June 8, 2007 :
Before we left the dock at PAYC for San Mateo Bay, George installed a crab trap hauler device on Teal to make retrieving the trap easier. The crab trap held only a couple of small throwback sized Rock Crab. Definitely tomorrow for crab! We did retrieve our first prawns of the year -13. Just enough for a taste to make us want more. Maybe tomorrow.
Along the way we anchored at calm and picturesque Holford Bay for lunch-
-prior to checking out the float in the well-protected nook at San Mateo Bay.
Then onto Uchucklesit Inlet to Snug Basin, noting how well protected San Mateo Bay was was if we chose to stay there for the night. We went into Limestone Bay on the way into Uchucklesit where we found two float houses, one in each of the only sheltered coves in the bay.
The Uchucklesit Inlet east shoreline is cluttered with frivolous real estate development, and the west shoreline has a large log dump and log rafting operation at the north end. We found a float house taking up the only protected nook in Snug Basin. Even at that it was a pleasant and scenic ride back to San Mateo Bay.At San Mateo Bay (48° 56.744’ N / 125° 00.168’ W) we tied to the float, which reminded us very much of Joe Cove in the Broughton Islands near Port McNeill. A young couple Dan and Lori came in and tied up their Sea Sport powerboat behind us. Dan treated us to salmon he had smoked himself. It was really tasty! They were having a relaxing weekend of fishing and had caught a couple of Chinook salmon off shore before coming in for the night. They departed Saturday around noon in a driving rain. We snuggled in, played Yatzee, and stayed warm and dry while we waited out the weather. That evening a couple of prawn boats came in and tied to the float for the night. They said it was blowing about 30 knots or more out at the mouth of the sound. We would have never known. The rain eventually let up and we had a peaceful night on the float.
George & JoAnne
