Broughton Archipelago 2022….. a father & son sail, kayak and fish adventure

July 30th to August 4th 2022

Steve, my son, and I have spoken for some time about doing a trip together which would mix fun, fishing and a touch of adventure. We examined a multitude of ideas and in the end settled on a made-in-Canada solution. I live on the Sunshine Coast (just north of Vancouver) which is on the doorstep of some of the world’s most stunning wilderness, Steve lives and works in Toronto and has a busy schedule so the trip would also need to be time efficient.

While looking for a kayak outfitter who would also be fishing-oriented I chanced upon an outfitter who was fishing “friendly”. When I contacted him it turned out that his island kayaking camp located on native land had its lease suddenly cancelled (a new chief had just been elected with new rules and priorities) hence he could no longer operate his base camp kayaking venture. He then proposed joining him and his partner on his sailboat for a cruise through the Broughton Archipelago which has been his home for over fifteen years.  An interesting proposition, we discussed the pros and cons of cruising at close quarters with an unknown entity … however, reviews of his previous operation were extremely positive and this was a unique opportunity, so we cast caution to the winds and signed on.

For those not familiar with British Columbia’s geography, Vancouver Island is the largest island on the West Coast of North America, roughly 460 km long and 50-120 km wide and stretches parallel to the British Columbia mainland. The Broughton Archipelago in turn is on the North Coast of Vancouver Island, with Port McNeil being the gateway to this unique area of some 200-plus islands…

 

Fast forward several months and on July 30th I departed the Langdale Ferry Terminal on the 06:40 sailing, enjoying the wonderful scenery whilst on the way to Horseshoe Bay to pick Steve up in Downtown Vancouver.

The ferry is on time and there is no traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge, I pick Steve up at his hotel downtown and then drive back to Horseshoe Bay in time for our 10:40 ferry to Vancouver Island which takes 1hr and 40 minutes.

We have a leisurely 1.5-hour drive to Campbell River where we are overnighting before carrying on to Port Mc Neil and our rendezvous with John who will guide us for the next five days. Campbell River is situated at the confluence of the Campbell River and Discovery Passage, the latter serving as the primary conduit for all vessels and marine life heading in and out of the Strait of Georgia (aka the Salish Sea). This gives us time to pick up a few last-minute supplies, making sure to purchase a lucky lure at the local tackle shop!  A nice walkabout in town and on the pier before an early dinner… and night, at the Above Tide Motel Motel … a tad raunchy but okay for an overnight, albeit with a good view of Discovery Passage from our room…

Next morning we are both keen to get started. On the way, we stopped in at Telegraph Cove which is another launching point for the Broughtons…it was also our pickup/drop off when Annie and I visited Paddlers Inn during Covid, a few years ago:  https://footstepsintheslowlane.com/2020/08/27/another-c-covid-induced-trip/…

We had left Vancouver in a summer heat wave and Campbell River whilst a bit cooler was still very warm…now less than 200 kilometres north it is a different world, the sunny morning has become cloudy and the temperature has dropped 15 degrees Celsius! Arriving on schedule we meet John, our skipper, and Aileen his partner/first mate at the government dock in Port Mcneill. Following introductions, we got our gear on board and received a quick overview of the vessel and the “rules of the road”. This is not a cruise where we will be catered to in all respects and the understanding is that we participate in the running of the boat and help with the various daily chores … cooking and cleanup though are for the account of the captain and partner.  If all goes well we will be on the Knot Again > a 42-foot sailboat for 5 days and 4 nights, experiencing the sights and sounds of the Broughton Archipelago.

By noon we cast off and head out, as we pass Malcolm Island John says he thinks he can smell a Minke Whale ( Steve and I exchange eye rolls), but after a bit, I spot a spouting whale and John confirms that it was stinky minke  …why stinky? because they have a particularly strong and rather unpleasant breath when they exhale: wildlife lesson #1! We have now left behind what few boats were out as we cross Queen Charlotte Strait in the direction of Bonwick Island.

….seeing some birds feeding everyone tried their hand at casting/jigging for salmon but it was  Aileen who ensured we had fresh salmon for dinner…

…then on to our first anchorage in the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park (blue tent on map) … click on the rectangle on the map below to enlarge the view …

…this area is known as a haven for kayakers and small boat operators as it is very sheltered, today is no exception although towards the end of the passage and with Steve at the helm it became quite foggy, as we passed a Fisheries zodiac scanning for whales…

…it is a great reminder that the weather here changes very quickly, with John encouraging Steve …”don’t worry, just follow the line on the Chart plotter”, as we both faintly saw the rocks on both sides of the boat guarding the passage into our anchorage for the night close to Bonwick Island (Dusky Cove). John took over for the anchoring process and Steve happily popped a beer …a successful trial by fire!!!

