Port mcNiell to Hartley Bay

We took a few days at Port McNeill to refuel, stock up on groceries.  The girls went to Alert Bay to look at totem poles and local native history.  They took the ferry over, while John and I caught up on some maintenance.

We were also waiting for weather to cross Cape Caution.  This is a 40-mile crossing of open ocean and it can get nasty.  It turned out our crossing was awesome!  Smooth crossing.

We stay at Pruth Bay which is very protected and has a marine research center.  There are nice beached on the west side and you get the mighty Pacific crashing into the rocks!  Our path north would be protected until we cross Dixon Entrance in about a week.  The next stop was Shearwater.

We decided to side tie to Pairadice.  Little did we know.  That night we had 40mph+ winds!  I woke up around 5 AM and saw we had dragged about 100 yards and we were still moving.  I started ASDs engines and that woke John up.  We were able to break ASD from Pairadice from each other.  I managed to motor back to the anchorage and set in sticky mud.  Pairadice had issues.  His windlass had stopped working and it still had 50 feet of chain still out.  John had overheated the windlass.  After a tense 20 minutes, he was able to get it back up and he docked at Shearwater.  It scared all of us!

The next day we were off to Khotze (Koots).  This is one of our favorite anchorages as it was our crabbing grounds.  As soon as we set the anchor, pots went out.  The next morning are pots were full.  We now have fresh crab in the freezer.  This place is so beautiful.

The next place is Hartley Bay.  This is a small native village with a government dock.  Moorage and electric is free.  You may have to side tie to a commercial boat, but we got lucky and were able to side tie to Pairadice.  We are disappointed to learn that the fishing here has yet to start.  It was a beautiful day for a cruise.  If all goes well, we will be in Alaska in a about 5 days or so.

Here are a group of pictures.  They are not in order. something happened in the download.

Crab Dinner!

Big and sweet, this one tasted great with steak.

Our friends Pairadice

ASD and Pairadice at anchor in Khutze Inlet

Kay searching for Bigfoot

Nice and warm at 70f

Khutze Bay

ASD Reflections

Shearwater

Calm now but we didn't expect the wind later on.

At anchor in Shearwater

Heading up the "Inside Passage"

You called for a taxi?

Heading out to cross Cape Caution

Light house on Pine Island

Nice and smooth across to Northern B.C.  This crossing was awesome.  Normally we have beam seas,

Port McNiell

Light house just out side of Port McNeill.  Canada loves their light houses.  Wish the U.S. did the same

Alert Bay

Couldn't ask for better seas

These window are from a church on Alert bay, a native community

Kay took this picture.  I thought it was inspiring.

Old cannery on Alert Bay