WiFi on your boat made simple!
-Aigean
If you have the older Aigean Link series or Wave wi-fi and are having problems, or, if you would like to learn more about the new Aigean wireless clients, contact Richard at (754) 223-2240.
-STARLINK for your boat
Marine Covers and Enclosures
-In Canvas
the best Canvas Product Engineer!Recommended Books for reading
The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet
Following the Curve of Time (The Legendary M. Wylie Blanchet) by Cathy Converse
Fishing With John by Edith Iglauer
Full Moon Flood Tide (Bill Proctor's Raincoast) by Bill Proctor and Yvonne Maximchuk
Tide Rips & Back Eddies (Bill Proctor's Tales of Blackfish Sound) by Bill Proctor and Yvonne Maximchuk
Marinas to stop and visit
- Refuge Cove
- Toba Wilderness
- Stuart Island Community Dock
- Shoal Bay Government Wharf
- Lagoon Cove Marina
- New Vancouver Marina
- Sullivan Bay Marina
Informational websites
Pat's Boating in Canada
National Data Buoy Center
BC Marine Weather
Rockfish Conservation Areas
U. S. Customs and Border Protection
Favorite Links
BillPratt.com
Sierra College
Master Gardener Yolo County
Woodland High School
Woodland Chamber Singers
EcoFriendly
John & Rebecca Pratt's Summer 2025
to be updated throughout the summer...
May 7, Getting ready to leave
Closing up the house and getting ready takes lots of thought and prep. We left Woodland, Ca on May 7, in our old 1970 truck with our fingers crossed. All doctor appointments had been
taken care of and it was time to go. Our first stop was to see our good friend, Dennis, in Grants Pass, Oregon for a visit and to see all of his squirrels. We left after breakfast the
following morning, arriving in Edmonds, WA around 5:30 pm. Got through the Seattle traffic without too much hassle. Spent the next couple of weeks working on the boat trying to get
everything ready for bon voyage to Canada. This includes a long list of maintenance work that needs to be done on the boat to dewinterize the diesels, genset, and outboard along with
various other jobs of shopping, and storing, of necessary items that we need to bring with us for the whole summer. However, the first thing we noticed is that we have new neighobors!
We needed the zincs replaced on the shafts under the boat but the diver is not going to go swimming while these critters are arfing and barking all around. They are supposedly only here for a short time, so hopefully they are not around much longer.
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We needed the zincs replaced on the shafts under the boat but the diver is not going to go swimming while these critters are arfing and barking all around. They are supposedly only here for a short time, so hopefully they are not around much longer.
Maintenance lists...
We both pulled on our scrubs and got busy on the diesels, checking fluid levels, changing the oil and oil filters, replacing the eaten up, pencil zincs, checking over the belts for
tightness and wear and tear, and then a little brushing, scrubbing and cleaning up all around so that all is spotless and ready to rumble and roll. The genset had to have the
alternator rebuilt after it froze over Christmas time while we were warming it up for general maintenance. The belt busted and flew all over the place, so lots of cleaning up of
loose debris and returning that area as well, to its normal spotless state; and then on to changing the oil and oil filter on this little guy as well. We worked our way through things
over the course of more than a week. Sleeping well at night!
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May 21st, down one mate....
At this point, Rebecca took off for Europe, to do some bike riding in Switzerland, France and Germany, leaving John behind to finish up things still not done. She ended up visiting
Basel and Luzern, Switzerland and then riding in France and Germany and then visiting the capital of Europe, Strasbourg, France for three days of sightseeing. Lot of history and
she had an amazing trip with friends that she rides with back home. This was all arranged and handled by VBT.
Meanwhile, John was back on the boat handling plumbing needs that included a bit of cleaning inside and out and then a lot of lubing of various items throughout the boat as well.
Next, he dropped down the dinghy and worked on the outboard in order to bring it up to readiness for the summer. Forgotten anything, mate?
And, don't forget to keep an eye out for the electric inspector 
6-8-2025 La Conner, in Swinnomish Channel
An online
tide chart for La Conner is available, and a good quick resource.
We left the Port of Edmonds bright and early at 6:18 am, with a light breeze and a sunny day. Ripples all the way up to Rocky Point, and a beautiful view of Mr. Baker. Entered Swinnomish Channel about 12:30 pm and current was still against us, but slowing down. Low tide at 10:43 am today. Wharfinger on the dock, Grayson, was very helpful with current going south and and wind blowing south as well. Swung boat around on the inside of the dock with easy control of sliding over to the dock and tossing a line to Grayson. By 1:00 pm, after securing the lines and attaching the power, a quick trip to the Pioneer Market was in order, for some chicken strips and their famous potato salad to top off the day. Resting and watching the water and boats go by was a fine way to finish off a great day on the water. We are excited to hear that our friend Rich is going to take a trip up to visit us while taking his Mustang our for a run. Logging operation across the water appears to not be busy right now. No logs are piled up to be dropped into the water and then placed in logbooms, as we normally get to see from front row seats. The commercial crabbing must be closed as well, because the normal run of the local crabs boats going in and out to drop, and/or retrieve pots is not happening.
