#7 Echo Bay and Sullivan Bay

Late yesterday afternoon the Selene 55 Spirit moored at Lagoon Cove. We said hello to owners Patrick and Miriam Gill, who are very experienced boaters, on their way to Alaska. Everyone shared their “Monday Storm Stories” which also battered all the resorts in the area. Spirit had been anchored inside Pender Harbour, and not being protected from the strong northerly winds, enjoyed the “revolving restaurant” view as the boat sailed around on the anchor. They related that the Selene 59 Raindancer experienced similar gyrations while anchored in Prideaux Haven. Even a 130,000 pound boat moves around when the wind gets strong enough!

Friday dawned to bright sunshine and we began chatting with the crew of a Nordic Tug 42. Apparently their windlass battery had expired and another was being flown in from Port McNeil. This was a type 8D battery 22 X 10 X 10 inches and 150 pounds. So Alex decided to assist the owner installing the new unit. It arrived by float plane and within 20 minutes was resting in its new home, the bow of the Nordic.

Spirit had left for Echo Bay Resort, about 25 miles further into the Broughton Islands, and we decided to join her there. We took the skinny route, that's the one with the tiny passages with many twists and turns. Even the route reads like the path in the woods that Little Red Riding Hood took to grandmothers house: down Clio Channel, through Beware Passage, across Indian Channel, through Village Channel, through Eliot Passage, across Knight Inlet, up Spring Passage, through Retreat Passage, over Cramer Pass and finally to Echo Bay Resort in Echo Bay Marina Park. It was a fine cruise in the bright sunshine.

More snow covered mountains which make for great photos!

As this Canadian Coast Guard boat passed us, we were happy not to be cruising with the Squires since Dick is still wanted in Mexico. Canada is always eager to extradite Americanos back to Mexico to face their court system and we didn't want to be accomplices.

Echo Bay Resort with the Selene 55 Spirit.

The Echo Bay Resort is quite popular in the summer. The owner Pierre roasts a pig each Saturday afternoon and the regularly have 150 people attend the party. He also has trails and a museum of local history. The place is kept cleaned and polished. We'll visit here again in June.

It was too early in the year for the pig roast, so the crew on Spirit invited us for happy hour. They have the full liquor cabinet and offered various single malt scotch choices and Jamisons. Pat and I enjoyed their "Spirited" hospitality, and with that liquor cabinet, they are sure to make a bunch of friends on the way to Alaska.

This a Yurt. A Yurt is like an upscale tent cabin. This is a 1-bedroom unit with separate bath, dining, full kitchen and living areas and includes a fireplace. this one has a great view of Echo Bay. For about $10,000 for a 450 sf unit, all you need is a lot with level surface or platform. This may be the wave of the future given our shaky economy. This is also a popular type of environmental "nature lodging". See http://www.rockwatersecretcoveresort.com for an lodging example. Order your very own Yurt at http://www.pacificyurts.com. What color would you like Pat?

This river otter is looking for a Yurt!

Spirit departs Echo Bay for Alaska. Have a great cruise!

We enjoyed the warm temps and bright sunshine Sunday morning in Echo Bay. Around noon we organized our departure for Sullivan Bay. It was an easy 2 hour jaunt in wide passages. We spent most of the time on the fly-bridge in the sun.

We enjoyed brilliant sunshine over the last few days in Southern British Columbia.

View from the fly-bridge, our own 1080 pixel 3D HDTV!

Snow covered peaks are bright white in the sunny skies along our route.

The view towards Main Street in downtown Sullivan Bay.

Sullivan Bay is a floating community. All the homes, restaurant, shops and lodging are built upon floats. All are interconnected with dock walkways so that sometimes you tie up "downtown" while other times it's "suburbia". This time Wild Blue was the "only boat in town" so we tied up outside in the "country", away from the buildings.

The resort opens for full scale operations June 1st. The caretakers gave us a few DVDs to keep us entertained, but the scenery is so splendid, we didn't even think of watching the tube, except of course, for the Lakers. Great game!

Tomorrow, Sunday, we cross the Queen Charlotte Strait headed for Port McNeil on Vancouver Island's northeast coast. Hopefully we'll have an uneventful crossing as the weather looks to be awesome and sunny once again. If you are up early tomorrow we should show us on AIS at www.marinetraffic.com approximately between 8 and 11am. Click on the box near the northwest end of Vancouver Island. Goodnight.