Day 30 - Blind Channel to Walsh Cove (West Redonda)

Another hot and sunny morning. We hoisted the anchor, and set out south through the Discovery Islands. The “Discovery Islands” are the group of islands at the north end of the Georgia Strait, so nick-named because of the major waterway (Discovery Passage) between them and Vancouver Island. Cortes, Quadra, East & West Redonda, Read, Maurelle, Sonora, Stuart, Raza, and East & West Thurlow are the biggest of them. Like most of the coastal communities, their populations are dwindling as society shifts to more urban centres. But because they are so much closer to the major centres of Vancouver & Victoria, the amount of boating traffic increases quite dramatically when compared to the Broughtons and what are referred to by the locals as the “mainland islands” (Hardwick, the Cracrofts, and the smaller islands nestled amidst the coastal mainland). We are no longer in the remote wilderness.

Our original destination was going to be Big Bay on Stuart Island. But as we passed through the tidal rapids in Cordero Channel, the water was so whirly and fast that all Cap’n Adam could do was barely keep out of the back eddies while trying to avoid the huge logs which were being thrown around like toothpicks. Forget about trying to cross the channel and stop in the bay on the other side. At one point, our net speed was 13 knots, which means that the current was carrying us at more than twice the speed that Thunderpussy can travel on her own volition. On flat water with no current, she can travel about 6 knots. If we had been trying to go north instead of south today, we would have been going at -1 knot (ie backwards). This was the limits of Cap’n Adam’s comfort level – as always he handled it like a pro, but we both breathed a sigh of relief when we got to the other side.

Our revised destination became March Cove Provincial Marine Park on West Redonda Island. A lovely spot with about 6 other boats already anchored in it, we threw down the hook and tied a stern line to the shore. Our Wagoneer guide told us that there were pictographs to be found, so we went exploring in the dinghy and were not disappointed. Pictographs – old, OLD skool tagging before tagging was Hip-Hop. These ones were great – an image of the Spiritman, fish, dolphins, stick men. Some we were able to climb to and see up close, others were high enough that some sort of ladder must have been used to place them. There is something so haunting about viewing ancient street art. Love it.

The Spiritman. When we saw the native dancing at Alert Bay, they told us about his legend, and they even dedicated a dance to him. He is thought of as the spirit often seen on the beach, nervous of humans and best left to himself. Some think he represents the spirits of those who have crossed to the other side, some think he is the spirit of the medicine man. Others believe he may be an actual human or a medicine man, on a vision quest and on their own in nature. Others think it refers to what we know as Sasquatch, a real or spirit form two-legged creature that lives in the forest. Whatever he represents, he is one of the major spirits revered, together with the bear, the eagle, the orca, and the salmon. His image is made into masks, carved into totems, and as we saw today, painted in pictographs.

Day 29 - Port Neville to Blind Channel

We woke to a peaceful morning, with blue skies already visible through waffled clouds. Not sure if the weather system has simply changed, but I think more likely we have returned to the climate of southern British Columbia. We felt a change at about this same latitude on our trip up to the Broughtons – mornings became chilly, and we had to wait until noon for the clouds to burn off when we were “up north”. We definitely welcome the return of the sun. And the horseflies have turned back into mosquitos, too. Still undecided as to whether they are welcome or not.

We hit a bit of a snag when we tried to get going nice and early to take advantage of the current and tide for our second leg of the Johnstone Strait. Although Cap’n Adam had made a mental note of the GPS coordinates when we dropped the prawn trap, it was not where we had left it. Perhaps the current had dragged it, perhaps it got pulled out with the tide. We spent about an hour searching and cursing, hampered by the sun which was low in the sky creating a blinding (but lovely) reflection off of the water. We really did not want to abandon it since they are not cheap, and we had just bought it before we left. As we were beginning to discuss moving on, Cap’n Eagle Eye spied the small yellow float about 200 yards off of our bow. Thrilled, we raced toward it before we lost it again, and didn’t even care that there were no prawns in it when we hauled it back up.

With the wind at our backs we hoisted the geniker again, and travelled all the way to the end of the Johnstone Strait, where it turns into Discovery Passage. From there we headed east between East and West Thurlow Islands, and found a spot to drop the anchor just outside of Blind Channel Resort. Although this is a nice resort with a well stocked store and a fancy looking restaurant, there were plenty of pre-teens on loud sugar highs running around, which culture-shocked the heck out of us. So, back into the dingy and back to the catamaran to enjoy the last rays of the sun in peace.

As the sun dipped behind the mountains, we briefly witnessed one of the most special things I’ve ever seen out here on the coast. A momma harbour seal, so small she barely looked full-grown herself, hopped her way out of the water and onto a rock a few hundred feet from us. And then behind her, a tiny baby seal also flopped just far enough out of the water to reach her, and began nursing. It felt like the whole world just stopped, and we were privy to one of the most intimate moments I’ve ever seen. After a bit of time I snapped one picture, barely having time to focus, but my movement must have scared momma because she slid back into the water. I included that picture in this blog (the last pic), although it is not very clear, the light was not great, and I had to crop the picture, you can kind of make it out. But it doesn’t do the moment justice, which I felt more in my heart than I saw with my eyes. You’re right, Shannon, I need a better camera with a much better lens. :)