Jennis Bay

July 29 Sunday We wake up to sunshine and pull the anchor. John and Midge are going to kwatsi and we are going to Jennis bay. This was a old logging camp. It is now run by a young family. No power. www.jennisbay.com We haven’t been here for a long time. They have new owners since we were there. Bill gets his satalite working so we watch Global news. They have a potluck here tonight. 6 boats here.

entrence to Turnbull cove

July28 Saturday Turnbull Cove- 8 boats here last night. It is not a good as our water pump is not working. Our spare is on the RV. We forgot to bring it on the boat. It is still raining but Bill still goes to check his traps. It has disappeared. John has a spare water pump and he installs it for us and Midge brings a delicious fish chowder. The day is saved especially after we go to see if we can find the trap again and there it is way down the channel. It was full of squat lobsters (galatheid crab) useless things. I Googled them. The rain has stopped briefly. There was 4 large prawns too and a star fish and some other small bottom fish. At least we got our trap back as they are expensive with all the line attached. We were down 250 feet. It rains heavy during the night. 6 new boats anchored here plus the 2 of us

July 27 Friday-Turnbull cove-There were only 5 boats here last night. We check the prawn trap and find only 8 prawns but they are large. It rains off and on all day. We get a lot of reading done. Here are web sites for a couple of the marinas we have been to www.shawlbay.com www.kwatsibay.com www.shawlbay.com and www.echobay.com

July26 Thursday- We were hoping to see a grizzly before we left but none showed up. We only saw a pair of silver loons who called their mournful cry. John had a crab trap out and got enough for happy hour. Yum. We pull up anchor and head to Turnbull Cove. Clark and Shelia are heading for Shawl Bay as the have a anchor winch problem and hope they can fix it when the are at the dock. After dropping the hook we put our prawn traps out outside the entrance. We have a great dinner on “Sundown” and enjoy the crabs for happy hour. 5 boats are in the bay tonight.

July25 Wednesday Big Nimmo Bay-We wake up to a mirror calm bay. After lunch Bill and I take our dingy and explore the head of MacKenzie sound . A large logging operation is on the right. We return and take down the kayaks for Shelia and I. Midge takes her row boat . We go to inspect the lodge. Nothing much seems to be going on there. We have a great dinner on John and Midges boat after a happy hour. Life is tough.

Nemmo bay lodge and glaciers above lodge

July 24 Tuesday . After breakfast we finally leave Shawl Bay as we were connected to power I vacuumed the boat. I had put a pot roast on last night so dinner is ready for tonight. We sight another pod of about 8 porpoises. We pass Kingcome inlet, a native village, nothing or very little action. Next we pass a very old lumber mill, nothing much left now. Heading up Mckenzie sound we pass Claydon Bay and Turnbull Cove (we will return latter and anchor) . Who should be coming out od Claydon Bay but John and Midge.We are on our way to little Nimmo Bay. This a luxury fly in resort. http://www.nimmobay.com/ It was once featured on the rich and famous. Someone said 5,000 a day. They fly you up to the glaciers and serve wine and cheese on a linen tablecloth with candles etc. We head for big Nimmo Bay where we anchor with John and Midge (Sundown) and Clark and Shelia ( Island Pride) .We are the only boats here. We have everyone over to share our pork roast.

Shelia and I at Shawl Bay

July23 Monday Shawl Bay-We wake up and it is still raining. Shelia and I play Rummy cubes after breakfast. It clears up after lunch so Shelia and I go kayaking. We play games again after supper as we are both leaving but separate ways but will meet up again latter.

July 22 Sunday Shawl Bay- rain, a little sun than back to rain, it follows this pattern all day. Clark and Shelia on Island Pride arrive. The dock has cleared out so they park behind us. Tonight is the big pot luck dinner.

July 21 Saturday Shawl Bay- It is Bill’s big day he turns 65. David and Penny leave. We plug into electric. Now we can run our electric heater as it’s starting to get damp with all the rain. Another BYC boat comes in and the dock is full so we pay for them. Chris and Lib on Riot 11. We met them at Oleos.

pancake breakfast and the dock we share with royal Vancouver and Royal Victoria

Shawl Bay- new generator and Black Tie

July 20, 2007 Friday-Shawl Bay-Rain rain rain. The new generator arrives. More boats leave and new ones arrive. The Black Tie a 90’ Canadian boat arrives and 5 Royal Vancouver boats do too so David has to raft to us to accommodate everyone. A huge happy hour today. We have wine on David and Penny’s boat first. Lorne gets the generator working tonight.

