Ketchikan, AK to Prince Rupert, Bishop Bay, Shearwater & Port McNeill, B.C., Canada (448NM)

July 28, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

Leaving Ketchikan for Prince Rupert on a sunny day. Crossing Dixon Entrance and the Main Channel with just a bit of chop and a little confused water - bumpy, but the boat can handle it and the Captain is great with the throttle. We are back in Canada and will continue to make our journey Southward over the next few weeks.

Splashing through the Main Channel toward the Dixon Entrance Southbound toward Prince Rupert

Green Island Lighthouse off of Dundas Island

Taking the shortcut to Prince Rupert…glad our transducer is working and our chart plotter…shallow and tricky at times.

The Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club. Perhaps Cow Bay would have been better…this marina is VERY unprotected, especially by the fuel dock.

Great food at Smiles Cafe. The owner, Mai, is an amazing women who came to Canada in a tiny boat from Vietnam when she was 20. She has worked and then owned this restaurant with her husband for over 40 years. They are now, sadly, selling…but we are excited for the next phase of their lives.

In the Grenville Channel, near the South end of Pitt Island, we come across four or so feeding Humpback Whales. It was amazing to sit and watch them dive/feed over and over again. I will be putting video of this and other whale encounters on Instagram -independenceii_lifeproof - soon.

We spend a night at the tiny and busy dock at Bishop Bay. The locals have done a great job of collecting the hot water from the hot springs above. The local fisherman come in and hang out and drink beer and leave a lure with their boat name on it. Thank goodness for the fast flow of water in the pool that allows it to clears quickly. We also were in early before I saw all the patrons parade by later in the evening…enough said…

Sunrise behind us as we head to Shearwater

Dramatic looking weather ahead, but it turns our to just be fog and rain.

We were so fortunate to come upon a young (small) Humpback Whale bubble feeding. You can see the ring he is blowing below the water to corral the fish or krill. I did not get a still of him coming up but I will put the video on Instagram - independenceii_lifeproof

Shearwater looking fine with its cool new seaplane weathervane. Larry has been looking at the weather forecasts for transiting Cape Caution (open ocean area on the way to Port McNeill) and he really nailed our schedule. We only have to be in Shearwater one night as we have a weather ‘GO’ for tomorrow!

Look how calm it is around Cape Caution! You would have no idea that we are in the open ocean and no longer protected by the Inside Passage.

Four hours from Shearwater to Point McNeill. The conditions were great but the debris in the water is truly frightening…be careful out there my fellow cruisers. We are met at the Port McNeill fuel dock by this sweet crew member…love how the paws fit perfectly over the rail.

Happy to see the Big Burl is getting a new home after the 2023 fire that charred the stately burl. Evidently, the fire was started by some ‘mensa candidate’ extinguishing their cigarette on the burl.

Around Revillagigedo, AK (218NM)

July 24, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

With the Starboard engine now working we head out on our week delayed trip around Revillagigedo (ru-VIL-uh-gi-GAY-doh) island (named by Captain George Vancouver in 1793 after a Count who was the Viceroy of New Spain, now Mexico). We feel fortunate to start out on a nice day that turns slightly cloudy as we enter Misty Fjords National Monument (what do you expect?) and then turns breathtakingly gorgeous for the rest of the first day and the remainder of our trip around the island.

Yahoo! Back at it. We had to wait an extra week, but look at this amazing weather.

Off the East side of the Behm Canal at Rudyerd Bay, Misty Fjords

Harbor Seals waiting for the salmon to swim upstream

Back up Behm Canal to Walker Cove where we tie up to a buoy for the night

This little Grizzly (they call them Brown Bears here) was digging for shellfish on the beach. We had the best time watching him, through our binoculars, feeding and then taking a dip in the water to cool off.

A little kayak ride to shore to fly the drone (pics to come at a later date)

What a glorious place to spend the evening

The quiet was only disturbed by a rock slide…the rumble and echoing around the valley was amazing. This is the newly exposed rock face.

Larry took this picture in Walker Cove, Misty Fjords the following morning

Heading out of Walker Cove back to the Behm Canal

With all the inflows of fresh water from different sources the color of the Behm Canal continually changes.

After checking out the northernmost area of Burroughs Bay, we head through Behm Narrows and South down the West side of the island to Traitors Cove. This seaplane dock at Margaret Bay also has overnight moorage, so we stayed here for the night.

We take a hike to Margaret Creek Wildlife Observation Site in the Tongass National Forest. No bears to be seen from their odd platform but we know, for obvious reasons (lower right), that they are around.

Sunset at Margaret Bay, our last night in Misty Fjords

Back in Ketchikan, the Salmon have started to come up the creek. As salmon near the mouths of their home streams, they use their navigational senses to pick up temperature changes, the flow of the water and the combination of smells from distinct watersheds etched into their genetic codes. Their senses of smell are thousands of times more acute than those of dogs. A salmon can probably detect one part per trillion by smell, or in martini equivalents, roughly one drop of vermouth in 500,000 barrels of vodka! (general info from a plaque on the River Walk)

Of course, they have yet one more challenge before spawning…making it past the fly fisherman

This Sockeye Salmon has morphed into the “Spawner” stage. Moving from salt to fresh water, they change for this last phase of their lives. This includes larger sharper teeth for combating rivals in the spawning beds. This fish was released back into the creek after its’ photo session.

Really love the Northwest Coast Indigenous formline design of the Haida and Tlingit art. These sign posts are used to indicate the Salmon Walk Trail.

Bon voyage cruise ships! We will not miss you - hulking beasts, belching tourists.

But, we will miss our furry friends from the Thomas Basin Marina. Bluto loves Larry and I think Jaguar was rather fond of me..

Captain's Post #26 - Engine Failure!!! Mx Hold

July 22, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

By Larry McCullough

Fifty miles to the destination, on one engine, in bad weather conditions?!? That is not good…

I was reading a story in the Wall Street Journal recently and it was about a entrepreneur who was selling some houses in California. He was counting on some new billionaire to buy his multi million dollar houses with their newly printed money from selling stock. The gentleman said, in reference to buying and renovating houses - it’s like buying a yacht…the first year is spent finding the problems and fixing them. Well, I am hoping it doesn’t take a year.

The weather forecast for leaving Wrangell was calling for the waves to build in the late morning to an uncomfortable chop in the open waters in Ernest Sound and Clarence Strait on the approach to Ketchikan. Keith and Chris were probably thinking I was being overly cautious about the conditions until the night before when we were at a local pub and some people were talking about the water conditions, “You wouldn’t have wanted to be out there then”. This made me feel better.

