Aug 9-15
Hi All,
This blog covers Shearwater, Codville, Pruth, and around Cape Caution to Allison Harbor:
We did end up spending 2 nights in Shearwater marina….it was just nice to be plugged in to shorepower and have water….no anchor, no making water, no running GEN and for Kathy, the galley was closed:))) And what a small world we live in. The afternoon we arrived a sailboat came in right next to us….it’s Corvidae…Steve and Nona….we met them in Moorea in the Society Islands, French Polynesia in 2013 and then off/on for the next several years. They eventually had their boat shipped from Auckland to Ensenada and then sailed it up to Seattle. They keep the boat in Anacortes, in the Seattle area. They had just spent 4+ weeks in Haida Gwaii and loved it!!! Then the next day mv Zuma, an Outer Reef 65, pulls up along side us….Lyman and Janeane….they used to own a Selene 53, Ocean Fox, and came over and introduced themselves. What a good time we had…eventually had drinks onboard Zuma with their guests and friends on mv Kaiiti….and then dinner at the Pub….good times!!
!
Aug 11: Left about 9am for Codville Lagoon….16nm….Kathy and I were once again very tired….so we decided to really, really take the next few days to relax….Betty Ford days for me and eat sensibility with lots of naps and reading. Of course, I did prawn as this is one of Mark’s more productive areas….15 medium Spotted prawns the 1st pull and on the 2nd pull, after about a 22 hr soak…..well, I’m sure I had over 200…that’s the good news and that’s my story, the bad news was the pot was so heavy it broke the harness…yep, those pesky prawns get to live for another day and John-boy is down another prawn pot….arghhhhhhh!!!! Fortunately we have a spare so will be back in the game with a heavy-duty harness!!!!
I also crabbed….got some rock crab which we did not keep and some very small babies….we think it is just too rocky here for Dungeness. And, of course, I fished for salmon out of the dinghy….nada, 2 rockfish….did not see any salmon jumping so think they may have moved on…..and then it rained on me….whaaaaaaaa!! Kathy made her cauliflower soup one night and popcorn and a movie the 2nd night!! Unfortunately, not much critter viewing….some seagulls/ducks, a few eagles and seals!!
Aug 13: Oh wow…what a day….certainly one of our best yet: Up early to get the prawn and crab traps…pretty sad/bummed about losing the prawn trap….whaaaaaaa….then out by 8:30amish for Pruth Bay….27nm….but along the way we fished off Bayly Point in Hakai Passage…..ODG…..we had “fish on” and whales bubblenetting just off the boat at the same time….what an adrenaline rush….it just doesn’t get any better than that. Four Humpback whales were feeding in the same area as we and 3-4 other boats were fishing. The whales would all dive, then blow bubbles in a circle to trap the herring and come up with their mouths wide open. I got to see it once and Kathy saw maybe 5 bubblenets…..of course she was piloting with the Yanmar engine running as we were trolling so no pictures….just the lifetime memory…..priceless. John-boy in the meantime was non-stop fishing/catching….landed 2 large Coho’s…each 12-lbs and as we would find out later, both females….we saved
the eggs for prawn bait!! I had a total of 5 “fish on”….one just hit and left and two I think were small and got off before getting to the surface….one just bit off the tail of the herring I was using so switched to a smaller anchovy and bam…got the next one:))))!! We only fished for 1 1/4 hours as once again the freezer is full. Yep….Mystic will be getting a 2nd freezer:))) It was hard to leave with the fish biting but we left and went to find the whales. We caught up to them and watched for a bit, but no more bubblenetting….we guess they were full:))))
We made it to Pruth Bay anchorage and found the anchorage full with 6-8 boats so we chose the empty north cove which was lovely. Anchor down, passage beers open by 2pm. After a quick nap, I set 2 crab pots with the fresh salmon carcasses and was cleaning the very fishy cockpit when Kathy cries out “wolf on the beach”. ODG…..a beautiful wolf was chasing 2 Sandhill Cranes….they did manage to escape but for the next hour the wolf stayed on the beach and hunted/stalked various birds. The wolf looked very healthy and was a tall, lanky, brown/gray male….maybe had just left/got kicked out his pack and was looking for a new pack? OK….scratch that last part….the next day late in the afternoon, we saw a flock of Canadian geese eating on the shore….hmmm, wonder if the wolf wants “chicken” for dinner again….and sure enough the geese all come to attention and out comes a wolf from the other side of the shoreline….maybe 300 yards away….the wolf just stayed put….the gees
e are all at attention….lasts for 10 mins, then the geese relax/eat for about 10 mins…the wolf gets up and starts to stroll towards the geese….then it stops and is joined by a 2nd wolf…ODG….gorgeous….they start to walk again and all the geese are at attention….then the wolves stop, turnaround and are happily joined by a 3rd wolf….this was the boy from yesterday….and he is obviously the alpha….they are all yelping and jumping over each other like seemingly dogs at play, but the greeting between them was straight out of NatGeo….what a sight and a thrill to watch these animals’ behavior in the wild!! Then all 3 take off for the geese….hmmm…still 200 yards away….the geese take off, fly over the wolves, the wolves are jumping, yelping and chasing…why, just because they can I guess. Unperturbed, all 3 wolves run off into the woods…the geese land by Mystic and stay in the water for about 30 min, then go back to shore….life continues for all!!!
