North Cape Cruise Post 2

Blog Post 2 -


May 26, 2017 – Copenhagen

The parties continued quayside until the sun began to come up, and the noise came right in the open windows where we were trying to get some cooler air.  By the time the parties ended the sun was now coming in the window and lighting up the room.  We are as far north already as Ketchikan, so the long days are no surprise.  Our solution was to close the drapes and turn on the fan.  Sleep still mostly eluded us, so about 0630 we freshened up and headed downstairs for an expansive breakfast buffet.  The pickled herring was delicious!

Most stores do not open until 1000, but we headed out at 0900 anyway and searched for a spare battery for one of the Nikon cameras and a memory storage device for the iPads, knowing we would be taking lots of photos.

The pedestrian shopping street “Stroget” stretches for many blocks with every type of store imaginable.  It is purportedly the longest pedestrian street in Europe.  We decided there are no direct routes anywhere in Copenhagen, with the many canals which intersect the city, and the heritage of the old buildings which seem to be constructed in haphazard locations long before modern city planning.  Nonetheless, we found both the batteries and the memory devices.  Prices are much higher than in the USA, especially for LI-ion batteries which are taxed at a high rate.

Returning to the hotel we sat outdoors on the quay and enjoyed both the sun and delicious fresh asparagus salads before returning to the room for a much needed nap.

After another walk in the afternoon down as far as Vor Frelsers Kirkland (Our Saviors Church), with a unique spiral staircase around the outside of the campanile.  The line to climb the staircase was very long so Patrick decided to pass on the opportunity.  Returning to the hotel, we listened out the room window as a concert began across the quay.  It will be another noisy night.

Love Locks o the bridge at Nyhavn

Classic Car outside chocolate store

May 27, 2017 – Embarkation and Departure

The noise overnight was not too bad, perhaps because we were so tired.  Jet lag is catching up to both of us.  The weather continues to be nice, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 70’s.  We enjoyed another breakfast buffet and then a walk to stretch the legs before the driver picks us up at 1130. The tour busses were already out in force, with groups of people crowding around the popular scenic stops.  There are 6 cruise ships tied up just north of the hotel, ranging from huge to a 328 foot ship.  The Seabourn Quest looks tiny out at the end of Ocean Quay behind two large ships.

The check-in formalities were quick and we were able to board Seabourn Quest about 1230. The staterooms would not be ready until 1400, so we sat on the pool deck and enjoyed lunch with several other guests. Promptly at 1400 the announcement that the staterooms were ready was made.  Arriving at suite 611, our home for the next three weeks, the stewardess, Natalya was waiting with champagne and canapés. Our luggage was already in the suite so we spent some time unpacking before attending the required safety briefing at our emergency gathering spot in the restaurant on Deck 4. After the safety briefing we headed back to the pool deck for the sail-away celebration.

Departure was delayed somewhat due to the number of cruise ships all scheduled to depart at the same time and the late arrival of guests from the massive British Airways computer system failure at Heathrow.  Finally, at 1745 the ship’s horn blew announcing our departure and the ship joined the parade headed north towards our first destination, Flam Norway.

Our Route to North Cape and Return

May 28, At Sea

The weather on our first day at sea was a sharp contrast to the sunny weather in Copenhagen. The temperature had dropped by 20 degrees and there was occasional rain and fog thick enough for the ship’s foghorn to sound.

We attended three of the “conversations” or lectures that Seabourn has on sea days.  The evening was the first of three formal nights and also the Captain’s Gala reception.  After the reception we tried “The Grill”, a new dining venue with Thomas Keller dishes in a classic chophouse atmosphere.

May 29 – Flam, Norway

Sometime during the night the ship entered Sognefjord, one of the longest and deepest fjords in the world.  We docked at Flam shortly before 0800.

Cruising Sognefjord

Flam has expanded somewhat since the first time we were here and the number of tourists in addition to the ship guests was amazing.  We had separate shore excursions here, with Miriam doing a “Mountains and Waterfalls” guided bus tour to some of the other scenic areas, and Patrick venturing out in a Kayak for the first time in Norway.  There was not a lot of wildlife other than herds of goats and some birds, but plenty of waterfalls cascading down the steep rock walls of the Aurlandfjord, the final stretch of Sognefjord.

