Summer Vacation 2009

June 26^th	Victoria Plan Arrive in Victoria before 1500hrs. 24 nm Reality Sidney to Port Renfrew 110 nm	Pt Atkinson		Baines Channel			0800	22	+
Friday		0323	3.1		+-		0900	23	-
		0759	3.9		1005	- 4.4	1000	24	-
		1455	0.7	1400	1645	+ 4.0	1100	25	-
		2213	4.8	2030	0000	- 3.8	1200	26	-
							1300	27	-
				Sidney Channel			1400	28	-
					1102	-1.7	1500	1	+
				1513	1930	2.0	1600	2	+
							1700	3	+

0600hrs Coming out of the channel. There is a fish boat ahead leaving the harbour, otherwise quiet. I got up this morning at 0430hrs and took Trixi for one more walk, then a bowl of cereal for breakfast and off to the marina on foot to get on the road. Last night we had Marc & Pam over for late drinks after having dinner at the newly re-opened Stonehouse Pub. They had both been on the east coast last week for business and we hadn’t seen them for a while. My head’s a bit thick this morning. The fresh air is refreshing. We even have a north-easterly wind blowing out of the harbour this morning. Aiming to reach Sooke today and if the wind is too string at Race Passage, back to Victoria then.

0630hrs The spinnaker is up! It took a bit of work but the wind is just right. It’s mostly cloudy this morning with a promise of sunshine today (according to the weather people).

0700hrs The wind has died (typical) and I’m back under power, motoring at 5.5 knots in Sidney Channel, 2200 rpm. Let’s find out if the transmission seal is really fixed or not! The current is with me but not all that strong yet. I should explain the transmission seal. It’s been leaking out of the forward seal since last spring. I’ve had the engine out three times this year to take the transmission over to Gartside to have the seal “fixed”. I think he’s got it right this time! I’m hopeful anyway! The last time I brought it in was two weeks ago after our trip to San Juan Island. He put the transmission under pressure and found that the rubber seated seal walked out of the seat allowing the oil to escape into the engine. The new seal is metal backed.

0842hrs I’m just abeam of Ten Mile Point approaching Baines Channel. GPS says we’re going 7.4 knots so the current has changed in my favour. No wind to speak of, lots of turbulent water ahead. It’s still cloudy but sun is trying to get out. Reset the trip odometer on the instruments, it will be short 10 nm.

0915hrs Out past Gonzalies Point, out of Enterprise Channel. I can’t see Race Rocks 10.8 nm away. I’m still doing 6.5 knots over the bottom with the left over current. It’s absolutely flat out, not a ripple in the water. The Olympic Mountains are hidden by low clouds and mist. The sun is out and it’s nice and warm. Natasha managed to top out at 7.5 knots through Baines Channel with the current.

1000hrs The sun is out and it’s cold but warm. I’m about 2 nm in front of Victoria, decked out in my thermals and sweaters. It will get colder as I get closer to Race Passage, which I can now see. The clouds have all cleared and I have about a five knot wind on the nose, just a ripple on the water. No other pleasure boats in sight, just a few commercial crabbers and the Coho went by a while ago. It looks good to get through Race. About an hour away yet. It should be a five knot current with me when we get there.

1051hrs In Race Passage doing 8.1 knots. Pretty flat yet, just a ripple on the water from the five knot westerly breeze. It looks absolutely flat ahead. Sooke Harbour is about five miles ahead.

1200hrs I’m abeam of Sooke, riding up and down some pretty substantial swells already! Surprised they’re in this far from the Pacific! There is just a ripple on the water and a bunch of trailerable fish boats along the shore. I’m still powering with about 8 knots over the bottom. The maximum speed Natasha got through Race was 11 knots in some pretty turbulent water! I’m set to continue to Port Renfrew 33nm away. I don’t expect to get there until about 1800hrs, perhaps 1900, depending on what the wind does and how long the current lasts in our favor. It’s supposed to change at about 1600hrs to a big flood. Although sunny overhead, it’s hazy ahead so I can’t see Neah Bay yet. If the wind get’s stronger on the nose I’ll just turn and run back into Sooke. Last weather report had Sherringham at west 6 knots. The prediction is for 15 – 20 knots early this afternoon. That against the big ebb may cause some pretty rough seas! Clouds and showers by Saturday night! The wind is supposed to stay from the west for the next few days.

1325hrs. Still 23.5 nm from Port Renfrew, abeam of Sherringham Point. The wind is about 10 knots on the nose and there’s about a 2 ft chop riding on the swells. A few trailerable fish boats along the shore. I managed to contact Carey on the cell phone (who knew that I would get a signal out here!) to let her know about going for Port Renfrew. No boats ahead except freighters in mid channel.

1440hrs I’m at Jordan River and the tide has definitely turned against me. I’m under four knots against the current and wind. Clear skies and 15 knots of wind against. I’m up along the shore (very noticeable water color coming out of the Jordan River) trying to get out of the current against. At least the current is with the wind and so it’s still flat enough to continue.

1500hrs I believe I’m off French Beach, San Simon Point. The wind has eased somewhat, the surface chop has diminished a bit. I’m still at 4 knots over the bottom although I have cranked the engine up to 2400 rpm from 2200. Natasha is going through the water at about 5.5 – 5.7 knots with 16.3 nm to go. I should be there about 1900hrs. That should take about 4 hrs. I still have a long way to go.

1720hrs Off Sombrio Point. The sun is starting to fade towards the west. The sky is still clear. Not another boat in sight. I’m still 7.2 nm away from the entrance to Port San Juan. There is still a lot of current against and some of the swells are getting high enough that I’m looking up at them as they approach. The wind is remaining a constant 10 – 12 knots over the bow. The weather forecast for tomorrow morning is good, light winds from the west, so I think I’ll go into Port San Juan and stay the night.

1800hrs Well, that was a pretty ugly 37 minutes! I’m just around the corner of Sombrio Point, corkscrewing over the chop and swells. I don’t know how strong the current was at that point but it’s taken a long, long time to get past the point. I’m still 6.8 nm from Port San Juan and down to 3 knots most of the time in big chop and swells. It must be a strong flood around the point. I don’t know how I could have avoided that unless I went way off shore. Marc just left a message wondering how the first day had gone. I’m still getting cell phone connections out here. I texted him back and then phoned Carey while I was at it. The Ron called as well. A busy little time.

1915hrs Turning the corner at San Juan Point, into Port San Juan! The wind is purely westerly and I have the jib out! I finally have some speed on again, power sailing at 6 knots. Three boats fishing out here, the waves are still quite big, lots of white water on the rocks.

1950hrs The anchor is down just behind the so-called launch ramp at Port Renfrew. The wind is still blowing about 10 knots and it’s a bit rolly in here, but enough is enough. Time for a break, and tidy up the boat. The so-called “public wharf” is no longer “public”, it looks like it’s been taken over by some fishing company. The docks look like they’re in rough shape and were bouncing enough that I wouldn’t want to tie up to them anyway. There is a 35 – 37 ft sailboat anchored off the wharf and I’m by myself in behind here. Time for some dinner. The trip odometer says 59.9nm (plus the 10 miles before I reset).

Sailing 1 hrs

Powering 13 hrs

Propane 1 hrs

Distance 69.9

Fuel

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June 27^th	Sooke or Barkley Sound Plan Weather considerations, leave early, ebb until about 1700hrs. 18 nm to Sooke or 89 nm to Dodger Channel Reality Port Renfrew to Dodger Channel 36 nm	Pt Atkinson		Race Rocks
Saturday		0428	2.7		0046	- 5.1	0400	16	-
		0911	3.6	0459	0608	+0.5	0500	17	+
		1541	1.2	0717	1121	- 4.9	0600	18	+
		2249	4.8	1506	1852	+4.9	0700	19	+
							0800	20	+
		Victoria		Juan De Fuca East			0900	22	-
					0107	- 1.7	1000	23	-
					0649	*	1100	24	-
					1259	- 2.9	1200	25	-
				1642	1926	+2.0	1300	26	-
							1400	27	-
				Juan De Fuca West
					0618
					1206	-1.7
				1553	1840	+1.1
				2126

0500hrs I’m on the road already. The alarm went off at 0430 this morning and actually woke me up! I took one of the nausea pills last night to make sure I could get to sleep in the rolly anchorage. It actually calm down quite a bit and it was flat out this morning. I slept in the main cabin last night, nice and warm after the heater was on and the lasagna came out of the oven. But I was tired and by 2130hrs I was in bed and asleep very shortly thereafter. This morning it looks good for the trip up to Barkley. The wind is supposed to stay light out here with the clouds moving in this afternoon and evening showers. It’s part cloudy this morning with the sun still below the horizon, jet contrails up high in the sky in the sun already. I’m headed for the entrance to Port San Juan. It looks like the other sailboat is also getting ready to leave, he’s got his steaming lights on. The tide is dropping all morning so the current should be with me. It’s already blowing 19 knots from the west at Race Rocks. Good decision yesterday! 35 miles to go today!

