Our Travels Up To The Codero Islands
On Friday (May 10th) we were up early to catch the tide, and to time the slack current at Hole In the Wall passage. We headed out and enjoyed a beautiful morning. We saw a pod of Orca whales and later some Dolphins. Hole In the Wall passage was uneventful since we were there at slack tide, although there was definitely still some upwellings and turbulence.
We then motored to the Octopus Islands off the northern part of Quadra Island, and anchored at the head of Waiatt Bay. We had the whole area to ourselves!
Since we had gotten an early morning start we were anchored well before noon, and so we made some lunch before heading out to do a hike. It was a beautiful, hot sunny day, about 25 degrees and no wind. We hiked across to an inlet on the other side of the island called Small Inlet, and saw a family of geese. We then went up a beautiful trail through the forest, past a lovely little stream where we also saw a frog, and then up to Newton Lake. We headed to the only part of the lake that seemed to have a rocky spot for swimming. From up on top of the rock we could look out over the whole lake and down into the crystal clear water. From there we saw a loon, a fish swimming, and a snake cruising along the surface. We climbed down an area of the rock to a semi-flat spot that was perfect for swimming. The water was so refreshing!! It was so nice to have a full fresh-water bath. The day before we had been swimming off our swim grid in Von Donop Inlet, but the clear fresh water lake was a treat, and we had come prepared with soap.
On Saturday (May 11th) we headed out kayaking amongst the islands. It was a day filled with seeing life. First it was a cute little deer who came out on shore and walked along to get to a new grassy feeding area. Then we saw a raccoon feeding along the shore of an island across the way. We paddled closer, and even though he saw us he went right on feeding. He was feeling in the rocky holes, since it was low tide, and finding crabs that he was crunching away on. Very cute to watch. Then we saw a martin also feeding along the shore. Through the day we saw a couple more martins, and lots more raccoons. As we paddled around one part of an outer island we found a large area of kelp and lots of large sea urchins. The water was quite clear so we could easily see their brilliant red and purple colours. We also saw many rock crabs in the many shallow areas we explored.
On Sunday (May 12th) we spent the day passage-planning for our upcoming rapid areas and course. We ran our water maker for the first time of the trip. We successfully made fresh drinking water out of salt water. Yay. We had a yummy dinner of clams and prawns!! We have been eating lots of clams since both Von Donop and Waiatt Bay had lots of muddy clam shallows and no shellfish closures.
On Monday (May 13th) we had a relaxing morning before pulling up anchor around 11:30. Our day's trip was timed based on the slack current times of three different rapid areas. In order to get to Okis Islands' lower rapids, which is supposed to be the worst of the two in that area, we had to go through the upper rapids' channel before slack. There was definitely some turbulence, even though it was only ten minutes before slack, but nothing that was an issue. Since the current was changing to an ebb we got a good push out of the channel and into Discovery Passage. We headed to Otter Cove to anchor for a couple of hours to wait for our next slack timing. On the way into the cove we saw a pod of dolphins super close. They are so cute!!
When we pulled up anchor again we headed into Johnstone Strait. Since the current was still ebbing we got a great push, and actually had to throttle way back (close to idle) to not be going more than 7 knots. We did not want to go too quickly or we would get to the rapid area before slack tide. We saw more dolphins and a couple porpoises in the distance. When we got to Ripple Point and turned up into Blind Channel we were fighting the current, so we were able to lose some time and get to Blind Channel rapids for slack tide. We them came into the Cordero Islands and anchored. The water was so clear that we could see our anchor set on the bottom, and even read the name on it through 25' of water.
