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August 29

The morning started lazily with us still in bed close to 8. Then I heard a voice calling us. I popped my head up and there was Dave in his dinghy floating off our stern. Apparently the latest forecast had the winds changing sooner than previously thought and the prediction for tomorrow (when we were thinking of crossing the strait) was for 40 knots. So if we are gonna go, we go now.

So we went.

An hour from bed to up-anchor is nowhere close to Leslie’s and my record but it’s pretty respectable. The weather was gloomy and wet so we put the side panels up to cut the wind. Then we headed out Wells Passage for the strait. R Shack Island started out with two reefs in but we were going to wait. We pulled out the main loosely and engaged the racket so we could reef later. It was a bit foggy and the batteries were down on account of our having left the inverter on, so I wanted to charge them up in case we needed to use the radar.

Soon enough the winds climbed to 10-15 knots on the beam and we had been motoring for over an hour so we let out the jib and killed the engine. The winds continued to climb as I tried to figure out the right trim for a close reach. I wanted to point up a bit more to avoid Numas Island’s lee shore. Unfortunately for me the winds kept climbing and right off Numas we had to put in the reef. It went moderately badly and we pulled in too much, but we figured we weren’t going out on deck in 17-20 to let the ratchet loose and try again. So we sailed with a much reduced main. But in the end it was probably right. The winds began to climb to 20-22 knots and we were screaming along at 6-6.5 knots, occasionally climbing into the 7’s. A real sailorly type would have laughed at our trim but it was working for us.

    

A beam reach is more comfortable than the close-hauled sailing we had been doing with way less heel, but in a way it’s worse because when a gust hits you the boat wants to swing to windward despite your best efforts and gusts will tilt you over suddenly. You don’t heel nearly as far as you would if you were close hauled but the suddenness of bit adds a bit of adrenaline to the mix.

We kept this up for and hour and a bit and then the winds began to die back to 10+ knots. I whinged and whined, and eventually sent Les out to loosen the ratchet and free the reef. Then we tried to reef it again with so-so success. My sail trim wasn’t getting any better but our speed picked up. The rain at this point was driving sideways and I was soaked. But I’d started with rain pants on so was fairly well insulated. Was getting a bit on the chilly side though. And L wasn’t feeling the wind today so didn’t really want to take the helm.

As we ht the north end of Malcom Island the winds picked up again and we turned away to keep from getting overpowered again. But one big gust came up and banged the rail over into the water and then threw us into the wind. It hit about 26 or 28 knots. Since we were upwind anyway, we decided to pull in the jib. If we were going to get to Port MvNeill it meant beating against these increasing winds and I wasn’t up for close hauled in 28 knots.

Luckily right about then R Shack called and said they were going to motor. That suited me just fine. We started up the diesel and furled all the sails and started banging up wind against steep waves and 20-25 knots of wind. Luckily this didn’t last much beyond Pulteney Point, and then the wind and waves dropped down to where sailing made sense again. But we were too beat to beat and happily motored the one hour to port.

We cut across Neill shoal and beat R Shack in. There was a tense few moments when the dock girls couldn’t find our reservation (Dave had called as soon as he had bars) but they figured it out. With the predicted weather, everyone was either coming in to dock or staying put, and space was at a premium.

This time the wind was almost nil and I had three girls to help me dock, so of course it was a breeze. Nothing like last time. Dave had the more difficult job as he had to dock 90° at the end of a finger, but he pulled it off beautifully. And then we had a beer or two.

I think I now know what the exact definition of exhilarating is. It wasn’t “fun” while we’re doing it, but as soon as we stopped it suddenly seemed like maybe it was. Exhilarating.

After beer we decided pub food was on menu so we cleaned up and headed to Gus of the Appropriate Apostrophe for more beer and burgers. M ordered a fajita and made great inroads into it, but I think she was a bit surprised at the amount of everything that showed up. It even came with a salad.

Great food, great company, great sail: can a day get any greater?

August 30

This morning was another supposed ’sleep-in’ day that was not to be. Zak had boarded a bus yesterday and was due to arrive in Vancouver at 6:15-ish. He did. His baggage didn’t. I got a text at 6:10 telling me so. And if he got his transfer at 7:15 the luggage wouldn’t come until Tuesday, which was way too late for us. And there really was no place to pick it up short of Courtenay. Sigh.

