Arctic Solo Sail

Perhaps I should call this “Dances With Whales, West Coast Style” since I have already used that title in my blogs about the CAP’N LEM and the Belugas’, but to have had such an experience twice in a lifetime must be revisited. The morning they came to the CAP”N LEM was much like this one, quiet, still and magnificent. I was alone then but this time I had Tim along.

Off in the distance they blow. It was our first sighting of Humpback whales. Tim saw them first. It happened just after we passed Ivory Island Light Station and had entered the Seaforth Channel heading north. Tim had the camera and I had the binoculars, the auto pilot had the helm. Tim, “it’s coming this way!” and come this way he did, right straight for AVANTI off the starboard beam. Just a second before collision, he sounded and passed under the keel. Then he exploded into the air on the port side as though he meant to fly! All I could do is howler over and over, “Did you see that! Did you See that! Did you see that!” …to which Tim replied “See it! I think I got a picture of it.” And get a picture of it he did, When the whale breeched and crashing back into the sea, Tim had the good presents of mind to point the camera and click the shutter. A whalefish is a bit big for hook and line but Tim always the Fisherman, caught this one with his camera.

If whales could fly this one would have

Lake Elizabeth Falls on Joe’s Bay

The quietness of the night at anchor in Joe’s Bay was broken by the whistle of the tea kettle for morning coffee.  Even that was quickly silenced.  Every noise, the spoon sturring  coffee in the cup, a creaking of the cabin sole was drumbeat loud in such stark silence.  On deck, I sat still as the waveless water around me, drinking in the morning and my coffee.  Then Tim  move in the quarter berth, arose, and the day began.

A boat such as AVANTI fits well in Joe’s Bay.  Boat noises don’t seem to be too out of place in the rising sun.  The engine and the clank of the anchor chain over the bow roller as Tim hoist it home signals to the forest, “We’ll be leaving now”.  Anchor home and free of the bottom we creep slowly up to Lake Elizabeth Falls, the only communication of seawater into and out of the not quite landlocked lake.  AVANTI’s deep draft keeps us on our toes and this is as close as we can get, then we left.

The truth at first light holds through to mid-day and we fish our way up Fitz Hugh Sound toward Bella Bella.