07/12/2012, Princess Louisa Inlet
Although we didn't have enough wind to sail more than a few minutes here and there as the wind funneled down one draw or another, motoring up these fabulous fjords on a summer day can't be compared. George weighed anchor at 6:15 a.m. to get us through Sechelt Rapids at slack (still a ride through current swirling with us first, then against us). By 2:15 we had arrived at Malibu Rapids, the entrance to the lovely Princess Louisa Inlet, one of our favorite spots on earth. Today the sun shone, the waterfalls rushed, the snow sparkled on the mountain tops, and the trees glowed their lovely shades of green. Chatterbox Falls always looks fuller, sounds louder, and sprays up more mist than we remember, and this is the 5th time we have been here (3rd time for Julia Max). Lots of people from the Malibu Camp visited for the day. We joined 2 other boats at the base of the falls so the cool air rushes over us non-stop. I wish I could describe the unstoppable beauty here with the steep granite walls, waterfalls streaming down on every side. A mother Common Merganzer with her 5 babies swam nearby at the mouth of a stream, unbothered by all the boats. Fishing must have been good as they each came up with little fish to eat with each dive. A Great Blue Heron has also taken up residency here, reminding us of the pet heron years ago who lived on the dock with the land owner. That heron waited patiently for the man to give him fish throughout the day. When the man passed away, he gave the land to the public so it is now a Provincial Marine Park.
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07/11/2012, Sechelt Inlet, BC
When we weighed anchor this morning, it was into a pleasant wind from behind. We sailed for a few hours down the Sechelt Inlet and up a side inlet named Salmon Inlet. We pulled into a totally calm anchorage called Misery Cove. Launching the dinghy we explored the area, stopping at an old dock that allowed us to walk ashore. The day's bird watch included: a mother Merganzer with five aging chicks, several Common Loons, an Osprey (the first in a long time), a couple Bald Eagles, a Turkey Vulture, two Pileated Woodpeckers, two Spotted Sandpipers, a few White-Crowned Sparrows, a Rufous Hummingbird, some Cliff Swallows, and bird calls of a Swainson's Thrush and a Robin. Down at the end of the Inlet there is a hydro-power plant making electricity and sending it over heavy transmission wires to users in the region. They were good at using a portion of the rushing waterfalls, and leaving enough for the fish to naturally return up river requiring some gymnastic feats on their parts. Another blue sky day was easy to enjoy! There had to be a dozen harbor seals in the anchorage; it was obvious to us that they were used to getting handouts from the commercial fishing boats in the area. Tomorrow we head to Princess Louisa Inlet.
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07/09/2012, Sechelt Inlet, BC
After leaving Desolation Sound, we stopped in Lund for fuel and provisions, and the requisite stop at 'Nancy's Bakery for scones, cinnamon rolls, and fresh bread. Then continued south to Egmont, and its Marina where we spent the night, filled up with water, washed the boat, caught up with the laundry, and best of all: ate their Skookumchuck Burger. Sue and I split one meal, an oval platter heaped with french fries and the 10 oz burger with all the etcetras including cheese, bacon, mushrooms, tomato, and sauce. It's become a tradition of ours when stopping in Egmont. We timed our leaving Egmont to go through the storied Sechelt Rapids. At full moon the rapids can run up to 12 knots at full ebb. As we timed things well, the current was -2 to +2 in the difficult channel. We explored Sechelt Inlet for the afternoon. Sue got some downwind sailing in while I napped. Then she kayaked in the anchorage. During the day she prepared her award-winning potato salad for a wonderful summer chicken dinner. Did I mention that we are having wall-to-wall sunshine and blue sky?!
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07/07/2012, Roscoe Bay, Desolation Sound, BC
Roscoe Bay in Desolation Sound is one of the few destination anchorages where people have to wait for high tide to get in. The entrance is awash at zero datum at low tide. When we entered this morning, we had nine feet of depth for our 6.5' draft. When I think of this, I think of myself as a fish watching the boat keel clearing by 2.5 feet. Not alot, but enough! Sue and I noticed a sailboat come in after us, and were shocked to see a boat that we had met in Mexico. Indeed they were from Bainbridge, WA, but we had met them in Tenacatita, Mexico in 2005. Since then, they had crossed the Pacific twice, and returned via the Aleutian Islands, AK. Wow! Sue spent 4-1/2 hours hiking with them on a trail to a nearby peak 2200'. It was a great time to catch up with them on our activities, and theirs, while having some breath-taking views. Afterwards we all went swimming in a fresh water lake that was a couple hundred yards up a stream from the anchorage. The first 12 inches were pleasantly warm, so we tried not to stir the waters too much, and stay on top. :)
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07/07/2012, Squirrel Cove
Steaming south from the Broughtons, we needed to leave Maltipi at 6:00 a.m. in order to make Whirlpool Rapids by 11:30. We woke to a beautiful sunrise and enjoyed blue skies and glass water all day. Published time for the rapids was about an hour and a half earlier so we pushed through oncoming current pretty much all day, but nothing to worry Julia Max. She then pushed through Green Point Rapids nicely and we got to anchor in our favorite spot in Frederick Arm, a little cove at the base of snow-capped peaks, granite cliffs, and so much cedar and fir forest that it truly looked like a beautiful green lawn or fur on a fuzzy cat. The thermometer in the cockpit read 80 degrees in the afternoon. The tide ran all the way up to the boughs of the trees overhanging the water by dinnertime. George caught 8 rockfish and 3 flatfish. They all got to return to the sea as George only wanted a Greenling, but had fun anyway catching a fish with nearly every cast.
This morning turned out to be another summer day. The crab pot was empty and we didn't catch any salmon this time, but our fishfinder saw lots of them. Professional guides gave it their best too, but the fish just weren't biting today. So onward through Dent, Guillard, and Yucolta Rapids, ending up in Squirrel Cove in Desolation Sound for the night. Winds blew from the south: rare for a warm, clear day, especially since the weather forecast called for NW winds. We have dropped the hook here many times. Tonight we joined about 30 other boats. Their anchor lights twinkle tonight as I write, reflected on the glass water in this lovely protected cove surrounded by forests at high tide, thousands of big oysters at low tide.
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07/04/2012, Maltipi Islets, BC
Sue said you always get great weather after the 4th of July! And so when the 4th was great, that made us smile. We moved through channels we hadn't taken before. Saw lots rhinoceros aucklets in the tidal boundary changes where the food supply is located. Yes, loons, eagles, cormorants, glaucous gulls, guillamots, and more. At the end of the day as Sue returned from an after-dinner kayak paddle, we watched as an adult black bear patrolled the beach for an evening snack under every sized rock available. Tomorrow we head to the outer reaches of Desolation Sound, as we work our way south.
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