Around Vancouver Island 2013

Day 9 – July 13, 2013 Saturday

Today we were up at 5:30 and after a quick coffee we were pulling up anchor and on our way by 6:00 a.m. Our exit from Port Harvey was over flat seas and that continued as we entered Johnstone Strait. It is amazing that one day can make such a difference in the sea conditions!

We pointed our bow across the strait for the Vancouver Island side. By 7:30 we were across, having encountered only one other boat. It was pretty quiet out there today! By 8:40 we were just off Robson Bight Ecological Reserve. This is where the whales hang out and `rub` but today they weren`t there. We could not have missed anything either as the sea continued to remain like glass. We did see quite a few kayakers along the shore and noticed that there a quite a few campsites which we figure must be for kayakers making their way along the shoreline.

At 10:30 we were entering Broughton Strait. See ya later Johnstone Strait! Who knows when that will be. I stepped out onto the sunny deck, taking a deep breath and noticed the ocean scent in the air. It definitely smells different than what I`m used to smelling. It`s a good smell!

Just after we passed the community of Alert Bay on Cormorant Island we noticed a flurry of seagulls over the water. They were busy feasting on a herring ball. I brought out the binoculars to get a closer look and suddenly right in front of my eyes some kind of whale appeared! It was so fast and unexpected I was totally surprised. What I saw looked like it may have been the underside of the critter as it surfaced scooping breakfast into its mouth. Of course I only got the one glimpse and it didn`t surface like that again. Unfortunately Moe didn`t see it as he was watering the sea on the other side of the boat. We did catch a glimpse of the dorsal fin surfacing a couple of times and he thought that it was a pilot whale. Very cool indeed!

By 12:30 we were tied up at the public dock at Port McNeill, just as the wind was starting to pick up. The wind here doesn`t pick up until later in the morning so these early mornings are well worth it if you want to avoid big bumpy seas in Johnstone Strait. On arrival we chatted with the people beside us on the (very narrow) dock. They share a boat with another couple and were in the process of doing the trade-off so their holiday is done.

Moe and I took a walk up the dock and were greeted by Gus` Pub which we promptly entered for some fish and chips and a cold beer. It was quite pleasant on the patio though the wind is a little cool. After lunch we went off in search of oil which we found. Moe brought it back to the boat while I explored around Port McNeill. I`m not sure if what I found was downtown Port McNeill but it was not Fifth Avenue shopping! I picked up some milk, a fleece pullover (50 cents!), a couple erasers and a notepad and headed back. I stopped in at the Info Centre to inquire about our exit from here. There`s a large, long ledge that we need to get around as we leave here. I also wanted to know about the showers. Just as I was leaving another fellow came in and said the name of his boat. I recognized it from one of the other marinas we had been in and stopped for a quick hello before I left. Upon returning to Reborn it was definitely nap time and then journal writing! And here it is dinner time.

The evening will hold a shower for both of us and planning for our trip to Port Hardy tomorrow.