Fish for David

A SALMON FOR DAVE

It is late afternoon and I want to check out a large yacht in the next bay over closer to the airport. It is called Ormidale Hr.  At the head of the bay is a dock with large empty fuel tanks on shore. The MacLeod’s and we have explored this interesting site before. It could have been a seaport for float planes? On one visit to the lagoon nearby there were about 10 to 15 Sandhill Cranes hanging around. Revisiting again I move out into the bay and drift by a Grand Banks Yacht. It is about 46 ft aft cabin and well cared for. There is large old golden retriever and Chevy askes to go over and say hello to the old guy (dog). We come along side and there is a lot of nose sniffing and tail wagging going on.

The boat is called the “GRAND SPIRIT” a good name for her (boat).  It is a Mom, Dad, Daughter, Boyfriend crew. Mom & daughter are pretty. The boyfriend is on the BBQ cooking. I look at the boyfriend and think the gods of good a fortune is beaming a giant smile. Him being here in this beautiful bay on a GRAND yacht with family.  (Just a personal comment.)  They have had the GB for a number years but this the first time beyond Caution. I want tell them all about all the spectacular places to visit, but there’s just not time. They will figure it out, if not this time.  They WILL BE hooked and back again to discover it for themselves.

I must have looked like a skunked fisherman  as we are parting he asked if I would like some Salmon, at first I refuse profusely, then remember the last gift of a salmon. I yell out “HELL, YES!” Flung out the wheel house door right into my lap, I caught a today fresh fish gift nicely wrapped. A FISH FOR DAVE. We speed home to OA and present to Penny (ME a returning hero) a SALMON!

July 26th

July 26th

RARE BIRDS

One can never take your eyes of the beach or the water. The binoculars are always out! It could be a bear, wolf, seal or just the mundane event (SURE) of watching an eagle swopping from high and snag a salmon. It could be a life and death of the Salmon struggling to free itself from the eagle’s talons. Or the eagles own struggle to remain aloft with the burden of his catch that dragging him down to the freezing water of the Pacific North Coast. 

Did you know that an eagle will turn a salmon in its talons so the nose of the fish will be pointing ahead to make it more aerodynamic in flight. (COOL). I betcha that Lindbergh didn’t know that.

You never know when to expect this stuff.  Today is a case in point. I am in the “Ravens” cleaning up and I catch a flick of movement on the beach out of the corner of my eye.  I had heard the clatter of the call of Sandhill Cranes earlier, but stowed the knowledge of them being near as there call can be heard for miles away.

THERE on the beach were two of them foraging the shore line for snacks and Tim Bits. Chevy grabs the camera and I start up the “Ravens” to go on a RARE BIRD HUNT. We drift (engine off) along in a light breeze parallel to the beach where the two long necked red headed birds were strolling. Chevys eyes never let their grip on them release as she is as fascinated as I am. The only noise coming from us was the sound of the camera lens opening and closing. I dare not get to close as the birds RARELY hang around when humans are present.

The telephoto lens was beyond its max optimum distance. I think out of about 70 shots maybe one or two images could be enlarged for the Blog. For me just the thrill of watching them in their natural setting was enough.  

  

 

 

 

                                             Sandhill Cranes at Kynumpt Harbour

It is always a chore for Penny to get me out walking.  For me everything has to have an engine.  There is an old log dump on the shore not too far from us.  Penny insists that we go explore and of course Chevy can hardly wait. 

We take “Ravens” put out a small anchor off her stern and tie the bow line around a rock. 

There is a short game trail that leads us onto what’s left of a corduroy log road.  We find remnants of a old log ago cabin and stove and the actual log footings of where it once stood. 

 

 

 

 

Dave actually goes further into the bush and discovers their water supply.

 

 

 

As we are finally on the beach we explore out the point. There is lots of very old discarded logging stuff.

