Sandspit encore...

Without Internet access for the past few days, we are now back in Sandspit, and thanks to Jim (the one-man-band-only-Internet-provider here) we're back on line at least for tonight. Cell phone service seems to only work near the airport in Sandspit (it helps to lean off the bow on one foot and hang on to the forestay) and any other time you can get it is a bonus. Apparently satellite phone service has become questionable over the last while and is sometimes an issue for emergency services here.

We've spent the past few days doing Sailing 101 - for those of you who are following Spot, and are wondering if we know what the heck we're doing or where we're going! We've been day sailing out of Queen Charlotte City around Bearskin Bay and Shingle Bay, getting Joy and Keith tuned in to the nautical vocabulary and teaching some skills.

June got the chance to see the inside of the Queen Charlotte hospital up close and personal on Friday morning (100% better now, thank you very much!) which slowed down our departure a little.

Docks in Charlotte City are basic, but solid,and everyone we've met here has been absolutely friendly, helpful, cheerful...
Facilities (stores, laundromat) in Charlotte are closer to the dock than Sandspit, and we had our orientation at the museum in Skidegate this morning. Our Parks guide, Jody, gave an excellent presentation and was most helpful. The museum itself is incredible; the site is perfect and the building and the collection are fabulous. Reid, Davidson, Edenshaw....

We didn't manage to connect with Kim -- sorry about that! -- for coffee, but maybe we can catch up when we come back from Gwaii Haanas.

Thanks to Kelly (June's sister) for the loan of her truck, to Gracie and Gail for "kidnapping" and babysitting duty -- Kelly, you've got the best of friends! Thanks too, to our housesitter Mel, and Mary for keeping the home fires lit and the cats fed. This is the longest we've lived on the boat at one stretch (and skipper and mate are still speaking :-)

We're setting off early tomorrow morning (and this time we really do mean early!) to start our trip down to Anthony Island (SGang Gwaay) We're expecting to see Hotspring Island as well (Gandll K'in Gwaay.yaay) on the way back. We'll be out and incommunicado for the next 2 weeks, but Spot will keep you up with our progress during this time.

Cheers,
Turicum