Next day down on the dock, it appears that there are a couple of new wharfingers! They appeared to be checking out our lines very closely! A $2 million dollar boat tied up alongside us and it was out on a shakedown run. It burns 160 gph running at full throttle of 60 mph. It was built for daily offshore fishing, taking 4 to 6 fishermen at one time. WOW! Also, a flashy pigeon was checking out the view of the south dock here in La Conner. Another fellow, gave us 'the look' as we walked back from the store. Might have wanted some chicken strips. Not sure!
Had to take a couple of pictures to show how empty the dock is, here in La Conner, for early June. There are great wharfingers that are hired every year and this year we met Grayson, who reports that there are 4 more of them running around to help out at the F dock (the one we are on and also called the south dock) and the G dock (also called the north dock and requires a reservation). Grayson was available to run me up to Pioneer Market to pick up some chicken strips for our travel snacks for tomorrow. Still have some prime rib left over from last Friday night's prime rib dinner at Shay's in Seattle and so we are good for a couple of days of traveling with easy to make sandwiches and finger foods (includes some healthy potato chips)! Whoa, last pictures show that you never know whom you might see walking down the main street in La Conner! Another guy taking his gal out to see the sights and pick up a few nibbles. Looks like they don't have to pay for anything, either! Go figure!
If you ever need help, the response and number that arrive, shows that they are there! Units came from Anacortes, La Conner, Skagit, Burlington, and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, in that order in the picture from left to right. There was a 'small incident' on a boat that had pulled up down at the end of the dock and pretty soon, there were 10 personnel busy carrying equipment, walking down the dock to bring help. All is well and everyone left, and then the boat and it's two occupants also pulled out for Anacortes on just another breezy, sunny day in La Conner.
Rich showed up but he did not bring his Mustang. Great visit with him and then off he went to take care of other duties.
We left the Port of Edmonds bright and early at 6:18 am, with a light breeze and a sunny day. Ripples all the way up to Rocky Point, and a beautiful view of Mr. Baker. Entered Swinnomish Channel about 12:30 pm and current was still against us, but slowing down. Low tide at 10:43 am today. Wharfinger on the dock, Grayson, was very helpful with current going south and and wind blowing south as well. Swung boat around on the inside of the dock with easy control of sliding over to the dock and tossing a line to Grayson. By 1:00 pm, after securing the lines and attaching the power, a quick trip to the Pioneer Market was in order, for some chicken strips and their famous potato salad to top off the day. Resting and watching the water and boats go by was a fine way to finish off a great day on the water. We are excited to hear that our friend Rich is going to take a trip up to visit us while taking his Mustang our for a run. Logging operation across the water appears to not be busy right now. No logs are piled up to be dropped into the water and then placed in logbooms, as we normally get to see from front row seats. The commercial crabbing must be closed as well, because the normal run of the local crabs boats going in and out to drop, and/or retrieve pots is not happening.
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Next day down on the dock, it appears that there are a couple of new wharfingers! They appeared to be checking out our lines very closely! A $2 million dollar boat tied up alongside us and it was out on a shakedown run. It burns 160 gph running at full throttle of 60 mph. It was built for daily offshore fishing, taking 4 to 6 fishermen at one time. WOW! Also, a flashy pigeon was checking out the view of the south dock here in La Conner. Another fellow, gave us 'the look' as we walked back from the store. Might have wanted some chicken strips. Not sure!
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Had to take a couple of pictures to show how empty the dock is, here in La Conner, for early June. There are great wharfingers that are hired every year and this year we met Grayson, who reports that there are 4 more of them running around to help out at the F dock (the one we are on and also called the south dock) and the G dock (also called the north dock and requires a reservation). Grayson was available to run me up to Pioneer Market to pick up some chicken strips for our travel snacks for tomorrow. Still have some prime rib left over from last Friday night's prime rib dinner at Shay's in Seattle and so we are good for a couple of days of traveling with easy to make sandwiches and finger foods (includes some healthy potato chips)! Whoa, last pictures show that you never know whom you might see walking down the main street in La Conner! Another guy taking his gal out to see the sights and pick up a few nibbles. Looks like they don't have to pay for anything, either! Go figure!
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If you ever need help, the response and number that arrive, shows that they are there! Units came from Anacortes, La Conner, Skagit, Burlington, and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, in that order in the picture from left to right. There was a 'small incident' on a boat that had pulled up down at the end of the dock and pretty soon, there were 10 personnel busy carrying equipment, walking down the dock to bring help. All is well and everyone left, and then the boat and it's two occupants also pulled out for Anacortes on just another breezy, sunny day in La Conner.
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Rich showed up but he did not bring his Mustang. Great visit with him and then off he went to take care of other duties.
Planning ahead...
6-11-25: Leaving in the morning, after a haircut at 9 am and then fueling up, north we go. If everyone on board has a Nexus Card, you can check-in through your cell phone once you are in Canada waters and headed to a port. You are required to call in at least
30 minutes before arriving at a port but no sooner than 4 hours. Call the Nexus reporting phone number: 866-996-39871.
After clearing customs via phone, once we have crossed into Canadian waters, who knows what is next. A couple of options include Montague Harbour, or Clam Bay, or, if tides and currents are going our way, through Dodd Narrows and Nanaimo. We'll see.