0530hrs Abeam of Owen Point, coming out of Port San Juan. Lots of floating kelp beds around along with crab pot buoys. I have to pay attention. It’s daylight but no sun yet. It’s flat out with a low SW swell, lower than yesterday. The odometer reads 63.4. The sailboat following us is about ½ mile back.

0550hrs The sun just popped up over the hills, a lovely morning. There is a very light NE wind over the starboard quarter. About for commercial freighters out in the channel.

0730hrs Off Carmanh Point with light winds from the starboard quarter and low swells from the southwest. I can still get cell phone coverage out here! I called Carey this morning, she’d been up since 0430 (on a Saturday morning!) and took Trixi for a walk. Not even a long distance charge! It’s partially cloudy this morning with some scattered low hanging clouds. Mostly clear behind me.

0900hrs Off Tsusiate Falls, about a mile off shore. There is a whale spouting near the beach just like last time here (1991). There are also a few trailerable fish boats out here, I wonder where they launch? It’s got to be out of Bamfield or somewhere close to that. The seas have calmed a bit, the swells having gone down considerably since 0800hrs when it got rough. A passing sailboat headed east along with a power boat (trawler) about an hour ago. A few hikers along the west coast trail. 13.4 nm from Cape Beale. It’s almost completely cloudy now with high thin clouds. The sun’s heat is still getting through, most welcome.

1015hrs Abeam of Pachena Point, Cape Beale is now visible along with Seabird Rocks. It’s completely overcast now with low threatening clouds. Astern I can still see the band of sunshine. I may be getting rain earlier than the weather people think.

1115hrs Almost abeam of Cape Beale! It’s starting to drizzle! I’m decked out in rain gear and its’ grey all around. There are a few fishing boats out here.

1215hrs Anchored in Dodger Channel with one power boat in the rain. Very low tide and all the rocks are very visible. Nice not to be rocking any more! I let everyone know by text message that I had rounded Cape Beale and Carey phone right back, not realizing that it was a text message. Marc is doing trim at Bobby’s house in the sunshine. Ena has no idea where I am. Time to clean up a bit. The odometer says 100 nm (+10).

1700hrs Its’ still raining outside but reasonably warm. The tide has really come up and covered a lot of the rocks. I may have to move further into the anchorage if this rocking keeps up. After cleaning up a bit upon arrival I lay down on the settee with my most recent book and promptly fell asleep for two hours! I must have been tired. Since I woke up at 1500 I’ve been catching up with this log, transcribing from the voice recorder. Just discovered that I didn’t take my battery charger for the Nikon. I guess Carey will have to bring it out.

2030hrs The boat is rocking gently as the swells filter into Dodger Channel. The clouds are low, a mist hangs silently on the trees. A very light breeze from the southwest has the boat aimed into the low waves. It’s still drizzling, but it’s nice and warm and, with the new clear cover for the hatch, it’s still nice and bright in here. Dinner of steak and macaroni salad was very tasty about an hour ago. Even cleaned up the dishes. Now I’m sitting back with a glass of wine and updating the log while a CD plays. Early this evening I figured we were too close to the reef along the shore and so raised anchor and motored out to the western anchorage (which is empty). A bit more of a swell out there so I came back in and anchored closer to the power boat but further from the reef. I have 150 ft of rode out in 30 ft of water with good sticky mud at the bottom (lots of evidence when I hauled the anchor out). The rain is supposed to stop some time overnight or tomorrow morning, bringing a NW wind with it. We’ll see. I heard the weather report at 1700hrs and it was blowing NW 25 at Sherringham this afternoon, 19 at Race Rocks. Good thing I timed it just right (and got lucky!).

Sailing 0 hrs

Powering 7.25 hrs

Propane 2.5 hrs

Distance 40.1

Fuel

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June 28^th	Barkley Sound Plan Weather considerations, leave early, ebb until about 1730hrs 71 nm to Dodger Channel Reality Sail over to Bamfield public docks 3 nm	Pt Atkinson		Race Rocks
Sunday		0531	2.3		0137	- 5.1	0530	16	-
		1036	3.4	0542	0719	+1.1	0630	17	+
		1628	1.8	0856	1236	- 3.9	0730	18	+
		2324	4.7	1605	1942	+4.1	0830	19	+
				2205			0930	20	+
							1030	22	-
		Victoria		Juan De Fuca East			1130	23	-
					0201	-2.0	1230	24	-
					0813	*	1330	25	-
					1401	-1.9	1430	26	-
				1730	2010	+1.5
				Juan De Fuca West
					0119	-1.8
				0556	0725	+0.3
				0856	1309	-1.4
				1653	1929	+0.8

2230hrs Already! It’s been an interesting and active day. I’m sitting at the public dock in Bamfield, the canvas is in the hatch to keep the cool air out. It’s warm in here without the heater going tonight but it’s cooling off rapidly outside. There is still a bit of activity on the docks as late fishermen come in off the water, but it’s been pretty quiet at the docks during the day. However, to start at the beginning of the day…..

The sky through the open hatch and windows was clear at first light this morning after a bit of a fitful sleep. It got cold last night, about 8c (48F) in the cabin this morning! I guess the comforter fell off a few times last night and I got cold enough to wake up and pull it back on. A very quiet night with not a sound outside. There was a bit of a swell that rocked the boat gently all night. It didn’t bother me at all and I was up before the sun cleared the trees to the east. I wiped all the dew (and left over rain) off the deck, clearing the salt spray at the same time. Emptied the dinghy of about an inch of water, must have rained for a while after I went to bed. The kettle was on and, as the sun crept over the trees, I sat with my coffee enjoying the quiet melody of the morning. The power boat was gone so I was all alone, watching the crows and eagles. Beds of kelp drifted by in the current of the falling tide. There wasn’t a whisper of a breeze and I thought it would be a good idea to go for a row before that started (as always, around 1000 hrs when the weather is good here). Had a long row out to the western end of the bay and watched the swells crash against the rocks. I took lots of photos under a clear blue sky. Back at the boat by 0900hrs and I made an egg sandwich for breakfast and called Carey on the cel. She had been up since 0500hrs, walking Trixi and now doing laundry. She couldn’t sleep last night either.

Just as clockwork, the wind started to blow around 0930hrs while I was reading a couple of magazines. I wanted to wax the cabin top again but didn’t bring any rags!! I did manage to find the Nikon battery charger and Carey’s boots, items that I couldn’t find yesterday. Around noon Nicky called to announce that they had bought a townhouse on Lynden Drive in Ladner, 1600 sq ft on three floors. Possession date of August 1st and they plan to move in by the 15^th. The place needs some renovation before they move, painting and new carpets. I volunteered my time for the painting the first week of August. That should be interesting! Of course I called Carey to discuss. She’s a bit more concerned about their ability to pay than I am.

About 1415hrs the wind was up to about 20 knots with gusts at 25 and Natasha was skating around the anchor pretty good. I’d been tanning in behind the dodger and the sun was certainly warm enough, the wind a bit cool. I let out another 50 ft of rode so a total of 180ft were out in 20 ft of water. Lots of room, why not! But the chop in the bay was getting distinctly uncomfortable. The waves were coming the length of Dodger Channel from the west and with the rising tide, the reefs to the west would soon be submerged. I figured that it would continue to be uncomfortable with a pretty good expectation that it was going to get worse before it got better. Time to move! And that was a bit of a challenge single handed. All 180 ft of rode had to be pulled up against the wind. At least it was gusting so I managed to pull it up between the howls. Once out of the bay I rolled out the jib and we were off at hull speed at about 1430hrs. Only 2 5 nm to the entrance to Bamfield, about 5 to Robbers Passage and the Port Alberni Yacht Club. I opted for Bamfield to top up the fuel tank (bouncing on empty!) and sailed into the harbour in about 45 minutes only to find the fuel dock closed. I couldn’t read the sign for details and I’ll find out tomorrow if it’s just for Sunday or if there is a problem. Over to the Public Wharf at Bamfield West, lots of room to tie up. Then it was off for the 20 minute hike over to Brady’s Beach. Just as beautiful as I remember it, sandy beaches, rocky spires and blue water under the clear blue sky. I took lots of photos. No boats out sailing and very few people on the beach for a Sunday. I called Carey from the beach.

The tail back seemed shorter than I remembered, going to the far end of the trail to the boardwalk in front of the “town”. Not much action on a Sunday and not many people around. The docks are getting a bit more decrepit although there are tended flower boxes all along the boardwalk. I was back to the boat in time for a nice hot shower out of the sun shower bag. Felt oh-so-good to be clean again! A rum & coke soon followed with some snacks and by then it was 1900hrs already. I wanted to get back to Brady Beach for sunset at 2115hrs. Lots of time, just that the day seemed to have gone so quickly. On my way again at 2000hrs, cameras and flashlight in my backpack. The sunset was very pretty but not outstanding. The clear skies did not lend any color to the sunset although the scenery was spectacular. Back to the boat in the fading light by 2215hrs.

