After being in Fly Basin and waiting a day for the gale to pass we were keen to get going again. The forecast was better but just on the edge of what we felt comfortable. Queen Charlotte Strait NW 20-30, Mid Island 2-3M seas NW 25, both dropping off in the afternoon. If we had it on the nose we would have stayed put, but we know a following sea is a lot easier to take in our boat. We upped the anchor at 6:30 with the plan to poke our nose out into Smith Inlet and see the conditions were too extreme. We had already lifted the dinghy back onto the boat and stowed absolutely everything.
It was true to the 2M seas predition and quite a wild ride when I had to go out to the bow to double-check the anchor. By 8:20 we made the turn at Cape Caution and with the seas behind us everything was easier. We kept over 3 miles off Nakwackto Rapids as we didn't want to be anywhere close to the ebb stream coming out against the wind.
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| Past Cape Caution. Seas never look as big in the photos! |
Inside Storm Islands and Allan Rocks the seas got a bit steeper and we were consistently surfing. By 11:00 we were at Jeanette Islands and things rapidly calmed down once through the passage.
We had the anchor down in Blunden Harbour at 12:10 in 20' of water - and were pretty worn out.
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