Adventures on Blue Redd

This is an autonomous boat.   We saw it in Cow Bay in Prince Rupert.   They use this autonomous boat in Cow Bay Marina for underwater inspections, maintenance, and safety checks, because this is a deep high tidal-current bay which makes it very dangerous for divers. Cow Bay was so named after a Swiss farmer, John Nehring arrived with a herd of dairy cows in 1908.  A great little coffee shop here is called Cowpuccino.   I love it! We departed this morning from Kumealon Inlet in the semi-fog which turned into complete fog by the time we got to the mouth of the inlet (in the direction this picture is taken). Some cool looking foggy photos of Kumealon Inlet as we departed about 0700. Beautiful, even if we can't see where we are going! Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead! The fog started to lift once we got well out into Grenville Channel and headed northwest towards Prince Rupert. Visibility is improving!   This is looking back down (southeast) ...

At high tide, these rapids run the other direction.   Clearly, at low tide, we cannot enter. Here is our approach to the rapids at the mouth of the lagoon.   Really fishy/smelly foam all over the water, just like in front of the waterfall at Lowe Inlet.   I wonder what that's all about... More icky foamy stuff.   Must be a lot of decomposing protein in the water. Peter, driving Roe out to the lagoon. This photo was taken as we departed Blue Redd, bound for the lagoon in nice sunny, clear, warm weather. Yup, Karen was with me too. A killer rock in the middle of the channel, well disguised with green stuff all over it.   At a higher tide level, it would be all but invisible in the water. For what it's worth, the tide range here is 21+ feet.  Our adventure to the lagoon was near low slack. More pictures of our beautiful anchorage.   That's Blue Redd in the bay as we head back from the lagoon in a sudden squall.   Th...

  Some awake readers have asked how I know where I'm going.   I presume they are asking about marine navigation and not metaphorically. Assuming all the basics have been completed, the boat is outfitted, safe, and everything is functioning properly, because without that, we aren't going anywhere, we then decide where we want to go. Karen usually consults the authoritative cruising guides for the area.   Here are merely two examples of many.   The cruising guides are an invaluable help and their information is fantastic.  They typically do not cover the route, but they do dive into good detail about each anchorage and discuss the pros/cons of each, including warnings about potential hazards and commentary about the place. While she is looking up potential anchorages, I'm plotting routes from where we are to the places she is suggesting.   Eventually, we agree on the destination. Then I plot the route, consult the tide & current tables...

  The CCGS Atlantic Eagle is a 75-metre Emergency Offshore Towing Vessel (ETV) operated by the Canadian Coast Guard.  Her primary function is to tow carriers, containers, tankers, and other large commercial ships.   She passed us in Grenville Channel this morning.   Being very proper and very polite, they hailed us on VHF16 and informed us they would pass us to our port (our left side).   Right, we stayed well out of their way! As we headed up Grenville Channel we passed this cool waterfall on our port side.   This was just before Atlantic Eagle passed us. Kumealon Inlet, about 28 miles northwest of Lowe Inlet and about 34 miles southeast of Prince Rupert.   So, it was a handy place to stop today, and we may stay here tomorrow as well. There is a lagoon off to the north and we may explore that at high tide tomorrow. Just a couple more photos of the bay.  Only 1 other boat here today (see picture, below) and that would b...

  Anchor up at 0650 (6:50am) in Bottleneck Inlet. Today is going to be a good day.   This is the earliest in the season we've been up this route so we are anticipating many great looking waterfalls through the various channels we will pass through. And we were not disappointed at all. One particularly spectacular waterfall we passed is in the abandoned town of Butedale.  Butedale was a remote cannery town, founded in 1911 around a major salmon fishery.   At its peak, Butedale supported 400+ seasonal workers, powered by a small hydroelectric dam and surrounded by fishing, logging, and mining activities. After the cannery roof collapsed in 1950 and the industry centralized elsewhere, the town declined and was finally abandon in the 1970's becoming one of BC's most iconic ghost towns along the Inside Passage. I understand someone has acquired the rights to rebuild here.   Probably an ideal location for a marina/fishing resort.   We did see ...