 

 

 

RARE BIRDS DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE BE REAL BIRDS

Case in point. From our little hidey hole corner of the bay we can see out into the main channel. There is all manner of craft sliding past our door step. It could be the beautiful Alaskan State Ferry striking its passage way north or south. It could be one of many fast sports fishing boats speeding to the killing grounds for salmon.

In my case the salmon have been safe. Penny brings to my attention a boat going by and it is obviously a sailing craft of some type. What is strange is that the forward mast is leaning ahead. JUNK I say. Penny passes it off as one of my silly comments. We are on a last sun cruise about the bay looking for another sighting of the Cranes as we have heard them close by. In glides that strange craft that we had sighted early, and set his hook down. JUNK I say to Penny, a sailing Junk. Well curiosity has me by its tow line. There has to be a story about this JUNK as it is a RARE bird.

We visit. We start

up the conversation about fishing and he shows us his catch. NICE SALMON, where did you catch it and when? Just around the corner a short while ago. I am too proud to ask what he was using as lure because I have been dragging all sorts of JUNK about the briny without luck.  Finally I forget my pride, I have to ask. He smiles at me with wise old fisherman eyes and holds up a funny looking spoon. I have never seen a spoon like that before. He goes on to say that he likes to keep his fishing gear simple and asked his fishing friends for one lure and one lure only to catch FISH.

Now as said early I have never seen one like it, (I woke up in the middle of the night dreaming of making one.…….. I will. Any way we talk about boats and asked him where he got it. He said I built it in storage yard near Friday Harbour, near where they live on one of the Washington State Gulf Islands. It took him two years of concentrated work. I commented that the last time that I saw a vessel like that was in Scottie Bay on Lasqueti and it was called the “Flying Cloud”.  He said he knew the boat and owner.  It was built by Farrell a gifted recluse that lived on Lasqueti Island. There was a book written about his exploits on blue water sailing. (Good west coast book). I knew his son Barry, a North Van boat builder of the Farrell fish boats.

Any way our discussion went to cooking and heating stoves and he said that they used wood as a fuel.  My mind flashed to crawling along the beach looking for dry wood and sharing my berth with a pile of worm eaten drift wood. Besides I am too lazy to perform the task required to keep it stoked.  I would spend my whole life eating cold food out of a can and stiff as an old oak plank from the cold. The “Gilded Lily”…….IS A RARE BIRD WHO OWNERS ARE LIVING A RARE LIFE.

 

 

July 25th

July 25^th

FIRE WORKS at Kynumpt

Now this is the day after our anniversary and we have been in close proximity with each other for over a month. There are bound to be some friction and fireworks between us, BUT NO. This is for REAL!

It is just dusk and a large fishing charter boat comes in to the bay. You can tell it’s coming by the yelling, hooting and strong music (not Beethoven) and it’s a party boat. There are a lot of big boys on board. They are having a GOOD TIME; this is NOT about Bible readings and push ups either.  This is about killing Salmon and drinking beer with your buddies.

We are tucked at the back of the bay all by ourselves. The charter boat noses right up to our bow and hails us. For a brief moment the skipper, high on the command bridge and I talk boats. He  comments on our dinghy. We talk about his very salty 50 ft plus yacht and it turns out it was built in Shearwater.

BUT THAT IS NOT WHY HE IS HERE in front of us.  He apologies to us profusely and tells us that they ARE GOING TO LET OFF FIRE WORKS OUT IN THE BAY and hope we don’t mind. “Hell no go right ahead.” I didn’t tell him that we will be in bed for sure before he even anchors. Penny and I get into watching “The Bourne Affair” and it has enough action in it to keep me from snoozing. 

Poof, Pop, Thud, Bang and a few sparkles, I rush for the camera but there is nothing worth the energy to pry me from seat. We have been to VANCOUVER’s Festival of Lights and this is a miserable display in comparison.