La Conner to Bedwell Harbour (roughly 46 miles) traveling approx at 8 mph, will arrive between 2 to 3 pm. 12 more miles to Montague and dropping the anchor might be the best option.
La Conner to Montague Harbour is roughly 58.1 miles.
La Conner to Clam Bay is roughly 66.9 miles.
La Conner to Nanaimo is roughly 84.6 miles (Dodd Narrows slack for tomorrow is 5:50 pm with the current northbound through entire Gulf Islands. Planning ahead and traveling roughly 8 mph, plus an hour to get through customs means it will be around 3 pm and not enough time to travel 38 more miles to get to Dodd Narrows by slack at 5:50 pm.
After clearing customs via phone, once we have crossed into Canadian waters, who knows what is next. A couple of options include Montague Harbour, or Clam Bay, or, if tides and currents are going our way, through Dodd Narrows and Nanaimo. We'll see.
La Conner to Bedwell Harbour (roughly 46 miles) traveling approx at 8 mph, will arrive between 2 to 3 pm. 12 more miles to Montague and dropping the anchor might be the best option.
La Conner to Montague Harbour is roughly 58.1 miles.
La Conner to Clam Bay is roughly 66.9 miles.
La Conner to Nanaimo is roughly 84.6 miles (Dodd Narrows slack for tomorrow is 5:50 pm with the current northbound through entire Gulf Islands. Planning ahead and traveling roughly 8 mph, plus an hour to get through customs means it will be around 3 pm and not enough time to travel 38 more miles to get to Dodd Narrows by slack at 5:50 pm.
6-11-25 Clam Bay, then 6-12-25 Nanaimo
6-11-25: We didn't leave La Conner until after a haircut, shave and fueling up. Well, maybe not the shave! Started up Swinnomish Channel at 10:31 AM and dropped a hook in Clam Bay on Thetis
Island at 7:46 PM. Great day on the water with the San Juan Island porpoises bidding us a cheery goodbye as they were fishing just north of Skip Jack Island in some nice turbulent
waters. Maybe they were waving their dorsal fins to let each other know where the fish were hiding. Anyways, it was great fun watching them play for quite awhile. After going through
Plumper Sound where we usually see several big container ships anchored, we kept a sharp eye peeled for killer whales passing through Navy Channel. Then, we ran the gauntlet of the BC
Ferries crossing, keeping a good lookout to both left and right, and also for any tugs that might be pulling things. They were all there today and so we choose to hang around and wait
for a couple to pass, before running across. Continuing on we passed Ben Morh Rocks in the Trincomali Channel. A couple of hours later we were both very happy to pull into Clam Bay
and circling around some underwater obstacles (including a boiler hazard documented in Navionics charting app on 29-Aug-2024). Less than a year ago and worth avoiding as well. Very
few boats anchored so lots of room to choose from. Good night!
6-12-25: Up the next morning, we pulled the anchor and headed for Dodd Narrows with slack water at 11:00 AM. About a 12 mile run and we slipped through there easily, to continue on and fuel up in Nanaimo before checking in for an open spot on the docks. Found out that the Van Isle 360 Sailing Regatta was returning on Friday and so we could only pay for one night. (They weren't sure how many sailboats would be turning up the next day, until later. On the morning of the 13th, walked up to the office around 8:00 AM and they said, no problem. So we paid for second night and then went shopping for fruits and vegetables, the ones that you cannot bring across the border. We did not want to cross the Strait of Georgia until Saturday morning, when it is supposed to have "light" winds. Key word being... light! Should be calm by 10 AM so that will help in our 80+ mile run up to Squirrel Cove on Cortes Island. May stay anchored there for two nights, before continuing on. Once we do decide to move on we will definitely run across the way, due east, to Refuge Cove on West Redonda Island, to top off our fuel tanks before once more, continuing northward. One day, two days... we are on vacation time so will let you know, once we know!
Talked with Karen and David, who were tied up behind us on the docks on their 29 foot sailing vessel, 'Dakota'. They have a blog that is interesting to read called DakotAdventures. We are always looking for more information to know what the winds are going to do and look for the app with the greatest accuracy in predictions. They highly recommended the PredictWind app and Karen helped Rebecca identify which features to use, once she downloaded it online. On the map page near the top, on the right hand side there is a drop down menu. Click on that and it has sections. The first one is Forecast and click on wind. The next one is Forecast model andmake sure to click on ECMWF which is the European version and is the most accurate. David and Karen have done some serious sailing, down the Pacific Coast, over to Polynesian Islands and then up to Hawaii. Going to go by what they suggest, based on their experience, and then test it as we are traveling. Definitely will see how close it is when crossing Georgia Straits in the morning.
