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| Queen Charlotte City docks |
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| Phil and Stacey at Copper Beech House |
Haida Gwaii
On a calm July morning at 3am we departed Prince Rupert in the dark for the very intimidating Hecate Strait, and Rose Spit shallows at the entrance to the Haida Gwaii Islands. Hard to imagine the Haida people making this same crossing in dugout canoes with no GPS or Radar! From the little harbour at Sandspit we crossed over to Queen Charolotte City marina where we tied the boat off and drove north to the old town of Masset. At the Copper Beech House we were greeted by our host Chelsea, and settled in for a hiatus from the ocean winds. This is writer Susan Musgrave’s house as evidenced by her prolific writing collection and eclectic artistic decor. Every object from Haida bentwood boxes to plastic headless dolls adorned the walls. With fellow travellers Phil and Stacey from Prince George, we were treated to one of Chelsey’s gourmet salmon dinners, and entertained with stories of poet/writer Stephen Reid’s bankrobber days. A memorable hike up the Towhill Trail led us on a winding boardwalk up to an amazing view of Rose Spit with its ribbon of white sand beach on either side. Packing up after an early breakfast we met the great lady herself, Susan Musgrave, sharing anecdotes and stories like the wonderful storyteller she is.
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| Gwaii Hanas National Park |
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| Haida Village Longhouse beams |
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| The Watchkeeper's House |
Back on Chantey V the stage was set for the passage south to Gwaii Hanas National Park, where we anchored off Skedans. Entering by dinghy at the village site, our ‘Watchkeeper’ Jessica, a Haida native, toured us through the historic moss-carpeted village. Once almost thirty longhouses and more than fifty frontal and mortuary poles faced out to sea. Today the totems are decaying in the grass and the grounds are eerily silent, but the spiritual quality of the forest and an almost mystical quality pervades the site. “How’aa Setlana”, our Watchkeeper called out as we said goodbye…I believe it translates ”Blessing of the Gods”. We visited two other villages on route, K’uuna Llnagaay and SGang Gwaay, a Unesco World Heritage Sight. A hurricane had ripped through SGang Gwaay in 2018 and unfortunately much of the site had been devastated. Before departing Gwaii Hanas we spent two nights at Rose Harbour, an old whaling station. A wee guest house made of cedar planks and clay bricks from the whaling station lies nearby. Natalie took our lines and welcomed us to join her and a kayak tour group for a homemade dinner from her lush garden. Gooeyduck ravioli and salad. Surprisingly tasty! Late that evening we got a knock on the stern. It was Natalie with a gift of yam fries and red pepper jam. A little Haida Gwaii hospitality!
Gale force winds had passed over as we lay hunkered down in Rose Harbour, so with a break in the rain and winds, we decided to get outta Dodge and brave an overnighter across Queen Charlotte Sound to Vancouver Island, an overnight passage 170 NM south.
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| Rose Harbour whale bones |
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| Bradys beach |
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| Soaking at the Hot Springs Cove |
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| Anchored at Friendly Cove |
The residual seas from the gale lingered and made for a very rolly slog across the sea with 2 meter swells, often referred to as the 'Washing Machine Effect!' We sailed a virtual straight course with one jibe into Winter Harbour the following afternoon. The Royal Victoria YC Central Coast cruise was on and much of the fleet had turned homeward in the face of inclement weather. But one boat had weathered the storm and gone over the top. As we strolled the rickety wooden boardwalk, Barbara and Brian Dodsworth on MV Tanguer sidled up to the dock in Quatsino Sound later that day, and the Happy Hour was on! We spent an enjoyable few days travelling with our new-found mateys to Klashkish Basin and Walter’s Cove, Kyuquot. Here we made a run for it ahead of predicted gale force winds, and made a beeline inland in driving rain for the palapa bar at the marina dock of Tahsis, BC.
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Winter Harbour
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Barb and Brian's Nordic Tug Tanguay
Friendly Cove
Friendly Cove is noted for where Captains Vancouver and Quadra met in 1792 to sign the Nootka Convention and turn over their claim to the Pacific Northwest Coast, to England. The lighthouse keepers and the Mowachaht Band were indeed friendly as we explored the lighthouse, admired the stained glasswork commemorating the event in the church, and walk the beaches.
Hotsprings Cove
A day trip away in a pea-super fog we entered Hotsprings Cove and tied off at the dock in the sunshine. A frenzy of activity surrounded us as tour boats and float planes deposited tourists from Tofino, eager to have a Westcoast experience. The steaming pools at the end of the 2km wooden plank trail were crammed with pink, sunburnt bodies. But at 5pm the springs cleared as the holiday-makers headed for home. Along with our solo cruiser friend Scott on SV Danny Boy, we soaked up the theraputic waters and soothed our aging bones.
Tofino to Ucluelet and Bamfield home.
Sunny Tofino seemed like a bustling metropolis compared with the solitude of the tiny fishing villages we had been used to. The tourists were flocking to the restaurants and shops, and all manner of summer recreation was in full swing. Tied to the public dock downtown we awaited sister Mary's arrival at the bus depot for the final leg of the journey. Solo sailor Scott joined the welcoming party on board, and we settled in to enjoy the sights.
A short jaunt down the coast brought us into Ucluelet Small Craft Harbour. The Wild Pacific Trail was our destination for the day; a robust hike to the lighthouse with magnificent peek-a-boo views of the rocky coastline.
The delightful Broken Island group and of course Bamfield were next including a hike to our favourite Bradys Beach. But home was calling so we pushed off early in the morning mists for foggy Port Renfrew, and onward to Victoria. And so concluded a memorable three month voyage to the fiords of Alaska and the pastoral waters of the Pacific, and home again to our beloved Caddy Bay.
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| Our Alaska Voyage |
We left RVYC on May 8th and returned on August 10 for a total of 95 days for the voyage of 2,683 NM in 67 legs. We got a fairly even mix of good and bad weather which is the best you can hope for with an Alaska summer. The long days were a great help in dealing with the very large tidal ranges and getting under the bridges at Juneau and Sitka. Not a lot of sailing opportunities and we very happy to have the new Beta 38 engine installed by Ben Gartside earlier this year. All in all a great trip which we would highly recommend.
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