Campbell River

Magic Carpet at the Fishermens Marina

We left this morning from Blind Channel Resort headed to Campbell River via the Seymour Narrows.

We had heard storied about violent current, eddies and whirlpool in Seymour Narrows. We headed that way a little trepidation but also with the knowledge we gained from talking to other boaters, reading about Seymour Narrows and checking out the tides and currents as best as we could.

As we left Blind Channel Resort, I took the helm of the boat while Ed created another route to Campbell River. The previous route he had entered kept appearing as a route we had taken during one of the legs of the South Section of hte IPBA ICR Rally and Predicted Log Competition.

We made good time leaving the Blind Channel as we had the current with us. But that didn't prevent a few rips and whirlpools along the way. As we entered Johnstone Strait, we suddenly slowed down from 8 knots (kt) averave to about 6 kt. So I increased speed on the boat. The current was so strong heading out of Johnstone Straits toward Queen Charolette Strait that with the boat up to about 3k rpm, we were only doing about 8-9 kt.

The further we got into Johnstone Strait, the more variable the current was due to Islands, rock, channels etc. So in addition to keeping eye out for logs, other boats and their relative position to us and were we in a collisoin course and how woud avoidance affect other boats racing toward Seymour Narrows, I had to be constantlyl adjusting the RPM up and down. We didn't want to arrive too early and contend with a ebbing tide as we entered the Narrows. We preferred to have the current at our back as we entered.

Well, as luck would have it, we were just a little early, about 15 minutes. The tide was still ebbing and the current was against us.

As we approached the Narrows, I, and my trusty log watchers and crew, kept count of the boats that were coming out of the narrows and where they were heading relative to us. Most of the bigger boats were passing us on our port side and a few small boats scooted to starboard across the Strait toward a marina we had passed.

Seymour Narrows aerial view from Google Earth. All that silver in the picture is disturbed turbulent water in the Narrows as it dumps into The Strait of Georgia.

Then we noticed the tug! It was towing a large barge behind it, until it turned into the Narrows. All the boats racing toward the narrows slowed down because the barge was suddently trying to pass the barge on it's port side, that means it was headed toward us. What to do, what to do? We continued to head to the Narrows and slide toward the starboard and pray that the tug captain would get his tow under control as we entered the narrows.

Thankfully, as we entered the narrow, the barge was where it should be, behind the tug. We acceleratedl to get out of the turbulent waters of the narrows and into the top of Strait of Georgia. When we popped out of the narrows, we found very flat water, the only waves were created by the boats passing us going into the narrows from Johnstone Straits and Straits of Georgia. The Straits of Georgia lies between the Broughtons and Desolation Sound, to the north,and the Canadian Gulf Islands to the south, just north of the international boarder. It lies between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island. This body of water is commonly referred to as the SALISH SEA.

We cruised into Campbell River at about 9 kts until the ferries started across Quadra Isle to/from Campbell River. Once they had passed and we had bobbed through their wakes, we continued onto the moorage the Harbor Master at the Fisherman Marina had assigned us.

Aerial view, from Google Earth. We are on the large cement float in the center of the marina.

The Harbor Master said someone would meet us at the dock. So when we saw him at the wooden floats, with what we felt was and unsafe space to moor in, he yelled to us that we were to go to the middle of the marina where the cement float was. Ed said he had been told to moor behind the large ocean going fishing vessel. One look into the fairway between it and the boats moored on the adjacent wood float we decided it was not safe. We tied up to the end of the cement float and were told we could stay there or move around the corner into the space the dive charter boat had just vacated. We untied, moved around the corner and while the crew took care of the boat, Stever and I took the girls for a long walk. Perhaps too long as we both headed for the bed to rest our aching backs.

The poor dogs, have to walk on a grate that is hard on their feet. I asked Ed to get booties for them when he walked into town looking for materials to repair the damage done, by the girls, to the cover on the sun bathing pad. When he returned, He and Stever took the dogs up to the dirt parking lot accross the street from the port office. The booties did not stay on, they simply slid off the feet of the dogs. The marinas should have a board or mat in the center of the ramp that allows rain, snow and ice to fall through but cushions/protects the pads of the dog's feet. My girls, though they think they are lap puppies, are about 60 pounds of wiggling joy that resist being carried.

Kari made a most delicious dinner of her own creation! Shortly after dinner the Canadian Coast Guard towed in a vessel that looked as though it was on it's last leg. The port gunnel was ripped open from mid ship to about the foredeck. There was a constant stream of water coming from it and it was listing. It put us in mind of a similar appearing vessel in Wrangell Alaska. As I was getting ready to walk the dogs for their last walk of the day, I noted an open fire on the deck of the boat. NOT a good idea on a wooden boat, especially not one moored within 10 feet of our bow. The fire department was called and by the time they arrived to the dock, the owenr of the vessel had extinguished the fire and had left the float.

Tomorrow the Farmers Market and moorage at the foot of a shopping center.