of town. Feeling totally demoralized and out of time I was wandering back and called the rigger. He told me his son had given me the wrong directions. So I got to the fabricator just before he closed. Och yes I don�t have a phone in the shop, it stops me working, a delightful man. He would have the new part ready by 8 am next morning and as he worked he gave me a really thorough lecture on how to polish and prepare stainless steel: another little skill to add to the compendium.

With the heater fixed and the new tang in place we left Bellingham on the 19th of May.
Well at least we tried to. 25 to 30 on the nose and a big chop. Plan B go to the nearby fuel dock fill up and wait. Well going downwind to the dock on the least favourable side of the boat and with 25 knots up our skirts made trying to park and turn on tight quarters the traditional cockup, especially when you are sure every one is watching. We eventually left when things had quietened a bit. Nevertheless, a great town for getting things down. Now we are on our way to Bedwelll Harbour for Immigration and customs. A solid head wind so we were motor sailing and the engine started to surge. Uh oh, dirty fuel. One of those maintenance jobs not done before we left. Never mind, we looked ahead and saw a magnificent double rainbow making an arch across the strait. Anyway safely into Bedwell and on the phone to the customs folk. We had already decided to be completely accurate in telling them what we had. The consequences for not doing so are well documented!! No firearms, tobacco, fruit or veg. Alcohol, well that�s another matter. We listed out a case and half of wine a few dozen beers and a bottle of each kind of spirit.. There was a pause at the end of the line. And the officer said "You do know that you are over the allowance" Then she said " well I will let you through this time, but there will be note in your file, incase you make a habit of it."

Departed Bedwell for De Courcey Island on May 20th
at 0900 with a favourable tide of about 2 knots. Grey sky and threatening rain. Arrived at our favourite anchorage in "Pirates Cove" by 1700. Pulled our new Advanced Catamaran dinghy out of it�s box and pumped it up; immediately she has a name Fat Cat". Took Jessie ashore for a pump out; what a dog! Found the first pile of Canada goose poop and rolled in it... Rained hard that night, forward hatch leaking again! O600 departed for Naniamo via Dodd Narrows on a favorable tide, got flushed through at about 9 knots and arrived at the Marina at 0900 and started to re-provision. Time for "sticker shock" Not only is the Canadian dollar at par. But + 8% provincial tax + 5% Federal makes it a very expensive place to be.

May 22rd
After a pleasant stay it was time to head north. We departed at 0700, favourable tide, no wind. Now we have to deal with the "Whiskey Golf" firing range. This is the place where the US tests it torpedoes and other underwater electronic stuff. As expected it�s live firing to day so we have to stay out. Most inconvenient as we now ha to motor up the coast for 15 miles before we can sail. This is the area that our friend Mark Leese strayed into some years ago and was very surprised by a large helicopter hovering overhead and hailed them with "get out of this area immediately". Later in the day the wind filled in and we sailed at about 4.5 knots, trying to decide what our next anchorage should be. Eventually we decided to try a small bay on the northern tip of Texada. Lat 49o 39 N 124 o 28 W. We anchored in about 17�. It turned out to be a most delightful spot with a beautiful beach, grass, wildflowers and good walking.

May 23rd
0700. Weather is fair with a nice SE breeze to we headed 283 o towards Quaddra Island and our favorite oyster bed in Village Bay. Jessie got the fright of her life when she was sitting on the bow and was surprised by a enormous sea lion.. Huge! a monster Banana Slug. It rolled over and eyed Jessie before departing with a huge splash. 50 o 09 N 125 o 11 W at 1530hrs dropped anchor and went to harvest superb oysters; had them barbequed. Jessie unfortunately cut her foot, not badly and bled all over the deck and teak "bloody boat".

May 24th
Departed 0900 with a gentle breeze on the last of flood so that we were well positioned for an ebb down the two sets of rapids coming up. One in Beazely Channel that at it�s fastest is 12 knots. However, as it is neap tides is was only 6 knots or so and we then made our way over to Sonora Island and round the corner into the beautiful Cameleon Harbour in Thurston Marine Park. Just one other boat in the anchorage a beautiful Sceptre 43 "Kiana" I went bundu bashing with Jessie and hurried back to the boat when I heard the foghorn. There on the bank were two big black bears grazing on the grass. We needed to remind ourselves this was wild bear country with plenty of Grizzlies as well as black. The good news is that Jessie might chase a bear away. The bad news is that if the bear decides to chase Jessie and she then runs back to us? Our strategy now is to take an air horn and a whistle and try to stay away for the luscious spring grass and take Jessie onto small islands for her exercise. What a joy it is at this time of year with a kaleidoscope of colorful spring wildflowers and also some planted by early settlers. Canada Lily, Lily of the Valley, Apple Blossom, Campion, Bluebells, Shadbush, June berry, Strawberry and wild roses.

May 26th
Departed into the Johnston Straits into a foul tide and nasty headwind giving a viscous cop, should have stayed in really but the tide times are not cooperative. Anyway we were plugging away into the wind and decided to motor sail. Then the dirty fuel problem reared it�s ugly head and the filters plugged and the engine shut down. Plan B reach off into a side fjord. Now just under sail we spotted what looked like a small marina on the south side of West Thurlow Island and headed in. We sailed sailed up to the dock in a most gentle fashion and the guys there said "better than most power boaters"

So far we have met An outdoor educator, that we found had mutual friends in Australia, UK and New Zealand ( amazing) A Nanny, a free spirited Artist/rock climber. a Library Science Teacher, a Bear hunter guide, this is what makes it so interesting. Blind Cove Marina, a perfect spot to go through the rigmarole of changing all the filters and bleeding the system. One of the bystanders turned out to be the Bear hunter and ex fisherman. We called him "Doctor Diesel" he helped us diagnose the problem and then went on to look at every single part of the engine, pointing out small things that needed attention. He took me to see his engines. His wife said "Oh he's taking you to see his children" His engine room had a carpeted floor. His logic, there should be no water, or loose oil or fuel or escaping air in the whole engine room, so a carpet was appropriate. During his whole visit with us he was so meticulous. Now the fuel system is good but soon the fuel tank must be cleaned. Even though we filter the fuel crud must have collected from our time in Mexico and it was one of those things on the least that was least appealing and didn't get done before we left.

The 27th was a layover in Blind Channel Marina as there were NW gales in the Johnston Straits

28th June we left in good order at 0945 picking up the first of the ebb. A lovely day but with a fickle breeze, even though it was blowing great guns in the Strait less than 20 miles away. We were in company with “Nictorus” belonging to the very young couple adventuring for the summer on a total 0f $1500. It reminded us very much of our younger days. They managed to take some quite good pictures of Nokomis under sail and in the evening brought them over on a “flash drive” We had planned the current perfectly and the two sets of rapids were very manageable with a positive current of about 7 knots. We made our way out into Johnstone Strait and the wind picked up to about 25 on the nose. As “Nictorus” had engine trouble we stayed with them and went into a small sheltered bay and dropped anchor at 1800. This little cove had a couple of really rustic shacks and one old boat that had an occupant. We took Jessie ashore and wandered through the accumulated flotsam and jetsam that the squatters had collected. However we did have the “Be-Air horn” in case. This remote land is full of magnificent trees some more than 12ft in diameter. Of course where the old cedars had fallen and become “nurse trees’ to the youngsters, it was quite impassable.

It was a fabulous clear cold and sunny morning and the front has gone through. On this quiet and harmonious day, saw our first cruise ship and motored into Port Mac Neill, brought back old memories of our late good friend John Tee. He was a great buddy of the Harbormaster here and we reminisced about the wonderful “wake” that was held in John’s memory. 29th 30th and 31st May big work days. Cleaned out the diesel fuel tank “yukeroodle what a job” changed the oil, then all the filters. Then we got an engineer down to try and diagnose our engine problems. It seemed as though he had it licked, but as time wills shows was not the case. Poor Casey and Sarah in “Nictorus” They were not so fortunate. They took out their gearbox, the same as ours!! And mailed it to Seattle to be re-built. That has shot major holes in their budget.

It was a good opportunity to re-stock with fuel ice water, scotch and other more mundane items.

June 1st
Port McNeill to Cattle Islands. Russ and Debra Earnest arrived at noon on a floatplane that glided down to the dock just a few hundred yards away. I was good to see them, and they are traveling light, as the load limit on the plane was twenty-four pounds. We went out for dinner in the p.m and set off for Port Hardy or God’s pocket. Mr. Perkins plays up again and still fuel problems, even after paying a guru $80 and hour to solve it in Port Mc Neill. So this changed our plans and we sailed into a lovely anchorage in the islands just south of the Port Hardy Peninsula. We went fishing and Russ caught a 2lb English sole, which combined with the oysters and a great French salad and a bottle of 2$ Chuck was a superb meal. The wind built up from the NW, which put us on a lee shore, but it was a good bottom and no fetch.

