Lunch Time in the Rapids

Broughton Lagoon

I had the shore fire burning to perfection on the tiny rocky island when Kent made the decision to ‘get outta Dodge’. We’d anchored in a lovely area behind two islands close to the Broughton Lagoon for the afternoon and it was never the intention to stay the night, but Paulette and I really wanted to go ashore, sit in the sun for the afternoon and build a fire where we could cook the steaks for dinner. It was all good until the Northwest wind started to blow and our stern line was doing ALL the work, holding our two boats. Our anchor line wasn’t taking any load and Kent and Rick felt we were not secure for the night.

I quickly put out the fire, loaded our chairs, coolers, fire grate and Hugo into the dinghy while Rick removed one shore line. Kent and Rick fired up the engines, untied and we pulled anchor. I simplified that whole event as there was much discussion, direction, rushing and anxiety as the wind and current came into play. Kent had to go back to the bay in the dinghy to remove the remaining shore line and we waited out in the middle of the channel for him. Now we’re off to find a safe anchorage for the night, sans steak dinner - and I’m getting hungry! I guess we’ll barbecue in the dark… on deck. We just heard it’s blowing 40 out on the west coast, so I’m glad we’re on inside calm waters.

We had an absolute fantastic day - the best so far. Well, they’ve all been good, but today we took the dinghy’s through the rapids into the Broughton Lagoon. I took tons of video and hope to upload it soon. We had to wait for nearly slack tide to navigate the rapids, so we took a picnic lunch and ate it in the dinghy’s while we were tied together and tied to a nasty, mussel laden log. The water was disgusting with a dirty foamy substance all around, but the sea anenomes, urchins, starfish, shiners and other sealife didn’t seem to mind at all. We enjoyed a royal feast of ceasar salad with chicken and prawns and hot foccacia bread together with beer and wine. It was a quite a meal to eat in the dinghy’s! The sun was shining and all was good. Watch the video as Kent tries to navigate us through the strong current into the lagoon.

We decided to eat lunch while waiting for low slack and Kent found a little bay full of kelp, starfish, anemones, barnacles and mussels. I tied the dinghy to a mussel covered log and handed out plates and chicken/prawn salad and foccacia bread. It tasted delicious even though our surroundings were a bit gross with brown foam on the water and the smell of decaying mussels and barnacles in the air.

Once the current slacked up, Kent went through the rapids while Hugo and I waited on an island. He made it with no problem and came back out, so Rick and Paulette went through.Kent went through once more just for the fun of it, then Rick came back for me. We toured around the huge lagoon for 20 minutes then headed back out at slack. There was a huge difference from the raging river rapids to the absolute stillness of slack water. It’s deceiving and we were careful. This is a place I’d come back to again and again. It’s more beautiful than Squirrel Cove, with a longer channel to the lagoon, but the water temperature is a lot colder too. The water was 54 degrees and Squirrel cove gets into the 70’s, but this is definitely a delight for body surfers, kayakers and day trips with the dinghy. It’s best to go through at high slack, but we made it easily in the dinghy’s just before low slack. Rick’s sounder showed 10 feet of water. If you get caught unprepared in the lagoon, it will be a long 7 hours waiting for the next slack! Take water, warm clothes food and any other safety equipment you may require - oh, and wear your life jacket in case you get dumped in the cold water and are washed back out into the ocean by the strong current.

Kwatsi Cove, Broughton Islands

Kwatsi Cove was highly recommended by at least two other boaters so we set the prawn traps near the entrance and tied to the dock for an hour. The small store was cute, with pottery, fleece jackets, jams, honey, books and knickknacks. A potluck dinner was planned for the evening but we chose to not take part and anchored in the bay.

Sitting here, at anchor, I can hear the rush of at least 6 waterfalls surrounding us and feel the cool breeze blowing down off the snow capped mountains which are towering over the inlet. I feel as though I’m aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship and that there should be glaciers and polar bears!

The clouds are hanging low over the mountains and I count two huge rock slides which must have started at least 400 feet up the mountainside. It would be a very pretty picture on a hot sunny day, but right now it’s not where I’d like to be if I had my ‘druthers’! Hawaii Cruises would be more to my liking right now, especially if I was aboard a Royal Carribean Cruise Line ship.

We have shiners which I caught at Lagoon Cove and we plan to go fishing, using them as bait. I also bought a halibut lure which is a bright yellow and red squid attached to a sting zelda. With a shiner and a piece of octopus as bait on the lure, I’m sure the halibut will love it. We’re going fishing ‘just for the halibut’! Heh, heh - okay that’s one of two jokes I know…

All The Prawns You Can Eat

Lagoon Cove is one of my very favourite destination marinas. Kent, Rick, Paulette & I plan to anchor most nights. Not only is the price right, but we enjoy the quiet, mother nature and the option to run our generators any time of day or evening.