Although it was already after 7:00 p.m. it was such a beautiful evening that we got our tender ready with fishing stuff and our traps, and headed out. We dropped our crab trap on the outside of one of the Cordero Islands that we had anchored inside of. We were surprised at how much the current pulled on the buoy. It made the buoy leave a v trail in the water as though it was moving. We headed across the channel to deeper water on the other side to drop the prawn trap. We set it out with two buoys. As we were floating there deciding on where to fish we suddenly noticed our buoys being pulled under water. Seconds later when we got to them they were already too deep to reach but since the water was so clear we were able to watch them go down, down, down, stretched out tight on the line. Oh no!!!!! Have we lost a prawn trap, weighted line, and buoys already? Our only hope was to go back at slack the next morning and look. We suddenly thought about our poor crab trap and zipped back across the channel. We arrived just in time as it was also stretched out so tight on its leash to the bottom that it was being pulled under. We pulled it up and moved it inside Cordero Islands where there was much, much less current. Phew! That was close. Lesson learned!! We did some drift fishing and had fresh fish for dinner. Yum.
Tuesday (May 14th) we had set an alarm for the morning to make sure that we were up and ready to be out hunting for our prawn trap at slack current. We filled up our gas can just in case it became a long search and we zipped across to start looking. We arrived where it "should" have been and there was nothing. :(
Out came the binoculars and luckily there was a tree branch in the distance that caught Jason's eye and when he looked at it he caught something farther in the distance that was small and white. We zipped over to check it out and low and behold it was our buoy still being pulled, but just at the surface, just enough to have broken the surface to catch Jason's eye. We scooped it up and happily pulled up our trap. Our second red buoy had been crushed. It is amazing to think what depth those buoys were pulled to that crushed the weaker of the two. We were very lucky! It was raining so we stayed out fishing until we were cold, and then came back and got a fire going and enjoyed the heat and dry and the sounds of the fire and rain. Later in the day we washed our boat and tender in the rain letting the rain do the rinsing. It was good to get all the salt off.
Today, Wednesday (May 15th) we took the tender and went exploring. We saw a large current-formed whirlpool, and found a bay full of sand and eel grass. We could clearly see Dungeness crabs on the bottom, so we dropped our crab trap there. We saw a massive crab, the biggest I have ever seen, so we are hoping to catch some good ones. While exploring we came over to a small resort that had wifi so I was able to send this update. We did some hikes in the forest here as well, and saw some massive old growth cedar trees, one was more than 800 years old! It was a beautiful sunny.
We then motored to the Octopus Islands off the northern part of Quadra Island, and anchored at the head of Waiatt Bay. We had the whole area to ourselves!
Since we had gotten an early morning start we were anchored well before noon, and so we made some lunch before heading out to do a hike. It was a beautiful, hot sunny day, about 25 degrees and no wind. We hiked across to an inlet on the other side of the island called Small Inlet, and saw a family of geese. We then went up a beautiful trail through the forest, past a lovely little stream where we also saw a frog, and then up to Newton Lake. We headed to the only part of the lake that seemed to have a rocky spot for swimming. From up on top of the rock we could look out over the whole lake and down into the crystal clear water. From there we saw a loon, a fish swimming, and a snake cruising along the surface. We climbed down an area of the rock to a semi-flat spot that was perfect for swimming. The water was so refreshing!! It was so nice to have a full fresh-water bath. The day before we had been swimming off our swim grid in Von Donop Inlet, but the clear fresh water lake was a treat, and we had come prepared with soap.
The view of Newton Lake from the rocky bluff.
On Saturday (May 11th) we headed out kayaking amongst the islands. It was a day filled with seeing life. First it was a cute little deer who came out on shore and walked along to get to a new grassy feeding area. Then we saw a raccoon feeding along the shore of an island across the way. We paddled closer, and even though he saw us he went right on feeding. He was feeling in the rocky holes, since it was low tide, and finding crabs that he was crunching away on. Very cute to watch. Then we saw a martin also feeding along the shore. Through the day we saw a couple more martins, and lots more raccoons. As we paddled around one part of an outer island we found a large area of kelp and lots of large sea urchins. The water was quite clear so we could easily see their brilliant red and purple colours. We also saw many rock crabs in the many shallow areas we explored.
