Queen Charlotte Sound: Held Captive No More

“A great, great deal has been said about the weather, but very little has been done about it.”              Mark Twain

On night 5 in Port McNeil – but who’s counting - one of our dock mates holds a strategy session on his boat to determine the best time to make a getaway through Queen Charlotte Strait and across QC Sound (the Pacific Ocean).  Unfortunately, gale warnings are still being issued.  The couple invited us over, as well as another boater from our dock who presents an elaborate drawing he made on an 8 x 11 inch piece of paper showing the islands, the water, the wind, the waves and us.   Arrows are pointing every which way representing the seas and the directional wind.  It's like a mini-meteorology tutorial given by, well…, a couple of guys in a boat. 

Our self-appointed leader robustly opines, fueled by the half empty bottle of Glenlivet sitting in front of him, that 10-20 mph winds with 2 meter seas at 9 second intervals is not safe but at 10 second intervals it is very “doable.”  He would leave the next morning.  The other boater nods sagely - Jim and I leave the confab.  My opinion, fueled by common sense, is that I can get equally sick at 9 seconds or 10 seconds – very “doable.”  

Mr. Glenlivet did not leave the next morning.

42 Degrees Just Shouts -  Sunbathing



When we first arrived in Port McNeill, we were the second boat in the marina, but, as the weather front hovered, more boats dribbled in.  By Thursday, day 7 for us, and we are counting to the minute, the gale warning lifts and there is a flurry of activity on the dock at 6 AM as six of the seven boats prepare to leave.  We are all suffering cabin fever and dockitis.  Jim and I push off first at 6:15AM.



Our Last Evening in Port McNeill

We look like a flotilla leaving, one right after the other, and we travel in a line for quite some time until we take different courses.  It all started out quite calm, but, gradually, the seas started building and building until we were in the middle of rollers 12 – 15 feet.  I felt like I was in a scene from The Perfect Storm – only George Clooney was not at the helm, just a very pale Jim. 

The Flotilla
We have fallen to the rear

 It was so bad that the cats got sea sick and since Jim was already feeling queasy, even with the patch on, I was dispatched to go below and swab the decks - as it were.  Needless to say, after breakfast and the unfortunate clean-up duty, I was a little pasty myself.  But a mere 7 hours later we were in the protection of Calvert Island and smooth seas once again prevail. 

Two days later we ran into the 7^th boat that didn’t leave with us from Port McNeill.  They waited to cross Queen Charlotte sound until the following day when it was glassy calm.  I guess you just can’t do anything about the weather – except wait and be patient – which we will be next time.

Now you see him...



Now you don't
Swallowed by the Swells