As here I sit at 2300hrs listening to Sirius radio (pops) with a glass of 05 Lemberger / Merlot and some chocolate. I seemed to have missed dinner tonight……

Some guy just came into the dock with what looks like about a 45 – 50 ft sailboat with bow thruster (that’s what I heard running). I gave him a hand into the dock in the dark. He says he came in from Victoria today, against 30 knots of wind. It looks like the boat could take it!

Sailing 1 hrs

Powering .5 hrs

Propane 0 hrs

Distance 3

Fuel

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June 29^th	Turtle Island Plan Sail to the Turtle Island anchorage Reality Go get fuel at Ucluelet and then to Turtle Island	Tofino
Monday		0638	2.7
		1239	1.1
		1909	3.3

0800hrs Pulling away from the dock at Bamfield! It’s a beautiful calm morning with crystal clear skies and a warm sun. I’m headed for Turtle Island today and, if the wind isn’t too strong, may just take a run into Ucluelet to top up the fuel tank and get some ice. We’ll see what the weather does. It’s the usual prediction of 15 – 20 knots from the NW. So far there isn’t a ripple in the water here.

Had a very good night’s sleep last night waking up to the sound of outboard engines being lit up with the fishing charter companies at first light. I managed to go back to sleep until about 0630hrs. Not bad for me! Got up and dried the dew out of the cockpit while the guy in the Hylas 54 next door prepared to get ready to go as well. He’s singlehanded as well, powered up from Victoria yesterday against what he said was bad conditions, slowed him down to 3 knots at times with solid water over the bow. Obviously he didn’t check the weather or tide conditions before he left! He says he’s done it six times now! Nice to have that big a boat to bull your way through!

Anyway, it was off to the fuel dock in the dinghy to find that they’re out of business! The other fuel dock only carries gas, no diesel. So I’ll have to go to Ucluelet at one point before heading up to Tofino. The fuel gauge is bouncing off empty.

0830hrs Sailing in very light NW winds, hardly a ripple on the water with clear blue skies all around. It looks like a bit of a fog bank out to the west.

0915hrs About half way across Trevor Channel and, right on time, the wind has picked up from the NW, and Natasha is now scaring the hell out of 4.5 knots. The swells are about 1 meter. The wind is about 5 – 7 knots and if the west coast is true to form, it should be up to about 10 – 15 in no time.

0930hrs As predicted, it’s about 12 knots across the deck and I’m all decked out in my sailing gear, it’s a cold wind. The choice now is to go to Ucluelet today and then perhaps back to Turtle Island this afternoon?

0950hrs Sailing between Village Reef and Effingham Island, out of the swells and still trucking along at 5 knots. Obviously headed to Ucluelet with the wind from the SW. In this channel we’re actually reaching, not on a hard tack. Looks like a fog bank hanging over Ucluelet. The weather reports are about two hours behind and useless.

1000hrs The wind just evaporated and I’m under power off the west end of Effingham Island. There is a narrow channel ahead with lots of rocks and reefs. Time for a banana and granola bar for breakfast. There is a wind line ahead.

1030hrs Powered into the wind line and now sailing again, hard on the wind towards the rocks and reefs in Coaster Channel. Thank heavens for the GPS chart plotter, it makes life so much less stressful! A few kayakers off to starboard.

1050hrs Out into the open again, sailing hard on the wind towards Ucluelet.

1100hrs I’m 4.7 nm from the entrance to Ucluelet, hard on the wind that’s back up to 12 knots across the deck. Two sailboats ahead and to starboard, powering into the wind.

1130hrs Tacked away from the shore and finally onto a starboard tack. It will take a few to get there.

1230hrs The engine is just on as I sailed into Ucluelet harbour with the steamer Francis Barkley coming up behind me. A great sail hard on the wind, some pretty big swells coming in off Aphrodite Point.

1300hrs Powering half way back out of Ucluelet under power with fuel, ice and water.

1310hrs Sailing off the wind as I leave Ucluelet, the wind is picking up from the NW. I will be gibing downwind to Turtle Island. The weather report is stating the swells are 2.1 meters (7 ft).

1500hrs The motor just came on behind the Turtle Island. I took the sails down and I’ll power through the narrow channel. A fabulous downwind sail under sunny skies with whitecaps doting the blue water. This is what west coast sailing is supposed to be about!

1515hrs The anchor is down in 30 ft of water with lots of room to swing, I let out 180 ft of rode! There are only three other boats in here, well scattered in this large anchorage. It’s time to clean up the boat and then have a drink! It’s been a long day without breakfast or lunch!

2240hrs Writing the log book inside as the sky gets dark. Dusk has long since come and gone but the western sky is still silhouetted against the trees on Turtle Island. The wind finally died about 2030hrs and it’s absolutely calm in here now. The furnace is on and the window is in the hatchway, it’s cool out tonight. My face is on fire so maybe I should let some cool air in. The satellite radio is playing some jazz and it’s very quiet out. To go back to this afternoon…..

After I organized the boat back to anchor status it was time for a bag of chips and a rum & coke! That went down very nicely. The sun was out but there was a cold 15 – 20 knot breeze blowing through the anchorage from the northwest. Very nice behind the dodger, not so nice on deck. I read my book for a while and then went out on a tour in the dinghy. The Yamaha started on the first pull, not bad for having been stored since last summer! Hat, sweater, jacket, life jacket, cameras and I was ready to go! I’d forgotten how big this bay was and how many small islets and channels there were! Kayakers and canoes everywhere with some large parties on some of the beaches (not parties as in carousing, just large groups). By 1830hrs the wind was starting to ease somewhat and I decided on an actual “dinner”, port chop, pasta in a tomato sauce and a red pepper with garlic. I got the BBQ going and started cooking and frying. Red wine too, of course. It tasted very good as the sun eased lower in the northwest sky. By 2030hrs the wind was completely gone and stillness settled over the bay. Absolute silence! Half a moon high in the eastern sky, the sun not yet near the horizon. But it was getting cool out. By 2100hrs I had moved indoors and lit the furnace, catching up on the log.

Sailing 4.25 hrs

Powering 1.5hrs

Propane 2.5 hrs

Distance 29

Fuel 54 litres

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June 30^th	Turtle Island Plan Stay in the Turtle Island anchorage Reality Stay in the Turtle Island anchorage	Tofino
Tuesday		0755	8.2
		1334	4.3
		2001	10.5

1530hrs Sitting in my shorts (sweatshirt still on) in the cockpit as I update the log. A perfect day so far! I had a very good night’s sleep in the main cabin with the hatch open to the moon and stars. Very quiet. I even managed to sleep in until 0730hrs this morning! Hard to believe! I woke up to a buzzing sound in the cabin and when I opened my eyes there was a hummingbird exploring the cabin! I didn’t move a muscle and watched it go from countertop to window to ceiling, hovering motionless and then darting elsewhere. Neat! Where is the camera when you need it! When I got up the sun was already well above the horizon in a clear blue sky. Not a ripple on the water, not a sound except the birds in the trees. A perfect morning! I wiped down the deck to get yesterday’s salt spray off, then made up a cup of coffee. Nothing was stirring in the bay. The humming bird (or birds) came back time and time again to hover over the sailcover and stern of the boat. I’m going to have to get a feeder that we can put up. After coffee I decided to clean off the waterline before the water got too choppy. The wind was predicted to be 20+ knots this afternoon. A quick scrub down got rid of all debris of the bootstripe and fouling paint at the waterline. A whisper of a breeze started up as I prepared breakfast. Once that was cleaned up I completed a bunch of long delayed rope work that I had been thinking about for months. I marked the spinnaker lines and down-haul for gibing marks, the spinnaker halyard for a full hoist (can never see the top of the spinnaker when hoisting), and the topping lift for proper set, all with seizing line. That went very well and was quickly finished. I don’t know why I waited so long! Then, before the wind really picked up, I put a coat of wax on the cabin top and filled up the shower bag. I had been listening to the weather channel and Amphrodite Point as well as Cape Beale were fogged in. And looking to the west I could see a thick bank of fog just outside the harbour, waiting to drift in. I grabbed the camera and went out for a quick ride to capture some shots in case it rolled in. Back to the boat and I started an earnest effort to clean up the interior of all of last year’s dust and debris. And there was lots! There is still lots to do but I had a good start. By 1315 I’d had enough and it looked to nice out to carry on. Back in the dinghy and, while the diesel recharged the laptop, cell phone and video cameras, I went exploring. Very pretty with all the channels and little nooks to get into. The strong winds held off and the kayakers were everywhere. One large group came through with what was obviously a tour guide. He was speaking in English and the interpreter was translating into German as he was speaking. And he never quit talking as they paddled through! There must have been 15 in the group. I returned to the boat and found that I’d been gone for 1 ½ hours! Didn’t seem that long! Time to get into a new book and a can of coke. A perfect afternoon. The wind is just now beginning to get brisk in the gusts but it’s not nearly as cold as it was yesterday. The fog bank as dissipated. And it’s almost 1600hrs already!

