Day 69 – June 11
4:30 came early and as we are now further north it was already light outside. A quickly stowed bed and passing on breakfast allowed us to get the bikes stowed on board and wheels rolling by 5:15. We weren’t the first vehicle to arrive but it soon became obvious that this was not going to be a full capacity trip.
After having our measurements taken several times and our ID’s checked twice ( I think it would be easier to sneak onto the space shuttle) my tea brewing was rudely interrupted by the loading announcement. We had opted for the lounge section of the ferry at a $35 surcharge. After paying an arm and a leg for passage another $35 seemed like fingernail clippings. The Aurora Lounge provided reclining seats and a panoramic view of the voyage. As this was going to be a 17 hour passage we opted for as much comfort as possible. Without only about 30 passengers opting for the lounge accommodations it was only at about one quarter of its capacity and provided not only comfortable but spacious and quiet passage.
A misty start to the day
Shortly after setting sail in the rain we passed a lighthouse, identified on the taped ‘point of interest’ announcements that note highlights of the passing landscapes. The announcement went on to emphasize how the majority of the lighthouses on this coast were staffed by ‘dedicated’ personnel guarding the lives of the sailors and fishermen who made these waters their home. For an east coaster, where for years all of our lighthouses have been staffed by dedicated computers and solar panels, that was a bit of a rub. Are the BC coast rocks harder than ours? Is the greatest risk to sea craft on the east coast that of careening off our rubberized coastline and unexpectedly rebounding over to Ireland? Possibly west coast sailors and fishermen get lonely and require the security of a staffed lighthouse in case they feel the need to drop in for a mid afternoon tea and crumpet on rainy days. When I get home I’m going to send a letter off to my man Steve in Ottawa and ask him to explain. I might even suggest that re staffing some of the east coast lighthouses might be a great job for some of his now surplus senators. I can see a speedo clad Mike Duffy standing at night with a flashlight on Cavendish Beach, warning sailors to beware of the supervised swimming area. No one would dare question where he lived then.
A ‘staffed’ lighthouse
About 3 hours into the trip (possibly earlier as a nap thing sort of happened) patches of the skies began to clear and our visibility of the many passing islands and cliffs increased. At the same time we were served a package of two Peek Frean cookies, a mouthful of bits and bites and a bottle of water – the perks of being in the lounge were really starting to add up.
The route of the ferry wound through the labyrinth of islands that form the west coast of British Columbia. We passed close by communities with familiar names like Namu (where the first live Orca whale was captured), Bella Bella and Grenville Channel all the while watching the numerous commercial and recreational fishing boats that ply the icy blue waters in pursuit of the many salmon that call these waters home.
Clearing skies
In some areas the boat passed through channels so narrow that it felt like you could throw a rock to shore. As the day wore on our weather held and from the luxury of our reclining lounge chairs we watched the coast slip by like some meditation video on the most amazing flat screen TV ever. Many of the mountains and hills we passed were still topped with snow and their now melting caps fed the countless waterfalls that cascaded down the mountainsides to the sea.
Waterfalls and…..
More waterfalls
As we passed through the narrow and steep sided Grenfell Straits we enjoyed a lovely buffet dinner in the restaurant. The light passenger load of our off season travel afforded no waiting and a window seat with a great view of what at time seemed an uncomfortably close coast line. As the sun began to dip behind the peaks that lined our course the mountains and islands in the distance began to blend into monochromatic serigraph like images.
And so it ends.
Although the cruise had started out in rain with little optimism of clearing, the weather gods had granted us a favour in sharing the beautiful images of this coast, memories that will stay with us for many years.
Following a quick disembarkation from the Northern Expedition we drove two minutes to the ‘RV Campgrounds’ where we found two adjacent sites with water and power at $37 each, a price that typically would indicate a fuller level of service and quality of amenity. However as it was approaching 11:00 pm on a 4:30 am start day all we wanted was to get to sleep so after extricating the bikes and rack from the beast we had a record fast hook-up (after 69 days 8 think I am ready for the RV hookup Olympics) and went to bed.