After many questions and texts we decided he would wait for the next bus, which should have his luggage and we would try and fly him up instead. But of course Pacific Coast’s site wouldn’t take same-day reservations and the call centre hadn’t opened yet. But eventually, a little after 7 I booked him a 4:45 flight that would arrive in Port Hardy at 5:30. The marina has a courtesy van we can use to drive out to the airport, so that was all good.

Then the luggage didn’t show upon the next bus. The next chance was 12:30, which was starting to make Zak nervous as he doesn’t know Vancouver at all and would have to catch a train to YVR and then a shuttle to south terminal. But he stuck it out and even waited a bit while the bus was delayed. But just as he was pulling away in a cab, he got the call and turned around to get it.

W00t!

So luggage in hand he arrived at south terminal with another couple of hours to sit around before we could pick him up and end his very, very long day.

Meanwhile we had gone into town and scoped out the Fields and the bargain store looking for potential resupply. We found 3 t-shirts for $10 and some $9 loafers for the boat. We would go back after for underwear and pants if he didn’t get his luggage. We also checked out the Super Value, which is another grocery store. It had a different product line and a lot of it was better suited to us boater types. We headed back to the boat to take stock.

When we started to clean out the garage (aka the v-berth) I noticed some moisture at the front. There is a leak somewhere, maybe in the anchor locker. It’s not wet but it’s really damp. We hauled everything out and I also noticed our luggage was a bit musty since that forward locker was now wet. (It’s ok, it is supposed to be; it’s part of the bilge system. But it had been so dry I thought maybe it would stay that way.) So we bleached the bags and hung them to dry.

Then I cleaned up the berth and put the heater in there to dry everything out. Something else to monitor.

Around 12:30 we headed back up the dock hoping to hear that Zak had his luggage. Since he had it, we bought some fresh food and a few treats before taking some time to relax. Leslie napped/read and I fueled the boat and wrote.

At 4:30 I picked up the keys to the van and L and I drove through the rain about 50 km to the Port Hardy airport. We were a bit early so hung out in the van (to avoid paying for parking) and waited.

At a few minutes after 5:30 Z’s 26- hour journey was almost over. We drove back through the rain and hauled his gear to the boat and introduced him. Then everyone settled in, rearranging everything to accommodate another body. I BBQed some dogs in the rain and Zak weaved an aquamarine charm/pendant for the boat to please the sea gods and bring us good luck. Tomorrow is a 10 am start to get to Port Harvey as we begin our trek home.

Bittersweet.

August 27

Last night we had confirmed with Zak that he was coming for a visit arriving on Sunday. We had though we would be further south by now but some rearranging of appointments means we have a week’s grace. So Zak will do a 26-hour bus ride from Edmonton to McNeill and we will pick him up at the Greyhound so he can make the trip back to Vancouver with us. It should be a great trip for him.

Thursday morning is fuel day at the Sointula marina. So at 7 am sharp our next door neighbor fired up his big diesels and moved his boat down the dock. Apparently the Co-op fuel truck drives down to the pier and then fuels anyone who needs it. Also it is apparently cheaper and of a slightly better quality than going to McNeill. Huh.

So I got up. Mornings are chilly and when we opt to do without power like we did last night, there’s little I can do about that. Anyway, coffee and toast and we (I) was up and running. Someone else was a bit slower to rise and/or shine, but I’m not naming names.

I walked the dock, received an unnecessary but appreciated apology from our big loud neighbor and checked out the facilities. Then I headed up to the office to pay my $39 bucks. Back on board I started prepping as we were meeting R Shack out in the channel at 10:30 so I wanted to be off the dock by 10.

We’d had a new neighbor arrive off our bow so getting out was mildly tight. But a friendly fellow boat gave us a good shove so we cleared the Island Packet behind us with tons of room. The fellow who owned the 40-foot Packet was a retired Ontario teacher and very distraught to hear we don’t fish. After chatting a bit he was determined we would stay a few days while he taught me everything I need to know about downrigging and then he was prepared to let us have the old manual downriggers he just replaced that were built especially for sailboats. I think my demural was a bit of a disappointment.

