Got Mosquitoes? - 8/9/2014

In preparation for our cruise today Mike talks to someone for local knowledge to navigate around the rocks we will need to avoid and is told simply to follow the GPS in the boat.  OK, simple enough!

We leave  New Vancouver at 11A under blue skies with a few white fluffy clouds floating above, and turn to starboard out of the marina into Beware Passage.  Waggoner's Guide has quite a long article on the Passage because of the many, many rocks.  There are also notes on routes provided by previous boaters, as well. 

Hereditary Chief William Glendale comes down the dock to tend to his morning duties as we cast off from New Vancouver Marina.

New Vancouver Community

We proceed at high tide to pass Care Rock, Caution Rock, Caution Cove, Beware Rock and Dead Point.  What names!   It sounds like some misfortune happened in this area. 

'Beware Log' is dead ahead  as we approach Beware Rock among a cluster of rocks, and Beware Rock shows a symbol on Navionics for drying at low tide.  We watch closely.

Beware Log

An unnamed island sees OdySea on its north side threading her way through several submerged rocks.  We go wide to port side, past all rocks, then sharp to starboard to get completely around and back to our route, making another sharp turn to port.

OdySea does a 90 degree to stay in safe waters.

Whew!

Adrenalin calms down now as we pass this beautiful scene, but it is unwise to navigate.   The second photo shows the rock ridge quite a ways from shore, seeming to form a breakwater.

I do love rocks, but not against my boat.  Here is another pretty one.  Looks like a nice place for a picnic or just to watch the sun set.

A sign along the channel warns us of blasting and we note quite an operation on the port side.

We are now safely through the passage and arrive into Potts Lagoon for anchoring.  There is plenty of room for boats with no stern ties needed, and we are delighted to see Blue Horizons as we enter, so plan to visit with them later.

Frank and Dawn-Marie

A deck and dinghy dock are to the east side of the lagoon, where we tie up Jake's Ferry and explore the road back into the wilderness.  There is evidence of much logging, and a sign warning of blasting and that the road is deactivated.  I see fresh track loader tracks in the gravel road. We walk a ways until the mosquitoes chase us back to the dinghy -- and all the way back to the boat -- and quickly spray with Off.

If that's not enough, now the biting horse flies traumatize us and Jake.  Herb sprays the cockpit with Off and that deters the bugs for a few hours.  Jake bites at them, occasionally catching one and eating it.  Ugh....

On a much happier note, Dawn-Marie invites us to Happy Hour on Blue Horizons and serves sautéed prawns they have caught today.    Jake gives us a pitiful look as we dinghy away from Willie's Tug to leave him for a couple of hours.

Be a good boy, Jake, while we are gone.

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Saturday, August 9, 2014