Rocking bronco through Seymour Narrows and down Johnstone Straits

Sunday, June 22, 2008: Campbell River, Canada through Seymour Narrows, down Johnstone Straits and Havannah Channel to Matilpi at Indian Islands


Rocking and rolling down Johnstone Strait

Rocking Bronco!! Short Chop! Wind against the ebb. 20 knots!!! Minus 7-knot speed of boat = 13 knots with the ebb!!! Depth over 500 ft. Spray over the bow. Stomach knots tight. Johnstone Straits! Ride 'em cowboy!

Russ changes course to hug the shoreline for a smoother ride. The greenest of green cold waters nearly 600 ft deep meets a natural rock wall with evergreens from sky to strait. Sun on snow peaks. What a magnificent day. Hemingway-Douglas’ Guide to Alaska says this can be the most uncomfortable stretch of water in the Inland Passage. Due to heavy spring river runoffs and existing strong ebb currents. The strait follows the NE coast of Vancouver Island for 54 miles. A spectacular passage with powerful natural forces.

Don’t go through Race passage. It will take all the pleasure out of the pleasure boating. I read aloud from the Guide book. All the other boats have gone to the -other side of the strait. (Later I understand for traffic-lane reasons so that if fog and hard-to-maneuver tugs pulling log tows etc., come into play, there is a sense of order).

"First thing—don’t follow the herd!" Russ blurts out in a know-it-all voice.

Silence. Smug look. Cap pulled down with dark glasses. Wait for a reaction.

"So are you going to go down Race passage with the wind against the current?"

"Yes, we’ll race down!"

Bloody stupid, I think and I go to sit up at the bow. Ice-cold wind on the nose, blue skies, light dusting of snow on mountain tops. Blue water. Then I see the whirlpools. And Zulu’s bow radically turning and I see Russ manually steering hard. More whirlpools. Knots in my stomach tighten. Depth changes. Whitewater. Hmmmm. Guess we’re racing alright—in circles. Still going forward. At least this merry-go-round is free!

Thinking of last night at Campbell River. We pulled into K slip around 7:30 PM after 80 miles in a day! Tied up close to where we did with Patty and Tom. I remember Tom telling me to jump the chasm to the dock that rainy day. The current was pushing Zulu away after 3 tries. Better sense from the boating safety class said: don’t jump. People get way hurt when they do. Tom jumped. Kind of like a heavy bull frog. And fell on his slippery ass. I have to kind of laugh at the image only—not the mishap.

This time it was beautifully still and sunny and Russ reversed in perfectly. Someone was there to catch a line. Good going matey! Smoothe.

We were off to the movies. Want to see Mongol filmed in "Gazechestan (sp)." About the early life of Genghis Khan. Because we so wanted to see it, we willed that it would be playing as we arrived at the theatre. We darted across busy roads, across parking lots, past fast food restaurants and arrived to see "Don’t Mess with Zohan" playing, which we’d already seen! Zap the movies!

Let’s go and eat out. Inspect some of the franchise places. Ghastly. We’re spoilt. Let’s go back to Moxies on the waterfront where we celebrated Patty’s birthday. Lovely. A mango margarita and island rock amber beer. Soothe our culinary souls with good food. Watch the cruise ships returning from Alaska in the 9:00 PM sunlight. A toast to the beginning of the journey of Yacht Zulu! We slept so tight.
Then 7:00 AM Sunday morning. Bust out of the moorage—safety gates open, buoys dangling alongside the hull, lines sloppily flung onto the deck. Not a fussy captain. "Got to get out of here to reach Seymour Narrows by 8!"

Well we were an hour late! Anticipation greater than realization. Chop, rock. Go with the ebb north. Slack is past. There is more to come in Johnstone Strait. Merry-go-rounds to enjoy in Race passage. Fun in the sun on the most brilliant day. Rock and roll onwards in icy blue waters with scalloped soft bald hills, evergreens, and blue skies. Now and again snow peaks take my mind off the not-such-a-fun ride. I’m tired!!