So, now it’s time for jackets and our heater.  Seriously, the weather has turned cold and cloudy.  They say August is “Fogust”, but then what’s July?  Cold, I guess.

Anyway, we’ll stay optimistic – even though the weather charts are showing otherwise.  There is just low, after low, after low coming down the pike from Alaska.  Oh well.  We do have some time in the afternoons that is nice, so we’ll make the best of it.

Well, we haven’t posted in about a week.  During the last week we have been comfortably tied up at the dock at Port McNeiil.  Kind of a respite.  Enjoying new friends, some travel and in particular the evening BBQ at the marina dock.  It’s a nice spot to bring our Charismas and some dinner and chat with the others who are coming through.

We have also taken advantage of the local ferry boat to visit nearby Alert Bay and Sointula Islands.  Alert Bay is about a 40 minute ride and has a wonderful First Nation (native) museum.  The rest of the town is unfortunately largely falling down.  It’s too bad that they are not preserving some of the old buildings.  There is so much history just rotting.  Seems that there is no local government.  The only government is provincial and seemingly not local enough to organize.

Same with Sointula.  As with Alert Bay, it is a lovely island and there are some worthy sights to see – in particular some nice hikes – but much of the “bay-side” buildings are rotting to the water.  Too bad.  However, right off the ferry there is a tourism office of sorts and they have free bicycles!  Just one speed, but comfortable and in good shape.  And there are few hills on the island, so Ann and I had a really nice day riding to a couple of spots where we did some nice hikes to a lake and across to the other side where there’s a beach.

Back at Port McNeill, we also had a nice car ride afternoon one day, where we used the “courtesy van” the marina offers and went to Telegraph Cove with our new friends Allison and Jerry from S/V Kingfisher of Richmond Yacht Club in California.  Fun to meet people who we “almost” know from past lives.  We’ve enjoyed meeting with them several times over the past six weeks as our paths have crossed and the trip to Telegraph Cove was a lovely day.  Hint to other cruisers:  Telegraph Cove is very, very, very narrow.  Don’t plan to stop here unless your boat is very maneuverable and not too big – or like us you take a car!

So, this morning we left Port McNeiil with lots of supplies.  We think we’ll be “out there” for three or four weeks with minimal resupply opportunities and likely minimal internets, but we’ll try to keep posting if only via shortwave radio.  We are currently back in the no-name cove on the northwest corner of Hanson Island.  It’s a peaceful spot and just the right distance for a day run – about 15 miles.  Easy days.  And, we saw whales on the way here.  They first surfaced and “blew” about 100 yards away and we watched them over the next twenty minutes or so as they alternately dove to feed and came back up, until they headed out away from our route.

Anyway, we’re aiming to get to Echo Cove on Monday.  It’s another of those “have to see” spots up here.  Several local characters (Billy Procter, Pierre, etc), fun BBQs, etc.  We’ll keep you apprised.

So, other than resupply, that’s what we’ve been doing.