2130hrs Already! Again! How time flies when life is so good! I’m sitting in the cockpit with a blanket over my legs and a sweatshirt, no jacket yet. The wind died about an hour ago and it’s still very pleasant out. Dire Straits is on the CD and the moon is chasing the sun. Not a sound in the bay, it looks like everyone has gone to bed!

This afternoon turned out to be about as perfect as it could possibly be. The fog held off and the wind turned warm! It never got up to yesterday’s gusts and it just wasn’t cold. I started a new book while the lazy afternoon wore on. Had a shower about 1630hrs and continued to clean up the inside of the boat. Getting there. Fixed the squeaking shower grate so that should be much quieter now. Then I went for a row to get some exercise and ended up speaking to an older gentleman on a Cape Dory 24 power boat from San Diego. They, of course, had trailered it up and launched at Port Alberni. They were headed to Ucluelet tomorrow and eventually Tofino and then up to Friendly Cove. Ambitious in a small boat! He hadn’t done that before so had some questions. Of course, he used to own a Catalina 36 and sailed it from San Diego to the South Pacific so he’s been around some! Then it was back to the boat for “dinner” of cheese, pate and crackers. A glass of 06 Zin as accompaniment as the sun fell towards the trees. Ron called to find out where I was and what arrangements Carey had made for Trixi. We had some discussion and it looks like they will pick her and Trixi up on Saturday morning and take her to the bus station. Carey called about half an hour later and, as it was her last day at Sidney Casuals, she and the gang went for dinner. She had just got home. She’ll be calling Ron.

Plans for tomorrow? Not sure yet. What I am sure about is that the weather forecast changes from day to day and they haven’t been right yet. As usual they are calling for a gale warning for Vancouver Island south, just like today. That didn’t happen. No mention of the fog we had today either. So we’ll see what happens tomorrow morning. Dependant upon the weather in the morning, the forecast and sea conditions when I leave here around 0900hrs (I hope) I will get to either Ucluelet, Effingham Island or Tofino. It’s already Wednesday so I need to start making my way north again. A day in Effingham would be interesting, but only if the fog doesn’t roll in like today. We’ll see in the morning.

It’s a perfect evening although there are some high clouds drifting in from the west. Suddenly too. It would be great if a SE or SW wind came in for tomorrow, reaching for Tofino.

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Distance 0

Fuel 0 litres

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July 1^st	Tofino? Plan Get to Tofino (26 nm) or Ucluelet (7 nm) or Effingham Island (6nm). Reality Out into the deep and back to Ucluelet	Tofino
Wednesday		0304	3.0
		0917	8.2
		1436	5.2
		2055	10.5

0830hrs The power is on, the anchor is up, I’m on my way out of the Turtle Island anchorage after a very pleasant stay. The sun is warm in a clear sky and there’s just a hint of a breeze rippling the still waters. What a morning! The humming birds were around again this morning but not in the cabin. I woke up at first light and grabbed my camera, put it on my chest and waited, dozing off more than once. I could hear them buzzing around the boom and backstay but they never got close enough to photograph. I finally got up at around 0700hrs to wipe the heavy dew off the decks. Getting to be a ritual! The coffee and honey cake was a good breakfast while I listened to the crackle of the weather report. Very light winds along the shore but a 3 ft rough chop with SW swell at Amphrodite Point doesn’t sound all that promising! It’s blowing 25+ NW off shore (gale warning). We’ll go see what it’s like. There are three hummingbirds hovering around the spreaders!

1005hrs Abeam of Amphrodite Point still motoring. There has been no wind! The swells look pretty impressive crashing into the rocks along the shore. I’m into the 2 meter waves already. 18.5 nm to go to Lenard Island, maintaining 5 knots over the ground.

1035hrs Change of plan, I’m headed back to Ucluelet or Effingham, whatever the case may be. There is at least a four foot chop on top of the SW swells, not pleasant in any way. I’ve just about buried the bow in a couple of the waves and then launched off others, crashing into the troughs. I really don’t want to do this for three and a half hours! There’s no wind out here. I have three days to get to Tofino yet.

1115hrs Into the harbour at Ucluelet, into flat water. I decided here instead of Effingham. Effingham is another 9 miles to the southeast that I would have to cover again tomorrow. I’ll stay here today.

1125hrs Natasha is tied up at the last spot on “E” dock facing the condos across the water. It’s warm in here, time to take some layers off and get into shorts.

2010hrs Sitting at the dock in the Ucluelet harbour, sipping on wine and munching on chocolate. It’s still very warm out and I shouldn’t have put my sweatshirt back on! It’s been a wonderful day in beautiful country although perhaps not the most beautiful town! The docks are full tonight, the fishing fleet is in (I don’t know if they go out anymore!) and quite a few cruisers in a split between power and sail. It’s pretty quiet on the docks tonight. After arrival this afternoon I walked up to the harbour master’s office and paid my $22 for the dock space (right at the end of “E” dock, perfect!) and $5 for wi-fi. He asked if I wanted to go to town as he was headed that way anyway so I grabbed the ride (about 1 km) to “town”. The town had a July 1^st celebration going on with a singer, face painting, free hot dogs and cake. It was pleasant although not really well attended (maybe I was early). I walked over to the Co-Op and picked up some steaks for tonight, some potato salad and buns and a few other items, then walked back to the boat. A very pleasant afternoon of a slight breeze under sunny skies and 23C while I read a book. Boats came and went, people walked the docks. I went for a walk to take some photos and explored the Canadian Princess at the head of the dock. I would have stayed for a beer on the forward deck but I hate to drink alone (another sip of wine please). The afternoon whiled away as the tide rose to cover the mud flats. It’s a perfect evening. I checked my messages and there’s nothing there that needs my immediate attention. The weather forecast is for showers by Tuesday. We’ll see. The forecast for tomorrow is light winds in the morning (although it’s still blowing hard off shore) and increasing to a gale warning in the afternoon, just like every other day this week. The alarm will be set for 0430 and on the road by 0500hrs if the lighthouse reports are reasonable. The swell will always be there, it’s the chop from the off shore winds that will dictate going or staying. Today was reported as “3 ft rough with a 2.2 meter (8 ft) SW swell, no wind”. Not pleasant!

2215hrs Just back from town to watch the fireworks display. Kind of unique. They’re firing them off the fantail of a classic wooden cruiser. Obviously not really enough room so they fire off a bunch, then there’s a long delay while they recharge all the containers, then fire off a bunch again. There’s a cheer and boat horns after every bunch. Probably about 50 people down there to watch on a perfect evening. They’re still at it as I can hear them from here. Small town at it’s best.

Sailing 0 hrs

Powering 3 hrs

Propane 0 hrs

Distance 16.9

Fuel 0 litres

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July 2^nd	Tofino? Plan Get to Tofino (22 nm) Reality Get to Tofino and past to Quait Bay.	Tofino
Thursday		0408	2.6
		1033	8.2
		1542	5.6
		2149	10.5

0450hrs Quietly away from the dock as dawn breaks over Ucluelet. The only sounds are the diesel and eagles calling. A couple of fishermen are preparing boats at the Canadian Princess. The skies are clear, heavy dew on the decks. I can hear the surf crashing against the shore on the outside. I’ve taken my medicine, the weather channel is reporting 2 ft chop on a low southwesterly swell, but that’s at 2200hrs last night!

0530hrs Off Amphrodite Point in generally the same conditions as yesterday. But I’m prepared today! Onward, through the waves! It’s going to be ugly. The latest lighthouse conditions at 0440 report one foot chop on a low southwest swell. 18.6 nm to go!

0600hrs A second sunrise as the sun reappears from behind a mountain to the east of Ucluelet. 15 nm to go. Not a ripple on the water. It’s not a southwesterly swell, it’s more like a westerly, just off the port side bow, a bit more comfortable than yesterday. I’m looking up at some of these larger swells.

0700hrs The C-Dory just past me to starboard, headed to Tofino. The chop has subsided somewhat and we have a ½ to ¾ knot current with us which is pretty apparent as we dodge all the crab trap floats out here. There is a mist along what should be Long Beach to starboard. I’m 9 nm from Lenard Island.

0800hrs Still 3.7 nm from Lenard Island, just off Gowland Rocks. It’s sunny and warm with the sun up. Carey says that it’s supposed to reach 27C at home today. The swells have not diminished but the chop isn’t so bad anymore. Saw a couple of whale spouts, one so close off the bow that I could smell the air (foul, rotten fish smell). Of course, every time the whales spout I can’t get the camera ready in time, I have to hang on with one hand to keep from getting thrown about in the cockpit with the waves. A very light NW wind. Oh, and there’s the usual gale warning out.

0820hrs For some reason the seas have become much steeper and shorter. There is a real risk of the bow burying itself in one of these! It must be the current against the swell as I approach Lenard Island. I’m doing 6.5 over the bottom, about 4.5 through the water.

