Fitz Hugh Sound is calm and scenic. The old fish processing facility and site of the community of Namu passes by with a brief glimpse on the port side. At the light house of Addenbroke Island, the first officer tells the story about the light keeper that was murdered in the 1920's and the alleged perpetrator, never caught. Not long after passing Addenbroke, Calvert Island to the west starts to curve out to the west and Fitz Hugh Sound widens out and before you know it you are looking out to the wide open Pacific with gentle (on this trip!) ocean swells rolling the ferry. The Captain makes several course corrections to try and run the ferry into the swells as long as he can before turning and then as the ship moves across Queen Charlotte Sound the swells start following the ferry. No sick bags were seen on this trip.
It takes a couple of hours and soon Vancouver Island and the islands at the top of Queen Charlotte Strait become visible. Closer to Port Hardy we take the route by God's Pocket and Scarlet Point Light House after passing by Pine Island.
Arrival in Port Hardy is in the dark and unloading takes a good half hour while they extricate the large RV's from their rather packed shipping arrangement and then everyone is gone. Total sailing time - 13 hours, total time on the boat - about 15 hours. A highly recommend, albeit slightly expensive trip, but if you want to do it one way and drive the Chilcotin the other, it's a good deal.
Grizzly
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We are very familiar with the Q.o.Chilliwack in Powell River, she has served on both the southerly and westerly routes, and frankly, 15 hours on her is a long time! :D
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