Author: zoebird2005

I’m just going to post some photos of the trip from Kiltuish Inlet to Chief Mathew’s Bay.

I took so many photos !

We put down the prawn pots as we motored into the anchorage.

The horseflies were out in full force. They were crazy. Hundred of horseflies! A beautiful spot and we had a warm and full sun couple of days.

I took so many photos it is hard to choose!

This map gives you an idea of what area of the coast we are right now. The bottom of the map is Shearwater and Roscoe Inlet ( Area 5) and the top is Prince Rupert ( Area 9). This is from the Douglass book – “Exploring The North Coast of British Columbia”

We are not going as far north as Prince Rupert.

We are going to Area 8 – The Gardner Canal – Kemano – Kitlope and around there. We are not going to Kitimat. We’ve heard stories about how windy it is at the docks there.

After leaving Kitsaway which is around the east side of Hawkesbury Island we motored up the start of the Gardner Canal past the Europa Hot Springs.

We motored in to take a closer look. There was a small boat at anchor and a few people in the hot springs.

There was one very small private mooring ball. This is a popular spot for people from Kitimat to come to when there aren’t any horseflies. We’ve been hearing stories about the horseflies !

We motored up the entrance to Kiltuish Inlet to anchor for the night.

It was a little overcast when we first dropped the anchor. But the clouds were gone by early evening.

After Sharon left our plan was to head north and take a trip up the Gardner Canal.

First we headed back to Klemtu. We spent the night at Clothes Bay again and went to the dock at Klemtu and got a couple of grocery items we could get in Bella Bella. We also filled the water tanks.

When we were anchored up in Clothes Bay a sailboat that was on the dock in Shearwater came and anchored up really close to us. It’s a very large anchorage. I don’t know why they were so close. We were a little worried we might pull into them as we were pulling up the anchor in the morning but fortunately we did not.

Our next stop was Butedale. There is a dock there and it is the site of an old cannery. The old docks have been removed and a stretch of nice new docks have been installed. It is not a marina and there is no caretaker or anyone on site. We found an email address contact to ask permission to stay at the dock. We received a quick reply and permission to stay at the dock at our own risk. He asked us to send a photo of Phoenix Hunter at the dock.

There was another boat that came in just before us and helped us dock.

The last time we were there was 2017 on our way south from Prince Rupert.

We left Butedale early in the morning and headed up to Kitsaway

We anchored up in Kitasway in 2017. We thought it was a nice anchorage. There were a lot of little weekend boats down from Kitimat in 2017. Fishing and crabbing.

When we got there this year it was completely empty and blowing a gale. We drove around for a bit trying to find the least windy spot we could anchor. At one point it was blowing 30 knots in there !

We finally decide to just drop the anchor in a 20 knot wind and buckle down for the night. We knew the anchor would hold. I didn’t take a single photo.

We have discovered that there is a leak in part of the hot water pipe that leads out of the hot water tank. So — a little bit a discussion as to what to do.

Water from the hot water tank is shut off. We do not want to go to Kitimat!!

So we are managing it by just turning the hot water on for the few minutes we need hot water. Which isn’t that often. We will sort it out when we get home – or back to Port McNeill.

It’s a small little brass elbow. $20 at Home Depot.

Heading back down Roscoe Inlet we saw a couple of Humpback whales along the shore stirring up the fish and feeding.

We took a few videos. It is not easy to capture a humpback whale on video !

We stayed one night in a little anchorage on Cunningham Island just 11 miles from Shearwater. It was a nice little spot but very open. And a bit breezy so Sharon didn’t go out on the paddle board.

Saturday morning we went to Shearwater and tied up to the dock around 11 am so Sharon could catch the 12:30 water taxi to Bella Bella for her 2:50 flight back to Vancouver.

Jim and I also took the 12:30 water taxi to pick up a few groceries at the store in Bella Bella. The day Sharon flew in the store was closed in Bella Bella do we were pretty excited to do some grocery shopping.

We got milk and bread ! And a great big package of prime rib beef ribs. And caught the 2:30 water taxi back to Shearwater.

About 5 minutes after leaving Bella Bella Sharon called and said she had been bumped from the flight ! The plane was overloaded and too heavy ! She was coming back ! Apparently some passengers had large boxes of fish ! So the fish bump a total of three people from the flight ! Luckily Sharon had a full day layover in Vancouver so she didn’t miss a connection. But the other two passengers were not so lucky – Or happy !

We went out for a pizza dinner and an Eggs Benny Bunch and put her back on the 12:30 water taxi.

We ended up spending two nights at the dock and did 4 loads of laundry ! That alone is worth the extra night ! And Sharon made it out and back to Vancouver without and glitches.

We decided to motor up an Inlet we had never been before. We got some advice from Bob and Lois on where to anchor.

After leaving Boat Inlet we headed north up to Boukind Bay for the night

Sharon went for a bit of a paddle about when we arrived. It was a bit breezy but not too bad.

So Lilly walked out on the swim step and went down to the far end stuck her head over and decided she was going to jump in to the water ! For crying out loud! Fortunately I was just checking on her and grabbed her by the scruff just as she was jumping. What was she thinking?? She had been watching Sharon paddle about. Do cats think ?

The next morning we motored further up the inlet. We were planning to go all the way to the top end but we were not sure if we would anchor up and spend the night. Out for a bit of an explore

It was a bright sunny day. Here are photos taken along the way.

We arrived at the end of the inlet and there was a very large sailboat.

We motored past the sailboat further into the bay and decided to drop the anchor in 70 feet of water. A little deep but what a beautiful spot to stay.

Then I went out for a paddle with the kayak seat.

The water temperature was 21c. So we all went for a swim !