Dinner was family style in the galley and John told us about his previous life as a commercial fisher, his trips to Africa where he met Aileen, their joint love of travelling the land with their own truck and camping gear to see the wild animals >>> definitely an unusual and very interesting couple. She is a physiotherapist who conducts injury research focused on Rugby 7’s players … a sport which Steve played in high school and at the university level….so lots of broad-ranging and fun conversations each evening. The African vibe was evident throughout the cabin even including elephant, rhino etc. themed dinner plates.

 

Day 2

Our course to the second anchorage in the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park (purple tent on map) … click on the rectangle on the map below to enlarge the view …

It’s a foggy morning but after breakfast, it lightens up a bit, just in time for a kayak trip through the nearby channels and islets, first though we need to get into the kayaks: this maneuver involves climbing down to the dinghy and then “sliding” from the dinghy into the kayaks…all without going for a swim. It is low tide as we gingerly paddle out getting used to our yaks….no one is around, super quiet and a  great way to get a close-up view of this very pretty area…too soon we return to the Knot Again and reverse the process hoisting the kayaks on deck before setting off for our next anchorage…….click on pics below to enlarge…

Today we are heading deeper into the Broughton Archipelago via Retreat Passage, we soon pass by the native village of Gwayasdum located in Health Bay home to the Kwakwaka’wakw people on the west side of Gilford Island. We did not see any activity and the spot looked rather glum…….click on the pics below to enlarge…

As we headed further down Retreat Passage it turned into a pretty day: sunny but coolish.

 

The vistas turned increasingly interesting as we sailed through the Fox Group of islets and into Blunden Passage, passing by the interestingly named Insect Island…

..before entering Fife Sound…

Here the water looks agitated the consensus is that it looks “fishy”, which is a good thing when you are a fisher. The downrigger is deployed and the “lucky lure” we purchased in Campbell River is attached….we troll for a bit and as we traverse the rougher water …BANG, the rod releases, FISH ON, our intuition has paid off, Steve is on the rod and carefully brings it in, it is critical not to get the fish tangled with the kayak and dinghy we are towing…then John nets it and we have, “the one that did not get away”. Great stuff !!! A good-looking coho !!! …….click on pics below to enlarge…

… the lines were quickly redeployed on the downrigger and we made a few more passes hitting a few more fish, but these did get away. It is all good as we really only wanted to make sure we had enough fish for a hearty supper! The wind is picking up and it seems like the right time to head through the tricky passage into Booker Lagoon where we are anchored for the night, well protected from the elements. No, it is not time for cocktails yet, as the designated fish cleaner (your scribe) needs to clean the fish and then take the crab pot with its delectable aroma of fish guts (to a crab) and go with the dinghy to set the crab trap. Then another trip to the crab trap and we have a haul of several Reds and Dungeness crabs…the Dungeness go back in the drink > 1 female/1 undersize the Reds get cleaned so the chef can serve them as a first course. NOW, it is time to enjoy a beverage and talk about a super day!….click on the pics below to enlarge…

Supper is served topside …what can you say eagles overhead, crabs with garlic butter, wine and salmon as a main course with our hosts a bonus… The conversation flowed easily as we planned the next day which was rather straightforward: a kayak excursion, some fishing, some whale watching, some fishing you get the picture !! A full day and we all headed early to bed.!!!

 

Day 3

Our course to the third anchorage in the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park (orange tent on map) … click on the rectangle on the map below to enlarge the view …

A lovely morning, as we head out of the lagoon into Fife Sound and towards Queen Charlotte Strait as John feels the weather conditions are optimal to get some decent whale sightings, it is dead calm, ideal conditions for viewing wildlife on the water and everyone is quite excited…….click on pics below to enlarge…

…breakfast is al fresco as we watch birds wheeling in the sky and listen to the heavy breathing coming from humpback whales in the distance…….click on the pics below to enlarge them…

…..first up though we head to where a pod of  Killer Whales (Orcas) has been spotted nearby  ….we follow the pod at a respectful distance (John is totally committed to the viewing guidelines set down by the Department of Fisheries) ….. as background,  B.C’s killer whale population is divided into 2 distinct groups which, curiously, never mingle. Residents travel in large pods within predictable ranges and feed primarily on fish. Transients roam in smaller groups over large areas of the coast, feeding on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions and other whales. The pod we were following was resident, identified by biologists as A5 having returned to this area last year after an absence of some 20 years.  Interestingly, A single pod often has multiple families living together, with each family spanning as many as four generations…. truly beautiful animals: ….click on the pics below to enlarge them…

…we then motored toward Hanson Island alternating between jigging for rockfish/salmon and trolling….it was a bit, or perhaps more like big time crazy > birds overhead, Humpback whales breaching and lunging, seals cruising and everywhere eagles, ever the opportunists soaring and diving and fish doing what every fisher wants them to do: BITING…this basically went on virtually non-stop for the afternoon.