SEGWAY, to the Festival of Lights in Vancouver. Gary Kleaman my brother law has been supplying the barges, tugs, crew and the knowledge for this event for the past 25 years. He does a spectacular job and this year he was presented with a plaque and large cake honouring him for his contributions. I think this is well deserved.

 

Back to the POOF, BANG and FIZZLE display here. We have now settled down and are convinced this is not going to happen.

All of a sudden WOOSH, ZING, THUD, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM, FLASH, SPARKLE and this gooooooooes on and on. The harbour is ablaze with light. The mountains around rattle back the crescendo of thunder and it is now booming from miles away. The fireworks display is out of control, as they are whizzing all over the place. Their back deck  is a blaze of light.  I don’t know where they were all hiding, but they were all too near to see the spectacular light show. I know the bears, wolves and the salmon are still running from the fireworks happening. I think the Skipper and Crew had the whiz, bang and piss scared out of them.

WE DID GET A GOOD SHOW! Maybe not the Festival of Lights, but pretty good for KYNUMPT HBR.  We think the boat survived, as it was gone in the morning.

 

July 24th

 

July 24^th

TRUCE DAY

It’s a big day for us.  Today we celebrate our 50^th Anniversary. The big gala party was back in June.  Our kids put on a surprise party at DCYC and invited so many people we were flabbergasted.  Family, old school mates, boating friends and people we know from Palm Springs.  We thank them all for joining us to celebrate and for all the fond memories.  Thanks Tracey, Drew & Joelie.  We Love You!

 

 

Kynumpt Harbour is one of Penny’s favourite bays here in the north.  It has a good beach to walk on with old machinery scattered about and even some remains of the old homestead that was occupied here from 1912 to 1926, (which was the year before Lindbergh flew the Atlantic). The Stroms, Fred and Cora homesteaded here after leaving Ocean Falls are buried here. It is so grown over that it would be unlikely that you would find the grave sites.

We spend several hours exploring and hiding under big trees to stay out of the rain. Lots of very old fruit trees, with no fruit.  We walk through to Norman Morison Bay on Raymond Channel. Chevy’s likes it here too.  She does her Tasmanian devil act and whirls about like a cyclone.

We have talked about this bay in older posts. Locally it is called Strom Bay or Green Neck.

On the charts it’s Kynumpt after the Indian Chief that resided near here and was named or him by Lt Daniel Pender in 1867.

The harbour was a traditional summer camp for the Heiltsuk Tribe where they gathering berries and potatoes.

 

The bay is popular with transiting fish boats that drop their hooks here for the night.

 

 

 

We ended the day in the sunshine on the front deck

CONGRATULATE OURSELVES ON LIFE’S GOOD FORTUNE!

 WE MAKE SPECIAL TOAST TO EACH OTHER!

AND REMINISCENCE ABOUT OUR AWESOME FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

 

ABOUT THE TRUCE.

Penny and I are just a little competitive. So she smooths out the evening by letting me win at cards.

Well there might be a large lack of rain down south but it thundered down here all night in typical North Coast fashion. The anchor growled on the rocky bottom and I was up with a flash light to check out “Ravens” to make sure their auto bilge pump was working.

We shared the bay with a large sailboat called “Passages” and her mast light gave off an eerie glow as the williwaws turned her round & round on her anchor.

 

 

July 23rd

Sandhill Crane

 

We have Mouat Bay to ourselves. As promised in the “EXPLORING THE NORTH COAST OF BRITSH COLUMBIA”, (It’s our bible), we could see Griz, wolves, etc, and we did not! We did hear Sandhill Cranes deep in a slough on the inlet behind. Sandhill Cranes are a magnificent bird and considered rare in this area.  They are very tall (taller than a heron), grey in colour with a long neck, and orange red head.  They are very shy about being near humans and to get close is a rare event, “SMART BIRDS”. On previous trips we have seen them in small groups.

THEY ARE VERY NOISY WHEN THEY CALL, particularly when talking to each other.

