Travel
 

Travel Adventures - Cruiser's blog on an adventure trip to Alaska

Follow the adventure of Shirley and Grahame aboard the yacht
TANGLEBERRY on a three month expedition trip along the Inside Passage from Vancouver to Alaska.

Page 1 - The Boat and the Crew
Page 2   Provisioning for the boat
Week 1    Week 2    Week 3   Week 4   Week 6  
Week 7    Week 8     Week 9  Week 10   HOME AT LAST
Click here for a full size map of Desolation Sound

Week 11 August 25 to August 31
August 25 Monday  Port Neville to Frederick Arm
Beautiful Sunny Day
We woke up to a clear beautiful morning in Port Neville, though we could see the thick fog out in Johnstone Strait.  I learned that the warm, moist westerly winds over the cool water in Queen Charlotte Sound formed fog which funnelled eastward into Johnstone Strait, the sounds, and the channels that we'd be travelling today.  Eventually, the morning sun as it gathers its strength will burn the fog away, but meanwhile, we drifted in and out of the beautiful and misty channels.  The water is so calm and glassy, we felt like we're in a fantasy movie set.

　

Sunny day at Port Neville, but we could see the fog at Johnstone Strait.	Either we are approaching the fog, or the fog is coming to us.
Then, BANG, we are in  the midst of the fog; near zero visibility	Not long after, we're out of it again.

We drifted from one fog bank to another but by mid-morning, all is clear and beautiful.  Once again, we had a beautiful sunny day.   We  passed several ideal places to stop for the night, including the popular Cardero Lodge Marina, and Shoal Bay Marina, but decided on Oleo's, located just past the entrance to Frederick Arm, simply for the reason that it is closest to the 3 sets of rapids that we need to cross tomorrow.

Oleo's is another story. (click on Oleo to get a full scoop).  Run by the recently widowed Ruth Montoya and her son, Oleo's is a floating restaurant and marina.  Ruth and her son live in the floating home all year round.  They have a generator that provides power.  For supplies, they depend on Campbell River using their runabout.  Oleo's marina can only accommodate about 4 boats and we were lucky to get space without advance reservation.  Three other boats joined us for the night, and there were 10 of us for supper.  We had a very nice evening as everybody exchanged cruising stories.   Whenever a power boat comes by, the entire place rolls and creaks.  It was a very INTERESTING experience. 
　

Oleo's floating home	Oleo's floating restaurant
Candellight dinner for 10	Ruth Montoya, our chef and host

Time and time again, tough individuals try to carve a paradise out of the wilderness, and Ruth Montoya and her husband Leon are examples.  Leon passed away in 2005 and now Ruth carried on with the help of her son.  A mile away is Stuart Island where there are 19 registered residents.  Ruth's neighbours are mainly grizzly bears and wolves.  She cooks, bakes, carves, sews, entertains guests, homeschooled her children....

August 26 Tuesday  Frederick Arm to Squirrel Cove
Beautiful Sunny morning turning to Heavy Rain by mid afternoon


After being apart from Skylark for the last 7 days, we were looking forward to seeing them.  Ever so punctual and efficient, when they called us on their VHF, we didn't quite expect them to be literally at the corner waiting and waving.

Timed perfectly, we cruised out of Frederick Sound into Cardero Channel and joined up.  Together we crossed Dent Rapids and Yuculta Rapids in succession along with dozens of boats - big and small - and a few megayachts.   As the day was still young, we continued on to Squirrel Cove in Desolation Sound for the evening.  By mid afternoon, the sunny weather turned into heavy rains and we were tired by the time we set our anchor late afternoon.

August 27 Wednesday   Squirrel Cove to Melanie Cove
Beautful Sunny weather that continued all day   Southeast winds
We had a quiet night at anchor.   We're now 100 miles away from home, but the prevailing strong southeast wind is not ideal for travelling south.  Favorable northwesterly winds are not expected till Saturday, so we decided to enjoy Desolation Sound for the next few days.  This morning we visited Refuge Cove for fuel and for hamburgers.   The old hamburger stand is no longer there.  In its place is a floating hamburger stand across the bay called the BOAT STOP CAFE.


It was like free valet service, we get free parking while we dine at Refuge Cove's floating hamburger stand.  The only hamburger place within dinghy distance from Melanie Cove, Laura Cove, Prideaux Haven, Tenedos Bay, Teakerne Arm.


