(Read more about Prince Rupert & view the photos.)
Even though visibility was less than a quarter-mile at parts, with barges and ferries and plenty of fallen logs crossing our path, the passage from Klewnuggit to Prince Rupert seemed to energize the skippers on this Grand Tour. It was a chance to test one's mettle behind glowing radar screens and chart tables, with VHF 72 crackling with warnings, advice and encouragement on down the line from the first boat to the last…
Heading up Grenville Channel conditions were calm and clear, but it wasn't hard to see that would change as we moved north. Boats worked the currents and the channels, looking for the best line to pick up that extra half knot of speed. Is that a deadhead off our bow, or just a patch of kelp? Hard to tell as the fog grew thicker and thicker.
Skippers' eyes moved from the waters ahead to their chart plotters, radar screens and paper charts. They carefully matched navigation aids on charts to the steady blips on screen, while measuring the speed and bearing of any unseen moving target that pinged in our direction. First mates stood with binoculars ready, scanning for hazards ahead.
Despite the limited visibility and the fact that most of us had not traveled these waters before today, skippers in each four-boat "pod" of our fleet worked together to ensure a smooth crossing. And when we all made Prince Rupert - the fog suddenly burning off to reveal a bright blue sky - everyone seemed energized by the experience. We've been blessed with such outstanding weather on this trip that our "inner navigator" hasn't had much of a chance to shine through.
The folks at the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club graciously made accommodations for us despite our day-late arrival. They hustled from dock to dock, catching our lines and getting all sixteen GBs safely into their slips (thanks to Jolinda Hill and her great staff for their help and support!).
The Club is ideally located near Cow Bay, just ten minutes from downtown. This area features a walkway alongside the harbor filled with unique stores and intimate cafes. While several Tour participants shopped for souvenirs and enjoyed a lazy afternoon stroll, others came along for the days scheduled activities.
Many on the Tour joined the trip to the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. This excursion combines both boat and air travel, flying for a scenic seaplane ride to bear country, over rugged and remote valleys and cirque lakes in the high sub-alpine meadows, passing over steep-walled fjords where rock faces rise sharply from the deep sea floor. The 30-minute flight took us right to a floating dock, anchored near the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. The flight paths were carefully planned to ensure that we do not disturb the bears.
Next, we deplaned to board a 10-passenger, covered boat for two hours of exciting exploration in the wilderness coastline, where group observed three large bears in action before returning to Prince Rupert.
Others chose to take in the historic side of Prince Rupert with a tour of the North Pacific Cannery. The last of hundreds of British Columbia's coastal cannery villages is a heritage site turned into a museum. Built on pilings at river's edge, the cannery is on the Skeena River east of Port Edward, a scenic town, just 20 km (12 miles) from Prince Rupert. "Walk along the boardwalks and through the small houses and you'll travel to another era," says the entry in our guidebook, and owners who took the tour gave it a thumbs up.
For dinner, it was a trip to New York's East Village. Well, not really, but the restaurant Rain made for a convincing stand-in. Its sleek interiors, lush colors and post-modern cuisine stood out in start relief against the more typical town fare. Owners Charmaine and Brian served up an OUSTANDING dinner of small plates in a tapas style that also brought in Asian touches and local ingredients. Tables were packed and owners went from table to table to talk about the days events and those ahead as we prepare to enter Alaska tomorrow.
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> GRAND TOUR HOME
> ROUTE MAP
> LOG BLOG
- Day 1: Nanaimo
- Day 2: Pender Harbour
- Day 3: Prideaux Haven
- Day 4: Shoal Bay
- Day 5: Lagoon Cove
- Day 6: Sullivan Bay
- Day 7: Sullivan Bay
- Day 8: Sullivan Bay
- Day 9: Duncanby Landing
- Day 10: Shearwater
- Day 11: Khutze Inlet
- Day 12: Klewnuggit Inlet
- Day 13: Prince Rupert
- Day 14: Foggy Bay
- Day 15: Ketchikan
- Day 16: Ketchikan
- Day 17: Meyers Chuck
- Day 18: Santa Anna Inlet
- Day 19: Wrangell
- Day 20: Wrangell
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