OOPS! - I Lied!!

Okay...so I said we'd be away from wifi/cell coverage for 3 – 4 weeks. That was the plan.....but here I am, one week later, and I'm blogging from Qn Charlotte again. So here's the last week, with the explanation.

Last Thursday, 27 June, was my last blog entry. That evening, we had the skipper of a local charter sailboat, “Piraeus”, over for some drinks and local knowledge. Billy was happy to oblige, and sails these waters frequently. It was well after midnight before we said goodnight.

Friday, 28 June, I hitchhiked to Skidegate to refill our propane tank, which was about half full, and wouldn't last the full 3 weeks it should. Rennie, a local liveaboard ex-mechanic/fisherman, gave us a 10 lb. Coho salmon and 2 very large crabs (he's very good at catching, and can't eat it all). 

Free Dinners - A Coho and 2 Crabs

We finally left the dock at 1230, bound for Skidegate Channel to the west coast. It is important here to catch the tide just right, as it is quite shallow on lower tides, has strong currents and several S-turns, and the current changes opposite direction in the middle. At 1400 we'd arrived off the east side of the cut – a bit early to start through, so we hove-to (stop the boat by backing the foresail with the mainsail drawing), and waited a half hour. We then transited the narrows just after the start of the last half of a rising tide. By 1630 we'd cleared the narrows and were motor-sailing into Dawson Harbour, about 8 miles west of the west side of the narrows, and at the entrance to the wide-open Pacific. We anchored about 3 miles into the inlet behind a small island, and found a peaceful anchorage. Of course, we had a salmon dinner from the coho given to us earlier. We managed to send out our first “SPOT Message” on our gps messager, to let Linda and Kathy know we were safe and where we were.

Saturday 29 June dawned a misty morning, but clearing. By 0900 we were sailing out of Dawson Harbour in a light southwest breeze, into Cartwright Sound and the open Pacific. There were big patches of kelp everywhere, so our course was quite convoluted as we wove around them on a Northwesterly course, passing between 2 small islands. 

Typical Rugged WestCoast of Haida Gwaii

Winds became light and variable, and we had to start motor-sailing again, staying a few miles offshore, as we could see white foam and breakers on rocks extending from several points of land, some of them extending quite a distance. By 1500 we were off Kindakun Point, which is the southern entrance to Rennell Sound, the largest Sound on Graham Island, and is also an automated weather station. We motorsailed the 10 miles into the Sound, and then turned south, to the end, in Shields Bay. Here we turned in between two small islands to find a beautiful little anchorage. It has no name on the chart, but has been nicknamed “Annie's Cove” by the authors of our Pilot Book. We liked it as well as Annie, for whom they named it. It would be very hard for any appreciable wind to find itself into this spot – we've decided to name it a 5 star anchorage. 

Annie's Cove Anchorage

We had crab for dinner (of course), and over drinks, decided maybe we'd stay another day and have a go at fishing.

Sunday, 30 June, we woke up a bit late (0900), to an overcast sky, with poor visibility in light rain and fog. We raised anchor, and trolled for salmon along the east shore of Shields Bay until we were into Rennell Sound itself – but although we could see the fish on our sounder, none wanted our tasty-looking hoochies. So instead of staying here, we continued out of the sound to check out the next bay to the south – Kano Inlet. By 1600 we were back off Kindakun Point, and crossing into Kano Inlet. There is an island near the entrance, so we anchored inside Cadman Island in Kano, in Carew Bay.  A little bit of swell works itself into this spot, but it was nice, and also close to the outside for an easier departure southbound, in the morning. We barbecued a nice steak with baked potatoes, and called it an early evening.