View from Nos viewpoint, Flam

Flam

Main Dock at Flam

Patrick Kayaking at Falm

The Seabourn Quest looks tiny at the end of the fjord

Seabourn Quest backed away from the pier at 1700 and headed back down the fjord for the 280 nautical mile voyage to our next destination.

May 30 – Aalesund, Norway

The weather overnight was much rougher out in the North Sea, but smoothed out as we approached Aalesund, arriving at 1000 and docking in the protected inner harbor amidst the Art Nouveau architecture of this town of 48,000.  The original town was mostly destroyed by fire in 1904 and the city planners rebuilt with stone and concrete in the art nouveau style for most of the area destroyed by the fire, so the inner city has a very consistent look and feel.

Kayaking in the art nouveau inner harbor 

Goats joined us for lunch kayaking

One of the many sculptures in Alesund

These building were originally fish processing buildings

Overlooking harbor at Alesund

Miriam took a lengthy walking tour exploring the details of the inner city and museums, as well as the quaint inner harbor.  Patrick again ventured out in a kayak on a tour across the bay for a picnic on a small island followed by a paddle through the inner harbor.



The ship departed at 2000 and then went in several circles in the bay to re-swing the magnetic compass before the ship headed even further north.  The seas increased again overnight as we headed for our next destination Svolvaer, 450 miles away in the Lofoten Islands.

May 31 – At Sea

The weather cooled even more with highs of 39 degrees, NW winds to 35 knots and large swells from the northwest.   The ship passed through rain squalls and then sun patches all day.  We were able to attend several additional lectures or “Conversations “ on history, marine mammals and the Viking sea migration patterns.  Our evening entertainment was provided by Richard Wright, who we may have heard singing in the “Lion King” in London in 1999.

At 2115 the ship’s horn sounded signaling that we had crossed the Arctic Polar Circle. We will be North of the circle for the next few days.

June 1 – Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands

The wind and seas gradually calmed as we approached our anchorage in front of the town of Svolvaer. After a brief delay anchoring the ship the tours began. Miriam is doing a “Lofoten Vikings” cultural tour and Patrick went kayaking along the coastline as part of his tour. In the afternoon we both took part in a limited Zodiac tour up Trollfjord where we met back up with the ship. We did see some white tailed eagles and some trolls on the cliff in Trollfjord, but were a little disappointed that the captain decided to not enter the fjord with the Quest.  Although beautiful, the fjord pales in comparison to Princess Louisa Inlet in British Columbia.

Artifacts in Lofoten Viking Museum

Lofoten Viking Museum

Entering Troll Fjord in Zodiacs

White Tailed Eagle in Trollfjord

The Trolls 

Trollfjord

Quest Approaching Trollfjord

Waiting to reboard Quest outside Trollfjord

June 2 – Tromso

This city of 72,000 is both on Tromso Island and the mainland, connected by a bridge since 1960.  There is a charming city center, with an increasing number of new buildings gradually displacing the original buildings built by either the Bergen Trading Company or the Tromso Trading Company.  Tromso is also the area where the British RAF finally sank the German battleship Tirpitz after several attempts including mini-submarines.  Several movies have been made commemorating those events.  Patrick’s afternoon RIB adventure went to the site of the sinking.  The RIB trip also went by an island with two musk oxen.  Miriam took a tour that included a cable car ride above the city and a tour of the Arctic Cathedral.

Roald Amundsen - Norwegian Explorer

Norwegian Cathedral Tromso

Tromso Harbor

Arctic Cathedral

Fish Heads Drying

Arctic Cathedral Stained Glass

Fishing statue Tromso

June 3 – Honningsvag and North Cape

The weather offshore forced the cancellation of the planned Zodiac tour to the Puffin colonies and a cruise by North Cape.  Winds were 25-30 knots, seas to 8 feet and intermittent snow squalls.  It was snowing all day, but not hard enough to get any accumulation.