ODG…..whales bubble netting, 2 large Coho salmon, Sandhill Cranes, and a wolf all in one day…..LIGI…..and yes, not so bummed about the lost prawn pot now:))))
Beach: Pruth Bay is home to the Hakai Beach Institute. It started as a resort but as been converted to a first-rate research facility for archeology, ecology, and First Nation culture!! They have a boardwalk/path that takes you to the Pacific ocean and one of the nicest beaches we have seen in a while. In 2006 we stood on this beach with our oldest son Josh and said just imagine, over there is Japan….I wonder if we will ever be there…..yep, be careful what you wonder about:)))) BTW, I charted it….Japan is 3800nm away….hmmmm!! It still is a very nice walk/beach, maybe 3 miles round trip and Kathy did find a few shell treasures….it was nice to hear the ocean waves slapping on a beach once again!!!!
Crabs: We did catch maybe 12-15 crabs in Pruth but only 2 keepers….a few females, a few undersized but 6-8 soft shell crabs. I’m not sure about BC but in Alaska it is illegal to keep soft shell Dungeness crabs. The meat is so so anyway….still tastes good but kind of mealy.
Weather: Well….after totally enjoying the rather calm waters of the Inside Passage, Mr. Weather is saying hello, remember me, once again. NOAA says it best….”Some excitement potentially in the extended forecast instead of a tenacious blocking ridge holding in place”…..weatherman humor I suppose. We had intended to anchor in River’s Inlet for a few nights before going around the infamous Cape Caution….another Cape on the West Coast where winds, tide, waves, and swells all converge into some nasty stuff on occasion. This pre-fall/winter storm has changed our plans.
Aug 15: Cape Caution: Up early and out by 6:30am. Forecast is for 10-15G20 from the NW….we are heading SE so all behind us except for a 2-4′ West swell which is on our beam for a bit. We are timing it so we will be on a flood tide so wind and waves are in the same direction. Reality: easy peasy….winds stayed <10 kts and seas were only 1-2’….sweet as. We made Allison Bay by 1:30pm…..nice, somewhat protected and calm anchorage. Even had a commercial crabber come by and set crab pots in the bay!!!
The Plan: not sure….depends on the weather…..will make more decisions tomorrow whether we move or stay in Allison another day. But, our next anchorages are maybe Blunden, maybe Sullivan’s or somewhere around there, Booker and Pierre’s!!
Critter Stats:
Dungeness Crab: 91 total; 2 in Pruth Bay
Prawns: 110: 96 Spotted, 14 Coon Stripe; 15 medium size Spotted in Codville
Whales: 232 total; 205 Humpbacks; 11 Orcas; 16 Minke: 2 Minke and 4 bubblenetting Humpbacks at Bayly Pt; 1 Minke outside Allison
Salmon: 14: 3 King, 11 Cohos: 2 12-lb each Coho at Bayly Pt.
Halibut: 1; 48-lbs off Lowe Inlet entrance
Bears: 73 total: 62 Browns, 11 Black;
Wolves: 10; About an hour viewing a large male in Pruth Bay, north cove; then 3 more wolves the next day….wow!!!
Otters: 982; Mama and baby in Hakai Passage; 1 large otter close to Mystic in Rivers Inlet….got the money shot Sharon!!!
Sand Hill Cranes: 4; 2 in north cove Pruth Bay
Mountain Goats: 42 total
Dall’s Sheep: 3
Moose: 3
Alaskan Husky sled dogs: 60
Stellar Sea Lions: 900;
Hope all is well,
John
Mystic Moon
GO MYSTIC GO!!
Position: 51 03’31.41 N, 127 30’27.91 W
Course: Stopped.
Position: 19-08-15 17:05:24 -0700
http://maps.google.com/maps?&ll=51.05873,-127.5078&q=51.05873,-127.5078&z=16
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