To Namu and the ghosts of the middle coast

Here Blain tries on the latest in beach fashions on the Hakai Coast. Urchin hats.

We did let it go after this photo shoot.

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To Namu we go. The rain kept at it, but lovely abandoned Namu - a cannery town was a lot of fun to see. The caretaker showed us around and let us wander. Mo made the comment that this was a tinkers fantasy island. It had so much cool junk laying around. Blain got bar-envy when he spotted this mighty Husqevarna laying around. The real men of this coast actually cut their firewood with these babies.  

The "girls" of Namu beautified it all up.

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One interesting bay we anchored in near Shearwater was called Kushkudish Bay, and we rowed out to this sweet little waterfall on the basalt cliff.

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Up Dean Channel to Alexander MacKenzie's monument and the hot springs. MacKenzie painted this stone at the end of his epic walk across the continent in 1793. Funny, but he only missed Vancouver's expedition by about a month in the same spot. That's why e-mail was invented.

Buy Blain a beer one day and ask him to explain what was the significance of this photo.

Cinco de Mayo came and we celebrated by making tamales. Black bean, peppers and feta. Aiyiyiyii.

We set the shrimp pot off a waterfall hoping for a few, and the next day pulled the pot up to find some of the largest monsters we've ever seen. Note the regular sized vs the super sized version. Lobster really.

Around the corner, Eucott Bay hot springs were fantastic. We could live there. This remarkable hot springs jewel in the middle of granite spires and jade waters. However, as a blaringly bad example of environmental stewardship, they allowed two forested clearcuts right across the bay. Nice job Canada.

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On to Ocean Falls. A strange deserted industry town with a massive dam in the middle of it. The former residents have taken care of a few structures and this panel van shows the latest town map. Though as Blain's old boss George Dickison used to say - a map isn't a map without a north arrow, legend, and scale bar. So it's back to the Ocean Falls GIS team for a new one.

The fire hall had a nice boat-shaped concrete patio, but was equally in need of some municipal funding.

Up the dam. Wow. That's a big hydro power dam. Too bad nobody's around to turn on a light.

The marine ways looked to be freshly inhabited, and actually had a craft store in it. Not open, and no customers, though.

After this it's back to Shearwater to see if we have mail, then northbound again.Fjordland, Klemtu, and eventually Prince Rupert.

Northward Ho (the old meaning of "ho")!

It took us a whole week to get back to civilization. We're in Dawson's Landing now for a repair. More on that later.

Our exit from Port Hardy was accidentially escorted by the Alaska Queen, headed north to fish.

Tucked into Skull Cove our first night and found a little Treasure Island science research camp. The netting at the cook shack made a nice group hammock.Chance enjoyed the signage. Nobody around, but it was fun exploring.

Blain dug up a bushel of six species of clams and cockles in one tiny area. Impressive biodiversity.

Mo found fresh mint and made homemade tortillas, and we made our stomaches happy. Our tortilla press has become invaluable.

The first few days was spent getting around the notorious Cape Caution and into Fitz Hugh Sound. Going from one island of safety to another - avalanche avoidance-style. The seas with swell and chop were 2-4 meters at times, but Oystercatcher bobbed along comfortably and we even sailed a little. Though sailing a rolly beam reach with 2-meter waves is a little hard on the stomach (and dog) we found. Nobody got sick, but they were really long days. We have some video, but no photos to do it justice.

Up into Fury Cove for the beaches and exploration, we waited out a few gales comfortably and we got to stretch out legs and burn trash. From Fury Cove we juked and jibed through the islands and rock-peppered maze finally emerging in the protected nooks of Five Window Bay and some dingy exploration.

Our steering was once again going soft, so we decided to get to the nearest settlement to try to fix it. After lengthy conversations with the manufacturer and parts folks on Skype, we ordered a seal kit from Vancouver to be couriered to the airport for the next flight up. All in all, one little rubber "o" ring likely cost us $181. Oh the life.

Here's Dawson's Landing and Jasper - the welcome dog. Chance and he spent the days avoiding each other, both thinking they were the coolest.

If all goes well on the repair, our next port of call will be Namu, then Shearwater/Bella Bella.

North tomorrow?

Looks like we have a reasonable weather window to give it a go across Queen Charlotte Sound. The dinghy's blown up and we just have to take the tarp down. This is good.

We're a bit sad to leave Pt. Hardy, and our newfound friends Shari Lee and Patrick, but it's time for a new horizon. Patrick was a wealth of knowledge having kayaked most of the Inside Passage, and Shari Lee tantalized us with her adventures in Fiji and those tiny Pacific islands of our dreams. They also introduced us to curried horse mussels for dinner.

Blain threw his air cast in the dumpster and is hobbling around with the help of a ski pole. Mo's got the cupboards so full the boat lists to port. Tanks are full, the flags up. We're ready. If the engine fires up, nothing should keep us.

First stop will likely be Skull Cove. So piratical. Argh! Then it's around Cape Caution. A well named point separating Queen Charlotte Sound from Fitz Hugh Sound and exposed to the full Pacific. Our first real ocean exposure. Blain tried the seasickness medicine ahead of time, and he's relaxed, strolling around the docks, looking at neat stuff. And other stuff, too. Not just neat stuff. All the stuff.

Our next port-of-call is hoped to be Shearwater (Bella Bella). Happy spring to everyone.