Approaching North Cape by bus

The North Cape Monument

Steep Cliffs at North Cape

Children of the earth monument

Children of the earth monument - North Cape

We were rebooked onto a guided bus tour to North Cape.  North Cape cleared enough to have decent views, so most of the experience was there, even with the Zodiac trip cancellation. The monument was found to be misplaced when decent surveying systems were invented, since the next point west is actually 1.5 kilometers further north.  Nevertheless we reached 71 degrees, 10.21 minutes North Latitude.  The ship will actually go a little further north when we depart Honningsvag. Before departure we had a caviar, vodka, gravlax and aquavit celebration.

Norwegian North Cape Cruise

North Cape and St. Petersburg Cruise


May/June 2017


May 24, Departure Day from Bellevue


Murphy was alive and working as we prepared to depart Bellevue via British Airways Flight 49.  After a visit to Patrick’s Mom, who goes in for a total hip replacement on the morning of the 25th, final preparations for departure proceeded, including mowing the lawn, set the sprinkler timers and finalizing the luggage packing.


We are taking Seabourn Cruise for a 21 day trip along the west coast of Norway above the Arctic Circle, and then back into the Baltic to visit St. Petersburg, Tallin, Helsinki and Stockholm before traveling back to Denmark for several days.  We are staying with Ted & Lisa Marx near Hou, and then finishing up back in Copenhagen.  Our ship is the Seabourn Quest, the same ship as our Antarctica trip.  We are going to be in suite 611 for this trip.


PSE is replacing the underground wiring in our neighborhood so access can be tricky and sometimes delayed.  The Shuttle Express driver arrived on time, however, but then told us about the numerous accidents and traffic jams between our house and all possible routes to the airport.


After a wild, and sometimes scary ride with the aggressive driver in heavy traffic, we arrived at the airport and were able to upgrade from business to first class.  British Airways does not have TSA pre-check, so we had to undergo the standard security screening, including the full body x-rays, physical pat-downs and an extensive search of Miriam’s carry-on luggage.  Something, or a combination of items triggered the explosive detectors.  Even her shoes and iphone tested positive, so it may have been a faulty detector.  The TSA supervisor gave Miriam some packing suggestions to avoid a problem in the future.


We finally made it to the BA lounge and Miriam repacked her carry-on to avoid a similar delay when arriving at Heathrow and transferring to the flight to Copenhagen.


After a glass of Shiraz, Murphy disappeared for a while and relaxation and anticipation of the upcoming month in Europe began.


What initially looked to be a late departure, due to the inbound aircraft arriving nearly two hours late, turned into an on-time departure.  Boarding the plane, we were escorted to our seats and offered sleep suits for the flight.  We both changed before departure.  Precisely at 1915 the 747-400 backed away from the gate and we took off.  There was moderate turbulence for the first hour, which made it hard to keep the rose champagne in the glasses, but that was the only minor issue as we shared dinner in one of our suites on board.  BA has modified the interiors somewhat and there is less shoulder room for the guest than in the past.  After a leisurely dinner we stretched out on the lay-flat beds for a few hours of sleep before breakfast was served.  As we prepared for arrival, the cabin crew presented us with a box of chocolates and a signed menu to celebrate our upcoming 45th wedding anniversary.

Enjoying appetizers on the way to London

May 25, 2017


The flight landed a little late, and we were taken by bus to bustling Terminal 5 where we underwent additional security screening before heading to the BA lounge.  This time Miriam’s luggage did not trigger any alarms, even though they did test her bag of liquids for explosives.

We only had about 15 minutes in the lounge before we headed for the connecting flight gate, which was at the opposite end of the sprawling Terminal 5 from the lounge.  The flight was full, the seats cramped and narrow, but at least we had an empty seat between us in the so-called business class.  The seat pitch was so tight that even Patrick’s knees touched the seat in front of him, and the gentleman behind Patrick had his knees pressing into the seat back the entire flight.


The flight departed on time and then spent 25 minutes waiting for a takeoff slot. A light snack was served to pass the time on the 90 minute flight to Copenhagen. The service on board made up for the cramped seating and even with the departure delay we arrived slightly ahead of schedule.

