Monday July 31^st – Bruce and Gloria headed to Campbell River for a couple nights to get some fuel and restock some essentials while our boat and the Steel’s went back to Desolation Sound for some warm water. But first Todd had to do a phone conference out on the water where he could get cell service and then take his cousin and family back to Lund. We departed a couple hours before the Steel’s and took their daughter Briana with us cruising at a moderate 9 knots all the way to Grace Harbor where we anchored and stern tied.

Grace Harbor is off Malispena inlet and provides great protection along with endless small islands and coves to explore. After settling in we blew up the “green thing” (that’s what we call the green raft like thing in the pictures) and all went swimming.

We took the dinghy for a spin around the harbor and met the Steel’s coming. We circled them in the dinghy just for fun then got them tied up along side our boat. Skylar and Zach went strait for the rope swing for a while then they convinced us to let them run out of the bay in the dinghy alone to fish. We agreed with strict instructions and handed them a VHF radio so we could communicate. Their diligence paid off! A while later they brought home dinner in the form of a nice Lingcod! Nice job boys!

The next day, Todd was still hurting and confined to the boat so Tami, Julie, Briana and I took the dinghy out for a cruise. We decided to make our way to the lagoon for some swimming. Zach and Skylar were paddling in the kayaks so rather then make them paddle all the way to the lagoon we tied them to the dinghy and towed them all the way there. They couldn’t help themselves but to be silly, rocking their boats, splashing each other, and trying to get the kayak to run down the dinghy wake. Of course Skylar took it too far, got the kayak sideways and flipped it over spilling him in the sea and filling the kayak with water. Working together we managed to pull the kayak up enough on the dinghy to empty most of the water while Skylar tread water waiting for his dry ride. But the funniest thing was watching him try and get back up in the kayak from the water. It was hilarious, we all just laughed, providing no help at all but he finally made it back in. We all swam in a beautiful lagoon then headed back to the boat.

The boys took off fishing again trying to find the same spot that provided the Ling yesterday. They found it and caught an even bigger Lingcod this time. They were proud of their catch and best of all they did it all on their own.

 

Sunday July 30^th – After 2 nights at The Cut we set a course for Manson’s Bay on Cortes Island. Julie did some research and this bay sounds really cool. It’s a little exposed to the south but the weather forecast was good so we decided to make the 20nm run to check it out.

After arriving in the bay and motoring around a bit, we found it was going to be a little tricky to anchor in. It’s deep, 80 feet, quite a bid deeper than the anchorages we are used to. We tried one spot that was about 60 feet but the anchor seemed to just skip across some rocks. Back to the 80-foot area we set out 225’ of anchor chain that seemed to hold really well.

We sat on the boat for 30 minutes or so making sure all was well then took the dinghy to a huge lagoon. This thing is massive and the water was clear. It was running out of the lagoon like a lazy river with multiple pathways around small islands. Ava, Skylar and I took a nice (and cold) swim floating down the “river”.

Our anchorage that night ended up being great. The sunset was awesome and Skylar could catch small rockfish right off the boat.

The next morning we were scheduled to meet back up with our friends in Gorge Harbor just 3.5nm away. But first, we decided to hike to a lake we read about. After a short dinghy ride and a 1-mile hike we made it to Hague Lake. This was an incredibly beautiful lake with a white sandy beach. We all relaxed in the sand and swam in the lake.

Back at the boat we pulled anchor and headed through the narrow waterway that opens up to a large bay with Gorge Harbor Marina nestled in the bay. After getting tied up we went to the pool while waiting for our friends to come in. They arrived and we met them on the docks learning that Todd had severely hurt his back a couple days before. He was confined to a chair just trying to keep things stable while his back heals. While we were away Todd had done a little shrimping. Our boat had the only shrimp pot puller so he was forced to pull the shrimp pots from 400’ below. He was fine for a while then everything locked up with some serious pain. The only saving grace was that the pots had a lot of shrimp in them but that probably also contributed to his injury. Thankfully, after a lot of rest, his condition improved dramatically over the next several days.

We went to the small grocery store and stocked the boat then the four of us had dinner at the Gorge restaurant that evening.

 

 

Thursday July 27^th – Today we left our group and headed a short 3nm away to a no name bay we call “The Cut” to stay for a couple nights. We have seen this bay on previous trips, always wanted to stay there, but just haven’t done it yet.

This was the year, so we navigated the narrow entrance that opens up big enough for just a handful of boats. On the opposite end you can exit but its even narrower. You can make it through, even in the big boat but you need some local knowledge and it’s quite scary the first time you go through. However, the narrow entrance and small bay keeps things pretty quiet in there. In Skylar’s opinion the best thing about the bay is the rope swing that flings you off the rocks into the water.

After getting anchored and stern tied in the perfect spot Skylar took off in his kayak straight for the rope swing. After a low practice run he went higher as I warned him of the dangling rope below his feet. Caution to the wind he tarzaned off the rock but as he let go that little bit of rope below his feet just barely got caught on his leg flipping him chest first into the water. He emerged with a look of pain on his face and a little bit of “I guess you were right dad”. That was the end of the rope swing that day but like all kids his age the pain goes away and he was right back at it again although a little more cautious.

