Shearwater to Khutze Inlet

Hands down, this has been the most amazing leg of the trip for me. I got up about 6:30 or 7:00 am and we were already underway. Margo, our trusty sailor and advisor, explained that this was the scenic route, and was she ever right about that. The waterway that we traveled on was calm and smooth the whole journey (50+ nautical miles). As our journey progressed, the channel narrowed and the hills and mountains around us grew taller and taller. We were finally in “The Fiordlands”. The day was sunny, with occasional clouds rolling in for dramatic effect.



About an hour into our trip, six playful porpoises joined us and jumped and played at the bow of our boat for a couple of minutes. We all ran out to the bow and were giddy with joy. Buck took some photos (I’ll try to get copies) but I was so thrilled with the whole thing that I hadn’t even thought to stop and grab my camera. If that had been all that had happened, it would have been the perfect day, but things continued to get better and better (with a few bumps along the way).

Just after our porpoise encounter, Buck and I saw a little otter-like creature playing in the water, just in front of the boat. He stayed put until the boat was right on top of him and then he high-tailed it out of there. Shortly after that, we had a whale swim up alongside the boat. We watched as his entire, massive body surfaced across the top of the water and culminated with the flick of his tail as he disappeared. Again, Buck caught the whole thing on camera, and my hands were empty.



After the wildlife adventures, Chef prepared breakfast and I took my traditional morning role at the coffee maker. To try to keep our garbage to a minimum, we’d been asked to use the garbage disposal as much as possible (yes, this yacht has a garbage disposal on board, and a washer and dryer and a water maker, but that’s beside the point). So, like every morning, I dumped the coffee grounds into the disposal. Well, this was a bad move. I managed to clog the drain, and this was a real problem because we’d just had the drain unclogged a day or two ago by one of the Grand Banks Service Geniuses (I realize now, that was probably because I’d been putting the coffee grounds in there the whole time). So, when I clogged the drain again so quickly after having it fixed, it caused a bit of upset on the boat.

It seems like the Captain and First Mate are fixing one or two problems (at least) everyday. Partially, this is because of their inexperienced crew who make bonehead mistakes, partially, it is because the boat is new and still being broken in, and partially it is because boat systems are just more sensitive than normal household systems. So, I was feeling really awful because I’d just added to their workload and clogged the drain. We agreed to have the Service Genius back so he could fix it once we anchored. Relieved that a fix was on the horizon, I went downstairs and used the head (toilet). And, it got stopped up. So, within 15 minutes, I’d managed to clog the sink and the head. I was feeling really, really low (and embarrassed). The Captain and First Mate explained that this was standard operating procedure and not to worry, but I was really stressed about my handiwork. Embarrassed, I headed out to the bow to try to relax and take in the view.

The area around us was so beautiful, I sat myself down on some cushions at the front of the boat, and wrapped myself around Cinnamon (Sanctuary’s dog) for warmth. Later, Chef brought me a blanket to keep warm. It was really cold out there, but the view and intense emotions I was experiencing kept me in my seat for at least an hour.


I took over 80 photos on that leg, sadly, most didn’t turn out very well because it was too sunny. While the sun wasn’t great for photos, it felt great to sit in.

The whole trip up, the crew of Sanctuary were dying to see a bear. We thought that this would be our day since we’d already had such incredible luck with the porpoises and the whale. At one point, Captain got on his loudspeakers and asked all bear to report for duty at waters edge. Sadly, they must have been on break at that time because none showed up.

All in all, the cruise took about seven hours, and it was beautiful and calm and amazing the entire duration. It was a truly thrilling trip that only got better once we reached our anchorage. We dropped anchor at the end of an inlet, with a view to one side of a snowcapped mountain sprouting an incredible waterfall. In another direction was a beautiful grassy valley, flanked by mountains. Behind us were more dramatic mountains and in the remaining direction (the direction from which we’d traveled) was the channel cutting through the tall mountains.

After arriving, we were quickly informed by the first to arrive that they had seen a lazy grizzly, just a few feet away, chewing on the bright spring grass. Later, other participants went exploring by dinghy further up the inlet. They came across another grizzly, just 20-30 yards away. When we heard this news, a number of us piled into the dinghy and headed up the inlet to see if we could also spot the bear. The shallow water (and borrowed dinghy) kept us from traveling too far up the waterway. We did have a chance to see a half dozen seals playing in the shallow water.

While we had been out in the dinghy, our Service Genius had stopped in and fixed the problems I’d created. He was gratefully asked to stay for dinner.

Outside, we had stunning 360 degree views, but my eyes were constantly drawn to the grassy valley and the mountains behind it. I spent hours on the bow just taking the view in (and taking countless photos of it).

While I was staring at the meadow, Chef made the most amazing dinner using the salmon she’d been given the night before. She made an incredible wine sauce to go over the top. I don’t really like salmon, but before going on the trip I’d told myself that I would eat everything Chef made, in an effort to expand my horizons. The salmon was amazing, probably the best salmon I’ve ever had. Chef is a genius. She also served some amazing cheese and salami, tomato bruschetta and roasted fennel, potato and onion. An amazing meal and prepared on a boat. The dinner conversation was fun and the company great.

Dinner and dishes were finished just as the sun was beginning to go down. I returned to my place at the bow of the boat, with iPod on and camera in hand. As I sat overlooking the meadow, I saw an object that looked interesting. I grab the binoculars, and sure enough, there was a huge grizzly bear eating grass in the middle of the meadow. I called out the others on the boat, and someone from our group radioed the other boats in the inlet and we all had a chance to see our grizzly.

After our bear sighting, things began to wind down. Buck, Chef and I had a glass of wine on the bow of the boat, and watched the light change and listened to the waterfall. Later, the clear skies allowed us to see millions of stars. It was an incredible anchorage and a magical night.