Today’s timing challenge was Seymour Narrows. The currents in Seymour Narrows can run to fifteen knots, so passing through near slack is critical. There also can be considerable traffic – barges with tugs, cruise ships – all timing their arrival at the narrows at about the same time. Seymour Narrows is also our gateway to Johnstone Strait, and those same currents (albeit slower than at the narrows) can have a major impact on your trip.
When possible, we like to time our arrival at Seymour Narrows for a time when the current is turning into our favor, so we have a faster ride down Johnstone Strait after passing through. This time, that meant we wanted to arrive at Seymour near 6:52p.m. Our anchorage at Tribune Bay was about seven hours from Seymour, so we departed around 11:30a.m.
We watched this eagle fishing just outside Campbell River.
Passing Cape Mudge, near the town of Campbell River – a few miles before the narrows – can be challenging. As you pass the cape there is still formidable current against you. Our cruise speed dropped from the usual 7-9 knots down to as little as 2-3 knots with 4-5 knots of current against us. We had factored this slowdown into our planning, and our timing worked out perfectly – we arrived at Seymour exactly at slack, along with two big barges – one going each direction, several fishing boats, and a cruise ship.
Our passage was uneventful, and we arrived in Kanish Bay just before 8:00p.m. – a beautiful anchorage behind the Chained Islets – in time to enjoy a gorgeous sunset before tucking in for the night.