July19 Thursday Shawl Bay-We wake up to rain but it stops at 9:30am, then continues off and on all day. Two Burrard boats leave before breakfast as they have to go back to work. Shawn has to go to Port McNeil for a doctor’s appointment. Rob takes her in their water taxi. Shawn bakes fresh bread, pies and sticky buns just about every day. We manage to stay away from the pie and buns but will order some before we leave. We have Dave & Penny over for happy hour. It is raining so hard that no one goes to the happy hour under the palappa. Blue skies and sunshine by 6:30. Shawn and Rob arrive back with Lorne. The new generator will be here tomorrow.

July18 Wednesday Shawl Bay-Our anniversary (43) We watch boats leave every day around noon and a new set comes in around 3pm. We stay on as the price is right and free WIFI. It is a lazy hot day. It starts to rain around 8pm and rains the whole night. We are meeting many new friends.

Spannish moss evidence of a rainforest here

July17 Tuesday-Shawl Bay- Another good pancake breakfast. The day starts sunny but rains for 2 hrs from3pm. Evening is fine. Both Robert Hale and Peter Vasssilopoulos arrive here (They are both author of BC boating books). We have Peter and Carla over for wine. He signs my book for me. Carla brings a strawberry pie. Yum We have a great visit.3 more BYC boats arrive so we have to move up to let them in. David & Penny on Oceanaire ,Mike and Betty on Shammon 2 and Betty’s brother and wife ???? all BYC boats. The marina is pretty full.

July 16 Monday Shawl Bay- A beautiful hot sunny day. Lorne ,the owner and Rob ,the son leave for Port McNeil. Rob picks up some fresh vegetables for me. Bill is happy as he can listen to his favorite talk show on CKNW on my computer. He has’nt had any luck with the satalite dish . We only have 10 boats here tonight

.What a good use for a dish.

Shawl Bay -Main street

Shawl Bay

July 15 Sunday We pass Lacy falls on our way to Shawl Bay . A few dolfins are milling around a fish farm near the falls. We stop at Echo Bay first . We check out fresh vegetables. They are just about out. No bread and no fuel. They are having a real rough time as Nancy is fighting cancer and has to go back to Victoria for more treatments and they had a big generator fire. They have people helping them but the supplies are late coming in. Echo Bay is on the northwest side of Gilford Island off Cramer passage. In it’s hay day it was a base for 40 families of loggers. Children arrived by boat to a schoolhouse at the head of the bay. This area is now a marine park. A rookery is located here and as many as 15 pairs of herons come each year. A terrible racket is heard especially if an eagle is around. Wind song sea village is here too . It is a group of private residences. One has a gift shop.We arrive at Shawl Bay around 1pm. It is another floating Marina. Here Lorne, Shawn and Robert live year round with aunt Jo who collects the moorage. BYC rent docks here so we stay for free just have to pay for power. Which they do not have as they too have generator problems. They also have laundry, showers, and a book trading option. Shawn also bakes so there is fresh bread pies, and cinnamon buns . We arrive the night they have fish stew tonight after a daily happy hour. They have about 15-20 boats here. With moorage a pancake breakfast is served daily under a covered patio. Today we have heavy showers off and on all day with sun..

Lacy falls and fish farm

July14 Saturday We leave and on our way we are greeted with 15-20 dolphins. They are going too fast for me to get a picture but they enjoyed our wake for awhile. We are headed for Kwatsi Bay. A tranquil place in a beautiful scenic fjord surrounded by high peaks and tumbling waterfalls in Tribune Channel on the mainland. It is home to a family, Inka,.Max,Masieke and Russil. They have set up a home on land adjacent to the float .It is on the foot of a tall steep mountain with a waterfall and a deep gorge in the background. They have a store selling Westcoast local crafts(painters, carvers, potters and honey), a cappuccino bar, showers are also available. Moorage is 75 cents a foot. They have free WIFI. Kwatsi also has a 5pm happy hour. There are 6 boats here -3 Canadians and 3 Americans. It starts pouring rain 6:30 but quits by 8:30. A great wilderness facility!

