Photo: Nuu-chah-nulth carver Ritchie Mack in his workshop.

The wind still blew from the southeast when we left Columbia Cove two days later. Tired of beating to weather, we motored around the O'Leary Islets to Ououkinish Inlet, then through Gay Passage to the Bunsby Islands to quieter waters, finally tying up at the dock at Walter's Cove at noon.

One of the things we hoped to do here was visit the native carver, Ritchie Mack. So that afternoon, after a brief stop at the general store and a longer stop at the Kyuquot Inn to catch up on local gossip, we called Ritchie on the local "cell phone" channel, VHF channel 14 and arranged to meet him at the dock at the native village of Kyuquot or Houpsitas across the cove.

We had first met Ritchie years ago when he was living at Ucluelet and selling carvings at the Whiskey Dock there. A beautiful eagle bowl caught our eyes and after several months of long distance negotiations, arrived in our house by mail. We talked to Ritchie on the phone a few times after that then lost track of him. When we asked at Ucluelet if anyone know where he was, people just shrugged. Then last year in Tofino, Steve asked a clerk in a native arts store if she had ever heard of him and she said, "Yes. He's my brother." She told us he had moved to Walter's Cove and he and his girlfriend now had three little girls.

Ritchie took us to his carving shop in the basement of his home where, amid the clutter of children's shoes and toys, he showed us a collection of masks, poles, rattles and charms, most still unfinished. We asked about a smallish mask painted bright blue and he told us it represented the west wind. "If you buy it," he promised, "I'll throw in a west wind charm. Wearing it brings the west wind." He pointed to a very small mask on a leather thong.

We left the next day with the West Wind mask packed away in the forepeak and the West Wind charm hanging from our barometer. It was a beautiful sunny day and as we left the harbor, a northwest wind came up, blowing us the few miles south to Rugged Point. There we enjoyed a long walk on a white beach.