Wednesday August 13, 2014

Wednesday August 13 Penny and I have let Wendy & Gary have our master stateroom  as they have gear that needs to be stowed and I now admit that I missed my own berth. I reaffirm my own thoughts that OA and I are comfortable with parties at 10 and sleeping two (not excluding Woofer). Putting that aside we have enjoyed their company immensely. I think they are glad to be going home for a rest.

I listen for the weather on VHF as we will be crossing from Wells Passage to Port McNeil across Queen Charlotte Straits. It will be a foggy crossing that we cannot postpone as Gary has trailered there 24 ft. boat from Deep Cove Yacht Club and had to reserve passage on the BC ferries. No matter how many times that you do a passage in fog even with radar, chart plotters and AIS it can be daunting. There always two eyes peering in to the white wall that continues to be a shape shifter masking logs and other vessels. We contact a vessel reported on the AIS as we are on a collision bearing and he respond that he has confirmed us as a contact and we will pass RED to GREEN.I asked for weather conditions on route and he confirmed that Port McNeil was in sun.

Pulteney Lighthouse on Malcolm Island

 

The port is full to the gillnetters and the government docks are rafted 10 deep. We set the hook out in the bay and Gary and Wendy take their boat to the launching ramp to put her on a trailer. We follow with our tender and secure an inside spot on the loading dock. They’re out of the water in spite of it being an extreme low tide and lashed down to hit the road again. Off they go in a herd of turtles and we do are reprovishing and cross back to Napier Bay and hope that the old logging dock is free to tie to and start are repairs to OA.

The bay is not like this morning. Where they all went, I do not know, but the bay and the dock is ours. Later we share with a mega yacht called “Atlas” and a very pretty ‘go north’ blue hulled vessel and a Nordic Tug.  It was a short stay in McNeil but it was still over six hours of travelling for the day. We have an early dinner and enjoy a brilliant red sunset silhouetting the black shadowed trees.  The anchored yachts are in a pool of flaming red water and it’s the end of another perfect Broughton day.

Napier Sunset

Chevy has had long day too, but she is still very intent on what’s happening on our shoreline. She has to defend us against the black bears, wolfs and the Robins that shake the bushes around her. She is already in her bed catching rabbits in here dreams and once again I put my head down to enjoy the sugar plumb fairies.