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6-12-25: Up the next morning, we pulled the anchor and headed for Dodd Narrows with slack water at 11:00 AM. About a 12 mile run and we slipped through there easily, to continue on and fuel up in Nanaimo before checking in for an open spot on the docks. Found out that the Van Isle 360 Sailing Regatta was returning on Friday and so we could only pay for one night. (They weren't sure how many sailboats would be turning up the next day, until later. On the morning of the 13th, walked up to the office around 8:00 AM and they said, no problem. So we paid for second night and then went shopping for fruits and vegetables, the ones that you cannot bring across the border. We did not want to cross the Strait of Georgia until Saturday morning, when it is supposed to have "light" winds. Key word being... light! Should be calm by 10 AM so that will help in our 80+ mile run up to Squirrel Cove on Cortes Island. May stay anchored there for two nights, before continuing on. Once we do decide to move on we will definitely run across the way, due east, to Refuge Cove on West Redonda Island, to top off our fuel tanks before once more, continuing northward. One day, two days... we are on vacation time so will let you know, once we know!
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Talked with Karen and David, who were tied up behind us on the docks on their 29 foot sailing vessel, 'Dakota'. They have a blog that is interesting to read called DakotAdventures. We are always looking for more information to know what the winds are going to do and look for the app with the greatest accuracy in predictions. They highly recommended the PredictWind app and Karen helped Rebecca identify which features to use, once she downloaded it online. On the map page near the top, on the right hand side there is a drop down menu. Click on that and it has sections. The first one is Forecast and click on wind. The next one is Forecast model andmake sure to click on ECMWF which is the European version and is the most accurate. David and Karen have done some serious sailing, down the Pacific Coast, over to Polynesian Islands and then up to Hawaii. Going to go by what they suggest, based on their experience, and then test it as we are traveling. Definitely will see how close it is when crossing Georgia Straits in the morning.
6-14-25 off to Squirrel Cove
6-14-25: Based on the VHF Channel 3 Weather report, the Marine Weather for: Pacific - South Coast site
found online, and the PredictWinds app, the winds were going to be light by 10 AM and coming from the southeast, which according to Karen will be perfect with the incoming tide, to push us gently northward. Let's
see what happened!
We pulled away from the dock at 9:57 AM, with David and Karen pulling out right behind us, to start our runs across the Strait of Georgia. About 25 miles. The military test area called Whiskey Golf was reported on the weather channel to be NOT active and therefore open for boaters to cross. Perfect! It is such a longer day when we have to go around that particular area. We entered the Strait of Georgia at 10:28 AM.
Anyway, crossing Georgia Straits heading due north with a southeast breeze hitting our starboard beam makes for more work in steering a straight line. Thus, the first 20+ miles in crossing was with a two foot chop (not bad) with a pushy wind from our right side (not so much fun and more like work) and barely reaching 8 mph. After tucking under the bottom side of Texada Island and then heading northwest with an incoming tide giving surging pushes on our bottom and a now friendly southeast wind giving its own assist as well, we began moving right along between 9.5 to 10 mph. Whooeee! At times even hitting 11 mph. Still some steering work to keep a straight line, but as the day progressed the waters calmed down, especially after reaching the north end of Texada Island. And the currents continued to push us right along. Sooo, 84.3 miles later we dropped a hook in Squirrel Cove at 7:25 PM. Our average speed was 8.8 mph and that made it an overall very good day. Definitely going to have a 'rest over' day and enjoy the ambiance. There were not many boats anchored when we pulled in and could pretty much drop a hook anywhere, but we were so tired we just picked a spot towards the back and done, done, and done. Bite to eat and off to bed. By the way, Squirrel Cove is made up of an outer bay and an inner bay.
It was amazing what we get to see as we are relaxing on the boat. John got tired of the saltwater spray interfering with our view and so got busy with his bottle and rags. Yep, much nicer afterwards.
Oh, and today is our 39th anniversary; so this was a perfect milestone day for us. We have been boating since we were married and don't plan to stop anytime soon, Lord willing!
We pulled away from the dock at 9:57 AM, with David and Karen pulling out right behind us, to start our runs across the Strait of Georgia. About 25 miles. The military test area called Whiskey Golf was reported on the weather channel to be NOT active and therefore open for boaters to cross. Perfect! It is such a longer day when we have to go around that particular area. We entered the Strait of Georgia at 10:28 AM.
Anyway, crossing Georgia Straits heading due north with a southeast breeze hitting our starboard beam makes for more work in steering a straight line. Thus, the first 20+ miles in crossing was with a two foot chop (not bad) with a pushy wind from our right side (not so much fun and more like work) and barely reaching 8 mph. After tucking under the bottom side of Texada Island and then heading northwest with an incoming tide giving surging pushes on our bottom and a now friendly southeast wind giving its own assist as well, we began moving right along between 9.5 to 10 mph. Whooeee! At times even hitting 11 mph. Still some steering work to keep a straight line, but as the day progressed the waters calmed down, especially after reaching the north end of Texada Island. And the currents continued to push us right along. Sooo, 84.3 miles later we dropped a hook in Squirrel Cove at 7:25 PM. Our average speed was 8.8 mph and that made it an overall very good day. Definitely going to have a 'rest over' day and enjoy the ambiance. There were not many boats anchored when we pulled in and could pretty much drop a hook anywhere, but we were so tired we just picked a spot towards the back and done, done, and done. Bite to eat and off to bed. By the way, Squirrel Cove is made up of an outer bay and an inner bay.
