We’re up at daybreak, again, hoping for better weather today.  The fog was gone, and the wind was blowing about 3 knots.  Nice.  We fired up the engines and headed for Johnstone Strait, hoping it looked better than yesterday.  To our relief, the wind was only blowing about 5 knots in Johnstone.  Now, all we had to do was make slack tide at Whirlpool Rapids, Green Point Rapids, Dent Rapids, Gillard Rapids, and Yuculta Rapids.  

Of course, there is a spring tide running, so we can’t fudge much.  We were able to get through Whirlpool with 5 knots of current against us, which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  Green Point was running about 2 knots against us, which was a little rougher.  Dent and Gillard were 3.9 knots against us, but Al didn’t have too much problem controlling the boat.  Then, we got to Yuculta.  At the entrance to Yuculta we had 13 knots of current going with us, and huge whirlpools and upwellings were like I’d never seen before.  Al steered us through like a champ, while doing 13 knots…. Mr. Toad’s wild….woohoo!  Once through Yuculta, we had smooth sailing all the way to Squirrel Cove.  

Squirrel Cove was a zoo.  We usually arrive here about 6 weeks later.   There must have been 50 boats in the anchorage, where there are usually just a handful when we come through in the spring.  I never saw one bird.  Sad.

We spent the next day recovering.