day 11

Day 11: June 22 – Where’s the latte?!?

Miles today: 31

Location: N50-29.57/W126-05.27

Miles Left to Port Hardy: 59

The weather reports for Johnstone Str. seem to be more accurate than
what we are used to in the Gulf Islands. As predicted, the wind
strengthened in the evening and were up again in the morning. The
morning forecast was for 10-20 kts and building to 25-30 in the afternoon.

We weighed anchor at the ungodly hour of 04:50; this gave us a longer
time with a favourable ebb current, although a favourable current means
rough wind-over-current conditions for the constant NW wind. We put up
the main before we turned into the straight and were immediately in
rough wind over current conditions. The seas were steep and close
together. They slowed us down by about 2 kts ( with the current we
managed to average over 6kts for the day) and we were taking spray in
the cockpit. We headed to the nearest refuge on the north side of the
Straight, into Knox bay to put in a reef. We also hanked on the stay
sail in case we needed it and deployed the safety lines (Jack lines). We
didn’t need either but better to do it in calm conditions than out in
the wind.

Because it was rough and the wind was right on our nose and we needed to
get past Race Passage before the current changed to flood, we motor
sailed rather than trying to tack against the wind.

We got into Port Neville and found a spot at the small dock at 10:20.
The winds were forecast to continue to build up to 30kts in the
afternoon, so we called it a day and had an early lunch and a snooze. We
are out of fresh protein so tonight will probably be Kraft dinner and
tuna fish or some such concoction. Lunch was ham and bean soup augmented
by first frying some onions and diced ham before adding the soup. It was
a lot better than our breakfast: instant coffee made with water boiled
last night so that we didn’t have to fart around with the propane in the
morning. This was augmented a hour later with a peanut butter and
blueberry jam sandwich.

In deviance of the ship’s articles regarding walking, Ralph stayed on
board when I went for a beach walk. I ventured up a steep hill into a
section of old growth forest. I found a “path”… at least it was an
animal path. I knew this because I saw the bear shit. I circled back
towards the home sites and was feasting on wild raspberries that were on
the path when I thought that standing in waist height grass eating
raspberries on a bear path probably wasn’t very smart. Especially when
the old post office store has a hand-printed sign saying “Beware of
bears -a very close”! I had an uneasy feeling and cut my walk short.

All that is left of Port Neville is a sturdy looking old log store; the
building style is Scandinavian. The guide books says that the widow and
daughter of Ollie still live here. (The Hansen family ran the store from
1924 until 1960 when it closed due to lack of customers) However, on my
ramble I stumbled across a simple grave site which had the grave of
Ollie’s widow, Lilly, who died in 2003. So it is obviously only the
daughter living here now.

There are a lot of ruins in the woods and obviously Port Neville was a
lot busier than it is today!! I knocked at the still functional Post
Office, but no one answered; I didn’t persist because it was near lunch
time ( at least lunch time for people who don’t get up at 4:30!)

We plan on repeating today’s timing for an early getaway to maximize the
time we have a favourable current.

PS: the daughter, Laura, came down to introduce herself at about 9:30
this evening and offered to open the store and show us around. She asked
if had seen the grizzly bears that have been on the beach and harassing
her; they had to fire a noise cannon at them earlier this afternoon!! …
seems they are after the local deer fawns. When I mentioned that I had
gone for a walk up the hill and into the raspberry patch, she looked a
bit alarmed!

She told us that one doe has been here for 14 years and it can be hand
fed. She herself has lived here for 55 years! The house she lives is
another log house built in 1935 and looks brand new. It even has a full
stone walled basement.

I asked about the grave site and she says they had a ceremony here last
year with relatives and friends to intern the ashes of her mom and an aunt.

I bought an official Port Neville t-shirt and Ralph bought a water
colour by the artist that lives across the bay.

Apparently some times she organizes pot lucks with the various boaters,
etc. I would love for Robin to have seen this place and to meet the owner.

Early to bed since we will be rising early once again.