Princess Diana Cove, Patterson Inlet to Newcombe Harbour

Last night we were all alone at anchor again, and we were feeling a bit disconnected from the world. We had seen that the Canadian Coast Guard Vessel “Tanu” had been anchored in Anger Anchorage, not too far north of Patterson Inlet. We were hoping that she would still be there when we went by this morning, but no joy.  We suspect she anchored there to watch the last game of the Stanley Cup, and then motored off into the distance once the Vancouver Canucks lost!

We had a fast trip up to Newcombe, and I was at the helm, enjoying some smoking fast currents and dodging lots and lots of logs and drift in the channel.

Some of the flotsam that drifts by the boat is beautiful

Newcombe is a large anchorage, with some mudflats, but nothing as spectacular as Khutze or Culpepper Lagoon. Again, we weren’t terribly inspired to do much exploring. I had chosen this route to Price Rupert in lieu of Grenville Channel (aka, the “Ditch), thinking it would be prettier or more “extreme”.  Now I wonder if I made the right decision?

These two photos show the dramatic changes in the tides and what lies just beneath the surface

The rocks and the extensive mud flats reveal themselves at low tide

Dinner was more Pizza, with more Comedy Channel laughs and a few episodes of The Good Wife. A pleasant day.

Monckton Inlet to Princess Diana Cove, Patterson Inlet

The weather was somewhat improved, so we took off for our next destination in some wind and clouds. We had a nice ride up to Princess Diana Cove, which wasn’t very far away.  I had wanted to go into Buchan Inlet, but the Douglass book was vague about it and I had found little on the internet about it from other boats. There’s a very narrow section and some tight turns that would be tricky…and we didn’t feel much like being tricky today.

Some local signage, just in case you were wondering what inlet you're entering

Patterson Inlet also has a long and pretty entrance to the North Arm, which is informally called

Princess Diana Cove.  We anchored in 50’ of water again. Saw lots of gulls and some eagles. I would say that it wasn’t particularly inspiring in terms of dinghy exploration or kayaking. Perhaps we are just feeling a bit boat bound today.

We had grilled pork and sweet potatoes for dinner and then got some laughs watching Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on the Comedy Channel.

Monckton Inlet

I was up early – to find the promised rain and low clouds. I worked on updating our logbook while I waited for Bob to arise. We decided we were running ahead of our planned schedule, so we’d take a lazy day and spend it in Monckton.  We really did absolutely nothing!

We watched two movies, A Different Loyalty (with DiCaprio and Crowe), and Rumor Has It, which was kind of funny. We were lucky the owner of Alaskan Dream had a good DVD selection to keep us entertained.

Dinner was Bob’s excellent homemade pizza and some wine. It was a great day to just stay warm, look out at the rain, and relax.

Hawk Bay to Monckton Inlet

We woke to fog and low visibility. We couldn’t even really see out from the anchorage into the channel. We didn’t have that far to go today, and despite the fact that the forecast was for increasing winds, we decided to hunker down for a while and see if the weather and visibility improved any.

Somehow those lazy mornings get away from you!  We had decided we were going to leave about 2pm to catch the most favorable currents, and so we watched the movie Ronin (with Robert De Niro and Jean Reno, from 1998)to pass the time.  Just as we were leaving, the Nordhavn Feisty Lady came into the anchorage.  We gave him a call on the radio to let him know we were leaving, so that he could drop his hook close to us and get the best spot.

Visibility was somewhat improved, but as soon as we stuck our nose out of Hawk Bay we kind of realized how Squally Channel got its name. The wind and waves were on the beam, so we modified our course more towards Campania Island to get a more comfortable ride. Definitely a hand-steer passage rather than autopilot! The 49 is a solid boat, though, and between the stabilizers and the weight of the boat, the ride wasn’t uncomfortable. Visibility was up and down, and as the visibility cleared, we could see signs that a front was passing. Once we turned up into Otter Passage and then Principe Channel, the wind and waves were more on the stern, and we surfed our way up to Monckton Inlet, which is near the south tip of Pitt Island. We kept a sharp eye out for whales, but were skunked. We did see the Norwegian Pearl pass by well ahead of us.  Visibility continued to be inconsistent. Principe Channel is 4 miles wide at the south end, and Banks Island (4 miles across the Channel) was often totally obscured during our trip.

There is a long entrance into Monckton Inlet, but it also provides protection from the weather. We took the anchorage behind Roy Island, a nice flat-bottomed bay with some interesting islets to look at. We got the anchor firmly set in 50’ of water, and spent the evening all alone in the anchorage, watching the boat dance around due to the winds.  Two episodes of The Good Wife, and a great time was had by all. Forecast for tomorrow? Rain.

