July 28th – 29th Shearwater Breakwater fixing the engine

July 28^th – 29^th             Shearwater Breakwater fixing the engine         We continue to work on the engine, troubleshooting everything we can think of and devising ways to clean the filters and bowl since we cannot get the bowl off and don’t want to break it.  I have checked with Shearwater Marine Store and they do not have a replacement on hand.  We “MacGyver” our way using a bent stiff zip tie as a scraper and a piece of t-shirt rag over a shish-ka-bob stick to get as much of the gunk out of the filter bowl from above as we can.  Then we rinse, rinse, rinse and rinse again.  Carl blows air into the fuel return line.  Still no joy. 

Paul on "Tea Cup" to the rescue!

Walt and Odile have arrived now and tied up alongside us.  We decide that it is time for a break and head over for another great burger.  We make an appointment with the local, well recommended diesel mechanic.  We are told that he is currently at the dump standing by on a fire that someone set during the fire band.  Not a problem we say. 

The clogged culprit - un-used fuel pump

We talk with Christophe, the harbour master again.  He is a sailor as well.  He recommends also blowing into the intake line.  Returning to the boat we tear everything apart again.  Between Walt and Odile’s dinghy pump and the end off of our electric inflator we come up with the right size nozzle to blow air into the 1/4 “ inside diameter fuel line.  We blow.  We cannot get a bit of air through.  

Between the tank and the fuel filter there is a small electronic fuel pump that we do not use (disconnected the power to it years ago).  Carl cuts the hose and removes the pump and sure enough the clog is in the intake of the un-used fuel pump.  Hallelujah!  

Carl rummages around in our plumbing kit and finds the correct brass fitting (5/16” to 1/4” reducer) to simply join the line from the tank to the racor filter.  Pam cleans the fuel pump and puts it away.  We strike up the motor and she sputters a bit and then sings, happy to be rid of the constricting pump.  We give her a good warm up and run in forward and reverse putting load on the dock lines.  She seems quite happy.  

We finish up around 8:00 and Walt and Odile are all hands on deck to cook us another wonderful halibut and rice dinner.  All we have to do is put our cockpit table up and sit down and enjoy. 

Throughout the night we have heavy rain and wind and large barges being towed in in the middle of the night, fishermen yelling…..anyway!  

We awake to a “rain” day.  Carl and I tidy up the boat after our days of diving into lockers and tool boxes, put a new oil sausage in the bilge, gather up all our used oil filters, rags and old sausage and head to the oil recycle center.  

From there we take the local water taxi to Bella Bella to buy some nice steaks and a few cookie mixes for Walt.  They are out of romaine that was the extent of Odile’s list.  We enjoy talking with a couple from Victoria BC.  They are on their new to them Catalina learning from their sailing buddies how to travel through some of this country.  We meet them again at the local eatery so we share their table for lunch and lots of talk of sailing and life in general.  

Back to the boat we turn the engine on, she purrs again, warms up well, revs great.  Just then the local mechanic stops by.  “I was just test driving this dinghy motor I worked on and thought I would stop in.  It looks like you have made progress.”  We talk with him awhile, explaining what we found and how we took care of it.  He will cancel our work order and he moseys on his way, one less boat for him to worry about on his long list of boats to work on.

We spend the rest of the day catching up on the blog, giving Carl a buzz cut and generally relaxing.

Odile and Walt

July 27th Lohbrunner Island to ??

July 27^th Lohbrunner Island to ??                    

Lohbrunner Island 

Today we plan a nice long run to get some south mileage under our belt.  As plans go it is good.  However Mr. Murphy has decided to visit us.  We are off Price Island, open to the Pacific when our engine dies.  We mutter a bit and then set to work troubleshooting.  Change the primary fuel filter. Check.  Change the secondary fuel filter.  Check.  Check the air filter.  Check.  Grinding of teeth.  We have power yet no rpms.  The engine runs briefly and then dies again.   

We do this off and on for about an hour.  Each time the engine runs briefly Pam steers away from land.  Thankfully the drift is also, for the most part, away from land.  Having checked as many items as we can think of we discuss with Walt and Odile whether or not they can tow us.  Their boat is thousands of pounds lighter than ours and the ocean swell is quite rough.  We all decide the better option is to seek a tow.  We notify the Prince Rupert Coast Guard and they promptly put us in touch with the “Tea Cup,” a 37’ Nordic Tug who offers to come tow us to Shearwater.  We set our sails and tack slowly down the coast and await our friendly tow.  Walt and Odile sail along with us until we are safely tied up for tow and then they sail off south for the evening and will join us again tomorrow in Shearwater.  