Completing  immigration formalities, which were quick, we headed to baggage claim where the wait for bags was very short.  Heading out the exit we met our driver who drove us through light traffic to the Admiral Hotel, right on the harbor.  We have stayed at the Admiral before, and it is a converted and restored grainery warehouse of brick and massive wood beams in the rooms, built in 1797.


Before leaving Bellevue we signed up for a "Day Pass" from AT&T, which is a good deal for international travel, so after phone calls to Bellevue we found that Patrick’s Mom’s hip surgery went well and we would be able to call tomorrow.

Stopping briefly in the room, we headed out and walked along the quay to the “Little Mermaid” sculpture, since the early evening light would be good for photos.  The light was good for photos, and also good at the largest monument in Copenhagen, the Gefionspringvandet, named after the goddess Gefion, who with her oxen plows Zealand out of Sweden.  By the time we returned to the hotel at 2000, the sun had passed below the horizon.

Little Mermaid at Langelinie

The Gefionspringvandet sculpture 


Returning to the hotel we decided to eat at “SALT” restaurant in the hotel and enjoyed a four course small plate offering which included poached white asparagus, baked lemon sole, salted melon and burrito and a grilled Iberico pork, all with interesting seasonings.  By now it was after 2200, but still evening twilight.  Patrick took a stroll to Nyhaven to locate our hotel when we return in late June.  There were still crowds eating outside at the many restaurants lining the harbor at Nyhaven, and with the long days and a holiday, the voices talking outside our hotel window continued until 0230.  There is no air conditioning at the hotel, but fans are provided and the windows open out facing the harbor.

The Admiral Hotel

Nyhaven at night

South to Anacortes

July 22, 2016 - Wrangell

After the tour of the Anan Wildlife Observatory we relaxed at the dock in the rain in Wrangell.

July 23, 2016 - Wrangell

Another day of rain in Wrangell.

July 24, 2016 – Wrangell to Santa Anna Inlet

Departing from Wrangell in the rain at 1015 for the final time in 2016 we headed on a different route to Santa Anna Inlet.  There was a gill net opening in Zimovia Strait and rather than dodge the nets we headed down Eastern Channel which is a longer route, but scenic.  Cruising by Anan Bay we confirmed with the depth sounder that the bay provides only marginal holding, shelving steeply into deep water without much swinging room.

Entering the nearly empty Santa Anna Inlet, we anchored Spirit at 1650.  By evening there were seven vessels anchored, including some commercial fishing boats.  The horseflies were abundant, the rain had stopped and we enjoyed the quiet evening.

July 25, 2016 – Santa Anna Inlet to Ketchikan

Spirit was the last vessel to leave Santa Anna Inlet at 0745 with overcast skies and calm winds.  Stopping to fish near Meyers Chuck we landed three pink salmon and lost three more.  Proceeding south in Clarence Strait to Tongass Narrows we called the Ketchikan Harbormaster for a berth assignment.  We were given the last available berth for our size vessel at Bar Harbor.  The fishing fleet was in and there was not enough room for everyone, with many vessels anchored over Pennock Reef and rafted three deep at City Floats.

We treated ourselves to dinner at the Bar Harbor Restaurant, but it was not the best meal we have had.  Usually this is a great place to eat, but we must have hit an off-night in the kitchen.

July 26, 2016 - Ketchikan

Patrick spent the day looking for a replacement circulating fan for the galley refrigerator, but no luck finding 24 volt components in Ketchikan.  Miriam walked the 1.5 miles into downtown for some final shopping.

July 27, 2016 – Ketchikan to Foggy Bay

Spirit departed Bar Harbor in the rain at 0632, stopping at Petromarine for fuel before leaving Ketchikan for the last time in 2016.  We fished at Mountain Point, but only pinks were taking the bait, so after landing two we continued south down Revillagigedo Channel.  Stopping at Mary Island we anchored in 200 feet of water and fished for halibut, but no luck.

Pulling the anchor, we continued into Foggy Bay and anchored Spirit at 1650 under partly sunny skies.  By dusk there were seven vessels anchored, everyone heading south.