0838hrs Just as suddenly I’m in almost flat water! I’m behind the protection of Lenard Island and the water ahead is flat. Kind of hard to believe that it was so rough just a half mile back. Time to get out of some of these cloths as it’s now quite warm out. Now to decide where to go today.

1032hrs I’m about ¼ mile from the narrow entrance to Quait Bay. It’s been motor all the way with not a ripple on the water, shallow water too! I had to adjust the depth alarm from 20 ft to 10 ft as it was going off way too often. I’d forgotten how shallow many of these passes are. I’m going into Quait Bay for at least the night. A couple of fish farms on the approach.

1045hrs The anchor is down in 30 ft of water, it’s warm out. Time for shorts and maybe a nap! There is a floating resort in here and a couple of floats at the end of the bay. I’m real tired, probably the energy it took to drive here combined with the medication (and lack of sleep!).

2020hrs A very relaxing afternoon. A nice breeze just ripples the water of the bay as the sun is settling into the hills to the west. The sun is still about a ½ hour from setting and it’s cooling off nicely. A rather odd observation considering I’m out on the “wet” coast! Waiting for it to cool off!? The temperature hit 25C (77F) today inside the cabin. A very warm day that saw me probably get a bit burned. When I arrived this morning it was already warm. After organizing the boat for anchor I laid down on the settee inside and dozed off for a couple of hours! It was after noon before I was woken by the sounds of a power boat accelerating. It looks like he came from the lodge and was having a look up the inlet and then leaving when he hit the gas and woke me up. A nice little nap. But not a whole lot of energy to do much today, probably the medication. I read a couple of magazines and drank a bunch of Coke as the afternoon whiled away, tanning in the cockpit while swatting at the big black flies with the electronic wand. It works pretty good seeing as how the black flies bite! Went for row around the bay (had to return when I noticed that the nav lights from this morning were still on!). and explored the derelict floats and boats at the end of the bay, along with Quatsino Resort floating buildings. And the generator next to the falls. A very nice anchorage and no-one has come in, I’m alone here tonight. The resort looks almost deserted although there was one boatload leaving as I was rowing around. It’s going to be an early night tonight me thinks. Probably go into Tofino tomorrow to do some maintenance. Hopefully there will be a bit of a breeze so I can sail the 9.8 miles. It would be nice to do some sailing. Just noticed the moon has popped up over the trees astern.

Sailing 0 hrs

Powering 6hrs

Propane 0 hrs

Distance 34.4

Fuel 0 litres

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July 3^rd	Tofino Plan Get to Tofino (8.9) Reality Tofino	Tofino
Friday		0408	2.6
		1033	8.2
		1542	5.6
		2149	10.5

1030hrs The anchor is up and Natasha is motoring towards the entrance to Quait Bay. It’s another beautiful morning with just the start of a ripple in the water. I was watching the entrance to the harbour, waiting to see a ripple outside and there it was, time to go sailing. Up came the anchor and I’m underway. It’s only about 8.9 nm in a straight line but we can’t use that straight line, a couple of islands in the way. Had a great night’s sleep last night and didn’t wake up until 0700hrs this morning. Those pills really do work for 24 hrs.

1045hrs A nice northwesterly at about 5 knots, the engine is off and I’m sailing hard on the wind. Ripples in the water with a darker wind line ahead.

1150hrs Coming up on Robert Point on Morsby Island. The wind is picking up nicely, dodging crab traps through the shallow water. There appears to be a one knot current against.

1250hrs In Haynen Channel looking at the main street of Tofino which is only about 1 nm away. The wind has become very light after a very pleasant sail to windward. After the last entry the wind picked up somewhat to about 12 – 15 knots across the deck. I tightened everything up and the boat sailed very nicely hands off. No swell of any kind and no real chop, just ripples. I have a barge coming up behind me and now Natasha is down to less than two knots.

1300hrs Power is back on, no wind, lots of boat traffic. I’m 1.2 nm from the dock.

1330hrs Tied up at the dock at Tofino. Crowded! I got the last slip at the end of the finger facing east, right next to Equus from Bamfield again. It’s sunny and hot, time to get into shorts.

2030 hrs The moon just rose over the trees to the east, the sun has yet to set to the west. It’s been a hot afternoon and I’m just into my jeans and sweatshirt after spending most of the day in shorts and a t-shirt. A small group of kids on the foredeck of a boat tied up near me are being very energetic, noisy as only young kids can. There is still a very light breeze from the west but the true westerlies never did show up today.

I had a chat with Matt, the guy who owns Equus, the Hylas 54 tied up next door. Nice enough guy. He obviously has buckets of money as he’s talking about all the work he has had done on the boat since he bought it in Florida last year. Now his guests have arrived and they are all off to dinner somewhere I would guess.

I spent the afternoon doing a number of things including shopping and carrying heavy things to the boat. I picked up juices and water for Carey along with beer, cider and Baileys. All heavy in a back pack. I’ll do the rest tomorrow when Carey arrives. Showers and laundry first thing in the morning at the top of the dock. Organize the boat and then wait for Carey’s arrival at 1420hrs. The weather forecast doesn’t look good past Sunday (typical!). It’s supposed to get cloudy with showers through the week.

Sailing 2.25 hrs

Powering .5hrs

Propane 0 hrs

Distance 8

Fuel 0 litres

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July 4^rd	Tofino Plan Stay in Tofino Reality Tofino	Tofino
Saturday Carey Arrives		0556	2.0
		1226	8.9
		1735	5.6
		2328	10.8

0830hrs Thick fog this morning but it’s already burning off and the sun is making a re-appearance. The laundry is all done and the shower was great. Even breakfast is out of the way, a bacon & egg burrito at about the only place that was open this early. A few minor clean-ups this morning yet and then off to the Co-Op for some more groceries. Carey will be in at 1420hrs.

1330hrs I’m all ready and now just waiting for the bus to arrive. I’ve been to the Co-Op about four times as well as the liquor store and hardware store. Loaded up all the “heavy” stuff like juices, pop, beer & cider for the hot days, a few more “staples” etc. A lot of walking in this heat with a fully loaded back pack. I walked over to the fuel dock as well for two bags and a block of ice as our supply is getting a bit low. Finally, into town now and I’ll wait for the bus at 1430hrs. There is a market place in town in the park. I’ll go check it out.

1800hrs Carey showed up right on time on the Tofino Bus, not the Greyhound like the ticket said. And it was a full bus according to Carey and they had some nice screaming kids on it as well. Down to the boat we went with her very heavy “purse” and then up to the restaurant overlooking the harbour for an early “dinner” or late lunch, your pick, out in the sun on the patio (with a group of chattering Chinese tourists). That was filling enough that we’re still not hungry and probably won’t have anything else tonight. A few cocktails in the cockpit as the sun sets towards the horizon. It’s getting a bit cloudy this evening.

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Distance 0

Fuel 0 litres

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July 5^rd	Tofino Plan Stay in Tofino Reality Bacchante Bay	Tofino
Sunday Carey didn’t want to stay in Tofino.		0640	1.6
		1309	9.2
		1820	5.6
		0011	10.8

0800hrs A good solid night’s sleep, must have been because I just got up and Carey is still asleep. It was almost dark before we crashed last light so it must have been about 2200hrs. The moon was visible through some hazy clouds. It certainly didn’t get cold last night. It’s a very high cloud cover today, we’ll see what the weather brings. It’s going to be showers and groceries today and then we’ll see where we go.

1230hrs Away from the dock, full of water, fuel (19 liters) and ice. We don’t know where we are going yet, but north, probably to that little cove (Bottleneck Cove) we were at 20 years ago. It’s cloudy with a SW breeze over Tofino.

1300hrs Powering past Rassiar Point. We have to make some distance as we have 20+ nm to go today. The wind has died.

1325hrs Sailing again off Dunlop Island, the fishing rod is out, sailing downwind in about 14 ft of water! No fish on the screen.

1347hrs Just about lost the rod over the stern as the hook caught a crab trap buoy. The power is back on as the wind got really light over the stern.

1430hrs Sailing again, we’ve decided to go for Bacchante Bay. We’re abeam of Ahousat with the wind over the port side quarter, from the SW. It looks fairly solid ahead. It’s certainly not cold and it almost looks like the sun is trying to get through to the east of us over the mountains. The fog is rolling in from the west and rising against the mountains.

1600hrs We’re just into Sulfur Pass still sailing downwind into this narrow entrance. There is a canoe abeam of us with a family of four, lots of camping gear and a small triangular sail for running downwind. The wind has been great for the last couple of hours, we’ve been reaching and running wing-on-wing. We’ll see what the anchorage is like in here. There are a number of places we can anchor so we’ll see what it’s like. We may stay here tonight.

1635hrs Idling along in Sulfur Pass. There’s another boat in here, a Catalina 27. The only other boat in here.

1640hrs We’re headed for Bacchante Bay, this anchorage isn’t all that inviting. It’s deep right to the edges and although it looks like somewhere that would be interesting to explore, if it’s going to rain tomorrow as promised, we’re rather be in a place that’s secure. Bacchante Bay is only 2.7 nm away. The power is on.

