This week we put some miles behind us, but it wasn’t packed with adventures like weeks past. After exploring the abandoned houses at Ethelda Bay, we decided to take Punga out around the outside coast of Barnard Island. We’d heard stories of Japanese tsunami debris drifting across the Pacific, and we wanted to see if we’d spot any.
We didn’t just spot it—we found a beach covered in it. Gas cans, water bottles, fishing floats (though sadly none of the old glass ones), a bicycle helmet, and even a brand-new package of men’s slippers. All moldy, all ruined, but still sobering to see. We picked up what we could and piled it onto Punga before heading off to explore a few more beaches. Then we saw wolf tracks in the sand, and that was our cue to head back to Tangaroa.
We tried for halibut and lingcod on the way back—no luck, just a ton of rockfish biting on my mackerel lure. Rock crabs filled the traps too, but those usually go back overboard.
The next day, Blaine and I had to face something weighing on him. Before we left on this journey, he’d been working on a Subaru rebuild in Victoria. When we bought Tangaroa, he handed the unfinished car project over to a mechanic. But the mechanic couldn’t even look at it until November, and that didn’t sit right with Blaine. It was eating at him, knowing the job was left undone and in someone else’s hands. So Blaine made the tough call: he booked a flight south and is heading back to finish what he started. It’s the honourable thing, and if you know Blaine, you know he couldn’t do it any other way.
So here we are in Prince Rupert. We haven’t explored much yet—though we did find the local pub—but Izzie and I are staying on the dock while Blaine heads home. The scooters are ready, so there will be some land exploring, and since my birthday is coming up, I’ve booked a guided fishing trip with DC Charters.
The goal?
Finally land a halibut and a lingcod. Izzie’s coming too so we can double up on licenses.
Wish us luck!
In the meantime, you can catch up on our new blog and live tracking map at onboardtangaroa.com.
You’ll also find our Tangaroa gear and details about joining our online crew. Memberships start at just $5/month, and they keep this journey going while giving you behind-the-scenes updates and perks.
Cheers
Blaine and Janis
What a week it’s been.
We started in Kitimat, where Roxy and Ruby (our trusty scooters) earned their keep. Provisioning was a 20-minute ride from the dock, and hauling back bags of groceries on scooters was as ridiculous as it sounds.
A Tim Hortons stop was mandatory (withdrawal is real), and we even found a brewery with a good IPA and “Hotel California” playing in the background—instant Canadiana.
From there, we made our way to our last hot springs stop: Weewanie. Honestly? Not our favourite. The bathhouse was so closed in you couldn’t even see the outdoors, and one woman’s cigarette smoke ruined what should have been fresh, coastal air.
Next came Hartley Bay, where we struck out on salmon again but landed our very first halibut! We grilled it up with beans and rice, and it was delicious.
Then at Barnard Bay we got an unforgettable sight: wolves feasting on salmon in the river. And there were so many salmon it looked like you could almost walk across the water. Blaine sent the drone up and caught some amazing footage. We also explored a shipwreck!
Meanwhile, humpbacks have been everywhere—so many in Whale Channel it felt like “whack-a-whale.” One even came close enough to nearly hit us.
We’ll be sharing more of this footage with our members this week in Wheelhouse Wednesday—wolves, salmon, and yes, the near miss with a whale.
A quick reminder: this channel is powered by our online crew. For as little as $5 usd/month, you can join our membership at onboardtangaroa.com.
Perks include bonus updates, behind-the-scenes content, discounts on Tangaroa gear, and access to our live tracking and new blog. Plus, you’ll be helping us keep the cameras rolling as we make our way north on the Great Siberian Sushi Run.
See you on the inside!
Blaine and Janis
Thanks for being here—we’re off to Esthelda Bay next!
What a week. We’ve been exploring ghost towns, soaking in hot springs, and keeping Tangaroa in one piece along the way.
At Swanson Bay, what was meant to be a simple overnight stop turned into one of our most memorable anchorages. Bushwhacking through the forest, we stumbled onto towering concrete ruins and massive steel cauldrons rusting in place. Walking among the moss-covered walls felt like stepping back a hundred years. Our drone revealed twin waterfalls pouring side by side through the forest, a sight we’ll never forget.
Butedale greeted us next with its roaring falls and the remains of one of the last northern BC canneries. We wandered through bunkhouses, machinery sheds, and even found a forgotten bowling setup inside an old building—Blaine bowled a strike on the uneven planks! We hiked to the lake and dam that once powered the community, imagining what it must have been like for the 400+ people who lived here, self-reliant and isolated.
At Bishop Bay Hot Springs, the whales stole the show. We were surrounded by humpbacks breaching, tail-slapping, and floating around us like they owned the bay. One whale breached so many times it sounded like cannon fire echoing off the cliffs. Between whale-watching, soaking in the pools, and sharing meals with our friend Paul from MV Rebecca, it was pure magic.
Of course, Tangaroa reminded us she still needs attention. Blaine welded a cracked generator bracket back to health, then installed slam brackets on our forward lockers. Next up—the aft lockers get their hardware so we don’t have doors flying open underway. These aren’t glamorous fixes, but they’re the ones that make life aboard smoother and safer.
✨ BIG NEWS: our blog is now LIVE at onboardtangaroa.com! You can dive into the full Swanson Bay, Butedale, and Bishop Bay stories with all the details we couldn’t fit here. Even better—our live tracking map is up, so you can follow Tangaroa’s path north in real time.
And don’t forget—we now have five merch collections, including Great Siberian Sushi Run gear. Plus, our membership program gets you extra updates, behind-the-scenes content, and discounts. Both are fantastic ways to support what we do and keep Tangaroa exploring.
