Laura Domela 
Environment Canada predicted light winds and a 1-2 meter swell this morning, not quite perfect, but pretty darn close. But by noon the winds were supposed to be blowing 15-25 knots from the southeast, and even more wind was predicted by the evening. Then, the real storm was scheduled to arrive the following day, with 45-55 knot winds. We needed to be somewhere safe and comfortable. We left Sea Otter … Read more
We met the West Coast Vancouver Island group at North Island Marina in Port McNeill on August 14th. This gave us a few days to get to know people, do lots of provisioning, and answer questions before departing on the 16th. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating. Winds on the 16th in Queen Charlotte Strait were predicted to be blowing from the northwest at 20-25 knots, which would make for a … Read more
We left the dock at Port Neville and headed east in Johnstone Strait, then peeled off at Sunderland Channel. Today’s destination is Frederick Arm, the inlet just east of Phillips Arm at the top of Nodales Channel. We transited Whirlpool Rapids midway through the flood with a few small whirlpools and eddies, but nothing too dramatic. Greene Point Rapids was much the same. Four knots of extra speed was nice, … Read more
Sharp-eyed readers may be wondering why we’re continuing down Johnstone Strait since this flotilla was set to end in Port McNeill and the next one is leaving from Port McNeill. Part of the reason is we need something to do for the next week. Part of the reason is that one of the boats we’re with is heading home after this leg, they haven’t transited the “five rapid” route before, … Read more
We departed Skull Cove (in fog, again) and headed for Alert Bay via Ripple Passage. We soon spotted a small pod of orcas in the distance, and slowed to take a few photos. While we were focused on the distant pod, a few more surfaced much closer to our boat (almost too close to capture them with the long lens we were using!) Queen Charlotte Strait was shrouded in fog … Read more
We’ve been watching the weather at Cape Caution for the last several days, and today looked ideal. Environment Canada predicted variable 5 to 15 knot winds. Windy showed gusts in the single digits until mid-afternoon and seas of just two feet. Tomorrow looked just as good. We’d originally planned to spend another night north of Cape Caution. But when the weather looks perfect, why wait for it to possibly get worse? … Read more
Forecast: Wind light becoming northwest 10 to 20 knots in the afternoon (Environment Canada Central Coast). Mostly sunny, high around 75. We didn’t have all that far to travel today (about 40nm), but we still wanted to get an early start. We were done with chores at Shearwater, and Pruth Bay—which we’d skipped on the way north—is a more fun place to spend time. We left Shearwater in thick fog, … Read more
We left around 9:00 a.m. this morning. Shearwater is only 19nm from our anchorage here in Lambard Inlet, and there was no point arriving early just to find the docks at the marina still full from last night’s occupants, so we lounged around leisurely this morning before we pulled anchor. Shearwater is a busy place this time of the summer, so we made a point to call over a month … Read more