June 2nd
took this as a layover day, clear warm and sunny. We tried our hand at crabbing with a stinking moonshell and the remains of the sole but no luck. Explored Beaver Harbour and Deer Island, which has a delightful forest canopy and easy walking without underbrush. Jessie was ecstatic.

June 3rd
Cattle Islands to Jones Cove. We bypassed God’s Pocket and made across the Queen Charlotte Strait for The Penrose Islands. The 1030 weather forecast now indicates a gale in our area, so although the weather seemed stable we decided to cut short the day and headed into the bombproof Jones Cove, which is a tight and delightfully peaceful spot. We caught lots of rockfish and a greenling. The evening meals were a succulent Bouillabaisse supplemented by white wine. This combined with a generous “happy hour left us feeling no pain.

June 4th
Jones Cove to Fury Cove 14.5 nm the expected storm did not reach us so we prepared to set out north the first start of the engine managed to catch up the oyster bag with fish heads and we came to a grinding halt. Russ had not shortened the line (bad dog no biscuits) there was nothing for it but for me to go over board glad in wetsuit shorty weights and woolies. It was seriously cold but as we were already gently aground I could just stand up which made the job of getting the rope and netting off the prop much easier. It about half an hour we were under way again. I know all this sounds like a comedy of errors, but is “just boating” Ok so the bad news, the inflatable floor in our new dinghy is not rockfish spine proof. Eight tiny holes left us just a tad more than deflated. As Russ was heard to say “ positively flaccid”. We then had good uneventful sail across the Sound to Fury Cove and Schooner Retreat in the Penrose Islands, which is named after a British Frigate.

This was one of the most picturesque anchorages yet with small islets and whit crushed shell beaches and tidal pools. On one of the big islands was an open cabin for anyone who cared to use it. As we have found before in wilderness areas the ethic of trust is maintained and the place was spotless. Fresh wood and all the materials one needs for a simple stay. This was the most populous anchorage so far with a total of four powerboats and four sailboats. Now as we get further north the boats begin to be more rugged.

June 5th.
Fury Cove to Namu. 20.5 nmWe waited for a favourable flood tide to take us up the Fitzhugh Sound with Calvert Island to the west on our way to Namu. It’s a beautiful morning, calm and sunny, which allowed us to dry out everything. A pod of whales passed us to port and to see their magnificent tails rear up into the air as they sound is most memorable. No it has become overcast and very cold with rain threatening. Cruised into Namu Harbour at 1700hrs and anchored in about 20 ft. On the way in we passed an old abandoned cannery. It led us to speculate on the short sightedness on the fisheries people at that time. They simply spread their nets across the entrance to the river that the salmon were returning to and caught the lot. Lots of salmon and the industry ballooned , but they were simply catching all the breeding stock. No wonder the fish was depleted in less that a century. Even so it was quite depressing to see the wrecked building that had once housed a vibrant community. Sadly this is going to be repeated time after time as we had north. “Attila the Helm” our auto helm has given up the ghost, now we appreciate it’s value. Cell phone call to Jeff at West Marine has a new one on it’s way to Ketchikan – wonders of modern communications.

June 6th.
Namu Harbour to Shearwater. 27.8 mn
We waited for the tide and departed at 1045. The weather stinks! It’s cold wet and steady rain. The “MVMalaspina” passed us going south and led to lots of reminiscences about our trip to Alaska on here, which led to where we are today. As we were motor -sailing, the engine started faltering and eventually stopped. Clearly we haven’t solved the fuel supply problem. This led us to a very challenging light wind sail against a weak adverse current with everyone speculating where we might finish up. Good fortune was on our side and we ghosted down to the Shearwater Marina and made a perfect landing alongside the dock, great crew work! This is a full facility marina with haul out and everything we need, including an elderly mechanic who had lived here all his life! This time we nailed the problem. It appears that the fuel pipe to the diesel heater shares the same filter and the heater is not working. This led to sir being sucked into the system. Anyway until that is fixed we have isolated the fuel line and our engine is running like a sewing machine. We met our buddies from “Bidarka” who need to be hauled. They had a loose P bracket , a very suspect fitting in my view. I fact, Al the yard manager took out his trusty “leatherman” and tightened up the puny screws.

Of course the showers were really welcomed by Debra and Pat. In the front of the marina was an imposing dea tree that was the perch for two beautiful eagles who were not a bit shy and very photogenic.

June 7th
we went over to the fuel dock to refill and came alongside a shrimp boat. I think he saw Russ coming and made him an easy mark. Russ bought 2 kilos of Prawn tails, but paid $55 (ouch) but they were so good. Black fly are now showing up so we have to be careful as the bites get infected so easily.

June 8th
Sheerwater to Bottleneck Cove 41.5 nm. The wind is generally from the south and west, but usually for only part of the day. The weather forecast still giving out gale warnings, but we decided that as we were in sheltered fjords it would be OK, and so it was. We set off with the intention of going to Klemtu, which is an isolated Indian village tucked behind and island in the Grenville Channel but as we approached went to plan B which was Bole neck cove some 15 miles further on. Good sailing. We keep trying to catch fish but without any luck at all and worse still we did not see any sign of other boats fishing. We have concluded that they just aren’t there anymore. Subsequently a local confirmed our fears. After departing Shearwater with went over to the dock at Bella Bella as the water supply there is so much better. Whilst alongside we were chatting with a fisherman going north and he gave us the alarming news that Prince Rupert had a major landslide and had cut off the road and rail access and that there would be no fuel until further notice. It seems like a major blow as all the fishermen heading north to Alaska will be piled up the there, meaning possibly no dock space and maybe limited supplies.. At 1815 we sailed into Bottleneck Cove, which was absolutely delightful with a backdrop of incredibly steep snow capped mountains and myriads of threadlike waterfalls. It was a splendid day, half sailing half motoring as the wind headed us. After we dropped anchor, “happy hour” was more than welcome. So far food and drink has been really first class and Pat has done an awesome job. Russ and Deb fit in really well and we share all the chores, which makes life on board a small boat so much easier. Whilst we jigging for rockfish and eagle gave us the scare of our lives. He came zooming in about 20ft above water straight for the boat. His wings were set and his talons at the ready. In this brief moment I thought he was coming for us. Fortunately it was for the bait right alongside and Russ shouted and he sheered off. He flew off to sit is his tree which was about half a mile away. Amazing eyesight.

June 11th Bottleneck Cove to Butedale 26 nm.
Rain rain go away! It is a miserable overcast windless day with drenching rain. This is when I begin to feel like a bus driver, because the Grenville Channel is steep sided and quite straight, so for most of the day we motor sailed until the wind filled in and the skies cleared. Butedale is another abandoned cannery on Princes Royal Island and located at the south end of Frazer Reach I has some very interesting features; it is the is the home of the “Spirit Bear” or Kermode Bear, which is an endangered species. All the bears a pure white. Unfortunately we didn’t see any and had to be content with pictures. The dock and buildings are in ruins and the entire place is a shambles. In the Southeast corner there is a really unstable log dock, which we decided to tie up to. Could it be true what it said on the handwritten sign? Ice Cream. Yes it was. This dock is really close to one of the most spectacular waterfalls that we have ever seen. In our search for the ice cream we had the privilege of meeting the caretaker Lou who is a stocky French Canadien clearly from old Voyageur stock. He invited us into his cabin, which is still lit by the old hydroelectric plant, which has been running continuously. It was very eerie to go past and abandoned town and see the lights still on in all the cabins. I visited the hydro shed and the massive turbine was just quietly and effortlessly generating power. Quite recently Lou had become an artist and was burning pictures into wood panels and then painting them. The effect was delightful, because it was fresh and primitive. I told him that he was severely under pricing his work but he still sold me a small panel depicting a “spirit bear” for ten dollars: I had to give him fifteen!

June 12th Butedale to Lowe Inlet 40nm. Departed 0900.
More rain and mist. It was truly a depressing segment solid rain and no wind with limited visibility all day. Our morale flagged a bit, as we struggled into damp clammy clothes and so far still no luck with Salmon or Halibut. A big disappointed to Russ as he nears the end of his holiday with us. After motoring for 9 hours, we edged our way into a narrow and spectacular entrance. Lowe Inlet is now in the top three of our anchorages so far. Totally protected from all directions Fresh grass meadows at the edge of the water. Small streams trickling into the cove and within a hundred metres is a thundering waterfall sending a trail of foam bubbles that looked so much like strings of fishing float that Deb felt compelled to investigate? The snow-capped mountains in the background completed the picture. Food and drink has been really first class and Pat has done an awesome job. Russ and Deb fit in really well and we share all the chores, which makes life on board a small boat so much easier. Whilst we jigging for rockfish an eagle gave us the scare of our lives, as he came zooming in about 20ft above water straight for the boat. His wings were set and his talons at the ready. In this brief moment I thought he was coming for us. Fortunately it was for the bait right alongside and Russ shouted and he sheered off. He flew off to sit is his tree which was about half a mile away. Amazing eyesight.

