#21 - Up Current to Red Bluff Bay.

Of course once inside the inner Bay of Pillars, a high tide is needed to exit.  Today's high tide begins at 2PM, an hour later than yesterdays so we will need to postpone our departure until then.  The Douglass Guidebook says the current hangs around for over 60 minutes past the high tide time and it's only 2 knots or so of current on the flood?  So based on that, we decide to leave on the rising flood, so if grounded the tide will eventually lift us, and we will float free. The boat should be able to easily manage 2 knots of incoming current.

At 12:30 we approached the narrows.  There's something moving up there but a binocular report says it doesn't look too swift.  A closer look shows up-welling, swirls, and boiling water in the narrows, but the Guidebook says it's just 2 knots.  We continue and soon are motoring up current in swift rapids.  It probably would have been best to bail out at this point, but the boat seemed in control, so we pushed ahead.

This doesn't look so bad.

Wait-a-while! It's too late to turn back now.  We're doing turns for 10 knots at 1750 RPM and barely making 3 knots across the bottom.  Just trying to keep the nose pointed straight ahead.

The current is now roaring against us!

Halfway through and still doing turns for 10 knots!

The current slows as we're almost through.

At last we're free of Pillar Bay, breath a sigh of relief, and get on our way just across Chatham Strait to Red Bluff Bay.  Once again we stay close to shore avoiding the ocean swells in Chatham.  It's an easy 3-hour ride to Red Bluff.  We set our prawn traps just inside the Bay and anchor the boat at the head with about eight others. From our anchorage we can see the brown bears frolicking in the meadow.

Our route to Red Bluff Bay.

Peeking inside Red Bluff Bay.

Red Bluff waterfall.

Approaching the anchorage.

The view of the "Matterhorn" from our spot.

Preparing the prawn trap.

Setting the trap.