Season to Season Part 1

I have been remiss in my blogging - we have been having too much fun. Last September we watched a pair of charming grizzly cubs for days and then headed south to Victoria. We stayed at the Canadian Sailing Club and played in a nearby bridge tournament. Each evening we stopped in for a beer and a visit with the Old Salts.

We did well at the tournament and met several new Canadian friends. We enjoyed an Emily Carr exhibit and had our Canadian Beer picture taken. After a quick trip to Chelan and lunch with dear friends we headed to Florida and an East Coast Road trip that lasted six weeks. We drove to Indianapolis and enjoyed a visit with Doug's daughter, Shari, and her husband Ryan. Savannah and Charleston are as charming as usual.

By March we were wondering what we were doing in the northwest rain and snow and headed for Mexico.

A Salute to Our Captain

The SnowHawke is returned to her berth in Olympia and our 2010 season has ended. We safely traveled over 3000 adventure- filled nautical miles between May and September and it is timely to salute our Captain for a journey well skippered.

Early in the season, our friend, Heidi, asked Doug how many engines he had on the boat. For a moment he looked a bit perplexed and said, "Do you mean engines or motors?" After a brief clarification of the difference between an engine and a motor, Heidi answered, "Both!" And we counted. At first count we tallied up 19 systems that had an engine or a motor. To maintain and troubleshot each of those systems requires a variety of skills all of which Captain Doug possesses. He continually monitors all systems. What is this 5 degree increase in temperature on the starboard engine really telling me? Why would the generator pressure suddenly drop? Does the dinghy engine sound a bit rough to you? And so he goes day by day. And when he encounters a problem that he can not figure out, he knows who to call. If it is an engine problem, he has Erath in his speed dial. If it is the micro-commander that would be Ted. The Onan technical support people know his name and love to have him call because he understands what they are telling him. Captain Doug maintains systems and knows where to get expert help when he needs it.

When we decided to boat, Doug enrolled in a Captain's course and obtained his Coast Guard Captain's certification. Many of the skills he was taught seemed a bit archaic to me. Do you really need to be able to plot set and drift when you have that brand new Garmin system on board? Do you really need those paper charts when you have electronic charts? I thought not until we headed out of Blunden Harbour to pick up Shari and Ryan for a week on the boat with us. The Garmin didn't light up. Checked the connections. Moved it to the downstairs port. Called Garmin. Oh, no, the little Garmin brain had fried itself. The only good news was that the warranty wasn't up for two days. But that did not get us 17 nautical miles across the Queen Charlotte Strait to Port McNeill in the fog. All of the sudden the Captain's ability to plot a course of compass headings was mighty important.

Our Garmin dealer over-nighted us a new system which Shari and Ryan brought up. A kind boater who was flying out mailed our system to Garmin and there was hardly a blip on the radar screen. Once again our Captain came through.

The more we boat, the more thankful I am that our Captain can keep me and our guests safe and fishing. Hats off to Doug!

How Engineers Have Fun

Do not Let it be said that engineers do not know how to have fun.

Unfortunately, I did not get a photo of Doug and Gerry sitting on the couch reading operation manuals. But I do have other telling photos that are living proof that the stories about dull engineers are false or perhaps Gerry and Doug are exceptions....



Our time with Gerry and Carly began at Heriot Bay Marina which is a funky marina owned and managed by six old hippies. There is a band in the bar, great food in the dining room and gentle souls around.

Our first stop was Bute Inlet where we were treated to better bears than last year. Our first sighting was a very dark mature bear who came out of the brush. While we were admiring her she was joined by twin cubs whose antics amused us greatly. We were a little concerned when a large brown grizzly emerged. Male grizzlies will kill cubs if given the opportunity. Fortunately, this turned out to be Aunt Grizzly and all was well.

We feared that we had jinxed our catching with our failure to provide memorial photographs of our fish. Such was the case with salmon but not with bottom fish. Gerry is featured with our ling catch and a nice yellow eye. Carly is the prawn princess.

Shortly, there will be a blog on grizzlies including a video but I could not resist a few photos. The cubs are just too cute to not show you now.

Debra's Pride

It came as a surprise what thrilled Doug's sister, Debra, the most. Pay no heed to the trophy salmon, the "big" halibut or a prawn pull of 13 pounds. Instead savor the excitement of being able to land the smallest fish ever to be hooked by a SnowHawke guest. Excellent job, Debra! Ralph was proud of his two salmon but his excitement did not rival that of his wife.