Back to the problems. When there is a bit of a chop, I must say, this boat eats it up. For a 35 foot boat , it weighs a lot, 18,000 pounds. Here in Ketchikan I have had conversations with a captain that has been taking people on his boat, a 30 footer, and he says it weighs 8,000 pounds. Life Proof builds boats for the Coast Guard and military therefore they have to be able to take a beating and handle the waves. BUT, you have to be moving. With about 48 miles into our 98 mile cruise to Ketchikan from Wrangell an alarm went off, “STBD Engine, Steering is limited…blah blah blah”. This is not good, the voltage on the starboard engine is dropping, I quickly learn that when it goes below 10.9 volts the engine shuts down. When the engine shuts down the other engine gets very grumpy and worries that the lower units might touch each other (on these outboard engines the entire motor does not move, just the lower unit, that is how it steers and allows the motors to be mounted very close to each other). When this happens I need to raise the troubled engine out of the water and then the other engine will respond, but it didn’t respond and the boat was starting to wallow in the water. I was only able to get the boat going at a maximum speed of 8 mph, distance 49.7 with the seas worsening, not good, over 6 hours at this speed to Ketchikan - did Chris take his Ginger pills this morning?!?

One of my options on the Garmin engine screens shows the electrical gauges for the boat. I turn that on and I think…what if I hit the parallel switch, which ties all the batteries together? I call the project manager of the build of our boat at Life Proof and leave a message describing what happened and hang up. He texted me back (the younger generation!), and tells me to trim/raise the starboard engine upwards. He also tells me I can parallel the batteries, I contemplate the instructions and realize I don’t want to puke while digging around to find the switches he is referring to. I reboot the electronics and hit the parallel switch that is next to the helm and I learn quickly, for safety reasons, I will have to do this about every four minutes on our way back to Ketchikan. All the batteries are not connected together, so that in case you are anchored and you use all your “house” batteries, you can start the boat in the morning as the engine batteries are separate.

I am able to get the boat going and we are flying across the top of the chop at between 35 and 40 mph, we can beat the incoming weather I am thinking. I am also getting my squats in as I have to bend down and hit the “parallel” switch every 4 minutes. I am also noticing that the house batteries and the port engine batteries are being drawn down, this can not go on for a long time.

We make it into the Ketchikan marina before the afternoon winds make the conditions worse, which therefore did not make Chris’s condition worse. Plug the boat into shore-power and off to show them the town.

The next morning I am texting again with the Life Proof project manager and he is trying to guide me through various ways of finding the problem using my volt meter, testing many, but not all, (remember that for later) fuses. I did find one fuse that was related to the engine that was blown but I learn later that was not the problem. I turn on the motor and it looks fine, 14.1 volts, I fixed it! Nope…

The boys leave and the Admiral, Jamie, returns. We had read and heard about what a beautiful cruise it is around the island, Revillagigedo, that Ketchikan is on. The Misty Fjord National Wilderness is part of this beautiful area. We decide we are going to do the trip over several days, we untie the lines and start our latest journey. We don’t get far, the voltage on the starboard motor starts to drop just like before. I later learn that the reason why it was higher when I tested it earlier was because the boat was plugged into shore-power and the battery charger was keeping the volts up.

Big problems call for big (and NYC priced) donuts!

Back to the dock and another plea to Life Proof. The next morning was Monday, Jamie and I walked the short distance to the local Mercury dealer, BUT FIRST, Jamie had the great idea to get donuts. We show up with 2 boxes of donuts from Jellyfish Donuts (they even have a maple bacon donut which we included) and were greeted with smiles and laughter but more importantly a promise that a tech would show up later in the day to check things out. The CEO from Life Proof calls me, just after the donut delivery, and on the line is there tech guy who is planning on flying to Ketchikan later in the day with a new alternator but first, they walk me through checking the electrical components that are connected to the motor but not attached to it, like the Project Manager did. With some additional phone calls it was thought best to see what the local Mercury tech comes up with. At 6 pm the tech shows up and determines that the alternator is not putting out power, needs a new one.

Boat yoga, AKA boat maintenance, never easy for tall guys. Checking the electrical that runs to the engines.

Mercury jumps on it and a new one is “overnighted”, which means up here a two day delivery. Thursday the alternator is delivered for a Friday installation. Jamie and I start making plans to get cruising again. The tech arrives, takes off the top cover of the engine and then what is called the “cowling”, the lower cover that goes around the engine that requires several bolts to removed with an extension. The cowling weighs about 40 pounds. The alternator is installed and it is still showing that it is not putting out volts!!! I asked, did you check the fuses? “They look fine” was the reply. These fuses are only accessible with the cowling off and are behind a plastic cover. The tech puts the cover back on and goes back to his shop.

Day one of attempting to isolate the problem with the engine

At this point, all signs point to the alternator

I have more texts with Life Proof and I am questioned, did he test the fuse. I didn’t know, he said they looked fine. I called him later and he said he did not test them. Jamie and I are getting a bit stir crazy, Ketchikan is a great little town but we have had enough, how long are we going to be stuck here? As a reminder, this is the same place the inverter stopped working.

I (Jamie) am picking out my plot at the local cemetery….as it looks like I will die in Ketchikan before the boat gets fixed!!!

I show up at the Mercury dealers shop at their opening at 9:00AM on Saturday, hoping the tech would come or I was going to attempt to take the cowling off and test the fuses myself. He said he would be at the boat at 11:30AM. He shows up, pulls the cowling, “tests” the fuse with a voltmeter and sure enough it was blown. The alternator was fine all along. We are off to Misty Fjords to one of the most beautiful spots on our entire trip the next day.

This blown fuse was the problem the whole time!!!

Success!!! Maintaining 14 volts at the alternator with shore power off. We are out of here!!!

Captain's Post #25 - No Girls Allowed...(523NM)

July 13, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

By Larry McCullough (and photos too)

Jamie is back on the boat and life can get back to normal and I can try to get healthy again. Jamie left to go home for her Mom’s 96th birthday on July 3rd, Happy Birthday Betty! That meant that I needed some crew to help with the boat as Independence II was scheduled for Juneau to Skagway, back to Juneau, south to Petersburg, Le Conte Glacier, Wrangell and finally Ketchikan.

Maybe it was because Jamie left but the weather got gloomy, the sun literally did not return until the evening Jame flew into Ketchikan. Two of my Mountain Biking friends flew up to take Jamie’s spot, yes it takes two to replace Jamie. Keith and I have been friends since High School and Chris and I met on a scuba diving trip to Honduras in the early 90s (that is when I bought the map of the Bay Islands that was mentioned in the Honduras post). They replaced Jamie for about 10 days, there was two of them but it seemed like the drinking was a lot more than twice as much. I am getting old!

As mentioned, the weather sucked. Our schedules had to change to avoid large seas due to the wind. It is a long haul from Skagway to Juneau, not surprisingly it is about the same distance as Juneau to Skagway, but the weather can make things so much worse. The wind gets funneled in through the long straightaway called the Lynn Canal, around 70 miles. Going to Skagway we had the wind and waves at our stern which made for a very tolerable ride, BUT, as they say what goes up must come down. Did I ever mention that boating can be stressful? All I could think was, we are going to get hammered if we have to go back to Juneau in these conditions. We had two days in Skagway and luckily, thankfully, the wind and seas calmed down for our return. I had the boys up and ready at 6:00 AM and we had some nice conditions with some clearing that showed some spectacular vistas.

