It’s amazing how time is just flying by.
As I write this it is raining hard, I just finished doing a few chores in the galley and Ken is in the engine room painting the bilge. Chores that are put off on sunny days.
Since the lasr blog we ventured out of Mackenie Sound to Drury Inlet. Drury Inlet leads 12 miles(nautical) west between low hills. Depth through most of the inlet and the connecting waters are less than 40m (131 ft) and there are many dangers. Caution is advised.
Drury Inlet covers a large, low cedar-forested area near the coast leading to remote Actaeon Sound.
We chose Sutherland Bay to anchor and head out by dinghy to explore the area. Stuart Narrows would first have to be accomplished. We plan to hit as close to slack as possible.
Once anchored, we headed out by dinghy to gunk hole Muirhead Islands. We arrived at a high tide and were able to get into places otherwise unobtainable. Very captivating.
The following afternoon we headed out by dinghy to Bond Lagoon. It was low tide and flooding. Entry to Actaeon Sound is via Actress Passage, a very narrow fairway which requires avoidance of numerous hazardous rocks and reefs. The hills were becoming mountains. There was a clearance with a nice sandy beach and I was ready to suggest to Ken we land the dinghy and walk around. The words did not get uttered before a black bear ventured on the very spot I wanted to land. The dinghy was a safe place to stay! We continued on to Bond Lagoon. It has a very narrow entrance with about 2 feet depth at zero tide. We lifted the motor and paddle into the lagoon. Once inside, it opened up to a vibrant sea environment. Colourful birds, starfish, seals and jumping fish. On the way back we spotted our black bear again.
The following day found us again on the path of capturing the elusive Halibut. Nothing! We headed to Alert Bay to take on water and reprovision.
A native man with his family arrived at the dock, his boat filled with halibut and a 6 foot shark tied to the side of the boat. Spenser the 9 year old son received a tooth from the shark and proudly informed me he was going to make a necklace with it. I asked if he ate a lot of fish. “Too much” his reply.
We headed out towards Blunder Harbour. The seas were flat but we were traveling by Braille. The radar helped with the boats but vigilant watch was needed for the floating logs. The fog lifted just as we approached the harbour.
It is imagination that brings history and placed to life. Blunden Harbour is a lovely, well protected bay and the ruins of an abandoned Indian Village. If you explore and look closely, you can find evidence of past lives. The beach is littered with relics. The ruins of a longhouse, shell middens, burial boxes in the trees. What must it have been like to have this bay to themselves? Imagine the campsite of the Indians as they harvested their foods.
We are reading, listening and imagining so the places in which we anchor won’t be just a mark on the chart but a connection to the past.

Paradise VS Purgatory

We had plan on staying at Greenway Sound Marina until mid September . The idea being we would help the owners in Paradise. Ken Happily went to work down the dock every morning. It was varied but nothing he couldn’t handle or hadn’t done throughout his life. I helped out by power washing the docks. It seem apparent that they hyhad everything under control with the restaurant having a 3 yr vetran returning who knew the ropes and rules of the house. Once the docks were done I found myself on the boat trying yto occupy my time. Well friends I flunked Home Economics 101. I couldn’t peel carrots or tear lettuce properly. I personally didn’t feel things would change so a decision had to be made. Ken went in to wash dishes and apparently also flunked Home Ec 101. He couldn’t make coffee properly. I’m not sure how we had a successful catering business all those years! We decided to spend the time until Sept. in Paradise not Purgatory and will explore anchorages in the Broughton’s.
So …….. the adventure begins

July 07 – 08 stayed at Claydon Bay and caught 17 crabs. We had to eat some because we were now over our limit. Some sacrifices one has to make.

July 09 – 10 headed to Turnbull Cove . We ventured out by dingy to visit “Roaringhole Rapids” During a ebb tide it produces a 3 foot waterfall. Yes students we did it at slack!
We hiked a trail taking out bear spray to a lake . The trail was straight up and down to the lake but it was well worth it. Saw no bears! Dingy to Embley Lagoon and saw very little wildlife.

July 11 -13 headed to Mackenzie Sound and to anchor at Burley Bay. It was reported that a family of Grizzly’s were active here. We ventured by dinghy to Nimmo Bay and Little Nimmo Bay. We stopped at a resort that had been featured on Boston Legal. This area is absolutely breathtaking! The temperatures have been 36 degrees without a breeze. We returned to the boat and for 20 mins. Watched a full grown black bear on the shore foraging for food.
“If you’re looking for heaven on earth , this is definitely the place!” So far. We will be out in the wilderness and will try to update the blog whenever we are in wifi areas.
Until the next anchorage …….

Broughton Archipelago is very cool. There is history all around here. There are many islands, big and small, all of them steep-sided and heavily forested, several very nice anchorages, and some Secret Spots where you can go ashore and discover hyper-awesome old shell beaches (i.e., old First Nations middens) and maybe some old pits where longhouses used to be. The old-timers report at least 200 such sites in the Broughtons alone. Ahem: we haven't exactly...discovered much like that...yet...But, the air is cool, the trees are green, the clouds drop low, the coves are secluded, and very often in the channels among these islands, the wind and water are mirror-calm. As the guidebooks suggest, conditions like these make you contemplate the origins of life.

Many of these islands housed 1000’s of people logging and mining. The wild has taken back most of the evidence.

So far we haven’t gotten away much, but by being nice to our fellow boaters we have had wonderful salmon and cod dinners. We have been prawning ourselves and have also been stuffing ourselves with these little creatures. I have been filling the freezer up with seafood chowder.

Ken has been busy and loves what he is doing. I think he is sneaking an ice cream cone here or there as the scale is not budging. Not going up however. A good sign.

Again a very short blog but I haven’t seen or done much in 1 week.