  

"Glendevon"

 

Mouat bay is off Berry inlet. As we are entering our hidey hole on the west side we can see to the end the inlet and there is a very large wooden tug. Being an OLD WOOD guy, I have to go down to check it out. Stern tied to the beach is a varnished 85 ft + old MICKY CLASS TOW BOAT,”GLENDEVON “. She has had dump trucks with loads of thousand dollar bills shoveled into her at an amazing rate. She was a lesson in a project that was a run away. It was a lesson in spending money at an insane rate with no financial gain I think.  

She had served a useful life but had become obsolete as a tow boat. A boating acquaintance of ours, Art fell in lust with her. He purchased her and stripped her to her bare bones and restored her to a magnificent work yacht. She came for sale. I know not why he put her on the market, perhaps she wore him out physically as well as financially. Or maybe he felt his work was done and it was someone else’s responsibility to carry the preserving of history for those of us that love old wooden beater boats.

 He was asking a pittance for her compared to the invested time and money, but that’s the saga of restoring old LARGE WOOD BOATS. Our Brothers in laws has the same malady. It is a passion that burns brutally deep.  It looks now that she is earning her keep with fishing charters?  There is an internet site that you can visit, GLENDEVON.org. It is on a sign board on the top deck. There was no one on board as they were away on their large fishing skiffs.  The purr of the genset keeping the freezers full of fish frozen was the only sound to be heard on board. I was left with the memory of the last time on her with her restorer Art, who was at that time driving the dump truck full of money. SHE IS A TRIBUTE TO HIM his TIME, TALENT, and the MONEY spent in pursuing the passion and love of this old wood boat.      

Dave's Catch

 

 

We are well anchored in Mouat with many little islands and reefs.  Quite a nice secure spot.  I am out crabbing and fishing and guess what?  Only one starfish!   

 

 

 

 We dinghy around our anchorage and check out the little islands.

 

 HAVE YOU EVER HAD GLASSWORTS?



American Glasswort

We find some American Glasswort, better known as Sea Asparagus. it is  a green vegetable and is harvested and sold in seafood stores to chic restaurants.  It is also reduced to ashes to provide alkali needed in glass making.

 

OceanAire hidden Among the Islands

 

 

We return the Skeleton to the Shore with Chevy's Approval

 






One Dried Starfish

 

Lots to explore, but no wildlife. Or fish!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 22nd

July 22nd

Come morning we are treated to wonderful coffee on board “Lily D”.

Now I’m unsure of anyone else’s coffee, so I bring my own in my own mug.  When we get there and seated at the galley table Jim asks Penny how she would like her coffee. He gives her at least four options.  All the same as Starbucks.  WOW! He immediately, like an alchemist ,starts preparing the machine that is now steaming and making noise.  He is wiping down the steamer as in a Starbuck/Bean Around the World. After serving Penny & Allison he asks me if I am sure I don’t want a coffee?  I very discreetly slide my own coffee off to the side and grin.  Yup, I would like a coffee. 

The part that got me into real trouble was they asked if I would like brown or white sugar.  Now I am not allowed to have sugar, but dip into the brown sugar bowl and take out a large spoon.  All look at me in shock and I very daintily scrape most of it back into the container.  On our next adventure with them we will not be asking them on for a coffee. Perhaps a wee dram of scotch.  “I want one of those machines!”

After coffee all three boats are off heading for Seaforth Channel, promising to get together again soon. 

The Pacific Ocean swells are very quiet today, so it’s a good crossing to Moss Pass for Penny and Chevy. Haven’t been this way before, but it leads us through past Oliver Cove and out just east of Ivory Lighthouse. 

Flag Day for Chevy

Thought we might try anchoring in Berry Inlet in Mouat Cove.  There are lots of small islands and rocks, but very nice.  We even heard some Sandhill Cranes.  Well I’m off crabbing and fishing, so wish me luck NO luck.

