Alaska 2015 – The Final Chapter
We have not posted in more than six weeks as we retraced our
route over familiar anchorages and marinas.
The weather, by and large, had improved since we have arrived in the
Broughton’s, but we still had many days of heavy rain and some wind. The fishing gear has been mostly stowed away
and we are just meandering our way to our home port of Anacortes. Even new photo opportunities are fewer, but
we enjoy the relaxed pace.
August 16, 2015
Port McNeill
August 17, 2015
After two days in Port McNeill, Spirit left the dock and
headed north around Malcolm Island and then a rhumb line to Wells Passage
across a flat calm Queen Charlotte Strait.
Entering Napier Bay we rafted to Steel Tiger, who we last saw in Sitka. The weather was overcast, then partly sunny.
August 18, 2015
We fished from the Grady White in Wells Passage near James
Point. Very foggy at first, so the radar
was useful. Discovering a large bait
ball, we trolled though it and had immediate luck. Two humpback whales were also searching for
food, so we had to keep clear of them. We
kept 2 Coho, one 11 pounds, one 5 ½ pounds.
Sunny in afternoon.
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| Afternoon cocktails on Steel Tiger, Napier Bay |
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| Steel Tiger and Teri's Mink |
August 19, 2015
Timing our departure from Napier Bay for slack water in
Stuart Narrows, we headed into Drury inlet and rafted to Steel Tiger in
Macgowan Bay.
After anchoring we all made a trip up Acteon Passage in the Grady
White. The entire end of Drury is a
Rockfish Conservation Area, so no fishing is allowed. Returning to the raft-up, we found the bottom
conditions would not hold the anchors, so both Spirit and Steel Tiger moved
locations and anchored separately.
August 20, 2015
We made a trip to Jennis Bay in “Teri’s Mink”, then hunted
for Ling Cod. Wind came up and no luck
with fishing.
August 21, 2015
Spirit departed early to hit slack tide at Stuart
Narrows. Steel Tiger headed for Port
McNeill and then south. Spirit
re-anchored in Napier Bay and enjoyed the solitude and sunshine.
August 22, 2015
Another sunny day.
Patrick took the Grady White fishing.
Released one Coho and 7 small rockfish
August 23, 2015
Arriving in Sullivan Bay, we fished from dock for halibut,
lots of bites. DFO inspection, we were
OK. Set menu dinner at restaurant of
Chicken Alfredo and accompaniments.
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| General Store at Sullivan Bay,not Safeway! |
August 24, 2015
We made the short trip to Pierre’s Echo Bay in sunny
weather.
Prime Rib dinner night.
“Seeker” arrived. We last saw
them in Sitka.
August 25, 2015
Travelling just a few miles to Cullen Harbour, we anchored. Fished, but no luck.
August 26, 2015
Cullen Harbour
Day Fished from Grady White, no luck.
August 27, 2015
Back to Port McNeill for the final time in 2015.
Dinner at Sportsman Steakhouse with Alex Benson (Wild Blue),
and Len and Vera from the Selene 53 Chatham II.
Patrick installed a temporary VHF radio to replace a failed wheelhouse
unit.
August 28, 2015
Spirit departed for Port Harvey.
Rain, heavy at times.
Reconnected with Montgomery’s on the Selene 55 “Rendezvous”. We shared a Pizza dinner on board “Spirit”.
August 29, 2015
Port Harvey
Port Harvey Yacht Club annual general meeting. Only 6 members (3 boats), so election of new
officers was deferred until next July. George and Gail prepared BBQ baby back pork ribs for dinner.
Rain, again heavy at times.
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| Gail and George with the pork ribs for the PHYC annual meeting |
August 30, 2015
Shoal Bay, Cordero Channel
Departed early from Port Harvey to hit high slack tide at
Whirlpool rapids and beat predicted winds of 30-40 knots in afternoon. Intended destination of Thurston Bay was
abandoned after circuiting the bay and finding no safe anchorage from the
predicted high winds. Returned to Shoal
Bay and rafted to “Magic Moment” (Glenn and Liz Dodge from RHYC), just in front
of “Miners Debt” (Tom and Chris Miner, also RHYC). Rain, heavy at times as we enjoyed the funky
“pub” and then a potluck dinner on “Magic Moment”.
August 31, 2015
Dent Island Lodge
Spirit departed Shoal Bay at 1020 for the short run to Dent
Island Lodge, timing our arrival at Dent Rapids for low slack water. By 1215 we were docked. There were only 8 vessels at the docks. We had dinner at the “Rapids Grill”, a six
course tasting menu, which was very good.
