Part 7 Spring has sprung!!

Since my last posting there have been some very interesting and disturbing happenings in the world. We all are affected in some way by world events and although we are along way from anywhere, we are no exception.
The massive earthquake in Japan could have affected us the most with the resulting Tsunami. As it turned out we only saw some strange water movement and no damage to report.
Just to show how fast news travels, we were awoken at 2.00am by a freind who had seen it on the midnight news. She has travelled to us by sailboat so immediatly phoned everyone she knew on the coast to warn them. Further phone calls were received from 6.30am onwards, by which time we were listening to the news and had the marine radio tuned to the emergency channel.
Tsunami are a fickle thing and you never quite know what is the best cause of action. For us we secure boats, make sure everything is safe and have added protection from the many islands the wave has so negotiate before entering our bay.
As I said, we did not see anything here but there was different movement of water in channels where it usually is quite calm. Hard to explain and doesn't picture well but swirling and bubbling like boiling water in a pot but without breaking the surface! The water level did rise and fall in a very short time which was the only sign there was any problem.
 It is hard to imagine that the Tsunami wave was travelling at over 400 miles per hour! and that the earthquake was so large the whole island if Japan is now 8 feet closer to North America!!
We still keep abreast of the problems in Japan and can't imagine the hardships they are enduring.

So that bring us to a more happy thought......Spring!

Yes the first day of spring was sunny and warm. The garden opened an eye so see if it really was time to wake up and everyone enjoyed the warmth and the extra shot of Vitamin D.

A great day to go to the beach. This beach is just outside our bay, about a 3 minute boat trip. Not large but sandy, rocky and a nice place for both humans and dogs to swim. Have to admit at this point that the humans only swim in the summer but the dog loves it anytime!!

This time of year means the water is clear. There is a huge amount of sea life visible just from the side of a boat, or from our front deck!
We have a large amount of star fish of various sizes, shapes and colours. Some are in the rock pools on the shore and others live in the crevices of the rocks where they get good water circulation bringing in food.

Hope spring has sprung wherever you may be.  As the old timers used to say..... "I think we have the under cut in her"      This is a reference to hand falling trees. The undercut is the first cut!

Happy Spring!

Part 6 Weather update.

At the moment we are experiencing some quite unusual weather for the coast. Yes we do get some snow during the winter. Enough to make life interesting for  a few days but nothing to exciting......Well we now have 18 inches of snow and more in the forecast!!

It all start around mid Feb when we had a fall of about 5 inches. Most of that started to disapear until this last week. It got very cold and there was a wicked wind that brought the wind chill temperature down to around -15 or so.

Saturday it started again and sunday it snowed all day. By monday morning we had another 10 inches so the snow shovel was deployed!

Now snow is very beautiful but a bit of a problem on the floats.
Any floats that are already low floating seem to go down even more.
Snow is very heavy. There must be some sort of scientific explanation for the weight such as......
Size of flake x falling velocity x atmospheric pressure  =  a heck of a lot of white stuff!

One not very happy boat!!

This picture gives you some sort of idea of the amount of snow, and consequently weight, on the roof of the house!

The forecast for the rest of the week is snow in varying amounts all week.
Tonight we have a hurricane wind warning and the sea state between here and Port Hardy is to get to around 11 metres!!

Just a short post this time.....if there are no more it is because we have either sunk, blown away or left for Hawaii!!

Part 5. Boats!

Define Boat.    According to the Oxford Dictionary.....
Boat  (n&v) 1. a small vessel propelled on water by an engine, oar or sail.
                    2. (in general use) a ship of any size.
                    3. an elongated boat-shaped jug used for holding sauce etc.

A boat owners definition is...A hole in the water in which to pour money!!

Well at the last count we had 10 such holes!! That does not include the various 'boats' out of the water which, in my opinion, are not salvageable!!

We have boats propelled by oar and sail and engine so I guess we have it covered!

Our vessels vary in size. The smallest being an 8' kayak and the largest, the Tasu is 29'.
Of course there are reasons for having so many vessels. We do not have cars or other forms of transport. Boats are it! They get us from place to place and are part of our livelihood.
There are three people in this family so we have at least three boats each to choose from. Of course we all want the same boat at the same time!!

All the boats have a specific function. The 'big boat' (Tasu) is used for trips to Port Hardy, Robins charter patrol job where it is his home for the summer and for towing if we need to move either the house or logs around.
The work skiff is the general, everyday work horse. It is full of ropes, pike poles, chain saws and general equipment.   Oh yes, and holes too. You have to keep moving or your feet get wet. Thats why it has to be pulled up on the logs when not in use.
Robin and I also have matching patrol skiffs! ( I know it's very romantic).  These we use in the summer months when we are doing fisheries work. They both have 50hp engines and are centre consols.