June 13th Lowe Inlet to Kumealon Inlet 29nm
Our log meter passed yet another 10,000 mark. Rain and blackflies, these are set backs that we knew about but underestimated, especially with Jessie. We departed Lowe inlet at 1300 with a favourable tide and wind, which was SE 12. This is like lake sailing because it is protected from the swell and we romped along at a steady 5 to 5.5 knots. To combat the rain and general atmospheric gloom we played a Welsh choir CD at full blast and it echoed off the hugely steep wall. Appropriately it featured like “ Jerusalem”“ when you come me again to Wales” We will keep a welcome” “ Abide with Me” Deb and Russ were somewhat bemused as we became misty eyed! Sailed into Kumealon Bay at 1945. Russ hooked a fish at the entrance but we did not land it.

June 14TH Kumealon Inlet to Prince Rupert 40 nm.
The character of the landscape is now changing rapidly as the big mountain receded into the distance and low lying islands take their place. The Skein River is in massive flood and all the channels are littered with logs and trees and brush of all sizes and we had to keep a very sharp look out. The skyscapes are getting larger and more dramatic and we can see the looming thunderclouds much sooner. The weather forecasts have been less than reassuring and so far we have had a series of gale warnings one after the other. For the most part we have estimated that we will have protection inside and so far this has been correct. Deb and Russ are now very hardy deck hands who insist on standing watch in place of “Attila the Helm”. It’s great because it takes up the strain and makes it significantly more enjoyable for Pat and me. Touch wood! Mr. Perkins is behaving himself and purring along at about 2,700 rpm, this gives us about 5.5 knots, plus a favourable tide in most cased. Entering Prince Rupert, together with the changing landscape was like entering a foreign country, as it has been more than three weeks since we saw a sizeable port. Prince Rupert is the heart of the sport fishing industry and a major rail and sea terminal for Canada’s grain, coal and timber industries. We tied up at the Prince Rupert Yacht Club slip, to be greeted by an officious female harbour master. Very bossy indeed and instructed me to switch off my engines as soon as we had a line on the dock. Anyway on further acquaintance she remained bossy but friendly. Our stay here was good. The town is a working town and not devoted tourists although the sport fishing industry is very important. It is interesting to note that islands shelter four all of the major communities on this coast. It seems as though the fuss about the landslide and lack of fuel was exaggerated as we had not problem what so ever. The weather forecast is for more gales so we decided to sit it out for another night.

June 16th Prince Rupert to Dundas Island (Brundidge Inlet) 32 Nm 54.10 N 130.19 W
It is a rainy foggy day with little wind in spite of the forecast and we waited until 1045 to be sure of a favourable tide. Went to the fuel dock to fill up and then left to navigate the complicated channel to get to Dundas Island. Now it is huge contrast with low-lying island and tortuous shallower channels. Eventually we got through and made sail NE for about twenty miles to a picturesque light house, Green Island on the NE tip of Dundas Island. The wind dropped and so I suggested that we drop over a fishing line. Five minutes in the water and BAM! And major hit. The next two hours was worthy of a section of Monty Pythons Flying Circus. Clearly it was a big fish. After about twenty minutes we brought it to the boat but the net handle was not long enough. Pat get in the dinghy, then the net was not big enough, so there is Pat on her knees in the dinghy and me on the rod and the kettle whistle goes. Hmmm, so I jam the rod into the holder and hope for the best. Kettles off; tea is made- fish still on the line. We try to drown it but that doesn’t work. I give the rod to Pat and bring it alongside… It’s huge! The only option left is the gaff so this tale ends with 35lbs of King salmon in the boat. The bad news is that fishing is now over. How do we eat 35lbs of salmon? Well her we go again, Sushi, sashimi. Barbequed, streamed, fish chowder and then repeat all above. By the time we had landed and cleaned the fish and got into the anchorage we were ready for a scotch. We anchored in a little used part of Brundidge inlet by crossing a very shallow bar and sneaking into a totally protected lagoon. The only drawback was voracious blackfly.

June 18th Brundidge Inlet to Foggy Bay Inner Harbour 21 nm 54.65 N 130.56 W
Generally a rainless day with a good wind, but Oh so cold! Winter woolies on again. It’s a very dramatic landscape. With huge black mountains, icy ribbons of waterfalls, patches of azure blue sky interspersed with huge rolling clouds.. 12 knots of wind on the beam and we are zipping along at 5.5 knots. One of the highly unusual features of this trip is the sailing in huge expanses of protected water that means it can be blowing hard but with a perfectly flat sea. This is the case today and Nokomis is as steady as a rock. Well with 30lbs of salmon to eat, one can guess what we had for lunch! I was about to put a fishing line out and Pat said “ please don’t fish, you might catch something!” As we approached the inner cove of Foggy Bay under sail, we had to slow down to avoid a young deer that swimming the channel. This is a really magic place with little covelets and inlet all over the place. Jessie then started barking in a way that we had never heard before and we saw to very large bear foraging along the shore. One seemed half brown and the other jet-black. I went off in the dinghy to get a closer look but as soon as they caught my scent they were off into the bush with an incredible turn of speed. The sloop “Oceanid” is anchored here too and we invited Pat and Leonard for dinner. Another huge coincidence; in the late seventies when we were at Minnesota Outward Bound, Donna Bergland was one of the instructors and a very talented and accomplished canoeist. Sadly just after we left she was drowned in a canoeing accident on a private trip somewhere in North Carolina. It tuned out that Donna was the love of our guest’s life and he was completely taken aback. So we reminisced about OB and the North Country as we enjoyed the bounty of our salmon. On the maintenance side, I de-bugged the water maker, which we had nit used for some time.

June 19th Foggy Bay to Ham Island Inlet. 20 nm 55.11N 131.23 W
We were invited to supper with Oceanid, but decided to get going. Had a grand sail across the Revillagdo Strait to Ham Island Bight which is a very twisty narrow passage that separates Ham Island from Annette Island another picturesque anchorage and on the shore we spotted a hammock swinging in between two trees and a little campsite underneath the ancient cedars but no sign of people. The beach was on of the nicest we have seen on this trip, bands of pale colours and various grades of sand and pulverized sea shells snaked along the edge of the channel fringed with greenish brown seaweeds. There is quite a strong current, but good holding. The vertical rain returned and although we set the crab pot in what seemed to be a good spot, we struck out again.

June 20th Ham Island Inlet to Ketchikan. 12 nm 55.20N 131.40 W

Had a lazy morning and waited until the rain gave up and departed at 1400 for the last very short leg to Alaska. We motored all the way and being passed by the cruise ship Amsterdam was quite intimidating. The approach was not encouraging, it’s clearly a tourist town and to see three massive cruise ships tied up alongside confirmed this. Three by 2500 = 7500 people all at once, so once we had docked and checked in with Immigration and Customs, we stayed put! The following day was not an improvement; it’s a dirty town without any real identity. Probably the worst dock we have ever been in, with rotting pilings and the slip strewn with marine garbage and a big oil slick next door. In contrast, the people were all very friendly helpful, easy going and welcoming. Rick and Sue arrived on schedule on the 22nd and after topping up the propane and diesel we departed on the 23rd.

June 23rd Ketchikan to Lyman Anchorage via Camano point (for fishing) 20.83 53.31N 132.17W

Departed at 1100 hrs and quickly put up the sail and had a stimulating sail averaging about 6.5 knots over a sunny and tranquil sea. Saw some magnificent acrobatics performed by a humpbacked whale that launched itself out of the water like a ballistic missile and crashed back in a most spectacular way. It’s almost impossible to speculate on the amount of power it take to launch 60 tons completely into the air. Just before that we had sailed up to Camano Point and put a line over. To my great relief we soon had a very nice King in the cockpit. It weighed maybe 7/8lbs and Rick was somewhat disappointed by the ease with which he caught it. A good anchorage geographically but abandon logging operations had left all kinds of cables littering the foreshore. On departure we had difficulty raising the chain and found to our horror that we had hooked some abandoned lengths of electrical cabling about 2” in diameter. Thank goodness they were not immediately attached.

