July 20 - 22, Bradburn Landing to Blunden Harbor

Sunday the 20th was a busy day of getting ready for our dinner feast aboard Reflections and for our trip north into the wilds. Nat and Gary began by pulling the shrimp pots: one had a nice bunch while three were completely empty. Sort of a mystery, though we suspect they may have been stripped. We took both skiffs into Herriot Bay for gas, supplies and blog uploading. Then the afternoon was spent cooking and washing the boat.

We had hoped George & Julie Selfridge were going to make it in Danny Boy, but they didn’t…there were a lot of rapids to negotiate and it would have been a stretch. So we feasted without them, once again enjoying a fabulous evening. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres of spicy shrimp in oriental sauce, oysters on the half shell with bloody mary granita and steamed clams. Then down to Reflections for dinner on the fly bridge of beef filet roast with brandy sauce.

A fun filled evening ending with a very funny event. Nat had given me a new remote meat thermometer for Christmas which we used for the first time. When it went off indicating the meat was done an annoying sound began in the galley…like the dying battery of a smoke alarm. We let it go, enjoying our dinner above only to find it still going when we came down to clean up. We isolated it to the electric can opener, but even with all power turned off and the thing unplugged, the sound continued. Finally in frustration Nat unscrewed it from the wall, took it out to the dock and began smashing it with a mallet. I was laughing but trying to get out to stop him (it seemed a little over the top), with Gary blocking my path. The sound continued even with the can opener smashed to bits. At that point Nat through the still beeping interior box into the water. So, Bruce, if whales suddenly start beaching themselves nearby, you’ll know why.

We rose early Monday morning departing at 6:00am to head north. The high pressure was again building with the wind blowing pretty good, so soon after rounding Chatham Point in the Johnstone Straits the seas had built to 3 – 4’. We decided the better part of valor was to duck into Blind Channel. There we stayed until slack water at Green Point rapids, enjoying hamburgers at the little restaurant and the company of Richard & Merlin Symms, RHYC members who were there as well. At the slack we headed on to Forward Harbor. Even Wellbore Channel was pretty lumpy, so we were exhausted by the time we anchored. Still, after a rest Nat and I took the short hike across the peninsula. Then dinners on our own and early to bed.

Tuesday morning the 22nd we again rose at 5:00am, heading up the Straits just before 6:00. Though it started out with a 2 – 3 foot chop it quickly calmed so we decided to keep going, heading all the way up Johnstone and across Queen Charlotte Straits to anchor in Blunden Harbor. It was a bit lumpy by the time we anchored at 1:00pm, but a pretty sunny day, though quite cool…only 60*. Felt good about the progress we’d made in one day. We even encountered a pod of orcas soon after entered Queen Charlotte Strait, but failed to get a picture.

Our afternoon and evening was lovely was again. Set down 4 crab pots, netting 4 crab after 3 hours. Friends of Gary & Lenore, Dick & Donna from Happy Wanderer, came in and rafted with us, so together we enjoyed a dinner of clams in black bean sauce and shrimp fettucine.