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 … Read more
We left Rescue Bay around 8am this morning…another sunny day with clear blue sky! Feeling pretty lucky the past few days with the weather. Today’s 8am departure saw us through Jackson Narrows about an hour after low tide, so still nice and skinny (for the fun) but plenty of depth under our keels. Airship saw 13ft at the shallowest, and we had a beautiful glassy cruise through Jackson Passage over … Read more
Our plan this morning was to leave Shearwater between 8:30am-9am. We were hopeful that the fuel barge had come during the night…Shearwater was out of diesel when we arrived! Ranger Tug IF really wanted to top off here so they didn’t have to stop and hope to get fuel at Klemtu or Hartley Bay, where unanswered calls to the fuel docks couldn’t verify availability. (If Shearwater was out, maybe the … Read more
We left Kent Inlet on Thursday morning as the fog was clearing…another beautiful day so far! We cruised a slightly longer day (39nm) to Rescue Bay, where we put a couple crab traps down. A little later, we saw a green-hulled Selene approaching from Jackson Narrows…could it be Scott on Impulse? Yes it could! Awesome! So we chatted with him and his friend Tracy and made a plan to cruise … Read more
We left Shearwater this morning just before 10am. Timing today was for Perceval Narrows, but the swell we expected in Seaforth Channel was almost nonexistent and the wind still hadn’t picked up much by the time we arrived. We arrived at Perceval Narrows with about 3kts of current helping us along. And just after that, Pacific white-sided dolphins took turns surfing every boat’s bow wake. The wind kicked up early … Read more
We awoke to blue sky, light wind, and the promise of magnificent views. The day did not disappoint. Given the long(ish) distance we have to cover today (55nm) and our desire to enjoy the views and not feel rushed, we began leaving about 8:00 a.m. As we motored north towards Fiordland we were occasionally accompanied by Dall’s porpoises surfing bow wakes, which is always such a treat. We made a detour … Read more
With chores completed and a good weather forecast, we headed out of Shearwater around 8:30 a.m. The course to Rescue Bay runs west in Seaforth Channel, almost to the ocean, and then through narrow Reid Passage to Perceval Narrows. When the westerly is blowing, Seaforth Channel can be awful, and with swells crashing on nearby rocks, getting into Reid Passage can be frightening. Today the weather cooperated. The route passes … Read more
The flotilla left Rescue Bay this morning by 9:00 am and headed up Mathieson Channel — destination Windy Bay. We are now entering the Fiordland Recreation Area, one of the most remote areas of our trip so far — where there is virtually no civilization, no cell service or internet connection, and very little boat traffic. We are rewarded with glacial fjords, steep granite cliffs, lush forests, and more waterfalls … Read more