Pages

"Intrepid" is a Kadey Krogen trawler style motor vessel built in 1987 at the Chung Hwa Boat Yards in Taiwan - hull 138 of 206. She is 42 feet in length with a beam of 14.5 feet and weighs 40,000 pounds fully loaded. Carrying 750 gallons of fuel and 240 gallons of water, she is capable of extended cruising. A previous owner cruised her from Annapolis to the Caribbean and Venezuela then through the Panama Canal, the Sea of Cortez and up the Pacific Coast to Alaska over a period of three years (She was then named "Carpe Diem"). We know of no Krogen that has traveled farther on her own bottom than "Intrepid". We purchased her in 1999 and live aboard her four months of the year as we cruise the intricate waters of the British Columbia and Southeast Alaska coasts. She is berthed in Anacortes, WA.

You can follow Intrepid's path at http://tinyurl.com/3mhj7gz

Check out the story about our grounding in Passagemaker's online magazine at http://tinyurl.com/cu7ar3u

Take a look at Rolynn's author website at http://rolynnanderson.com/RolynnAnderson/HOME.html

If you like technical stuff here is the article I wrote about building a watermaker that appeaared in Passagemaker's online magazine:
http://www.passagemaker.com/channels/watermaker-doing-it-yourself/

Monday, August 30, 2010

Port Harvey - Ganges Harbor: August 24 - Sept 4

Tuesday and Wednesday: After Sullivan Bay we spent a few more days in the Broughtons before heading to Port Harvey and points south. Port Harvey is located near the entrance to Havanah Channel, close to Johnstone Straits, so it is a good place to wait for good conditions in the straits. We had good luck and pulled into the straits at 6:30 AM on the 24th. We were thinking that we would head into Forward Harbor it the straits kicked up or, if not, head to Nodales Channel to avoid the rapids at Whirlpool since there are spring tides, again. There was a strong ebb against us but no wind so we just kept going past Nodales, up Chancelor Channel and on to Shoal Bay. This way we avoided the Greenpoint rapids, as well, as Whirlpool. It was a pleasant day and night anchored at Shoal. The next morning we pulled up at 11:00 am in order to arrive at Dent Rapids just before the noon slack. This time we tried out Tugboat Pass which curves behind Little Dent Island and avoids the stronger currents and potential whirlpool at "The Devil's Hole". There were no problems as we continued through the Yuculta Rapids just after the slack. It is here at Sonora Lodge that CBS had their broadcast studios for the Winter Olympics.

Sonora Lodge, Big Bay, BC
It is also featured in one of Rolynn's books "The Last Resort" which is now in the hands of a publisher for review. (Keep your fingers crossed for her.) http://rolynnanderson.com/rolynnanderson.com/HOME.html WE anchored in Cortes Bay at the south end of Cortes Island. This positioned us for a good departure down The Straits of Georgia the next morning.

Union Steamship Marina at Snug Cove
Thursday - Saturday: We were up early to check the weather (which was good) so we headed down the east side to the straits for Hardy Island Marine Park http://www.panoramio.com/photo/39821039. about five hours away. We anchored in a tight cove that was once a rock quarry. The following morning we moved on to Secret Cove, a marina, where we had a nice diner with our friends from Seeker. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5092042 Saturday it was a five hour run to The Union Steamship Marina in Snug Cove on Bowen Island in Howe Sound - not too far north of Vancouver BC. After two nights here it we will back track a little to Gibson's Landing (The most livable town in the world under 20,000 in 2009.) then back across the Straits of Georgia to Ganges Harbor. We will be back in Anacortes about the 5th.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Port McNeill to Sullivan Bay: August 13-19

We stayed four days in Port McNeill after dropping off Karen and Marni. The wind was blowing so we stayed a couple of days longer than we had originally planned.

Friday and Saturday: We made the three hour crossing of Queen Charolette Straits in calm water to arrive at Ladyboot inlet on Eden Island, one of our favorite spots. The next day we moved on to Moore Bay which once again proved to be a good spot for large prawns. Rolynn breaded them in a coconut batter. They were WONDERFUL. It was 90+ degrees so we closed up the boat and ran the air conditioner. We are so spoiled.

Bellisille Sound
Sunday and Monday: We headed up Kingcome Inlet to Belisille Sound, a new spot for us. It is long and deep with only one anchorage – off an abandoned indian reservation. Monday is was a little nook behind Cecil Island at the mouth of Greenway Sound – a beautiful spot with wide vistas.