A bit about Skagway, a fun town where the streets become deserted once the cruise ships leave. A must, and I repeat a must, is the train ride to the White Pass Summit, a bit pricey at $150 but well worth it and beats walking. The views were magnificent and the narrator gave very good descriptions of the work involved to build the line and you actually get glimpses of the trail that the gold prospectors used. Not only did they have to climb the 3,000 feet to the summit, but once there, they had another 500 miles to go to find the gold. Did I mention that each prospector had to bring with them 1 ton of supplies or they would not be allowed to pass! We are such wimps these days.

Speaking of wimps, I was starting to feel like one with all the hydrating that was taking place (never while driving the boat). In Skagway we went into the Skagway Brewing Company for a manly beer and were greeted by the maître d “that it might be a little noisy tonight, it is Tranny Bingo Night”! No, that has nothing to do with the train ride we took up the White Pass Summit, it has to do with transvestites playing bingo who sometimes get very excited. No matter where you go you can always find a little bit of home (being a 5th generation San Franciscan). We had a couple of Spruce Tip beers, literally made fresh from the tips of new Spruce trees and dinner there, I remember both were pretty good but I can’t remember what the food was. I do remember that when I hear the word bingo it will never be the same. After dinner it was off to the local’s bar, The Happy Ending Bar, and I kid you not, inside the Morning Wood Hotel, how could we possibly miss that! They had some big screen TV’s and much to my surprise, again, a bit of home, a PBS station looping the guy that shows you how to paint, Rob Ross, I must say a bit addicting. This turned into our bigger night in Skagway because I did not want to wake up with the Irish flu and pound into the waves to make it back to Juneau.

The next day was taking it easy and walking up to the town cemetery and the beautiful waterfall behind it and visiting the National Park Service Museum and the town’s museum. A quiet day was appreciated because of the following day’s schedule which started a bit earlier than planned. Having three old men on the boat meant the head was being used frequently throughout the night. The urge struck Chris at 3:45 and with the sun starting to shine and me misreading my watch, I thought great, let’s get going. Which we did within an hour. I am glad we did because we got going before the winds picked up, although we did have a several mile run where the incoming wind mixed with an outgoing tide creating some significant chop.

We arrived in downtown Juneau Haris Harbor around 10:00 AM, 116 miles. The parade was going on but all I wanted to see was the back of my eyelids. More bars, more rain, but one real nice guy who gave us about a 2lb chunk of fresh salmon. For the most part, people in Alaska have been great, one day crabs another salmon.

I am stressing again, more bad weather. I wake the crew up early again when I get a fresh weather report early in the morning, bad weather a day early, can not take the chance of getting hammered on the 127 miles to Petersburg. I am getting it hammered into my head that saying you are going to be in a certain place on a certain day can not be done, so we get there a day early and the boys don’t get to see Mendenhall Glacier and more bars.

More bad weather on the horizon, I just want to get to Ketchikan. I had told the crew we were going to the Le Conte Glacier, I now am telling them we can’t because of the weather. I see the disappointment and decide to go to Le Conte on the way to Wrangell, which worked out great. At Le Conte there are some Jet Skiers, about 8, I yell over to them how about you take a picture of us and we will get one of your group. Dominic, a great guy who happens to be the guide, comes over and I get his phone number and text him shots and he does the same.

A night in Wrangell then another 98 miles to Ketchikan. On the way, 49.7 miles from Ketchikan, a warning appears on the engine screen at the helm, “Critical Fault, return to dealer immediately”. Oh shit. Stay tuned.

The Skagway train to the summit…a must, incredible views!

The scenery between Skagway and Juneau….

Keith and Chris needed to get warm again

LeConte Glacier (picture taken by jet skiers on their was to Juneau)

“An ancient Tlingit rock carving located at Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site. 3,000 - 8,000 years old - making them some of the oldest surviving indigenous artwork in Southeast Alaska. This design is of a stylized human or community face, a prominent motif found among the 40+ carvings scattered across the shoreline.” info from Google

The last contestant to finish the R2AK (Race to Alaska) arrives in Ketchikan. Nathaniel Greene was the last to cross the finish line on July 8th, 2026, with a time of 21 days, 6 hours and 22 minutes. The race starts at Port Townsend and finishes at Ketchikan (750 miles). r2ak.com

Glacier Bay to Hoonah, AK (77NM)

July 13, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

After our amazing morning watching the wildlife on South Marble Island we departed Glacier Bay for a speedy little cruise across to Hoonah. Hoonah is a sleepy little Tlingit town on Chichagof Island in the Inside Passage. Thankfully the cruise ship terminal is about a mile from town and the world’s longest zip line and other attractions generally keeps the tourist in that area leaving the local dive bars to Larry and me.

The Tlingit Cemetery at the breakwater arm of Hoonah

Seriously?!? Of all the boats….it couldn’t have been a yacht in South of France?

An impressive veterans memorial in the center of this tiny town

Ketchikan to Glacier Bay, AK - via Wrangell, Petersburg & Juneau (561NM)

June 30, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

We are very happy to report that we successfully made the journey to Glacier Bay! A life-long dream come true…to travel to Glacier Bay National Park aboard our own boat. This journey was made even more memorable, as we were joined by our friends from the Bay Area, Michelle and Paul Mourani. They met us in Ketchikan and we had a great time being their water-taxi to Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau and Glacier Bay. They brought us fabulous weather, which made our time on the water with them very enjoyable. Hopefully, the images below will help tell the story of our time together…

Paul and Michelle walking up the boardwalk to the Eagle’s Nest at Cape Fox Lodge, Ketchikan

A beer with a view from the Eagle’s Nest

It may be second growth (all of Ketchikan has been logged) but it is still very dramatic

Rhonda Green’s sculpture on the Ketchikan Schoenbar Trail, titled “Yaakw Haash át wulihaash a d’ein Óoxjaa/Canoe Drifting in the Wind”

Corey (and Lexus) at the Totem Bar introduce us to a new black cherry brand for MIchelle’s Old Fashions

Stan Honeys’ dog, Scout, finds a nice spot to curl up while we have cocktails on the back deck of Independence II

Wrangell, AK

An aerial view of Wrangell gives you an idea of the effect of the Glacier melt on the surrounding waters

Petersburg, AK

Winding through The Narrows on our way towards Petersburg

Petersburg (on our starboard side) will have to wait…

…until we see the LeConte Glacier and its’icebergs

The Captain inspecting an iceberg at close range

The view from a Life Proof cabin is spectacular with all of it’s skylights

The LeConte Glacier (according to Google) is the southernmost tidewater glacier (meaning it’s terminus meets the sea) in North America. It flows from the Stikine Icefield into LeConte Bay and is approximately 21 miles long and 1 mile wide.