July 13 Friday-We leave today. We go through the Blow hole, a short, shallow easily navigated channel between Minstral and East Crofton. The channel get’s it’s name from the strong westerly winds that blow through at times. We are headed for Lagoon Cove. This is always a fun stop with Bill and Jean both personality plus. Rafting can be 4-5 deep. Happy hour is daily at 5pm. They supply a very large supply of cooked prawns and the boaters add whatever from their boat. Tonight Debbie and her father come from the new development. She brings her baby woodpecker. Dan, the caretaker delivers another trade of prawns for booze. We have 2 small showers that only last 15 min each. Tonight at 9pm they have a marshmallow roast with sing along and stories. We meet another couple who have a 5th wheel and belong to the Western Horizons system. Small world.

July12 Thursday - After talking to Dan the caretaker he tells me that they have finished blasting so I talk Bill on going for a hike to see the 15 lots. They are owned by a Canadian from Port Albernie (son) Comox father) The daughter invites us in for coffee. She is the camp cook. They have 6 men working for them. Only 2 are here today. She had a baby woodpecker that they rescued from a fallen tree. He sat on my finger. She hopes to release him soon. On our return a Royal Vancouver boat is tied up (Argus) a 36 grand banks. Another small Canadian boat arrives after super.

the grow op house

July 11 Wednesday We are still in Minstral. One can’t beat the mooring price .It is very hot today. I do some beach combing and gather a few shells. I also hike over to the development area but get stopped by a sign that reads Stop blasting area so I turn back. We are still the only boat here.

July 10 Tuesday- The owners get away early in the morning to take advantage of calm water. I finish painting a cape buffalo on Bill’s vest. Tonight we are entertained by a flock of crows. They find prawn heads in a bucket on the caretaker’s boat. It was really something to watch as they had to reach way down into the bucket.

July9 Monday-We are the only boat here as the others left. It is sunny after a shroud of mist in the morning .We watch a pair of eagles surveying their domain and Kingfishers shriek as they pry the waters for fish. A calm and peaceful place.

July 7 Saturday- We leave Shoal Bay at 9am as Johnstone Straight is said to be calming down. We pass spawling clearcuts of 30-60 years ago .For the most part they are greening up nicely. Many of the old logging roads can be distinguished as fast zigzagging patterns outlined by noticeable taller trees. We pass the Greenpoint rapids and the Whirlpools with no problems. Going through Chatham Channel between the mainland and East Croft Island we line up the red range markers to forge through a narrow channel. It took us 7 hours to get to Minstral Island where we dock .We meet the new owners.
A little history on Minstral- It got its start in 1905. It was an area rich in timber and about 60 logging outfits worked around the area. The Union Steamship made one of its scheduled stops here. 1907 a general store was opened and a hotel was added. It became the recruiting center for loggers. Their saloon was known as one of the toughest place on the coast. It was said to sell the most beer on the BC coast. As many as 500 people milled around with dances and “boat Days” for more attractions. A mechanic shop and a boarding school were added to the property. Then the Islands first Post Office arrived. By the end of 1950’s life around Minstral slowed down. The Canadian Fishing Co cannery at Bones Bay around the corner closes its doors in 1949. The Union Steamship no longer serves the coast and small logging outfits are taken over by Crown Zellerback. Minstral has changed hands many times. Now only a very run down hotel and house (empty) remain with many trailers on barges where a restaurant, pub, store and laundry facilities once flourished. The government still exist but need repairs so there is no charge. The 3 tonne crane is still here. The helicopter pad and float plane dock are in shambles.
Today the property has been bought by 4 partners. We meet two. Paul and Danelle are from Montreal, and Steve is from Mudge (Nanaimo). We also meet steve’s mom Murial .They have lots of work ahead of them as they want to clear out all the buildings on barges and make one large beach. The barges are full of heavy appliances- fridges ,stoves ,freezers about 30 of them. They have a caretaker (Dan) looking after what he can as he is working on the land development on the other side of the island. In the evening he goes and checks his prawn traps . He traded prawns for a bottle of wine. What a deal !