July 28, 2016 – Foggy Bay to Prince Rupert

Mist and light rain greeted us as we departed Foggy Bay at 0505, the last boat to leave.  The gillnetters were out in force all the way to Cape Fox, and with the low visibility, down to 1/4 mile at times, we just headed out 2 miles from the shoreline and avoided all of them.  Other pleasure craft were being called on the radio by the fishermen, asking them to move further offshore.

The fog and mist meant there was no wind chop in Dixon, but there was a 4-6 foot swell on our beam as we crossed, so we were glad we had stabilizers.  By 0755 we crossed the USA/Canada boundary and when we had cell phone coverage from Prince Rupert called in for NEXUS clearance.

The visibility continued to improve as we headed through Venn Passage into Prince Rupert Harbor.  After stopping briefly at the customs/lightering dock we headed to our reserved slip at the new Cow Bay Marina.  The docks are still subject to the wakes and afternoon winds, but better than the nearby Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club (PRRYC).  Contrary to the latest Waggoner Guide, Cow Bay Marina is not yet a Canada Customs Port of Entry like PRRYC.  We also set our clocks ahead one hour to get back on Pacific Daylight Time.

Dinner was at the Cow Bay Café, with delicious food, good service and a great view.

July 29, 2016 – Prince Rupert

After a resupply run to Safeway for fresh produce we caught the bus to Port Edwards and visited the North Pacific Cannery, now a National Historic Site in Canada.  The cannery is located on the banks of the Skeena River.  The cannery was in operation until 1981 and has been partially preserved to show the worker housing and equipment used in the past.  This cannery was one of 20 just in this area.  The machinery was nearly identical to the machinery we visited at the Icy Strait Point cannery near Hoonah in June.

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Remains of worker housing

Inside the net house

Canning Line

Pressure Cookers

Some of the local brands of salmon

Rusting cart

July 30, 2016 – Prince Rupert to Lowe Inlet

Leaving Cow Bay Marina at 0725 we enjoyed mostly sunny skies as Spirit continued south down Grenville Channel, riding a favorable current most of the way, especially as we picked up the ebb near Klewnuggit Inlet.  At 1445 the anchor was set in Nettle Basin, Lowe Inlet.  We were initially the only boat, but by nightfall there were five others anchored.  The winds were gusty in Nettle basin, peaking at 27 knots and continuing late into the evening.

We tried fishing, but with no luck. The fish are later this year and very few were jumping at the base of Verney Falls.  There were no bears fishing at the falls either.

July 31, 2016 – Lowe Inlet to Bottleneck Inlet

When we departed at 0630, all the other vessels had already departed.  We enjoyed a boost from the ebb tide as we continued down Grenville Channel past Hartley Bay and entered Princess Royal Channel.  The flood tide gave us a boost until near Butedale and then the ebb tide boosted us further south through Heikish Narrows and into Finlayson Channel.  The afternoon westerly winds greeted us there, with sustained winds to 27 knots and three foot seas.

Butedale - the docks are better now

Making the turn into Bottleneck Inlet we retrieved the tender and anchored in 35 feet of water under sunny skies at 1600 after 75 miles of cruising.  There was no wind in the inlet and the sunny skies were welcome.

August 1, 2016 – Bottleneck Inlet to Shearwater

In what is becoming a pattern, when we departed, all the other vessels had left.  However, the entrance is shallow and we wanted to wait for a rising tide to leave.  The minimum depth we saw with the tide at +8 feet was less than 6 feet under the keel, so at a zero tide we would have been trapped in the inlet.

Finlayson Channel was calm, the sun was out, so we continued out into Milbanke Sound, past Ivory Point Light and into Seaforth Channel.  Stopping for an hour to fish unsuccessfully at Idol Point we then headed into Shearwater and anchored at 1540 outside the breakwater with numerous other pleasure craft.

The Selene 50 “Seeker” was at Shearwater and we shared dinner on board Seeker with Mike and Susie Miner and Mike’s brother and sister-in-law.  Patrick prepared halibut with the white miso paste glaze once again.

August 2, 2016 - Shearwater

With no pressing schedule we spent the day at anchor doing maintenance on Spirit.

August 3, 2016 – Shearwater to Pruth Bay

At 0830 we pulled the anchor from the mud in Klicksaotl Harbor and headed back out Seaforth Channel, taking a right turn up Return Channel and then down Johnson Channel, investigating potential anchorages for future trips.