Khutze Inlet to Butedale to Hawk Bay, Fin Island

We were up early again to catch a favorable current to Butedale. It was overcast and not very nice out. Bob flaked the anchor chain as I brought it up, which seems to help avoid the anchor chain jams we’d had to wrestle with earlier in the trip. Preventive medicine works wonders!

Our friends on Zucchini had told us it was worth stopping at Butedale, even though it is a falling down mess of old cannery ruins. It sounded interesting, and the caretaker was reputed to be friendly and inventive. So off we went. As we approached, you could see what used to be a thriving settlement and cannery. There is a lovely large waterfall, and then the main area with all the buildings. On first approach, it was tough to see where the right dock was, but it came clear when we saw the gangway to shore.

"Welcome" to Butedale

Butedale is a mixture of collapsed structures or soon to be collapsed structures

We were the only boat there, and as we were tying up to the docks which were sturdy but had no bull rails, just metal eye hooks. Cory the “new” caretaker came down to greet us. Cory is working as a caretaker with Lou, the longstanding Butedale caretaker, with hopes of taking over for Lou when we retires. Cory’s greeting party consisted of Burt the dog and Tiger the cat, a big orange male who was super friendly.

The dock is solid, despite your first impression. I've paid $1 a foot for a less sturdy tie

Cory took us on a great guided tour of Butedale – which was not only needed for the inside information about what we were looking at, but also to keep us safe. There is a lot of stuff that is falling down and not OSHA certified. “Enter at your own risk” signs made sense to me.

We saw the power plant, with the 2 turbines from 1939, and how they had it rigged to provide some electricity to the cookhouse where Cory and Lou live. We walked up to the “flume”, which Lou and a friend built several years ago when the old pipeline failed and water was needed to keep the power going. It is an engineering feat, that’s for sure. We then saw the two old houses that are rented out to the occasional kayaker or small boat captain, and the large warehouse that housed a makeshift bowling alley.

Cory leads the way into the power plant

The water from the lake arrives in the powerhouse and is controlled by this massive valve

All the force of the water now drives a small alternator

The handmade flume seems to spill more than it carries, but it works!

Butedale’s history was interesting, and it’s hard to believe that it was still running about 30-40 years ago. Time has certainly taken its toll. Lou and Cory do their best to hold back time, but they hope for a new owner (Butedale is for sale) to infuse the place with cash and dreams.

One of the many buildings whose fate is undeniable

We're standing at the end of the warehouse that abuts the shore. The open end is falling into the sea.

The makeshift bowling alley

“I know I put it here someplace in the warehouse”

Each day, a little more is reclaimed by Mother Nature

Cory ended the tour at the cookhouse. We met Lou, who was making and then enjoying his breakfast, and we saw lots of old pictures of Butedale before it started to decay. Apparently, when it was abandoned, the lights were left on, so it was a true ghost town. Cory said fishermen used to tie up and take showers because the boilers were left working as well – at least they worked for a while.

The cook house, home to Cory and Lou, keeps warm with 100 cords of wood a year

Lou is a character. He and Cory get their provisions from Kitimat, and they have a great story about losing the engine on Christmas Day on their way up Douglas Channel, and having to wait in 5’ seas for the Coast Guard auxiliary to rescue them, as the Coasties had to be roused from their Christmas plans to come to work!

Lou does some really cool carving art, and we bought a nice one of a killer whale. We enjoyed our time at Butedale, and think it’s definitely a worthwhile stop. Plus, it was good to stretch our legs, we were feeling a bit boat-bound!

Lou at work in his artists studio

Lou is very skilled in his craft

A photo of Butedale in its prime

Back in the boat, we headed north. I worked on blog updates, while Bob helmed. After about an hour or so and following a great lunch of meatloaf sandwiches, we traded spots. Bob took a nap while I enjoyed helm duties on an overcast but calm day. Even Wright Sound was peaceful and flat as we made our way to Hawk Bay.  At one point, I saw a pleasure boat go by… it was the same boat from last night’s anchorage. I was pleased to see it heading at full tilt boogie to a different destination from ours, white wake flying from the boat as it went by.

Just us and the grand Pacific Northwest

We knew Hawk Bay was just a place to sleep, and were not expecting much in the way of scenery. We were right. There was a bottom sampling barge in the bay, but it was otherwise empty and we dropped the hook and settled in about 5pm.

Dinner was curried chicken salad and Bob’s homemade drop biscuits, and an early night.