Broughtons III and Home

 July 22-24, 2013, Cullen Harbor

Another fruitless day fishing for salmon in Well’s Passage.  At least I wasn’t alone as the other dinghy out with me got skunked also.  While fishing hundreds of gulls and rhinoceros auklets got into a feeding frenzy only a few hundred yards from where we were fishing.  The other boat and I continued trolling but headed to the frenzy in the hope salmon were pushing herring to the surface.  Just as we arrived, a humpback surfaced only about 50 feet from me – both awesome and scary.  As I turned to head back I was watching the other boat and the whale surfaced to breath only about 25 feet from him.  The man’s back was facing the whale when it surfaced.  When I went over to talk with him, the man told me that when he turned around to look at the whale he could see the tail fluke only about 6 feet away – too close for comfort.

The trip to Cullen Harbor was awesome!!!  About 100 Pacific white sided dolphins paced us for 4 – 5 miles as we went down Queen Charlotte Strait.  Most would stay off to the side but periodically one to several would break off and come over to ride our bow or wake.  We took hundreds of pictures and lots of movies.  Finally we had to break it off as we were in danger of running into land. 

Pacific white-sided dolphins riding Hobbits bow wave

Note Hobbit’s reflection in the photograph

Dolphin jumping beside Hobbit

Clearly the boating season has arrived.  The peace and isolation of past visits was gone – there were already six boats anchored as we entered Cullen Harbor.  This after 3 nights without seeing another boat in Carter Passage and only one other boat last night at Dickson Island.

A key reason for coming back to Cullen Harbor was so that I could take advantage of the really low spring tides and go tidepooling in the two entries to Booker Lagoon and in the islets in Queen Charlotte Strait.  Linda had not been coming with me because both pairs of her boots leaked.  After looking at the situation closely, we discovered that the leak was in the right boot on one pair and the left boot on the other.  Voila, problem solved.

Linda with 2 boots that don’t leak in front of Booker Passage Inukshuk

After tidepooling, I went fishing for salmon and ling cod: Got skunked on the salmon but did manage to get another nice ling and one rockfish a day (my limit) which Linda enjoyed fixing for dinner.

Wally “tidepooling” in Booker Passage

A nice ling cod and copper rockfish caught outside Cullen Harbor

July 25 -26, 2013, Hanson Island, Sprout Bay

I hardly ever go out tide pooling when I don’t find something new.  This has been particularly true for the area around Cullen Harbor. Yesterday I saw my first creeping pedestal sea cumber, Psolus chitonoides and today I saw my first stalked jelly, Haliclystus stejnegeri.  These in addition to different species of crabs and fish.  Whenever we’re in the Broughtons during a spring tide cycle, I hope we can plan to be in Cullen Harbor.

Departing Cullen Harbor was sad for both Linda and me.  Our time in the Broughtons is nearing an end and we have to meander towards Port McNeill for water and groceries before heading home on the 28^th.  Leaving Cullen Harbor I tried one last time for a ling cod but only caught 4 rockfish of which I had to let 3 go and a small greenling.  Tonight’s destination is Hanson Island where I hope I can take the dinghy out for salmon fishing.

Sprout Bay is off Blackfish Sound and is fairly protected.  Nevertheless, there was a near constant gentle swell where we anchored and the pleasing background sound of the swell hitting the rocks and wind blowing through the trees.  We also had an interesting parade of cruise ships passing up and down the inside passage taking people to Alaska.

It was too windy to fish when we arrived, but first thing in the morning I went out in the dinghy and managed to catch two salmon: One Coho and one pink.

Stalked jelly, Haliclystus stejnegeri, from small cove in secondary Booker Passage

Giant acorn barnacle, Balanus nubilus (4-5”across) and unidentified sea anemones

Grunt sculpin, Rhamphocottus richardsonii, (about 2” long) that mimics the giant acorn barnacle and lives in their empty casings.

Creeping pedestal sea cumber, Psolus chitonoides, and 

several black brooding sea cucumbers, Pseudocnus curatus (about 1” long)

July 27, 2013, Port McNeill

As I looked out on Blackfish Sound from Hobbit, the water looked fairly peaceful and there was certainly not much wind.  Nevertheless, when I got out of the bay, the swells were already 1 – 2 feet and I could see white caps in the distance.  No fishing today.