For everyday running around we have two 'runabouts'. They are both 15' with 40hp engines. These are a little more comfortable with comfy seats and drive much like a car.
The canoes (3) we use when walking creeks and sometimes for evening paddles around the bay. Charlotte has a small kayak and an 8' sailing/row boat.
Along with all these vessels we also have a windsurfer and an older skiff which we put an electric motor on. Mum and Dad had fun taking evening boat trips round the bay in this. It is almost silent so great for wildlife watching as they can't hear you coming.

Boating can be a fun pastime which we all enjoy. It can be dangerous and very costly. All the maintenance we do our selves unless a large job such as haul out is required, then we have to make a trip to Port Hardy for the nearest boat yard.  Robin spends much of his winter months keeping up to date on the repairs etc so that when he is away we only have oil changes etc to do.
I have, however, got quite good at diagnosing problems and quite a dab hand at changing carbs!!

Keep boating till next time.

Part 4. A quick trip!!

For those of you who have been here, will know that we can do a grocery shop in  Port Hardy when the weather lets us cross Queen Charlote Sound.
Robin and Charlotte made a trip in the new year and as I had to renew my drivers license, I went with Robin again this week.
We had been looking at the weather for about a week and things looked good enough to make the trip.
Port Hardy is approx 60 miles but the water can be very dangerous. As it takes so long.....we have a slow boat......we are carefull to keep an eye on the weather reports and lighthouse reports.

We left home on tuesday morning at 6.00am. Sea state and wind ways gave us a 3 metre swell and a little wind from the north west, which would be behind us. Quite a pleasant trip with nothing very interesting happening.
We arrived in Port Hardy at 3.oo pm.
I walked up town to the insurance place, Robin walked up to a friends house to borrow their truck and we met up again in the drug store. Next stop was the welding shop to pick-up some pieces we had ordered then a drive down to Port McNeill to pick up more parts.
Port McNeill is a 25 minute drive heading south.
Back to Port Hardy and to the grocery store before they closed at 7.00pm.
Down to the dock to unload and then to the pub for a well earned lunch/dinner.
Up to our friends to drop off the vehicle then back to the boat and into our snug little bunks.
The fuel dock does not open till 8.00am so we had time for breakfast at 7.00am then across to the bay to the fuel dock.
Departure from Port Hardy was at 9.00am ready for the 9 hours home!!
The weather now was calm and if any wind was to materialze is was to come from the south east, again behind us.

We arrived home at 6.00pm where Charlotte had dinner ready.

This is what we call a quick trip to town!!
It gives a whole new meaning to power shopping!

We travel with a skiff for emegencies and you can see two barrels which we use for some of our fuel.
It was pretty chilly that morning. You can see that the harbour was frozen over!

There are a few sea lions who live on the floats at the mouth of the harbour.

Scarlett Point Light house is just out of  Port Hardy. From here is open water till we get to the mouth of Smith Inlet.

Sorry about the quality of the picture.
The island in the far distance is Calvert Island which is level with Rivers Inlet. That is about 50 miles from this point. There are a few 'rocks' which we aim for but you can also see that the water is very calm.....not usual in february!!

Looking west...next stop Japan!

This posting is just an example of how we shop and the travel plans we have to make. Not all these trips go so smoothly but no disasters......so far!!

Part 3. Location, Location and Transportation

So far I have told you about the weather and a little of how we live here. Perhaps the following information should have come first so you can see where we are located.

If you have google earth you can look us up at     51 28'39.02 N   127 39'53.78W

You should see a bay with buildings located on an 'L' shaped string of logs. Our house has a very pale green roof. Our 'old' house is tied at right angles to it. This picture was taken in 2005 but not much has changed since then. The only difference is that during our caretaking months, sept to june, the whole of that 'L' shape is filled with buildings. It is like having our own small town!
Zooming out to get a clearer look at the area, Dawsons Landing is already marked. That is where we go for the post office and general store.
Robins Mum and Dad live in Coopers Cove which is in the next bay so with a little exploring you can get a better look at our surroundings.

It doesn't take long for you to see that there is very little opportunity to get on the land. There are a few beaches but much of the area is very rocky and covered in dense forest.
That leads me to the transportation part of this missive.

To get here is either by boat or sea plane.
Depending on the boat, weather conditions etc you can get here in a little as 3 hours by water.
Our boat, however, is not that fast and so an average trip to Port Hardy, on the tip of Vancouver Island,takes 8 hours!
This may seem like a long time........it is!!  But....we carry all our groceries, fuel and supplies and so do not have to use the freight system saving many dollars.
The sea planes are much faster...but more expensive.
A one-way trip to Port Hardy is $160.   Now they do come right to the front door and you can be there in approx 40 mins.

This image is a DeHavilland Bever
Pacific Coastal are our local airline and run a scheduled flight to the inlet 3 times a week plus charter flight whenever needed.
The Beaver is a very popular plane for bush flying and carries 5 passengers.
These planes were built in the 1940's so are not what you would call modern, but they are a work horse being strong, manouverable and versatile. 

