Well Dave’s battery pack didn’t work. I guess L will have to suffer through Shogun. As long as she doesn’t start doing her hair in a topknot, I should be safe.

Up with the alarm and some yummy toast and coffee to go with the heat. Cold night last night! I returned Dave’s battery and started getting ready. In a moment of cluelessness I switched out the stern line for a spring line I preparation of leaving and watched my boat’s stern float away and the bow head right for Intrepid. I revised my plan. With the Shearwater properly tied up again I stowed the power lines and grabbed winch handles, radios etc.

We weren’t the first off the dock, but I slipped her out prettily enough and we were in line astern with Ocean Grace and R Shack Island.

Some boats are heading to Sullivan Bay tonight and some are going to Claydon Bay to anchor. Electra headed off around the south side of Malcolm Island to try to avoid any beam seas and the rest of us collected off of Pulteney Point and the picturesque lighthouse before heading across the strait.

It was a rainy, cold morning but unfortunately not much wind. R Shack Island raised sails first followed by Intrepid, us and then Corus. Eventually everyone settled in on different tacks. Eventually, eventually, far up ahead, I saw Ocean Grace raise her sails at last. Everyone else motored across leaving us far behind.

For the first bit winds were 6-8 knots but eventually they dropped and dropped, and we bailed first, firing up the engine after cruising 0.1 knots for four or five minutes.

After about 5 minutes of motoring I was staring at the Numas Islands off the port side and saw a big black shape pop up and then submerge. I grabbed the binocs and sure enough, we had our first whale. When he dived after 4 or 5 breaths I knew I had a humpback. Corus came up in our stern and told me belatedly to shut off my engine. Duh. We spotted Mr Humpback about 3 more times before he disappeared for good. Unfortunately for R Shack, they caught up just after the last sighting.

We raised the sails again to glide quietly in the direction of the whale and the winds picked up to 4 knots again. This time R Shack Island bailed first and we and Corus gave up almost simultaneously. I think it was R Shack passing us that spurred us to start our engines.

So we pointed ourselves in the direction of Wells Channel and motored in with our mains still up. Smiling and smug we were celebrating our awesome whale sighting. It hadn’t been on my wish list; I thought humpbacks too rare to hope for. So what could possibly happen but as I was coming back up from warming up below, that I should spot over L’s shoulder what looked like a big blob of kelp trucking speedily across our wake.

I told her to slow down and grabbed the binoculars. It weren’t no kelp. Sleek head, webbed feet, long tail, floating on its back…it was a freaking sea otter! Talk about things not in my list. I shoved the engine into neutral, then slow in reverse and we took turns watching the otter motor by. He ducked down and then came back up again several times and then we were too far away. A freaking sea otter. Man, I wish I had bought that new camera.

So, no pics of whale or otter but some awesome memories.

Right about then Ocean Grace radioed back they had spotted a humpback in Wells Channel off a fish farm. I have a funny feeling if Dave doesn’t spot it when we go by he’s going to be gnashing his teeth when he reads this.

The wind was gone when we entered Wells Channel and we were last in a line of three boats. Most of the power boats have radioed in to state they have arrived at their destination, but we’ve likely got an hour or more to go.

I forgot to mention two things about the Sointula socialist paradise that impressed me. One was the free bikes. They had a place where you could just grab a bike for the day to use as you will. Not a new idea, I know, but particularly appropriate on an island served by ferry. Why pay to ferry your car when you can grab (and return) a bike at your destination?

The other thing was a garden market box. Gardeners sign up and then deposit any extra produce or preserves in the box with a price tag. People come along, check the box, take what they like and leave the money in the slot (in an envelope indicating who the money is meant for). When we were there it was empty except for a few bundles of rhubarb. If we had this in Greisbach we wouldn’t have to go on clandestine raids to ‘borrow’ (i.e., liberate) rhubarb… Terrific idea!

Corus up ahead spotted Ocean Grace’s whale entering the narrows to Drury Inlet, but by the time we arrived it (he?) was gone. Down came the mainsail and L and I slowed to motor into Claydon Bay.

On one of the rocks that was exposed by low tide, there was a passel of seals sitting in the sun. Lazy buggers, they were on the only rock that would slowly be submerged by the incoming tide. Indeed one or two seals were already half sunk and one looked ready to float off at any minute. The rocks beside them that would remain dry were bare of their cute little bums. Like I said. Too lazy to haul their cute little seal asses up and down the rocks.

We dropped anchor at the east edge and fussed until we were satisfied we would stay put. Then we fussed some more as the current pointed us in the opposite direction we thought it would. Then we sat and watched while the damn boat did whatever the hell it wanted. In the end it looks like we will have plenty of room to swing.

[flexiblemap src=”http://macblaze.ca/kmz/Day14.kml”]
8h27m 33.7nm

Then it was beer, cider, sausage and some Trio, Tori & Toto. No, L has not left the 80s behind. Or the 70s. Or even the 60s for that matter. But I managed to relax despite the odd music. I’m used to it by now.

We did 32.7 nm today in 8 hours and 27 minutes. I’m gonna say that sailing is not for the are-we-there-yet crowd. But it was a great day nonetheless with some spectacular scenery at the end of it. Rocky, snow-covered mountains, small tree-covered islets, narrow passes and calm, glistening bays. Makes me wish I was a painter or artist or maybe one of those poet-type guys. Suffice it to say the scenery lies somewhere between seals sunning on a rock and sea otters floating on their backs.

The sun and rain come and go every few minutes. We have no bimini so I’m moving from the cockpit to sitting in the companionway and back, putting my jacket on and off and the temperature appears to fluctuate 20 degrees (Fahrenheit) each way. Occasionally I stare enviously over at Corus with their huge covered cockpit, but all I can do is say next time get a different boat. Of course we’ve had no trouble with our boat so maybe I should count myself lucky.

Tonight we have Ocean Grace, Corus, Electra, R Shack Island and us. The rest opted for the docks at Sullivan Bay where we will join them tomorrow. We are sharing our end of the bay with about four other boats as well.

Supper was garlic pita chips, tomato salad and some extra thick bbq pork chops. And a French red. I’m stuffed, tired and happy. And way too garlicky for polite company. No idea what the plan is for tonight. Maybe we will go for a row. Or maybe not.

So i sat up on deck and watch the boats twist in the currents and sketched a few boats for practice. Then it was down below and turn the heater on. Tomorrow is another day.