Echo Bay bay bay bay

By Aaron

We reluctantly left Kwatsi Bay bound for Echo Bay on a crisp and clear morning.  We passed some more pretty waterfalls.

We pulled in to Echo Bay, thinking we might need fuel.  Good thing we did.  We’ve never had a fuel gauge, and never really needed one before while doing local cruising since we carry 80 gallons in the keel.  We did buy a fuel level sender and a gauge before we left, and I installed the gauge, but the sending unit is still sitting on the nav station as I write this.  (In a pile of other uncompleted things I should have installed by now.)  Anyway, we took on 72 gallons so that was a close call!  We’ve been running the hell out of the diesel heater but our burn rate is certain to go down as the weather gets warmer, but I should probably stop procrastinating on putting the sender in. 

We anchor out most nights but decided to stay at the dock here.  It’s June now and these little marinas are starting to get crowded!

One of the reasons we wanted to stay was because we were told by Max at Kwatsi Bay that we had to stop and see a guy named Bill Proctor and his museum.  We asked around where we could find Bill and were pointed to a trail out past a bridge.  A bridge, I might add, that looked pretty rickety and dangerous.  So I had Nicole go first while I claimed to want a picture of  her crossing for the blog.

The hike had a few steep parts.

We arrived at Billy’s house on a small bay and were greeted by him and his dog, Goldie.  He said, “I suppose you want to see the museum.” 

The sticker on the door makes the point that wild salmon don’t do drugs.

His museum is full of interesting things.  From antiques and First Nations artifacts to laxative bubble gum and a fish lure with boobs.  Billy humbly says it’s just a bunch of junk.  But he collected most of it himself and every item has a story. 

We spent several hours here and really enjoyed talking with Billy, seeing the museum and the hand logger’s cabin that he built himself from a single cedar log, his workshop with a working forge, and his frog pond.  At last count there were 51 frogs.  Billy has lived around here his whole life, and if the history and stories of the area hold any interest to you a visit here is absolutely not to be missed.

We asked him for a recommendation for our next stop and he said we should check out Ladyboot Cove on Eden Island. 

So we did.