We had an elaborate plan all worked out for today, with several backup plans built in, and we scrapped all of it as soon as we got up to Chatham Point light, where the promised 25kt winds and 3ft moderate wind waves did not materialize at all. Instead, we opted to continue on and get as much of Johnstone Strait behind us as we could today, which turned out to … Read more
Making the decision to stay put in a location that’s not bursting with rainbows and unicorns (aka calm water, multiple bears with cubs foraging on shore, whales and dolphins frolicking around our boats) is always a tough call. Small Inlet is beautiful, and sure, there are some birds (seagulls, mergansers, an eagle in the distance), but the 20-30 knot wind (gusting to 38 knots!) has kept us all sailing on … Read more
A nice leisurely morning at Campbell River! We slept in a bit, and left the dock by 8:30am. Slack at Seymour Narrows was 9:54am, and we had a little current against us until then, and not a bad cruise at all up to Kanish Bay/Small Inlet. Wind in Johnstone was NW 15-25kts mostly on the nose, gusting occasionally to 30kts, with a 1-2 ft chop that was not at all … Read more
Blenkinsop Bay was calm and beautiful this morning. A tiny bit of fog laying low on the water, but clear besides that. Unfortunately, our timing wasn’t great for the current in Johnstone, and we had as much as 3.8kts against us in some places. We expected current against us, just perhaps not quite that much, and for as long. Luckily though, some of our Pacific white-sided dolphin friends from yesterday … Read more
Skull Cove was shrouded in fog when we woke this morning…no surprise really. We pulled our anchor and slowly motored through the narrow opening. The fog kept us company off and on (mostly on) until we reached Johnstone Strait. Our original plan was 47nm from Skull Cove to Mound Island (about 6.5 hours) but we decided to go farther, and aimed for Port Neville (71nm). We had some pretty swift … Read more
Environment Canada’s forecast for Johnstone Strait today was a gale warning, with expected winds 20-30kts this afternoon. But Windy showed conditions that looked much more friendly. Johnstone is not an area where we typically can rely on Windy conditions, due to the variety of terrain and other mysterious things — this is when actual reported conditions are best when you can get them. Fanny Island showed 15-18kts for our whole … Read more
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
With Seymour Narrows behind us, the timing of our trip up Johnstone Strait was primarily about maximizing favorable current and miles covered. Thankfully the beginning of the ebb—which runs northwest in Johnstone Strait—was about 5:00 a.m., about the same time it’s light enough to spot logs in the water. Complicating matters was the forecast, which called for winds building to 25-35 knots in the afternoon. Both Environment Canada and the … Read more