2016-06 Across Queen Charlotte Strait, Around Cape Caution to Fish Egg Inlet

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

We always enjoy the hospitality of the North Island Marina.  The Jackman family are great hosts and offer their transient moorage tenants use of a vehicle for airport drop-offs and pick-ups.  Yesterday evening we picked up crew Roger and Maureen Larson, longtime friends from San Luis Obispo, at the port hardy airport.  We had 30 minutes before the supermarket closed for any last minute provisions as the weather required an early morning departure for the long trek around Cape Caution.  Actually the forecast was for 1-2 meter seas with 5-15 knot winds to early afternoon which is quite favorable.  Evening winds were forecast to build 15-25 with higher gusts overnight.  So once again we chose a "first light" departure.

At 4:30am as we tip-toed around with power cords, docklines, and hoses hoping to allow those not yet awake to stay that way.  We "whisper chatted" with the crew from Wandering Bear as they silently prepped for an early departure.  They too were headed around Cape Caution.

By 5AM we had exited Port McNeill and rounded the west end of Malcolm Island to be welcomed by flat seas and light winds in Queen Charlotte Strait. By 8AM we had slipped past the Walker Island Group in the middle of the Strait with just the start of lumpy seas.

The Wandering Bear lead us around Cape Caution.

The seas built to 5-feet peaks but well spaced as we approached Cape Caution.  we always have safety valve anchorages for when to seas become just too much for the crew.  On the rounding we could have stopped at Blunden Harbour, Allison Harbour or Miles Inlet but the Admiral passed the word to continue because she was happy with these conditions.

Our standard route north of the Cape takes us inside Egg, Table, and False Egg Islands.  It's a bit flatter path so sometimes we sit behind Table Island for a short break when the ocean is mean.  Today we are happy to continue and note three other boats just west of us in the slightly more sloppy seas.

At 2pm before Addenbroke Island, we pull off Fitz Hugh Sound through Convoy Passage and into Fish Egg Inlet.  We drop two prawn traps in 300 feet, two crab pots at 50 feet, and the anchor in 40 feet in the southeastern corner of the Inlet.

Securely anchored in the
southeast corner of Fish Egg Inlet

On the way to prawn harvest

Pat's potato leek soup until we boat soem seafood.

Super sunset over Fish Egg.