We rounded the breakwater and basically idled while we waited for Dave to clear the McNeill shoal. Imagine my surprise when he came out in company with another boat. And soon it was clear that not only had he found a new friend but it was another Tartan! My last hope was crushed as they rounded the buoy, barely 50′ feet apart, two elegant swans heading for their pity date with the ugly duckling.

But when I finally fell into place in the little formation Dave gently let me know that the other Tartan (Raven) was off on a circumnavigation of Vancouver iisland and would be leaving us shortly. So there’s still
a chance…maybe…if I try real hard…I’ll be a swan too…

We motored for a couple of hours in the calm water and sunshine until the wind started to creep up. We gave sailing a try for 15 or 20 minutes, but the fickle breeze died and we had to fire up the engine.

A few minutes after we starte the engine Leslie spotted what she thought might be a whale. And then another. But it was awfully small. We spotted a few more as they surfaced to breathe. They had an odd hump behind their dorsal fins but were too small to be whales. A little research with my app and we figured they were Dall’s porpoises.

After we entered Wells Passage I spotted something while dodging a log, and lo and behold a whale surfaced alongside us, heading back out. We watched him come up for breaths four or five times as he slowly moved away. He looked different somehow from the humpbacks we’d seen, but I have no idea if he was or not.

A few minutes later we pulled into Tracey Harbour, our destination for the night. We had heard it was nice here and that bears in the meadows were a common sight in the mornings. We anchored at the end of this medium-sized inlet in Napier Bay along with R Shack and two other boats. I set our stern towards the creek and its grassy banks and we crossed our fingers.

Dave invited me over for a beer but Lealie opted for a nap. We caught up on the trials and tribulations of fuel filters and engine issues, and I sang the praises of Sointula’s marina. We are here for at least two nights and then we will head back to McNeill to pick up Zak. Dave might go into Sointula instead of McNeill.

I made some rice and a stir fry and the predicted rain started to fall intermittently. A few hours of West Wing and we wrapped up the day.

August 28

Although it was a warmer morning than we’d had lately, I fired up the heater since it had been raining most of the night and the air was damp. Then I boiled the water and made oatmeal muffins for breakfast. L emerged just as the muffins were coming out of the oven and had some warm breakfast.

I noticed we had left the inverter on all night and the batteries were flashing 12.2-12.3 volts, which is pretty much dead for the purposes of good battery life. After I killed the heater and turned off the inverter, it recovered to 12.5. That should do us until tomorrow. If not we have to borrow Dave’s generator and top up.

Then we cleaned up and did a few chores. I moved one of the LED bulbs to the forward cabin for Zak to use and we raised the salon table since we had invited D & M over for dinner tonight. Not sure exactly what’s on the menu: pork loin if it’s raining and BBQ chicken thighs if it’s not. Everything else will follow from that. Then we kicked back and listened to the rain. If it clears we will go explore this afternoon. If not, it will be a down day.

The sky cleared and we broke out the engines and explored. Beautiful country here although a lot of forestry remnants scar the countryside. Things like rusting steel cables and donkeys are left to their fates when the loggers move on. You’d think there would be some profit in scrapping it but I guess not. We explored for a few hours at idle, checked out a curious seal and then Leslie took over and zoomed up and down the shoreline. Kids.

Back on board we started dinner. I decided it was cool enough that I would cook inside, so it was pork loin on the menu. I added roast potatoes and a tomato salad to the list and called it enough. The loin was still raw when I took it out the first time and a tad overdone when I took it out the second. C’est la vie. The potatoes were great but also a bit crispy. But the salad, made with lemon as its acid — which usually doesn’t work for me — was terrif! Best I’ve made in a long time. So I didn’t totally fail C.

While I was working I popped my head up and saw Dave pointing his big lens at the shore. I grabbed the binoculars and sure enough two black bears were turning over rocks looking for a tasty crab dinner. Leslie and I watched them for over a half an hour before they wandered out of our sight. This might account for the slight dryness of the pork.

Actually during dinner, a fellow I had talked to in one of the other boats came by in his kayak to tell me about the bears — they were back. I had mentioned we’d hoped to see them and he wanted to make sure we did. Boaters are seriously friendly.

D & M arrived and we ate, chatted until dark and then it was time to call it a night. Good day. And we’ve decided to stay yet another so hopefully tomorrow will be just as good.