day 5 – Cordero Channel to Turnour Island (Lo50°35.8’L126°29.8’)

A late pancake breakfast and a 10:30 anchor raise. The skies were cloudy, and the wind was cold today, a different flavour of weather for the Captain and crew. We travelled north of West Thurlow Island and into Chancellor Channel, where the Captain was steely-eyed enough to spot a small black bear onshore at the mouth of a river. From there we were briefly visited by dolphins in Wellbore Channel and Sunderland Channel, north of Hardwicke Island. We were forced to make a brief foray into Johnston Strait, a major shipping lane with potential for high waves. Our 12 nautical miles or so in the strait were relatively calm and solitary, but we did lose a Jolly Roger towel to the winds and the waves. Arrrr! Heading north as soon as possible, we entered Havannah Channel between East Cracroft Island and the mainland, then Chatham Channel, then through “the blowhole” south of Minstrel Island. The sun was turning a deeper shade of red as we coursed through Clio Channel, and we anchored in a bay on the Karlukees Reserve on Turnour Island. The broken glass and shell beach which surrounds us holds a marine ghost-town of sorts, an abandoned house and barn, sheds, and dock pilings. A special, almost sacred spot to spend the night.

day 4 – Cortes to Cordero Channel (Lo50°26.7’L125°28.5’)

At the crack of dawn the crew was awake. As silent as thieves in the night, the boat was untied and the motors fired up, leaving behind Cortes Bay in the rising sun. The crab trap provided nothing but 2 small souls to throw back to the deep. The prawn trap, however, collected 20 bright eyed contributions to tonight’s dinner. In celebration, two members of the crew were ceremoniously awarded their red toques. A quick stop in Squirrel Cove for ice, veggies, bread, beer and propane and we headed off for the day’s journey through Lewis Channel, Calm Channel, and Cordero Channel. We passed some pretty big fishing and wilderness resorts near Big Bay on Stuart Island. The Rapids of Yuculta and Dent, and the legendary spot known as Devil’s Hole were calm today, but their potential to get gnarly with spring run-off and prevailing winds was appreciated by Captain and crew. After rounding the northern tip of East Thurlow Island, we settled into a small, unnamed Bay tucked into the British Columbia mainland. Anchor down into 10 feet of water so clear you could see the bottom, and so cold it could take your breath away. Captain caught his crew 4 cod in about half an hour from the dinghy, then proceed to scale and fillet them for us too. Thankfully the horseflies, who swarmed us when we arrived, temporarily invaded the ship, then endured quite a battle for territory, finally left us in peace. A calm night in cold waters.