We moved onto Blind Channel today, enjoying a smooth ride through Johnstone Strait. In the afternoon the sun came out, and when we tied up at the Blind Channel Marina there was a bear on the beach to welcome us. I guess Sheila won’t go hiking in the woods tomorrow.
Sheila and Kim joined me in Port McNeill yesterday and Kim cooked a nice dinner for us on the boat. This morning we all walked a bit. The big tourist attraction here is the World’s largest burl.
Another very foggy morning, I went to Clam Bay which was very remote and almost totally enclosed. There was an old derelict floating resort there (not operating anymore), but no phone reception. So I went on to Sointula on Malcolm Island, where the sun came out in the afternoon and it got quite warm. On the way I encountered sea lions, white sided dolphins (they swim very fast) and a number of sea otters floating on their backs munching whatever they had caught. Unfortunately, no good pictures of the wildlife.
It was very foggy and cool this morning. Once the fog started to lift, I came into a little bay in the Walker Group of islands. By noon the sun came out and it warmed up to 18 degrees. Perfect for exploring the area on a paddle board.
The sun came out as promised, but it is quite windy and this morning it was only 10 degrees. I crossed Queen Charlotte Strait, a bit bouncy, and am now anchored in Blunden Harbour. The sun is still out and it warmed up to 15 degrees.
We flew back to Vancouver on Tuesday and yesterday I came to the boat in Port McNeill. Sheila is staying in Vancouver for a few more days before joining Ancient Murrelet. The weather was cool and wet, but from today on it should get warmer and the sun is supposed to shine. A bit of a shock after our time in Greece.
We celebrated my mother’s 90th birthday today, in style, at the water. All children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren sang for her. Very nice to spend the day with family.
We are spending a few days on the island of Hydra in the Saronic Gulf. This is much busier than Poros and a well known tourist destination. This weekend is Greek Pentecost, so it is especially busy with quite a few superyachts in the harbour. We are staying in a nice, quiet hotel, enjoying the walks on the island and excellent seafood.