JUNE 26, 2016 MAKING OUR WAY BACK HOME

JUNE 26, 2016  MAKING OUR WAY BACK HOME

David suggested that we return to “rock central” and make reservations at the Laughing Oyster in Okeover for their Sunday night buffet.  We anchored again in Penrose Bay and had a beautiful sunny day to enjoy while David washed, sanded and painted a section of the deck. The highlight was definitely the buffet of roast beef, salmon and delectable side dishes.  One room was filled with 8^th grade students, parents and school staff celebrating graduation. There were only 12 graduates from this tiny Christian school.  We could hear the heartfelt and teary speeches of students and their teacher.

Our table was perched on the outside deck and we had an amazing view of the bay. A talented woman entertained us with guitar, key board and song. We chatted with a very pleasant couple sitting behind us who were from Bellingham, WA and were docked across the island at Lund. They own a Grand Banks which is on our list should we ever win the lottery.  They both worked for the USGS and met in Alaska while on assignment.  They had taken the one and only taxi from Lund, an old Hudson, to get to the restaurant. The driver donates all his fares to the Humane Society.

                                                                      A romantic spot 

                                                          CLASSY TAXI

The Malispina Peninsula seems quite populated. On the thickly forested coastline, several homes dot the landscape, some barely peaking out from surrounding trees. There are few boats anchored in the area, yet the restaurant was full of patrons. You can tell it is a real popular local’s hang-out and a favorite destination for vacationers. Well worth the visit.

We can hear heavy machinery on the peninsula and David said he heard trees fall. We are concluding that there must be some logging activity, but we would never expect its existence after seeing the lush wooden coastline.

While sitting in the wheelhouse chatting, a boat glided up past us and anchored just up from us. David asked if I could make out the boat’s name, so I checked it out with binoculars. To my surprise, I discovered that it was “Danny Boy”, the boat I was on during my “Sea Sense” boating class in 2007 outside of Anacortes. I did not recognize it right away because of all the new green canvas added to the stern and dodger. The boat was leased for our 7 –day Coastal Power Boating Course.  Along with 4 other female students, I was expertly instructed on the many facets of boating by Captain Patty. The experience did wonders for my confidence. I was the only student who actually owned a boat.

                                                        DANNY BOY

                                                                MAKING WAVES               

One of the pleasures of this trip has been the time spent reading. It is such a luxury.  I have often measured a vacation by the number of books I have read.  Thought I would share some of the books we would recommend for your reading pleasure:

The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell (Thank you, DW)…  Kurt Wallander Mystery

Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre (Thank you, DW)…True Espionage

The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharyn McCrumb…Murder Mystery

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown…  1946 Berlin Olympic Rowing Team

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr…  WWII Pulitzer Prize Winner

We left Malaspina Inlet and spent the next night again in Pender Harbour. We found anchorage in Hospital Bay this time and further endeared ourselves to our neighbors. We are a noisy boat with generator, engine and anchor winch…we hum, roar and clang. Leaving the next morning at 7:00 a.m with all the racket most likely left an indelible impression!

We decided on the way to just push ourselves to get home instead of stopping again in Howe Sound. It took us 9 hours and when we arrived, several friends were on the dock to help bring her in…always a welcomed sight.

                                         

                                 HEADING FOR THE VANCOUVER AIRPORT

NEW WESTMINSTER...HERE WE COME!

                             

After we were secured and had chatted with friends, we decided to just go to the local pub and have dinner. While I was walking out, a woman said, “You know, your blouse is inside-out.”  Guess I  really needed some sleep.

Until next time…

                                  CHEERS!

FUN BOAT NAMES;    NO WORRIES     JOY RIDE   BY GEORGE!  BIG CHEESE   PANACEA

  

JUNE 24, 2016 MINK ISLAND, DESOLATION SOUND

JUNE 24, 2016 MINK ISLAND, DESOLATION SOUND

It was a long wet day yesterday which was enjoyed snug inside our boat playing cribbage, watching movies and finishing our books. Late in the afternoon David realized that he had better check the water level in the dinghy. Good thing he did…there was at least 3 inches of water which was promptly pumped out.

                                                                PUMPING AWAY

                                  

We tried out some of our rock crab and David’s grandmother’s rolling pin came in handy to crack open the extra hard shell.  Mighty tasty.

This morning was as still as a sleeping baby. No rain but no blue sky either. It was the kind of stillness that feeds the soul.  Mornings on such calm waters are the most amazing opportunities for peaceful reflections (no pun intended) and the mornings come so early here…4:00-4:30… whether you’re ready or not.

