Airship | Campbell River to Hammond Bay, and a Cautionary Tale

We had a very nice visit to Campbell River. We even went for dinner out with our friend Scott. (Yay, a night off of cooking!) We made an early dinner reservation for outside on the patio at the Harbor Grill (just at the top of the ramp from the marina). We’ve been eating so much seafood, and we love seafood, but tonight we went for turf over surf — filet … Read more

Airship | Johnstone Strait, Kanish Bay, Campbell River

We left Port McNeill and headed down Johnstone Strait with a bit of current helping us along, which was nice. By the time we were at Race Passage we were getting a push of about 4-5 knots. Wheeeee! Due to the full moon and king tides, there is SO MUCH debris in the water right now. Sometimes in light chop, the logs can be quite difficult to see. Other times, … Read more

Airship | Campbell River to the San Juan Islands

We left Campbell River late in the morning to so we wouldn’t have to slog through 7-8kts of current against us…we had a little until we were a ways past Cape Mudge, but it wasn’t much of an issue. The weather was glorious, and again with the calm calm conditions on the Strait of Georgia. We decided to stop for the night just behind Sandy Island, which is a little … Read more

Airship and Akeeva | Heading South: Ketchikan to Campbell River

Airship and Akeeva connected back in Ketchikan earlier this month with the plan to head south together for a ways. Sam and Anna were back from their adventure on Akeeva up to Prince William Sound, and after transiting through British Columbia they’ll continue south to Mexico for the winter. Kevin and I plan to slow up a little bit through B.C. to enjoy a few spots we missed on the … Read more

Day 6 | Flotilla to Alaska | Campbell River to Boughey Bay

Today looked nearly perfect for running up Johnstone Strait to the Broughtons. Environment Canada called for light winds, building to northwest 15-25 knots late in the afternoon. Windy indicated “late in the afternoon” meant about 3:00 p.m. Given the 62nm cruising day, this weather forecast would suggest an early start. Getting north of Campbell River, though, requires transiting Seymour Narrows, which must be done near slack since currents can run … Read more

Day 5 | Flotilla to Alaska | Newcastle Island to Campbell River

We departed the docks at Newcastle Island this morning at 5:00a.m. Today our cruise would be a long one — all the way up the Strait of Georgia to Campbell River — about 75 nautical miles. The forecast was what we’d been hoping for, a little breezy in the morning but dying off as the day progressed and as we got further north.  The conditions at the Ballenas Islands at … Read more

Circumnavigating Vancouver Island | Flotilla Day 3 | Campbell River to Cameleon Harbour

On most of our flotilla trips, we take the “back way”—Yuculta Rapids, Gillard Pass, Dent Rapids, Greene Point Rapids, and Whirlpool Rapids—north from Desolation Sound to the Broughtons. This time, we’re in a hurry, so we’re taking the “highway” route. This route is less protected and less scenic, but shorter and only requires transiting one rapid: Seymour Narrows. Seymour Narrows is just eight miles north of Campbell River. Currents run … Read more

Circumnavigating Vancouver Island | Flotilla Day 2 | Nanaimo to Campbell River

We left the docks at Nanaimo just before 6:00 a.m. for the long cruise north to Campbell River (about 75nm). The forecast for the Strait of Georgia was quite good, so we figured we’d skip our planned stop in Comox and have a long (but hopefully calm) day on the Strait of Georgia. The downside to the calm conditions is smoke. Visibility was about one mile most of the day. … Read more