North to Prince Rupert

When we began our boating journey we had a very different plan.  We thought we would spend a couple of years exploring Canada and Alaska and then head south toward the Panama Canal.  Seven years later we have yet to make it to Alaska.  British Columbia is spectacular!  We picked Deb and Ralph up in Prince Rupert which gave us new territory to explore!

Prince Rupert:

Khutzeymateen Sanctuary

This area is also known as the Valley of the Grizzly and is the only park in Canada which prohibits hunting of  grizzlies.  Grizzlies are born after a 2 month gestation period and weigh only one pound.  The mother does not wake for the birth nor for nearly five more months.  By that time the young grizzly weighs 50 lbs.  Mother and cub stay together until the cub's second year.

Clam Digger

Young Grizzly Eating Sedge Grass

On September 25, 1985, Kazukio Sakamoto left his home in Owase, Japan for a day of fishing.  Unfortunately, he never returned.  A year and a half later his beloved boat, the Kazu Maru, was found afloat off the Queen Charlotte Islands.  When it was brought to Prince Rupert for identification it was discovered that the Kazu Maru was from Prince Rupert's sister city in Japan. After the citizens of Prince Rupert loving restored the Kazu Maru,  Mrs. Sakamoto and several family members came for the dedication of the memorial for those lost at sea. The list includes the founding father of Prince Rupert who was lost on the Titanic as well as Mr. Sakamoto and many native sons and daughters of Prince Rupert.

Kazu Maru

Moose Loose on Pitt Island:

While exploring on shore Jan rounded a curve and made our first moose sighting.  It stayed long enough for a photo shoot but not a second more.

Debra and Ralph:

As always we had a great time with Debra and Ralph onboard.  The fishing was not spectacular but it was reasonable (the Pacific blob seems to be affecting salmon fishing) but left with fish.  Ralph's 25 lb fish holds the current record for the biggest salmon caught his summer.

Ralph holds a second record for the biggest hali caught this season (just under the maximum legal take) and the record for the biggest hali caught on salmon gear - 65 lbs!

Nice prawns!

The Beauty of BC:

Eat to Live or Live to Eat

We are happy to have rounded Cape Caution and entered our summer cruising grounds.  By the time we travel from Olympia to Fitzhugh Sound we have developd a hunger for seafood that must be met.  We  anchor in Kildidt Sound where we know where to forage.

 When we prawn it is a consuming task.  In a full day of prawning we move traps twice and pull (with the aid of an electric puller) 4800 feet of prawn lines.  Jan is the self designated puller at a part of her on exercise program.

Last night smaller prawns were transformed into a prawn Thai soup.  Jan boiled some prawn heads with shells to make a prawn broth then added Thai chili and onion.  Simmered, strained and added cilantro, coconut milk and fish sauce.  Very nice!

Jan pays less attention to camera settings than her beloved engineer husband, hence, the  beautiful Chinook salmon are a bit over exposed but the 25 lb male ling cod is truer to color.

  Doug is a great fish cook.  He plank grilled the salmon and we use the left overs for salmon sandwiches.  He dredged the ling cod with brown rice flour and deep fried it.   Delectable!

I am not sure how so many crab stuffed themselves into our traps.

On our boat there is always a slight disagreement about crab.  Crab is Doug's favorite and he is a true purest - for him a crab feast is fresh, plain and abundant!   Jan, however, is more eclectic in her approach to crab and is plotting a crab frittata with Gruyere cheese, bacon and asparagus.

As our friend Nicky shared, some people eat to live and others live to eat.  There is no question of where we are placed.

Life's Greatest Gift

Life's greatest gift is family.  It is such a joy to watch the next generation create loving families.  

Shari and Ryan

Doug and I had the wonderful experience of spending nearly two weeks with the Shari, Ryan and Jude before the new baby was born.  Doug and Jude rode bikes together.  We cooked and froze meals.  Nana knitted toys for Jude.  It was a magical experience.

Everyone welcomed Alyse Taryn on May 15, 2015.  Another beautiful child for us to love.

I'm just a few hours old

Welcome Home!

Goodnight and Sweet Dreams

And to think that my baby sister was kind enough to bring me a new lego set when she came home from the hospital.  What a sister!

Maybe I wil be an engineer like my Papa

Courtney and Jason

Courtney and Jason welcomed their little boy, Ashton, on May 10, 2014.