Sullivan Bay
Tuesday – Thursday: We are at Sullivan Bay waiting for our California friends on “Seeker”. Sullivan Bay is located in the northern Broughtons and is a long established community of homes (one with a helicopter on the roof), marina, store and resturant all on floats. Get a hole-in-one on the water driving range and earn a night’s free moorage. We are counting on Rolynn.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Invasion of the Shellums: August 5-9

This is Rolynn writing to you from the Port McNeill, B.C. marina. The wind's blowing hard, but we're snugly tied to the dock, pleased we decided to head east (to the Broughtons) tomorrow a.m. instead of this morning. Steve and I listen to the weather reports carefully and avoid cruising when the wind is fierce. That we can eat in local restaurants instead of cook aboard, is an added bonus.

So we've had two days to recover from a dizzying whirlwind of a 3 and 1/2 day visit from my sister, Karen and her daughter, Marni. Now, neither one of them had been on a boat our size on the seas like the ones up here, so Steve and I were a little concerned about how they'd manage these isolated venues. NEVER MIND! I swear, these two were ready to learn as well as pitch in - and brought more luck to INTREPID than she/we could handle! You will not believe the stories I am about to tell you, but be assured, they are true.

The first piece of good luck came in my experiment to keep crabs alive over a two week period. The endeavor kept me awake at night, I'm serious (were the little fellows hungry; were they fighting; were they sitting deep enough in the ocean in their trap?). See, Steve and I spent three days catching crabs in a place called Viner Sound; the commercial crabbers had taken the majority of crab from our favorite haunts so we had to hoard a supply for Karen and Marni. In total, we caught 11 big males/keepers. I'm happy to say that by feeding my crabs a juicy big salmon head, I was able to save 8 of the 11 fellows.

Friday: We collect our guests and head from Port McNeill to Laura Bay (sighting two whales on the way), about three hours to the east of the marina. No sooner had we set down anchor (and put out our shrimp pot) in our favorite spot when a boater we know (Mickey) roars up in his dinghy and tells us the salmon are biting in the bay. I think he's nuts. The bay we've visited for years has never produced more than bottom fish or odd flounder. Salmon. N. O. I say I don't have the right lure/bait. He gives me a pink spoon he swears is a winner. I pile Karen and Marni in the dinghy with me driving and two fish poles, and off we go around the corner to the little bay. How do I explain what we saw? Salmon Seaworld? Flying Salmon? The water was churning with Coho Salmon (Silvers), gigantic ones. Now, neither Karen nor Marni has fished in the ocean so I'm quickly giving instructions on the use of a fishing rod (spoons and a 1 oz. weight) while my eyes are popping at the conflagration of jumping salmon. Five little dinghies like ours are trolling in a circle no more than 40 yards in diameter; two have fish on the line. It's a salmon utopia. I get a lure down as does Marni and we start trolling slowly in a circle with the other astounded boaters. In less than fifteen minutes I catch a fish, a big one. The fight is on and I work him a bit before I bring him to the boat. The trouble is, as I draw the fish to Marni holding the net, the fish gets away-something about their soft mouths, I guess. We are so upset. Then I see "my" fish about 1:00 on my starboard side and say to Marni "There he is; let's net him." Marni gets the net ready to bag my stunned fish and I motor the dinghy closer and closer to the big guy. Plop! Marni dips the net in and grabs the salmon, we get him into the boat and spend the next several minutes trying to subdue the creature. He's feisty enough that I have to whack him over the head a couple of times before I gaff him and ask Karen to keep her foot on him. Back to the fishing. (As an aside, we three women have to be the loudest, wildest fisherwomen this side of the Olympics. I'm trying to coach two novices to fishing fundamentals while I'm trying to learn how to troll for salmon without a downrigger. There may not be a dinghy large enough for the three of us-laughing, yelling, giving orders, holding on to each other so we don't fall out, etc. Mind you, we all wear life vests.)

Just as we've got our rigs set up again, I see Pacific Dolphins jumping near INTREPID. I say: "Pull in your lines! We can't miss the show!" We buzz over to the chaos of 200 dolphins gathered together, probably diving for food. What an amazing event. The water was churning with their activity, the dolphins swimming so close to our boat we could touch them! Once they've left, we go back to INTREPID, a 15 pound Coho in hand and I fillet the fish while we cook our 8 crabs for dinner. Satiated with the delicious crab feast, on sensory overload and tired from the excitement, we make it early to bed.

