We awoke to beautiful weather in Alert Bay. The sun was shining and the air was remarkably clear. We were afloat alone in the midst of a tranquil anchorage.
After inflating the dinghy, we rowed ashore to visit the Cultural Center. When we landed the dinghy on the beach, we encountered a native man and his puppy. He was preparing to take a five minute "cold plunge" into the water of Alert Bay. He says he does this every day, summer and winter. He said the water remains roughly the same temperature all year. He said it was actually easier to take the "cold plunge" in the winter because the cold air made the cold water were bearable.
We then walked up the Cultural Center. It has a remarkable collection of Northwest native masks that were used in potlach dances. When the white man's government and missionaries arrived, the two worked together to criminalize the potlatch and thereby eliminate it. They took the masks and displayed them in museums and private collections around the country. It is only in recent years that the Northwest tribes have managed to get some of these valuable artifacts back. The Cultural Center has many of these masks on display.
At noon, we departed Alert Bay for Port McNeill. There we bought fuel, did laundry, went grocery shopping, and refilled the boat's water tanks.
In the afternoon, I fixed what I hope is the last remaining toilet leak. I also tightened the alternator belt for the high capacity Balmar alternator that charges the eight lithium house batteries. It signaled that it was loose, by squealing when I started the diesel engine this morning.
Mary went to sketch this afternoon.
We plan to depart Port McNeill tomorrow morning. We hope to get north while the weather remains so favorable.
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