Klashkish Basin to Columbia Cove

No fog, no clouds this morning. A perfectly clear, cloudless sky greeted us as we prepared to more Alaskan Dream to Columbia Cove, several hours down the coast. We hauled anchor and left the crew of Nisku to enjoy the basin to alone.

The rounding of Brooks Peninsula can be fraught with disturbed seas. It is an area that deserves respect. Karen had read story after story of boats having to turn back due to weather. As we headed out along the North Side of Brooks, we took a lot of swells on the nose and slammed into the waves a bit. The good news was that the winds were only around ten knots. Depending on our course, the seas did give us some rolls as well because we took them more abeam than we have the past couple of days. But once around Solander Island, on a more easterly heading, things calmed down and continued to settle all the way to Columbia Cove.

The coastline scenery is ever changing

West coast of Vancouver Island geological layers

Columbia Cove is a three or four boat nook behind an island. It looks like it would be just an OK anchorage, but everyone writes it up as good in all winds. We tucked behind Protection Island, noting the fact that the cove was shallow, and we dropped anchor in 20 feet of water at close to high tide.

The entrance to Columbia Cove

I did do an anchor circle and saw depths as shallow as four feet under the keel. It’s always good to confirm where the thin water is and plan your anchoring accordingly.

Later in the day, I also put the bridle on and dropped another fifty feet of chain over the side. This helps ensure we do not move from our spot. With a low tide of plus 1.4 feet tomorrow morning, we’ll be seeing a lot more mud and rock. It’s good to know your boat will be safely away from those things.

Today Columbia Cove is picture perfect

As we were settling in, I spotted a black bear on the far shore. His was lumbering along the beach with an occasional side trip to grab some berries. We watched him for a good while, enjoying the sun shining on his black fur.

We explored the area in the dinghy, going around the entrance to check out the large beach (Shelter Shed #4) that faces the ocean. The breakers were too much to land the dinghy, but it was fun checking it out. We simply enjoyed the bright sunshine and being on the water.  The guidebooks say there is a “primitive” and “difficult” trail from our anchorage to this beach, but neither Karen nor I was in the mood to slug our way along an unmarked path.

I love the layering of light and life on every rock

The afternoon was without a breeze and the temperature rose into the 80’s. After trying everything we could to keep the saloon cool and comfortable, on came the generator followed by the air conditioning. Two of the units were not working, so all we could do was hold our own as the heat outside rose.  We watched some sea otters frolic in the cove, and kept an eye out for our friendly bear to no avail. It was a lazy, peaceful day. No other boats joined us.

Come evening and sunset, the temperature started to drop so we powered down the AC and settled in to enjoy my homemade pizza, Karen’s favorite food.

Another installment of season three of LOST rounded out our evening.

All in all, it was a very pleasant day of bright sun, with not a cloud to be seen from sunrise to sunset. Not your typical day in the Pacific Northwest.

Flank steak, caramelized onion with balsamic fig glaze pizza

Pamphlet Cove to Klashkish Basin

The clouds were at about 150 feet when I looked out of Alaskan Dream’s cabin in the morning. In other words, it’s a typical morning in the Pacific Northwest. This was expected, with the anticipation that the clouds would lift and burn off later in the morning.

Since we were so far up Quatsino Inlet, we decided to get underway right after I took my shower. We would use the two hours it would take to get back out to the ocean to make breakfast and for Karen to take her shower. Just after Karen finished her shower and pronounced herself ready for the day, we reentered the Pacific Ocean.

The clouds lifted quickly and the sun took control of the sky, burning off all the clouds and creating a brilliant morning. Of course, with the sun comes the wind. We found the wind to be only 10 knots out of the North/Northwest, and the persistent swells were 4-6ft. Both seas and winds were on our stern, the ride was pleasant. Our motion was up and down each swell, with a little surfing added to break the monotony.

The clouds lift to create a beautiful day

As we left Quatsino Sound we were greeted with the fleet of small fishing boats doing the salmon troll along the rocky shore.

There was not much to see along the way. We’d pick up a target or two on the AIS, but they were in the distance, either behind us, or far off shore. The most unusual sight was a very small tug pulling a few logs and a very small barge with what looked like a camper aboard. The tug was proceeding northerly, bashing into the waves. From our perspective it looked like an awful ride. Just as I grabbed my camera to see if I could record this exercise in futility, the tug stopped and did a 180 degree turn. We don’t know where he ended up, but I think his plan to bail out was well advised.

