Prince Rupert

The two American Tugs left before us.  The morning was sunny and the water smooth.  We soon passed them as we motored up Grenville Channel.  The only other boat we passed was the large BC Ferry coming down from Prince Rupert.  By 10:30, the anchor was down in Lowe Inlet.  Deer, loons, seals, geese, many unknown birds and the ever present ravens performed against a spectacular panorama.  Off to starboard, the sound of a waterfall grew louder and louder as the tide fell.  We could have taken a dinghy, maybe even Wanderer, over it into Nettle Basin at high water.  We were lazy and afraid. 

Instead, Penny fixed lunch for us and Casey.  Afterward, Casey dropped his anchor and we read, stared off into the middle distance, napped and read some more.  Between naps, I noticed Casey standing on top of Naknek and waving.  A closer look showed him with ‘signal flags’ in hand.  After watching him position his arms in different ways, I got it.  He was signaling us.  I signaled back, using the handheld I had put by the chair in the cockpit.  You’ve got to have a hand-held VHF radio on a C-Dory.  The distance from the cockpit to the main radio at the helm demands it.  Casey didn’t have his hand held in his pocket.  To answer his radio, he had to get down.  I made a note to speak to him about planning. 

“What was all that windmilling about?” I inquired.  “Do you think we should move on?” he suggested.  Now the subtext was: Conditions are right for traveling.  You don’t plan to just sit there all afternoon, do you?

I still don’t know why I said lets go.  Conditions were also perfect for enjoying life right where we were.  In no time, the chain rattled aboard and we sped up Grenville Channel.  The water lumped-up as we reached Klewnuggit Inlet and made for 15 minutes of white knuckles as rollers chased us into East Inlet.  We spent a quiet night in this pretty and protected spot.  Next morning dramatic clouds and a good cup of coffee got the day off to a great start.  We motored on under calm conditions, clear skies and spectacular scenery into Prince Rupert. 

The dockmaster, of the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club, found space, for us, near the ramp to shore.  The usual tasks, phone, showers, ice and food were soon completed.  We changed oil in the engine.  It was time to relax. 

I discovered a fast WiFi connection from our slip and we made good use of it while we were there.  One day Penny and I visited the Museum of Northern British Columbia.  Most of the displays showed Indian art. 

We woke our last morning to find another C-Dory across the dock from us.  Shawn and his crew David, had towed Tonie O from Santa Cruz to Prince Rupert.  David would leave when Shawn’s wife joined him in Juneau.  We would run into Tonie O in Petersburg and again at Auke Bay.  We later heard that we left just before Halcyon arrived.

Prince Rupert was a milestone for us.  Many, if not most, ‘towable’ boats start their Alaska trip here.  Naknek, Halcyon and Wanderer came on their own bottoms.  We recommend it.  It was hard to believe that Alaska could offer much more.  Fortunately, we had the time and inclination to go and see for ourselves.