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It was amazing what we get to see as we are relaxing on the boat. John got tired of the saltwater spray interfering with our view and so got busy with his bottle and rags. Yep, much nicer afterwards.
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Oh, and today is our 39th anniversary; so this was a perfect milestone day for us. We have been boating since we were married and don't plan to stop anytime soon, Lord willing!
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6-16-25 Refuge Cove and then Shoal Bay
6-16-25: we were up early and after a cup of coffee we pulled the anchor and headed over to Refuge Cove. Options for today were after fueling up, maybe stopping at Stuart Island Gov't docks in Big Bay,
or continuing on to Cordero Islands to anchor and maybe fish. There was a huge fuel barge pulled up to the fuel dock so we were lucky at 9 in the morning and nobody about, as we pulled in and tied up to
top off our tanks. Ran up to the store afterwards to get a few items, including some ice for the ice chest and then off, heading northwards for Yuculta Rapids. Going to go through two hours early, because then
the currents will still be going our way through Gillard Passage and Dent Rapids. Dent has it's own special Devil's Hole. The last picture below is the view of Yuculta Rapids way in the distance as we
are approaching.
Well, none of the options above ended up being our choice for the night! Turns out that our friends, Victor and Caroline on the sailing vessel, "Moonshine" needed to stop at Shoal Bay Gov't Dock to check a squeaky noise in their engine. We wondered if they were looking for mice. Hmmm... Anyway, through Yuculta, Gillard, and then Dent we were pushed past Frederick Arm off to our right to then pull into the dock with just a couple of boats, Moonshine (with Victor and Caroline) and Island Pride (with Clark and Sheila) tied up. Both boats are members of the Gibson Yacht Club off the Sunshine Coast and have been traveling together with several other boat members. Below, the first couple of pictures were taken of us on approach, by Caroline. Thank you Caroline. We got to meet Sheila and Clark as they caught lines to help us tie up and then joined us in a little dock party.
While we were relaxing and enjoying the comradrie, an eagle happened to fly by and Caroline and Rebecca were busy running around trying to get a good picture. We got lucky. Beautiful bird. Not to mention the view of Shoal Bay from the dock and of Phillips Arm.
Okay, there were a lot of beautiful birds and someone, we won't say whom, was getting a little camera happy. Enjoy...
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Well, none of the options above ended up being our choice for the night! Turns out that our friends, Victor and Caroline on the sailing vessel, "Moonshine" needed to stop at Shoal Bay Gov't Dock to check a squeaky noise in their engine. We wondered if they were looking for mice. Hmmm... Anyway, through Yuculta, Gillard, and then Dent we were pushed past Frederick Arm off to our right to then pull into the dock with just a couple of boats, Moonshine (with Victor and Caroline) and Island Pride (with Clark and Sheila) tied up. Both boats are members of the Gibson Yacht Club off the Sunshine Coast and have been traveling together with several other boat members. Below, the first couple of pictures were taken of us on approach, by Caroline. Thank you Caroline. We got to meet Sheila and Clark as they caught lines to help us tie up and then joined us in a little dock party.
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While we were relaxing and enjoying the comradrie, an eagle happened to fly by and Caroline and Rebecca were busy running around trying to get a good picture. We got lucky. Beautiful bird. Not to mention the view of Shoal Bay from the dock and of Phillips Arm.
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Okay, there were a lot of beautiful birds and someone, we won't say whom, was getting a little camera happy. Enjoy...
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6-17-25 changing plans led to Lagoon Cove
6-17-25: You know how it is when you get up in the morning and the first thing you are checking is the weather? You do that too? Some of you? We do that a lot on the boat, not so much when we are landlubbing
onshore. Just like the crossing of Georgia Strait, you have to plan ahead for sailing up (or down) Johnstone Strait. So, after lots of discussion on the dock the night before, about the projected
"light winds" on Johnstone Strait, we both decided to bypass anchoring in Cordero Islands. Instead we planned to continue on to Forward Harbour and anchor in the west end, for an early start in the morning
to run down Sunderland Channel before poking our nose out into Johnstone Strait. The pictures below showed we were the last boats on the dock to leave Shoal Bay. Several boats took off very early to head
south through the rapids we had just came up and the other one wanted an early jump on Johnstone Strait for they planned to go all the way to Lagoon Cove. We heard they are headed for Shearwater up above
Cape Caution which is also known as the Queen's Pond. I couldn't find out how it got it's name but did find a link with more information and four major points to know before venturing around
Cape Caution.
We choose to travel at a slower RPM because it was only a 19 mile run to Forward Harbour. Greene Point Rapids was really smooth sailing after leaving dock at 8:06 AM and with current going our direction, arriving at the rapids 9:00 AM. Heading down Chancellor Channel it was smooth with fantastic ebbing tide carrying us right along. Getting close to our turn off, we decided between all the weather sources, with a strong ebbing tide and again a southeast wind breezing us along, to continue down through Current Passage (we were moving at 11 mph here) and then up Johnstone with a light chop.
