Tranquil Inlet to Heelboom Bay

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June 16, 2007 :
We awoke before dawn to a driving rain which continued until mid morning, then a light rain until after lunch. George made Chili Rellenos. Very tasty. Better than a Mexican Restaurant. After collecting our empty crab trap we headed for Heelboom Bay at Drawley Passage in Fortune Channel.

Another beautifully protected anchorage also with a babbling brook, this cove is near a 300-foot hole that had prawn possibilities and we set our trap before going back into Heelboom. Once anchored, George rowed out and set the crab trap off shore from the brook.



Heelboom Bay to Bedwell Sound
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June 17, 2007:

Sunday. Awoke to a glassy surface in the anchorage. We headed out fairly early to do a bear search, the tides are low right now due to the new moon and animals come on to the exposed shorelines to forage. We checked our prawn trap on the way out. We had it set in 300 feet, and to our surprise we found just one prawn and four rock crabs. That’s pretty deep for crabs. The commercial boats have been hitting the prawns hard.

While we were going into Mosquito Harbor we saw a boat on the east shore of Fortune Channel slow and stop along shore. Through the binoculars we noted that all folks aboard were on the bridge…. Watching a bear. We cruised the head of the Mosquito Harbor and saw eagles and other shore birds,. But no bears there. So we headed across Fortune Channel to see if there were any bears still there.

Sure enough we found that bear and here are pictures of him perusing the shore after a good low tide feed no doubt.














After an hour long struggle getting through Matlset Narrows against a five Knot current we headed up Bedwell Sound to check out a little nook near a 300 foot Prawn hole Vince the harbor master told us about.






The spectacular nook unnamed on the chart had limited anchoring on the most protected west side and would require a stern tie to keep Teal from swinging onto the shoal at the head.

The tide is expected to be very low tomorrow morning. We’ll be sitting in a fifteen-foot hole just a boat length from where the shoal drops off into deep water. We named the nook “Sans Nam” (no name) because it isn’t named on the chart. After setting the crab trap we rowed around the shore line of the nook and we discovered that there were no less than three babbling brooks and one waterfall refreshing the water of the nook. Tomorrow we’re heading into Tofino for propane, gas, and more provisions, and then on to Auhouset before going on to Hot Springs Cove and visit the hot springs for a relaxing soak.

George & JoAnne

Tofino to Tofino Inlet

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June 15, 2007:
The next morning we did boat chores before winding around all the shoals in Duffin passage and Browning Channel and on into Tofino Inlet. Under blue skies and bright sunshine Tofino inlet was beautiful.

We stopped for lunch at Cannery Bay, and after setting our crab trap we went into Kennady cove where there was a small sailboat tied to the float at the old fish cannery sight. We anchored nearby and visited with the single handed sailor doing chores on his boat.

After lunch we headed up the inlet to Deer Bay, every turn along the way treated us to a scene more spectacular than the last. Deer Bay is set against towering snow covered peeks. After getting our eyes full we headed back to collect our crab trap at Cannery Bay and release the one lonely under sized Dungeness crab inside.


Then we headed up Tranquility Inlet to a beautiful and well-protected cove on the west side that the chart leaves un-named. There was a babbling brook on the east shore that added a nice hypnotic effect to ad to the tranquil little cove that made very peaceful sleeping.



This photo, taken at the cove in Tranquil Inlet shows the mirror effect seen along the shoreline at low tide. JoAnne has dubbed these picturesque scenes totems.


George & JoAnne