We had a lot of fun at “The Cut”. We took the kids tubing behind the dinghy and set the shrimp pots. Skylar loves to tube as fast as possible getting whipped all over the place. But Ava loves just cruising along at a moderate pace looking at all the sights; the look on her face is pure joy.

We lost the access door to one of our shrimp pots so I used a Rubbermaid bin lid and zip-tied it on the pot to fill the hole so the shrimp couldn’t get out. We all went out and set the pots in 300 feet of water then gave them a 5 hour soak. Upon our return we pulled the one with the lid. Sure enough there were about 15 shrimp inside, but now, stupid me, I completely zip-tied the lid on not realizing that was the door to get the shrimp out! I didn’t have anything to cut the zip ties and I wanted to put the pot back down anyway. So, one by one I pulled them through a little crack, while they poked my hands until I was bloody. Taking the pot back to the boat would have been way easier but I guess I provided some good entertainment because Julie and the kids couldn’t quit laughing as I struggled.

Tuesday July, 25^th – Its Skylar’s birthday!!! Today Skylar turns 16 and we haven’t even seen a car in days. He’s gone through all the necessary drivers education training and passed all the tests with flying colors. Now all he has to do is go online and print out his temporary drivers license before his real license is mailed to him. These days, kids can get their license when they are 16 but can’t have anyone in the car with them except family for 6 months after they get their license. He wanted the 6 months to start the day he turns 16 so we were equipped with a printer onboard but need cell or wifi to give us the connection to the DOL site.

The Octopus Islands didn’t have any cell service so we departed the islands timing Hole in the Wall (another tidal rapids area) for slack water. Once we were through the rapids our cell signal lit up. I found the right website and hooked up the printer. They wanted his name; permit number and last 4 of his social security number. Crap, we had everything except the SS number! I looked on his passport and found what I thought was his SS number then entered it into the system. “Error… The information you entered does not match our records”. I must have entered something wrong I thought. I entered the information again with the same result. Thinking somehow magically it would work, I entered the same obviously wrong information a couple more times. On the last try it locked me out saying there were too many attempts and I would have to try again later. Later?, I thought, what does that mean, 1 hour, 1 day, a week, what.

Skylar was ticked, he wanted his 6 months to start as soon as possible and now we didn’t know when we could get the right info and try again. And it was all my fault, the number I was entering was not his SS number at all. I emailed DOL and got an automated response back that said they were backed up and it was going to take “more than 24hrs to get back to me”. What does that mean?!

Fast-forward…. The next day I called work and got his SS number. I thought it was probably a 24hr lockout thing so just after 24hrs I entered it again with the same message “the information you entered does not match our records”. Not wanting to get locked out again I waited until the next day so I could verify his SS number with Michelle who found his SS card at our house. I had it wrong again!! Now, with everything entered correctly we printed out his driver’s license. Sorry Skylar, my bad, now you have to wait 3 extra days before friends can ride with you. He might need the extra practice!

Todd’s cousin and his family were scheduled to come stay on the boat with them for a few days and needed they to get picked up in Lund. Rather than pull the anchor on the big boat we decided it was a beautiful day and a 24 mile round trip in our dinghies seemed like the way to go. Todd needed to get his cousin and we needed groceries and fuel for the dinghy so Skylar and I took off ahead of them (our dinghy is much slower). It was an awesome adventure as the sun set with smooth water all the way there and back.

Wednesday July 26^th – We are going to spend the next couple days in Tenedos Bay. Zach and Skylar had a grand plan that involved carrying in 2 kayaks to Unwin Lake and fishing for trout in the lake. The lake trail starts at the head of Tenedos Bay. It’s about a 10-minute walk but to portage kayaks would take them much longer. But they were determined to do it all on their own.

Equipped with a handheld VHF radio so we could communicate with them they took off paddling for the trailhead. They could only carry one kayak at a time but after 45 minutes they had them both on the lake. They were gone for hours on their own adventure exploring every part of the lake. However, as much as they tried the trout were not biting that day. They were both completely exhausted when they came back but they said it was all worth it.

The next morning Julie, Ava and I sat in the dinghy just outside the bay were we could get cell reception. We worked on emails and did a blog post but mostly just relaxed in the sun!

 

 

 

Sunday July 23^rd – After a fun 2 nights at Dent Island Lodge we all departed the dock at 10am to make slack water at Dent Rapids then ran 15nm northwest to Blind Channel.

Blind Channel is a great place that’s very isolated; the only way to get to Blind Channel on West Thurlow Island is by floatplane or private boat. Our goal here was to 1, catch some nice Lingcod and 2, have dinner out at their restaurant.

Lingcod are easiest to catch at slack water and Blind Channel can run water at a pretty good clip. We had to wait a few hours for slack so we went for a hike to kill some time. This place has the most incredible (about a 2 mile loop) hike up a steep hill and through some amazing forestland. There’s even a huge old growth cedar tree that must be 10’ across. The hike was great, except for one bee sting on my ankle that got us all running down the trail to get away from the swarm we were sure was coming.