1700hrs We’re into Bacchante Bay, just like coming into Princess Louisa. Water temperature is 16.9C (62F)! The fish down there must be tropical.

2045hrs Bobbing quietly in Bacchante Bay with soft music on the stereo, a gentle breeze still rippling the water. The cloud cover is low along the mountain tops, very much like Princess Louisa Inlet. We can hear the creek flowing over the rocks astern. There are three other sailboats in here with us, all American. It’s very quiet considering the size of this bay (about the size of Montague). Carey just climbed below to the warmth of the cabin heater. It’s not cold out here, just not warm.

Sailing 4.25 hrs

Powering 1.75 hrs

Propane 1.5 hrs

Distance 22

Fuel 19 litres

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July 6^th	Bacchante Bay Plan Stay Reality Stay	Tofino
Monday		0719	1.6
		1346	9.5
		1900	5.6
		0050	10.8

1300hrs Already! Of course, it’s been a pretty slow morning with the rain continuing. It’s a very light drizzle that just won’t stop! But the clouds are getting lighter!!

This morning we slept in until 0800hrs (for me) and 0945 (for Carey). Two of the other boats raised anchor about 0800hrs just after I got up, the other just after Carey got up. We even had a thunderstorm roll through last night at the darkest part of the night (no idea what time it was). Rained a good part of the night as well, but very quiet in here. So we finally had bacon and eggs for breakfast at about 1100hrs, cleaned up the dishes and started into books and magazines. There is no one else in the bay with us now. We have a bet that says I win if one or more boats come in today. Carey is counting on 0.

1820hrs Showers (not the outside kind, they’ve been ongoing all day!) are done and we feel clean again. The water was just a bit too hot, I filled both thermos bottles and the kettle, then filled the shower bag. Felt good though. It’s been kind of a long afternoon with the rain either falling or threatening. We managed to get out in the dinghy early this afternoon, motored up the creek to as far as we could before a fallen tree blocked our path. Without a high tide the whole creek would be inaccessible by dinghy, just too shallow. Back to the boat just in time to avoid another shower. A bit of reading with the clear hatch in to keep the breeze from swirling into the cabin. Not all that cold but not warm either. Eventually the heat was turned on when the wind started to pick up and we were cold from sitting outside with appetizers about 1600hrs. We watched some short videos and then it was time to prepare for the showers. A large powerboat came in so I won the bet. It’s the same boat that was in Tofino with it’s generator running for hours at a time even though it was plugged in. If it wasn’t for the fact that we’re inside anyway I would be right pissed off about it, the generator is running again and it’s louder than its’ main engines! So we’re the only two boats in here tonight. It’s going to be movie night tonight after our steak dinner which will be coming up soon. It’ll probably be an early night tonight as well, not much to do outside when it’s this cool out. Tomorrow it’s over to Bottleneck Cove although the weather forecast is for still more showers.

Sailing 0 hrs

Powering 0 hrs

Propane 4 hrs

Distance 0

Fuel 0 litres

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July 7^th	Hotsprings Cove Plan Get up to Bottleneck Cove Reality Hotsprings Cove	Tofino
Tuesday		0753	1.3
		1420	9.5
		1937	5.2

0730hrs Awake to another cloudy, wet day. The clouds are cloaking the wet mountain trees almost to the water. Rivulets of moisture slide down the cabin windows as the condensation clears on the inside. I just boiled the kettle for morning coffee and it’s pretty damp in here. Carey is still asleep and it’s quiet outside. Last night we watched the “Other Boleyn Girl” movie on the laptop. Not a bad movie but not the most uplifting, all about the trials and tribulations of King Henry and his wives. The beheading sort of put a damper on it, even though you knew it was coming. Today we’ll head over the Hot Springs Cove I think. No point in going to Bottleneck Cove as it will look the same as this place in the rain.

1100hrs Motoring out in the rain! Again. It’s pretty flat out with a drizzle.

1235hrs Passing Ripplie Cove on Vargas Island, a light rain, waves ahead in Sidney Channel. 2.8 miles to go.

1300hrs Around the point and into Hot Springs Cove after about 20 minutes of fishing with little luck, just a small rock fish that we tossed back. It’s about a 1 ft chop on a 1 meter swell. At least it’s a bit dry finally.

1330hrs Into Hot Springs Cove. Two sail boats anchored along with a large “power boat” that is probably the bed and breakfast place mentioned in the magazine.

1700hrs Sitting inside in the rain! Again! It’s been raining most of the day and doesn’t look like it will let up soon. We had a lucky break in walking up to the hot springs while it wasn’t raining all that hard. It started in earnest again when we got back. Yes, it’s completely boardwalk now, no more path and boardwalk. Lots and lots of steps and stairs. And washrooms at the end along with a bit of a lookout / change room. The pools are so much smaller than we remember them! And access is tougher too. It must be our old age! And lots of people. There were lots going in as we were walking out, don’t know where they’re all going to fit. We’ll go back up there tomorrow night after all the tour boats and floatplanes have left. We passed two couples on our way out that obviously looked like boaters. They must have come from the two boats anchored out, the Islander 28 and what I believe to an older Islander 30. Both dinghies are tied to the dock.

2000hrs Getting ready to watch another DVD movie, Unhitched. It’s still coming down in a very steady, light rain. Hasn’t let up since the last entry. We watched the last group of tourists climb into cruiser suits on the dock, then climb aboard a large inflatable and, with goggles on, head out into the rain back to Tofino. Looked like fun! A large blue fish boat came in as well, tied to the dock and has the engine running still. Probably to keep the ice cold. As we’re unlikely to be sitting in the cockpit to enjoy the evening I don’t think it really matters. So bring out the popcorn, let’s see the movie!

Sailing 0 hrs

Powering 2.5 hrs

Propane 4 hrs

Distance 12.9

Fuel 0 litres

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July 8^th	Hotsprings Cove Plan Stay in Hotsprings Cove Reality Hotsprings Cove	Tofino
Wednesday		0753	1.3
		1420	9.5
		1937	5.2

0810hrs Carey is still asleep and the rain has stopped! It’s still very wet out, but at least it’s stopped falling. I think it rained most of the night that I can recall. There are three very wet dogs laying at the end of the dock, I have no idea where they came from or who they belong to. They look over here occasionally to see if we’re up. The docks are deserted this morning, the large fish boat is gone. I heard it leave some time after first light, don’t know when that was.

The movie was interesting last night. At least it occupied some time and was a diversion from the rain. It was the usual girl-is-marrying-the-wrong-guy-and-his-best-buddy-should-be-marrying-her-etc kind of movie. When we went to bed at about 2130hrs (and it was my first time to sleep up forward) we found we had more than just a few mosquitoes! I had to kill a few so we could get to sleep!

So we’ll be staying here today, getting up to the hot springs late this afternoon to avoid the tour boats and planes. Hopefully the skies lighten up and the afternoon turns pleasant. The rains are supposed to ease this afternoon according to the weather radio. We’ll see.

2230hrs The day is definitely over now. We’re finally inside with the clear cover in the hatch. The lantern is on as is the fireplace. It’s not all that cold outside but it’s very pleasant inside. It’s still very cloud covered outside although there were hints of sun late this afternoon. It may be promising tomorrow. The weather guys are predicting an end to showers tomorrow so that may mean sunshine at one point of another.

Today started slow enough. The weather this morning was showery and a bit cool. I made croissants in the oven that weren’t bad but nothing to write home about, a bit dry. Then it was a game of watching the charter boats come in and disgorge their cargoes of tourists. Carey and I read magazines and books, whiling the time away. The showers came and went, there was a hit of clearing every once in a while. We even had soup for lunch. A few boats came in, two more sailboats and one large power boat with that noisy generator! He’s tied to the dock in front of us. At least the generator is off at the moment. About 1800hrs Carey & I started our walk up to the springs, figuring that almost everyone would be gone by the time we got there. All the tour boat crowds were on their way back to their boats. When we got there we were the only ones there! Wonderful hot water and all the time in the world! The water was hot and although there wasn’t much of a sunset, at least it didn’t rain on us. Wonderful hot water! We got back to the boat about 2015hrs and had chicken on a stick for dinner, we weren’t that hungry anyway. Now it’s almost bed time.

Sailing 0 hrs

Powering 0 hrs

Propane .5 hrs

Distance 0

Fuel 0 litres

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July 9^th	Sulphur Passage Plan Sail over to Sulphur Passage Reality Sulphur Passage	Tofino
Thursday		0204	10.8
		0854	1.6
		1522	9.8
		2052	4.9

0800hrs A beautiful sunny morning with the sun just about to clear the trees to the east of us and finally hit the boat. A few clouds along the mountain top, crystal clear waters with not a ripple. The kettle is on the boil, Carey is still asleep, as is the rest of the dock.