Perfect LeConte glacial cocktails…(secret ingredients; a dash of ancient bacteria and a splash of heavy metals)

The sun trying to set over Petersburg North Harbor

Juneau, AK

Aurora Harbor in Juneau has beautiful new docks that still smell of fresh pressure treated lumber…however they only have one toilet and one shower for the thousands of boats they have at their harbor(s).

Mendenhall Glacier, a short cab ride from the harbor

Robert Mills a Tlingit artist created this 20 foot aluminum sculpture titled Yaadachoon and represents a Tlingit canoe along the seawalk at Overstreet Park

The Totem Pole Trail on the Juneau waterfront will eventually have 30 totem poles all carved from red cedar trees

Tahku, the Alaska Whale Sculpture of a life-scale bronze Humpback Whale breaching, commemorates the 50th anniversary of Alaska Statehood 1959 - 2009. Sculptor & Designer R.T. Wallen

The monsters are still out there. It seems like 3 at all times in Juneau harbor.

Bittersweet…such a nice time at The Juneau Yacht Club with Commodore Chris Roust and his wife Gail (and granddaughter Ada) but having lost our very good friend Wyman Harris that day was heartbreaking. We made sure to dedicate this SFYC flag in his name and in his honor, as we do not know two people more in love with Alaska then Gay and Wyman Harris, who spent 11 summers cruising these waterways. Thank you Michelle for arranging such a memorable night at JYC.

The Juneau Yacht Club was so fabulous we had to get their burgee to fly on our boat. Commodore Chris Roust let me know that bears on Admiralty Island (across the river) share DNA with polar bears…justifying their mascot!

Glacier Bay National Park, AK

Hard to believe this clear day would become so foggy that we had to activate our fog horn and use our radar to get into Bartlett Cove, Glacier Bay

The happy Captain and crew made it to Glacier Bay!!!

We sadly part from Paul and Michelle, as they will stay at the lodge while we anchor out for the next few nights. They have an all day excursion on the Bearnoff Winds boat tour tomorrow and then fly home.

We complete our mandatory 3 hour orientation (for private boaters) in just an hour. Yipee! Now we are free to enjoy our park.

The first day in the park was lovely weather after the fog. We anchored at Berg Bay later in the afternoon and the the wind picked up in the evening and rain set in for our second day

Second day arrives a bit moody on Glacier Bay. Heading up the Tarr Inlet.

Dramatic icebergs that have been around awhile and show their wear

Glacier Bay may feel remote but you are never really alone

Black bears joined us for happy hour, munching seafood from the shoreline

Larry BBQs Ahi at our second anchorage in North Sandy Cove…good thing those bears where a long way off

Our third day is amazing as we have better weather and spend hours taking photos of the wild life around South Marble Island. The Steller sea lions are the largest of the eared seals - males can weigh over 2,500 pounds. Puffins the foreground.

A young Humpback whale feeding on the back side of South Marble Island. He has a seal behind him scooping up his scraps.

Time to check out of Glacier Bay - we radio in our departure on KWM20 as we exit Icy Strait

We're Back...

June 20, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

Back in Ketchikan and making ready for our friends to visit. We will take them from Ketchikan to Glacier Bay (via Wrangell, Petersburg and Juneau). We are just a water taxi for them, as they will be staying at hotels in each location. It is a pretty agressive schedule and hopefully we can make the, approximately, 350 NM by Friday the 26th. That is the date of our reservation at Bartlett Cove for the mandatory Glacier Bay orientation for independent boaters (and backcountry campers). These sessions last three hours and cover park rules, wildlife regulations, weather safety and low-impact practices (leave no trace). So, wish us good luck and enjoy some random pics from Ketchikan.

Keep your fingers crossed…a lot of miles to go in a short period of time

The little car ferry takes you to and from the airport

The little ferry is dwarfed by the passing cruise ship

The parade of cruise ships is endless. Views from our marina Bar Harbor North.

How you work on your boat in Alaska…wait for the low tide…

Bill (Benson’s Dad) and Larry chat about the listing issue on the JOMA. She took on too much water to clean out her fish hold and started to heal over pretty badly.

The Tlingit Sun Raven Totem Pole in Saxman Totem Park, carved by Israel Shotridge

Our new marina at Ketchikan…can you spot the boat?

Captain's Post #24 - The Other Woman

June 18, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

By Larry McCullough

Yes, the other woman! Since Jamie is the editor you can probably guess that she approved of this post, or at least put up with it like she puts up with me. Boats are always referred to as females, thus the other woman. Like all relationships, not just with woman, things are not perfect all the time. There is a give and a take, you let things slide a bit and when you wake up in the morning, you try not to dwell on the negative. The main thing is you try to workout the problem and move on, not that Jamie and I have ever had any problems.

Such is the relationship with a boat. You think human relationships are tough, nothing compared to a boat. With the human you can just try to forget about it and move on, not with a boat, for some reason a boat problem hangs on. Yes, you are probably guessing correctly that we are having some problems with the boat. As I brought them to the attention of Life Proof I started off the email “This is not a bitch session, I realize that bringing a thousand (or more) piece puzzle together, and turning them into a boat, is going to have some problems”. I meant that. But as in a relationship with a real woman, as opposed to a boat, it is what happens next, how is the other woman reacting, or in this case specifically how is the manufacturer reacting.

I must say Life Proof has been very responsive to our problems. Most recently, as Jamie has previously posted, we are in Ketchikan Alaska and I am very glad that we are here now. The first morning here I got up around 5:00AM as usual and hit the coffee maker button. The pot brewed then shortly after the 120 electrical power went out! I tried diagnosing the problem, checking connections, the electrical panel: input output. Panic starts to set in, the coffee has been brewed, but with the power off it will quickly get cold in the 50 degree temperature of the boat…and then Jamie will get up without a hot cup (not really a cup, 16 ounces x 2) and there will be hell to pay. What do I do, I can’t figure out the problem, leave a note and go hide, put out an extra biscotti and hope that calms her down! I man up, and try to solve the problem…beyond my pay grade.

I email Life Proof with the Subject Line “Inverter Problem”, to distinguish from our other topics, more on that later. Within a few minutes, as I am typing up another email with all of the symptoms and diagnostic items I have done, my phone rings and it is Michael the project manager for the boat. I had emailed him and the CEO Micah (who we had originated our deal with at Life Proof). Michael gave me some ideas, I tried them or said I had already tried them. Micah, the CEO, emailed me pictures of the inverter that had the reset button circled along with another switch circled, I had already tried that! I mentioned that we could not go further north without the inverter working, they knew that.

The next morning I receive an email from Michael and he has arranged for a local company to handle a service call. Great, I am relieved, no date is discussed, no name of a company. As I mentioned, we were in Ketchikan, a city with a fair amount of marine services due to the large fishing industry. This could be a good place to take care of the small oil leak in the Mercury outboard. I contact Mercury and they mention a local company who can handle a service call, great, I can take care of the inverter and oil leak. We had decided to fly home for 8 days and we left our keys to the boat with Bill, Benson’s owner (the dog giving me a hug that Jamie posted), in case one of the techs can come by to do the work.

