Today’s journey from Echo Bay, BC, to Claydon Bay in Grappler Sound added another 29 miles to our trip, bringing the total to 519 miles. The day began on a high note as we spotted a humpback whale while pulling our shrimp traps first thing in the morning. It’s always a thrill to witness these majestic creatures up close, and it set a positive tone for the day despite the wet weather that followed.

The rain accompanied us for most of the journey, creating a misty, almost ethereal atmosphere as we made our way through the Broughton Archipelago. We tried our luck with some fishing along the way, but the fish seemed to have other plans—no keepers for us today.

The rain gave us a chance to improve some of our lighting onboard, a project that I had planned to do before this trip, but never got to it. Changing the look of our hallway from “hunt for red october” colors to “Star Trek” (not Deep Space 9) colors.

Now we’re anchored in Claydon Bay, nestled in as the rain continues to fall, riding out the storm. The steady sound of raindrops on the deck has a calming effect, making us appreciate the solitude and beauty of this remote location. While the weather has kept us mostly indoors, it’s been a perfect opportunity to reflect on the journey so far. The day’s adventures, from the morning whale sighting to the quiet moments anchored in the bay, remind us that each day out here is a gift, full of unexpected encounters and peaceful stillness.

Here is our whale count scoreboard so far for the trip. Last year at the end of the trip we could not agree on how many whales we saw, so I have been keeping the scorecard on this trip. So far 27 humpback sightings, a few orcas and a single minke.

Moments after posting this in the incredible rainstorm, suddenly it stopped and the sun came out. Time to put out the crab traps.

Here is a video flyover of the bay.