When trolling we are using an electric downrigger, in short, the monofilament line from the rod/reel is clipped to a steel line at which end is a cannonball, when the fish bites the bait/lure etc., the monofilament line releases (the steel line and cannonball are separately retrieved ) and the fisher fights the fish on a light line. The mooching rods and reels are unique to the West Coast …

 

…and there is no drag…when the fish runs you need to palm the rim of the reel with the cup of your hand to serve as a brake….sometimes in the excitement of the moment the spinning handles can catch one’s knuckles/fingers, gaining the reels the nickname of “knuckle busters”…hence the blood on my hand in one of the pictures below, and who said that fishing is not a contact sport !!! I got lucky and caught a nice fish…………….click on the pics below to enlarge them…

We watched humpbacks lunge feed, breach and slap their tails….we learned that the telltale sign of an imminent lunge would be the hundreds of birds suspended over the water, waiting for the whale to lunge out of the water resulting in thousands of small fish being either stunned or temporarily brought to the surface offering a veritable buffet for the birds and seals…humpbacks, unlike orcas, have no teeth instead they are filter feeders, straining huge mouthfuls of crustaceans and small fish through their baleen. They eat up to 3000 lbs of food per day which means this area is tremendously rich in feed…click on pics below to enlarge…

We are in a sweet spot patrolling an area at the head of Blackfish Sound and spend the next few hours alternating between fishing and simply being entranced by the spectacle of raw nature as the fish, birds and mammals seem to settle down then something triggers them whipping them all into a feeding frenzy before again settling down… a whale watching vessel arrives spends less than 10 minutes before gunning their engines for the long run back to Telegraph Harbor…

 

…we feel privileged to be in this magical place for as long as we want !!! Steve is still keen and hooks a lovely fish which he decides to release as we now have plenty to take home…….click on pics below to enlarge…

 

Well, it has been a superb day and it time to head back via the Sedgewick Islands to our anchorage in Dusty Cove where we were spent our first overnight.

It seems I am now the official fish cleaner, after which we enjoy, you guessed it another salmon meal:

but no one was complaining …just delicious. A very full day so another early night.

 

Day 4

Our course to the fourth anchorage in the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park (black tent on map) … click on the rectangle on the map below to enlarge the view …

The morning is overcast but super calm and after a light breakfast we get the kayaks sorted and head out paddling into Queen Charlotte Sound hoping to see some whales up close and personal but not today as there are only a few rather shy harbour seals eyeballing us, nevertheless a nice scene. After a bit, we find a spot to beach the yaks and hike up to a good viewpoint…very cool!! With the legs stretched out we head back through a series of channels to our anchorage….click on the pics below to enlarge them…

A late lunch on the water as we motor through roughly the same area as yesterday with more whale sightings eventually stopping in at the Farewell Harbor Lodge… to pick up some child sized life jackets as Aieleen’s sister and kids are coming for a cruise in the next few days. Then onwards to an unnamed anchorage …

Our last supper was a pleasant affair with a copious quantity of wine consumed with John treating us to a lovely single-malt whiskey which served to put an exclamation point on the proceedings!

 

Day 5

As this is our last day after we leave the anchorage we will be heading to Port McNeil (yellow line on map below) where our vehicle is parked and hopefully safe…

It was a bit of a rocky night as wind and some larger boats penetrated our anchorage making for lots of noise in the v-berth where I was sleeping and where the anchor is attached…not a big deal when you have a captain who knows what he is doing and it is not your boat. After breakfast, it is time to get our gear together as we still have several hours to port Mc Neil. We have a long day ahead of us with 350 km and 2 ferries so we need to start back by noon at the latest.

On our way back just as we were approaching Malcolm Island we ran into a raft of otters (which are making a solid comeback from near extinction in these parts) who were keen to give us a furry bon voyage !!!

We arrived at the dock in Port Mc Neil in good order, thanked our hosts for a wonderful adventure, loaded up our gear, got some ice and sandwiches then headed back to the Sunshine Coast without incident arriving quite late but happy with the outcome of our 5 day Broughton Archipelago trip !!!