Victor and Caroline are heading for Port McNeill, and plan to stop off at the Port Neville Gov't Dock and we considered it, but with Johnstone behaving so well, we continued onward and up Johnstone. We will be meeting up again with them soon. Hopefully after they have successfully removed all the squeaky mice that have been a source of irritation for them. Maybe it's the belt on the motor, per Victor's of opinion. We wish them the best of luck figuring it out and seeing if it is a problem or not. Victor did say something about replacing the belts. Got a great picture of Moonshine as she was coming out of the west end of Greene Point Rapids, with the mountains in the background.
As we approached our turnoff at Broken Islands we were greeted by cormorants on the rocks. The wind did appear to be picking up a bit, but still pushing us from behind, along with the outgoing tide. Sweet. Using Navionics to look ahead, we checked on the direction and speed of Chatham Channel and lo and behold, it was flowing our direction and would be a perfect exclamation point to a well traveled day. Entered the east end of Chatham Channel at 1:36 PM and the north entrance of the Blowhole at 2:06 PM, tying up to the docks by 2:27 PM with a warm welcome and hugs from both Kelly and Dan. Our overall average speed for today was the best so far this summer at 9.1 mph!!! I think we will rest for a bit.
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We choose to travel at a slower RPM because it was only a 19 mile run to Forward Harbour. Greene Point Rapids was really smooth sailing after leaving dock at 8:06 AM and with current going our direction, arriving at the rapids 9:00 AM. Heading down Chancellor Channel it was smooth with fantastic ebbing tide carrying us right along. Getting close to our turn off, we decided between all the weather sources, with a strong ebbing tide and again a southeast wind breezing us along, to continue down through Current Passage (we were moving at 11 mph here) and then up Johnstone with a light chop.
Victor and Caroline are heading for Port McNeill, and plan to stop off at the Port Neville Gov't Dock and we considered it, but with Johnstone behaving so well, we continued onward and up Johnstone. We will be meeting up again with them soon. Hopefully after they have successfully removed all the squeaky mice that have been a source of irritation for them. Maybe it's the belt on the motor, per Victor's of opinion. We wish them the best of luck figuring it out and seeing if it is a problem or not. Victor did say something about replacing the belts. Got a great picture of Moonshine as she was coming out of the west end of Greene Point Rapids, with the mountains in the background.
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As we approached our turnoff at Broken Islands we were greeted by cormorants on the rocks. The wind did appear to be picking up a bit, but still pushing us from behind, along with the outgoing tide. Sweet. Using Navionics to look ahead, we checked on the direction and speed of Chatham Channel and lo and behold, it was flowing our direction and would be a perfect exclamation point to a well traveled day. Entered the east end of Chatham Channel at 1:36 PM and the north entrance of the Blowhole at 2:06 PM, tying up to the docks by 2:27 PM with a warm welcome and hugs from both Kelly and Dan. Our overall average speed for today was the best so far this summer at 9.1 mph!!! I think we will rest for a bit.
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After so much going we have decided to stop, for a bit. This is a beautiful location that sees a lot of boat traffic, and then some nights the dock is not as full. Happy Hour every day at 5:00 pm and
bring a dish that is enough for a crowd of more than 15. So will everyone else who comes up to enjoy the prawns and the camaraderie that is found among boaters. If you have traveled this far, you
definitely have stories to share. (Did you see the grizzly swimming in 'that' bay just the other day? Boy was it a big one!) You know, stories like that. Having lived here for 9 years in Lagoon Cove,
Dan and Kelly are starting to build up their "Canada stories" to share, especially things that happen over the winter time, or when the black bears decide to eat all the apples out of the apple tree that
is just up at the head of the dock. The pictures below is the dock leading up to the workshop and and the pathway from land going to the workshop. There is a posted sign showing the hiking trails to explore,
and be sure and carry a noise maker along so the bears know you are coming and can avoid being in the same area as you. Plus, there's a special sign to sign saying that in order to see the relics found
inside the workshop, apply for exploration rights! Plus, the last picture is a panorama of the docks, viewed from shore.
There are projects year round, in any marina, and the first picture shows the building of a new dock. Yes, it is definitly in its early stages. Then, there's the old Crab Shack that is available for anyone to cook their crabs and prawns on the propane stove inside. Plus a table to work on processing whatever needs doing before slipping on the dinner table or tossing in the freezer. The next two pictures show the view of the north and south docks from land. And, of course, the last pic is the 'happy hour' location, outside if not raining and inside if it is raining!
Remember something about hiking trails? Well, you never know when you will see last winter's (or the winter before) result from the tall towering redwoods and other trees. Well, the first picture is the trailhead that leads north to the blowhole or east and up the mountainside. Well, both directions gets a bit steep but are still great hikes. You hear a lot of birds and will see where they have had to cut to clear the trails from downed trees. The big one in the pictures below used to have a great swing. Ah well.
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There are projects year round, in any marina, and the first picture shows the building of a new dock. Yes, it is definitly in its early stages. Then, there's the old Crab Shack that is available for anyone to cook their crabs and prawns on the propane stove inside. Plus a table to work on processing whatever needs doing before slipping on the dinner table or tossing in the freezer. The next two pictures show the view of the north and south docks from land. And, of course, the last pic is the 'happy hour' location, outside if not raining and inside if it is raining!