1030hrs Pulling out of Hot Springs Cove with nary a breeze on the water and sun beaming down. It’s been a very pretty morning so far. I walked up to the dock to wait for the sun to reach the boat to take a few photos and a white float plane landed. I had to hurry back to the boat as the hatch was open and they would be looking right into the boat, not good if Carey got up at the same time! A couple got out of the float plane, she in a white top that was stretched way too tight over an ample pair, along with a black skirt and office shoes! He had on jeans and runners. Off to the falls they went with instructions from the young pilot to be back by 1300hrs! Eventually the dock awoke and the people from the large power boat came back from the springs in time to fire up their nice generator again. At least it should be the last time we see them. They’re planning on staying up in the Tofino area for a few more weeks as guests come in. I made a very tasty bacon and eggs breakfast that went down very well sitting in the cockpit sun. Then it was get the boat ready and off we go. We’re planning on a bit of fishing just outside the harbour as there is no wind.

1450hrs It took us a while to find a good spot to drop the anchor. A lot of very deep water here.

2130hrs The sun has set to the west over a high mountain just before 2100hrs and suddenly it starts to get cool. We’re out here under our blankets and keeping warm. The sky is finally almost clear and the seals are splashing at a distance as the tide drops. An almost perfect day. After we arrived here it was a pretty lazy afternoon. About 1700hrs I took the dinghy and rowed over to the northern entrance to this passage, intent on doing some serious salmon fishing. After five consecutive rock fish I’d had enough! Rowed back to have a drink ready in the cooler. Nice! A do-nothing evening with not a whole lot left in the lockers for dinner. I prepared my peppers/onions/garlic mix along with some pre-packaged turkey/potatoes that at least filled the spot. A nice salmon would have been preferred! The skies cleared as the evening progressed. We have no idea what the skies will bring tomorrow. At least it was a nice sail today for the 12 miles we covered. The plan for tomorrow is Tofino to pick up some groceries and get some laundry done. That’s about 20 miles so it will be a long day.

Sailing 3 hrs

Powering .5 hrs

Propane 0 hrs

Distance 13.2

Fuel 0 litres

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July 10^th	Tofino Plan Sail to Tofino Reality Tofino	Tofino
Friday Hayden Pass turns to flood at 1000hrs		0241	10.5
		0924	1.6
		1553	9.8
		2131	4.6

1010hrs Motoring out of a beautiful, calm Sulphur Passage. It was a great night’s sleep with the almost full moon that shone into the cabin very early in the morning. Woke up to a sunny, calm morning listening to the seals barking, burping and, presumably, farting on the rocks in the bay. On such a still morning that sound is loud! We finished breakfast a little while ago and are now on the way. There is very little wind reported on the coast just yet with fog at Tofino. It’s a long way and it should be against the wind most of the way.

1210hrs Carey is hauling in the fishing line as the sails come out near Ahousat. Finally the wind has backed to the west from right on the nose (SW) and we can do some sailing. There is a fog bank ahead that we’re likely to encounter so some more layers are coming on.

1230hrs The power is back on. We turned the “corner” to start running mostly downwind and it’s just too light, not enough speed in this thick fog. I was watching a small powerboat fishing near the rock and saw him haul a small salmon in as we sailed by a 100 yards off. Then we heard them shouting and waving their arms. We sailed back to learn that they had run out of fuel! We maneuvered around and gave them our remaining 8 liters of gas for the outboard. They also had some mixed gas for their outboard and with that indicated that they could make it back to Tofino (7 nm away). So off we go again. There is a good 1.5 knot current with us.

1300hrs Trying to sail again, a bit stronger wind over the stern and we’re sailing wing-on-wing as the fog lifts. We can see the channels ahead and Tofino in the distance.

1315hrs Well that didn’t last long, the engine is back on.

1400hrs Tied up Tofino again.

2100hrs Just back from dinner at the Schooner Restaurant. Very tasty dinner although a bit expensive! It’s getting cool out and the heater is on. The sun has set in a haze to the northwest. Boats are still ripping by throwing their wake our way. The price you pay for being at the end of the finger where the view is better!

After we tied up this afternoon we started a load of laundry and then walked up to the Co-Op to fill up the propane bottle. It only had a little left in it (about 1 lb) so it was time. Not bad considering we have used it for two weeks and Dick had Natasha out for a weekend before that. Walked back to find the power boat we helped with the extra fuel tied to the dock. They had managed to power at idle with the main engine almost all the way back in to the fuel dock. I retrieved my fuel tank (not filled) and traded a salmon fillet for the gas. Should be good tomorrow night! Then it was off to do some shopping to stock up for next week. A good load of staples and we’ll get the fresh stuff tomorrow. We sat around in the cockpit with drinks watching the various tour boats come in and unload passengers, fish boats tie up with crews cleaning up (quite a smell!). Then at 1900 we walked up for dinner. And now it’s time to shut down!

Sailing 1 hrs

Powering 3 hrs

Propane .5 hrs

Refill

Distance 19.7

Fuel 0 litres

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July 11^th	Turtle Island Plan Sail outside to Barkley Sound and to Effingham Island Reality Turtle Island Bay	Tofino
Saturday		0320	10.2
		0953	2.3
		1624	9.8
		2213	4.6

1030hrs Just about ready to go, all loaded up with fresh groceries and water. Costs a dollar for 15 minutes of water for the whole dock! And the hose just reaches. The morning fog has lifted but there’s no wind out there yet. And the fog was thick this morning! I got up at 0630hrs to the sound of waves slapping the hull, fishermen on their way to fish. It was daylight but visibility was about 100 yards. The tide is already against us getting out past Lenard Island.

1100hrs Powering out of Tofino in the sunshine towards an ominous fog bank rolling through the channel towards Lenard Island. The current is flooding against us. A large coast Guard vessel is anchored out here and the Higgit RCMP cat just rolled into the harbour. Time to get some sweaters on I think. It’s 20 nm to Amphrodite Point. Not much in the way of wind yet.

1450hrs Finally a wind over the shoulder, three miles from Amphrodite Point which is still hidden in fog. It’s not been a nice trip so far! We got fogged in just after the last entry and haven’t seen anything but fog and seas since. Not much in the way of chop, just a ripple and even glassy smooth at times, but always that rolling swell. I’ve had the main up some of the time when it would stabilize us a bit, but usually there hasn’t been enough wind for that either. The sun is visible and warm, but nothing on the horizon. He had one sailboat, a Hunter 45, motor past us and I took some photos. Called him on the radio and got an e-mail address of pjmilne@telus.net. He told me he had been tracking us from about a mile back so the radar reflector is working. He soon disappeared into the fog ahead. Thank heavens for GPS, this fog is very disorienting.

1515hrs Abeam of Amphrodite Point, we can just make it out in the fog along with the breakers on the rocks. Still sailing, fog horn sounding from the lighthouse. We’re going for Turtle Island, hopefully there is no fog there. I suspect Effingham will be socked right in.

1530hrs In Alpha Passage and suddenly we’re in glorious sunshine with the fog bank behind us. We’re wing-on-wing at 5+ knots headed past the reefs and rocks that guard the entrance to Ucluelet, also clearly visible over the port quarter. Suddenly a great sail. The fishing rod is destined to get into the water. 7 nm to Turtle Island.

1645hrs The engine is on, coming into the Turtle Island bay. It’s been a very interesting sail! Sailing past Ucluelet in a 15 knot westerly breeze was great. We could hear this persistent drumming and thought it was a hidden boat with a boom box or something similar. As we cleared the headland we could see tents up on the beach to port. Through binoculars we could see what looked like a festival of some type. And I recalled reading at a café this morning that there was a music festival on this weekend, I just didn’t study it to figure out where it was. Well, we found it! We were a good two miles off shore in 15+ knots of wind and could hear it clearly! Lots of people and lots of tents. Anyway, as time went by we could see this huge fog bank over the Cape Beale / Bamfield area. And it got larger and closer! But the wind was directly behind us in the sunshine and fog doesn’t move against the wind. Well, it got to us with a 90 degree wind shift. Suddenly from dead astern to a reach over the starboard side in 20+ knots of wind, surfing along at 8 knots on some of the waves! And thick fog again. Again, thank God for GPS or we’d have been in real trouble! We got around the back side of Turtle Island to the entrance and into a bit of protection just as the fog lifted again. Much easier to see where we’re going! Time to get in here.

1715hrs The anchor is down at 33.3 nm and Natasha is all cleaned up, time for a beer! There are four other boats in here, three sail and one small power. The wind has eased considerably and the fog has dissipated. Time to relax!

2245hrs Sitting in the cockpit with glasses of wine as the wind gently swings Natasha at anchor. We think it’s going to be an early evening! We just finished a very tasty dinner of salmon, corn on the cob and baked potato as the sun set behind the trees. We have the stereo on softly to drown out the live bands playing 6 miles away (!?) and the humming birds are visiting us frequently, hovering just over our heads. Too quick for the camera but plenty of time for the eyes. Very pretty birds. Just before dinner we were watching a boat come in, probably about a 35 ft Jeanneau, through the same entrance we had used earlier. I checked the boat out through binoculars and then looked away. Carey continued to watch as they clanged into a rock! I certainly heard it! It was loud. They hovered there for a bit, still adrift, then went out the way they came in. Didn’t look like they were in any hurry and no idea where they would be going at this time of night. The Hunter 45 showed up about 1900hrs and is anchored across the bay, dinghy still on deck. A herring ball just surfaced across the way as well. The sun is now lighting up the small clouds to the east of us with pink trim. It’s starting to get cool out. Almost time to go in.

