With the gift of a bit of WiFi here, we’ll make a quick update of the last few days. We had 2 and half days in Waiatt Bay near the Octopus Islands. Days 1 and 3 were reasonable sunny and Day 2 was an absolute downpour – nearly 2 inches. The boat got a good washdown and we pumped enough rainwater out of the dinghy to clean up the areas under cover without wasting our precious freshwater supply. We shared the anchorage with another of our Great Northern Boater’s Net friends and pretty much had the place to ourselves. No swimming, but some good hikes and beach time. The rainy day afforded an opportunity to catch up on boat maintenance projects and all went well.
On Friday, we decided to run the first of the 4 tidal rapids in front of us. We had already run Beasely Passage at slack with no issues. Now we transited Okisollo Passage Upper Rapids near slack and headed for a good anchorage called Owen Bay. Unfortunately, heading out of the Upper Rapids, we got a high temp alarm on the engine, so spent the evening cleaning out and inspecting the engine cooling loops and components. Never did figure out the culprit, so we’ll assume it was some kind of temporary blockage from a piece of kelp, etc. That being said, however, we also have been putting out a little more steam from normal in the exhaust so there is a working theory that our mixing elbow may be starting to corrode. We’ll leave that job for Port McNeil, where we can get parts, in a couple of weeks. Not a serious issue.
So, this morning we ran the second of the rapids on our chosen route. We got up at 0500 to run the Lower Rapids shortly after the direction of tidal flow turned in our direction and had no problems; then we were on to a couple of short sections of the infamous Discovery Passage and Johnstone Strait. 16 miles of Johnstone Strait will be in our future in a few days so, for now, we ducked up Nodales Channel to Shoal Bay, where we have tied up. A rustic, remote, beautiful, and friendly place to be sure. Mark, the proprietor of the pub, and the dock wharfinger, has a young dog even bigger that Biscuit and there has been much playing going on in that grass field in the picture. The little pub is to the left, and there is a “cruiser’s garden” behind the BBQ patio where, in season, fresh vegetables can be traded for a little sweat equity with the garden tools. This is a well known stop between the various rapids and the dock camaraderie runs deep. We’ll be doing some hiking and visiting here during our couple of days.
We’ll probably continue to be out of text and phone range for a good while, with only occasional internet access and daily ham radio email access. Here is the plan for the more serious rapids…. We will depart Monday evening to take Green Point and Whirlpool Rapids, then hole up for the night in Forward Harbor, then depart early early on Tuesday to take advantage of forecast manageable winds for the stretch on Johnstone Strait. Then we’ll be in the Broughton Islands! Ever since leaving the Octopus Islands, we are then ticking off further North latitudes than we have ever been, and they are revealing more remote and spectacular country.
We’ll continue to update the positions daily and see you here again next time there is WiFi.