We left Kent Inlet yesterday — a couple hours before low slack at Philip Narrows with a few knots of current pushing us through. More fog, but it eventually cleared not long before we turned into scenic Jackson Passage.
The current was pushing us along at a good clip through the narrows, but still no issue (and we were traveling the same direction as the kelp was flowing, so that’s helpful!)
We anchored in Rescue Bay, then Kevin and Russ and Missie went out fishing for salmon. (Fishing report: a couple of rockfish and a chum and a pink they threw back.) Yesterday was Russ and Missie’s anniversary, so we invited them over for a little anniversary dessert: ice cream cones on the top deck!
When we woke up this morning it was SUPER foggy…more dense than we’ve ever seen it, perhaps.
Kevin brought back two big keeper Dungeness, which we’ll likely have tomorrow, since we already planned to have dinner at the pub in Shearwater.
We cruised most of the day in very thick fog (thicker than in those photos from our anchorage above!) Ivory Island light station reported one eighth mile visibility, and Dryad Point light station reported zero miles visibility. So yeah, lots of fog. We had a bit of a push with us as we made our way down Mathieson Channel toward Perceval Narrows (transited a little before slack), through Reid Passage, into Seaforth Channel, and on to Shearwater.
Not far out of Rescue Bay in Mathieson Channel, I spotted something on the surface but couldn’t make out what it was. (Remember: fog, so much fog.) Bird on a log? Nope, too big for a bird. Buoy? No buoys on the chart. As we got closer and my angle changed, I could clearly tell it was a humpback fin…just hanging out right there at the surface about 50 feet off our starboard side. I slowed and then stopped as it continued to float, and shortly another one surfaced right next to it. They must have been sleeping, and as they heard us, they spouted and then dove, but man…tough to think about them that close to the surface, one not even visible, in the thick fog as vessels transit the channel. We were at high attention due to the fog, and traveling only 7 knots, but no wonder collisions and injuries happen. 🙁
We arrived in Shearwater, got some groceries, got rid of a couple bags of trash and recycling, fueled up on dinghy gas, and had dinner at the pub…burgers on the patio with this view:
After dinner we played another round of a game we’ve been playing with Missie and Russ called Quiddler. Definitely will be adding this to the games box on Airship!