While Jamie and I are home, we both are getting slammed with various things and I am getting a bit worried. I look to buy an inverter and bring it up to Ketchikan, then I get an email from Michael at Life Proof, the inverter company screwed up scheduling and now Life Proof is flying up a “Senior Tech” with a new inverter to install it!!! What a relief. I can finally feel better about going back to Ketchikan and being on the other woman, better rephrase that, getting back to the boat.

Jamie and I arrive back to Ketchikan Monday night and meet Mike, the Life Proof tech, at the restaurant in our hotel for breakfast (we got a hotel because we were getting in late and the boat was torn apart to make it easier if a technician came aboard). We jump in his rental car and I help him drag his tools and the new inverter to the boat. Mike checks things out and then switches out the inverter, it still does not work! If you have ever seen the guts of a boat it is like veins in a body, wires everywhere especially, no surprise, behind the electrical panel. Mike starts checking all the connections with a voltmeter and voilà, a loose wire running from the inverter to the electrical panel was the problem, that was it one little wire. I had asked Mike prior to him starting to work if he would mind if I hovered over him so that I could learn more about the boat, in exchange I was his “bitch” grabbing tools, telling him which lights the inverter had on, etc.. While Mike was here he also fixed the bow thruster which still worked but the joy stick at both controls had stopped. I was so grateful that Life Proof sent Mike, if it was just an inverter tech he/she/they/them would have said “it’s not the inverter, bye”.

While Mike was on board, and I was hovering, I think I learned quite a bit about Mike. More than a great guy with a great family but what a life. He has traveled the world working on boats for owners who are the who's who of the technology world. Before that he was a special effects technician for movies. Mikes not a big Tequila guy but he felt obliged to toast the boat working properly, see photo below.

Just a sip to toast a working inverter…thank you Milke!

As in life, as with the other woman, when there is a problem both parties must work to solve the problem as opposed to just complaining. Owning a boat is taking care of one problem after another and it is nice to be working with Life Proof who has been very good at helping taking care of those problems. With the engine leak, thankfully it is a minor one, Friday will be two weeks since the local Mercury Technician said that he believes he had diagnosed the problem and will have ordered the parts and we would not have a delay in resuming our trip. We have guests arriving on Saturday, we will be like their Uber driver taking them from hotel to hotel, and plan to leave Monday, we have to because we have a reservation for Glacier Bay on June 26 with some miles to go. Mercury Platinum Protection, today being Thursday - I am getting worried again!

Captain's Post #23 - Latitude 38 Publishes the Property Tax Article!

June 17, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

Prince Rupert to Ketchikan, Alaska USA (105NM)...WE MADE IT!!!

June 15, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

Well, that was not an easy transit. The weather looked great and we left early to beat the wind but not early enough. The wind from the North met the mixing tides and caused a very sporty ride through the Dixon Entrance, so much so that I didn’t dare take any photos! But, we are very happy to have accomplished this major life achievement. After a two-year postponement we are thrilled to have brought our own boat to Alaska. I know there is a Captain’s Post in the near future. In the meantime, here a few snaps…

My camera lens is not large enough to get all FOUR of the cruise ships at dock. They arrive in the morning and are all gone by 10:00PM. That can be an influx of 16,000 tourist landing on the tiny town per day. The town has approximately 8,000 residents, with the wider city population being 13,500. The locals can get very frustrated with this invasion, I do not blame them, over 1.5 million cruise passengers visit Ketchikan between April and October.

Another hulking monster…look at how the yachts are dwarfed by the size of that ship

Ketchikan Creek is a salmon-spawning stream running directly through downtown. We hope to catch the salmon run on our return in September.

Creek Street historic boardwalk from the 1900’s

Gorgeous day to be a tourist on Creek Street. I can only imagine how this really looked in the 1900’s as the town’s Prohibition-era red-light district.

Dolly’s House is a 1900s bordello and now a museum…Love the sign!

My favorite bar…the Sourdough Bar. We asked the bartender about the name and she told us that, that is the name of the folks around Ketchikan as they are “sour on the land but not enough dough to leave”…

The seaplane business is booming here in Ketchikan

This place is fantastic, great view (of seaplanes!), great beer and great food

Like the BPL sign (Bush Pilot’s Lounge). Nice place to celebrate our arrival.

Larry makes new friends on the dock. This is Benson and he gives great hugs. Benson’s parents are Bill and Carol and they are equally fabulous.

We made it to Alaska!!! Now we have to fly home for a minute…time to take a ferry to the airport. See you soon…

Hartley Bay to Prince Rupert, B.C., Canada (89NM)

June 15, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

An uneventful and smooth ride to Prince Rupert (I really like it when I can say that). Prince Rupert is named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine. A 17th-century royal (English-German), military commander, scientist and the first Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company (Fur Trading, etc. with early quasi-governmental powers which transitioned into a department store in the 20th century). The city earned its name in 1906 through a nationwide naming contest held by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The city must be doing quite well as it is the deepest natural harbor on the continent. Before you cruise by the massive shipping terminal area, you see a huge Liquid Natural Gas operation being built. The facility will have a production of up to 21 million tons of LNG per year. Word is that they have sealed a deal with Germany. The project is slated to be completed by 2028/2029.

You know you are near Prince Rupert when you start seeing these guys

The massive LNG plant nearing completion

This fishing boat cut us off, but we didn’t mind as it was named ‘Tequila’

The railway leading to and from the shipping terminal

Massive deep-water port allows for massive ships with massive quantities of goods

The Prince Rupert harbor dwarfed by the massive Cruise Ships…a constant sight in the summer months

The Prince Rupert Courthouse built in 1921

Beers to go for our new friends on their yacht ‘Ascente’

Dean and his partner Shelley run a charter business on this gorgeous 112 foot yacht ‘Ascente’ www.yachtcharterfleet.com

Our last night in Canada, so I must have a Caeser (Vodka, Clamato juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, rimmed with celery salt)….my Canadian family would be proud!

Bottleneck Anchorage to Hartley Bay, B.C., Canada (69NM)

June 14, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

A cool morning with whisps of fog great us at our anchorage in Bottleneck. We pull anchor and head out of the tiny opening for another day of ‘log-watching’. Thankfully, today is clear and mostly flat with few obstacles. The temptation to gaze at the cascading waterfalls is overwhelming so we slow down and take a peek into the old Butedale ‘Ghost Town’ (more later). By early afternoon we pull into Hartley Bay and attempt to radio for a spot in the marina. We finally dock at the municipal pier and Larry runs up to find the harbor office. Note-to-self, there is no office and the town folk just tell you where to dock. The entire marina is filled with fishing and commercial boats of every size and the docks are filled with their contents; coolers, old batteries, nets of every shape and size, jerry cans, cords, lines, fenders, kayaks and paddles. We shove our way into a spot and head to shore to explore the township of Hartley Bay.

