Desolation Sound, The Broughtons and Cape Caution

Location:  Shearwater, BC

At the end of the last blog we were in Westview re-provisioning and running errands.  We left Westview on the morning of July 4^th and headed into Desolation Sound.  The voyage was calm and clear with light winds.  I set up the crab trap and the prawn trap and we dropped them off on our way into the anchorage at Prideaux Haven.  The main anchorage area there was fairly full so we eased our way into Melanie Cove and dropped the hook.

B setting up the prawn and crab traps on our way into Desolation Sound.

The breakwater at the mill in Powell River, just north of Westview, is made up of old Liberty Ships. 

Dave working on the fresh water pump.

On our way into the anchorage, our fresh water pump quit working.  Dave removed it and replaced it with the spare and we were back in business.  He disassembled the pump, did some cleaning and tested it.  It seemed to be working so we put it away as our spare, but, we’ll get another one to have on the shelf just in case.  We spent the afternoon on the boat, did a few chores, some reading and some people watching.  The anchorage was busy and people were out swimming, kayaking and touring around on their dinghies.

Wednesday, July 5^th, Melanie Cove:  We took the dinghy to the head of Melanie Cove and hiked the trail through the woods to Laura Cove.  There are a few fruit trees there and we found one with some ripe cherries.  When we got back to Melanie Cove, the tide had gone out and our dinghy was high and dry.  Another boater helped us drag it to the water.  We got to test our new “dinghy dragging” handles that Dave set up just for that purpose.  They are a little short so he’ll lengthen them before we need them again.  After lunch we went out to check our traps.  We were both surprised when we pulled up the prawn trap and there was something in it, 15 prawns and some other crawfish like creatures.  The crab trap was empty.  We reset both before going back to the boat.  We spent the rest of the afternoon calculating times for traversing Yuculta Rapids, Gillard Passage and Dent Rapids, relaxing and reading our books. 

A hike through the woods between Melanie Cove and Laura Cove.

B hauling in the prawn trap.

Fresh prawns sauteed in lemon butter and cilantro.

 Thursday, July 6^th, Melanie Cove to Von Donop Inlet:  We heaved anchor about 7:45 and motored out of Melanie Cove.  We stopped and picked up our traps; the crab trap was empty but the prawn trap had 10 in it.  Our original plan was to go to Teakerne Arm but we decided to try Von Donop Inlet on the west side of Cortes Island instead.  We set our traps outside the inlet then stopped to watch two humpback whales feeding nearby.  We anchored on the west side of the inlet.  It was warm so we hung around in the shade of the boat and relaxed.  We have finally done enough boat chores that we can sit and read without feeling guilty.  I finished a book called The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant.  About a rare and sacred Sitka Spruce tree in Haida Gwaii, the author does an excellent job of weaving together the history of logging in BC and the culture of the Haida people.  A bald eagle was perched in a tree just off the stern so we watched it while eating our supper.

Friday, July 7^th, Von Donop to Shoal Bay:  Based on our calculations to catch the rapids at slack water, we didn’t need to heave anchor until 13:30.  We spent the morning exploring the inlet with our kayaks.  It was almost low tide so it was interesting to see the mussels, clams and oysters along the shores.  We had our lunch then left the anchorage a little early so that we would have time to pick up our prawn and crab traps.  The crab trap was empty but the prawn trap had a few in it.  We stowed everything and headed north.  There were a lot of other boats headed in the same direction with all of them converging just prior to Yuculta Rapids.  The cruising guides do a good job of describing how to transit the rapids, how to time them in sequence to hit Dent near slack without getting pushed around too much at Yuculta and Gillard and how to use the back eddies to help you along.  Here is a link to a short video of Dent Rapids.  All three rapids are close together, within 4 nm of each other and can run up to 10 knots. We got to Yuculta about 14:30, an hour before slack water, and pushed through with about 3 knots of current against us.  One small sailboat hit the rapids and then seemed to be standing still as the current pushed against their bow.  Two fast power boats passed them and the wakes caused the sailboat to rock and roll while making very little forward progress.  The next rapid was Gillard and then Dent which we hit right at slack.  The ebb current flows north here so we got a nice push out of Dent and up to Shoal Bay.  We dropped anchor about 18:00 and settled in for the night.

Oysters at low tide, Von Donop Inlet.

View up Phillips Arm from Shoal Bay.

 Saturday, July 8^th, Shoal Bay to Forward Harbour:  We had two rapids to traverse today, Greene Point and Whirlpool.  Both can run up to 7 knots, so again, timing for our transit was critical.  We spent the morning doing boat chores and Dave rigged up some fishing gear.  We heaved anchor after lunch and tried to do some trolling for salmon along the way.  Our normal cruise speed was too fast, so we motored at about 3.0 knots.  That was still too much for the fishing gear we had rigged so we decided to pull in our lines.  We caught the rapids on schedule and went through with no issues.  We anchored in Forward Harbour, Douglas Bay about 17:30 with three other boats.  Dave barbequed ribs for supper and we watched 2 more boats come into the anchorage.  It rained overnight and was still sprinkling the next morning.

