PNW cruising (as Capt K says, pics are a thousand words)

[Frank]

Hers a few thousand

Both couples are cruising friends from the Abaco's!!
Crazy eh!!

[Frank]

Fishing and crabbing have been awesome!
Red snapper, rock cod and ling cod.
I caught my personal best ling cod a few days ago.
We ate so much crab we are sick of it!

[Frank]

As usual.....it's the scenery!

[Frank]

Multiple whale encounters!!
Seals are daily...as are eagles
A sea lion today!

[Frank]

The weather back hone has been aweful!!!
The worst cold-wet-miserable spring/summer in memory!
I flew out here July 12th.  Only 2- one half days of rain so far and today was overcast! Unreal for west coast!
Today created some truly mystical moments!!

[Frank]

Will be "anchor down" soon. Anchor up at 8:15 am.....long day! Timed 5 tidal rapids. Ready for a rum, simple dinner and my bunk.

CJ...
You may remember me joining a chat 2yrs ago anchored up here and getting hobby horsed bad as I had moved for the anticipated wind shift (which thankfully came) Well....back in the same spot tonight... just off Jognstone Strait 😄
Tomorrow...the Broughtons!

That evening we had 4 people chatting spread out all over! Was kinda cool!!

[Tim]

You stopping at Port Harvey or heading across for supplies? I am crying that I am not up there too. Heading to Port Townsend the first of next week.
Have Fun!

[Frank]

No Tim... I ended up with a 10-1/2 hr run yesterday and made Port Neville. Got my butt kicked on the Strait!
Up at 5:20 this morning and underway at 5:45 to beat the forecast high winds. Made Lagoon Cove by 9:45am.
I'm unwinding now.....rum in hand 😄
Sure is nice to be back up here!!!
Ya gotta do it next year Tim!!

[Frank]

A few more...

[Frank]

And more..

[ralay]

I'm enjoying these photos.  Looks a lot like it does over here in Maine, but the PNW definitely has more spectacular mountains!  It was a lot of fun looking up at snow topped mountains from sea level.

[Frank]

It truly is so much like Maine...
Much higher mountains and a more complex shoreline and tidal range tho.
But the rocky islands, the fog and the hills and bays are very similar.
Maine is so pretty as well!

[ralay]

What's the tide range like there?  It's about 10-12' everywhere from Boston to Mt Desert Is, though I know they get more in the Bay of Fundy.

[ralay]

The PNW also might let us stay for the winter.  We'd love to set up shop here and quit traveling for awhile, but I don't think we have what it takes to liveaboard in Maine through the winter.  I'm also still waiting on my first whale.  Great luck catching some with your eyes and camera.

[Frank]

Tide varies with location and moon but can exceed 14ft at times.
The tidal rapids (fast running Narrows) must be timed for near slack.
There are not an abundance of shallow anchorages so there is more planning than typical. This is very deep water with your depthsounder off soundings often. The winters are wet, but no where near as cold as out east! Frost the odd morning and that's about it. 5-6  days in a row below freezing in February and they think it's a cold spell. Back home it takes 5-6 days of -30 before it's called a cold spell. The people are funky. Lots of hippies...young and old. Free spirited people are neat. Fishing and crabbing is excellent here!
Prawns too if you like hauling up traps from over 100ft down. I'm getting a little "long in the teeth" for that anymore 😄

[Frank]

ralay...you mention whales...

Was in Port McNeil on a maintenance/booze/water/food run yesterday.
Left this morning and before I got to the straight (about 6 miles) I sighted an unusual whale. About the size of a Orca, but very different. Sent the pic into the whale watchers here for their info and to let me know what it was.
Then, as I got onto Black Fish Sound (extreme lower end of Queen Charlotte Sound) (Blackfish is the local name for Orcas) I had my 1st Humpback beside  the boat. Geez these are huge mammals!!  Between there and where I turned down toward the back side of Brunswick island....must have seen at least 10 if not 15 more!! Was my ultimate best, unplanned, whale watching day. I often just drifted....taking it all in. Had the typical multiple visits by porpoises as well. One small pod swam by the boat and a young one (grey...not yet distinctive black-white) seemed glued to mom's back. Was so nice to see!

[Norman]

Great whale story and pictures!

Frank, what is the story on the picnic table on the floating log raft?

Norman

[ralay]

Sweet!  We'll have to content ourselves with the seals for now.  A group was fishing around our boat last night.  Seals and fish were flying around everywhere.  I never realized they can jump as high or higher than dolphins.  Doesn't seem like something that fat should be able to get its whole body several feet into the air. 

[Frank]

Couple of things...
The 1st whale I saw the other day was verified as a Minke Whale
Ralay...I've never saw a seal jump! Didn't know they did...  Cool
Norm...the float was put in the tiny Cove many years ago by a logging company to tie up to. It is really in bad shape and the ministry here put a "condemned" sign on it a few years ago (now gone) but...heh...it still floats. It's big chains still hold it in place and you can still (very carefully) walk on it when you tie to it. For fun.....it is in Joe Cove, Eden Island, Broughton Archipelago, SE end of Queen Charlotte Sound....which is north eastern end of Vancouver Island. Look it up for fun. It's pretty remote...

[Frank]

Norm...
Here the Latt-Long