Carew Bay Anchorage

Monday, 1 July – Happy Canada Day! We were up at 0700 and had the anchor up an hour later. With a sand bottom we decided to try jigging for halibut here, and Ray caught a small one ( a couple of pounds). Our fishing regulations book was non-specific about whether that size may be too small....it just says to check the DFO website for possession limits and sizes. That is a bit impractical for us out here, so we threw the fish back in, and motorsailed out to sea a few miles before turning south in light southwest winds. At 1215 we were off Tcenakum Point, the northwest end of Moresby Island, heading for our first anchorage on the south island. As we manoeuvred around a large kelp patch, we heard a big thump, and discovered we'd just discovered a large, mostly submerged log, which rolled under our keel and then thumped up on our rudder – at this point, we had limited steering, as the rudder post had bent, and I was only able to turn about 10 degrees either way. Using gradual turns, power, sails, and occasional drag in the water, we were able to turn back in toward Skidegate Channel, and eventually were anchoring in Dawson Harbour again. Unfortunately, the anchor was dragging....so we had to motor out to the middle of the bay, and discovered we'd picked up a HUGE amount of kelp and seaweed on the anchor and rode. It took us well over an hour to haul the line with our mainsail winch and cut off the weed, until it was all free. So instead of trying to re-anchor here, we carefully made our way out of Dawson and continued to another bay almost at the west end of Skidegate Channel, Armentieres Inlet. Here we were able to safely anchor. Using our friend Don Logan's technique of tying a clove hitch in the middle of a line, we were able to tie a long line onto the rudder, and led it forward and onto winches.....and then cranked – and cranked – and cranked. The tension created was able to rebend the rudder a little bit – it was now extremely stiff, and certainly not easy steering, but we had almost full turning ability if we used a bit of muscle power. 

 The Video is a short clip of a Lions Mane Jellyfish - common in these anchorages.

So next morning, Tuesday, July 2 (Happy Birthday, Linda!) we were able to get underway and traverse the cut yet again, but this time with limited manoeuvrability. We timed the tides very precisely, and waited in the middle for a short time to get it right. By 1010 we were clearing back into the east side of the channel, and making for Queen Charlotte again – the only possible place we might be able to get some repairs done. We were tied to the docks at 1215, and in no mood for cooking.....so we went to the cafe nearby, Queen B's, for lunch, and then investigated the use of the tide grid (it was available, and no charge!), and to get our tools and lines, equipment, ready for a repair job. There is a machine shop in town with facilities to rebend the shaft, but they advised they were too busy. I was able, though, to rent a chain haul from the tool rental outfit, and decided to have a go at it myself...so booked the grid for the next two days. We had to move the boat onto the grid that night, as the tide was only high enough to get on at 2145. For those of you who don't know what a grid is, it's a framework of posts which allow a boat to drive alongside, and onto wooden supports at high tide, and then wait for the tide to go out to work on the underwater parts of the boat. This we did. By 0500, low tide the next morning, we were able to get out and set up the chain haul with some carpet padding on the rudder and a block and tackle arrangement, and forced the rudder back to its original position. It worked! All bent back nicely, and I was able to epoxy some suspect cracks in the rudder, all before the tide started coming back in at 0830. Nothing we could then do but wait. So we walked to a local restaurant for breakfast, did some laundry, tried a walking tour of the town, and watched a movie about Haida Gwaii at the tourist office. By then it was 1500, with a receding tide again. We were able to clean and fair up the epoxy patches, scrub the water line area of the boat, and tidy up the tools and the boat, before the water started coming back in again.

Jade-1 On the Tide Grid, Qn Charlotte

 This time it is on the way to a higher tide which will lift the boat off the grid, and we can proceed back to the docks with full steering again. I am typing this blog entry following a simple supper of Shepherd's Pie, as we wait for the tide at 2230 tonight so we can do this. The plan is to leave here yet again, and head south to Gwaii Haanas. This time we will be going down the east side of the island, as the forecast winds are for very strong northwesterly conditions for several days – too rough for the west coast, but good for continuing on the east side and then inside. So again, I'm predicting we'll be out of wifi and cellular coverage for 3 – 4 weeks, and if all goes well, this time I'm not lying!