The little ‘Ghost Town’ of Butedale beckons us for a closer look. Butedale is located on Princess Royal Island and was founded in 1911 by John Wallace. According to the Google search, it evolved into a thriving salmon (and Halibut) cannery, ice manufacturing center and logging camp. It housed over 400 summer residents before shutting down in the 1970’s.

Some of the company buildings still stand and look as if they may still be used. This is one of the only privately owned land plots on Princess Royal Island.

The town had a brilliant, self-contained power system. A pipeline was built to channel water from Butedale Lake above these falls and down to a hydro plant, providing natural electricity and (according to Google) some of the best block ice on the coast.

Entering Hartley Bay, like most of this area, only accessible by boat or seaplane. Described on Google as ‘an isolated, off-grid Indigenous community of roughly 170 residents…’

The ‘Where’s Waldo’ version of our boat on the municipal docks of Harley Bay

Modern power lines juxtapose with traditional monument art. The village is home to the Gitga’ata, members of the Tsimshian Nation.

The most unique and enjoyable experience of walking the boardwalks of Hartley Bay

While investigating the trails we found the Frisbee Golf Course. Larry cleaned my clock and got a hole in one on the 9th basket from 50 yards out!

After golf we continued on the boardwalk through the shady forest near the creek…

…this creek is at the base of the Salmon Hatchery that the town uses to help support itself and the salmon fisheries.

The Salmon Hatchery was started in 1981 to help the depleted salmon fisheries

The salmon smoke house is located, smartly, across from the hatchery

Shearwater/Bella Bella to Bottleneck Anchorage (Via Fiordland Conservancy), B.C., Canada (106NM)

June 03, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

Clouds and a light rain follow us on our cruise to the Fiordland area. The entry to the passage is much like others - marked by massive shear mountains that have the most tenacious trees I have ever seen. There can’t be more than a few feet of soil and yet these mountains are spiked with trees clinging together in great forests. Every once in a while you see huge raw scrapes of rockface where the trees and soil gave way to create massive slides. We cruise by these epic forests while passing waterfalls that wind in ribbons down thousands of feet to the water. Truly spectacular…leading to way too many pictures…

I neglected to mention the large community of ravens on Bella Bella. They are curious and smart and have an amazing array of calls. As we leave Shearwater and Bella Bella, I happened to glance back and find our friend (Edgar?) hitching a ride. He hung out with us for a little while and it looked like he was having fun.

I apologize in advance for the quantity of waterfall photos (but I dare you to not take a boat-load). Thank goodness it wasn’t a blue sky day you would be faced with many more.

The glacial valleys have lakes that store the water for many of these falls

This is a pretty large fishing vessel dwarfed by these immense and shear mountains

More interesting glacial formations ahead

Looking back at the entry of our anchorage at Bottleneck

Morning fog and clouds at the Bottleneck anchorage

Eucott Bay Anchorage to Shearwater & Bella Bella, B.C., Canada (42NM)

June 03, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

Another short hop on a beautiful day brings us to Shearwater. We spend two nights here in order to fuel up, do laundry and provision at Bella Bella. I attempted to go for a jog our first morning and less than a quarter mile in I was (thankfully) warned by a very nice local that perhaps that was not the best activity. A mother bear with her two cubs was spotted in the area that day and the day prior a wolf had killed his neighbors dog…about face and back to the boat!!!

Nice day for a cruise among the snow-capped mountains that dive into the sea

Shearwater “Gateway to the Great Bear Rainforest”. I guess that sign should have served as my first warning not to go for a jog here.”

“Bella Bella - United in History” by Paul Ygartua, 2013. This mural is the one of the first things you see as you come off the dock in Shearwater. Depicts the four founding Haitzaqv (Heitsuk) Chiefs and other influential figures from Denny Island and Waglisla (Bella Bella) history. (Google)

We take the little shuttle (Sea Taxi) from the dock at Shearwater to Bella Bella ($10 Canadian/person) to provision and walk around the town. The dock at Bella Bella is very small and mostly reserved for Commercial or local boats.

The Heiltsuk people are trying to keep their Wakashan language alive in many forms (eagle on the top of the light pole)

Tlingit & Haida “Hold Each Other Up”. Eders/ancestors teaching, supporting the next generation. Symbolizing unity and support and the cultural responsibility to mentor and elevate others within the community (Google).

Didn’t see one Tesla during our five mile walk around town but we sure saw a lot of gas/diesel Dodge, GMC, Ford, etc.

Looking back across the water toward Shearwater

This nice little cove is a rest for the eye. I sadly must report that Bella Bella residents have a horrible ‘litter-bug’ problem. The trash and broken down boats, trailers and vehicles are everywhere…really tragic.

Where was he drinkin’?1? This is at high tide…

By accident we found an incredible nature trail that someone had lovingly made and tended. It started right by this creek….

…and leads over a little hill to this pretty little lake with a trail and boardwalk that circles it.

Leaving Shearwater early the next morning for a big transit day (we are behind the sailboat)

Ocean Falls to Eucott Bay Anchorage, BC, Canada (43NM)

June 03, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

Sweet Eva sends us off from Ocean Falls with homemade Lemon Poppy Seed Cake and a loaf of Cheese Bread - how very exciting! We cruise in light chop and drizzle by snow-capped mountains and in just a little over an hour we are already at our anchorage in Eucott Bay. A nice shallow anchorage of about twenty or so feet. We let out our chain and line in the middle of the bay and take in the 360 degree views. The drizzle lightens and eventually stops and the sun comes out along with big puffy clouds. It is so nice that we decide to inflate the kayak and go for a paddle.

Snow-capped mountains and still quite a bite in the air as we move on North through Dean Channel

First time getting the Kayak activated from Independence II

Young bears (I think) foraging for shellfish at low tide

A very light colored bear along with his darker brown furred friends

Eucott Hot Springs. From Google “The mineral-rich water emerges from the bedrock at a comfortable roughly 111 degrees F (44 degrees C). Used for generations by Nuxalk people, the pools were later reinforced with boulders and concrete slab by locals from the Ocean Falls.”

The runoff from the hot springs steams as it meets the cooler waters of the bay

Sail boat ‘Sky Bird’ in the distance. Our only other neighbor in the bay that evening.

Codville Lagoon Anchorage to Ocean Falls, BC, Canada (22NM) - Wx Hold!

May 24, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

Some readers may not know that Larry and I attempted this adventure, toward Alaska, two years ago. For many reasons we aborted and ended up selling our beloved and wonderful Nordhavn Coastal Pilot - Independence. Now, with Independence II, we have broken new seas that we did not get to, two years ago. We have made it through many hurdles; the Seymour Narrows, Johnstone Strait, the open ocean and Cape Caution…and one more…our first night at anchor on Independence II.