But, when it’s time to fuel up, water up, meet others for a ‘happy hour’ of hors d’oeuvres and entertainment, then Lagoon Cove is an awesome place to be.

Kent radioed ahead to Bill, the owner, to ask if he had moorage space for our two boats and he warmly greeted us with the news he had ‘lots of room’. Sure enough we arrived to find Bill and 3 other people waiting to take our lines to help us tie, and the two most perfect spots, at the end of the long dock, one on each side - so we can talk out our pilot house doors. Electricity is always very important and Kent struggled to get ours working, but finally had to ask Bill for some direction as it was NOT working. Bill sorted it out quickly!

I spent the afternoon fishing on the dock with Tanya from ‘Lori Girl’, catching shiners for bait. She taught me about hooking up and baiting for halibut fishing using a sting zelda, a huge brightly coloured squid which had the biggest treble hook I’d ever seen, a shiner on one hook and a piece of octopus as bait on the another hook. Unfortunately all we caught were huge sunfish and starfish, but I learned about bouncing the lure on the bottom to attract the halibut. Tanya caught a 65 pound halibut recently - but not off the dock! We enjoyed relaxing, talking and sitting and catching a number of shiners.

Anyway, I’m ready to try halibut fishing. I bought a lure and it better work… it was just over $26.00! I hope Paulette likes cooking halibut!

Rick and Paulette took 4 of my shiners to use as bait and went fishing in their dinghy, after Rick set out his crab traps in the bay, and Kent took the remainder of the shiners and went in our dinghy. R & P were back an hour and a half later with only a sole which they are saving as bait for the crab pot and Kent threw back the only rockcod he caught. Luckily I had the left-over ribs cut into small pieces and heated, ready to take to the wonderful ‘happy hour’ at the deck. Bill had a huge tray of fresh prawns ready for us, and other boaters brought various appetizers. We took our plates, napkins, drinks and appetites and enjoyed meeting and talking the fairly large group. Once the food was gone, Bill stood up to speak about the ‘bear bone’ he had in his hand. He’s a storyteller and has perfected the story with much humour, wittiness and his (and his wife’s) obvious hospitality and love of people. I won’t relate the story (I should have videoed it) as it would lose too much in retelling, you’ll just have to spend an evening at Lagoon Cove Resort! They cook prawns EVERY evening for their guests!

I took a few photos to show the decor, the rustic buildings and even a carved bear (with a ham who wanted to be part of a ‘totem’). Around 6 pm the crowd dispersed back to their boats to cook dinner and the rain started pouring. Perfect timing…

It was my turn to make dinner and we had ground moose taco salad, watched the rain fall, the wildlife critters playing in the water behind the boats and talked and planned for the next days power boating adventures in Beautiful BC.

Beyond Desolation

June 19 2008

Hugo and I were up before 6 am but he wouldn’t cooperate by ‘doing his business’ on the bow, the swimgrid or the puppy pad. I kept encouraging him and knew he’d have to do it sooner or later (which was my PLAN) but when Kent got up around 8 he took poor little Hugo ashore in the dinghy. He’s such a good Grandpa and he loves Hugo! So now Hugo knows to hold it until he goes ashore, which is great as long as Kent continues. I will take him, but not if I have to lower the dinghy with the crane…

We left Squirrel Cove, heading northward in the drizzle. The water was calm and Kent and Rick had timed our departure with slack tide in the Yuclatas Rapids. As you will see in my video, they timed it perfectly to be a ‘non-event’!

Forward Harbour is not far from where we anchored for the night. We were protected from the wind and spent a lovely afternoon in a bay full of flipping herring and seals.

Rick and I went fishing in his dinghy, but only caught 1 rockcod - enough for crab bait. We both wore windproof, rain resistant jackets and spent a good 2 hours, drifting amongst the kelp beds waiting for the ‘big one’. Back on the boats, Hugo napped, Kent read and Paulette made dinner and sewed while we were gone. I made nachos when we returned and Paulette had ham dinner with scalloped potatoes ready.

‘Harmony’, one of Trevor’s North Pacific Yachts found us during the evening and tied alonside. I was feeling lousy and went to bed immediately after dinner so didn’t even meet the couple. They are heading north as well, so I’m sure we’ll run into them again, and I’ll be much more hospitable!