The outflow winds were calm last night, our anchor didn’t budge while we slept soundly. We somehow squeezed a decent breakfast out of our dismal provisions, then set off for Zeballos up Esperanza Inlet. The seas were eerily calm today – a mirror-like finish was dotted with bloated kelp heads. Each dolphin fin, seal head, and fuzzy-otter-face-with-back-feets-sticking-out presented as a stark black image against a shimmery blue background. Light winds, sunny skies, another dreamy day. After a few hours we joined company with more and more fishing boats, then rounded the south side of Catala Island and cruised south of Outer Black Rock & Middle Reef. We entered Gillam Channel and into Esperansa Inlet. We took a quick jaunt up Espinosa Inlet where Arrrrmin, now back into his home waters, knew exactly where to SCUBA dive to fetch us a huge create full of scallops. And then we motored up into Zeballos Inlet, where at the very end where the river meets the sea we arrived at the home village of 2 of the crew. Zeballos is a quaint little place, sprinkled with structural remnants of a more booming time in the late 1930’s when there was a gold rush here. Now there is a sardine processing facility on the dock, and it would like to become an eco-tourism and fishing destination. There is a local community centre and museum. Commercial fishing & logging have died out for the most part - Western Forest Products moved out a few years ago, and took the industry with them. Our favourite part of Zeballos, though, were the warm showers and laundry facilities at Armin & Julie’s heritage storefront house. And, the most delicious scallops ever! JP will be sleeping onland tonight, which means Cap’n Adam and his first mate have the boat (and the sardine plant) to themselves tonight. Tomorrow, the 3 remaining crew will continue their journey, destined for Nootka and Clayoquot Sounds.
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