June 24th Lyman Anchorage to Frosty Bay 34nm 56.03N 131.58W

No wind today and we motored out at about 0830 and spent several fruitless hours fishing. We know the salmon are there because as we rounded a point near Westerly Island, and we were rewarded by the sight of three Orcas circling a big rock and clearly in a feeding frenzy. Bits of pink flesh floated to the surface over quite a large area. Again Pat had made a good choice of anchorage. It was flat light and perfectly still with complete reflections all around us. On the shore was a rustic wilderness cabin and a small floating dock just offshore. This was where we tied up for the night. On going ashore we found a setting like a Lord of The Rings set, old knurly cedar, magnificent firm, fresh bear scat and a long winding wooden stairway leading up into the forest. The cabin was very clean and Spartan and the last recorded us was June 06. Unfortunately the blackfly were very bad so we did not linger ashore

June 25th Frosty Bay to Wrangell. 26nm 56.27N 132.22W

“WHO WET MY BED” cried Momma bear! Oh dear, in our enthusiasm to keep a clean cockpit and deck we had bucketed seawater as a wash don and had forgotten to check if the ports were closed. Needless to say I was on the “penalty box” for along time. Now we are in Zimovia Strait, which is a fjord like channel, and sailing was not an option. The wind is now coming off the mountains to the North and it is markedly colder, but it does mean clearer skies and more sun. Wrangell has the distinct advantage of not being a tourist town. It exists from logging, gold mining and the fishing industry. There is a strong First Nations presence with a meeting place and numerous totem poles nearby. One eatery one grocery store Wrangell began as a stockade built by the Russians in 1843 to prevent encroachment by the Hudson Bay Company. In 1839 the Russians leased SE Alaska to the British who changed the name of the fort to Fort Stikine after the very powerful river nearby. The scenery is splendid yet the days are mostly cold and rainy. On our dock we spoke to an older man with twinkle in his eyes, bowed legs and a barrel like body. He was not a fisherman as we thought but a prospector who has lived here since 1930 and has been prospecting the whole time. We asked him what he was mining for and his answer was “rare earth” We also asked if he had every struck it rich and he said “not yet, but I will”

June 26th Wrangell to Deception Point Cove 22.9 nm 56.32N 132.59W

The tide for the next section, which is up Wrangell Narrows to Petersburg, is critical. It floods at about three or four knots from both ends at once. The Fjord is roughly twenty miles long. We decided to have a short day and position ourselves at the entrance to Wrangell Narrows. The trick is to start from either end during the last third of the flood and pick up the ebb just past the middle. With this in mind it was prudent to anchor near the entrance, which we did. So during this short day we went to a special spot to catch halibut and the boat next to us was hauling them in but we are still a soggy zero. It’s too bad when you don’t really know what you are doing to make any changes. We have listened to advice and yet?????. Ahaa a strike. OOPS sorry it was somebody’s crab pot and cutting the line has pushed the price of fish back up. However, even here fish is expensive with halibut at 15$ a pound, so stay tuned we are going to strike it rich. Now we are in commercial crab fishing grounds and was has to keep a very sharp lookout and they are thicker than fleas on a hound dog. It was a very s straightforward run to Deception Point Cove

27th June Deception Point to Petersburg via Wrangell Narrows. 113.8 nm 56.44N 132.57 W

The journey up the narrows required constant navigation as the boat is moving with a powerful current sometimes pushing us along at 9 knots and it necessary to make sharp turn to stay in the main channel which the current inconveniently ignores. Halfway along where the opposing currents meet is low lying land with quite a lot of residential development on the Petersburg side. It is also a very swirly area with confusing leading marks. It’s also an area that had a great number of fishermen hauling in the salmon. We tried for a short while but I think we were going too fast. Petersburg is a much larger town that Wrangell but is a shallow water port, which the large cruise ships will not use. It has all the facilities for boat repair, servicing, showers, Laundromat and email. This where we met a most delightful person who is the owner of a fish packing plant; Pat told him that we were not having much luck fishing so he told here to send us over. Next day we made a visit and he showed us all the likely spots gave us 2 kilos of salmon bellies for bait and as much free ice as we wanted. The place is not named by the Russians, which was my first impression, but after a Norwegian Peter Buschman who built the first cannery and sawmill in the late 1800’s. It has a very strong Norwegian Community. A lot of the old town is built on wooden pilings and has wood paved roads, giving a unique and quaint feeling. In the main square is a Viking ship and heroic sculpture of a fisherman. Norwegian flags are very numerous and the Sons of Norway have a very strong presence here. Now we are being to see the types of fishing boats changing from coastal types to the deep sea rigs which their powerful tenders miles of seine nets or long lines; apparently at the start of an opening for a particular area the boats are all lined up like racehorses at a track. At dawn on the opening day almost to the second they start racing off to their pre-selected spot. Sharing the dock was a fishing boat and Rick got talking the skipper who was explaining that the run of King salmon was almost over and nobody wanted to buy them and asked Rick if he could use a small salmon, so now we are restocked with 25lbs of King salmon We decided that on our next leg we would visit the Baird Glacier about twenty miles across the Frederick Strait.

June 29th Petersburg to Ruth Island and Baird Glacier. 27nm. 56.58 N 132.49 W.

On the way out we passed very close to a mid channel buoy that was adorned with sea lions. Even when we came within 10ft they paid no attention what so ever. It was fascinating to watch the hierarchy at work. The prime spot was taken by a huge battle scarred bull. Any time a youngster tried to get on the buoy the bull snapped and snarled in a most ferocious way. Then a female tried and no luck, then another very small female tried and she was welcomed with open flippers!

We motored up to the glacier, which although very impressive was rather dirty and we could not get closer than 2 miles because our progress was barred by the silt from the terminal moraine and pack ice. Then we took a little side trip up a very narrow and step fjord with its spectacular water falls and sheer rock walls, probably five or six thousand feet. A small river sluiced out from the head of the fjord and so I took Jessie ashore, but still no places to walk as the shores were full seaweed. One of the drawbacks of this journey is the lack of places to walk, as the hinterland is made impassable by ancient fallen cedars and their knarly roots. However Jessie is marvelous, she dutifully does her job and trots back to boat without any fuss at all. We have noticed again that she is very sensitive to the extent of bears and some times comes hurtling out of the bush is a very frightened manner.

The weather has been very cooperative and we enjoyed a full day of sunshine.

After sightseeing we motored back to our anchorage in the lee on the south side of Ruth Island and passed a pleasant evening. The next day there was a crew mutiny who decided it was imperative that I visited a hospital to get treatment and diagnosis for the sever muscle spasms I was having in my right shoulder that prevented me from sleeping or functioning efficiently

June 30th Ruth Cove to Petersburg and then to Read Island.34 nm 57.06N 133.11W.

We left the anchorage at 0530a.m and tied up alongside at 0915. We got a taxi to the hospital and asked for the emergency room. The driver told us to go to the clinic it was much cheaper. Once in I went through the interminable plethora of paperwork that seemed to take forever, only made easy by the charming and humorous lady behind the desk. After waiting no more than ten minutes the doc came in and said he was sorry to keep me waiting but he wanted to see the finish of an Americas Cup Race! Double bonus I got treatment and race results. His diagnosis severe was fibrosis. He said he could prescribe some pills and no it wasn’t life threatening, just painful. What I really needed was a course in physiotherapy. Hurrah. Sue is a qualified physiotherapist. So ladened with yet another bottle of pills and after a huge pizza we set off again. The mutiny has been quelled and the skipper is back in charge. After so many sleepless nights Pat is exhausted from lack of sleep and worry, so she slept most of the after noon and is back to her usual cheerful self. AT 1830 we anchored in the third cove off Read Island in Farragut Bay

The first entry in the log reads " skipper sleeping in, drugged up to the eyeballs!" Eventually I staggered up to the quarterdeck at about noon and took control of a very unruly crew. Mr. Perkins is doing well and we reckon at 2700rpm we are getting 3/4 of a gallon per hour. Today was special and varied as we motored out we were treated to the sight of two humpback whales blasting out of the sea and splashing back with half a pirouette. This was followed by the elegant dives with a full view of the magnificent flukes of the tail. We were also treated to a sunny day and a good wind for a broad reach to our destination. Sun sun sun Oh my goodness how do we store for the days to come? Enroute we stopped to fish at a very complicated set of rocks and a lighthouse called Cape Fanshaw. The general plot was to drift and bottom fish as we went along. It was also Jared's birthday and so Pat put in a call. We had underestimated the strength of the current. As Pat was talking to Jared she was screening the depth gauge. Jared at the other end heard her shout "down to forty, thirty twenty ten five and of course he thought she was nuts. Anyway a quick power up saved the day. We came up alongside a small public dock at the entrance to Island Cove at 1800 and Jessie loved it!

