August 6th to 8th Blunden
Harbor to Sullivan Bay and the Burdwoods
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| Peaceful Jelly Fish |
From
Blunden we slow down, sleeping in again and fishing a few hours along the way
with Walt trolling for salmon.
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| Fishing on B Mondo's Swim Step |
He asks
if we would like to tie up in Sullivan Bay and we think that would be a nice
thing to do so we head to the fuel dock there.
As we pull in a very genteel, dainty lady says quietly “I don’t know
anything about boats but is there something I can do?” Knowing she wants to help I hand her the
stern line and hop off with the bow line, pulling our heavy lady to a
stop. I quickly tie the bow and turn to
see that our gal helper has very simply looped the stern line around a nice big
cleat and is hanging on tight, her slightly built figure doing just fine holding the stern. “Did I do OK?” “Just perfect” I say and thank her.
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| Sullivan Bay Slip |
After taking on fuel we go to our “slip” and tie
up right in front of a very nice floating home, reminding us of our own “slip”
where ExTerra ties to the house at Rose City.
Sullivan Bay is a small floating home community with small store, fuel
dock, laundry/library, restaurant and fresh baked goods. The homes are a mix of style, simplicity and
complexity; newer metal roofs of various colors and very nicely tended and
unique front porches, a very welcoming feeling overall. They are spread out well along the docks with
visiting boats nestled in and amongst them all.
Walt joins us and others for happy hour snacks
while Odile goes to check out the treadmill.
Happy hour is a simple affair. We
visit with boaters from as far away as Texas and Alberta and some as close as
Portland and Sedro Wooley, near where Walt and Odile live. The staff is introduced and peppered with
questions about the 213’ private yacht that sits in the outside harbor. All we can collectively pry out of the staff
member who took the yachters fishing that day is that he thinks they are from
Russia.
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| Sullivan Bay |
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| Sullivan Bay Art Work |
The next day Walt treats us to fresh from the
bakery cinnamon rolls and apple turnovers.
As we are enjoying them (Excellent!) Chris, the owner walks by, we chat
briefly and he sets down two covered containers. “Enjoy” he says, “I am going to try stuffing
these with cheese and sausage and see if they will be a hit.” We open them and each enjoy a fresh baked,
still warm small sourdough roll, brushed with butter. Next time we see Chris we assure him they
would be a hit!
Our next short hop is through Kenneth Passage to
a small bite behind O’Brien Island to anchor.
With thoughts of my Uncle Kenny in my mind I know that he would have
loved this quiet “namesake” Passage with its tranquil backwaters yet turbulent
currents, great blue herons and peaceful white jelly fish swimming amongst the
tree studded small islands. We anchor
for the evening and listen to the heron scolding us from his perch in the tree,
loudly huffing and puffing at us.
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| Kenneth Passage Distinguished Heron |
This morning we head out around 0645 to catch
the correct tide at the entrance to Drury Inlet in search of halibut. The Russian’s fish guide had directed us to
this spot yet we catch no halibut nor lingcod today.
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| Research Vessel "Martin Sheen" |
On our way again I take some photos of a lovely
large ketch. While looking in the binocs
I see some kind of banner on the side of the ketch. Closer inspection and photos show that this
boat is the “Martin Sheen.” Adorned with
a banner on each side “Canada – legislate fish farms out of the ocean” and “Got
Piscine Reovirus” we see it moving in and out of the three fish farms that are
all closely established in this area.
This is the controversial farming of Atlantic salmon from Norway, and
their associated diseases that have plagued the native salmon for years. We wonder if Martin is on board.
Next anchorage, the lovely Burdwood Island group
at the hub of Tribune Passage, Simoom and Fife Sounds, and Penphrase, Raleigh
and Hornet Passages. This is a very nice
spot that Walt and Odile have used over the years. We each head out throughout the day to
dinghy, kayak, fish and hike. One of the
small islands has a tiny cabin, new enough to have a wonderful cedar
smell.
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| Burdwood Anchorage |
There is a wooded path that
circles the island where I see occasional tall, “springboard” stumps and cedar blaze
trees, their strips of bark removed. I
wait on the shell midden shore reading and watching the clam beds spouting like
some intricate finely tuned water fountain.
Carl arrives with a different kind of sculpin, photos are taken and we
return the fish to the sea and ourselves to the boats.
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| Burdwood Island stump |
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| Local Flora |
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