The 'Goose' however is quite the machine.
Built between 1935 to 1945!
They hold 8 passengers and as you can see are an amphibian which means it can land and take off on either land or water. 
Pacific Coastal has the largest fleet of 'goose' in the world and we are very priveledged to be able to fly in them. In fact people come from all over the world just to get a ride in one of these great planes.

Taking off from the strip is just like any other take off, landing however is a shock for those not prepared for the rush of water over the windows. Once in the air they are smooth and only a bit noisy. The pilots do hand out ear plugs an all the flights.

Again they come right to our door. Baggage is loaded in the nose and rear of the plane and then a short taxy out of the bay to open water. Steering is done, on the water, but foot peddles and the engines, so it is  tricky plane to manouver.

Not many people can phone an airline, ask for a pick up and get a plane right to their door!  We know all the pilots by first name and they will even alter their route slightly if whales etc are spotted from the air.
Flying in the this area is part of life. Small planes are heard most days. All are float planes.
Flying is a more expensive option but there are only two to choose from. Long, cheap and rough or short and expensive. You do however, see the country from the air, flying low over mountains, up remote inlets and landing in otherwise inaccessable locations.

Our own fleet of boats will feature in another episode so keep watching!

Part 2 Whether the weather......

Well it snowed ago. About 4 inches, which is not much in the scheme of things, but enough to make life a degree harder. We have had pretty cold temperatures so there was, and still is, a layer of ice on the floats already. This snow is light and perfect snowman/snowball snow.

The problem with snow!..... The heavy stuff causes concern with the weight on the floats. All our property is built on wood floats so any extra weight means they sink a little further into the ocean!  They usually pop back up after the melt, but never quite as far! We don't, however, have a problem with the commute! Work is right here at home.
The boats seem to do fine in the cold weather. Just a little reluctant to start and a cold seat awaits anyone who wishes to go boating.
The bay does ice over so we try to break it up and push the slabs out to be taken away with the tide. It does not get too thick but enough to pose problems. The smaller boats can break through but it doesn't do much for the bottom paint! The ice is caused by the amount of fresh water sitting on the top of the sea water.
We don't get too much snow but we always hope for the light fluffy kind.
In the cold weather the worry is keeping the water running. Our water supply is from a small creek where the water is diverted through a 2 inch pipe. For those of you who worry about water quality, we have a homemade filter on the intake and another under the house before it goes into the holding tank in the roof . The water has a weak tea hue but is very soft and I am told gives a very good shave!

If it looks like we are in for a long, cold spell then we leave a tap running on the outside. That seems to do the trick keeping the flow running from the creek.
 I do however, have problems with my washing machine. It is in a building where there is no heat so we do all laundry using cold water. The pipes going to it tend to freeze so after use we put antifreeze in and spin it through the motor. Yes we do live in the bush and have to improvise!
We do not have a dyer so we use the natural elements such as solar and wind. Freeze dried jeans are always fun!!





The weather normally is wet, windy and chilly in the winter but we do have good summers and often amazing springs. If nothing else the snow is very picturesque and is only here for a short time.

Life on the Inlet Part 1. January 2011

Well isn't this interesting?  I was inspired by some friends who have moved from Rivers Inlet to a remote fishing lodge on the  Queen Charlotte Islands. For those of you who think I live 'away from it all', they only have access by boat or helicoper! There are no schedule services AT ALL and Heather had to do 9 months worth of shopping to begin the job.
We are not that remote. To some it is the ideal location. To others a nightmare of planning and organisation. Not having shops just down the road can have its drawbacks, but we love it and can't quite imagine being anywhere else.
Back to my resons for blogging.
Many people are interested in our life here. We send emails and Christmas letters to bring everyone up to date. It is still hard to explain things in a short one page, end of year misive, so I plan to blog about once a month and include some pictures of 'Life on the Inlet'
Not sure how it will turn out but here goes.

To start 2011 the weather was, and still is cold, snowy and frosty. We also have some sunshine but as we live in Sunshine Bay that is to be expected!
As you can see the wood stove in the house is smoking nicely. Wood is our only form of heat, hot water and cooking so a full wood pile is essensial. During this cold weather the bay does freeze over and the water is in danger of stopping but we keep taps running all the time and that seems to do the trick.
For those of you who are new to where we are I will explain.
We are approx 60 miles north of the tip of Vancouver Island. Rivers Inlet is a fijjord type inlet going inland aprox 30 miles. We are at the mouth of the inlet attached to Ripon Island.
Population during the winter months is 17. Six of those are caretakers and move out during the summer.
We have a local store where our mail goes and they also have food, fuel, post office and liquor store and is the general meeting place.
The rest of the residents are scattered over a large area so we don't get to see each other too often!
Transportation is by boat or sea plane if you want to go 'to town'. There are no roads, electricity (except generators) and one store.
The children are, and have been educated by correspondence. They grow up with a very good sense of independance and maturity. Not much in the way of peer pressure here!

Over the next little while I hope to tell you more about life here, tell some funny stories and post pictures so you can see what I am talking about.

Till next time.

Robins Nest.