Sunday, July 9^th, Forward Harbour to Port Harvey:  We heaved anchor about 7:30 to catch the ebb tide in Johnstone Strait and to arrive at the turn to Port Harvey at slack water.  In the Strait, the wind was blowing 25-30 knots from the west and the current was ebbing towards the west, so we had opposing wind and current.  This creates short steep waves and the ride was very lumpy.  We heard people talking on the VHF radio about the conditions, stating that they weren’t prepared for it to be so bad and some of the things they didn’t tie down were lost over the side.  We pulled into Port Harvey about 11:30 and got safely tied up at the dock.  Two boats came in later that afternoon.  One of them had lost a porthole window while crossing the Strait and their V-berth filled with water.  They hung their bedding out on their bow so that it could dry in the wind. 

Seabiscuit at the Port Harvey dock.

We stayed in Port Harvey for two nights.  Port Harvey Marine Resort is known for their pizza, which we had Sunday night, and their cinnamon buns, which we had for breakfast on Monday morning.  Monday, Dave did engine maintenance.  I planned our voyage to Prince Rupert and across the Hecate Strait to Haida Gwaii then went for a walk in the woods with Barb and Steve (Starbright) from Portland, OR.  Port Harvey has their restaurant and facilities built on a barge at the head of the docks.  In November 2015, the barge, along with the store and restaurant sank.  They have since refloated the barge and are in the process of rebuilding.  The restaurant building is finished and they cook the pizzas there.  The building for the store is built and they are still in the process of outfitting it.  The owners, George and Gail, are very friendly and welcoming and are slowly getting the place back to what it once was.

Tuesday, July 11^th, Port Harvey to Kwatsi Bay:  We left Port Harvey about 9:30 for the voyage to Kwatsi Bay, about 4 hours away.  We had to go through the rapids at Chatham Narrows. Although it was running at 3+ knots, compared to some of the others it was very tame with only laminar flow and no whirlpools or overfalls.  We saw a few whales along the way and as we got near Kwatsi Bay we spotted a black bear on a rock beach.  We went closer to watch him.  He was turning over rocks and eating the goodies that he found beneath them.  We dropped off our prawn and crab traps about ½ mile from the marina and then pulled alongside the dock.  There were a few folks sitting along the dock so we joined them for a chitchat.  Most nights the marina has a get together on the dock and tonight was happy hour.  Everyone brought their own drinks and a snack to share.  There was enough food that we didn’t need to eat supper.  We got to know some of the other boaters and enjoyed a pleasant evening.  A pod of about 50 dolphins entered the cove around sunset and circled around as they chased their supper.  It was amazing to see them splashing and churning up the water along the shore.

Wednesday we did a few boat chores and then joined the coffee klatch on the dock.  After lunch, we launched the dinghy and went to the nearby shore for a walk to a waterfall.  We went for a ride out the inlet into nearby Watson Cove to look at a waterfall there.  We saw a few eagles.  On the way back in we checked our crab trap.  No crab but there was one small fish inside.  We let him go then went back to the dock.  The owners of Kwatsi Bay, Anca and Max, are replacing some of the boards on their dock so Dave helped for a while.  The event of the evening was pot luck supper.  We enjoyed listening to stories and telling a few of our own.

Coffee klatch at Kwatsi Bay

Waterfall near Kwatsi Bay

Bald eagle flying near Watson Cove

Thursday, July 13^th, Kwatsi Bay to Echo Bay:  We left Kwatsi Bay about 9:45 after settling our bill and buying a new fleece.  We picked up our prawn trap on the way out.  Only one prawn and a few small cod so we let them all go.  It was a nice short cruise to Echo Bay, about 2 hours, with calm water and light winds.  Just before pulling into the bay, we went through a large pod of dolphins.  They came close to the boat to ride the bow wake.  We enjoyed watching them jump and splash.  We tied up at the dock at Pierre’s, across the dock from Fred and John (Nord Lys), who we met at Kwatsi Bay.  Billy Proctor’s Museum is a short walk thru the woods so we spent the afternoon there.  Billy Proctor is a local fisherman who has spent most of his life in the Echo Bay / Blackfish Sound area.  He is something of a local legend and has written two books with the help of a local artist, Yvonne Maximchuk.  Both are interesting: Tide Rips & Back Eddies includes stories of Billy’s fishing days, local characters, logging, etc.  Full Moon, Flood Tide includes descriptions of the local islands and some of the characters who lived amongst them.  The museum is interesting with a lot of local artifacts and items that Billy has collected along the shore and in his travels.  Nearby is a replica of a hand logger’s cabin and a one room schoolhouse, both built by Billy.  He also has a gift / book shop so we bought a few books: Totem Poles and Tea by Hughina Harold, about her time as a teacher / nurse on Village Island in the 1920s; Grizzlies in their Backyard by Beth Day about the Stantons who lived in the wilderness of Knight Inlet for 37 years starting in 1919; plus Billy’s Full Moon, Flood Tide.

