Saturday August 11th –We are running further north today to meet up with our friends at Blind Channel. Getting to Blind safely requires some good timing due to waters that flow really fast. We pulled anchor at the calculated time to hit Yuculta and Dent Rappids at slack water.

Here’s what Yuculta can look like. It can and has swallowed boats. Not something you want to mess with especially when they call one section of Dent Rappids Devils Hole!

But if you time it right it can be no problem. Under a cloudy and rainy sky, we adjusted our speed to arrive just before slack, so we would still get a little push through the channels. We had a beautiful cruise all the way to Blind Channel where we docked and got the dinghy ready for fishing.

Our friends arrived an hour later, and all 3 boats ran across the channel at slack to catch some Lingcod in a little spot we come back to every year. Julie got one on right away and it was a lunker. After fighting it to the surface, it found its way back home, leaving Julie with some serious frustration. Then it was Skylar’s turn, but that ended in a similar situation. Looking over we could see our friends were catching and landing, while we could only catch. Some time went by and Julie finally got one in the boat before we had to return for dinner reservations. Not as successful as we had hoped but one is better than none.

We all had an amazing dinner together that night at the German inspired restaurant.

Beautiful morning leaving Prideaux Haven

Friday August 10th – Skylar’s friends, who have been with us for the last 5 days, need to catch a float plane home at 3pm. But first they needed some more adventure, so they decided to do the Tenedos scramble before we took off.

After the hike we pulled anchor and made our way to Prideaux Haven just a few miles away.

Prideaux Haven is a designated stop for the float planes and our drop off point today. Up here, the float planes fly in and land in the bays. The only way to get passengers on and off the plane is to deliver or pick them up by dinghy. We pulled into the bay and found a perfect anchorage in the main area. The boys wanted to go fishing one last time but came back skunked.

At about 2:45 the 3 boys and I piled in the dinghy to go out and wait for the plane. Having spotty cell service there is no way to get word if the plane will be late or not arrive at all for some reason. So, we waited, floating around, 3:00, 3:15: 3:30, still no sign. It got hotter and hotter sitting there so Skylar and I decided to go for a swim. Carson and Jonny, all dressed to fly didn’t have the appropriate clothing to go for a swim, but the heat must have impaired their judgment. They stripped to their boxers and jumped in for a nice cool swim! Their shorts were dry but that’s a wet butt on a plane for 2.5 hours, they didn’t seem to care, the cool off was worth it.

That evening we stayed a relaxing night in Prideaux Haven watching all the boats come and go, swimming some more, and a sunset dinghy cruise rounded out the evening.

Wednesday August 8th – It was around noon when we arrived at Tenedos and we decided to try a new spot in the outer bay. The anchorage was perfect and secluded.

Having 3 boys on the boat requires some serious food, something that can be hard to find up here. While Julie and Ava stayed securely anchored on the boat, I ventured out with the boys in the dinghy for a 6-mile run to Refuge Cove, pretty much the only place to get food around here. The run requires us to cross a pretty large body of water (large for a 13’ dinghy) that at times can get a little rough. It was a moderately rough crossing but no issues. We all had lunch and fueled the boat then crossed back with the wind at our backs for a smoother ride.

That evening was a beautiful night swimming in the water, looking at the stars and playing in the bioluminescent water.

Thursday August 9th – The next day the 3 boys took off in the dinghy headed for Unwin Lake. They swam in the lake and met an older couple who told them about a hidden canoe that was stashed in the bushes down a trail. They found the canoe and paddled the lake fishing for a trout or whatever else may be lurking in the depths. But they also found the couple that told them about the canoe, laying luckily, on a far-off shoreline with just their skin exposed, they said it wasn’t a pretty sight. Great, now we have to pay for counseling for the boys.

It looked like some friends of ours happened to be motoring by in the distance, so I called them on the VHF. They answered and tied up alongside of us for the night. Jason and Coleen cruised from Tacoma all the way up here with their 2 small kids on a 29’ Ranger Tug. They are a lot of fun and we had a great time with them. I took Ava and the 2 small kids tubing behind the dinghy and they couldn’t get enough. Super fun to see the smiles on their faces.

That evening Julie and I took a long romantic sunset cruise. She showed me her hidden talent (no, not what you are thinking). She can walk on water! It’s true, the pictures prove it.