And Willie Said: Campbell River at Last!!! -- 8/14/2014

Checking the times for slack at Yuculta Rapids, Herb sees an early morning or after lunch. We choose the early, get ready to cast off and say Goodbye to Chris and Mike, who will go to Desolation Sound today.

We push off the dock at 7:30A, cruise at 9 to 10 knots for a time in rippled seas. By 8A the water is like glass, flat calm.

The sun lights the sky to paint it a pale blue.

Now into Calm Channel we go between Raza and Read Islands and see some large ships and a lot of logs. We continue south into Sutil Channel between Cortes and Read Islands.

Hai Sea Guardian Tug and Tow

Stern of Hai Sea Guardian

Many, many, many logs

We are in the Strait of Georgia and go wide around the markers at the south end of Quadra Island to head into Campbell River.

I am lucky enough to get a photo of the light house on Cape Mudge (Quadra) with the light flashing. It is hard to see here, but I know it is there....

We don't get confirmation of availability in Coast Marina, so accept space in Fisherman's Marina, deciding to stay two nights to be able to see and do all that interests us here.

As we round the corner to go north a short distance to the marina, we see the tide rips and the effect of a 5.92 knots push in Discovery Channel. It would have been against us, had we taken that shorter route south today.

It is a hike up to the office from Finger 5 where we tie Willie's Tug and I take a photo of her. Yes, I can find Willie's Tug...

Left of the tall black pilings, against the breakwater, the white spar of the orange hull sailboat slices diagonally through the cockpit, leaving visible the windshield and windows on the starboard side.

Find Willie's Tug....

Jake likes other water bowls better than his, so he can't pass up Crabby Bob's dish outside the seafood shop. He gets three treats, but cuts his eye toward the huge dungeness crabs in the tank. I am also interested in the salmon on ice.

For today's museum, we choose the one farthest down the road, about a mile and save the nautical one for tomorrow. Called The Museum of Campbell River, it is an awesome collection of First Nation artifacts and we are asked not to photograph anything.

The next section begins with logging. Below is a cross-section of a Douglas Fir about 1,034 years old, which stood 155 feet high and measured eight feet at the butt. One advantage of logging in this area is the steep inclines which allowed trees to be felled directly into the water below with minimal equipment.

Attempt at making a power saw with a cross-cut saw.

Among the supplies from the fishing industry is the gill net, which hangs from a line of floats in the water and weighted at the bottom. Salmon swimming into it are entangled by their gills and not able to escape.

Steam donkey, or donkey engine, is the common nickname for a steam-powered winch, or logging engine, widely used in past logging operations, though not limited to logging.

With lots of 'town' to be explored, we get started on the next hike. In front of an art shop we stop to listen to a fellow tourist playing the piano provided for the public's entertainment. Engrossed in his activity, he has no idea anyone is listening until he hears the applause at the end of the performance.