New Territory

 

 




Leaving our anchorage near Klemtu at 8am we continued up Klemtu Passage; once again, Dall's Porpoise came to escort us on our way.  We soon rounded Swindle Island separated from Princess Royal Island by a very narrow channel called Meyers Passage.  

Dall's Porpoise

This narrow, rock strewn waterway was a first-time traverse for us.  

Approaching Meyers Passage

A red buoy marks a rock that should be kept to port when heading south but there is also a rock lying on the starboard side of the passage, requiring careful transit.  

Meyers Passage

We slowly made our way through this pretty passage which turns west and out to Laredo Sound, offering more new territory for exploration.  Turning northward we followed Laredo Channel avoiding the rocky reef situated in the middle of the channel, reaching

Caamano Sound

Caamano Sound exposed to the open ocean with beautiful vistas.  Our planned stop for the evening was an anchorage in Surf Inlet that cuts northeast into Princess Royal Island.  Before anchoring we wanted to see the falls and dam located at the terminus of the Inlet which is mentioned in the Waggoner Cruising Guide.  

Imposing Mountains in Surf Inlet

Even though it was overcast and cloudy, the mountains along this 13-mile fjord were inspiring.  The abandoned dam and powerhouse is over a 100 years old and was built to power mining equipment for a gold mine, known as Belmont, located above the dam at Bear Lake.  

Dam and Falls at end of Surf Inlet

The mine operated from 1918 until 1926, producing eight-million dollars’ worth of gold ore. 

After a visit to the dam, we motored back down Surf Inlet with plans to use Penn Harbour anchorage for the night and head to Haida Gwaii the following morning. 


Ruins of Powerhouse, Surf Inlet

As we listened to the latest weather
report (via our satellite-based InReach tracking and messaging device) predicting winds building over the next four days, we realized this would mean putting off the journey for another week.  Seas would be calm that night so we decided to go for it; we told ourselves we’ve done night crossings before and this was our window of opportunity to reach Haida Gwaii.  At 5pm we pointed the nose of Got d' Fever westward through Caamano Sound and headed out to sea.