Great morning with a fresh NW at 8 knots so sails up and centerboard down - put up the big genoa. One of the strange aspects of this cruise is that when there is wind there in never any kind of sea unless it gets over 20knots, so with 8 to 10 knots and a big genoa we are creaming along at 6+ on a billiard table sea. We are now getting used to seeing the "Blue Canoe" which is the Alaska ferry MV Malaspina. We reckon in the time we have made one journey, she will have made ate least six. We like her because she has the traditional look and not to be confused with these floating apartment blocks that keep appearing. Mid afternoon we had our first sighting of ice in the form of "bergy bits" mostly small but can be as big as a big house. As the wind drops off it is noticeably much colder as the wind swirls down from the glaciers. Also noticeable is the serious current, which is running at about 4.5 knots as we enter the sound before slipping into the cove for the night. The green entrance buoy is lying to the current at about 30 degrees. We have to overnight here, as water is much too deep to anchor anywhere in Tracey Arm or Endicott. Two bears on the beach as we came in but we learned this second hand from another boat already in. The change in flora is quite evident with lots of muskeg as soon as one gets off the beach. Also on the way in we spot a grounded berglet Eroded into the most fantastic shapes and very close is an inflatable and they disappear into an ice cave. Then the scale is much more apparent these bits are huge. We were told afterwards that only moments after the little dinghy came out the bergy bit broke in half. Hmmmm! That same evening when taking Jessie for her constitutional we come across an ice floe that has been left on the shore. The purity and translucence of this ice is startling. I broke off about a ten pound to restock our icebox. It lasted more than any other ice we have had. It seems that this clear ice is the purest because it is the oldest and so highly compressed that all the impurities have been squeezed out

Every one is keyed up for the day but we had to delay departure until 1030 in order to get a favourable tide. As we motored up Tracy Arm the fjord walls become steeper and steeper and the bergy ice becomes more frequent. Almost vertical waterfalls can be seen on either side. As the ice floes go past we create names for the graceful and splendid ice sculpture. Dragons, whales, nuclear submarines, space rockets, puppies. The ice gradually thickens until one has to slow the boat and navigate very carefully. In reading the "Pilot" it warns against going in with a single screw vessel at all and be sure to take a spare. I hadn't considered that, although we do have a spare. It is not the large bergy bits that are the hazard but the very small, ice box size, and smaller. This unfortunately caused by the visiting cruise liners that act on the ice like a blender. It seems to me that this has great potential for a serious problem in the smaller channels as the huge displacement of these vessels simply pushes to pack of ice into a corner or the side. Whoa betide any small vessel caught ion the squeeze. It is sad that these mega apartment blocks are allowed into the small off the track tidewater glacier fjords. Even so it was very spectacular and we gradually went slower and slower and about a mile from the ice walls decided that discretion was the better part of valor. We contented ourselves with a landing on a very large piece of ice and Photographed Nokomis with her bow into the ice like an icebreaker. Te trip took us all of daylight and we were blessed to enjoy sunshine for most of it. When the wind came "guess what?' right on the nose so I reverted to bus driver mode. The next day we decided that given the restrictions of Sue and Rick's travel plans, we could not afford to go further north.

We left on a huge ebb and as we left Tracey Arm we noticed that the green buoy had been torn away by a bergy bit and was no where to be seen. We were literally flushed out of the cove and our speed over the ground was a steady 8 knots and the skipper did not want to water-ski. Kake was chosen as being the only other choice from Petersburg to re-fuel. It was a mixed day with a little sailing a little fishing a little rain and a little sun. Whales were everywhere! Showing the elegance of their splendid flukes and just occasionally on would erupt from the sea like a ballistic missile. As we approached the fuel dock we noted it was the 4th of July. Of course no services, we moved onto the public dock. It was a long day and we were glad to get into the public dock, which had a certain old style charm. Lots of fishing boats, park where you liked no charge and no services except fuel, with the added bonus of no hassle. As we drifted into a dock we asked a bearded local to take our line. It was not a local but Mac from the SWYC! We hadn't recognized his and Linda's boat "Island Ranger" but they had been on a similar track. It really was fun to meet up although both of us were too exhausted to socialize into the night. They are choosing to attempt a very narrow and badly marked channel as a shortcut. As we did not have the paper charts for it we decided to give it a miss.

For once the wind was fair with a nice easterly averaging twelve knots, then veered to the South and on the nose at 18knots. We decided to slug it out upwind and it was unpleasantly cold in the cold rain and headwind. Yet it was a change. Leaving was delayed because the fuel dock was not open. A July 4th hangover. Delightful snug anchorage with a beautiful view of the mountain ranges, still plentiful with snow on the tops

Once again we visited Petersburg and as usual there was a distinct lack of wind so we motored most of the way and visited our friends the sea lions on the entrance buoy. Although my shoulder is still a severe handicap the pain has lessened and we agreed that a further hospital visit would not be productive. We restocked the commissariat and got more fish bait. In the evening we went out for dinner and we all had Alaska King crab legs for dinner, they were somewhat disappointing.

When transiting this channel it is critical to judge the tides as it floods from both ends at up to five knots and meets in the middle. This time we misjudged it by an hour and had to wait half way through. Again we tried fishing but no luck! Very little sun mostly overcast, but at least no rain.

We motored into Wrangell with the intention of topping up the fuel tanks, but unfortunately the fuel barge was closed down until the next morning. We were very lucky when Pat Leonard on "Oceanid" came into the dock and let us have their spare ten gallons. So off we went again without spending another night there. Motoring down Eastern Passage was like being on a lake it was so tranquil and quiet. Berg Bay is halfway down the channel and has a USFS cabin and float there. This is the second forest service cabin that we have come across. There is no charge to use it and volunteers from Wrangell maintain the cabin. If one wants to be truly alone, this cabin in the winter would do the trick; it has a lovely little stream adjoining, stacks of fresh bear scat, a potbellied stove and plenty of wood nearby. Whilst on the topic of woods: A great disappointment for Jessie and me is the inaccessibility of all the shorelines. On almost every occasion we have failed to penetrate the bush. It is comprised of old cedar and house sized fallen trees with massive root systems that block ones path this in turn is covered with knee deep moss making progress extremely difficult. Whilst beautiful from the shore this Pacific rain forest cannot easily be enjoyed from the interior. As one of our pleasures is walking through woods with our dog, it is unlikely that we would want to come this way again.

Back on Nokomis, Rick, when going to feed Jessie, unfortunately spilt twenty pounds of dog food into the lazarette! The ensuing contortions to get every scrap out were a perverse source of entertainment to us all.

One of the reasons for re-tracing our journey via Petersburg and Wrangell was to have opportunity to see bears fishing for salmon and we had missed it on the way up. This is a managed area and the Forest Service have built a "hide" overlooking the falls or "salmon ladder" to the salmon trying to leap the falls and waiting at the bottom in their hundreds and to see ten to fifteen bears ambling about the falls trying to snag a salmon was a very special opportunity. We have no been out for nearly three months and the incessant rain is becoming stressful. Everything gets wetter and the condensation inside the boat takes off the cozy edge. Jessie behaves wonderfully, but I would not like to see her journal! When we take her ashore she immediately does all she has to do and if there is room to run she does and first chance that chance presents itself she dives into the water to go and play with her buddies the seals, that's great but having a totally soaked dog back on board does not make it any easier to manage the wet. However, after that "winge" there is no doubt that our days are filled with wondrous sights, a unique environment, which mixed in with meeting the local people makes it all worthwhile.

Rain again and little wind for sailing, but even so the day was livened by a group of dolphins playing near the bow. We have not identified them yet and they seem very small, perhaps Harbour Dolphins? The rain eased off about noon and a westerly kicked in giving us an enjoyable sail south west on a heading of 1950 m towards Myers Chuck then the wind seriously headed us so we changed plans and headed to a very tight anchorage called Vixen inlet. For the past few days I had been used the computer charting system and decided to put it to the test. Me navigator down below calling up headings every few minutes and Rick on the helm. I called to Rick " now don't turn yet" His reply "I'm going now!" so I came on deck to find us a bare boat length away from the rocks. As we eased away we nudged a rock with the keel. Our first computer assisted grounding. The difference in the reality and the plot was about 150 feet and as the channel was barely three hundred the difference was critical. It was a very cheap and valuable lesson!

Like most if these anchorages in these parts it is a very secluded and sheltered bay, but without beaches or foreshore and the ancient forests grows right over edge and form round bulwarks that even Jessie doesn't want to try and penetrate. Condensation is becoming more of an issue, especially when generated by body heat under the mattresses and so every morning the mattresses are tilted up to dry.

We made a leisurely start at 0840 in the gray dank and rainy seascape. To brighten our day we thought we should "pop" into Meyers Chuck for some "retail therapy" This is a delightful little harbour and community tucked away behind a group of small islands and with deep water right up to the beach. It has it's own little post office that opens for one day a week. Mail in mail out! Unfortunately the two galleries were closed and we could have asked them to open by making a phone call. However, if we did it would probably mean we must buy something, so cooler heads prevailed. At 1230 we departed the harbour and sailed towards Lyman Cove, which we had been in before, as we approached the wind died and the sun came out :). Nokomis looked like a Chinese laundry with all our stuff drying out on deck, then as we saw fish jumping we went fishing, caught one and lost three, possibly due to the fact that we are obliged to use barbless hooks. The last strike should have been ours and was a big one but lady fortune did not smile kindly on us and the reel handle had become unscrewed and fell off!

