O Canada

As Marcy and crew entered Canada we were fortunate to meet a couple of sailors, Marty and Mae of Wild Abandon, at the gas dock in Prince Rupert.



They convinced us that we should have a crab pot on board for our trip south and then gave us a ride in their pickup truck to purchase a pot and license. On the way back to the boat we stopped by their house where they gave us fresh herbs from the garden and TWO chunks of frozen salmon for crab bait. With their enthusiasm and assistance and careful intructions, we scored our limit of crab both times we set the pot and ate well on our trip south. What a nice welcome to Canada, eh?



Marcy "smelled the barn" as we hurried south. The first gales of fall had swept over us in Alaska, giving us added incentive to keep moving, so we travelled from sun rise to sun set when we could. Travel at night was not really an option because of debris in the water - we passed by many logs, deadheads, and sometimes whole trees complete with foliage. Even the ferries had to weave a path around the debris. We were grateful for the calm water making these hazards easier to spot and avoid.



One evening just before sunset we pulled into a quiet bay with a spooky ghost town named Butedale.



The solo caretaker gave us a tour of what's left of the town and the hydro power generator building, amazingly still in operation.



Marcy's radar got a workout in fog and drizzle, but even so we were fortunate to have some sunny days.



The scenery was interesting, especially the lighthouses.



And since we also had plenty of rainy days the waterfalls didn't disappoint either.




We saw lots of wildlife along the way.



Some nights we were fortunate to squeeze in at a dock which allowed for a walk ashore.



And finally, after only two weeks in Canada, we were back in the USA and familiar territory. Our friends at Marine Service Center in Anacortes (the Rards of Ruby Slippers) who we met sailing in the South Pacific three years ago treated us well. And we got to spend time with family, too. Ginger's uncle Cole surveyed Marcy before we left to circumnavigate. He was especially happy to see us back safe and sound and he gave us a thumbs up on the condition of the boat after the long voyage.



Being in our home waters after so long away is a pleasure.