Hartley Bay

Hartley Bay

May 24, 2013

Latitude: N53.42363°

Longitude: W129.25179°

We left Shearwater around 07:30 and motored by Bella Bella but decided we had enough water so we didn't need to stop. As we turned out into the channel we saw a couple of what seemed like small humpback whales lolly gagging around. We stopped and watched for a bit then continued on.

The route took us up Reid Passage and then over to Jackson Narrows. Jackson Narrows is just like its name suggests, narrow but deep enough. I like going through because the scenery is great.

It was cloudy all day but the winds were light and the going smooth. We went by Klemtu and Butedale. Butedale is and "ghost" town that used to house a cannery and logging operation but by 1973 it was all but abandoned. There is a big lake above it and a massive waterfall that was used to power the machinery.

All along this section of the coast we are in steep sided fiords with snow capped mountains on both sides. Every few miles there is a cascade of water pouring off the slopes. With not much soil and lots of hard rock the creeks are white water all the way to the sea.

We pushed on to Hartley Bay. Bob cooked dinner on the way and we arrived in port around 20:00 a run of over 12 hrs. The BC ferry passed us going into Price Rupert and then the run going back south to Port Hardy. It's a fine looking ship and I think that would be good ride to take.

Hartley Bay Is a small Indian community with a nice harbor and good docks. The streets are boardwalks and the locals use 4 wheelers to get around. Even the fire truck, the police vehicle and the ambulance are built on small  golf cart like chassis.

We walked around some and I like the feel of the place but the flies were fierce on the land. They didn't bite but they swarmed around like crazy. The locals didn't seem to mind them but we retreated to the boat.