Fury North 2015: 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.