Kynoch Inlet to Butedale 55nm.

 As we made our way back up the inlet taking the opportunity to stop and take photographs alongside some of the steep sided granite walls in hope the size of Sarita alongside these stone cliffs would give some perspective of the scale of the place.

We made our way up to the head of Mathieson channel and through the Narrows. The wind had built to about 20 knots and was on our bow as we went through the narrows, funneled by the topography of the landscape. As we rounded Mathieson point and headed south west the winds changed to come from a North east and we pleased to be able to raise the sails and cut the engine and go downwind through sheep passage. We headed north through Heikish Narrows and into Graham reach. 

Tied up in Butedale

Butedale dock

Butedale dock

The old cannery Butedale

Spring has arrived

The old power house

Wolf print

Lou and Tiger in Butedale

Butedale

All our photography stops in Kynoch inlet had delayed us and it was getting late we were not sure if Butedale was still open. The guide books were very vague. We might get there by 9pm and if it was closed then we would have to carry on to Bishops bay, another couple of hours further on. We rounded the corner and entered the small bay. Butedale was once a thriving fishing town and cannery in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and was populated until as the 1980’s but it has fallen into amazing disrepair over the years and most of the buildings on and near the dock have crumbled into the water. There is however a caretaker insight – Lou Simineau – who greated us at the rather ram-shackled dock. We chatted for a while, had a beer and marveled at this ghost town.  We were very pleased to be able to tie up and not have to make another 3 hour journey to find a safe anchorage. Lou very kindly invited us into his house and showed us his artwork and giving a piece to Katya which now hangs in our salon on the boat. Lou told us stories of Spirit bears, wolves chasing deer, and wolverines and how somebody had recently bought Butedale and was going to start some renovations to the docks.