We took the dinghy out to investigate the rush of water we were hearing which we had not heard before the rains. We discovered the tail end of a waterfall emptying into the bay and while cruising out of the sound, we spotted a new larger rain fed surge of water falling beautifully down the high rocky shoreline.

                                                           Oysters and a lost buoy

                                                                   Rope swing

                                                                 Rain fed waterfall

                                        We left for Elworthy Island which is across from the opening of Pendrell Sound around 9:00a.m. When we reached the island we anchored in about 100 ft waters. David wasn’t comfortable once we got hooked because we had too much exposure. We cruised over to the small nook of anchorage indicated on our chart, but there were already three other boats anchored…we were not going to fit.

We headed to Prideaux Haven which is in the heart of the Desolation Sound Marine Park area but while passing Mink Island, David spotted what looked like the perfect  anchorage on the southeast side of the island . We are now secured in 40+ feet and at present have the entire bay to ourselves. Mink Island is a privately owned island and not part of the marine park but is conveniently located close enough for us to take our dinghy out to explore.

The Marine Park is the most popular area of Desolation Sound and the summer season has definitely begun bringing with it many vacationing boaters.  We have found that most of the anchorages in the sound are more suited for smaller boats. Many of the coves are quite small and if we aren’t the first one there, most likely there will not be room for all 58 feet and 60 tons of us.

                      ALWAYS A RELIEF TO FIND HERE STILL WHERE YOU LEFT HER!

Last night while I was getting ready for bed, David called me outside. He had heard a whale surface outside the bay. We anxiously waited for another sighting but finally gave up. It was a lovely night just the same.

My worst annoyance on this trip has been the army of mosquitoes along the way. I have counted 52 bites so far. They love me, and I cannot help but scratch which compounds the problem. I know that my real purpose here is to sacrifice my body to keep them from attacking David.

On our way out to explore the area, a seal popped his head up out of the water and then a dog came rushing down the dock barking madly. A gentleman walking over to the dog called to us, and we motored on over to speak with him. Found out he was the caretaker of the island and the four modest homes that are here. One of the owners of Mink Island also owns the Space Needle in Seattle. The caretaker and his wife have lived on the island year round for fourteen years tending to whatever is needed to be done. The owners may visit only 2 o 3 weeks during the year.  He told us that one winter, the bay actually froze over and that he has seen up to 35 boats in the bay rafted together during a holiday weekend.  Thankfully, we will be heading out of this area before July 1^st which is Canada Day…a big boating weekend.

                                                      Hey, seal, I can match you bark for bark!

                                               

                                                     One of the houses on Mink Island.

                             Looks like a hot tub with a ladder leading to the bay to cool off.

                                     

JUNE 21, 2016 PENDRELL SOUND

JUNE 21, 2016  PENDRELL SOUND

Last night we took our secret weapon lures and set out for some fishing. I have not caught a fish for over thirty years and had not been fishing since our kids were young. We grabbed our rods whose reels had been expertly rebuilt by our frequent boating crewman, Geoff. Once we found our spot, David patiently instructed me on the fine techniques of tidal fishing. We needed to keep pulling up on our rods to make the shiny lure dance. At one point, we were drifting too close to some buoys so we brought in our lines before moving further out. As I reeled in, I felt some real resistance and thought I had hooked a big one, but amusingly discovered that I was attached to David’s line!  Not a good start.

David managed to hook a good sized yelloweye rockfish. He let me bring in his next hooked fish but it turned out to be just a bug-eyed Quillback rockfish…not a keeper.  I did get a tug on my line but by the time I reeled in 150 feet of line, it was long gone. I couldn’t keep the momentum going and had to stop reeling in a couple of times which is not how it should be done.  I am sure it was bigger than David’s. In fishing…size does matter. We had a grand time, though. I’m hooked!

                                                   The Belle peaking around the bend.

Before leaving Squirrel Cove, David made his way to shore and went clam digging. He tested a clam by rubbing it on his lips…no stinging sensation… so he proclaimed them safe.  He ended up only enjoying two that evening because his wife’s little voice of uncertainty kept ringing in his ears. He did, however, fix up some clam chowder that has been cooking away today and just might be far to tempting for me to resist!

                                                             David digging away

We took a 3 hour cruise this morning up Waddington Channel to deep Pendrell Sound. It was a peaceful journey all the way but the spot we planned to anchor in is now an aquaculture so we had to sweep the end of the sound for depths shallow enough in which to anchor. Our hook is down at this moment but we are doing a careful watch. There are rocks about. Along our journey there were miles of oysters attached to the shoreline rocks baking in the hot sun. Hard to believe they survive until the tide comes in.