"This is not a good idea, I think I'll turn around and go home."

Soon we saw a sailboat on our bow, going our same heading. They had the sails set and were riding the northerlies down the coast.

We wondered if this was the same small sailboat that was tied up behind us in Queen Charlotte City. As we got abeam her, sure enough we recognized her because of the kayaks she carried lashed to her lifelines. Seems we were on an identical path down the coast. This often happens. You run into the same boats many times, especially on a journey down the outside where the anchorages are few.

The swells followed us into Klashkish Inlet. It was not until we began our approach into Klashkish Basin that they relented. The entrance to Klashkish Basin is narrow, about 60 feet wide, with steep sides and a dogleg. It is not difficult. There is plenty of water up to the shore and the fairway is obvious. However, the GPS position is displaced about 100 yards, placing the boat on land the whole way in. I double checked all my GPS sources and charts and they were in agreement, just wrong. Not a big deal unless you wanted to make the passage in zero/zero fog.

The Basin is beautiful, with a large drying mud flat at the end where the Klaskish River terminates. It is our type of anchorage.

We set our anchor in 25 feet of water and prepared to launch the dinghy to see how far we could get up the creek at the head. As we prepared to go exploring, that same sailboat made its way into the anchorage and set itself near the shore.

The tide was falling, so we knew we could not go far up the river, but we wanted to get a look to see if it would work later when the tide was rising. The problem was, we had too much water at the head of the basin to see exactly where the river was, but it was too shallow to find our way successfully over the drying flats. After kicking up some stones, we stopped, paddled to deeper water and abandoned our exploration.

Exploring we go, I must do something about that hat

Our next mission was to go investigate East Creek, outside the Basin, with the same intent of trying to come back on a rising tide when we know the conditions would be more favorable. Here again, it was difficult to see the course of the river, but the large bar that guarded it was clearly visible as the waves broke over it, seemingly blocking any approach.

Alaskan Dream tucked into Klashkish Basin

As we returned, the couple on the sailboat hailed us over. We talked for a while from the dinghy and then Paul and Nancy invited us onboard their 34 foot Pacific Seacraft. The name of the boat was Nisku and its hailing port was Honolulu, Hawaii. Paul explained that he lived his whole life on the islands, but was now retired.  He sailed Nisku from Hawaii to Kodiak Alaska, and the worked his way south, ultimately finding a slip in Port Townsend.

The crew of Nisku and Alaskan Dream share stories

He now spends his summers cruising in the Pacific Northwest and winters at his new home in Oregon.

Nancy, now living in British Columbia, grew up in Connecticut as a sailboat girl, but moved to central British Columbia where she is now a guide for hiking in the summer and works avalanche control in the winters. We had a really pleasant visit.

We invited them over for drinks and snacks around five, and crowned the invitation with my willingness to shuttle them in our dinghy. They gladly accepted (as their dingy was “manpowered only”) and we had a great time telling of our travels and similar experiences along the coast.

It was a very peaceful night with not a cloud in the sky and the breezes soft. 

North Harbour to Pamphlet Cove

The skies have lifted and the sun is trying to make an appearance. After a bacon and jelly on toast breakfast sandwich, we headed over to Winter Harbour to top off our water and visit the store to see if we could fill in some holes in the pantry.

Rounding the mark to Winter Harbour

The public docks have water as does the fuel dock. It’s a short walk over to the general store (The Outpost) using the boardwalk that is at the top of the docks.

The docks at Winter Harbour

Taking the boardwalk shortcut

The Outpost is not an overly stocked store, but you can find the very basics. Since Winter Harbour is serviced by a road from Port Hardy, I think the full time residents shop there and do not support the store. It only serves the boaters and fishermen. Speaking of fishermen, Karen says that Winter Harbour means “place with small fishing boats”. Because you can drive here, many Canadians trailer their fishing boats to launch here and then camp, staying in their campers or in one of the “rustic” fishing lodges here.

The Outpost general store

"The Cat" at The Outpost

I love all the configurations of Post Offices we find 

They are not the luxury fly-in fishing camps. They’re simple and basic, a notch up from camping but the result is there are lots of small boats running all around Winter Harbour and into the Pacific Ocean and up Quatsino Sound. They have been our constant companions ever since yesterday as we approached Quatsino Light.