Exiting into Fisher Channel we bypassed Ocean Falls and Codville Lagoon.  Codville Lagoon showed numerous AIS targets and the anchorage is only marginal if the back basin is full.  Continuing down Fisher Channel to Fitz Hugh Sound the afternoon westerlies began to blow, so we ducked behind Nalau Island down Ward Channel, across Hakai Pass and anchored in Pruth Bay, joining 6-7 other boats.

Checking the weather reports on the free wifi in Pruth Bay we decided to spend at least one extra day at anchor.

August 4, 2016 – Pruth Bay

Trying our luck fishing on the east side of Calvert Island in the Grady White for a while, we gave up after numerous rockfish and 2 undersize Coho Salmon.  The afternoon wind picked up as we headed back, making for a bouncy ride in the 2 foot seas.  The wind calmed down after sundown.

August 5, 2016 – Pruth Bay to Allison Harbour

The weather report was marginal, and the seas were not expected to subside at Cape Caution until Sunday, so at 0615 we departed to cross before the seas increased more.  Clearing the tip of Calvert Island, the swells increased to 7-12 feet on our beam at a 7 second period as we passed Egg Island.  Turning at Cape Caution at 1050 we then encountered sloppy seas from the combination of swells and ebb outfall from Slingsby Channel, since we were there one hour before slack water.  The sloppy seas persisted for about three miles and then became just quartering swells once outside the influence of Slingsby Channel.

We entered an empty Allison Harbour and anchored in 30 feet of water at 1305, selecting a spot clear of the numerous commercial crab pots littering the anchorage.  Even though the harbor is well protected, the afternoon westerlies wrap around and blow straight into the anchorage.  The same westerlies had grown the wave height at the West Sea Otter buoy to 8-16 feet by 1400, so we were glad we got across early in the afternoon.

By 1800 rain began to fall, heavy at times, but with no wind.

August 6, 2016 Allison Harbour to Sullivan Bay

The rain from the evening before had been replaced by a thick blanket of fog swirling in from the inlet entrance.  Nonetheless we pulled the anchor from the sticky and stinky mud in Allison Harbour at 0820 and ventured out into Ripple Passage,  the main channel.  The fog alternated between dense and 1-2 mile visibility until about 1100 as we headed up Wells Passage towards Sullivan Bay.  We arrived as part of a parade of boats either leaving or arriving at the floating community.  By 1345 our lines were set and power was connected.

The resort has a Happy Hour in the dock shelter every day at 1700 where you bring an appetizer to share and your own drinks.  Earlier in the afternoon we had introduced ourselves to the owners of the Sailing Vessel Anna Caroline, who we had seen off and on all the way from Wrangell.  They had docked just ahead of us.  Finding out they had a defective propane regulator, Patrick gave them a spare from Spirit so they could operate their stove.  The vessel carries a Dutch flag and the couple live aboard and had come around Cape Horn and Patagonia earlier in the year, about the same time we were in Antarctica.  They then went to Sitka via Easter Island, the Marquesa’s, and Hawaii, and were on their way back to French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia.

During our conversations we asked if they knew the red sailboat we had seen in Antarctica, and they knew both the boat and the owner.  Conversation continued late into the night as we discovered just how small the world is, with many similar experiences.

We had a thunderstorm, lightning and heavy rain to keep us occupied as well.

August 7, 2016 – Sullivan Bay to Mound Island

At 1000 we joined the parade of boats departing Sullivan Bay and headed to Cullen Harbour.  Along the way we were escorted by a pod of Pacific Whiteside Dolphins, many riding the wake alongside the stern.  They stayed with us for nearly one hour.  Anchoring in Cullen Harbour, finding an open space among the six other boats already there, we did not like the set of the anchor so pulled it back up and headed to Mound Island where we anchored in 50 feet of water over a mud bottom with excellent holding.  We joined 10 other boats, but the anchorage can hold many more.  Mound Island and Cullen Harbour are both the same distance from our destination, Port McNeill in the morning.

