Turning our city girl, Heidi into a mariner was a delight. Getting from Phoenix, AZ to Port McNeill, BC is no small feat taking more than 13 hours. Jan drove to the airport while Doug fine tuned issues evolving from our vigorous shake-down cruise north. Driving from the airport Heidi got a glimpse of what was to come as we watched two huge black bear nonchalantly munching on sedge grass at the road's edge. Reality set in with a thump and Heidi realized that she was not in Phoenix any more.
As we entered our first anchorage, Lady Boot Cove, Heidi asked what a cove was - a reasonable question for a desert girl. Jan took out the chart and pointed out Lady Boot. "Cool", Heidi responded, "tonight we are going to park the boat in a cul de sac." "Never heard it put quite that way", Doug commented. A journey had begun.
We headed to Napier Harbour in a blinding rain that Heidi brought with her. After lending Heidi her trusty Costco raingear, Jan donned her newly-purchased, overboard-safe neon orange pants and coat. Heidi looked up somewhat laughinly said, "You look just like a crossing guard." Jan is firm that her cruel remarks are the result of fashion envy. The day was squandered digging cockles and gathering crab.
Determined to make Heidi a full fledged mariner, we headed for the Nakwakto Rapids which are reported to be the fasted flowing navigable tidal rapids in the world. Seldom visited by any save the intrepid, it is a wild and wonderful place. Last time we visited we surveyed a niche deep behind small islets and dubbed it SnowHawke Cove North. No more cul de sacs for Heidi she was gaining mariner status. She caught fish on her first ever fishing trip, pulled crab pots and helped Doug clean crab. She went out on prawn pot pulls and never batted an eyelash when the dingy engine faltered and Doug had to tie the boat to the prawn buoy and make emergency repairs.
The continued and it seemed that the Ark might float past Charlotte Bay at any moment. Rough weather forecasts headed us back to civilization (or a facsimile thereof). We headed toward Mamalilaculla the site of the last great potlatch. A potlatch is a northcoast cultural tradition where to demonstrate wealth a great feast is held and the chief gives away possessions. In the 1880's the tradition was banned because it was believed that the Indians would not "progress" if they remained mired in their old ways. Potlatches were then held in secret often in the winter when intrepid weather kept the Indian agents home. On Christmas of 1920 a great potlatch was raided and the participants jailed. Masks and dancing regalia were seized and shipped to East. It was a very sad day for many and it took until 1970 to have the items returned to the band in Alert Bay where they are housed in a museum. We put the boat on a lunch anchor and went ashore. Fresh bear scat that looked to be grizzly brought out our bear whistles and slowed our pace. The island is badly overgrown. We saw the school, the hospital and the mission houses but were unable to plow through the wild roses to the remains of the longhouse.
An early morning trip to the airport and opening sunny skies as Heidi flew South. Jan and Doug head out for new and unexplored territory around Bella Bella.
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