Photo: Sea otters outside of Allison Harbour.

Just when we need them, the strong northwesterlies disappear. We motor out Smith Sound in an absolute calm to find light southerlies in Queen Charlotte Sound. But it's a beautiful day and we have one of the easiest roundings of the Cape we've experienced. Only smooth swells and ripples disturb the water. We're amazed to hear two powerboats complaining on the radio ahead of us. One tells the other he had to put his "chicken sticks" (stabilizing poles) down. The other is thinking about turning back.

Motoring through the islands to enter Allison Harbor we're thrilled to see a raft of sea otters swimming near the kelp. This is the first time we've seen sea otters on the mainland side and it means they've made the trip around Cape Scott and across Queen Charlotte Sound. Originally they were transplanted from Amchitka, Alaska to the Bunsby Islands on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. I wrote about the near extinction of this keystone species and their successful transplanting in Voyages to Windward. It seems there are more otters every year.