July 21st

July 21st

Next morning we are off to Klemtu.  “Free Spirit” has up anchored and is heading north.  The natives are very receptive and I take on gas for “Raven”, while Penny checks out the Band Store.  It is well stocked and the prices are reasonable.  Chevy has a good run with one of the local dogs. 

Klemtu Fuel Dock & Fishboat with Teeth

 

Back to OA and we are heading south, destination the channel between Swindle and Price Island called Higgins Pass.  There is a slight roll from the big Pacific, but didn’t really notice until we started heading west.  All the beaches are covered in logs and we see lots of bits of stuff high on the beach line.  Stuff like large plastic barrels, ropes and even a large metal barge perhaps from Japan now sunken on beach over here.

Lots of Hidden Reefs

On the charts quite a few of the inlets in Higgins are not shown, but we find our way through the shallow areas to a very nice anchorage.  It’s off in “Ravens” to check out the passage (in some places less than 10ft deep) all the way out to Laredo Channel and the big rolling seas with surf breaking on reefs and the shore line.

 

Could be a Dolphin Skeleton

Along the way we stop to visit two yachts that have anchored on west side of Higgins and will navigate the shallows to our side at high water. We look for a pee beach for Chevy and find a steep rock shore that the rat dog can leap to.

This area of the coast is very remote. Things do not get shifted about till the next raging winter storm comes through. There is something white on the rock point. Can’t make it out, it looks like chevrons on the breast of a Napoleonic war uniform.  As we come near we recognize it as the bleached backbones of a dolphin. Penny wants to save it for the Grand ladies to see.

Now the two yachts have made their way through the shallows to our anchorage. We are delighted as we have met both these yachts before.  They are the “Lily D” with Jim & Allison just coming south from Kitimat and Jane & Anne on “Aguila” on their way home from Alaska. 

When they are anchored we putt over and catch up on all their news and exchange salty tales. The ladies come over from the “Aguila” and show us there beach find, it is a small green glass Japanese fishing ball A PRIZE FOR SURE! I hold up the back spine of the dolphin for their viewing. I THINK I WOULD RATHER HAVE THEIR GLASS BALL. The girls talk about the wolf that came down to the beach to meet their dog on their trip down from ALASKA. Now that we’ve all settle in, it’s a nice quiet night. 

July 20th

IT IS RAINING THE NEXT DAY, what’s with that?

It was windy during the night and as we have the luxury of surreal calms in the bays we have stayed in, we both had difficulty sleeping. Penny is up very early to post the blog as Telus have limited service and if it gets too busy they’ll boot us off. The real frustrating thing is you do not know if it is a computer failure, YOU, or them.

 

 

It quite amazing the difference the rain makes, the Bonaparte‘s (gulls) are huddled down on the beach, the Deer/Horse Flies are not flying, and Chevy has not left her bed.

Overhanging the water is a snag, perched on it is ONE PROUD LONELY EAGLE and he is HUNKERING DOWN TO SHED THE RAIN.

Even the noblest must bend to the weather.

 

 

I am still amazed with modern technology. We get an E mail from Alf and Nancy on their vessel “SANTARA”. They are somewhere off the west side of Vancouver Island (members of BYC).We are on the north coast nearKlemtu. Their stove pipe on the heater is leaking.  They want some advice on sealing it. We send back: “Lift the deck flange, clean of the old sealer and use Silicone (a common household sealer)”. It will not fail when around heat. It is used on casting moulds for a number of low temperature melted metals. This was accomplished by E Mail on a boats located in remote locations. AMAZING!!

 

A FISH FOR DAVE

I am a little down in mouth as I’ve not done my primeval duty and secured a meal from the sea (Salmon). I have resigned myself that it would be just as effective to just drag around lures and other shinny objects without hooks. It would be a lot safer as I would not prick my pinkies on something sharp. We are anchored in Clothes Bay just below Klemtu, in a small group of islands hidden from the main channel.

