#2013-11 Khutze or Lowe Inlet?

This year the wifi internet access has been less than optimal.  Hakai Center was throttled down and  Shearwater was mostly off due to Telus problems.  This Blog has suffered from lack of access. About the best boat wifi access on the Inside Passage has been the various fish farms like Potts Bay on Midummer Island in the Broughtons, and the Jackson Passage fish farm. At 8:30AM on Sunday while most are in church somewhere, Pat and Alex were doing a slow circle in front of the Jackson Passage "west end" fish farm, just outside of Rescue Bay.  We read Google news, received and answered critical emails, and had the bandwidth for clear Skype calls.  If the weather forecast wasn't so dismal, we would have updated the Blog right then, but instead pushed northward,  putting miles between us and the gale approaching the coast south of our position.  It was raining good, and many floating logs and pretty waterfalls kept out eyes employed.

Dozens of waterfalls like these lined today's route.

By 2:30PM we reached Khutze Inlet and pulled off Princess Royal Channel.  We anchored just east of the submerged reef about a mile inside the 5 mile inlet.  The wind was building from the southeast making the reef into a lee shore behind us. We had our lunch while the anchor kept making grinding noises as it slide back and forth across the rocky bottom.  We had anchored here in the Fall but not in a Southeasterly, and so feeling uncomfortable, we pulled the hook and moved on.

We motored up the Channel admiring the numerous waterfalls.  We've seen only a tug and tow all day, and no boats headed south for three days.  As we neared Butedale a familiar boat name popped up on the AIS transponder receiver.  "Tranquility, Tranquility, Wild Blue calling, channel 16".  "Where are you guys?" was Pat from Tranquility's immediate question.  We have cruised with Rick and Pat a few times over the years, but it's usually on the way to Alaska, or in Alaska.  Their Selene 53 winters in Wrangell, Alaska, presumably to avoid the long journey up and back each year.  But Tranquility is headed south!  Pat explained the the boat is headed to Seattle for more improvements.  We had a nice chat and photoed each other as we passed.

Transquility: the only pleasure craft headed south we encountered!

There really isn't many good places to anchor right on the route we planned past Hartley Bay into the Grenville Channel until Lowe Inlet.  So six hours later at 8:30PM we dropped the anchor directly in front of Verney Falls in Lowe.  The rain and snow melt created a strong freshwater current of 1.5 knots flowing outward, and holding the boat facing directly at the Falls.  While secured by the anchor, the boat's water speed read 1.5 knots.  It was constant but pleasant water noise as we watched the sunlight fade out near 10PM.

Verney Falls Lowe Inlet near dusk.