On Sunday (May 12th) we spent the day passage-planning for our upcoming rapid areas and course. We ran our water maker for the first time of the trip. We successfully made fresh drinking water out of salt water. Yay. We had a yummy dinner of clams and prawns!! We have been eating lots of clams since both Von Donop and Waiatt Bay had lots of muddy clam shallows and no shellfish closures.
Taking a run in the tender to check out the passage and rapids that we were going to go through.
On Monday (May 13th) we had a relaxing morning before pulling up anchor around 11:30. Our day's trip was timed based on the slack current times of three different rapid areas. In order to get to Okis Islands' lower rapids, which is supposed to be the worst of the two in that area, we had to go through the upper rapids' channel before slack. There was definitely some turbulence, even though it was only ten minutes before slack, but nothing that was an issue. Since the current was changing to an ebb we got a good push out of the channel and into Discovery Passage. We headed to Otter Cove to anchor for a couple of hours to wait for our next slack timing. On the way into the cove we saw a pod of dolphins super close. They are so cute!!
When we pulled up anchor again we headed into Johnstone Strait. Since the current was still ebbing we got a great push, and actually had to throttle way back (close to idle) to not be going more than 7 knots. We did not want to go too quickly or we would get to the rapid area before slack tide. We saw more dolphins and a couple porpoises in the distance. When we got to Ripple Point and turned up into Blind Channel we were fighting the current, so we were able to lose some time and get to Blind Channel rapids for slack tide. We them came into the Cordero Islands and anchored. The water was so clear that we could see our anchor set on the bottom, and even read the name on it through 25' of water.
Our anchorage at the Codero Islands.
Although it was already after 7:00 p.m. it was such a beautiful evening that we got our tender ready with fishing stuff and our traps, and headed out. We dropped our crab trap on the outside of one of the Cordero Islands that we had anchored inside of. We were surprised at how much the current pulled on the buoy. It made the buoy leave a v trail in the water as though it was moving. We headed across the channel to deeper water on the other side to drop the prawn trap. We set it out with two buoys. As we were floating there deciding on where to fish we suddenly noticed our buoys being pulled under water. Seconds later when we got to them they were already too deep to reach but since the water was so clear we were able to watch them go down, down, down, stretched out tight on the line. Oh no!!!!! Have we lost a prawn trap, weighted line, and buoys already? Our only hope was to go back at slack the next morning and look. We suddenly thought about our poor crab trap and zipped back across the channel. We arrived just in time as it was also stretched out so tight on its leash to the bottom that it was being pulled under. We pulled it up and moved it inside Cordero Islands where there was much, much less current. Phew! That was close. Lesson learned!! We did some drift fishing and had fresh fish for dinner. Yum.
Evening view from our anchorage.
Out came the binoculars and luckily there was a tree branch in the distance that caught Jason's eye and when he looked at it he caught something farther in the distance that was small and white. We zipped over to check it out and low and behold it was our buoy still being pulled, but just at the surface, just enough to have broken the surface to catch Jason's eye. We scooped it up and happily pulled up our trap. Our second red buoy had been crushed. It is amazing to think what depth those buoys were pulled to that crushed the weaker of the two. We were very lucky! It was raining so we stayed out fishing until we were cold, and then came back and got a fire going and enjoyed the heat and dry and the sounds of the fire and rain. Later in the day we washed our boat and tender in the rain letting the rain do the rinsing. It was good to get all the salt off.
Today, Wednesday (May 15th) we took the tender and went exploring. We saw a large current-formed whirlpool, and found a bay full of sand and eel grass. We could clearly see Dungeness crabs on the bottom, so we dropped our crab trap there. We saw a massive crab, the biggest I have ever seen, so we are hoping to catch some good ones. While exploring we came over to a small resort that had wifi so I was able to send this update. We did some hikes in the forest here as well, and saw some massive old growth cedar trees, one was more than 800 years old! It was a beautiful sunny.
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