Pacific Whiteside Dolphins in our wake

Another wakerider

August 8, 2016 – Mound Island to Port McNeill

Fog was drifting in and out of the anchorage as we departed shortly after 0800.  Exiting White Beach Passage into a dense fog bank we had to alter course to avoid a cruise ship entering Blackfish Sound.  As the fog layer shifted it was eerie to see just the top of the ship approaching with the lower half obscured.  The fog layer finally lifted entirely as we approached Malcom Island.  We were tied up to the dock at North Island Marina before 1100.  Patrick procured a new propane regulator and then changed the generator oil and filter, the third change of the trip.

Meeting friends on “Rendezvous” and “Daybreak”, we all gathered for dinner at the Northern Lights Restaurant after appetizers on board Spirit.

August 9, 2016 – Port McNeill

Rendezvous and Daybreak departed early to head south and we elected to stay in Port McNeill.  Patrick changed the zincs on the main engine and we went shopping in town.

August 10, 2019 – Port McNeill

Another day in Port McNeill.  Several friends arrived and we had cocktails on “Yachette” and then after a not so memorable dinner ashore, gathered on “Legasea” for the evening with conversation that went until late into the evening as we listened to the winds gust to 30 knots under clearing skies.

August 11, 2016 – Port McNeill to Kwatsi Bay

The winds were calm, with sunny skies, as we departed Port McNeill at 0820.  Spirit ran into fog as we approached Donegal Head on Malcom Island and with visibility less than ¼ mile we carefully headed to Arrow Passage.  The fog lifted as we entered Arrow Passage, passing Echo Bay and finally docking at Kwatsi Bay at 1400, joining 10 other boats.  Happy hour on the dock was enjoyable, catching up with old cruising friends as we snacked on the appetizers everyone had provided.

August 12, 2016 – Kwatsi Bay to Sullivan Bay

Spirit departed Kwatsi Bay at 1050 for the short 25 nautical mile trip back to Sullivan Bay.  Arriving at 1405 we confirmed our reservation for the prime rib dinner that evening.  Mike and Lisa Haistings from Legasea arrived and we shared a table for an excellent prime rib dinner.  Rain was heavy overnight.

August 13, 2016 – Sullivan Bay to Jennis Bay

We cast off the lines at 1020 to make slack water at Stuart Narrows and were tied up at Jennis Bay marina at 1140 after a short 9 nautical mile trip.  The afternoon westerlies came up, so the happy hour was moved to one of the buildings.

August 14, 2016 – Jennis Bay to Napier Bay

Timing our departure for slack water at Stuart Narrows, we reluctantly cast off the lines and headed the 10.5 nautical miles to Napier Bay under sunny skies.  Anchoring at 1300 with several other vessels in the bay we prepared the Grady White for fishing and headed out to James Point.  We returned with one 12 pound wild Coho salmon at 1700.

August 15, 2016 – Napier Bay

After sleeping in and missing the slack water at James Point, we finally left at 0915 and returned at 1200 with a nice 15 pound wild Coho salmon.  After preparing it for the freezer and having lunch we headed back out at 1400, returning at 1530 with our second Coho, this time another 12-pound fish, our limit for the day.  We have only one more Coho we can catch in BC in 2016, since the daily limit is one wild fish and the possession limit is 2 wild fish.  By evening Napier Bay was once again filled with anchored boats.

August 16, 2016 – Napier Bay to Port McNeill

We pulled the anchor from the mud in Napier Bay at 0710 and headed to James Point to fish on the way to Port McNeill.  After dragging the lines for more than one hour with only a few nibbles, we retrieved all the gear and headed for Port McNeill, arriving at 1200.  North Island Marina was full of familiar boats, with almost everyone headed South.  We had intended to go to the highly recommended Cluxewe Waterfront Bistro, but the one day a week they close is Tuesday.

The alternative was the sushi restaurant, which turned out to be very good.

August 17, 2016 – Port McNeill

We did our final BC reprovisioning for the season and tried the Cluxewe Waterfront Bistro for dinner.  The restaurant is located about 15 minutes away by car at a campground overlooking Broughton Straits and has tremendous views.  The food was very good.

