Inside Passages with Kona Kai

The day started in a light drizzle, the mist draped from the sides of the surrounding hills like a soft blanket.  After installing one of my spare ropes on the dodgy section of Billy's trail, we departed the dock to pick up our Prawn trap and head over to Billy's Museum to buy some items from his gift shop.  Pulling up the trap i noticed a line trailing behind the boat....another "Roman, we've got a situation" day....we had left the port dock line out after re-docking the boat yesterday and...inevitably it had found its way into the prop. The prop was still turning fine but i made the decision that i would have to get wet when we got to Billy's as i didnt want to head all the way into Port McNeil in case it got worse or the shaft was binding and it damaged the bearings.  Oh, and zero prawns!  Billy's was just around the corner so i left the port engine in neutral and we made our way to the dock where Billy was out and about getting ready to go and set some...

 A selection of the first 5 days work as promised.

The trail to Billy’s starts with a bridge laid down over an intertidal zone that connects Echo Bay with Cramer Pass and continues along the shoreline, parts covered in slippery roots and an early treacherous crossing of a small ravine with a good 60 foot drop to the rocks below, the solution to crossing consisting of a pair of 2x8’s with house shingles nailed on to provide some traction, with the added bonus of a large Boulder protruding out into the crossing forcing you to balance precariously for one short step.  Having made it that far the trail leads through the woods following the coastline of the bay and crossing through thickets of salal and boggy zones.   The salmon berries are just starting to ripen this far north and a lilac which has finished its bloom in Vancouver is in full display as we followed the instructions I had been given by the capable looking young woman who told me how to find the cabin on my earlier scouting trip.  “Just follow the electrified fen...

We’re safely tied up at the Lagoon Cove marina dock tied into shore power, cleaned up in a fantastic shower built over the water with see through floors and our stomachs are full from an amazing dinner of Dungeness crab cakes and a boconcini salad.   We’re officially in the Broughton Archipelago named in 1792 by captain George Vancouver after Lieutenant Commander William Robert Broughton. Dan who owns the marina with Kelly are new owners (since 2016) of Lagoon Cove said it’s been a long time they had 3 boats tied up for one night.  I bought a t-shirt from the “Emporium” to support them.  We chatted with a friendly couple in “Escape” a Chb 34 (tawainese trawler - hopefully they bought it with the teak decks replaced) who extolled the virtues of a Broughton trip due to Bella Bella and Ocean Falls being closed and everything in the local area being open.   They made some good points so the captain and crew will have to engage a discussion to get to a consensus on how to...

We departed Teakern at 9am sharp after an uneventful retrieval of the stern tie and a breakfast of eggs, toasted sourdough and Grandma Junie’s jam made from her raspberries. We were aiming for the 11:30am slack window at Dent Rapids.  Approaching Yuculta Rapids the turn was still underway as we passed the world famous Sonora fishing resort and we saw some good eddies and whirlpools.  Making the turn to port, we were outrun by a small flotilla of Grady Whites heading out for the day’s fishing.  Passing through Devils Hole was uneventful as were the remaining three rapids at Arran, Green Point with only Whirpool Rapids giving is a bit of a thrill with the turn starting as we transited. Aiming  for slack at Dent was definitely the way to go if you’re headed this way. Despite the forecast calling for westerlies, they will be light so I decided to tuck into a small bay called Bessborough before we head into Johnstone Straight tommorrow for the Broughtons.  After anch...