onboard the Great Bear II 6 June 2023

Up at 7, we found the crew busily making tea and preparing breakfast. Watched the sun come up over the looming Coast Range and got a little photo shuffling done. Taking lots of pictures, something like 100 yesterday.

Breakfast was avocado toast, poached egg, and lovely bread.

Suited up and on the Explorer, across the inlet and through tidal rapids into another inlet, where the water was mirrorlike and Eric crawled us along the eastern shore, where the rocks presented us with an amazing art show.

At the head of the inlet, the mudflats at low tide were alive with life, from worms and squirting clams to megafauna. Amazing how when large critters are present, even the most interesting small critters do not receive the attention we’d usually give them.

Another delicious lunch when we returned to Great Bear II.

In the afternoon, a marine excitement delayed the afternoon excursion, while ‘Yellow Cow’ had a steering meltdown and for awhile Captain Eric thought he’d have to go help out per ‘the Rules of the Sea’ as the closest able vessel – apparently an inexperienced couple on the aforementioned Cow managed to confuse their autopilot and steering system, and in a four way conversation with Prince Rupert Coast Guard, a commercial tug, the Cow, and us, it was finally worked out that we didn’t need to respond. Eventually they accepted the tug’s (for money) tow offer, but not before the Cow’s captain asked the Coast Guard to get his wife to stop harassing him.

R and I chose not to go on the afternoon excursion, but those who went saw plenty of wildlife and returned with three beautiful wild flowers for the dinner table.

at right: the conquering expedition returns

Dinner was salmon with a maple glaze, grilled zucchini, and sun-dried tomato pasta. There was extra salmon, and R and I tried, and appreciated some Sockeye. Dessert was Apple Pie Cake with maple sauce and whipped cream.

Dinner