Such fun we had with the Wilhelmi branch of the family. The trip from Olympia to Port McNeill is 14 hours (two videos and a nap). We arrived late after provisioning in Campbell River. At morning's first light we headed out for the Nakwakto Rapids where we spent several days before trying salmon fishing at Jeannette Island and Blackfish Sound. We fished at Well's Passage but caught nothing. For a week we laughed, celebrated each fishing success, played bridge, caught more prawns than we could eat and enjoyed some spectacular sunsets at beautiful anchorages.

We never tire of the beauty and variety of the Canadian waters, the company of friends and family and excitement of living off the sea with style and laughter.

We Are So Blessed

We are so blessed to have such wonderful young adults in our lives. Doug's daughter, Shari, and her delightful husband, Ryan, are among the best. Having them on the boat was pure joy. Shari is so much like her father and Ryan really gets my sense of humor. What great kids!

Ir was such fun to watch Doug as the time drew near for their arrival. First, he checked the clock every few minutes and then he pulled on his coat and stepped out into the rainy night to wait for them at the head of the dock. Before he was forced to seek warmth in the half dark laundromat, they arrived and the fun began.

The first stop was a little salmon fishing off of Jeanette where Ryan caught a nice 19 lb salmon before the wind started kicking up. We headed for the Nakwakto Rapids where we were greeted by a huge pod of dolphins who decided to play with us. They talked loudly as they jumped and guided us toward SnowHawke Cove North. Doug got a fantastic photo of their antics and we laughed at Shari and Ryan's delight in watching them ride the bow.

After two days of prawning (great success) we headed out for more fishing. Before we could start to fish we were treated to watching big whales hunting. What a treat! Shari's salmon nearly matched Ryan's for size. Shari also managed to catch a small halibut before the wind came up.

Our time on the boat ended far too quickly.


PS Can you look at Shari''s natural blond beautiful hair and guess what Doug was nicknamed in his logging days?


That's right GOLDLOCKS!

There's Fishing and There's Catching

When it is just the two of us on the boat, our fishing resembles a Chinese fire drill. Jan runs the helm and finds the fish, Doug tends the down riggers. We wait for those great words - FISH ON! Doug sets the hook and begins to reel. Jan's work begins. She reduces the engines to 600 rmp, disengages the trolling motors, puts the main engines in neutral and races down from the bridge. If it is her turn to bring in the fish Doug hands her the catching pole and tends to the chores. If it is Doug's turn to bring in the fish, she reels in the second pole, brings both down rigger balls up and in the boat and prepares to net the fish. Bonking is always Doug's job. It's always more fun when we have guests and can spread the jobs around.

We were delighted to have Jim and Denise a part of our fishing adventures. In 2008 they met us on the West Coast of Vancouver Island which is known to be one of the finest salmon fisheries in the world. Unfortunately, that year was the worst catching in recent history. Nary a salmon was caught during their time with us.

But their trip this year was a different story.

They were the fisherpersons of the week catching 7 salmon and the limit of 12 ling cod. Just too much fun.

Soon after they departed we found good halibut fishing wsith Doug being the King of Halibut - 20 lbs and 40 lbs. Jan landed a 30 pounder.

Fjiords, Baby Seals and Totems

Fjiordland is a marine park north of Bella Bella framed by high granite cliffs sculpted by glaciers and touched by history. Waterfalls are everywhere. We cruised up Kynoch Inlet and transited a small tidal rapid and spent the night as the sole human inhabitants. The next morning we traveled north through Mussel Inlet where Captain Vancouver had dispatched his men up Mussel Inlet on the endless search for a way through from the West Coast to the East Coast. The crew gathered mussels for dinner not knowing they were contaminated with paralytic shellfish poisoning (red tide). Many men were ill and one died. As a result the cove at the end of Mussel Inlet is named Poison Cove.


Early the next morning at Windy Bay anchorage Doug captured an amazing picture. We were anchored close shore. The seals that had played the night before hauled out on the rocks. First the big male, next the female who quickly rolled on her side. Their baby quickly followed and began his breakfast. Simply amazing.












Looking out toward the Pacific Ocean from the Seaforth Channel three watchers once stood. Their origins remain a mystery. Perhaps they stood watch for a Haida war party coming from the north. One still stands, one is no more and one watcher sleeps.