It’s not always pretty

We have returned to the land of cell service and civilization!

We left Port Hardy the morning of June 4th. All plans were set to get to Nakwakto Rapids at high water slack – going in with the end of a flood tide. Winds in Queen Charlotte Straight were 5-15 knots. It was about 4 hours to the rapids.

Things started off well. Left the dock and motored out and towards The Walker group of Islands. As we started going though Shelter Passage and the western portion of Queen Charlotte Straight the seas started to get a little sloppy – confused seas. Lilly started to look a little piqued and licking her mouth indicating she’s thinking she is going to barf. The seas are getting more and more sloppy and confused and she runs down to the carpet in front of the state rooms to barf. I go clean it up. Usually she’s better after that.

Lilly came back to sit on top the pilothouse bench seat and the rollers started to come in. Big long high waves that just roll and roll and about 10 seconds apart with an occasional large rouge wave. It’s that ocean swell. Lilly is sitting behind me. I turn and look and she has barfed down the front of seat and on the back of my jacket. Off comes the jacket. Clean that up. These rollers are getting bigger and stuff is now starting to crash around and fall off of the shelves in the saloon. I’m now starting to feel a little queasy. I do not like the big ocean rolling swell.

We decide to check the wave height at West Sea Otter – the nearby weather bouy —2.4 metes !

I put Lilly on the bench seat next to me as we are really rolling. And things are crashing. Jim quickly goes down to the salon to move some things we don’t want crashing to the floor. Like the coffee pot and glass butter dish!

Holding Lilly close we continue on our way. Too late to turn back now and once we get up Schooner Channel this swell will die down. I can see waves crashing on the distant shore! Not a good sign. We are in this for a bit.

I feel this warm wet liquid. Poor Lilly – she peed — Poor Pam – she peed all over me! All over the cover on the of the seat. She was squirming to get down but I was holding and we were rolling. Ok. I’m wet – smell like cat pee. Clothes need to come off. The cover of the seat needs to come off. I’m holding on because we are tossing around in 2 metre seas. Feels like more! Poor Lilly. She jumps down and poops. This is all happening because she is very sea sick .

I take off all my clothes- except my bra because that’s the only thing that isn’t wet from cat pee. Lilly is on the floor. Jim is driving the boat. I pull off the cover of the seat. And Jim says – Do you want me to go find you some dry pants. Well – no – I want you to drive the boat. I’m going to sit here naked until this is over and I can go get clothes and clean up!

And I’m thinking if the Coast Guard needs to rescue us they will wonder why I’m only wearing my bra! And Jim say – wait until Dianne hears about this!

Eventually we get in the lee of some islands and the waves and swell lessened enough I could take all the cat pee clothing to the cockpit – that was smell was not helping anyone! I was able clean up, get dry clothes and we were all fine by the time we got to the top of Schooner Channel and reached Nakwakto Rapids.

We went through on a one knot flood and it was completely calm and uneventful. Thank goodness!

After going through the rapids we head north up to Belize Inlet and anchor up in a lovely little cove at the end of Strachan Bay and we turn on the generator and do a load of laundry!