The sound is home to several oyster culture operations. Reading our Waggoner Cruising Guide, I learned that strings of cultch material (often empty oyster shells) are suspended from floats in the bay until the oyster spat adheres to them, at which point they are shipped. Fascinating. And that, my friends, ends the educational portion of this blog.

The warmest salt-water north of Mexico is said to be found right where we are anchored with summer water temperatures reaching in excess of 68 degrees. On our little “cruise about” earlier, I tested the water…not so balmy to me!

The wind has picked up and we can hear what sounds like the anchor chain scrapping on the rocky bottom as the boat turns. We have our anchor alarm on to be on the safe side. We watched a sailboat come in, drop anchor and then attempt to secure a stern tie to the shore. The poor fellow in the dinghy was having trouble finding a spot on the oyster shelled shore to tie up and then had to climb over the rough sharp shells to a tree quite a distance from the water’s edge. Quite a feat in my mind. The whole process probably took at least 45 minutes with all hands on deck. We have in the past attempted our own stern tie a couple of times with little success or efficiency. We are choosing to turn in circles as the wind and currents command which is fine if both are reasonably mild and we have plenty of swing room.

Last night we watched the rain clouds make their way across the sound toward our cozy vessel while sipping on a “dark and stormy” cocktail. Our anchor alarm never sounded in the night, but it was still

was a restless night for us.

The morning has again brought rain. Our neighbors are shoving off but we are staying one more night. This will give us a chance to clean and tidy up below. David has resigned himself to the fact that the complete installation of the water maker may not happen this trip but, nevertheless, he is tackling it again today. It has turned out to be a bigger job than either of us anticipated. We talked about planning an Alaskan trip in David’s 70^th year (2018)…he should have plenty of time to get that thing up and running for a long trek north.

A new neighbor arrived mid-afternoon. It looked like a chartered yacht with five or six male passengers and what looked like three crewmen. They were making the most of their time here, paddle boarding, kayaking and hiking. One fellow even went swimming, and we didn’t hear any yelps of chilled surprise when he hit the water. I think this is the spot where friends told us they had gone skinny dipping. Ah, to have such abandon!

I was wide awake most of the night listening to the buckets of rain falling. It was quite the storm and the persistent leak above my pillow started to drip, drip, drip. I thought the clouds surely had unloaded their significant supply of moisture last night, but awoke to even more rain.

David is not felling well…he started to feel a cold coming on last night. Think we will be staying put at least one more night.

JUNE 15, 2016 GARDEN BAY, PENDER HARBOUR

JUNE 15, 2016  GARDEN BAY, PENDER HARBOUR

We awoke to sunshine and were greeted by two bald eagles perched on a tree branch gazing down at us as if we were breakfast.  Last night the rains fell, and we were rocked a bit by the giant wakes of passing ferries. Remembered to harvest our four crabs this morning (there were a total of  13 in our pots) before departing and decided to tow our skiff behind us which meant that every half hour, Pat was sent to the back to make sure it was still attached!

It was a 5 ½ hour journey to Garden Bay in rain and sunshine with just a gentle rolling of waves. We have anchored here several times without a problem but today it took us three attempts to finally stick it. The temperatures have ranged from low 50’s to low 60’s. Our heater is not working on this trip but so far, it hasn’t been missed. Our diesel stove keeps putting out some great heat.

David continues to tinker with our water maker. Yep, it’s still a work in progress. It was taken home in March and David fiddled with it ordering parts galore.  He is determined to get it operational which means for hours, he is working in cramped quarters twisted like a pretzel. Not fun.

What’s nice about anchoring out is that you can run your generator and work on projects with little annoyance to those around you. If there is one thing I have learned about owning a boat, it is that “There’s always something!”  One is never truly “done” with all that it takes to keep this baby floating and glowing.

Last night was a feast for the eyes!  Along with our fresh crab, white Chardonnay, and melted butter, David made fresh buns…we devoured them before they even had a chance to cool off.  And if that wasn’t enough…there was more apple pie for dessert!  Boating isn’t just about getting somewhere…it’s about getting somewhere in style and more than likely, returning a few pounds heavier!

We motored over to the Garden Bay Pub for lunch and sat out on the patio. I drank only one pint of beer but sitting in the sun made me a bit wobbly. I was weaving on our attempted walk so we decided to take a cruise around the harbor instead. I had a giggle during several attempts to step down into our skiff. Boy, I’m a cheap drunk!

