7:30 a.m., July 6, Facing the dreaded Johnstone Straight

After three wonderful days at Shoal Bay, Rick and I gathered in the crab pot for the last time, deposted four nice keepers into Mark's crab hotel, and pulled up anchor. Rick had calculated just the right starting time to make it safely through the Greene Point Rapids and the Whirlpool Rapids. Winds were building, and we could see white caps in Sunderland Channel, which, they say, if Sunderland has white caps, its blowing like stink in Johnstone Straight. Hearing a report of "gale force winds" in Johnstone Straight, we decided to pull into Forward Harbor and wait for morning, when the winds are sure to die down. Rick had to ask another "mad anchorer" to pull up anchor up and move but otherwise we had a peaceful evening. We woke at 5:45 and were underway by 6:00 a.m. to avoid the dreaded winds of Johnstone Straight. It was wild at the throat of Sunderland but then we had a fantastic sail, using only the gib, all the way to the Queen Charlotte Straight. We heard via VHF that our mad anchoring neighbor wouldn't leave Forward Harbor for fear of the wind and waves in the Straight. Had he dared, he would have found Johnstone quite tame.