A trip to Alaska was going to be the first big trip with Demelza but plans should always be flexible and so it was that the end of May 2012 there I was leaving my berth at canoe Cove and heading north after coming home from the South Pacific the summer of 2011. Single handing ; I didn`t really know how far north I was going to get. Elizabeth was home due to ongoing family trajedies. I chose to take the northern long route through the tidal rapids enroute to the north end of Vancouver Island. Gillard/ Dent rapids, Green Pt rapids and others was a challenge unknown in most parts of the world. Only in Canada you say. Gillard was interesting as I hoped to wait for slack at a resort owned by London Drugs. The preppy little manager insisted I leave, no exceptions, so out again I went into 11knots of turbulence and floatsam and flew downstream 1.5m to an eddy to await slack 30min later. Slack for rapids of that intensity may last only minutes so you have to get it right. Even at slack there is enough current for a 6k sailboat. My night at Shoal bay was one of those memorable events drinking beer and watching Janis Joplin concert dvd`s with old rocker/ cruisers. My stop at Lagoon Cove was a surprise visit with Bob and Pat Ness. It had been 45 yrs. Sointula was great but my friend Bob Fournier was not there. It was a surprise when Elizabeth decided to fly in and join me in Port Hardy for my passage north. Things were somewhat stable at home. With Elizabeth on board Cape caution was a beat into 20k NW but alright. Namu, a deserted cannery town was exactly that. I had heard about it for years. A testament to the good times on the coast. Bella Bella and on to Klemtu where we toured the longhouse; rain. The passage through Jackson narrows was tight, beautiful and so west coast.We had some very nice following wind to push us up Matheison Channel and a few others. Our first bears were at Kutze inlet where a sow and yearling cub co-operated with some nice photos and Lowe inlet continued with wet and cool, what we should expect but we were warm and cozy enough in Demelza; bus heater, while motoring by day, and Webasto by night. Long ,narrow Grenville Channel led us to Prince Rupert. Our timing was perfect in that we were there at National Aboriginal day. A lovely sunny day of native dancing, songs, food and Tsimpsean and Haida costumes : cedar bark hats, button blankets and elaborate head pieces.It was June 21 and I had been underway for 3 weeks.