Jim discovered a small school of anchovies

As it turned out it was a beautiful spot to anchor. We had a fantastic time paddling and swimming in the sun.

We had a pretty uneventful motor to Klemtu except for a bit of a swell that happens in Seaforth Chanel which is open to the ocean. Lilly has been pretty mellow the last few days quietly resting in her little soft sided crate. And not much barfing either.

We went into the fuel dock at Klemtu with the hope of getting some milk at the village store. We were very successful! Not only did we get 4 litres of milk but we got a bunch of groceries plus Double Caramel Ice Cream bars ! And Jim got water for the boat.

We were hoping to arrange a tour of the Big House. When we were at the store we were told there was going to be some sort of an event at the Big House the next day and everyone was invited. We just needed to call the band office in the morning.

We were planning to stay two nights in Clothes Bay and go back to Klemtu the next day. Although we were not entirely sure how we were going to do that with the skiff not working. Possibly paddle the skiff to Klemtu- it was only about a miles.

When we phoned the band office in the morning we told that the event was not happening for 2 days and it sounded like it was a small governmental affair for a few hours in the evening. And they did not have anyone that could take us on a tour of the Big House. a bit of a disappointment for Sharon. Jim and I went on a tour of the Big house in 2016. It is a beautiful building with beautiful carvings and totems.

So we decided to leave Clothes Bay that morning and head out to Boat Inlet.

We took some photos as we motored past Klemtu.

There is a big new store since we were there last in 2016. Much better shopping than the store in Shearwater. Except they didn’t get any bread with their last supply order.

It is a very narrow passage into Boat Inlet. With large rocks on either side. Jim calls the rocks – Pucker Reef

Sharon went out for an early morning paddle board at low water. Too have a good look at the rocks. We had to wait until the tide was up to exit

It is a beautiful spot.

We spent two nights in a lovely little spot on Hunter Island.

Jim and I have been here before and really liked walking on the “lovely little tombolo” as described in the book “ Cruising the Secret Coast” by James and Jennifer Hamilton.

We were not able to go about on the skiff this time. Sharon decided to try the stand up paddle board as a Kayak with the seat.

When she came back to Phoenix Hunter she had a little difficulty getting from the sitting position of the kayak to the swim step of the big boat. Usually she was in a standing position. And she fell in the water. That was exciting! She easily got back on the paddle board and climbed on the swim step. But was pretty wet – and a wet phone ! All was well in the end and the phone seemed to survive. Thank goodness the phone survived !

We have had a couple of nice days traveling to the next couple of anchorages.

The next anchorage was an unnamed spot that Jim was told about from William Kelly one of the authors of a book called “ Anchorage’s of the Inside Passage” by Anne Vipond. It was a very pretty little spot.

This little sailboat was anchored up when we arrived and about an hour after we got there they hauled anchor and left. Around one o’clock in the afternoon. We were a little worried we chased them off. Jim chatted with them as they left. They said we didn’t cause them to leave but they were surprised to see another boat come in to the bay.

I went out for a little kayak tour of the anchorage. I was a little worried I might fall in after Sharon’s adventure the day before !

We really liked this quiet little anchorage. It was on the west side of Campbell Island. There were 3 little stream coming into the bay. Flat calm for paddling about. We spent only one night here and on to the next stop – Klemtu

I seem to be falling behind a bit. I will try to catch up.

We spent two days in Pruth Bay. It was grey and cool and a bit drizzly off and on. And the skiff is not working at all !

We were anchored nice and close to shore that we could paddle in to the dock.

I was in the bow singing – My Paddle is Keen and bright – Flashing with silver. And enjoying the ride. Fortunately it was only 12 minutes to the dock.

We stayed two nights. We all went for a nice walk on West Beach.

Sharon and I went for a big long hike up to the Look Out the second day. It was a little grey and overcast but not raining.

A much easier trail than Codville Lagoon.

There are some small ponds at the top and it looks very much like a Japanese garden

There are waterlilies that grow in the ponds and the small plants around the pond are like little bonsai plants

We saw two different planes come in for a landing to the Hakai Foundation dock while we were at anchor

After Ocean Falls we went back to Codville Lagoon in hopes of getting some prawns. And also plans for Sharon and I to walk to Sagar Lake. it is a moderate to difficult 1.2 km hike from the lagoon to a lovely little lake with golden sand.

The skiff did not start. Well…. It sort of started but wouldn’t stay running. So we certainly could not put out any prawn pots. So that was a bit of a disappointment.

But we were close enough to shore that we could down in to the head of the trail. Jim dropped Sharon and I off for the walk. I recalled it being fairly difficult and certainly too challenging for Jim with his bad hip.

We didn’t take a lot of photos along the trail because we were too busy climbing up and down ! There was one spot along the trail that there used to be a rope to assist. The rope is not there now. If we ever go back I will remember to bring some rope. It was really needed !

The other thing we did at Codville Lagoon – paddle board!

Sharon bought an inflatable stand up paddle board / kayak for the boat.

I opted for the kayak option. It has an attachable seat. It worked great !

Sharon took her camera along and took a few photos.

Next stop back to Pruth Bay.

After a night in Shearwater we headed up to Ocean Falls for two nights – to refill the water tanks and do a couple loads of laundry. And maybe get some crabs.

Lots of laundry was done ! Most of the time we were there it rained. The typical “liquid air” of Ocean Falls as Jim likes to call it.

Sharon and I went for a walk to Link Lake one day. Most of the walk it just drizzled off and on so it was a nice walk.

Link Lake is a very large lake that was created by the dam which was finished in 1923. It is over one hundred years old.

We met up with Bob and Lois again and had a great Happy Hour visit. Jim was able to put down the crab with Bob in his dinghy. We picked them up with the big boat the morning we left.