During our trip to Port McNeill the wind got stronger and the waves higher.  By the time we arrived, my anemometer was showing 24 kts. gusting 32 and the wind waves were 3 – 4 feet.  Hobbit was getting drenched with the salt spray coming over the bow.  Port McNeill was already packed with boats because the wind was stopping people from leaving.  They offered me a spot well into the marina where I would have to make a 90 degree left turn then pass two other boats in a finger.  As soon as I slowed to idle speed and headed in, I knew I couldn’t control Hobbit and backed out with nearly full throttle.

My expectation at this point was that they weren’t going to have a spot for me and I was prepared to go across the bay and anchor with the other dozen boats which had already chosen this option.  Not something I looked forward to in high winds.  Fortunately, they came up with another spot which didn’t require maneuvering in tight quarters.  For this spot we put out all our fenders out on the port side then I put Hobbit parallel to the dock about 30 feet out and just let the wind push us in.  Soon after we tied up we had a surprise visit from Jack and Jean Rothrock who were tied up at the adjacent marina.

July 28, 2013, Port Neville

What a difference a day makes!!!  We woke this morning to a light breeze of about 5 kts. which subsided to near calm soon after we departed.  Near Telegraph Cove we finally got a glimpse of the Johnstone Strait Orcas – 6 of them.  Their actions were not too spectacular, but it was still nice seeing them.

By about 4:00 the wind had picked up considerably; 18 kts gusting 25 along with 2 – 3 ft. wind waves.  Fortunately everything was on our stern so the ride wasn’t too bad.  Unfortunately we couldn’t get away from the wind in Port Neville and Hobbit swung too and fro and there was a constant clanging of the halyards against the mast until long after we went to sleep.

July 29, 2013, Gowlland Harbour

It was clear as a bell at our anchorage but thick fog greeted us as we left Gowlland Harbour and edged into Johnstone Strait.  The fog stayed with us as we entered Race Passage near the Vancouver Island shore.  Clearly there is a massive eddy because we had 2 kts. against us when the charts said we would have 3 – 4 kts. with us.  As I moved further from shore the current did shift and pushed us along.

Going through Seymour Narrows hadn’t been in our plan, but we determined that if we anchored for 3 hours we could then catch a slack and pass through a day early. While anchored in Plumper Bay, just a couple of miles from the Seymour Narrows, I went fishing.  Salmon fishing was almost impossible because the current was close to the dinghy’s trolling speed.  Fortunately I brought along a bottom fishing rod and started drifting in high current very close to a vertical wall that dropped into very deep water.  I lost one fish which was really enormous; I never saw it, but it put a huge bend in my heavy rod and took out line whenever it wanted to. As a conciliation prize, I did get a small ling.

Passage through the Seymour Narrows was a “no never mind” as the current waned, and we anchored in Gowlland Harbour.

July 30 – 31, 2013, Drew Harbor, Rebecca Spit Marine Park

Leaving Gowlland Harbor the current pushed us along at an amazing sustained speed of more than 12 kts.; this is one area where you really have to plan your trip around the current. We stopped at the south end of Quadra Island to join a large number of boats in the pursuit of  salmon.  I had a nice one on for a while then the line broke costing me both the salmon and my favorite buzz bomb which I had used for most of the 25 salmon I caught in Alaska in 2011.

Our first trip to Drew Harbor which is part of the Rebecca Spit Marine Park.  What a beautiful place!  Linda and I are certain to come back here in the future.  The park is reminiscent of Spencer’s Spit but with trees and lots of areas for picnicking.  Just as we were about to drop the anchor we spotted Peijac at anchor and Jack and Jean Rothrock just leaving in their dinghy.  I sounded the horn, they came over, we ended up rafting to Peijac, then took a very pleasant walk along Rebecca Spit where Linda and Jack collected some decorative driftwood.

A walk on the beach at Rebecca Spit Marine Park

Next morning both Hobbit and Peijac headed back to the south end of Quadra Island for some salmon fishing.  Few fish were being caught and the Rothrocks headed towards Desolation Sound.  I caught one nice coho then lost a second when the line broke.  We had planned to continue on to Comox but decided to stay and use one of our “weather days” to fish. 

August 1, 2013, Comox

More than 25 years ago Linda and I made two trips to Campbell River to fish for salmon around the south end of Quadra Island.  One year we rented a small aluminum skiff and one year we brought our own.  On the second trip we came with my parents, our daughter, Melinda, and my nephew and niece,  Mark and Meredith.  These two trips got us into boating; first with Magic Medicine, then with Hobbit.  In the following years we explored many places but for some reason we never went back to Quadra Island to fish. I don’t know  why. 

