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island and to a lesser extent, Moresby Island were bitter reminders of the tension between loggers anc residents of these lands. Minor engine trouble gave us a rare opportunity to limp into Sewell Inlet, the logging camp for Western Forest Products. Buzz,the camp manager, made us very welcome,a truck at our disposal, tools, equipment, food, hot showers, and guided tours around the lunar landscape that was once trees. This was home to some 500 people, now five maintain the place, huge generators going twenty four hours a day amounts to $2000 of diesel per week, a Helicopter on charter to pop up to Sandspit for a drink, trucks, new one day, dumped as replacements, come in monthly, and the huge bodyless stumps of hundreds of years growth dot the landscape.

We moved on to immerse ourselves in the beauty as yet unravaged by man, through channels only deep enough for the keel at the high of high tide, the depth sounder screaming at me that’s it’s impassable and the deer stare at us, probably laughing to themselves. We walked in forests with moss so thick and green we rolled in it as kids on sand dunes. The sun spotlight- ing us in heavy mists, navigating when the person on the tiller can’t see the person on the bowsprit. Por- poises. playing with the keel, and whales unconcern- edly passing . Puffins, like wind up toy birds, squawk, flap by. Though we passed through other villages once inhabited by the Haida,the village of Ninstints on Skungwai was the one most magical, the poles stand- ing to proud attention, looking out over the small bay, and what stories they can’t tell are told by Wanagan, the caretaker of the island. We spent a lot of time in his spellbinding company, walking through the forests listening to trees growing, bashing out through the swells in his runabout to see Sea Lions, or eating fresh delicacies like sea urchins,venison, or salmon.

Storm bound in Rose Harbour we ate, drank(plum stone vodka?) in the cosy cottage of Goetz, a german, in his new found paradise, ferrying tourists around in his Zodiac, cooking meals from his bountiful garden, and offering accomodation to those that have none.

We waited out the storm for three days and on the third night called up Wanagan on the VHF for a weather report. He suggested we left soon, as after the storm passed Hecate Straight would be a mess with no wind. Considering the conditions outside our cosy boat we thought we would be suicidal to leave at that moment, but we decided that a Haida would know better, and off we went to once again hit Hecate. On a15 to 20 knot southeasterly we plowed steadily through the crashing sea all through the night, only loosing the wind two or three miles from the mainland coast.

On the return trip to Vancouver a number of minor incidents struck just to keep us on our toes, like the backstay(that holds the mast up) snapped, not once, but three times in heavy winds. At Hornby Island we drifted out from a bay dragging the anchor behind us and somehow avoided hitting all the big power boats that we had anchored in lee of, the night before. But by this time in our journey we were in tune enough to handle these things as all part of a days work.

If you are interested in travelling to Haida Gwai(Charlottes) and would like information on preparation, or alternate ways to visit | would be happy to chat about that spectacular part of the world. Rumour is that they will be a hot number in a few years for tourists. Maybe Queen Charlotte City will live up to it's name. Sewell Inlet, now a logging camp, is thinking of opening up to fishing tours for Japanese . Why not get there before then!

CHRIS CAREY

ISOJOURN

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We moved on to immerse ourselves in the beauty as yet unravaged by man, through channels only deep ‘enough for the keel at the high of high tide, the depth sounder screaming at me that's i's impassable and the deer stare at us, probably laughing to themselves. We walked in forests with moss so thick and green we rolled init as kids on sand dunes. The sun spotlight- ing us in heavy mists, navigating when the person on the tiller can't see the person on the bowsprit. Por- Poises playing with the keel, and whales unconcern- ey passing. Putin, tke wind up toy bids, squawk,

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CHRIS CAREY

ISOJOURN