                                                                Table with a view

                                                  Morgan car rally at the restaurant

The harbor is nestled against steep mountains of green. Unlike home, there is little sign of any effects of last year’s drought on the trees. Pender Harbour is a complex of several coves, many of which we explored gliding past some very lovely coastal homes. We were experiencing private dock envy! 

Saw some “handyman specials” as we like to call the seasoned boats screaming for some TLC. There is quite the contrast from small wood cabins to huge designer homes, old fishing boats to pristine yachts. Something for everyone.

                                                               Garden Bay surveillance     

                                                               Enjoying the sun

                                                                 A real beauty!

                                                            A real "fixer-upper"

                                                              We found Noah's Ark!

JUNE 19, 2016 SQUIRREL COVE, DESOLATION SOUND

                                                BREAKFAST IS SERVED
JUNE 19, 2016

SQUIRREL COVE, DESOLATION SOUND

We have been conserving water as best we can but we have already drained half our tank in just 7 days. We need to do better.  Knowing that Bruce had set up everything for us to take on water from his well, I took a much needed shower and even washed our sheets. It is Father’s Day, after all!

Bruce and Anita’s slice of heaven here on Cortez Island has always been a lovely destination for us. The only thing missing is, Anita and Bruce!  They left to attend a granddaughter’s graduation in Surrey. We spent the day cleaning, doing laundry and tackling minor projects. One of the neighbors came by admiring our boat and took some photos. That always puffs us up.

Another neighbor and his son went off fishing in the early afternoon returning with some beauties…rock fish.  We were told the secret to their success was using a Gibbs lure. We checked at the Squirrel Cove General Store across the bay but they were sold out…not such a secret, eh?

                                                 ONLY AT HIGH TIDE FUEL DOCK

We filled our 5 gallon tanks on the dinghy. We calculated the cost was about $5.00 a gallon. We won’t be filling the Belle here, that’s for sure! Met one of the new owners of the store…he seemed quite happy to be here and had the most pleasing and friendly manner. We wish him luck.

We were sitting on the bow reading when we heard a loud thump. Upon investigation, David realized the tide had dropped so rapidly and drastically, that we were now stern on rocks. What is it about rocks this trip?

We tried several times to move the Belle forward but it just kept sliding back. All there was to do was wait for the tide to flow back in and lift us up before we could move the boat forward away from the rocks. When we came in, we lined the Belle up with our friend’s boat the same way we did on our last visits. We did not notice that the WestBerg was now set further back closer to the rocks to allow their skiff to be tied up in front of their boat rather than behind it as was the case during our last trips here. We were not as observant as we should have been

                                                        TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

We have been spending 2 days at each destination on this trip so far. It’s a much more relaxed trip and that’s a good thing. David loves to tinker and this gives him time to do that without being rushed.  Right now he is installing a pulley on the dinghy for pulling up our shrimp pots. You have to drop them in 300 ft+ waters so hauling them up by hand is an exhausting task. David did it once…never again. This will save us the energy needed to prepare and eat them!

Father’s Day was made perfect by a phone call from Ashley and a text from Bryan and his good buddy, Brandon. We were not able to get the Warriors game on the radio and couldn’t go to bed until we found out what the outcome was. Called Ashley and just the mournful sound of her, “Hello” said it all. There’s always next year, right?

Our friends are building their own small cabin on their property. Last time we were here, it was just a shell and Bruce was working on the loft floor. Now it is all enclosed and siding, decks and walkways are taking shape. They are doing such an amazing job and we marvel at what they have accomplished on their own (with some help from neighbors and family). By next year, they should be snug in their new home looking out at their incredible view of the bay. Not bad.

                                                         MAKING PROGRESS

We are considering cutting our trip short a week so that we can get back to our home marina and work on repairs to the starboard side of the boat. We did manage to scrape her pretty hard during the Rosetta Rock incident. Bummer.

Took a 15 minute dinghy ride over to Refuge Cove to see if they had the lures we needed. It’s a cozy little marina with great ice cream. We did find the wonder lure. We are now armed and ready to take on the rockfish. Hoping to go out fishing tonight if it is calm.

There was a notice at Refuge Cove stating that the red tide warning had been lifted as of June 15^th. David has been chomping at the bit to go digging for clams, but I am still wary.

                                                               Low tide...steep climb!

JUNE 17, 2016 PENROSE BAY, MALASPINA INLET

                                                 Do you see what I see?