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| Unusual to see a heron in a tree, Dent Island |
September 1, 2015
Dent Island Lodge
Day fishing from the Grady White in the morning. No luck, but were probably fishing too
deep. Not all boats were catching
fish. Patrick took the Jet Boat ride in the
rapids at maximum flood tide in the afternoon.
The whirlpools were amazing and makes one respect the power of the
rapids. The bachelor male Stellar sea lions
cavort and fish in the rapids and spend the winter on Jimmy Judd Island. Dinner was in the main dining room. Rain, heavy at times.
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| Jet Boat departing up Canoe Pass to ride rapids |
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| Mermaid Bay with Tug nameboards |
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| Bachelor Stellar Sea Lions, Jimmy Judd Island |
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| Overfall at Arran Rapids |
September 2, 2015
Dent Island Lodge
Remained at the lodge for another day, since the weather was
heavy rain all day in any event. A nice
lunch at the lodge.
September 3, 2015
Drew Harbour, Rebecca Spit
We headed out from Dent Island at 0800 to make use of the
last few minutes of the flood tide in Yuculta Rapids. Three hours later we were anchored in Drew
Harbour (Rebecca Spit), where we viewed a trenmdous rainbow after three days
of rain, and then had a nice lunch at the Heriot Bay Inn. The balance of the mostly sunny day was spent
putting away the fishing gear for the season.
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| Rainbow approaching Rebecca Spit |
September 4, 2015
Drew Harbour, Rebecca Spit
September 5, 2015
At 0815 we pulled the anchor from the excellent holding in
Drew Harbour and headed directly for Comox Harbour under sunny skies. We had never crossed the Comox Bar and
carefully followed the range marks in, seeing water depths near high tide of 25
feet. Comox Harbour had good docks, but
fairly shallow water, only about 7 feet at zero tide. After walking the main street, we finally
decided on Martine’s Bistro for dinner.
The food and service were both excellent.
September 6-7, 2015
Since we had a 54 nautical mile run to Nanaimo, we departed
Comox at 0805 and headed down west of Denman Island, past the large oyster
farms near Fanny Bay. We exited the
channel into the Straits of Georgia at the Chrome Island Light and headed
directly for Winchelsea Islands. The
Whiskey Golf test range was not active, but we were west of it in any
event. At 1530 we tied up to the Port of
Nanaimo Cameron Island docks.
The next day we took a long walk around town, since it was
the final day of a three day holiday week end, Labor Day. We lucked out and were present for the final
noontime cannon firing over the harbor.
September 8-9, 2015
The tidal current at Dodd Narrows would not be slack until
1400, and with an 1100 checkout time we decided to go outside and make for
either Active Pass or Porlier Pass. Sea
conditions were rougher than expected and we briefly turned around to wait for
slack water. Looking ahead we could see
that conditions were improving and once south of Gabriola Pass the winds died
and the seas gradually subsided. Heading
into Porlier Pass we bucked a 3 knot current for a mile or so and then calm
water all the way to Montague Harbour.
We set the anchor among many other boats at 1520 after a 36 nautical
mile trip.
The sunset that night was spectacular!
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| Sunset in Montague Harbour |
We remained in Montague Harbour the next day and soaked up
welcome sunshine.
September 10, 2015
Pulling the anchor from the mud in Montague Harbour at 1000,
we made the short 8 nautical mile run to Ganges Marina where we docked at
1120. We had dinner in the sunshine at
the “Oystercatcher” restaurant with Miriam’s cousin Dean Sevold and then
adjourned to Spirit to catch up on family history.
September 11-12, 2015
We were underway at 0920 from Ganges for the 21 nautical
mile run to Roche Harbor. We crossed the
US/Canada boundary at 1130, clearing US Customs by phone with our Nexus
Passes. At 1230 we were moored in the
RHYC outstation on “G” dock. We splurged
on dinner at McMillen’s restaurant that evening while watching the sun set and
the somber “Colors” ceremony remembering 9/11.
The next day Patrick walked to the distillery and Miriam
shopped at Roche Harbor, all in warm, sunny weather.
September 13, 2015
We can only stay two days at the outstation, so at 0900 we
departed for the 10 nautical mile run to Parks Bay where we anchored at 1045. By late afternoon we were joined by 4 other
vessels.
September 14, 2015
Spirit traveled to Spencer Spit and anchored close to “Sea
Jay”. We all went to Fisherman’s Bay for
dinner in “Sea Eagle”.
September 15, 2015
At 0900 we pulled the anchor for the last time this trip and
headed through Thatcher Pass, up Guemes Channel and after re-fueling at
Capsante fuel dock, moored at our home port dock in Anacortes Marina. We were away 146 days, travelled slightly
over 3300 nautical miles and caught plenty of fish. We are already planning for the 2016 trip.