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Remember something about hiking trails? Well, you never know when you will see last winter's (or the winter before) result from the tall towering redwoods and other trees. Well, the first picture is the trailhead that leads north to the blowhole or east and up the mountainside. Well, both directions gets a bit steep but are still great hikes. You hear a lot of birds and will see where they have had to cut to clear the trails from downed trees. The big one in the pictures below used to have a great swing. Ah well.
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FRIENDS...
Friends are found everywhere and we had a chance to see Bob and Pat. They came down to the boat two nights in a row for corned venison and then for some venison steaks on the second night with fried potatoes
and a salad. Pat brought a rhubarb cobbler and we had to fetch the ice cream to go with it. Great fun. It was wonderful spending time and catching up over the last year. They are very busy and we
happened to catch them in between projects. Next, on to catch up with Victor and Caroline again, on their 35' SV "Moonshine" and off to see if they are taking boaters at Mamalilikulla and then Health
Bay. We both ended up at Echo Bay, which is owned by the First Nation at Health Bay. We are also meeting boaters that we have before and the conversations always starts with, "You look familiar." Which
then leads to discussions of places traveled and possible dates you were there and then, "Oh yeah, that was at Sullivan Bay." or "I remember chatting at Lagoon Cove." One thing people tend to remember is
Rebecca in her kayak! Go figure! Anyway, we had a great time visiting with Bob and Pat, who are in the picture with John and then reconnecting with Victor and Caroline for more fun time on the dock.
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Echo Bay 6-23-2025
We departed and made it down Knights Inlet and then turned right to go into Spring Passage. It is always good to catch it with the currents going your way as you wind yourself around the rocks while watching
for various wildlife. Couple deer were swimming through here last year and another year there were a large group of eagles hanging out in the trees facing Knights Inlet. Guess they heard about some fish
nearby and were having a jolly good time supping. In the picture below, you can see Spring Passage from the air, and it doesn't look like much. We follow Navionics very closely and circle around those
underwater rocks that are laying near the surface. Being cautious and careful is always a good thing in this section even as we are looking around for the unusual.
The next picture shows Echo Bay and the blue dot is us, tied up to a finger. The floathomes across the way, to the east, are now called Cliffside. It used to be called Windsong. Pierre, now owns Cliffside, hence the name change. Years ago we would go to Pierre's Cove which was around a couple of the points to the east. Then, Pierre bought into Echo Bay with Jerome, who'd purchased it from Bob and Nancy Richter. Next, Pierre took over Echo Bay completely and it was then named Pierre’s Echo Bay. Finally, on June 2nd, 2020, the Kwiḵwa̱sut’inux̱w Haxwa’mis First Nation (KHFN) purchased Pierre’s Echo Bay and are renovating it with many projects underway. As a side note: Pierre and Tove have spent many years in this area and a very interesting article is found on the kwaxwalawadi site.
Caroline and Rebecca had a couple of kayaking trips and in one they checked out the lagoon to the south of the docks. Such beautiful green colors. Next time, they set off eastward to find the old Pierre's Cove. They did find what appeared to be turtles sitting on the logs of a bunch of floathomes which were along the east shoreline, a couple of coves over, and it appears to be a kayak expedition camp. The sign in a protected meeting place had a poster up, that was about Kayak Bill and on line, found a couple of interesting articles by West Coast Paddler and Sea Kayaker magazines It appears that he was a very interesting and independent individual. The last picture below shows the brief memorial for him. He was a reclusive kayaker who made his home among the islands of British Columbia's Pacific coast.
After Moonshine arrived, as seen in the picture below, John took the ladies fishing. Caught a couple of fish that Victor is busy preparing for dinner in the picture below. Tied up to the dock across from us, was a boat named, "Got de Fever" and they turned out to be the Waggoner editors. As we helped them untie lines and prepare to move off, Leonard and Lorena were talking with Rebecca and offered her a complimentary copy of the Waggoner. Leonard kept the boat next to the slip using the bow thrusters as Lorena went looking for a copy. She came back with a 2025 Waggoner crusing guide that was still wrapped up in its original plastic! Leonard said they were passing out complimentary copies to promote the book. We thanked him very profusely. Could not believe such an incredible gift. Anyway, here is the website for Waggoner Cruising Guide and don't forget to check the UPDATES page as well. It gives the date of the updates online, and the note on 6-24-25 is correct about Echo Bay, for they were just here alongside us! Anyway, the book is the best resource and always available at your fingertips, especially as you enter the 'no Wi-Fi' no Internet zone! Getting one is a must.
The next picture shows Echo Bay and the blue dot is us, tied up to a finger. The floathomes across the way, to the east, are now called Cliffside. It used to be called Windsong. Pierre, now owns Cliffside, hence the name change. Years ago we would go to Pierre's Cove which was around a couple of the points to the east. Then, Pierre bought into Echo Bay with Jerome, who'd purchased it from Bob and Nancy Richter. Next, Pierre took over Echo Bay completely and it was then named Pierre’s Echo Bay. Finally, on June 2nd, 2020, the Kwiḵwa̱sut’inux̱w Haxwa’mis First Nation (KHFN) purchased Pierre’s Echo Bay and are renovating it with many projects underway. As a side note: Pierre and Tove have spent many years in this area and a very interesting article is found on the kwaxwalawadi site.