July 6 Friday- Today we head for Shoal Bay in sunshine again. Shoal Bay was once the biggest gold mining community north of San Francisco .It housed 3 mines and was the meeting place with 3 saloons. It is now reduced to 1 lodge and a couple of houses. The large public dock still stands. They have WIFI in the lodge. The docks are full everyone waiting for Johnstone Strait to calm down.

July 5 Thursday Oleo’s- We leave Refuge Cove and motor up to catch the tides for the Yuculta rapids , Dent rapids and Devils hole. All can have violent eddies and whirlpools, so tide and current charts have to be watched carefully. We are heading to Oleo’s in Fredrick Arm. An unlikely floating restaurant with moorage for a few boats. It is tucked in behind a small island on the east side of Fredrick Arm. When we arrive another BYC boat is here-Riot 4(Chris and Lib). We have them over for happy hour then go to dinner together. $22 a head and $10 for moorage. ( no power) Beautiful sunny day

July 4 Wednesday-Refuge Cove, a small settlement on a barge positioned high and dry above the high- water mark.(Very limited shore access) A public marina ( 50 cents a foot ) no electric. A fuel dock laundry facilities, gift shop and a well stocked store , also a plane dock used for a turn around point or change of crew. A small café here also . They came around with pizza samples in the afternoon.

July 3 Tuesday Powel River. A neat little town with 2 ferries- one to Texada and one to Vancouver Island (Comox) . A complementary shuttle bus takes one up to the Wal-Mark shopping center. Pat who used to be our dental receptionist in Coquitlam years ago has a quilt shop here. We have Pat and Peter for dinner They tell us Powel River is becoming a retirement community. After here all stops will be inaccessible by road unless we stop on Vancouver Island.

July 4 Wednesday- Powel River to Refuse Cove We leave today after having Pat and Peter over for dinner yesterday. John and Midge left yesterday so we will meet them some time latter as they are going to do Desolation Sound. We stalked up on fresh vegies before we left. So I am without WIFI until we get to Shoal Bay in 3-4 days

July 2 Monday-We wake up early to catch the change of tide at 6am.
We are heading to Powel River and arrive at 1:30. Check out the internet Café at top of hill.

July 1 Sunday Canada Day Princess Louisa-Sunshine all day. Bill does his thing with the ashes in front of the falls .The Nova Spiret (150’) arrives. It is Jimmy Pattison’s 79th (this is the boat Shannon worked on for 3 and a half years in Vancouver ). John and the captain Scott both came to visit us while their guest hiked around the falls. They only stay until the next tide change at 8pm.

Sher-Shan and Sojourn in Princess Louise Inlet

June 30 Saturday Princess Louisa-We both take our dingies to Malabu lodge for a tour. There are 200-300 high school students guest with a staff of 100 here at one time. We get to see their new gym with a climbing wall, and the boys and girls separate dorms ( from outside only) ,and the huge dining room with the million dollar view. A new swimming pool now with fresh water and heated, and a new volley ball court were added since we were her last. We check out the store and the home made ice cream for sale. This evening a group from Young Life arrive at the dock with ice cream and brownies for everyone.

June 29 Friday Chatterbox falls It rains off and on, mostly on all day.

June 28 Thursday Princess Louise Inlet- Sojourn leaves on the first tide on their way to Alaska. It rains on and off all day but makes for great waterfalls on the mile-high mountains that drop vertically 1,000’. Entering here is like entering a great cathedral. Dozens of waterfalls stream down like white ribbons.

June 27 Wednesday Princess Louise Inlet and Chatterbox Falls-We wake up to sunshine. Shannon and Ethan are hiking up to the trappers cabin 2hrs each way. I did them about 10 years ago. What a view right down the inlet. Midge and I hike around the falls . We gather oyster shells for Shannon to decorate her dinner tables for her guests. John and Midge are invited for a tour of Sojourn we go too. Shannon and some of her crew dingy down to Malabu lodge for a tour. This is a Young Life Christian summer camp for teenagers. The change of crew is tomorrow so Shannon suggests we go another day. We have been years ago so it will be good to see what changes there are.

June 25 Monday-Pender harbour Today Shannon picks us up in their dingy and we put around the area. We stop in at Maderia Park and check out the IGA grocery store.

June24 Sunday Pender Harbour We walk to John Henreys to see what is new buy a newspaper and head back as Shannon & Ethan are arriving. They anchor in the bay just behind us. We take them to the pub for dinner and have a good visit.