Home Sweet Home for the fish crazy guys

Farewell to Winter Harbour

Our next anchorage is East Cove in Koprino Harbour. It is written up as something special, but when we arrived we turned our nose up and moved on. There is a vast amount of logging in Quatsino Sound, and the view now, in 2012 for East Cove, is of a hill where recent logging has removed all the trees. This was the first time we have ever seen a cargo vessel being loaded with logs destined, I presume, for the Far East. The large ship was anchored behind Drake Island and log booms were being towed to it and from there loaded using the ship's four massive cranes.

In addition to logging, there are numerous fish farms in the Sound. Lastly, we downgraded this Sound because of all the homes along the shores. This too I believe is driven by the fact there are roads here that make their way back to the rest of Vancouver Island. Not quite desolate enough for our tastes. Oh, I forgot to mention the horse flies. They did not bite but were a nuisance, nevertheless. They joined us in Winter Harbour and reappeared at each anchorage. Up came the screens. Hopefully they will lose interest and go attack some locals at their houses.

Leaving East Cove, we traveled further northeast to Pamphlet Cove, a small secluded cove with room for a few boats. Safe and secure, the screens in place, we settled in to do some cooking and watch the never-ending stream of small fishing boats pass us by. Thankfully, their wake never reached Alaskan Dream.

We get checked out by the residents of Pamphlet Cove

About 4:30 a small sailboat poked its noise into the Cove but did a 180 and motored away. Karen’s secluded anchorage remains intact. 

The floating fishing camp in Pamphlet Cove

Bull Harbour to Winter Harbour via Cape Scott

The morning was still. The forecast was reasonably good for our rounding of Cape Scott. The winds were to be from the northwest later changing to south. The northwest part we liked but not the forecast for south, because that would put the seas on our bow with the current on our stern. The weather radio was also using a new term we had never heard before: “near gales”, is that like almost pregnant? The terminology mariners have be using for generations has served us well. Parsing between near gale and gale seems to solve a problem that does not exist.

Looking at the big picture though, I could not see that any of this forecast was going to happen quite as Environment Canada was predicting. The ridges and troughs we have been under the influence of for most of our trip have moved slower and dissipated more quickly than the weatherman has predicted.

We’ll find out soon enough.

While on the subject of weather, I am making good us of GRIB weather files on this trip. GRIB files are relatively small text files that you can download even with slow satellite connections speeds for any geographic area you define. You need some software on your computer to translate the text into a graphical presentation, but once you do you get a great view of weather patterns for multiple days. Pressure, winds, wave heights, cloud cover, precipitation -- are all there. This is what I call raw data. It is the same information the meteorologists are looking at to make their predictions.

I am much happier looking at the data myself and making my own predictions. So far, I’m doing better than the very conservative Environment Canada. I’ll continue to refine my skills, but I see the GRIB files along with actual buoy and reporting stations updates as being my primary source of weather info.

We started pulling the anchor up a few minutes early, perhaps anxious to get the rounding done. Just before us, Kodiak left the dock heading south down the inside and the Duffy Morgan (steel sailboat) made headway just before us. Apparently they had researched Karen’s suggestion of going behind the Tattnall Reefs to avoid the Nahwitti Bar because they are on our schedule now. I hope it works out for them. You like to share information freely, but if they have a bad ride, you feel a little guilty.

Everybody leaves Bull Harbour

Karen described the Tatnall Reefs route as "most excellent". The Nahwitti Bar looked passable, but there was a continuous one meter swell from the northwest. . The low swells continued and the calm winds persisted as we approached Cape Scott. 

All in all, it was a nice ride

With Karen at the helm, the rounding of Cape Scott was uneventful with a low swell from the northwest and some ripples from the developing south winds.

The seas were cooperative

As we proceeded down the coast we were in and out of rain showers with corresponding decreases and increases in visibility. Sometimes we could see the coast and sometimes not.

Rounding Cape Scott

Soon the Canadian Coast Guard cutterTanu appeared as an AIS target. Good, something to do! I explored the features of tracking AIS targets in the Nobeltec Odyssey program. I could track the Tanu and display all its pertinent information in a separate window. I don’t know if the cutter had a planned heading change or if the captain ordered someone to come take look at us, but the ship changed its course slightly and the AIS predicted a passing of about one mile. Coincidentally that was the prevailing visibility.

