August 12

On August 12 we slept in, took showers and filled the water tanks again at Blind Channel Resort. The weather reports were very consistent at gale force winds gradually diminshing all day in Johnstone Strait and a decent forecast for Saturday (they have been very coy about Friday) so we all agreed that a slow trip to Forward Harbor, the last safe place before Johnstone, would be the best plan. After a great breakfast we headed out and followed the end of the ebb at 7kts (plus a 3 knot push to 10kts) out Cordero Channel to Welbourne Channel and Whirpool rapids at slack tide to Forward Harbor. Anchoring in Douglas Bay we zipped our crab pots out and did some kelp bed fishing so if we get the hankering for rockfish tacos.... No big ling cod yet. Then we took what should have been a short hike through the woods across the isthmus to Bessborough Bay. However, I left the initial routefinding to the 13 and below crowd and soon we were at an impasse and had to turn back to the beach. Once there I noticed a much more established trailhead and we had no trouble and made the easy roundtrip back to full crab pots!