Daddy loves me!

Meeting my Grammy Kathy

Ashton with intent

Wendy and Kuzi

Wendy and Kuzi are busy, busy with their three girls.  They are such wonderful girls.

Family fun!

Maddie is into horses and busy with Pony Club. And we were able to see Peyton compete in her first state gymnastics meet.  

Lulu has not chosen her passion yet.

Seth and Meghan

With  adults abounding birthdays are busy, busy. 

Doug and I choose to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Seth and Meghan's family. Typically, we bring them an outfit when we return from Mexico but this year Aunt Jan made the girls Jalisco dancing dresses.  A quick consultation with Mom let us know that Eli  really wanted fireman boots to go with his Cinco de Mayo outfit.  Cool!

Twirly Girls and the Chief

Loving Family!

And the greatest of gifts is the love of our family.

Our Jude- Bug on the Boat

We have been anxiously awaiting Jude's first trip on the SeaDrifter.  It is our intention to get him to love the sea as we both do.  When Shari called and suggested September we were ecstatic at the thought of ten days.  Jude's initial goal was to catch a big bass (those mid western experiences).  That was replaced with the goal to catch a big SALMON!!!

Do you really think we will catch a salmon, Papa?

I caught him mostly by my self, Papa!  He is really big!

Nana didn't want me to be lonesome on the boat so she made me some friends.  Meet Mr. Bear.

And sometimes Nana reads to me and to my friends: Mr. Bear, Mrs. Humpback whale and Mr. Turtle.  We do like stories!

Since I am only three, I needed to go ashore for exercise.  My mama plays with me on the beach!

I am a very good clam digger!

I like to hike with Mama!

I don't know how this will play in Indianapolis, but hey, it's fun here.

I love to climb!

 I help Papa with the anchor locker!

I know how to beach comb!

I am coming back next year! (I hope!)

A Mariner's Thanksgiving

From Desolation Sound

We are thankful for the bounty of the sea.

Lingcod and Yellow Eye

Crabs Abound

Catch Those Lingcod

Gather Your Oysters

Prepare the feast

Shuck those Oysters

Cook and Cook and then Cook

Next we eat!

The Number One Fan of the Fisher Man from Tennessee

Please come to St. Johns for the fall run.

I'm boatin' with some friends

And they've got lots of room.

You can laugh with Jan in the pilot house.

By a boat where I hope to be fishin' soon.

Please come to St. Johns.

To be with me.

Be the number one fan

Of the fisher man from Tennessee.

And she said, "Hey, Fishin' boy,

You get that hootchie down.

Shearwater's just your kind of town.

First catch me a king

Then some hali and a ling

Cause I'm the number one fan

Of the fisher man from Tennessee

Tiger Rock Fish

Full Tilt Tour

Those of you who know my sister, Kathy, realize that she does nothing in low gear.  She is energy, she is fun and moves with quick intention.  Doug and I spent four days with Kat and my dear nephew, Seth, giving them a full tilt tour of our world aboard our beloved Sea Drifter.  They had not been to sea with us for 7 years so we had a lot to fit into a brief time.

Day One:

Kathy and Seth arrived on schedule and the fun began.  We pulled prawn traps and crab pots on the way to the SeaDrifter at anchor in Wigham Cove

A Nice Pull

After a quick night's sleep we rose early to fish.  Chinook were not to be found but the coho fishing was glorious.  Kathy had never caught a salmon before.  She was on the hunt for that Kodak Moment.

Intense Concentration 

The bounty of the sea for the second day.

Good Job, Kathy and Seth!

Day 3:

We decided to move the Codville Lagoon after salmon fishing to see if the Burke had any bottom fish for us.  Seth jigged and caught the first hali.  Kathy caught the second hali.  Seth was skeptical of trolling for bottom fish when the current became too strong to still fish.  One lingcod and a third hali later he became a believer.

Trolling on the bottom for lingcod...really?

The bounty of day three (less one prize).

Kathy's first catch of hali.  

Four or more humpback whales fished around us blowing noisily.

We thought that Seth had finally got ahold of a big hali.  Doug is hold Seth's catch of the day - big hali rod and reel.

Day 4:

No foraging today.  Move the boat, box up the catch and head for the airport.  Seth and Kathy had a long trip home but that is another story....

A great time together.