The reason for Seaworld? Billy Procter is local legend who, like his father, was born here and has hunted, logged and fished these waters for over 70 years. He says that the creeks are so low that there is not enough scent in the water for the salmon to find the way to their spawning grounds. Also, there has been an explosion in the number of dolphins hunting in the area so the salmon head for the shallow water to escape them. The end result - Salmon Seaworld.

Saturday: I'm up early thinking about those jumping salmon. After breakfast, we're off to catch more fish. . . Salmon Sea World is still on! This time we get Karen tricked out to catch a fish; she and Marni work the poles while I drive. Karen gets two nibbles, the second fish taking her lure. Marni gets a strike. . .never having played a fierce salmon before, I coach her through every phase and we end up with a 12 pounder in our boat. We are thrilled. I'm starting to fish with Marni driving while we watch a man pull in a 15 pounder with a fly rod (!). He wants us to take his catch, so we go pick up his 15-18 pounder. (Steve got me a weighing mechanism here in Port McNeill yesterday. . .I truly can't judge the size of these big fish). So now I have two fish to fillet and put in the freezer. . . and we've got to pick up the shrimp trap. We pull up anchor in Laura Bay and cruise to our shrimp pot to begin pulling up 500 feet of line. Marni and I trade the duty. We haul up about 40 BIG prawns and one BIG red octopus who doesn't want to get out of the shrimp basket and ends up anchoring himself to our swim step. What a struggle. . .but we send him back to the deep. . .and he answers with a big spray of red ink before he dives down.

Now we have shrimp to behead and cook. On we go to Kwatsi, an isolated marina where Anca and Max have raised their two children and made a life for themselves. By coincidence, the boat in front of us at the Kwatsi dock is called C SHARP. The skipper went to St. Olaf, graduating in '55. Karen and I graduated from St. Olaf in the late 60's. Think about it: a marina in the middle of nowhere with three graduates from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. What are the chances? When we gather for the happy hour, we HAVE to sing the St. Olaf Fight Song to all who gather. We ate our fresh caught shrimp for lunch; for dinner it's fresh salmon grilled skin-side down. Delicious!

Sunday: The prettiest day of the three. . .we leave Kwatsi for a lovely tour of the Broughtons (and see another whale) on our way to the Pearce Islands. We're the only boat in our anchorage, where harbor seals entertain us. We tour the island in the dinghy at high tide, enjoy a quiet happy hour, then put steaks on the grill for our guests' final dinner in the Broughtons. We bask in the sun, using our new swim step as a place to stand while we hang our elbows on the aft ship gunnel and talk about how lucky we are to experience nature this way.

Monday: After a leisurely morning and a pancake breakfast, we return to Port McNeill's dock and check out the shops in Port McNeill. Karen and Marni leave at 12:00 remarking that the sunny, temperate temperatures and fresh air have spoiled them. With regret, they drive away, heading to Nanaimo where they take a ferry to Vancouver B.C., and a plane back to Chicago. They've eaten crab, shrimp and salmon, caught fresh from the sea. They've seen the beautiful islands of the Broughtons in three action-packed days. Indeed, they'll sleep soundly, dreaming of landing Coho salmon and fighting with a red-headed octupus.

Next? We've spent three wonderful days in Port McNeill and tomorrow we're off to the Sullivan Bay/Mackenzie Sound area, meeting friends (Seeker) around the 17th/18th of August. After that, we start a slow trek to the south, taking adventures where they find us.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Waddington Bay and Crease Island: July 30-Aug 2

Goat Island Anchorage
Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday: After two days at Pierre’s we left Friday morning for an uneventful day and night at Waddington Bay. Saturday, we went to nearby and very pretty Goat Island anchorage at Crease Island to meet up with Crossroads and their English friends on “Cloudy Bay”, a 55’ Nordhaven. Also there were other acquaintances aboard “Silver Star”, Waka” and “Seagar”. Rolynn organized a dinghy party. We all brought drinks and snacks and tied our dinghies astern to “Cloudy Bay” for an hour or so. Later, we went aboard

Dinghy Cocktails
“Crossroads” for dinner with Stan and Diane. The following morning Rolynn spied a black bear ambling along the beach a 100’ or so from our boat. He rolled rocks and ate salial berries until he got to the nearby point. Then he jumped in the water and swam to a small island where he spent the day sampling the flora. Near evening he swam to even smaller islet but there appeared to be fewer pickings. Tuesday morning we will head to Port McNeill where we will meet Rolynn’s sister and niece, Karen and Marni.

Moving Day in the Broughtons