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Log Entry: Thursday, June 17th, 1999
Bartlett Cove to Blue Mouse Cove: 32.5 nm
 Ching gets warm ...
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Rain.
An uneventful sail "up-bay", as the Forestry people say.
At Blue Mouse Cove, we anchored (in the rain), and went below to warm up and relax. I
decided this was as good a spot as any to test the verticality of the rig, to see if we
could correct an annoying list to port. Part of the way through the measuring,
turnbuckle adjusting, and general movement about the deck, the Blue Mouse ranger boat came
alongside, and asked us how everything was going …
We had heard someone identified as "The Research Vessel" on the radio several
times. In the morning, we saw the research vessel for the first time, and heard it
announce that it was entering the bay to do soundings.
That morning, we also spent about an hour fishing off the dinghy before we left. No
luck.
It should be noted that Ching is enjoying life a lot
more now that we’ve come in from the outside coast. She sleeps a lot. In the morning,
she gets up whenever the first person gets up (usually me, as (a) I sleep on the outside
of the berth; and (b) I have to do the dishes as part of the cooking/washing bargain) and
makes it very clear that her breakfast is the most important thing that should be on
anyone’s priority list. After breakfast (which alternates between a can of wet food
and a handful of snack food) she goes back to bed!
If it’s a sunny day (we’ve had maybe two since Prince Rupert) she will lounge
about the cockpit, rolling on her back and soaking up the rays. If it’s not raining,
she’ll perch under the dodger, usually dozing. If it’s very cold, or raining,
she’ll curl up somewhere below.
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 and warmer ...
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 Tuning the rig underway
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 Ian fishing |
Bears.
Let me quote from the brochure entitled "Bear Facts: The Essentials for Traveling
in Bear Country"
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| Black bear (no, I didn't take this picture ...) |
" Bears don't like surprises! If you are hiking through bear country, make
your presence known - especially where the terrain or vegetation makes it hard to see.
Make noise, talk loudly or tie a bell to your pack. If possible travel with a
group. Groups are noisier and easier for bears to detect ... try to walk with the
wind at your back so your scent will warn bears of your presence. Contrary to
popular belief, bears can see almost as well as people, but trust their noses much more
than their eyes or ears.
Don't crowd bears ... every bear has a 'personal space' - the distance within
which a bear feels threatened ...
Close Encounters: What to do
If you see a bear, avoid it if you can. Give the bear every opportunity to avoid
you. If you do encounter a bear at close distance, remain calm. Attacks are
rare. Chances are, you are not in danger. Most bears are interested only in
protecting food, cubs, or their 'personal space'. Once the threat is removed, they
will move on. Remember the following:
Identify Yourself. Let the bear know you are human. Talk
to the bear in a normal voice. Wave your arms. Help the bear recognize
you. If a bear cannot tell what you are, it may come closer or stand on its hind
legs to get a better look or smell. A standing bear is usually curious, not
threatening. You may try to back away slowly diagonally, but if the bear follows, stop
and hold your ground.
Don't run You can't outrun a bear. They have been clocked at
speeds up to 35 mph, and like dogs, they will chase fleeing animals. Bears often
make bluff charges, sometimes to within ten feet of their adversary, without making
contact. Continue waving your arms and talking to the bear. If the bear gets
too close, raise your voice and be more aggressive. Bang pots and pans. Use
noisemakers. Never imitate bear sounds or make a high-pitched squeal.
If attacked. If a bear actually makes contact, surrender!
Fall to the ground and play dead. Lie flat on your stomach, or curl up in a ball
with your hands behind your back. Typically, a bear will break off its attack once
it feels the threat has been eliminated. Remain motionless for as long as
possible. If you move, and the bear sees or hears you, it may return and renew its
attack. In rare instances, particularly with black bears, an attacking bear may
perceive a person as food. If the bear continues biting you long after you assume a
defensive posture, it likely is a predatory attack. Fight back vigorously."
Jane's log:
"Motored up to Blue Mouse Cove for the night. We decided yesterday to limit
our trip to just the west arm of the park, so we could do more exploring at Reid Inlet.
"Came up via Whidbey Passage as the visibility was not too good for observing
birds on the Marble Islands. Spotted no whales even though we were in 'Restricted
Whale Waters'.
"The tide table was a little out!! So we ended up fighting a 7 knot current
off the Beardslee Islands, instead of hitting it 45 minutes before slack. We made 0
knots, or at least less than 1 knot, for over an hour! I got a chance for my first
puffin sighting, as they drifted by in the current, and Ian got to play with the
autopilot. We were just about to start trolling for salmon when our speed increased
to an incredible 3 knots!
"Another first today: we spotted a black and white iceberg as we came into Blue
Mouse Cove. There are in fact a few small pieces of ice floating around the bay.
"We saw one black bear onshore as we passed by.
"Ian adjusted the rigging to try and resolve the slight listing."
In an email, June Ng asked us a whole bunch of questions,
so we’ll try to respond here …
 | How dark is our tan? Well, in the last two months, we’ve seen maybe two hours of
sunshine, so we’re not really tanning very much. Besides, in Jakarta, we got into the
habit of covering up in the sun, so even if it gets hot, which in Alaska is unlikely,
we’ll probably stay pretty much the way we were. That said, Jane remarked tonight
that my face is a little red, and that maybe I should wear some sunblock on my nose
tomorrow. Perhaps there’s a lot of glare coming off the water …
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| Are we getting fatter or thinner? I think I’m losing weight; Jane thinks
she’s about the same. We’re both getting fit, after several years of Asian
sedentation... (well if it isn't a word it should be!)
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| Does time pass more quickly, or more slowly than on land? The passage of time, for me
at least, has lost it’s importance. I no longer wear a watch, and rarely become aware
of the time. On the other hand, knowing the time is vital when doing coastal passages, as
tides and currents can have a critical impact on one’s ability to negotiate a
channel, and they play an important role in determining the appropriateness of an
anchorage. So Jane still wears a watch ...
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| Do we crave shore food? I have to confess, I think I’m eating better now than
ever before.
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[I was able to determine that the mast was a little off centre, to starboard, so I
removed the locking rings from all the turnbuckles, and started moving the mast over to
starboard. I also realized that we had been using the starboard diesel tank, and that we
had a full waste tank and a hot water tank on the port side. All these things, plus the
off-centre mast, were going to contribute to our list. Also, I measured the distance to
the waterline mark on both sides, and determined that the starboard waterline stripe was
about 1.5 inches higher than the port waterline stripe.]
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