Sirius Sailin'

Vessel Name: Storm Petrel
Vessel Make/Model: Fisher 34
Hailing Port: Winchester Bay, Oregon
Crew: Fraser and Jeff
About: Additional Crew: Zac and Indy
Extra: Storm Petrel is a 1977 Pilothouse ketch. She has sailed the Oregon/Washington coast since 1999, now home port is Pleasant Harbor, WA.
Recent Blog Posts
30 September 2023

uly 24 - 25 A Rollicking Ride Down Hecate Strait to Cumshewa Inlet & Gordon Cove (53° 02.5’N, 132° 01.6’W) First Quarter Moon

The early morning was gorgeous! We got underway at 05:35 under thin, broken overcast skies with very light wind. The "Sleeping Beauty," a profile of a supine female form seen in the configuration of the mountain tops to the NW appeared navy blue in the early morning light. The gauzy white overcast was [...]

30 September 2023

July 23– Daajing Giids, Bearskin Bay, Queen Charlotte Harbor (53° 15.1’N, 132° 4.7’W) Waxing Cresent Moon

We left the marina by midafternoon with the intention of repositioning to the fuel dock adjacent to the marina in time to meet the attendant’s hours, 16:00-20:00 to this time of year. Before casting off the lines, we realized that the external regulator was not powered. Jeff did some troubleshooting [...]

30 September 2023

uly 21 – 22 Daajing Giids, Queen Charlotte Harbor (53° 15.2’N, 132° 4.4’W)

Although Jeff and I prefer to anchor out, being at a marina has advantages. It is easier to walk Zac and Indy at any time, engage in boat repairs and maintenance, explore the surrounding area, and of course, it is always nice to have a hot shower with plentiful water, that is, if one has enough “Loonies” [...]

uly 24 - 25 A Rollicking Ride Down Hecate Strait to Cumshewa Inlet & Gordon Cove (53° 02.5’N, 132° 01.6’W) First Quarter Moon

30 September 2023
Fraser Pierson
The early morning was gorgeous! We got underway at 05:35 under thin, broken overcast skies with very light wind. The "Sleeping Beauty," a profile of a supine female form seen in the configuration of the mountain tops to the NW appeared navy blue in the early morning light. The gauzy white overcast was tinged with pink. The Haida Gwaii Museum & Haida Heritage Center was bathed in light as we motored past it on the shores of Skidegate Inlet on our way to Hecate Strait. For a moment, I could imagine it as the cedar structures of a Haida village nestled in a forested alcove on shore, impressive, intricately-carved totem poles and house poles prominent from a mariner's perspective.

Jeff and I decided to cross the Sandspit bar at a point about halfway north to Lawnhill on Graham Island. We then turned south to Cumshewa Inlet on Moresby Island, a distance of about 23 miles. The sea conditions in Hecate Strait were messy and uncomfortable but not scary. The 2-foot chop with a very short period that morning slapped Storm Petrel's quarter, which made the boat roll despite having the mainsail up as a steadying maneuver. Had we simply sailed, we may have had a slightly more comfortable ride but it would have involved much more time in the sea state and there was very little wind. Motor sailing seemed the best choice. Zac's tolerance for a swaying, rolling deck is short. We want him to gradually become accustomed to more active sea states by traveling short distances under less than perfect conditions, coupled with reassurances and distractions. For example, Jeff napped with Zac and Indy in our stateroom for an hour or so midway down the strait. It seemed to help Zac rally. Indy just wanted to cuddle and snooze. When we reached the entrance to Cumshawa Inlet Zac immediately regained his composure and his adventurous outlook. I found that one way to mitigate the slight elevator-ride feeling associated with a rolling sailboat is to sway with the motion, so I danced and exercised at the helm down Hecate Strait to the music of Jimmy Buffet.