ALL OF A SUDDEN a white yacht (Kadie Krogen) hove’s into to sight around the tip of the island looking to join us in this tidy little bay.

Instead of slowing down it loops around and scoots out of the bay and out of sight. I dash for my binos (BAKER STANDARD PILOT 7X50). Just as it clears the point my beady little eyes spy a BURRARD YACHT CLUB PENANT at the bow and a name of the vessel.

I commit the name to my memory as the “Free Spirit”. I root around the drawers to I find the BYC rooster.  I hail the yacht on VHF as I now have a name to attach to the boat. I launch into a long dissertation about ignoring us and them having better things to do and how lonely we will be without their presence in the bay. He doesn’t have a clue who’s talking to them and he requests the name of the vessel, (that’s my blithering on the air). He finally connects the dots and now realizes that I am having him on (my dumb English humor). He explains that he is going to Klemtu to see if there is moorage at the docks and if there is none he will return, (to keep us from being lonely) (my words). He does return and puts his hook down.

It is raining hard and I put off a visit to them till it lets up. It does. I putt over to Rob and Elizabeth and hang at the swim grid and talk about life, boats, their old dog and the fact they are traveling with other members of BYC, etc.

 We inevitably talk about fishing and I, not wanting to expose my shortfall in manhood, gloss over the fact that I HAVE NOT CAUGHT A SALMON. The subject comes up that there is internet in the bay. As a passing comment I let them know that Penny is publishing a Blog and it’s up to date more or less. 

Now I guess they have nothing better to do so they go on the Blog. A little later in the evening I hear a hail from the transom of OA. He passes up a nice piece of Salmon all neatly packaged.

I guess THEY HAVE READ THE PART IN THE BLOG ABOUT THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY. I don’t know if I am happy or sad. Sad that they know of my non skills in the Salmon catching dept., BUT HAPPY TO FINALLY GET SALMON. The Rains slows down and we have a peaceful evening

July 19th

SUN UP, SAME BAY, DIFFERENT DAY

Itchy ass has not kicked in yet, It will tomorrow. The problem is the best time to evacuate are little hidey hole is at high water as you do not want the boat wallowing on the floor of the pass and dragging a dump truck full of kelp on the anchor along with you. The Admiral said we can leave now as the next opportunity will be in 24 hours.

We have shared the bay with the sailboat “AmadeuS” for 3 nights and not gone over for a chat.  This is a small bay in the middle of nowhere and it is a little unusual to even share it with another vessel. I pull up the empty crab trap and prepare to lift the “Ravens”. I putt over to say "good day, Eh". The skipper has been hammering or repairing something on the craft and before we go I ask if there anything he needs. “No”, he says that they have it covered. Further along in our conversation I learn that they keep their boat in Snug Cove. This is a new adventure for them in the northern waters. Their plan is to go over to the Charlottes to visit a friend there. They have been waiting for the weather to calm as this can be a challenge of endurance if the fair weather gods are not smiling.

It sounds as if the weather is going to be kind for a short time. As it turns out the nice weather man was premature in his prediction. We plot a course to Klemtu the Native Kitasoo settlement on Swindle Island (see previous Blogs).

 

BC Ferries is close aboard when we turn south toward Klemtu.

 

 

 

 

Boat Bluff Lighthouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a five bar Telus signal there and Penny wants to bring the blog up to date. We cruise on by and see that there is room at the dock in Klemtur, but it would be complicated without reconnoitring first. 

 

Klemtu Ferry Dock

 

There is a native store there to top up the ships supplies and as we are not ready to wend our way home. It would be good to top up the fuel for the dinghy now. There is an anchorage in Clothes Bay not far aouth from the village; we will take the “Ravens” for a fly  to Klemtu tomorrow.

WE ENJOY LAST SUN ON THE FRONT DECK.