Caroline and Rebecca had a couple of kayaking trips and in one they checked out the lagoon to the south of the docks. Such beautiful green colors. Next time, they set off eastward to find the old Pierre's Cove. They did find what appeared to be turtles sitting on the logs of a bunch of floathomes which were along the east shoreline, a couple of coves over, and it appears to be a kayak expedition camp. The sign in a protected meeting place had a poster up, that was about Kayak Bill and on line, found a couple of interesting articles by West Coast Paddler and Sea Kayaker magazines It appears that he was a very interesting and independent individual. The last picture below shows the brief memorial for him. He was a reclusive kayaker who made his home among the islands of British Columbia's Pacific coast.
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After Moonshine arrived, as seen in the picture below, John took the ladies fishing. Caught a couple of fish that Victor is busy preparing for dinner in the picture below. Tied up to the dock across from us, was a boat named, "Got de Fever" and they turned out to be the Waggoner editors. As we helped them untie lines and prepare to move off, Leonard and Lorena were talking with Rebecca and offered her a complimentary copy of the Waggoner. Leonard kept the boat next to the slip using the bow thrusters as Lorena went looking for a copy. She came back with a 2025 Waggoner crusing guide that was still wrapped up in its original plastic! Leonard said they were passing out complimentary copies to promote the book. We thanked him very profusely. Could not believe such an incredible gift. Anyway, here is the website for Waggoner Cruising Guide and don't forget to check the UPDATES page as well. It gives the date of the updates online, and the note on 6-24-25 is correct about Echo Bay, for they were just here alongside us! Anyway, the book is the best resource and always available at your fingertips, especially as you enter the 'no Wi-Fi' no Internet zone! Getting one is a must.
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What's Next...
Looking at departing in the morning for Claydon Bay and try out the crabbing. Karen and Ron, who have a house on the island immediately behide Echo Bay, have been busy prawning and gave us the prawn heads
for our anticipated crabpots, on the morrow. Nothing like prawns to bring in the crabs. Looking forward to meeting
up with Victor and Caroline on the 30th at Sullivan Bay. They are off exploring Turnbull and then Burley Bay, and who knows where they might actually go. They have a couple of sections to be careful
about when that are passing Watson Point and then going through Kenneth Passage. Always helps to have the current going your way. Meanwhile, we only have a 20 mile run to Claydon, easy peasy. Low tide is roughly 9:30 AM.
A... MOUTHFUL!
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BC Fishery Notices
Marinas, Moorages, & Fuel
Port of Edmonds
Port of Skagit
Clam Bay
Nanaimo
Squirrel Cove
Shoal Bay
Lagoon Cove
Echo Bay Kwiḵwa̱sut’inux̱w Haxwa’mis First Nation (KHFN)
Port of Edmonds moorage is $1.95/ft.
Power - 15, 30, & 50 amp are each $6.00/night
Fuel - $5.039/gal for diesel
.......... $5.179/gal for gas
has water, Wi-Fi, and a pumpout station
La Conner Marina moorage is $1.50/ft.
Power - 30 amp is $5.00/night
Fuel - $4.71/gal for diesel
.......... $5.61/gal for gas
open 8 am to 6 pm, seven days a week and has water, free Wi-Fi, and a pumpout station on F dock
Clam Bay is a large area with lots of room for boats to anchor. We stopped for the night
Port of Nanaimo moorage is $2.30 to 2.58/ft. per boat length
Power - no 15 amp, 30 amp is $8.60/night, & 50 amp is $17.20/night
Fuel - $1.79/litre for diesel
has water, Wi-Fi (weak), showers, laundry and a pumpout station
Squirrel Cove is a tucked away spot that makes great anchorage and a lagoon in the back has rapids at low tides.
Shoal Bay moorage is $1.50/foot and will take cash or a check. This is a gov't dock.
Lagoon Cove moorage is $2.30/ft.
Power - $10/15 amp, $20/30 amp, $30/50 amp
Fuel - $2.06/litre diesel
......... $2.13/litre gas
has water, showers, Wi-Fi (strong)
over the last week - Barometer staying between 30.01 to 30.30
Swinnomish Channel:
Current flows north 2.5-4 hours before high water to 2.5-4 hours after high water.
Slack water occurs 2.5 - 4 hours after high or low water.
Current flows south 2.5-4 hours before low water to 2.5-4 hours after low water.
Clam Bay is an excellent spot for transiting to Dodd Narrows, which is 11-miles north.
Port of Nanaimo has lots of features and there is Mark Bay, across the way to anchor in.
Squirrel Cove has lots of room for a lot of boats to anchor after transitioning narrow passage, staying more to the right, especially at low tide when entering.
Shoal Bay has showers on shore but no Wi-Fi, water or power on the dock. If you walk ashore, there is some Wi-Fi.
Lagoon Cove also has an Emporium with clothing! And don't forget the 5:00 pm happy hour that always has prawns!
Echo Bay's floating bridge.
Good information about going around Cape Caution.