The sea state immediately dissipated when we turned into Cumshewa Inlet. Showers accompanied us halfway down the inlet where the rain began in earnest, creating a lovely, misty atmosphere. Although it was steadily raining, there was no wind and the water was like dimpled glass. We stopped along the way at an area that showed a shallow pinnacle and rocky bottom; a likely place to catch a rockfish. Jeff quickly caught a good-sized rockfish for dinner and we were on our way again. Zac and Indy were delighted!

We arrived at Gordon Cove, our destination for the evening, at 16:00 in clear weather. The cove is quiet and protected, and we had it all to ourselves, at least in terms of companion boaters. We experienced a real treat that evening! Jeff was scanning the cove with binoculars when a mother black bear and her two cubs emerged from the forest on our starboard side and began foraging in the sedge above the beach at high tide. They were close to where we anchored, seeming not to notice that we were watching them in awe. One of the cubs seemed a bit of a rascal as compared to his or her sibling. The independent, fuzzy cub explored the edge of the woods and shore while Mom and sibling meandered in the other direction. At one point the little bear scampered into the woods as if on alert for danger and then quickly reappeared to hang out closer to Mom. All three melted back into the forest, as bears can do, a few minutes later. Jeff was able to take several photographs of this charming family.

The next morning, we all piled into Rover so that we could explore the stream leading inland from the head of the cove. After viewing a small waterfall before the stream became impassable, we turned Rover around to slowly return to Storm Petrel. The morning sum was warm and the water clear, giving us a view of the rocks beneath the surface. Trees of varied green graced the shoreline with one small patch of grassy meadow near the entrance to the stream. Not 75 yards in front of us was a black bear foraging along the edge of the meadow! We quietly glided past him, admiring his healthy appearance and confidence; miraculously, both dogs were silent. The bear continued to munch on the sedge and other tidbits as long as we could see him, unconcerned by our presence. Black bears (Taan) are among the top predators on Haida Gwaii, although they are known to graze beside the abundant Sitka deer. Visitors are warned "to be bear aware," especially near rivers and streams when the salmon are returning to spawn. Brown bears (Grizzly) only remain in First Nations art and history. They do inhabit the BC mainland and coastal islands, and are now occasionally spotted on Vancouver Island.

Jeff saw another black bear while he and Zac visited Moresby Camp to put the wheels on Rover in preparation for beach landings at the Gwaii Haanas Watchman sites. The wheels can shift up when not in use and latch down when we want to more easily move the dinghy on shore. The wheels should allow us more flexibility and require less muscle when moving the dinghy in differing tidal conditions. Moresby Camp, a campground accessible by car from Skidegate, was just around the corner from our anchorage. One of the charter boat companies operating in the area picks up and drops off passengers at Moresby Camp. "Passing Cloud," a fine-looking schooner, joined us in Gordon Cove after picking-up her next group of passengers. We were to meet her in several other locations in Gwaii Haanas and in Shearwater. Her captain and crew were always courteous. One of the passengers rowed over to us in his kayak while we were in another anchorage several days later. He highly recommended Passing Cloud if one wants a guided trip, particularly noting her competent crew, gourmet chef, and flexible schedule determined by the captain and passengers.
Gordon Cove was both beautiful and restful.

July 23– Daajing Giids, Bearskin Bay, Queen Charlotte Harbor (53° 15.1’N, 132° 4.7’W) Waxing Cresent Moon

30 September 2023
Fraser Pierson
We left the marina by midafternoon with the intention of repositioning to the fuel dock adjacent to the marina in time to meet the attendant’s hours, 16:00-20:00 to this time of year. Before casting off the lines, we realized that the external regulator was not powered. Jeff did some troubleshooting to find that the alternator field had no input. He removed the alternator, replaced the wires to the field post, reassembled and then reinstalled the baffling beast. Thankfully, the post-maintenance run indicated that all was working as it should and we made it to the fuel dock in plenty of time.

