Waking up to bright greens of the Forward Harbor forests we all topped off our coffees, readied our engines, and pushed off the raft one by one making our way back into Johnstone Strait.

Our time here in Forward Harbour was very recharging and offered us the cozy quality time with all our own crews who came together to make dreams come true in making such a trip happen.

With the winds having calmed, our venture into the strait was smooth and we made great time heading into Port McNeill. Cruising past Robson Bight we spoke on Michael Biggs legacy on Orca research and his pivotal observations in the presence of the differing subspecies which has led to the now known differentiation in locally recognized large familial resident populations and transient communities who are often more prevalently seen traveling in smaller pods.

Once in Port McNeill we directed all the vessels to their assigned slips and tied up our fleet one by one sharing laughs and smiles as our chemistry along the docks and communicating with each crew is very clear by just how swift our maneuvers are as a team.

Settling in and calling North Island Marina our home for the evening, we announced an invitation to everyone that we will be gathering at a local brewery for dinner and drinks to celebrate the time we were able to spend alongside a few crew members who will be headed home from here. They cruised alongside us for a stunning, and exciting week. Saying goodbye early was a hard moment for everyone. But as they say, we chose to smile because it happened rather than cried because it was over.

With the clink of our glasses and smiles at the warm sun, we all share stories and continued to grow closer to each other as the day faded along the coast. As we spent another evening here in Pender Harbour, we used the extra time to reprovision, reorganize, and get even more aquatinted with the vessels we call home.

Our last night at North Island Marina was stunning, and with the sun setting even later in the day as we continue north, we are all finding ourselves still getting used to the shift in our body clocks. Yet, this adjustment is nothing less than sweet as we are all able to spend a bit more time adventuring, enjoying our scenery, reminiscing on our moments together so far, and taking it all in.