As the Tanu passed abeam we could make out her red hull in the fog and mist.

When the weather would lift and the beaches appeared, we would do a little sightseeing. Then the visibility would come down and we would return to our cocoon of mist.

Karen was reading when she got up and announced “where’s the critters?” At the same time a group of sea lions popped up of our port forward beam not 30 yards away. “Over there”, I replied. The group was spy-hopping us for a good look. Then they would dive and pop up again about half the distance to the boat. One more time they appeared. This time, within 10 feet and abeam our port. They were definitely checking us out. They would lift themselves out of the water showing almost 40% of their body length. That was fun, now back to watching the miles tick away as the swells pushed us south.

The rain and mist continued all the way into the anchorage. We changed our destination slightly from Winter Harbour to North Harbour just inside the entrance to Winter Harbour. Alaskan Dream tucked in behind the island and dropped her anchor in front of a small sailboat with Honolulu printed on its side. I could swear it is the same that was tied up behind us in Queen Charlotte City. We’ll hang here overnight and then go up to Winter Harbour to provision and take on water before we go to our next anchorage. 

North Harbour anchorage neighbor

Duncanby Landing to Bull Harbour

We’re up at six for a planned 7am departure. We had planned our departure time to pick up some push from the tide as we rounded Cape Caution. There is not much current to be had on our intended course, but any help is appreciated.

Some of the fishing boats from the Lodge had already departed, but most were still tied to the docks.

I topped of the water tanks after we showered and released the lines that held us to the docks. As we departed Duncanby, one boat from the Lodge after the other rushed past us in search of salmon.

The forecast called for one foot chop with a low westerly swell. Alaskan Dream rode the swells up and down, but there was no chop. As we made our way toward Cape Caution, we saw a few humpbacks whales. First we saw a solo whale, then a larger group of five to six. I think two of them were mother and calf owing to the close proximity of their spouts.

Later we spotted three sea otters and a sea lion who was devouring a meal of fresh fish on the surface.

We spotted a cruise ship on the AIS and a couple of tugs with their tows. A BC Ferry graced our route headed northeast.

The low westerly swells continued with no chop and we were tempted to adjust our course a little west and make the run for Cape Scott. But our taste for extremely long days was gone after our 16 hours coming from the Haida Gwaii. Add to that a reasonable forecast for the next day, and we were pleased to make good our course for Bull Harbor.

After my first two hour watch, I made breakfast. My original plans included eggs, but the swells dictated a menu change to toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with fresh cantaloupe. Sugar, carbs and protein with some fresh fruit makes it seem like a well-balanced breakfast and we are set until after we drop anchor about 1pm.

No one likes sea gulls except when they mark the log in the water

The swells stayed with us for the entire passage although they diminished the closes we got to our destination. We also chased the fog as we proceeded southwest, never quite catching it. All in all, it was a peaceful crossing.

No question where the prevailing winds come from

Bull Harbor is a popular stopping point for boats to stage before they go around Cape Scott. Karen thinks there will be 10 boats there tonight. I think 5 or less.

As we make our way up the channel to Bull Harbour we were greeted with no other boats in the anchorage. We set our anchor; had a little snack of goat cheese, pepperoni and cherry chutney.

In the late afternoon, Karen and I took the dingy over to the community docks to start our walk to Breakers Beach. The walk is about 1 mile with first three-quarters on a nice gravel road and the last quarter through a well-marked and easy trail. Given the extremely calm conditions, there were little or no breakers to be seen. Apparently these beaches are renowned for massive breaking waves when the conditions are favorable.

We are very happy from a great walk over to the east beach

We talked with the people aboard Kodiak, a 59 Grand Banks Aleutian headed to Anacortes that was tied to the community docks. On our dinghy ride back, we stop at the steel hulled sailboat and discussed with cruisers about the rounding of Cape Scott tomorrow. They did not know about the passage through the Tattnall Reefs that lets you avoid most of the nasty stuff at the Nahwitti Bar.

Karen exploring the rocks

Bob sticks to the grassy knoll, for a great view of the bay

The beach at the end of the walk

Bull Harbour

Tomorrow we are leaving at 8:30am in order to arrive at Cape Scott at high slack and then round the cape and ride the ebb to Winter Harbour.

Dinner was grilled Halibut tacos.