 

Meanwhile, our competent tow boat skipper pulls along side, talks us through what he wants to have happen.  We learn later his name is Paul and we will share more of his story if he OKs it.  Paul tosses Pam the tow line, and he commences to tow us some 30 plus miles.  Paul normally has people join him on his boat while the tow is underway so he sounds pleased that we have on board and will use, our offshore lifejackets with harness, tether and jack lines and our remote radio in the cockpit.  Thankfully the wind has not increased   It is nice once we get off the open ocean and the swell subsides.  ExTerra is not used to such speed unless the wind is howling!   

We continue on our five hour tow.  Pam radios ahead to Shearwater.  As we approach Pam talks with Paul and describes the layout of Shearwater hoping Paul will be comfortable with pulling us onto the open breakwater.  This breakwater is not attached to land or to the marina so his boat can glide to a stop while we are tied behind him and he can then continue straight out into open water.  Plan B is he will pull us on around the breakwater and we will untie from him and drop the anchor.  Christophe, the Shearwater harbour master comes out in his workboat and ties to our starboard and is able to slow us down and push us to the dock where the couple from m/v “Miss Placed” are there to grab our lines. 

Pam unties “Tea Cup” and Paul pulls away.  “Wait” I say.  We would like to do something for you at least.”  “No, you are in good hands now” Paul says.  “Well THANK YOU” and a big wave from Pam and Paul is on his way.  Carl hops on the radio and he tells Carl the same thing when Carl mentions we want to at least buy him some diesel.  “No, that’s OK.  We can keep in touch (and he gives Carl the website).  I was headed this way anyway.  Thanks is enough.  Just say thank you.”  “Well thank you then” Carl says as Paul motors off into the distance. 

Once all lines are checked and we have a visit with the folks from Miss Placed we dinghy in for a burger and a shower to help decompress from the day.  Upon return to ExTerra the gal from Miss Placed comes over with fresh baked dinner rolls.  We have one for dessert.  Heavenly!

Shearwater at Sunset

July 24th – 26th Bishop Cove to Bishop Hot Springs to Hartley Bay to Smithers

Bishop Hot Springs

July 24^th – 26^th             Bishop Cove to Bishop Hot Springs to Hartley Bay to Smithers                      

We leave our anchorage at 0600 so we can travel back to Bishop Bay Hot Springs and then make it to Hartley Bay at a reasonable time.   This is another delightful stop.  People have lovingly created a space that blends with nature.  Concrete and wood are complemented by natural rocks and gravel.  The outer warm pool is just right and helps you warm up for the next, hotter pool.  There is a small discrete changing room.  Our boats bob contentedly, each on its own mooring ball.  We take turns soaking in the hottest water as it shoots out from a pipe.  On the way out we chat with a young family.  They have tied their small motor boat to the dock, two sleeping on the boat (the girls she says) and the boys (dad and son) slept in the tent in the campground.  They have been fishing and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Now we are underway to Hartley Bay.  We will go up Ursula where it meets Verney Channel, our furthest point north for our journey.  At 11:40 we turned the corner and we are on our downhill slide towards home.  Verney Channel offers us another sweeping vista of snow covered granite peaks. 

Hartley Bay

Arriving in Hartley Bay we find a quaint waterside village, home of the Gitga'at (people of the cane) First Nation.  We take on diesel from the friendly attendant.  We ask about the store.  “Well there is no fresh produce or anything.  It is more of a convenience store.  I think it is closed.  The man who runs it left on the noon ferry today.”  OK then……since there is no room at the dock I ask him about anchoring.  He points to the float plane dock.  “You can tie up there.  There is no plane until tomorrow.”  So that is how we ended up rafted to B Mondo on the float plane dock that clearly says Seaplane Loading and Unloading Only!  

We take a hike and tour the town.  The only roads are boardwalks.  The only vehicles are either 4 wheelers or over grown 4 wheelers or tiny vehicles like their emergency response vehicle shown in one of our photos.  Our board walk trek takes us past the beautiful small church with leaded glass windows.  There is no indication anywhere of denomination, it is simply a church.  I will say that it is the only time that I have seen seaweed drying on the walkway to a church!

Hartley Bay Church

Hartley Bay Board Streets

Further down we find the Gitga'at Fish Hatchery.  This hatchery was started as a school project in 1982 and was successful enough that the Department of Fisheries Canada joined in the project.  The hatchery continues to work with the school providing educational opportunities and work experience.  Primarily a coho hatchery they have recently begun work with chum salmon as well.  We follow the boardwalk clear to the end where a small cabin sits by the lake.  There are numerous interpretative signs that are quite well done.

