Prince Rupert Lay Days

After days of steady miles, we gave OceanFlyer a rest and set out to reacquaint ourselves with Prince Rupert—and knock out a few boat chores. First up was laundry, then a stroll through town.

The Saltwater Bakery was our first stop, but by the time we arrived the sourdough and multigrain loaves were gone. Lesson learned—we promised ourselves a return visit at opening tomorrow. Wandering further, we admired murals of whales and bears splashed across buildings, lunched on fresh halibut at Dolly’s Fish Market, and browsed Rupert Meats and a handful of quirky shops. Two chandleries rounded out the walk, including Pacific Net & Twine where a Bauer Sea prawn pot caught my eye. Our collapsible version has been nothing but trouble—broken spring on its first use this trip—so the Bauer trap looked like a serious upgrade. Dinner plans at the tiny Fukasaku sushi house fizzled (booked a week out), but Opa Sushi filled the gap perfectly.

Day two was about business—and bread. We hit Saltwater Bakery right at opening and scored still-warm sourdough and multigrain loaves, plus croissants that didn’t survive the walk back to the boat. Two thumbs up.

Back at Pacific Net & Twine we sealed the deal on the Bauer prawn trap, complete with lead weights. From there, we rented e-bikes at The Outpost in the Atlin Building—part chore-hauler, part sightseeing machine. They weren’t silky smooth, but they had plenty of punch and made errands a breeze. Groceries from Safeway hung from the handlebars, followed by a detour to Seal Cove and a surprise hit of a Mediterranean lunch at Arabisk. Babaganoush and whipped ricotta with roasted tomatoes hit the spot.

Karen had tracked down a pop-up corn stand on Facebook, so six fat ears joined our dinner plans. A stop at the liquor store rounded out the provisioning before we returned the bikes.

Dinner at the Crest Hotel’s Waterfront Restaurant, on Navigator’s recommendation, was the day’s capstone: lamb rack for me, chicken stuffed with mango, brie, and spinach for Karen, and sticky toffee pudding shared between us. Back aboard OceanFlyer, we settled into a quiet, satisfied evening—well-fed, well-provisioned, and ready for the miles ahead.