Entry to this secluded inlet was magical in the mist with sun shining through and standing proudly on a grassy mound was a male Sitka Deer with a ten-point rack.

The evening light was spectacular, with crystal sharp reflections of the rocks and trees almost too big to picture or fit into ones head.

At 0630 the whole bay was covered in a thick and ghostly fog, with the cedars poking through in places and impossible to separate the water from the sky A little of the sunshine filtered through sending search like beams down into the water and through the trees. At about 1100 the fog had still not lifted so we decided to leave anyway. With zero wind we eased ourselves out. Every one on deck listening and watching and Pat remarked, "We are a pretty geriatric crew with only on set of good eyes and ears between us"! With radar to assist we safely navigated out of the narrow and twisty entrance. I put Rick on the bow with air horn on hand and instructions to sound it if he heard an approaching vessel (He is the one with good ears and eyes). We had motored out on a glassy calm for a hour or so and we heard that unmistakable deep blast from the foghorn of one of the "big boys" In true blue fashion Rick came back to the cockpit and said " I didn't sound the horn, I don't think he will hear us"! As the mist lifted momentarily we saw a Holland America Cruise liner passing about a mile away to port. Shortly after the fog lifted and two almost immediately greeted us large pods of Orcas going north and one pod passed just across our bows. They are magnificent!

At 1455 we entered Ketchikan for the 2nd time in a familiar berth. Whilst the girls had gone to do some provisioning and Rick and I were busy with cleaning the boat, Jessie did a bunk! It caught me by surprise and we had no idea how long she had been gone. Rick scampered off one-way and me the other. I was beginning to feel very stressed. I then went into the hardware shop that I had used before and where Jessie had received a biscuit. As soon as I told them the tale everything stopped. One assistant got on the loudspeaker and said, " Listen up everyone! A customer has lost his dog, a big black one called Jessie, so keep you're eyes open" Another one tending the cash register was busy going through the yellow pages for the number of the Dog Pound. One of about six people patiently waiting in line said with very good humor " how a bout a little service up front" The cashier called out " you will have to wait Jake, this is much more important! I then called the Dog Pound. "Are you at the marina?" "Yes I am." " Good, then go to the Harbour Restaurant they have Jessie there. This was the place were we were going to have dinner. Jessie came wandering into their kitchen and the owner, not wanting her to get hit on a busy road, gave her a bone and called the Dog Pound. A happy ending; but almost as important was our exposure to a new group of people that were so caring and helpful.

It was our last evening together with Rick and Sue, which we celebrated with a meal ashore. Sad to see them leave; they have been splendid crewmates and endured the lousy weather with stoic humor, although I feel sure it has been offset to a great extent by the splendor of SE Alaska.

Goodbye Ketchikan! The end of a leg and heading downhill and who knows, maybe the weather will improve going south? Well, surprise, surprise SE 6 to 10 right on the proverbial nose, but it's SUNNY!!!! Strong tide setting us in the right direction at about 2 knots, so we did some sailing and as we were so slow, some fishing too, a couple of strikes but none landed. At about 1600 we went into Mary Cove but did not like the look of all the kelp, even though it was plenty deep enough, so we headed on the Custom House Cove, with a good anchorage, fabulous scenery including the monotonous procession of cruise ships about two miles between them. Which seems so unimaginative. So far we have not experienced any difficulty with anchoring, unlike so many of our fellow cruisers, power and sail. Perhaps it because of our heavy gear, with an all chain rode and substantially long snubber. As we reflected on the day and looked back in the log, it was the first day in two months totally without rain. It's good to be on our own again.

We had a leisurely start to the day and were greeted with gray skies and a gentle drizzle. Pat writes "D, miserable and grouchy, partly his shoulder and who knows what else" It must be true it's in the log! We motored out into the channel and found a 2-knot Easterly gently riffling the water. So out come the fishing rods and we fished hard of Winston Point. Morale improves significantly as we get several strikes and then land a beautiful Sockeye. We entered the twisty channel into the anchorage with great aplomb (our second visit you see! There we found 4 magnificent Grand Banks trawlers. They are part of Alaska Expeditions, which according to their blurb take the risk and worry out of making a passage on one's own. Hmmmm! Strikes me they should layout diapers and serve rusks. Pat tells me I am being patronizing? Oh well. In the evening we rowed through the various tiny islands, saw a deer grazing and fish jumping, otters playing, but no bears this time. The reflections in this totally placid area with glassy water make it a storybook cove. With a little imagination all sort of strange creatures appear in the limbs of the ancient cedar forest.

We departed at 0900 in very think fog, which made in a nice little navigation exercise getting out of the cove. It was made trickier because of the strong southerly set and we found our heading differed from course over the ground by 30 degrees. It was still a south easterly. But the angle combined with the tide wasn't bad so we sailed. The wind came up the fog cleared and we had a refreshing and mind clearing sail, averaging about 6 knots over the water. Just as we approached Dundass, the wind died but we kept our sails up and ghosted along at about 1.5 knots. Good for fishing bad for getting anywhere. It's very odd, but we both feel very good about returning to Canada?

The amount of sport fishing boats on the water was hard to count, maybe twenty or more. All like little water boatmen skittering across the mirrored sea, trying to find fish. We must be doing something right, two strikes and then we landed a beauty on the third try, another 20lb Sockeye. As we approached the island we could see several floating lodges that had not been there before. Clearly these are the fish camps that are towed out for the season and form the base for the little boats.

Started off at 0500 to get t he most out of the ebb tide. It was a brilliant clear sunny day with a 5 to 10 knot SW and just a very slight sea. And we sailed until 1000 hrs when the fog rolled in just before we were going to traverse Venn Passage. The Pilot is quite clear, stating "local knowledge needed and do not attempt go through at the bottom of the ebb", which is exactly what we had to do in order to catch the flood on the other side. It was a decidedly tricky and rather stressful exercise and we were happy emerge two hours later having successfully completed a very twisty and shallow passage. We had hoped to stay again at the PRYC but they were full to overflowing. The alternative was to go upstream to the public dock at Rushbrooke, where finding a space was a total free for all. It was crammed with fishing boats all getting ready for the next opener the following day. We managed to find a boat that wasn't already rafted three deep and tied up to a Beneteau 39. The dock was a hive of activity with boats of all sizes; from the big "draggers" to the small skiffs all bring fish ashore. We saw huge (6ft long, 150lb) Halibut, massive Rays and Snapper all being gutted on the dock. It was really upsetting to see them carved up for only the filets and more than half the fish thrown away: So wasteful when the heads and bellies could be used.

It was here that we met up with Stepp and Mary in "Saratoga Sue", a 33' Ontario motor cruiser. Stepp also works at Westmarine in Oak harbour. It was great to see them, swap stories and catch up. Sad to say they told us that the Oak Harbour branch of West Marine was closing in December. It was not a huge surprise as we know the Company was not doing well and there had been other closures, but very sad for me to be cut of from my prime marine discount source.

Then we had the saga of Mr. Perkins who wouldn't start in spite of bleeding the system and changing the filters. We found a local mechanic who was also a Philippino. His remedy was quite scary. Squirt ether into the air intake. He described it giving the engine a heroine injection! Draw you own conclusions, but it seems it's a common remedy among the fishermen. I have now checked off all the likely source of the fuel starvation problem and have only two sources left. The fuel injection pump, which it really serious, or the fuel lift pump, of which I have a spare and will install it at Shearwater.

Left again at 0530 to get the best of the tide, but it was impossible to catch it out of one channel and up the next, so after a short lift out of Prince Rupert and the river delta we had a struggle against a 2 to 3 knot current and zero wind. Rain, rain, rain go away! Spent a pleasant evening with Stepp and Mary on Saratoga Sue turned in at 8.30 and had an early night. Captain Cove is located in a channel between the northern end of Pitt Island and the southern shore of Porcher Island. This route will take us outside and avoid the tedious Grenville Channel.

Gales are forecast so we decided to abort the outside passage and chose instead the Petrel Channel that separates McCauley and Pitt Island. It's a calm before the storm. There is no wind; the sea is a glassy oily gray and it's raining hard. A beautiful mega yacht probably more than a hundred ft passes going south. I can just see them saying from the comfort of the luxury saloon. Look at those poor souls melting in the rain! Mr. Perkins is playing up yet again. There is neither rhyme nor reason. Some times its good for days on end, other a few hours. It's not dirt it's not air its not leaking diesel. The wind is starting to come up and it's on the nose with a lumpy sea. We motored sailed to Monkton Bay on Pitt Island but it was unsatisfactory. Much to deep right up to the rock walls and nowhere to take Jessie ashore; reluctantly we pressed on another ten miles and went into Monkton inlet .The following day, it was "blowin like the divel" Hellish weather, gusting 20 25 k even in this very sheltered spot so we stayed put rested and read. Our friends on Saratoga Sue later told us they had clocked 50 in another anchorage.