Gitga'at Fish Hatchery

Grizzly Bear Claws on Lichen

We get an early start for a long day.  We will fish along the way, netting large (15”) rockfish and a nice 23” ling cod.  We choose Smithers Island as our anchorage.  There are few anchorages in this area as most of the inlets are quite deep along Princess Royal Island.  Smithers is a good choice, well protected and quiet.  We have now circumnavigated this island but have not seen any of the spirit bear, the white phase of the black bear.   

Since we plan on fishing in the morning (duh!) Carl operates on Walt’s Penn Senator reel.  The patient survives while the anxious dad watches over the operation.  


The next morning Walt put the reel to the test and he finally filled our dance card with a nice 22 pound halibut!  They hang the hali off their stern to bleed it well and we continue on our way.  We will anchor in Higgins Passage in the upper end of Price Island.  This area looks like I have always pictured the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  Tiny islands surround us as we wind our way between shallows and rocks to a bomb proof anchorage just off of Lohbrunner Island.

Sailboats are not well equipped to handle large fish but Odile makes quick work of the hali by putting our large cutting board in the middle of their cockpit.  We dine on nice thick, fresh halibut fillets done on the barby.  Our freezer accepts a generous fillet to take home for a family fish dinner and Odile cans the remainder of the fish.

July 23rd Windy Bay to Butedale to Bishop Cove

July 23^rd                       Windy Bay to Butedale to Bishop Cove

Malispina Cruise Ship

We fish a little on our way out of Windy Bay then head for Butedale.  We are travelling in the “Inner Passage” not to be confused with the “Inside Passage.”  The Inner Passage is the main marine highway for moving north.  There are very long narrow passages and channels protected from the main ocean wind, waves and swell.  We pass numerous commercial fishing boats, pleasure boats, large ferries and even a small cruise ship passes by, the “Malispina.”  

We arrive at Butedale, another cannery gone bust and it has fallen into miserable repair.  There is a caretaker on site and a nice, newer dock.  However the chalet style buildings and the cannery plus its massive machinery is literally falling down around the caretaker’s house.

Butedale Falls

The Butedale falls on the other hand is breathtaking with wide multi-level cascades. 

We fish the area hoping to catch the wily halibut but we only bring up rockfish and flounder.  These however will make another nice dinner and we can put a couple rockfish fillets in the freezer. 

Fishin again Butedale Falls

We leave home with a freezer full of pork, chicken and elk burger and sausage.  As we travel we take them out and begin to fill the freezer with fish for a nice fish dinner with the family when we return.  We have added nice sized rockfish fillets to the two salmon fillets provided by Walt and Odile.

Leaving Butedale we continue up Ursula Channel in search of an anchorage.  We pass the beautiful Kate Marie, first seen in Green Inlet.  Under green canvas she lives up to her name.  The four aboard wave and take many photos of us as we do them.  They are on a different schedule than we and they take the time to slowly tack back and forth in Ursula Channel, summoning what little wind they can find.  

Kate Marie

We pass the Canoona River as it cascades out of the mountains and splashes into Ursula.  There is so much fresh water in these areas that they often have a current of their own that floats on top of the salt water current.  

Kayakers from Kate Marie

Canoona River

We decide to bypass Bishop Bay and head for Bishop Cove instead for our evening anchorage.  In the morning we will return toBishop Bay for a nice soak in the hot springs.

We set our anchor in 45’ of water in the northwest corner of Bishop Cove.  It dragged the first time and came up with seaweed and shells attached but firmly sets the next time and B Mondo is tied up alongside.

As evening falls I sit quietly reading, my focus on my book sometimes interrupted with the blow of a whale, the haunting call of a loon or the cascading water nearby.  What words can describe my thoughts and the beauty and enormity of a landscape that I may never set foot in again?  

July 22nd Windy Bay to Swanson

July 22^nd          Windy Bay to Swanson.  This morning we awake to wind in our appropriately named “Windy Bay” anchorage.  Weather for the “outside” Central Coast McGinnis to Pine Island calls for gale force warning SE winds 25-35 knots.  Our inside winds are around 15 knots plus so we enjoy our coffee while on anchor watch.  If we need to we will cast the lines off of B Mondo and set our own anchor.  We stow all the dinghy and fishing gear, waiting for a lull in the wind to hoist ET aboard.  With ET safely lashed we now simply wait out the storm puttering around the boats. 

