Another two days motoring Johnstone
Day 5: 36 nautical miles. We weighed anchor at peaceful Tuna Point, with just this cabin with the tractor tire dock overlooking us. It seems unoccupied (by the living anyway), but I swear the door wasn’t cracked open when we pulled in the night before. We’ve been choosing anchorages by pure convenience—whatever’s a quick stop from our route, in and out—but you just can’t mess up the scenery here. Nearly every place we’ve stopped has rivaled or surpassed even the most beautiful anchorages in the San Juans. I prepared some some machaca tacos while under way, always a good way to start the day. This day was all motoring, save an ill-fated attempt to fly the spinnaker, which filled up perfectly for about 30 seconds, before the wind decided to stop completely. Tim helmed the entire time, while I went below to get more work done. We arrived at our next anchorage, a gorgeous, tiny channel between north Pearse Island and its neighbor, by around 3pm. Finished work, ate, and enjoyed the warm evening out on the deck drinking a cockpit cocktail, and watching the jellyfish drift by in the current.
Day 6: About 45 nautical miles, all by motor, from Pearse Island to Bull Harbor on Hope Island—the northeastern tip of Vancouver Island. Largely uneventful day, with a stop in Port McNeill to top off our fuel tank, just in case, fir the long stretch ahead. I stayed down below, working, until out cell antenna could no longer reach the last vestiges of service. We saw out very first sea otter from the boat (up until this far north, it’s only been river otters, and sea otters definitely win the cute contest). Once we anchored, we started prepping the boat for the next leg — a 2–3 day nonstop passage up the open waters of Queens Charlotte Sound, straight to Ketchikan. Because we’re suckers for punishment, still want to get there fast, and we’d rather sail than motor. A new friend gave me a stash of her Stugeron seasickness pills, which I’ll be taking religiously, even if I don’t think I’m about to get seasick.
