Port McNeil to Allison Harbour

Tuesday August 17,2010
Leave Port McNeil 1100
Arrive Allison Harbour
We are heading back across Queen Charlotte Strait from Vancouver Island to the mainland side to anchor in or around Allison Harbour. We will most likely not have Internet access for the next two weeks as we explore around Seymour and Belize Inlets. I am going to keep a record of our journeys and post when we get back into Internet range... so check back with us in two weeks.
Ciao for now!

Dent Island to Port McNeil

Monday August 16, 2010
Leave Dent Island 0800
Arrive Port McNeil 1500
Trip Log 224.2
Fuel: 92 lt Engine hours: 1682 Water tanks full. Propane full.
This is somewhat of an abbreviated post, we are sitting in a laundry mat in Port McNeil and I am hot and getting hungry and so I will continue this a little later....

A smokey haze covers the mountains on Vancouver Island... smoke coming from forest fires in the interior of BC.

After we got settled in at our anchorage near Bent Island, we saw something neither of had seen before, although I am sure it is quite common. A big black bear swam across from one island to the other not far from our boat, a distance of about 100 feet or so. We were so excited, I didn't have time to get my camera out for the picture. We thought it was going to have some trouble getting out of the water since the bank it was aiming for was a sheer rock wall, but it had no trouble at all climbing out. I guess it's long claws can grab a hold of the tiniest cracks in the rocks. So, our first bear of the trip.... we are hoping to see many more. And lots of other wildlife as well.

Sunday August 15, 2010
Leave Billygoat Bay 1200
Arrive Bent Island 1715
Trip Log 164.2

Pushing through Johnstone Strait

Saturday August 14, 2010
Leave Octopus Islands 1200
Arrive Helmken Island, Johnstone Strait
Last night we decided to try kayaking in the dark, so at about 10 pm, we headed out for a paddle around the bay. It was soooo cool! With the bio-luminescence in the water, each stroke on the paddle unleashed a flash of light through the water. AND... we could watch fish darting about around our kayaks! They were like comets in the sky with long tails behind them! Definitely something we will do again on this trip. We also enjoyed watching the end of the latest meteor shower and the beautiful milky way.

We delayed leaving our anchorage this morning as the currents in the area are very strong and we had to wait until close to slack. Our original plan was to head through Hole In The Wall, but with Johnstone Strait calm as can be, we decided to go through Okisollo Channel instead. We had a very relaxing kayak tour around the Octopus Islands with Walter and Mavis after breakfast of cinnamon buns, scrambled eggs and fresh fruit salad and coffee.
So right now we are heading to Helmken Island, one of our favorite anchorages. It is right smack dab in the middle of Johnstone Strait, but very protected and not too many other boaters stop there. Last time we were there, we found an eagles nest, so we are going to check it out again today. Tomorrow we should be in Port McNeill to fill up with diesel and top off our water tanks. Then it is on to Nakwakto Rapids.

Octopus Islands

Friday August 13, 2010
Leave Copeland Islands Marine Park 0720
Arrive Octopus Islands Marine Park
Trip Log
It is very calm today, virtually no wind, but the sky is hazy, and I think it is from the forest fires in the interior of BC. It will probably remain like this for the next 4-5 days as we have a high moving in over us.
I have a feeling we won't have internet at our anchorage tonight, so this might be the last you hear from us until tomorrow or the next day.

Sunrise in Octopus Islands Marine Park

Copeland Islands

Thursday August 12, 2010
Leave Hardy Island 0650
Arrive Copeland Islands 1330
Trip Log 100.7 nm
Heading north to Copeland Islands 29 miles away. I will continue this post later today, assuming we will still have an internet connection.

Beautiful day today, we motor sailed most of the way. Mavis and Walter were already tucked into a spot by the time we got here even though we left about 1 and a half hours before them! Been in twice for a swim, the water is a cool 18 degrees, but very refreshing!! Tonight we are going to stay up for the metor shower. I will post some pictures soon!

Next stop.... Hardy Island

Wednesday August 11, 2010
Leave Boho Bay 0800
Arrive Hardy Island 1200
Trip Log 69nm
Our original plan for today was to head to Copeland Islands (about 40 miles) but the weather forecast is calling for 20+ knots of wind from the NW which would be right on our nose. So, because we are flexible and it doesn't really matter one way or the other, we are heading to Hardy Island (only about 20 miles). We will do some kayaking later this afternoon. We have our eyes keenly peeled (whatever that means!) for the Transient Pod of Orcas sighted yesterday.
Not much sailing because the wind was straight on our bow again today. It will probably be like this for most of the trip up the coast.

On the way to Jedediah Island

Tuesday August 10, 2010
Leave Nanaimo 0750
Arrive Boho Bay, Lasqueti Island 1410
Trip Log 48.1 nm
It looked like the weather was going to be calm today, but as we left Nanaimo Harbour, the wind picked up to 15 - 20 knots. We motored sailed for an hour with just the main up, but once we got out in the middle of Georgia Strait, we decided the winds were not gusting anymore and pretty steady at 16 knots, both sails went up and we are cruising along at about 5 knots. The sun is out and it is a beautiful day!

An old apple tree at the old homestead on Jedediah Island.

Just after we got anchored and had our lunch, our friends Walter and Mavis showed up. They said they had just spend some time right outside the bay enjoying a pod of 5 or 6 orcas playing, at one point very close to their boat! So, after they got anchored, they came over in their tender to pick us up to head out and see if they were still there. They were gone by this time ( you don't really know how disappointed I was!!), but now that we know they are in the area we will be keeping a keen watch for them again!

And they're at the post....... they're off!!

Monday August 9, 2009
Leave our dock, Ladysmith 1330
Trip log: 0nm
Arrive Nanaimo Harbour 1745
Ultimate destination: Seymour Inlet 51 04.98N 127 39.40W

Lots of reading material for our trip.

We are off, FINALLY!! It took us two full days to pack the boat with enough supplies to last us one month. That is a lot of trips down and up the stairs. But, we are one hour into our trip and so far neither Jerry or myself can think of anything we have forgotten.
We will get through Dodd Narrows just before slack so we get a little push with the current. Next stop will be to fill up on diesel and water in Nanaimo, then we can put the anchor down in the harbour and enjoy our reward..... a nice dinner with a glass of wine. Then Splendid Mane will gently rock us to sleep. Saaa-weeet!!!
Welcome to all our followers, we hope you enjoy the trip!
Fuel: 114 lt (with extra gas can) $125.29
Water tanks full.

We survived Ireland's roads.

My little friend at our bed and breakfast in Ireland, he loves carrots.

Thursday August 5, 2010
I didn't post anything on my blog for the past week++ for two reasons...... an internet connection was not handy and we were having way too much fun to even stop to look for one. We are back home now after spending the last week in Ireland for Steve and Martina's wedding. This was my second trip to Ireland, so there were no surprises for me. But Irish roads are still unbelievable!! We rented a car in Dublin and drove almost 2000 kms, mostly on the old country roads. If you ever want an exciting experience, you just have to do this!! The speed limit is 100 km/hr and in reality if you are doing 50 km/hr you might be endangering your lives!
All in all, we had a great trip but of course we are glad to be home too. We are still adjusting to the time change (-8 hours), but hopefully we will be back to normal in another day or so.
Next on the agenda...... sailing to Seymour Inlet, just past the northern tip of Vancouver Island but on the mainland side of British Columbia. We are planning to leave about August 9th for about a month. I will be busy the next few days planning our meals and provisioning the boat. Jerry's job is everything else! And I think he has the easy job.