Today was the best day of fishing I’ve had outside of Alaska – the total catch was four salmon (Coho and Chinook).  Unfortunately, my line broke 3 times which cost me not only the fish but my lure and dodger as well.  I don’t know what the problem was: old line, the slip weights, or the way the line was attached to the downrigger.  For our next trip I will at least have new line and downrigger releases.

A limit of Chinook and Coho salmon

A key reason for stopping at Comox was to purchase 12 pounds of Canadian butter which Linda considers superior to anything she can buy in the U.S. 

August 2, 2013, Shelter Cove

Today’s goal had been Nanaimo, but the swells in the Strait of Georgia were running 2 – 3 feet by noon and we just wanted to get off the water.  Shelter Cove is a pretty little place with condos and a large marina.  The Shelter Cove Yacht Club has a reciprocal with the NYCE which made the stop even more enticing.

August 3, 2013, Nanaimo

A short trip over calm waters to the Nanaimo Yacht Club’s dock where we tied up using reciprocal moorage.  Linda spent the afternoon with her watercolor friend, Liz Youssef, while I stayed on Hobbit and did a myriad of chores.

Linda and Liz Youssef

August 4, 2013, Irish Cove

An uneventful trip through the Dodd Narrows then to Winter Cove, our normal stopping place for the last night in Canada.  Unfortunately, this is a 3-day holiday week-end in Canada and Winter Cove had by far the most boats in it we’ve ever seen there.  Rather than drop the anchor in a crowed cove, we tried out the adjacent Irish Cove.  The downside of Irish Cove is that you can’t go to shore because the island is all privately owned and posted.  The upside is that you have a feeling of being somewhat remote and more isolated.

August 5, 2013, Friday Harbor

Departing Irish Cove was almost painful as it meant we were leaving Canada.  I just had to try for ling cod one last time and stopped by the last point of land on our way out.  Unfortunately, all I caught was a copper rockfish, but at least that’s Linda’s favorite. 

After clearing customs we were amazed to see a dockside reciprocal open up and made the decision to stay for the night rather than go somewhere and anchor.  We decided to treat ourselves to dinner at one of the nicer restaurants but were, unfortunately, disappointed with the mediocre quality of both food and service.

August 6, 2013, Shelter Bay

We woke to thick fog which delayed our departure. Sitting on Hobbit we were having unkind things to say about the Rock Island Internet site used by the Port of Friday Harbor because we had 4 or 5 bars and couldn’t get on online with the computer, both cell phones, or the iPad.  The fog lifted mid-morning and we headed towards Anacortes and the Swinomish Channel because timing was totally off for Deception Pass plus there was a small craft advisory for the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. 

Unfortunately, Rosario Strait was socked in with fog which reduced visibility to ¼ mile or less.  This didn’t cause us too much problem other than I spent much of the crossing with my head buried in the radar.  It also didn’t make many of the 25 – 35 foot boats which didn’t have radar slow down – they would come out of the gloom and pass by us leaving their unwelcomed wake.

Passing La Conner we tried to take advantage of an open spot on the reciprocal dock but decided against it after I found myself using full power inside the marina in both forward and reverse to turn Hobbit around – shades of Skagway.  The wind wasn’t a problem as in Skagway, but the current was significant.  We then tried Shelter Bay and I almost decided against docking there due to the wind.  Fortunately, one of the SBYC members was on the dock and helped us in.  Still, the wind made handling Hobbit difficult and Linda did a Herculean job of fending us off from the adjacent boat in the slip.  This makes our 8^th reciprocal of the trip and 4^th in the last 5 days.  Use of reciprocals paid for our Navy Yacht Club dues 3 or 4 times over.

Linda enjoying her favorite pastime

August 7, 2013, Naval Station Everett

Our big fear for today was fog in Shelter Bay.  Fortunately, there was none and we exited the cramped marina on a high tide which made maneuvering much easier.  Unfortunately, we didn’t stay fog free and entered a fairly thick fog (< ¼ mile visibility) at Saratoga Passage.  It took both of us to keep the voyage safe: Linda kept her head buried in the radar and advised me of conflicting boats while I navigated and watched out for logs. 

As usual, we found the Everett skyline discouraging as it meant that our time on the water was at a close and what we have to look forward to is innumerable chores at home.

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