July 31, 2004 Sat
Greetings from Ohana Kai,
It has been a while since we have been able to successfully get a correspondence out so I have a lot of days to cover. We have had a bit of difficulty making connections to the service and were going over our allotted time, so I will try to be a bit more brief. We have been having a fun time with Bruce’s parents and Jared. Here’s the breakdown.
Date location mileage
7/20/04 Tue Chapin Bay – Mud Cove, Port Malmesbury 52
7/21/04 Wed Mud Hole – Red Bay 76
7/22/04 Thu Red Bay – Thorne Bay 60
7/23/04 Fri Thorne Bay – Ketchikan 40
7/24/04 Sat Ketchikan – Morse Cove (Duke Island) 30
7/25/04 Sun Morse Cove - Prince Rupert 52
7/26/04 Mon Prince Rupert - Lowe Inlet 58
7/27/04 Tue Lowe Inlet - Bishop Bay Hot Springs 40
7/28/04 Wed Bishop Bay Hot Springs- Khutze Inlet 33
7/29/04 Thu Khutze Inlet – Oliver Cove 38
7/30/04 Fri Oliver Cove – Shearwater Marina 18
7/31/04 Sat Shearwater Marina – Pruth Bay

We are cruising right along heading back south. On the drive to Port Malmesbury we watched another bunch of whale tales though at a distance. We anchored in a location called Mud Cove which looked again more like an alpine lake. We dutifully watched a few trails that led from the water into the forest but never saw the critters that created them. We were greeted by a chubby looking otter and were joined by a few fishing trollers for the night. We round Cape Decision and head up to Sumner Straight the next day. More whales to watch again at a distance. It never gets old. We make our way into a little cove called Red Bay and have a challenging anchor in the wind.

Thorne Bay, the oldest known logging camp in the US is our next destination. Surprisingly, there is no evidence of any logging until you get right into the cove of the town. The entrance winds in for a couple of miles, dotted with little coves, tin roof fishing get-a-ways, and friendly fisherman. We get gas there and head back out to the entrance where we drop anchor in Snug Cove and let the boys loose again in the dinghy to explore an old wooden boat that has been wrecked and abandoned. They don their wet suits and life jackets and can officially say they have swam in Alaskan waters. Lots of jellyfish but no fish biting for us.

Ketchikan was the next destination and is always a treat to walk around. The tide was very low and the salmon were not as active this time. 4 cruise ships in the harbor all headed out that day. They are a true marvel to watch. We got groceries, did laundry and had some nice meals before we headed out.
Morse Cove on Duke Island was the next stop. It had an amazingly narrow and shallow entrance that created its own quick current and drew us in. We anchored and set the boys free again. That night we gave the boys some dramamine to prepare for the next days passage across Dixon Entrance. A beautiful sunny day but some nice swells that make for sour tummies. We all kept our eyes on the horizon and thankfully had no casualties. We spent the rest of the day in Prince Rupert. Enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs again. They have a nice waterfront park with a great playground that we know well.

The journey from Prince Rupert to Lowe Inlet travels straight down the long narrow Grenville Channel. We had the wind straight at our back most all of the day and had some great opportunities to use our spinnaker and in greater wind use our whisker pole which holds the front sail (jib) out at a nice angle to catch almost any wind you want. We made some great time and had some good practice.
Next stop was Bishop Bay Hot Springs, always a favorite. It was a really warm day so the boys instantly donned wet suits and lifejackets and started leaping off the dock and boat for a great swim. They did a little fishing and caught a few perch, and we all enjoyed a dip in the hot springs.

Khutze Inlet was previously one of our most favorite anchorages, this time was so swarming with horseflies that we were literally held captive in our own boat. Papa and Bruce set the fastest anchor we’ve ever seen as they waved about madly. We all hunkered down and played a lot of uno. In the evening they cleared a bit and the boys attempted to climb with to the waterfall with nana and papa without much success. Overgrowth and bugs, yuck.

Oliver Cove on the Don Peninsula was our next stop. It looked a little exposed by lovely and best of all horsefly free. The boys gathered their swimming attire and we all went beach combing. A short drive the next day and we were at the Shearwater Marina. Due to a large gathering of the Victoria Yacht Club we were unable to get a slip at the dock so we anchored out. It worked out perfectly and we still managed to get laundry and showers for everyone.

Last night we anchored in a great place called Pruth Bay nestled in on Calvert Island. There is a fly in fishing resort tucked in behind the trees and a nice hike to the other side of the island where we found a secluded beach that could rival any. It was a great afternoon and the boys spent hours in the water minus the time we took to get sand out of Matthews eyes. Today we are heading down Fitz Hugh Sound and will begin crossing the edge of Queen Charlotte Sound and Straight. Always the chance for sick tummies when you cross a larger body of water like this so the boys are sufficiently medicated and we will hope for calm seas.

We hope all your swim teams, summer camps, family vacations and lazy summer days are going great! We can’t wait to hear about them all we get home.
We love and miss you much.
The crew of the Ohana Kai.

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