Shearwater, BC

Hello from Shearwater, home of the slowest computer on the BC coast!! (Maybe the only computer on the cenetral BC coast!)

Shearwater is also a little more than halfway for Becky and me!

Apologies for the lack of photos, but the computer won't even recognize my camera and likes to crash with more than one window open.

Just so nobody worries: We might have trouble getting internet access over the next two/three weeks, so if we don't post, don't worry. We're expecting to arrive in Sullivan Bay, BC in about two weeks and will phone from there.

So, this last section has been one of our longest yet. about 165 nautical miles over 12 days. We have been blessed with mostly good weather, although did take half a day off due to winds on the 16th. Overall though, winds have been at our backs or light.

Becky and I skipped the normal Inside Passage route through Grenville and Princess Royal Channels in favor of more open water to the west. Instead of paddling through the narrow, sheltered channels fovored by most of the traffic on the north BC coast we wanted to see mountainous Campania Island and its white sand beaches. We also were hoping to avoid most of the ferry, freighter, barge, and cruiser traffic and maybe see some wolves. We succeeded and were treated gently by the Pacific, there wasn't much more than a low westerly swell the whole time.

Gotta make this quick before the ancient IBM Aptiva I'm using crashes again.

Highlights:

Giant grain elevators with tug and frighter traffic outside Prince Rupert.

Amazing stars and sunsets now that we're getting more sunshine than rain.

A rocky campsite on a rugged granite point in Principe Channel with a 270 degree view.

Paddling along the west side of Camapnia Island below giant granite cliffs worthy of Yosemite or Squamish and camping on a 1/2 mile long white sand beach dotted with wolf tracks, setting up our tarp for shade from the sun and swimming in the crystal clear water as if we were on a California beach!

Watching a school of 20 salmon swim right past my fishing lure, catching and eating Spiny Rockfish cooked over a driftwood campfire. One of these days I'll get a salmon!

Paddling along on an open section of coast, minding our own business when a Humpback Whale begins breaching about 200' behind us and coming our way! We turn towards shore and watch it pass breaching and lobtailing the whole way, happy to be out of the path of those powerful fins.

Stopping in at the Ivory Island Lighthouse to chat with keepers Ron and Colin.

Watching a deer swimming across two-mile wide Seaforth Channel in an ebbing current.

Meeting Dana and Chris, previously of Bellingham, hearing stories of refitting a boat for world cruising and having a delicious home cooked breakfast on their 32' Westsail the "Puffin".

And finally, Whistler Pale Ale, Prawns, Steak, Fresh Greens, and Chocolate Cake at the Fisherman's Bar and Grill in Shearwater!! Bring on the calories!

Hope this post finds everyone well and healthy. Thanks for the comments and support. Again, sorry for the lack of photos.