August 18, 2016 – Port McNeill to Port Harvey

Departing Port McNeill for the last time in 2016 at 0905 we headed down Johnstone Strait in a mixture of sun and fog, but calm seas.  By 1350 the engine was off in Port Harvey, with warm, sunny, but breezy weather.  George and Gail at Port Harvey Marine Resort have been working hard to recover from the barge sinking last year and have already partially rebuilt a new “Red Shoe” restaurant building on the barge.

New Red Shoe Restaurant taking shape

In the meantime, the new float with the tent is a great venue, lots of room for everyone for appetizers at happy hour.  George has the salvaged pizza oven from the old restaurant set up in one corner and pizzas are made to order in the evening.

August 19, 2016 – Port Harvey

Most of the boats had left by 0700 to make slack tide at either Whirlpool Rapids or Seymour Narrows.  By 0830 only one other boat was at the dock with us, in addition to one anchored in the bay.  We enjoyed the warm cinnamon rolls George and Gail bake every day to order and just spent the day relaxing in the sunshine.

August 20, 2016 – Port Harvey to Thurston Bay

After taking delivery of the cinnamon rolls, we reluctantly cast off the lines from Port Harvey and headed out under low clouds, but with little wind.  Negotiating Whirlpool rapids near slack current, we headed down Chancellor Channel under gusty winds, which calmed as we approached Greene Point Rapids.  Spirit got a generous boost from the flood tide as we headed down Cordero Channel.  Shoal Bay was full of boats, so we continued to Thurston Bay and anchored as far behind Block Island as possible, given the number of boats.

The wind gusted to 34 knots overnight, but the anchor was well set.

August 21, 2016 – Thurston Bay to Dent Island

Pulling the anchor at 1030 we proceeded at slow speed the short distance to Dent Rapids.  Clearing the rapids about 30 minutes early we were tied to the dock at Dent Island Lodge by 1340, having to wait for other vessels to leave.  Today was the “Duck Derby” to raise money for the Gillard Pass hatchery as well as have fun.  First the staff rides Canoe Passage on top of large inflatable ducks after getting pledges at an auction and then the small numbered ducks are released with the winner being the first across a line stretched across the passage.  We did not win, but along with everyone else enjoyed a great buffet dinner on the outside terrace.

Staff riding the ducks in Canoe Passage

Scooping up the winning duck

The docks were full!

August 22, 2016 – Dent Island

Patrick fished, no luck.  The sunny day was a little windy but otherwise pleasant.  Dinner was at the “Rapids Grill”, with a multicourse tasting menu.

August 23, 2016 – Dent Island to Rebecca Spit

Departing Dent Island Lodge at 0830 to catch the last of the flood southbound through Gillard Passage and Yuculta Rapids we headed to Rebecca Spit under sunny skies and warm temperatures.  The anchor was down by 1140.

August 24, 2016 – Rebecca Spit to Hornby Island

Spirit departed Rebecca Spit at 0805 for the 48 nautical mile run to Tribune Bay on the south side of Hornby Island, a new destination for us.  The weather was calm and sunny and we joined nearly 100 other boats of all sizes and types anchored off the beach.

August 25-26, 2016 – Hornby Island to Montague Harbour

Under sunny skies we departed Tribune Bay at 0730 for the 80 mile run to Montague Harbour.  We anchored at 1600, joining almost 200 pleasure craft jammed into the calm harbor.  With the nice weather we remained at anchor the next day also.

Sunset over Montague Harbour

August 27, 2016 – Montague Harbour to Echo Bay

The sunny skies had been replaced by clouds at we departed at 0925 from Montague Harbour.  By 1130 we had crossed into US waters and cleared into the USA with our NEXUS credentials by phone.  By 1300 we were anchored in Echo Bay, Sucia Islands after only 26 miles.

August 28, 2016 – Echo Bay to Anacortes

At 0845 we departed Echo Bay for the 22 nautical mile trip to Cap Sante Marina at Anacortes.  Our slip was not yet free at Anacortes Marina so we arranged moorage at Cap Sante.  After refueling Spirit, we were tied to the transient dock at 1230, having travelled 3100 nautical miles since departing Anacortes April 28.