I continue my reading journey with Jonathon Raban on his “Passage to Juneau.”  He in turn is journeying through time dipping back and forth between Captain George Vancouver’s 1792 voyage on her Majesty’s ship Discovery and Jonathon’s personal, present day solo sail from Seattle to Alaska aboard his 35 foot sailboat.   We coast and glide together from Sydney up to Desolation Sound.  He paints a much brighter canvas than I have as he describes both his journey and that of Vancouver and his crew as they grow ever more disenfranchised with their captain.  As Jonathon puts it “Menzies and Vancouver aboard the same ship at the same time in the same place, were on separate journeys through two landscapes.”  Menzies saw the landscape through the lens of the botanist happily botanizing and potting new found plants (whereby we have the plants with Latin species names of menziesii ) while Vancouver saw it through the lens of a captain who might not ever achieve the status that he felt he should.  

Seals in the rain

With a good photo in hand of the delightful small brown water birds we keep seeing we key it out to a Marbled Murrelet which had been Walt’s guess.  We have yet to definitively identify the plant Odile found but we think it is a false huckleberry.  This is what happens when you turn quasi scientist naturalists loose in the wilds!

Marbled Murrelet

We listen to the 10:30 weather and decide to head out.  We do not find adequate anchorage in Green Inlet so we press on to Swanson Bay.  As we enter Swanson we have a way too close encounter with a humpback whale.  This was not “whale off the starboard bow.”  This was whale AT the starboard bow.  We see the head, the center hump and by the time the 40’ or so long whale decides to dive Pam has just enough time to say “holy crap” and grab the camera.  The whale has glided past the boat and all Pam captures is the swirling water as the tail disappears.  Needless to say it is good that we were going slow as we approached the bay!

White Swirl is the Whale Tail

July 20th – 21st Culpepper Lagoon to Windy Bay

July 20^{th –} 21^st  Culpepper Lagoon to Windy Bay

The next morning we watch as Endurance comes shooting through the narrows not at slack time.  Awhile later he heads back out the narrows only to come shooting back in.  We surmise that he has tried to exit but the high, incoming tide was too much.  He waits quite awhile this time and exits much closer to slack successfully this time. 

We pull our anchors; Walt and Odile pull their shrimp pot (six shrimp) and Pam and Carl tour the head of Culpepper for some last minute photos.  Then we join the brigade of three power boats and our two sailboats and we all exit Culpepper narrows successfully. 

Our destination today is Windy Bay on Sheep Passage.  We motor down Kynoch then (head) sail slowly up to the end of Mathieson Channel turning into Sheep Passage.  We find very nice anchorage and tie up together again.  As we are doing this we hear Endurance on the VHF with Prince Rupert Coast Guard.  Endurance has been tracking a 40 foot humpback whale that appears to be in distress with a cable and/or net and float attached near its tail.  The Coast Guard advises Endurance to stay clear of the whale yet keep her in site if possible until the wildlife staff can hopefully come out and tag the whale to see if they can eventually remove the cable.  Last we hear Endurance is reporting that the whale has headed north and Endurance will be headed to Windy Bay. 

The next morning early Odile is summoned by two people in a very small work boat, the wildlife staff.  They arrived the night before, canvassed the entire area and have not seen the whale or Endurance.  Pam turns on the chart plotter and VHF in an effort to find the AIS track for Endurance.  We do not see him anywhere nor have we heard him when we had the VHF on.  Now the question is……where is Endurance?  The wildlife people thank us for our time and head back out to try to find either the whale, or Endurance, or both.  We hope that the two have not collided with negative results.

This will be another rain day for us with rain on the interior and gale force warnings on the outside.  Carl of course goes fishing; Walt learns how to tie knots appropriate for attaching braided fish line to monofilament line.  Odile quilts and I am typing away.

I also take time to make Laura MacPherson’s quinoa tabouli. 

We first met Cam and Laura when we drove to Ucluelet BC with Barb and Craig.  We went on Cam’s whale watching and Bamfield tour in his motor boat.  We asked if he knew of any salmon fishing guides he would recommend and he volunteered to take us out the next day.  We went and had the most fun and successful salmon fishing excursion we have ever had!  He promised us a free rock fishing trip next year if we wrote and had published a letter to the local editor extolling the virtues of our day of fishing with him.  We did, and he obliged us the next year.  We took our boat to Lady Smith, Craig and Barb met us there in their pickup and we all drove across Vancouver Island to Ucluelet, this time staying in Cam and Laura’s Wild Edge Lodge.  The next year we anchored our boat at Ucluelet and had Cam and Laura join us on board for dinner.  She brought her wonderful tabouli.  The fourth year we only got to visit with Laura.  Cam was giving a tour when he saw our boat tied up on the 52 Step dock, he radioed Laura and she showed up at our boat with a copy of the recipe in hand since she had printed it, set it aside and could not find our email address.  We had a nice visit and she said to come on by and pick raspberries since they had them in abundance this year.  I have made salad each year since and it always brings nice memories of Cam, Laura and Ucluelet.