The entry to Codville Lagoon anchorage could be easily overlooked without charts. You slip through a narrow opening of perhaps 100 feet and travel down and around little fingers until you find your perfect spot…kinda like Goldilocks…one is too deep, one is too close to the rock wall, and one is just perfect (perhaps a topic for a future Captain’s Post?). Our perfect spot to drop the anchor was in 20 feet of water and we let out over a 120 feet of chain & rope (for a night forecasted without wind). The night was calm, the skies cleared a bit and we enjoyed a peaceful late afternoon and evening on the hook.

Exiting Codville Lagoon on a beautiful morning after a really pleasant night at anchor

The following morning brought gorgeous sunshine for our short and breathtakingly beautiful transit to Ocean Falls. Dramatic, tree covered mountains that plunge into the sea. My photos do not do the scenery justice…it is far more stunning.

Ocean Falls with the highly visible dam and spillway

With a search on Google, this came up for Ocean Falls prior to its daming in 1916-1917

We dock at the sweet little Ocean Falls Harbour. Eva, the dock manager, comes to greet us. She is so very kind and gracious and we end up doing a fantastic hike through the forest with her the next day. Eva has lived in Ocean Falls for over 20 years and had a great wealth of knowledge about her town.

In the early 1900’s Ocean Falls was targeted as a Mill Town due to the massive quantity of water that falls from the sky onto the steep mountains and collects in 3 upstream lakes that emptied over a massive waterfall. The waterfall was dammed for it’s hydroelectric power, a Pulp Mill built and 3,500 people lived in Ocean Falls until it’s slow and eventual demise during the ‘70’s & final death in 1983. The town currently retains about 50 residents that live in this beautiful, serene and VERY wet location (over 150 inches of rain annually - the locals are named ‘Rain People’). They enjoy world class fishing, crabbing and prawning in any weather.

Speaking of weather…we will be docked safely at Ocean Falls Harbour for three nights, as a major storm is forecasted for the coast (with inner area affects potential). We are so very thankful to be done with that portion of the trip…be safe out there!!!

Larry screenshot this epic vortex from Windy for Sunday the 24th. The winds in the color magenta are 35+MPH with waves of 8 ft every 12 seconds!!!. This is the area we transited just a few days ago.

Eva lent us her copy of *Rain People*, by Bruce Ramsey. A great book on the history of Ocean Falls. The cover photo gives you an idea of the massive Link Lake(s) that were dammed for the hydroelectric power.

The map of Ocean Falls township from 1949 - Its’heyday. Map also from Bruce Ramsey’s book *Rain People*

The Martin Inn completed in 1953 and once one of the largest and busiest in BC

Sweet Eva takes us on an epic walk in the rain forest

Massive tree stumps from the old growth felled for building or the Pulp Mill

The Japanese Baby Cemetery. Many appeared to be stillborn or passed within a month. Japanese labor was very important to the Pulp Mill operations but the support for young mothers was not available. Combined with poor pay, poor prenatal diet and lack of hospital access the outlook was bleak.

Kind people in the sailboat ‘Sky Bird’ gave us some of their fresh Dungeness crab

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pib4zS2Vaeo

The City They Burned: The Rise, Fall, and Last Residents of a Forgotten Canadian Town.

Above is a link to a great video on Ocean Falls featuring Eva (the wonderful dock manager) and her husband Rob - an original ‘Rain People’ born and raised!!!

Captain's Post #23 - Port McNeill to Codville Lagoon Anchorage, BC, Canada (103NM) - AKA Open Ocean & Cape Caution

May 24, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

By Larry McCullough

The anticipation of something is half the pleasure, or something like that. With a stressful event, that is in the future, sometimes doing more and more research and planning adds to the stress so that when the event finally happens the stress is relieved even before you start the adventure. Such is the story of our adventure with Cape Caution.

I did the research, planned the route, checked not only the Windy App but also the Canadian weather information and it looked like a great time to embark on the crossing of the Cape. Let’s get this over with, I thought when I woke up Thursday morning.

I immediately turned on the chart plotter when I got up, after the coffee maker of course. Unlike the prior morning, I did not have the computer plugged in and in a sleepy haze not knock over my coffee cup onto the floor when I tripped over the computer power cable, &#*@, poor Jamie, I try cleaning it up but I am replaced by the varsity crew.

The aluminum hull of the boat acts like a submarines sonar system therefore the noise of the other boats in the harbor turning on their engines and bow thrusters as they get under way can be heard. Sounds good to me, we will have company and other people feel that today is a good day for the journey also. They are soon out of the harbor, about seven boats in total, no worries we will be out ahead of them soon enough. We follow them out at 6:15AM.

In Broughton Strait by 6:30AM…passing all the boats that left an hour before us. Mustang float coats on the ready…safety first

Around the point on Malcolm Island, the heading is pre programmed into our charts for the fastest time to Cape Caution with the conditions looking so favorable. Three of the boats that left before us are headed for Goletas Channel, not sure why they are going that way which is more straight west as opposed to us going more north west, it will not only make their crossing longer but it will also put the seas to their beam longer (that means taking the waves more at the side of the boat then off the front of the boat). Am I doing something wrong, did I misread something? No I didn’t think so, just get me around the corner and lets get this over with.

We pass between Deserters Island, which provides us some protection at 7:08AM, time to take a break and dispose of the prior consumed coffee, up pops a whale just of the bow! So glad we were going slow.

So very lucky to have seen this Humpback Whale as we passed Deserters Island

I used the autopilot to steer the course and I was the throttle man, adjusting the speed to the varying wavelengths and heights. It worked out well. Soon we turned north taking the inside route, now Cape Caution was coming up on our starboard side (right side), it was only 8:20AM. It suddenly was a bit rougher as the outgoing tide mixed with the ocean swell of 4 feet every 8 seconds, pulling back on the throttles made the ride comfortable. I mentioned to Jamie, this will be short lived because of the mixing. We soon made it around the Cape, and away from the currents mixing and I felt relief, it was not quite time to get the blender out to do some other form of mixing. The route I chose, via the Garmin Chart Plotter suggested routes, took us through a channel that brought us close to the rocks on the Cape along with more rocks and small islands off to our port side. No time to relax, but the seas calmed down and after a few more miles the boat was up “on plane” at a speed of 35 MPH, the sweet spot where we get the best MPH.

What an amazing day…on approach to Cape Caution

A perfect day to make the open ocean crossing and round Cape Caution

Another 15 miles and we entered Fitz Hugh Sound with Calvert Island providing protection from the ocean swells. Occasionally, we would have to slow down because of debris in the water, sometimes looking like a bomb went off, Jamie’s description. Fitz Hugh Sound is very wide, 3 miles in some spots and deep, 500 - 1,000 feet deep in places. Small and large logs all over the place. In one spot it, in over 500 feet of water mid channel, there appeared to be a small log up ahead. I turn to port and as we approach the “log”, it turns out it is an otter cracking shells on his belly! What is he/she/they/them or whatever pronoun it prefers doing out there so far from shore in such deep water!