With the gale warning over we set off about 0700. The seas were still very lumpy with an Easterly of 10 to 12 knots. It's turning into a beautiful day and we enjoying the sail even though to Pat's disgust it is still a bit upwind. There are whales every where leaping and spinning like salmon, maybe we saw more than fifty in the course of the day 'Saratoga Sue' is somewhere ahead of us. We will probably meet up in Klemtu in the narrows between Price Island and the mainland. We tried a bit of fishing on the way past one of the points, but no luck for us. We spotted Commando inlet that is tiny entrance and guarded by a 50ft wide rocky channel with rapids and kelp. We first anchored in the wider part at its head and I explored it first in the dinghy and nearly couldn't get back! So we motored through very carefully into a beautiful sheltered and scenic cove. Here we are in this idyllic cove protected on all sides, sitting in the sunshine: a first for many days. We have carefully anchored close to a spot for Jessie; I put pork chops on the Barbie. "The Gods must be crazy" dark thunderclouds and the wind backed sixty degrees. " Darling I think we need a stern line to a tree" " rightie-o Commadorable" So off I trot, with pork chops smoking and a tropical deluge on its way. Because of the wind it was a Chinese fire drill getting a floating line ashore. As I got close the heavens opened, but I sat nice and dry under the overhanging cedar, and Pat got her weekly shower in the cockpit.

Meyers Passage is a particularly shallow, narrow and twisty 10-mile passage, which is a short cut to Klemtu " Meyers Passage which leads to Laredo Sound, is suitable for small craft, but local knowledge is advised. Tides flood E to West. The Narrows is less that 0.1 miles wide and has a least depth of four feet" When we first left our anchorage we were under sail with a fair breeze. We noticed a sloop under power emerging from another cove. We saw her come to a shuddering halt and all the crew dived below! We stood by and called them on the radio. It seems they hit a well-charted rock fair and square whilst on electronic navigation! No water coming in and crew seemed OK so we continued on under sail and stopped the engine. As we approached Meyers entrance we tried Mr. Perkins who absolutely refused. After a little discussion we opted to try and sail through. Partly because Saratoga Sue, who was now behind would be coming through the next day. What an epic! Fortunately is was a neap tide. As usual the fickle wind made it very difficult. At one stage we had to do a complete 360 and we tried again, this time Pat was on the bow with the anchor ready I unfurled the big genoa, but was worried about control. Slowly we edged forward and then she started to yaw towards the rocks! "Drop the anchor" enter a gust of wind. "No don't drop the anchor get it up". It took us four hours to do two miles of the very narrow part and then we eventually glided into the wider elbow and anchored. The Gods smiled on us with a wide-open anchorage, lovely sunlight and spectacular mountains on either side of the sound. We saw the moon and stars for the very first time this trip, Yippee! The next day I laboured at the fuel system again and coaxed Mr. Perkins to start.

We left the anchorage at 0700 and heard Saratoga Sue on the radio coming up behind us. They insisted on shadowing us in case the engine failed again and we both motored into Klemtu. Here we met Gary and Nancy Davies from "Plumper 11" He is ex CRN and a great guy who was skipper of the Canadian Navy "Tall Ship" SV Oriel. Stepp insisted on continuing being a loose shadow until our next port of call with repair facilities, which will be Shearwater. Klemtu has a magnificent "Tlingit Big House" It is fairly new, covers about 2000 sq ft. The carvings and the totem poles that hold the structure up are superb examples of this type of artistic craftsmanship. The carvings and the whole structure emerge from massive and ancient cedar, some of which were logs 15 ft in diameter. The person who showed us around was a white man who had been made a honorary chief. He has lived with this Band for 26 years and had supervised the building of the "Big House" The site they chose on a promontory was originally 200 foot high and solid granite, which they blasted away In the evening we had a lively sundowner session on Plumper 11 with three other crews. There were with fiery opinions about the mismanagement of the salmon industry in Canada, especially Atlantic salmon farming, with it's associated long-term threat to wild Pacific salmon stocks through lice and escapees weakening the Pacific stock. Then we turned to forest management this too was passionate, with both sides of the argument equally represented, with me on the side of the present enlightened management practices.

This leg took us down the Findlayson Channel, through Jackson Narrows and into Seaforth Channel and Shearwater. Mostly a light SE breeze that was not suitable for us. It seems like a conspiracy as at this time the northerlies have usually kicked in from the summer Alaska High, so we motored. At noon Mr. Perkins was up to his old tricks and surging. However, he stayed running until we got to Shearwater at 1800 and we rafted up to Saratoga Sue who had kept us in radio range all day. In the a.m we consulted with the mechanic who had "fixed the problem" more than a month ago and he had no helpful suggestions. So as Mr. Perkins was actually running at this time we decided to leave be and soldier on. 4 "expert mechanics" have tried to deal with this problem and I am afraid it does affect our comfort levels. I again consulted the Perkins workshop manual that listed 23 possible causes. By dint of elimination I reserved two undecided. The lift pump and the injection pump and decided to install a new lift pump when the engine next failed.

Just a short easy day into a cove on Hunter Island SW of Bella Bella. In spite of fog and rain we had a pleasant exploration of the small archipelago and enjoyed the quietness.

No wind when we started at 0700, but it filled in on the nose from the SE and developed to a steady 17 to twenty knots. I was determined to sail and sail we did, much to the discomfort of P and J. This time we had the dinghy on deck and it did make a difference. Me happy and tired crew in mutiny mode. Ah well!!

We went into the cove where we had been before and it seems missed the experience of Namu itself, which is one of the many ghost towns on the coast either from mining or fishing. It seems that the squatters there are a whole delightful family, who welcome all and sundry and will fix anything. It's a pity we heard about them from "Nyctorus" after we had left. Their barbeque pit consisted of a massive weather buoy cut in half, with the bottom for the fire and the top with twenty gallon barrels welded on to make a chimney. Next time we will be sure to visit.

Fury Cove named after the British Man-o-war is on the mainland about half way down Calvert Island. This will be our last stop before we hop across Hecate Strait to Vancouver Island. It is really the only crossing that can be suspect as one will get the full strength of the Pacific rolling in and as the water is relatively shallow it means very nasty steep seas. As we made our way along the coast we came across many gill netters which represent a bit of a challenge and a bit of a slalom because they lay out their gill nets for about a quarter of a mile and they are difficult to see until close too. The wind was once again from the SE at about 10knots so we contented ourselves with motor sailing and Mr. Perkins purring happily along.?? Tried some fishing and had a few strikes but were unable to boat the fish. Having to use barbless hooks certainly seems to make it more difficult. We had a look at Green Island anchorage but it wasn't really suitable for Jessie and she deserves a beach. So we pressed onto Fury Cove.

We entered Fury Cove in bright sunshine. This is our most favourite anchorage with its tiny islets, twisting channels and white sand beaches.

Casey and Julia from "Nyctorus" came in on day two and we spent some happy hours with this delightful young couple, whose boat, a 27' Trintella, is their home.

On Aug 1st we made an attempt to leave in heavy fog and a negative tide mainly because the forecast told the fog was only along the coast and clear offshore. However, we soon realized that without wind it was a useless enterprise and turned back for another relaxing day catching rockfish and a small salmon.

The Walker Group of islands is situated about twenty miles from the NW coat of Vancouver Island. Again the day had its challenges. I was bound and determined to try and catch a big halibut and was told that Hanna Rocks, equidistant between Fury Cove and Vancouver Island and about twenty miles offshore, was just the place. We the weather was right and we were on a 'mission' a beautiful calm day and very peaceful in the fishing area. Hmmm. I must be doing something wrong. After trying in several spots we managed to get our rig caught on either rocks or kelp and suddenly the price of fish went up! I suppose if I was a true fisherman we would have persisted, but instead, I tucked my tail between my legs and slunk off. "Oh Bugger" you may hear me say. However the challenges of the day were not over.

The wind picked up and the promised NW arrived. So we had a grand sail towards Walker Cove. Once again dare I say? Mr. Perkins refused to support us. YET AGAIN we were faced with the daunting task of sailing into a very narrow rock walled cove against a strong outflow. I guess we could have gone somewhere else, but this is becoming normal procedure. We have done more of this than real sailing! The wind was right behind us, so I thought I could sail full speed into the slot and shoot the rapids so to speak. "Wrong O Moose face" Of course as we tried to enter between the cliffs the wind gave out and Nokomis slowly came to a momentary halt. This time was a bit different as there was no room to turn round. Again Pat on the bow anchor at the ready. Tantalizing whispers of wind over the stern kept inching us forward until it was a point of no return and mother nature took pity on us and sent a big gust to push us through into one of the most secluded and picturesque of all the anchorages. This was the opportunity to fit the new lift pump, which I did and so far a week later, the symptoms seem to have gone.