Cruisers with yachts anchored nearby at Melanie Cove and Laura Cove, would come by dinghy to enjoy their hamburgers here.   We tied our boat at this dock and went in for our burger treats.


This pampered little dog waited patiently while its masters were having their hamburgers.

There's been a change of management at Refuge Cove, and it does not have the same friendly atmosphere.  The one for one book exchange is also gone, instead there is a charge for books ranging from $1 to $3, no exchange.   We proceeded to Melanie Cove for the rest of the afternoon.  Melanie Cove is crowded with young boating families. Kids in their kayaks and dinghies, and kids swimming.  (water temperature 19 degree celsius).


Full service amenities at Refuge Cove include garbage disposal service at $3.00 per bag drop-off as your boat pass by the garbage barge.  Garbage can get stinky after three days, especially in a confined little space, so when the smell get so bad, cruisers don't mind paying $3.00 to DAVE.  Smart cruisers put all the little bags together into one big garbage bag so they pay only $3.00.   Surprisingly, we have very little garbage.

August 28 Thursday   Melanie Cove to Penrose Bay
Beautiful Sunny weather turning to heavy rain by evening.

We had another beautiful dry morning and enjoyed watching the kids have fun in their kayaks and dinghies.   We went with our friends from Skylark for a hike up the hill  to Unwin Lake Lookout point.  I carried a foghorn with me in case we meet a bear.   We sang part of the way to let the bears know we are coming.  They must have heard us, we didn't see any bears.  In the afternoon, we motored to Okeover Inlet in Lund and had dinner at the Laughing Oyster Hotel.  It was drizzling when we dinghied over to the restaurant.  By the time we finished dinner, it was pouring rain.  The winds getting stronger, so we moved our boat to Penrose Bay, just nearby.



August 29 Thursday  Penrose Bay to Grace Harbour
Beautiful sunny weather that lasted all day
Finally we had a nice dry morning that continued throughout the day.  It was a short little trip to Grace Harbour, a favorite anchorage in Desolation Sound Marine Park where at least 25 boats were already at anchor.  We met our friends Siggy and Marge on their boat Fantan.  They came by dinghy to our boat and invited us to go ashore with them berry, plum and apple picking.  They have discovered an abandoned apple orchard from an old homestead that they've visiting all these years.  I picked berries, plum and apples and made an apple cobbler for tonight's dessert.
　

August 30 Friday   Grace Harbour to Pender Harbour
Beautiful HOT sunny day
For the first time this summer, I got into my summer clothes.  It's about 50 miles from Grace Harbour to Pender Harbour.  The wind is from the Northwest and behind us all the way.  However, the waves are big and choppy so there was quite a bit of uncomfortable rolling motion.  Nonetheless, we are heading home, and we are now 50 miles away from home.  We have been travelling with our friends at Skylark and at this point, they decided that they will take their time and not hurry home.  We split ways as they headed to Ballet Bay while we went to Pender Harbour.  At Pender Harbour, we met up once again with some friends we met in Alaska now on their way home.

August 31 Saturday  HOME
Beautiful sunny day.
I realized that we have many of the things that we see all along the North Coast of British Columbia and Alaska, right in our doorstep- everything from tall majestic mountains to waterfalls and wildlife,  without the fog and the mist, and maybe the abundance of eagles, salmons, halibuts, bears ......


This is a sailboat cruising along Queen Charlotte Channel, just across Horseshoe Bay.  The bare patches on the hills are road construction for the Sea to Sky Highway.  We have everything at home.  The only thing we needed was TIME to enjoy what we had all along.

Page 1 - The Boat and the Crew
Page 2   Provisioning for the boat
Week 1    Week 2    Week 3   Week 4   Week 6  
Week 7    Week 8     Week 9  Week 10   HOME AT LAST

I gained a good understanding of Captain Vancouver and Captain Cook's courage and determination, of how they navigated these waters over 200 years ago, with no navigation instruments, no detailed charts, no depth sounder, no heater, no engine, no radio, no cell phones, no watermaker.

I spoke to native elders from the different Tsimshean tribes in Metlakatla, Hartley Bay and Klemtu and could appreciate the struggles of their ancestors, to fit in the new Western society.  I can appreciate  how these Tsimshean descendants spoke highly of Father Duncan, the Anglican missionary who brought Christianity to these villages.  Today, there are still many Christians in these communities.

　

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