Pierless Blog - 2026-05-30- Port Neville to Port McNeill

May 30th - Saturday - Departure Time 6:15 a.m.   45 Nm Traveled

Neville was a great refuge from the wind and currents.  The wind continued into the night, but by morning it was mostly calm.  Tika (our neighbor on the dock) departed around 4 this morning.  The kayakers were likewise long gone on their paddle toward Alert Bay.

After the morning brew of java, we cast off our lines at 6:15 to head north.  Our initial plan was to go about 9 miles down Johnstone Strait, then cut north into Havannah Channel to get out of the rough waters and winds.  As forecast, the winds were quite low and the current with us, so we decided to wait until reaching Havannah to decide whether to push on down the strait to Port McNeill.  Continuing toward McNeill would get us farther in the direction we need to go to reach Haida Gwaii, so it was an appealing option.  In addition, Port McNeill was going to be our last stop for provisions and fuel before heading north past Point Caution.

A relaxing morning in Johnstone Strait (for once...)

There were many boats moving down the strait with us.  After several days of gales and waves, people were taking advantage of the calm weather to get as many miles under the keel as possible.  The decision to continue on to McNeill was easy.  It means a longer day moving, but it puts us in position for crossing Queen Charlotte Strait much sooner.

Route from Neville to McNeill

Johnstone Strait - Calm!

As the current began to turn against us, we moved closer to the west shore.  Going by, we took a peek into Telegraph Cove.  This is a cute little cove that is a popular destination for travelers on land and water.  I was there two years ago and enjoyed to time there.  A major fire destroyed a large section of the resort, including a very nice whale museum.  We could see the new construction as we passed by.

Houses near Telegraph Cove Entrance

We passed Alert Bay on the way into McNeill.  Alert is a popular stop.  There are few places on the coast with more information and resources about first nations culture that at Alert Bay.  The currents and time were against us.  We needed fuel, water and provisions, so continued on to McNeill before everything closed down for the evening.

https://www.alertbay.ca/about-alert-bay

Heading in we saw our first sea otters!  Very cute!

Arriving at McNeill, we queued up for fuel behind a coast guard boat and a fishing boat.  We then moved to a slip for the night.  We were able to dump our trash and recycling, then shop at the local grocery store.  Dave was looking for some meat and bought a chunk of ham.  He later discovered it was a ham hock!  Not the best cut for general consumption...

Masha (who we met in Forward Harbour) found us.  She needed to make some repairs to her boat, so would be in McNeill for two days.  We went to a local pub/restaurant/brewery and had dinner together, comparing notes on our travels.

Dave walked down the commercial pier and scored a bag of BC Spot Prawns - highly prized for their size and sweetness.  They are also a challenge to handle with spiny bodies and pokey legs.  He prepped them at the cleaning station on the pier and put them in the fridge for later.

Dave's Delight!