The intricate channel system and gravel beaches were a delight for all of us. As always the ancient twisted cedars sent ones imagination into spirals. At one place I could not distinguish rock from tree along one sheer face. The tenacity of these trees is magnificent. One tree at least 300 years old started off in a sheer crack, drooped down for maybe twenty feet before asserting itself and reaching for the sky. In one cove Jessie went to cross a log about 15 inches in diameter and 60' long. However she didn't realize it was floating. Bless her, she persisted as the log started to twirl and I thought she would make it but much to her own surprise she fell of about 10' from the end.

Another sailboat motored in from the other entrance and attempted to anchor close by and about 400' from the wall of the cove. For some reason best known to the skipper he decided to take a line to the shore. Mmm. First 100' not long enough! Mmmmm, tie on another length. Second hundred feet not long enough. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Third hundred feet not long enough. By this time the entrance to the cove from that side was effectively barred for all other boats entering. Much against my better judgment and Pat's advice I motored over in the dink and told him about deep water further in plenty of swing room and that we had only anchored here from necessity. Harrumph, mutter, mutter unintelligible. Anyway he ups anchor and moves into the rock wall by about two hundred feet and proceeds to strap the boat so that she is lying hard across the wind, with great strain on both rode and stern line.

We had another short day and a good sail, although we motored for the first part. The barometer is high and the wind prevails from the NW. Sailed into the bay at about 1430 and anchored in the lee of the Island opposite Port McNeill. Nyctorus came in a day later and we met up to share tales of derring do and engine horrors. Port McNeill is a friendly spot and the few days we had were very laid back and relaxed. We did lots of odd things such as eating out, did the laundry several times and had hot showers. We were enjoying lunch at McNeills and sitting in the sun (the best burger I have had in many years). Quite innocently I remarked � It feels just like being on holiday! New crew arrived on the 10th Jared and Montana, who had come by bus up from Courtney where Montana�s aunt had looked after them for the night. Now the pace will have to change. Bought fishing licenses and even more fishing gear a huge net and expensive crab trap.. The trap paid it�s way in the first few days when we had a mighty haul of Dungeness crabs (all male) on each set

The museum was a real treat. It gave us a all a very comprehensive understanding of the harm the British did when the abolished the �Potlatch� and removed most of the tribal artifacts (at a ridiculous fixed price) The Indians that refused were sent to jail. So in the stroke of a pen a stupid law was enacted that denied the Indians their meeting day, when all debts were paid, quarrels settled, marriages arranged, good exchanged or given and tribal customs re-enforced. It was good to see that many of the museums have returned a great number of the ceremonial artifacts. However, in a small contrast I was met at the door by an Indian attendant who was very much � in my face� especially when I asked if we could see inside the �Big House� No never, only on Mondays and Thursdays when you can pay to see the dancing. I used the word �band� because I thought it was correct having seen it used in many other Indian settings � we don�t use that word, it was forced on us by the Government. How much to you know about our culture anyway� Oh gosh! It was an unfortunate incident. The indigenous people have done much in Alert Bay to restore the customs, culture and heritage of the tribe. We motored away at about 1400 hrs and tried some fishing. Several bites but nothing landed. Anchored at Crease Island at 1745. A lovely protected location with good holding on about 20ft. As soon as we are at anchor the boys are off fishing. Montana is the �guru� and is very knowledgeable about the arcane art of bottom fishing. He can guarantee to catch rockfish. It�s good to be in thes waters they are more picturesque than most of the places we encountered in northern BC and much of SE Alaska.

The last three weeks turned into a blur. Normally at the end of each day with (adults) on board we would stop relax and have a happy hour. It was quite the opposite with the �boys� on board. No sooner had we dropped anchor rain or shine, it was launch the dinghy, put the engine, set the boundaries and off they went. It made no difference if we were in a marina. They simply went fishing off the dock. For the remainder of the journey the weather was very kind, with blue skies great sunrises and sunsets, all with magnificent mountain backdrops.

The first port of call was Port Neville which has a quaint post office and store (nothing else) and good crabbing.. Then to the Octopus Islands Marine Park, which was not too crowded and Oh joy! The water was warm enough to comfortably swim. Getting there via Knight Inlet was a superb passage, even though we had a negative current at first. We motored up the channel with (dare I say it) shirts off and deck chairs on the foredeck. Now we had timed it right and the next three sets of �narrows� had a perfect current of about 6 to 7 knots in our favor. We then sailed on down to Village Bay for our usual haul of oysters and the same day to Rebecca Spit on Quaddra Island. One of the joys for Jessie is that all these beaches and anchorages have plenty of room for her to roam, unlike further north. Even so she smelt bear and; smart dog, came hurtling back.

From there to Cortes Bay on Cortes Island. Here we visited old cruising friends from Mexico days. They operate a charming series of guest cottages and a house with spectacular views. The village market was the highlight. People were queued in the droves and when bell went it was like the first day of a sale at Maceys. They charged the counters and snatched up the freshly baked goodies and it was all over in a very short time. On an interesting note there is no police presence on the island, even though it is well populated with all the usual facilities of schools etc. It seems that there is no need for a police force if there are no �bars� What a refreshing change. Even so on a nearby Island of Lasquite, we understand the main export is marijuana!

The next day we sailed up to Prideaux Haven which is the most popular anchorage in Desolation Sound (how wrongly) named by Captain Vancouver. More fishing swimming and general hanging out and now the engine was running well, we were much more relaxed. If you stood on the boat and rotated, every twenty degrees there was a beautiful picture.

This is a superb marine park and (unbeknown to us at the time) a rockfish sanctuary. On the second day there Montana and Logan took the dinghy across the channel to a sheer rock wall with a 200� drop-off. �Good for Lingcod� Montana said. As they were fishing a fisheries protection vessel was passing and it did a sharp turn and came alongside the boys. I called them up on the radio and they told me no problems, just giving the boys some information. As it happens the boys had just hooked a big Lingcod maybe 10lbs and had it in the net, but felt very guilty in case it wasn�t the season! So they surreptitiously let the lingcod go. The game warden then said �good place for Lingcod boys�! Too Bad! Two days later we sailed over to Lund for laundry, ice cream and french fries! Oh and of course diesel. Then to the �Savoury Islands that has magnificent beaches, where we swam, crabbed and lazed around. With suitable coaching both boys have become very proficient divers.

Still heading south in excellent weather we stopped at our very favourite place Jedidiah Island, which is an old homesteaded island that has been donated to the parks. It has rolling pastures feral sheep and old horse and some goats. The farmstead still stands and the shallow bay provides superb clamming and the apple trees burdened with fruit, so apple crumble was on the menu. This was the very first time I had been inspired to do any sketching, which is pretty sad really as it had been my habit to make a record of the places we anchored.

Now we have the bit between our teeth and we pressed on under full sail to Vancouver where we will drop off Montana and Jared, but is was not to be as a �front� developed which sent us scurrying for Smugglers Cove along the sunshine coast. We overnighted there and then sailed in to Vancouver Harbour the next day. The Royal Vancouver Yacht club made us most welcome as the Royal Hong Kong is a sister club. We had a sumptuous buffet in the main dining room as our �crew dinner� as we sat down Jared told us that they were both agreed it was the �poshist� place they had every been to. We like that. The next day we said farewell. Both boys were excellent crew and it strongly re-enforced my views on the need for structure. They did chores, put away their clothes, made up their beds cleaned their teeth and did every thing that was expected, and more. They were cheerful and there was no whining, they we excellent energetic and able companions. On one occasion when something wasn�t going to plan and I got a bit testy I said � what is it with you boys� �It�s a design fault with fourteen year olds� retorted Montana! We miss them.

The last leg was on a great sail across to the gulf Islands, two nights in Montague Harbour and then to our check in with US Immigration in Roche Harbour. This apparently simple task turned into a nightmare. I present our documents. British registered vessel licensed and tax paid in Washington. This process has been repeated all over the US and maybe more than thirty times in Washington. Not this time. After an hour of debate we were refused entry and instructed to proceed to Friday Harbour to see the local Director. That took us best part of a day with a 20knot headwind and a 2knot foul. Surprise! , I kept my cool and remained diplomatic�Hmmmm. The outcome is that in spite of the fact that we have made all those previous entries; we cannot do it again unless we cancel our British registry or �Clear in and out� each time for $30 each way. So our minds are not quite made up. There is something special about the red ensign!.

Fair winds took us onto our mooring and for several days we were still trying to adjust. Overall a grand experience. We would not wish to do SE Alaska again in a sailing vessel, but we are glad we did. Our conclusion is that with the exception of spectacular tidal glaciers, NW Washington. The Discovery Islands and Vancouver Island have more to offer. Give or take a few miles we logged 2,000.Next time it will be the Queen Charlotte Islands.