Inside Passage the Discovery Islands

An Exercise in Patience

Thursday, April 23, 2015TheCambrians

Today we’re anchored in Forward Harbour, not far from Johnstone Strait, and are feeling the effects of an approaching frontal system and a 996 MB low that’s moving down from Haida Gwaii.  We hope to continue north later this morning but, for now, we’re stuck . . . again.

It’s not surprising. It is spring, after all.  The Pacific High’s fighting for dominance and the weather’s unsettled.  That will change, and soon we’ll be able to carry on.  If not today, then tomorrow.  The disappointing news is that the weather window we were chasing, the one that would’ve taken us beyond Vancouver Island this weekend, has closed.  And we both know it might be another week before the next one opens.

Making your way up the Inside Passage is an exercise in patience, regardless of the time of year.  And after three weeks, we’re only 210 miles (as the crow flies) north of Seattle.  But we have more important things to think about right now: We have to find an anchorage with good protection from the southeastern quadrant.

The forecast is for winds to reach 35 knots in Johnstone Strait on Sunday and 40 knots in Queen Charlotte Strait, which could easily mean 40 to 50 knots.  That gives us a few options:  We could run up to Port Harvey and wait it out.  We could tuck into one of the well-protected anchorages inside the Broughtons group.  Or we could make the run up to Blunden Harbour, putting more miles behind us and positioning ourselves for the jump around Cape Caution; but that would also put us closer to the brunt of the storm.

If the weather doesn’t clear today, which it’s beginning to look like it won’t, we still have two days to make a decision and move.  For now, though, we wait . . . and then we’ll wait some more.


“Rivers know this: there is no hurry.  We shall get there some day.” – A.A. Milne 

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