21. Ahclakerho to Fly Basin

 With the forecasted gale and a few days of winds we don't want to rely on a rocky bottom and stern tie, so elect to head back to Fly Basin with it's bullet-proof anchorage. We are up early to ensure the falling tide doen't have our stern bumping the rocks. The forecasted gale is nowhere in sight and we have a beautiful sunrise.

 


We head around Ahclakerho islands 'the long way'  to explore a bit more of the area and it is so nice we decide to shut off the engines and enjoy a bit of a drift. In the quiet we hear a whale blowing around the edge of the island. We move a bit closer (but not too close :) Whale Watching Guidelines) and shut the engines down again to enjoy the experience. The whale moved around the islands and towards the land - and as per the whale near Goose bay - surprisingly close to shore.We thought it amazing a humpback would be on the inside of such a restricted channel (look on the chart how narrow the entrance to Ahclakerho is).

One of our favourite photos - sums up a lot

 Heading back to the channel we have a small pod of dolphins bow-surf. Very cool.

short and shakey video of dolphins bow-surfing

We head back through the narrows - this time on a low tide. We shoot for 1/2 hour after low at Bella Bella and still find 0.3 knots against (ie as per flood). No issues with current or water depth.
Into Smith Inlet it is totally calm and we sit on the bow enjoying the world passing by at 8 knots.

Turning past Ripon Point the wind turns on and immediately is 15 knows westerly. We have the anchor down in Fly Basin at 11:00. The forecast is a gale warning with 2-3M seas and so we plan to simply hang in Fly Basin and wait it out. We have 20 knots in the anchorage. Nice to have a great hook.