Hakai

May 17 (Day 20):

This morning was chilly, so we donned a couple extra layers before heading out on our kayak. We stopped to row in to shore with our new friends Patrick and Natalie on S/V Violet Hour (check out their blog). Like us, they live aboard at Shilshole—just one dock away from us—but we didn’t meet them until we our boats passed outside of Port Hardy. Like us, they fly a Cascadia flag off their stern. And like us, they aim to sail as much as possible, even in the slow winds of the Inside Passage. We enjoyed exploring this beautiful area with them.

Fleet of sailors! SV Violet Hour in front

We hiked the beaches one last time before pulling up anchor and heading north. The winds looked promising off the coast, so we strayed a bit from the beaten path. We crossed Hakai Passage to Queen’s Sound on the west coast of the Hakai Luxvbalis Conservancy and spent the rest of the afternoon sailing the open, surprisingly flat, Pacific Ocean. We couldn’t have dreamed up better conditions.

Hakai Luxvbalis Conservancy is truly remote. Its boundaries cover an area larger than Desolation Sound, yet we saw neither boat nor person the two days we explored it, even on AIS. We felt truly alone, and it was glorious. We took our time exploring different inlets and islands, maneuvering under sail through the tightest passages. Novi handled it all like a champ.

We never had the confidence to do that before this trip. When approaching a narrow passage with submerged rocks and shifting winds, we would turn on the engine and hold our breaths. Small milestones like that remind us how much our confidence has grown in our abilities, each other, and our vessel.

We pulled into a Hurricane Anchorage, a cozy, secure cove on the southwest corner of Hurricane Island and set the hook for the night.

May 18 (Day 21)

According to the date, we’ve been sailing for three weeks. Three weeks doesn’t seem right. Life is so relaxed in The Great Bear Rainforest, it feels almost timeless. It’s hard to believe we were in Port Hardy a week ago. Hakai’s remoteness adds to this feeling, like we’re sailing in our own little world outside of time. 

After leaving Hurricane Anchorage, we sailed through spindly Spider Channel and back to Queen’s Sound. We kept a constant bow watch as logs were common both in the channels and the open sea. But the sailing was excellent once again. In fact, we intended to anchor again in the conservancy but the sailing was too good to stop! So on we went, through Hunter Channel into Lama Passage, a major arterial of the Inside Passage, and once again saw boats. 

We pulled into Kliktsoatli Harbour across the bay from the Shearwater Marina and dropped the anchor. For such a big, exposed anchorage, we were surprised to find it so calm.

May 19-20 (Days 22-23)

We’re leaving again in 20 minutes, so I'll type fast! 

We pulled up to Shearwater Marina just three nautical miles southeast of Bella Bella. We've dreamt of coming to this area for years, writing in even our earliest plans that we would stop here. As a convergence for all boats heading north, this area provides a strong sense of community. Friendly boaters sit on the docks willing to scuttlebutt about anything and everything. The skipper across the dock from us sailed from Sweden…five years ago. He arrived in this area and never left. Who can blame him?

We especially enjoyed meeting Stan and Lynn Homer. They sailed for 33 years on Homers’ Odyssey throughout the Northwest, the Caribbean, South America, and the South Pacific. They sold their boat recently in Guatemala and now cruise the Northwest full-time on their power boat, Homers’ Odyssey II. The solar panels on their stern reveal they're still sailors at heart. They invited us over to share stories, earned wisdom, and the best homemade wine we’ve ever had. They are kind, fascinating people, and we hope to meet up with them again on this trip.

Ok, about the area. Shearwater and Bella Bella are in the territory of the Heiltsuk Nation, and most residents move quickly between the two towns in little fishing boats. Shearwater was used as an antisubmarine bomber reconnaissance post during WWII but abandoned soon after. Today, only fifty residents live here full-time, including seven students in the small K-7 school. The marina and surrounding grounds serve an amalgam of both Heiltsuk culture and WWII history. It includes an Eagle pole to commemorate Heiltsuk war veterans, Heiltsuk art, and a model fighter jet. The boatyard’s shop operates out of a former Canadian Air Force seaplane hangar.