Orcas swimming in Nodales Channel looking toward Frederick Arm. This afternoon, we upped anchor and made way for Dent and Yuculta Rapids. Our goal was to be back by week's end for the Labor Day Beef Roast but, just in case we get delayed by weather, we said our good-byes to Nicholas, who will be leaving on Friday, and Bill, who won't be too far behind him. Our...
the Discovery Islands
the Inside Passage
Shoal Bay, East Thurlow Island
Sunday, August 29, 2010TheCambrians After leaving Loughborough Inlet Thursday morning, we motored back to Shoal Bay for a quiet evening and, what turned out to be, a busy weekend. Friday started off slowly with fog and showers in the morning but turned into a beautiful day, and we spent the afternoon on shore – me cleaning out the hen house and David fixing Mark's guitar. It was my first time in a...
The view from our anchorage in Sidney Bay. We left Shoal Bay yesterday morning and motored north through Greene Point Rapids and a few miles up Loughborough Inlet to Sidney Bay. Doug, a Shoal Bay regular, recommended the anchorage to us and we were eager to have a look. It's very nice here – nice and quiet. We're the only boat anchored in the bay and there are...
Music Festival
the Discovery Islands
the Inside Passage
Shoal Bay International Music Festival
Monday, August 23, 2010TheCambrians
The Morningstar Trio playing during a break in the rain. When we got back to Shoal Bay on Wednesday, it was very quiet and the dock was nearly empty excepting the locals – Blues Power, Silent Sam and Valhallah – leaving you with the feeling that summer's over. But that all changed and, by Friday afternoon, boats were rafted together three or four deep filling the air with a buzz...
Estero Basin We left Thurston Marine Park this morning for Frederick Arm, a mainland inlet up from Nodales Channel and only a few miles from Shoal Bay. Fredrick Arm itself is nothing special. The anchorage is open to inflow winds and there's a working logging camp littering the area with booms in the northwest corner: the real attraction is Estero Basin. The basin is accessed through “The Gut”,...
Johnstone Strait
the Discovery Islands
the Inside Passage
Campbell River to Thurston Bay Marine Park
Monday, August 16, 2010TheCambrians
Thurston Bay Marine Park We woke up Sunday morning to another day of thick haze in the air. The local marine forecast called for light and variable winds with smoke in all quadrants limiting visibility – it was going to be another hot day. With a job to do, we upped anchor and made our way south to Campbell River via Sutil Channel where the air was so...
A beautiful sunset in Von Donop Inlet thanks to the hundreds of fires burning in the interior. We're running low on provisions and need to make a run down to Campbell River to buy groceries so, after returning to Shoal Bay on Thursday, we said our good-byes and were off Friday afternoon to time our arrival at Dent and Yuculta Rapids for slack tide. We plan to be...
The Phillips River Yesterday, Kelly mentioned that Christina went out on a boat last week to Phillips Arm, a mainland inlet directly across from Shoal Bay, and up the Phillips River where she saw a grizzly bear and took some great photos. It wasn't an anchorage we'd previously considered as there isn't anything written about it in our cruising guides, but we were game and made plans to...
the Discovery Islands
the Inside Passage
Shoal Bay, East Thurlow Island
Tuesday, August 10, 2010TheCambrians
The new deck/stage I'm not sure how it happened. We weren't swayed, bamboozled, or guilted into it, but David and I spent the day helping build a large deck that will second as a stage for the upcoming music festival on Mark's property. He's just that kind of guy. The type that you want help out. And Shoal Bay is that sort of place – one you want...
the Discovery Islands
the Inside Passage
Shoal Bay, East Thurlow Island
Monday, August 09, 2010TheCambrians
The view from Shoal Bay Lodge looking up Phillips Arm. My favourite anchorages have a story to tell, as is the case with Shoal Bay. In the late 1800’s it was the most populated place on the coast, supporting 5000 inhabitants, and home to a thriving gold mining industry, logging camp, and fishing fleet. The incorporated town was located along the waterfront where there's a 600 foot pier...
Johnstone Strait
The Broughtons
the Inside Passage
Leaving the Broughtons Behind
Saturday, August 07, 2010TheCambrians
Port Neville looking out to Johnstone Strait As it turns out, our next move was south to Desolation Sound and better weather. Everyone has their breaking point and, I'm afraid, I reached mine. The Broughtons are a place to be enjoyed at a distance while travelling its jumbled waterways: the wild and steep shorelines are uninviting, as is the weather, and it's time to move on. We left...
The view from Crease Island. The new high-pressure hose arrived this morning after being delayed when the delivery truck broke down en route yesterday, but we're back on track after a quick installation and are on our way again. We're both ready to head south to warmer waters and, hopefully, sunnier skies but have yet to enter the marine park proper so we left Port McNeill for Crease...
The U'mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, Cormorant Island. Today we took the ferry to Alert Bay to tour the village and museum. The U'mista Cultural Centre was born under extraordinary circumstances. In 1921, a large potlatch was held on nearby Village Island where forty-five people were arrested. Potlatches are social occasions given by a host to establish or uphold his position in society, usually marking a significant...
As it turned out, we did decide to extend our stay in Port McNeill for a while. The auto-parts store in town was able to help us with the water maker. In fact, they made up a temporary replacement high-pressure hose for David on the spot Thursday afternoon prompting us to brag about how easy the fix had been to some friends before actually trying to install the...