4:30pm Skylar and I jumped in the dinghy to hit slack water and find us some Lingcod. Skylar talked to a guy who caught a 40 pounder down the channel a ways but it was too rough in our 13’ dinghy to get there safely. We turned around to hit the spot we’ve caught Ling before and started fishing.

We didn’t have much time, dinner reservations were at 6pm and after fishing for a while it looked like we were going to get skunked. Then wham, we brought a nice one in the boat. We needed 2 to limit and time was running out. We kept saying just 2 more minutes, knowing the rest of our group was just about to go up to dinner. Just as we were about to give up I got another nice one on! As it came to the boat I grabbed the line to ease it into the net but in my haste the fish broke the line with one quick flick of his head.

I could see the fish swimming away but not very quickly. It must have been our lucky day because the fish was just barely tangled in Skylar’s line allowing us to gently pull on his line and get the fish in the net! We couldn’t believe it; I guess that fish was destined for our dinner table. Now, late for dinner, we pulled up to everyone all cleaned up headed down the dock. Proud of our catch, Skylar and I quickly filleted the fish, got cleaned up, and made it to dinner just in time for drinks to be delivered.

Monday July 24^th – After an incredible dinner the night before with all 14 of us, we left Blind Channel headed for the Octopus Islands on Quadra Island with Todd’s boat following behind. These are new cruising grounds for us and once again we had to hit a couple different rapids at slack. After navigating through an extremely narrow cut getting into the Octopus Islands we anchored in Waiatt Bay traveling 23.7nm.

We all went to shore, dug some clams, played on the beach then headed off for a 4 mile round trip hike to Newton Lake. This was an awesome hike though a beautiful forest and up a steep slope with lots of switchbacks. Just as we arrived at the lake Skylar and Zach decided to go off trail but were forced back with beestings. I decided to do a little fly-fishing. Determined to catch a fish, Zach, Skylar and I stayed at the lake while the rest of the group headed back down the trail. No luck! I packed up and the 3 off us ran half way back down the trail catching up with the rest of the group.

We had a great anchorage that night and all had dinner together.

 

Friday July 21^st – Today we are heading out of Prideaux Haven to once again head north to Dent Island Lodge. The lodge is owned by the Nordstrom family, it’s fancy (for BC coast standards) and expensive but it’s also a lot of fun with a great restaurant and charter salmon fishing fright from the lodge.

But first we had to check our shrimp pots. We had a bit of a wager going to see who could catch the most shrimp but we were at a disadvantage right from the start because one of our pots had a missing door and couldn’t be used. However, we won the bet with a measly 11 shrimp. Not great for an overnight soak but we were excited because it was the first shrimp we’ve ever caught.

We left Prideaux Haven for a timed arrival at Yuculta Rapids. These rapids run like a river except at slack water when the current is starting to change directions. In a slow heavy boat like ours its only safe to run these rapids at slack water. You have about a 1-hour window to get through before you would need to wait for the next tide cycle.

We charted our course and arrival time with a brief detour up Teakern Arm to see a large waterfall. We had a great cruise through the rapids and tied up on the Dent dock in a great location.

That night all 14 of us had an awesome dinner in the lodge where we got a little riled up and placed bets on our salmon fishing trip tomorrow. We chartered 3 boats. One boat was our family, one had Bruce, Todd and Zach and the other Scott, Vickie and Curt. Each boat had to put $100 in the pot. The boat with the biggest fish would win $150 and the boat with the most total pounds of fish would win $150.

7am the next morning before our charter we all confirmed the bet. It all sounded great after a few drinks at dinner but now the wager seemed a little steep. However, we were all committed regardless of our bad judgment the night before.

Off we went all cruising to our guide’s favorite fishing spots. It was still raining a little, and the thick fog made for eerie but beautiful sights.

Lines in the water searching for the Salmon we patiently waited for the bite. At about 9am one of the reels set off with a whizzzzz… Skylar grabbed the pole and started fighting the fish. The look on his face was pure joy! It fought hard, coming almost to the boat then taking off again several times. We could tell it was big! When our guide Jon finally netted the catch we all had a sigh of relief. It was in the boat and we couldn’t believe how big it was. Jon said it was defiantly over 20lbs but we would have to wait and see its true size when we get back to the dock and officially weigh the fish. We fished for a couple more hours with only a small Pink Salmon we threw back to account for.

We didn’t have a whole lot of fish but the one we did have seemed to be pretty big. The question was, would it land us the win. When we got back to the dock one of the boats in our group was already there and they had 1 fish! Their fish weighed in at 20lbs. Jon put Skylar’s fish on the scale as we waited in anticipation. 30lbs on the mark!! Not only did we beat the other boat but 30lbs earned Skylar a spot in the Tyee Club, a board that lists all the fish caught that season 30lbs and over. Nice job Skylar!!

However the bet was not over. As we waited for one more boat to come in we heard they convinced their guide to stay out an hour longer. All we could think is cheaters!! Regardless, they came in with 1 nice fish as well but their 18 pounder didn’t match up to Skylar’s 30. He was the winner in both categories!