The mountains in shadow behind Castor Cove

Jamie gets time at the helm as we roll by Calvert Island

We were making great time and enjoying the beauty of this remarkable coast. Then the rain started with fog, visibility dropped down to maybe a ¼ mile which is about impossible to tell distances in such conditions. But, no worries, I had turned the radar on prior and it was already to go with no warm up time. I see a big blip on the radar screen with an accompanying AIS (Automatic Identification System) symbol next to the blip. I inform Jamie that my eyes will be looking at the screen, as opposed to out the windshield so that she is even more diligent than usual, and I click on the symbol and learn that it is a cruise ship that some of my Mountain Biking buddies were on with their wives a few weeks ago.

A very dense fog descends near Nalau Island. Time to activate radar.

The MV Kennicott is visible on the radar way before we can see the 382-foot-long ship

Past the cruise ship, more exploded bombs in the water. I make the decision that we would go further up the sound to an anchorage and take advantage of the calm water, also it wasn’t even 9:00AM yet! More fog, rain, and debris in the water as we pulled into Codville Lagoon at 11:05AM, in time for lunch. We left at 6:15AM, the engines hours were 5:47 traveled 103NM. Damn, to early for a celebratory cocktail!

After 103NM and approximately 4.5 hours we arrive at Codville Lagoon to anchor for the night.

Amazing rock sedimentation that retains enough soil to grow these tall trees. The lagoon is perfect for anchoring - not deep with some sandy bottoms, beautiful and quiet.

Halibut off the grill with a spinach salad. Our first meal enjoyed at anchor on Independence II.

Captain's Post #22 - Campbell River to Port McNeill, BC, Canada (101NM)

May 20, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

By Larry McCullough

Leaving Campbell River and heading towards Seymour Narrows

I must say it has been a very interesting month with the new boat. As with all things new, which have any complexities, some bugs must be worked out - this is to be expected. The main thing is to work them out, solve the problem and then move onto the next one. Life Proof has been working with us to solve the problems now or when we return south in a few months, thank you Life Proof.

Jamie has kept you updated on the trip up to yesterday….

The dashed line shows our route up to date

Let me tell you about yesterday! We left Campbell River just before 7AM under ideal conditions, I had read about Seymour Narrows and felt very comfortable with the passage, even more so than when we did Malibu Rapids aboard the original Independence. We arrived at the Narrows at slack tide and rode an outgoing tide all the way to Port McNeill, 100 miles. Even with the idle time going in and out of the marinas we made it in exactly 3 hours! That is far from the whole story…

I use the “Windy” app which has some great features, for longtime readers you might remember me singing their praise when we returned from Honduras to Florida due to COVID shutting down Central America (see May 8th, 2020, Captain’s Post #8) and when we left San Jose del Cabo to Ensenada (see May 21st, 2022 Captain’s Post #15), I plotted wave heights, winds, currents etc.. Up here I use many of the same features, but I wondered why there was a blank zone on their map in the Johnstone Strait area, which we went through yesterday.

The blank zone on Windy with the crazy currents in Johnstone Straits

I think I figured out why, they can’t predict the wave heights or wind all that accurately. As we were cruising I was surprised by the wave heights in the mixing zones where the outgoing tides met in Johnstone Straits. At one point it became so rough we slowed down to an idle and went up an estimated 4 foot wave, down the steep backside and were immediately met with another 4 footer that was scooped up by the bow and headed straight for the windshield…and then another and another. Jamie later said she was grateful that there were no logs being scooped up.

Just one of many…at least this large log has a nice bird standing on it to warn us

The windshield, or should I say waveshield, did the job, obviously or I would not be writing about the experience. To be honest, I must say there was a slight pucker factor, but I was not that worried because the angles of the wind shield deflect the water very well and the glass is very thick. There are many stories in the Pacific Northwest about inferior boats having their windshields smashed in. We did take in a bit of water from in the forward hatch, but Jamie was not very upset because it dumped on my side of the bed. This was a very unusual situation to put the boat through, but then again maybe not up here with these crazy currents.

Tomorrow is another adventure, we will leave Port McNeill around 6:30AM and plan to round Cape Caution, right up there with the Point Conception pucker factor. We waited for very favorable conditions then, when we did that passage in the original Independence 4 years ago, and tomorrow’s conditions also look very favorable. It is good that Windy has a yearly subscription because if I had to pay per visit I would be broke.

I am sure some of you are wondering about fuel prices. Yesterday we topped the tank off and paid $6.20 US per gallon, about the same price I imagine it is back home at a Chevron station but way cheaper than the marinas back home.

A couple well deserved cold ones at Gus’ Pub

Vancouver to Pender Harbour to Campbell River, BC Canada (118NM)

May 20, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

We depart Vancouver (False Creek & English Bay) on Victoria Day and are met with some bouncy water as we transit Burrard Inlet and head North up the Strait of Georgia toward Pender Harbour. The water calms as we enter the inner bays and dock at the first-come, first-serve Hospital Bay Public Wharf. We walk up to town and find the city in party mode for their 81st May Day, which celebrates the arrival of spring and is the Sunshine Coast’s oldest and longest-running event. The festival is grand community gathering with a classic car parade, home-made go carts, stilt walkers and dunk tanks, face painters and beer gardens. As we return to the dock we find fisherman at the Commercial Dock selling live Spot Prawns. Two pounds of prawns end up on the back deck BBQ of Independence II and dinner is in the pot.

The next day we get an early start and cross the Strait of Georgia to Campbell River. An amazingly fast and enjoyable crossing. The boat does so great in short tight chop, getting incredible gas mileage of 1 gallon to 1 mile while averaging 35 MPH.

The Captain concentrating on navigating the waves of the Strait of Georgia

…leaves me with some clean-up on arrival…

Entering the beautiful bays of Pender Harbour

Pender Harbour May Day Festival…stilt walkers, street food, music and fun….

…including some very cool home crafted go carts

Back deck view from Independence II docked at the Hospital Bay Public Wharf

The freshest prawns I have ever had (and our first Spot Prawns!). From snapping in the bag to boiling in the pot and then dropped on top the salad…so delicious!

Beautiful evening light on the waters of Pender Harbour

Departing Pender Harbour for Campbell River

Campbell River Bald Eagles over the Native American Cemetery

Victoria to Oak Bay to Sidney to Vancouver, BC, Canada (96.2NM)

May 15, 2026 by Jamie McCullough

A little windy and wavy exiting Victoria harbor but following winds calmed our transit to Oak Bay. We pulled into the Royal Victoria Yacht Club and enjoyed a nice bar dinner and chat with the members of this great club. Very warm and personable and so happy our club the SFYC enjoys a reciprocal relationship with this world class club!

The following day we transit for an overnight at Port Sidney, such a sweet spot in this good weather we are enjoying.

From Sidney we wind though the islands and across the Strait of Georgia over to Vancouver. Traveling at our ‘new’ normal speed of 25 to 30 MPH takes some getting used to. Our current rule is NEVER take your eyes off the water. Well, at least not both of us at the same time. The amount of debris in the water around here is crazy and traveling at this fast speed is pretty stressful as the consequences are frightening.