JUNE 17,2016  PENROSE BAY, MALASPINA INLET

From anchor up to anchor down today it was 8 hours. It was a glorious day for cruising…sun, blue skies and those wonderful puffy white clouds that shape your imagination.  We motored along calm waters passing Powell River and Lund while gazing at the white peaks on Vancouver Island to the west of us. I believe this is the first time we have actually seen snow on those island mountain tops.

A tug with a triple load!

We decided to try a new destination today so headed to Penrose Bay.  Dave was aware of the rocky bottom warning of the inlet and studied his chart and radar carefully. Our friend, Dennis, we thought had advised us to pass a small island along the way on our starboard side which we did smoothly (we later found out we had that all wrong). Soon after passing the island, we noticed the depths were dropping rapidly. At a 14 ft reading on our depth finder, we heard an incredible crash and then loud scraping. Our 7 ft. keel had hit rock…the Rosetta Rock to be specific.

We threw on our life jackets and surveyed the situation…thankfully; no water was rushing in below, but we found ourselves balancing on the edge of the rock. Our hull and propeller were clear but we were definitely listing to the starboard side.  I pulled the dinghy in and tied it to the side in case we needed it. For some silly reason, I began grabbing the laundry from the clothes lines on the stern…go figure!

David was so upset for showing what he termed “such poor seamanship”, but I believe that he showed amazing seamanship and skill getting us off the rock’s edge. The tide was coming in and in time it would have pushed us on to the top of the rock which would have made the situation even worse.

David used the power of the current and our mighty engine to set us free from our rocky perch. After three attempts, huge sighs of relief rang out. We slowly moved forward while all operations were checked.  There was a bit of picking up to do, as well, since during impact, several items found their way to the floor. A jar of salsa burst open all over the carpet below in one of the staterooms. I will definitely find another spot to store my pill box…I am sure to be finding pills on our floor for several days to come!

I am impressed how calm we remained, and even with the adrenalin rush and excitement, I managed to have the presence of mind to save our laundry!  We did plan to take our dinghy over to The Laughing Oyster restaurant that evening but we stayed put. We had good anchorage, the boat had escaped major damage, and we were safe. Why push our luck? 

                 A quieter and calmer moment during our day. Vancouver Island in the background.

A less substantial boat may not have survived it. If our prop had been damaged, we were cooked. Once again, the Lillian Belle proved herself well. We know how lucky we are and have gained even more respect for our mighty vessel.

After such an exhausting day, the calm peaceful bay soothed and rejuvenated us. We sat out on the bow reading for longer than any evening…the temperatures were pleasant and we had no wind to blow us back inside. We needed the serenity more than ever.

                                                   

The next morning our sunshine gave way to the liquid form. Patches of blue would materialize only to be quickly blanketed with gray clouds. Shades of gray are a unique beauty as it stretches from water to sky.  I am growing fonder of it.  

Before the day ended we took our dinghy over to The Laughing Oyster for lunch. If you can make it up the steep hill, you've earned lunch! We didn’t expect it to be so “fancy”…white tablecloths and all. We were in our boat gear but were welcomed warmly by our waitress and left more than satisfied. I was hankering for some greens so ordered The Big Salad which didn’t disappoint. David loved his linguini with pesto and mushroom sauce. The owner, David, seemed like quite the character…immensely personable. We would love to return sometime with our friends, Dennis and Pam, who recommended it.

                                                              Driftwood Art

                                                                  We get the best tables!

                                         Here's one way to protect an outlet from the rain!

                                    Returned to the boat in the rain, and once we entered, the wonderful smell of crab bisque hit us. Even though we were filled to the gills, it smelled amazingly appetizing. This morning we were channeling Forrest Gump and his “shrimp dishes” substituting shrimp for crab…cracked crab with butter, crab sandwiches, crab on corn tortillas as a breakfast wrap, crab cocktail, crab bisque….we have enjoyed all of them this trip. We are going to grow crab claws!

It was a restless night of sleep for David and me. I think we were still a bit “shell-shocked” and were thinking about the trip through M, alaspina Inlet planned for early morning. We hauled anchor before 6:00 a.m. catching high tide and zigzagged through  the inlet expertly avoiding any underwater obstructions.

We had a short two hour cruise to Squirrel Cove. Our friends, Bruce and Anita, are away for a few days but generously invited us to raft next to their boat on their dock which we have done twice before. We smoothly slid up next to the WestBerg, and I even lassoed a cleat to tie up to…cowgirl style!

                                                             Happy Skipper