In Sullivan Bay, we enjoyed three fabulous days. We were again, the 'season openers' and enjoyed meeting the manager and hearing about all the amazing improvements they are planning to make this year. (See: https://www.sullivanbaymarina.com/). We had dreams of the general store providing some of our provisions, as we were getting low (i.e. OUT entirely) of fresh vegetables. We'd been 'away from stores' since Ganges, so about 3 weeks. I had planned to provision in Nanaimo but we didn't. So our menus were getting pretty creative.
Dan had ordered a replacement dipstick for our Yanmar transmission (the current one had fallen apart) and it was supposed to be in Sullivan Bay by Friday. But I don't think UPS knew that it was a float plane trip away from Port Hardy and we were notified that the address was 'incomplete'. So Friday came and went. The Sullivan Bay crew did get a replenishment to their supplies while we waited. (Check out https://marinelinktours.com/). We had plenty of canned food and that was what they got -- we needed eggs, chicken, and something that was more 'lettuce-like'. And we decided we could not not make it to Ketchikan happily with what we had onboard so we changed course to Port Hardy.
We finally managed to track down the package and had it redirected to Port Hardy as well. It was our first time in Queen Charlotte Strait, about 20 miles as the crow flies. We waited for a weather window to open in Napier Bay and were entertained by a logging operation for most of the next day.
From there we headed to Port Hardy across Queen Charlotte Strait and waited some more--but we used this time to do all the preparations that we could that come when being tied to the grid. Fill the water tank. Fill the fuel tank. Empty the Garbage. Empty the recycle. Grocery Store. Laundry. LONGER showers. Ace hardware.... Sunday came/went; Monday came/went. Package status was 'updating with new address' so we were skeptical.
Amazingly, our package came on Tuesday. With the moorage, and the shipping we were into a $35 part about $400.
And, come to find out, it wasn't exactly the right part, but Dan was able to make a makeshift cap for the transmission fluid using a wine cork, so we should be ok to Ketchikan. We do have another replacement for the cork scheduled to arrive there before we do. Many lessons learned on this one!
We enjoyed being in Port Hardy. We have had some great food that other people cooked. We've walked several miles each day. We crossed off many things from our 'we forgot x, y and z list'.
The fishing community is active, we've heard that the herring run has been good so far this year and perhaps that will be good for our Salmon and our whales. Onward!
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