The fuel dock assistant was friendly and accommodating to our fueling protocol. Jeff typically works the diesel nozzle while I monitor the amount flowing into the tank. Our fuel gauge is a wooden dowl stick with the gallons marked on it. We accurately note our fuel with this method, although it does take a little extra time. We topped off our diesel tank (100-gallon capacity) and the 3-gallon gasoline tank for the dinghy’s outboard motor. The water tanks (80 gallons) and sun shower were filled before leaving the marina. Shearwater would be our next opportunity for water and fuel after leaving Haida Gwaii. We planned to use both sparingly in order to cruise in these remote areas for two to three weeks. Sometimes we fill our sun shower from a stream. Our saltwater pressure washer on deck and rainwater keeps the boat clean.

By 19:05 we were anchored in Bearskin Bay. We had a pretty view of the Daajing Giids shoreline, Lina Island and Maude Island, and east toward Skidegate Inlet and Hecate Strait. A faint rainbow appeared to the southeast over Alliford Bay and Sandspit. Sunset was beautiful with gray clouds draping the mountains to the west, topped by orange and yellow infused clouds, and blue sky. The water in Bearskin Bay became glassy at dusk and all was peaceful throughout the night.

uly 21 – 22 Daajing Giids, Queen Charlotte Harbor (53° 15.2’N, 132° 4.4’W)

30 September 2023
Fraser Pierson
Although Jeff and I prefer to anchor out, being at a marina has advantages. It is easier to walk Zac and Indy at any time, engage in boat repairs and maintenance, explore the surrounding area, and of course, it is always nice to have a hot shower with plentiful water, that is, if one has enough “Loonies” (named for the engraving of a Northern loon on the Canadian dollar). A dollar generally buys about 2 minutes of shower time. (Canadian coins are pretty as each depicts an animal or something associated with Canada, such as the sailboat on a dime, and Queen Elizabeth on the other side. Coins minted throughout the Queen’s lifetime show her likeness at different ages.) Many marinas often offer laundry facilities as well. This marina did not have such facilities but a laundromat was within walking distance as was a well-stocked grocery store.

Going to the grocery store in a new port is always fun and interesting. Favored products reflect the food preferences of the region and on an island, the products that have been delivered via the ferry that week. The Daajing Giids grocery store near the marina offers a plentiful array of fresh produce, fruit, fresh meats, yogurt, gluten-free and whole wheat bread, and canned goods. Everything we needed to provision for a couple of weeks in Gwaii Haanas. We were pleased to find Amy’s organic tomato soup as we often enjoy it for lunch or dinner underway or when we do not want to cook. Every grocery store we’ve visited has a full range of natural, Canadian sourced, fruit-fusion juices without added sugar and they are reasonably priced compared to comparable juices (e.g., tart cherry) in the United States. Neither Jeff nor I drink alcohol, so we often enjoy a glass of juice at the “cocktail” hour. We’re finding that apples stay fresh for along time, so we always stock up on them. Carrots are also remarkable in terms of staying fresh and complementing a lot of different menus. The tricky part of grocery shopping is to anticipate the number of bags needed and how much it is possible to comfortably carry back to the boat. Our West Marine rolling, foldable cart comes in handy.

Daajing Guiids also has a natural food store where we happily found fresh blueberries, cherries, and bread. They also carried Bob’s Red Mill products. We were lucky to visit the town on a day when the farmer’s market was in full swing at the local school. It was fun to buy local snap beans, carrots, and a homemade chicken potpie. It was also fun to visit a couple of the merchants in town for small products needed for the boat (e.g., a cutting board to use on the foredeck when cleaning fish) and one of the local artist’s studios.

While we were secure at the marina, Jeff removed and repaired the alternator. He found a field wire that was off post inside the alternator, and then cleaned and reinstalled it. A post maintenance test indicated a successful repair. Afterwards, we warped Storm Petrel around so that her bow pointed toward the fairway between piers C and B, providing an easy exit without assistance when we were ready to leave.
Storm Petrel's Photos - Main
1 Photo
Created 10 September 2023
Random Pictures from our travels.
20 Photos
Created 12 July 2009
Casey, Jake, Kaela
11 Photos
Created 6 June 2009

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