Over the weekend we relaxed then visited and enjoyed the company of Vera and Len from the Selene 53 Chatham II. These Canadians cruise to Northern BC each summer and we seem to run into them about this time of year in Port McNeil. Vera made sure to have a good supply of Sleeman's Honey Brown Ale for Alex and we enjoyed many cruising and Selene stories.
On Monday morning the new Wild Blue crew arrived via Port hardy airport. We borrowed the marina van and picked them up. Most of the provisioning had been completed so only a few items were needed. After a quick trip to the Port McNeill market, we shoved off southbound at 1PM for Blind Channel, a long 6-hour run. Our guests want to visit the Princess Louisa Inlet, which means we need to get south quickly in order get in and out of the Inlet. PLI is 40 miles inland from Pender Harbour so we will need to put in several long cruise days early in this week, to allow time for the visit. of course as always, it depends on how far the weather lets us go. Today's forecast calls for strong winds in Johnstone Strait. We will go as far as comfort allows us!
Eastbound in sunny Johnstone Strait
Marsha and Ira Alpert our neighbors from San Luis Obispo are the new Wild Blue crew. Ira is a retired hospital administrator who volunteers on several non-profit boards in our community. Marsha is retired form several businesses but, according to Ira, is still employed as a "consulting weather witch". It seems that most everywhere Marsha travels, the weather improves. After months of gray and rainy skies, we will put her talent to good use. And with just a few hours cruising under our belts, the sun shines again. Wow...what a talent!
Pie in the sun for the Skipper. After months of gray, overcast and rainy skies, it's time for a little Vitamin D.
Marsha's "weather witching" was working on the sun, but not on the wind which began to build as the afternoon wore on. By 5PM a nasty chop punched into our eastbound travel. We decided to anchor in Port Neville instead of continuing further. There's always tomorrow. By 6PM we were securely anchored in a blustery winds.
Port Neville is a convenient spot just off Johnstone Strait.
Port Neville Public Dock. A great place to tie up, however as the tide fills and empties Port Neville Bay, the current across the float can be mighty. We chose to anchor just around the corner further inside inside the Bay.
This morning's forecast again calls for high winds in Johnstone Strait. So instead of continuing, we decide to pull out of the Strait at Chancellor Channel and push through Greene Point Rapids, then Dent Rapids and finally Yuculta Rapids arriving in Desolation Sound for an anchorage. For a slow boat like Wild Blue to traverse all three rapids in one leg, the "Rapid Trifecta", timing is essential. The idea is to arrive at Greene Point with a manageable ebb current, then and hour or so later at Dent and Yuculta near slack or a minor flood current. The problem is that we are 25 miles away from the first rapids. So calculating using a conservative speed, we estimate a 4-hour run at 6.5 knots. We should make it with time to spare leaving at 6:30AM. We need to be at Greene Point by 10:30 to have a chance to cross all three rapids.
Killer Whale on the bow.
Once underway all is well until Current Passage. Living up to it's name, we see our forward progress drop from 8 knots to 2 knots as a 6-knot ebb rolls through the Passage. Obviously we won't make the first Rapids at this slow speed, but after 30 minutes of creeping between 2 and 3 knots, our turn into Chancellor Channel, and the speed over ground slowly begins to increase. At last we make Green Point Rapids at 10:20, just 10 minutes off our estimates ETA.Weather Witch Marsha has been doing her magic as the sun has been shining and the temps are warm. She still needs to keep working on the winds.
Logging operations in Chancellor Channel.
Greene Point Rapids.
Dent Rapids.
Yuculta Rapids.
You know you've done a good job of calculating slack current when there's lots of traffic in the rapids at the same time.
By the early afternoon we're in Desolation Sound. We pause just offshore from Squirrel Cove to get a wifi connection and our email. Next we look around for an anchorage and eventually decide on a spot on the west side of Malaspina Inlet next to the Josephine Islands. The cove has no name but gives us good protection form the expected building northwesterly winds.
The chefs get active. After dinner it's a friendly game of Monopoly, and the Skipper has a bit too much property management luck (experience) tonight. Hopefully he can take his winning approach to collecting the rents in real life!
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 - No Name Anchorage to Pender Harbour
Today we had a leisurely motor to Pender Harbor in sunny skies, warm temps and little wind. Marsha's magic was working. In general it was a pretty dull cruise but with lots of boat traffic. We found moorage at the Pender Public Dock which is close to the Marketplace, a full-sized supermarket. Provisioning is in our future today.
Tug and Tow.
Big boat wake.
Arriving in Pender Harbour.
Our Pender Harbour moorage sets us up to enter Princess Louisa Inlet tomorrow. The Inlet has Malibu Rapids in front of it and crossing the rapids needs to be near slack current. The current reaches over 12 knots on spring tides. As Labor Day Weekend approaches, the Inlet will fill up with boats and securing a vacant anchorage spot could become an issue. So we decide to cross the rapids and enter the Inlet at the 9:45AM slack tide. From Pender, it's about 36 miles to the rapids, a 4.5 hour motor if no adverse current. Giving us a little wiggle room, we decide to leave at 4:30AM in the dark. But that's for tomorrow. It's time for dessert!
Fresh blueberries with ice cream and chocolate syrup.
Thursday, September 1st, 2011 - Pender Harbour to Princess Louisa Inlet
At 4:30AM it's black dark. Silently as possible we back out of our dock as to not awaken the snoring, and then try to adjust our vision to the black. The chart-plotter guides us and the radar keeps us from bumping the rocks. Just outside the Harbour we are passed by small boat, but we only see its running lights. Pat, Ira and Marsha man the foredeck squinting to see logs, boats or rocks. Running in the dark builds tension which is relieved when dawn finally arrives. By that time we are 9 miles up Agamemnon Channel.
The suns rises over Agamemnon Channel.
We arrive at Malibu Rapids at 10:30 some 45 minutes late, but even though the chart warning reads "Extremely Hazardous Currents and Eddies", all is well with only a 2.5 knot current against us as we enter. Once inside we slow to minimize our wake and cruise the final 5 miles to the head of the Inlet where we plan to anchor. After locating our favorite anchor site and its associated submerged stern tie hook just north of the Falls, we drop the hook. We won't be able to reach the stern tie hook until low tide this afternoon. Then we will thread a line through the eye and back to the boat. Being the start of Labor Day weekend, we are surprised that only 15 boats or so have entered the Inlet. The weather is overcast again, so I guess "weather witch" Marsha has not been focusing on the sun.
Entering PLI via Malibu Rapids
Approaching the head of Princess Louisa Inlet.
This weeks guest crew is Marsha and Ira Alpert of San Luis Obispo. Here they pose just in front of Chatterbox Falls.
Wild Blue on the hook in PLI. Waiting for low tide to hook up the stern tie hook which is submerged at high tide.
The Chatterbox Falls in Princess Louisa Inlet.
Friday, September 2nd, 2011 - Princess Louisa Inlet
At last the sun is out again. We're spending an extra day here in PLI enjoying Yosemite Park of the North. What a relaxing place!
Marsha and Alex go kayaking.
Looking northwest up PLI.
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