We got lucky rounding Cape Caution yesterday. After a long few days of high pressure, the swells off the Pacific Ocean had dampened to ripples under a light breeze. This wasn't entirely luck, as we had proceeded with a little more haste than planned in order to put ourselves in exactly that position. Still, it was lucky to have the opportunity to make our break under those conditions. We were poking our noses out into the Pacific Ocean and it felt like a day on Greenlake - only bigger.
The planning had given us short hops to get around the cape in case conditions were rough, but we made the decision to blow by our intended target for that night and get around the cape while the getting was good. In retrospect, it would probably have been prudent to go even further than we did. What's another three hours after we've already done ten?
As it was we did one long day from Claydon Bay in the Broughtons, around Cape Caution, and into Fly Basin - then did the next three hours this morning. While we rested, the winds built up and got the Pacific Ocean rolling. Heading out into it to push ourselves into Fitzhugh Sound, the winds were moderate. The one foot chop and 3' swell was also tolerable while we were heading into it, but as soon as we were forced to turn north, we got rolled around uncomfortably by quartering seas that would have made it difficult to keep our breakfast down if we had had to endure it for much longer than the hour or two that we did.
Having a tase of it, we can see how difficult a rounding of Cape Caution could be. Ten hours of what we experienced this morning would have been miserable. The boat would have handled it just fine, but it would have been pretty tough on us. Add to that higher wind velocities, larger chop, bigger swells and it is clear that the rounding of Cape Caution is a passage whose name and reputation are well deserved.
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