So Alex awakes at 6:30 AM somewhat clear-headed, checks the instruments and ponders. The boats are in 11-feet of depth on Eucott Bay. The tide is at 6-feet and falling to a low of ½ foot within 2-hours. 11 minus 6 equal 5. The boats need 5 ½ to float. Uh Oh!
“Pat get up! We are leaving now!”. Then “HOOOONK, HOOOONK, HOOOONK” on the loud Kahlenberg air blast horn to wake the Seeker crew. “Seeker, Seeker, Wild Blue calling, over” on the VHF. No activity or response from the Seeker. Those sleepy heads.
We quickly shorten the dinghy painter for towing, and raise the anchor. In less than 10 minutes Wild Blue is alongside Seeker, bow and stern thruster blasting, which turns out to be the best way to get someone up from below. Finally Susie stirs and Mike opens the pilothouse door. We quickly announce our findings, that we are leaving, and they need to go too. They respond with a record time anchor retrieval. As it turns out we exited on the falling tide of +5 feet and maintained our 3-feet clearance over the shallow spot. Whew!
Once outside in deep water the Admirals (girls) drive the boats while the Captains (boys) man the dinghy and retrieve crab and prawn traps. The traps yielded large girlie crabs and a few prawns. The girls crabs are set free. We stow the traps, dinghy and crew aboard the boats and begin our cruise to Ocean Falls.
“Pat get up! We are leaving now!”. Then “HOOOONK, HOOOONK, HOOOONK” on the loud Kahlenberg air blast horn to wake the Seeker crew. “Seeker, Seeker, Wild Blue calling, over” on the VHF. No activity or response from the Seeker. Those sleepy heads.
We quickly shorten the dinghy painter for towing, and raise the anchor. In less than 10 minutes Wild Blue is alongside Seeker, bow and stern thruster blasting, which turns out to be the best way to get someone up from below. Finally Susie stirs and Mike opens the pilothouse door. We quickly announce our findings, that we are leaving, and they need to go too. They respond with a record time anchor retrieval. As it turns out we exited on the falling tide of +5 feet and maintained our 3-feet clearance over the shallow spot. Whew!
The view just outside Eucott Bay, British Columbia
Along the way we visited the site where Alexander Mackenzie completed the first coast to coast crossing of North America, some 13 years before Lewis and Clark. Mackenzie waited here for Captain Vancouver, who he missed by just 6 weeks.
Why Ocean Falls? It’s the water…the best tasting and softest water in the world. It’s so good we can’t figure why some hasn’t converted the towns existing manufacturing capabilities into the world’s best beer brewery. Oh yea, the transportation costs might be a bit high. Just before docking we dropped the crab traps near the outflow of Martin Creek. We toured the town, dam and lake. A new bed and breakfast and pub will be opening later this summer.
A big log can't quite fit through the spillway.
Mackenzie's Monument
The water is flowing big-time from Link Lake over the damn at Ocean Falls. Look-out below.
A big log can't quite fit through the spillway.
Captian Mike thinks he can do most anything, including freeing the log above. Here he shows off his balancing finesse prior to log "un-jamming".
Careful Captain Mike. It's a long way down, then a cold swim too!
"Aw shucks" says Mike. "I forgot my harness."
No comments:
Post a Comment