Billy Proctor's Museum

Thursday night was BBQ Prime Rib night at Pierre’s.  They have a large dining hall and serve buffet style.  By the time we got to the prime rib at the end of the buffet, our plates were so loaded with potatoes, salad, carrots, asparagus, corn and rolls that they had to put the slab of prime rib across the top.  The food was delicious and plentiful.  We sat with Fred and John (Nord Lys) and Marianne (LionHeart) and enjoyed a pleasant evening.  Friday we hung around the boat and did boat chores and laundry along with reading of our new books.  Mark and Peg (Tenacity) and Marianne stopped by for happy hour.

Echo Bay Halibut Rod

Saturday morning Dave changed the oil on the main engine.  I walked over to Billy’s Museum with Peg and Mark.  We spent the afternoon reading then went to Tenacity for happy hour before heading to Pierre’s dining hall for the Saturday night pig roast.  This is a highlight at Pierre’s, with Pierre providing the pig and the boaters bringing a potluck dish for everyone to share.  We sat with Peg and Mark and some boaters from Vancouver and enjoyed another festive evening.

Saturday night pig roast at Pierre's Echo Bay

Sunday, July 16^th, Echo Bay to Fury Cove:  We left Pierre’s at 7:15 to make our run north towards Cape Caution.  Rounding Cape Caution is one of the few open water passages required when cruising between the southern and northern areas of BC and up to SE Alaska.  Planning to round the cape requires looking at the timing of the ebb and flood tides, along with wind and sea conditions.  The weather was calm with light winds, minimal sea and swell and the ebb current running north in our favor.  Our goal for the day was an anchorage somewhere south of Cape Caution so that we would be set up to go around on Monday.  As we neared our selected anchorage, the weather continued to improve.  We decided to take advantage of the good conditions so we continued on around the cape.  We ran into some chop near Slingsby Channel which was still ebbing as we went by.  Other than that, the ride was fairly smooth.  We pulled into Fury Cove about 17:30 – a voyage of 80 nm, the longest we’ve done this cruising season.  We made good time as we got a push from the ebb running north before rounding Cape Caution and from the flood running north between the Cape and Fury Cove.  There were 11 other boats in the cove when we arrived; we found a spot in about 50 feet of water and dropped the anchor.  

Monday, July 17^th, Fury Cove to Codville Lagoon:  We hung around Fury Cove until 13:30 to catch the flood tide going north.  We put the crab trap out near the stern and did some boat chores.  After lunch we heaved anchor, pulled up the crab trap, empty, and got underway.  We heard over the VHF radio that gill net fishing was open for the day in Area 8 and it wasn’t long before we started to see the fishing boats.  Near Uganda Point, in Fitz Hugh Sound, the boats were so thick it was like running an obstacle course, weaving between the boats and the nets off of their sterns.  We saw salmon leaping from the water in several places so the fish were definitely there.  As we approached our turn into Lagoon Cove, there was another plethora of fishing boats.  We wove our way through and entered Codville Lagoon via the narrow inlet.  We were greeted by two bald eagles.  We anchored near the head of the east cove in about 35 feet of water along with 6 other boats.

The entrance to Codville Lagoon

Tuesday, July 18^th, Codville Lagoon to Ocean Falls:  The voyage from Codville Lagoon to Ocean Falls was uneventful.  We hauled the anchor about 8:15, passed a few casual fishing vessels along the way and tied up to the dock at Ocean Falls about 11:30.  We walked up to the dam and Link Lake at the head of Cousins Inlet.  Ocean Falls is an former mill town.  Most of the buildings are abandoned and in a sad state of disrepair.  The docks are nice and the water is fresh and clean so we filled our water tank.

The Link Lake dam near Ocean Falls

A black bear print near Link Lake

Wednesday, July 19^th, Ocean Falls to Shearwater:  We left Ocean Falls about 7:30 for the scenic cruise through Gunboat Passage to Shearwater.  Shearwater is a bustling place with a marina, grocery store, laundry, showers, coffee shop and helicopter pad.  The marina used to be a WWII seaplane base for the Royal Canadian Air Force.  The docks were full  so we are anchored across the bay near Kliki Island.  We took the dinghy over to the resort to pick up a few groceries and to have supper at the pub.

Our destination for today is Rescue Bay about 36 nm from here.  Until next time...