Sailing 2 hrs

Powering 4 hrs

Propane .hrs

Distance 33.3

Fuel 0 litres

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July 12^th	Port Alberni Yacht Club Plan Sail over to the PAYC Reality PAYC	Tofino
Sunday		0401	9.5
		1025	2.6
		1757	9.8
		2259	4.3

1100hrs Breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon has been cleaned up. Not really a breakfast anymore is it? I didn’t get up until 0830hrs after initially waking up at 0500hrs. The hummingbirds buzzing around the cockpit kept waking me up and they even came into the cabin again, two of them buzzing right over my head stationary for a second or two. I managed to get a photo of one hovering over the galley. Carey reported hearing the rock bands still playing when she woke up this morning at 0500hrs. I could still hear them at 0830 this morning. All is quiet now.

This morning dawned with low clouds and drizzle falling. The drizzle has since dried up but the low clouds persist. The weather forecast calls for more of the same for the next few days. So with that we’ll head over to the Port Alberni Yacht Club and the docks there. Only about 8 miles away in a straight line. All the boats in this anchorage have left with the exception of the Hunter. I’m going to try sailing out of here this morning.

1130hrs We’ve sailed off the anchor and out of the Turtle Island (Joe’s Bay) anchorage in very light SE wind. It’s an 8 nm distance to Robber Passage, in a straight line. Unfortunately, it’s quite the dog-leg getting out of here with islands and rocks all over the entrance.

1430hrs 10.1nm, just drifting into Robber Passage and we can see the PAYC clubhouse and docks from out here. It looks like about six boats in here, not all of them tied to the docks. The fog has lifted and we can actually see again. When we left the anchorage this morning we couldn’t see more than a mile, which made sailing out through all the reefs somewhat interesting. The wind stayed light and went from hard on the nose to straight down wind and everything in between. It’s been a pleasant sail, just not very fast. No rain anyway. Sailed the whole way, we’ll just need to turn on the motor to get to the dock.

2300hrs Back from the “clubhouse”, a few too many to drink and it’s time for bed! A very pleasant visit with Gary Rosa, Ken (and his three sisters), and Tony and his wife over drinks, crab and deserts. This group was putting together a seafood dinner and Carey even had some cooked oysters and crab. We had ribs on the boat for dinner and then went back up to the clubhouse for drinks afterwards. When we arrived this afternoon Gary Rosa was the dock greeter who caught our lines. There was, in fact, no one tied to the guest dock, three boats on the members dock and three boats anchored out. And there was lots of room at the guest dock. We learned that Gary spends his summers here with his boat, the unofficial caretaker. Gail died last year about this time. He spends his winters in a condo in Mexico. Carey & I took the short hike up the trails and had a look around the place. The clubhouse has been expanded and now they have gas fired hot water for actual showers. The resort across the way is now out of business and the generator that ran all the time in 1991 has been quiet for three years. Apparently (according to Gary) the owners there wanted this piece of property so they deliberately set their generator exhaust pointed this way to try and force PAYC out of the bay. That didn’t work. So it’s quiet now. In talking about Bamfield Gary told us that the town is basically dying. Telus cut the cell phone tower out last year (cell coverage is spotty out here and it’s from Ucluelet) and the Bamfield Inn has been closed for years. The one remaining pub/motel is on the east side and just recently re-opened, but without laundry facilities. That’s too bad. Bamfield is a pretty place (in the sun!).

Sailing 3 hrs

Powering 0 hrs

Propane 2.hrs

Distance 10.3

Fuel 0 litres

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July 13^th	Port Alberni Yacht Club Plan Sail over to the PAYC Reality PAYC	Tofino
Monday		0446	9.2
		1059	3.3
		1733	10.2
		2350	4.3

0730hrs It’s quiet out on a cloudy, wet morning. It’s not raining at the moment but it was overnight. Carey is still asleep and my Tim Horton’s coffee smells good. I believe I have a hangover this morning, having difficulty staying focused and vertical. I don’t know what we’re going to do today, stay or go elsewhere. I’ll have to hear the weather report first. We’ll probably go over to Bamfield. It’s not much fun sitting at anchor in the rain.

2200hrs Didn’t go anywhere today, certainly didn’t do that much either. It stayed cloudy all day with hardly a whisper of wind. It stayed reasonably warm so we could sit in the cockpit and read and sleep. We had showers after our bacon & eggs breakfast that we finally finished about 1100hrs. I went for a row around the bay, over to the now abandoned “resort” that according to Gary, has a caretaker in residence with no usable docks and signs warning about a guard dog (no dog though). Over to the open cave and then back to the boat. About 1700hrs happy hour started again but it was a bit too cool to sit outside, so we all moved inside. Carey and I eventually went back to the boat for barbequed chicken for dinner and then back up for the rest of the evening. And thus another day is gone. Tomorrow we’ll head over to Bamfield.

Sailing 0 hrs

Powering 0 hrs

Propane 3.hrs

Distance

Fuel 0 litres

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July 14^th	Bamfield Plan Sail over to Bamfield Reality PAYC	Tofino
Tuesday		0538	8.5
		1136	3.9
		1812	10.2
		0048	3.9

0700hrs Cloudy again this morning with not a hint of a breeze yet. Of course, it’s still early and a bit too early to figure out what the day is going to be like. We’ll see. Going over to Bamfield some time today. It’s only about 5 nm so not a really hard day of sailing. Hopefully we’ll get a bit of a break from this weather so we can hike over to Brady’s Beach some time this afternoon or evening.

2200hrs It’s almost dark out already, the days are getting shorter. We just cleaned up after having Neil and Penny Beswick from Sidney over for wine. We haven’t seen them in years! They’re anchored at the head of the inlet, planning on going to Port Renfrew tomorrow morning. But starting with this morning…..

We had a slow morning (as usual) and after breakfast we said our goodbye’s to Gary & Tony. Everyone else was already gone at 0800hrs for the trip to Port Alberni. By 1030 we eased away from the dock under cloudy skies and hardly a ripple on the water. We carefully & slowly drifted through the narrow passage that leads to Trevor Channel and then put down the fishing gear. Gary had given us a down planer and so out it when with the flasher and green hootchie. We did that for about an hour, trolling at two knots along the island in about 40 ft of water. We could see the fish on the sounder but only caught one rock fish. At least it gave us a chance to charge up the batteries! Then it was off to Bamfield as the wind picked up from the west. Didn’t bother to put the sails up, we were only three miles away. The Nadon (RCMP) boat came out as we were going in. We learned later that they had been here for two days doing “safety checks” and handing out tickets. Nice.

We managed to find a spot on the inside of the same dock I was at a week and a half ago with the two boats that we had first met in Bacchante Bay last week. They are headed out to Victoria at first light tomorrow. Blue Loon also came in later, also headed out at first light. We walked up to the General Store just as the Francis Barkley came to the dock to unload. Interesting to watch all the stuff come off and what was going out. No point in going to the store until they sorted all that out. We also learned from Gary yesterday that the Lady Rose is no longer, too much costs in repairs to make it worth while so the only vessel now is the Francis Barkley. Back to the boat along the board walk and I loaded the motor onto the dinghy and we went over to the Bamfield East. As we came in there were two people just getting into their dinghy, ended up being Neil & Penny Beswick. So we chatted for a bit and invited them on board later in the evening for wine. We were planning on going up to the pub for lunch but it looked pretty decrepit with no-one around. Just next door was a small restaurant and grocery store (also loading stuff from the Francis Barkley). There was a group of 10 with 6 kids just in front of us on the patio, they had just driven up from Lake Cowichan to see the ocean (it’s a two hour drive on a gravel road, and you can’t see the ocean from Bamfield East!) As they didn’t serve liquor on the patio we went inside. It took a while but we had a good lunch and then back to the boat. Up to the grocery store for a bag of ice and two bottles of white wine and then relax in the cockpit with a book. The sun actually almost made it out for about ½ an hour! I’m reading “The Cruel Sea” after not seeing the book for at least 20 years. I’d forgotten how well written it is. We had cheese and crackers for dinner and were just about finished when Neil & Penny showed up. We caught up with each others activities since Neil & I were on the Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club executive back at least 10 years ago. And now it’s almost time for bed. It’s quiet outside and we were just reading through the 1986 log book from the last time we were out here. We even made it to Wouwer Island last time. I’ll have to make a point of getting there again.

Sailing 0 hrs

Powering 1 hrs

Propane 1 hrs

5.2 Distance

Fuel 0 litres

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July 15^th	Bamfield Plan Stay in Bamfield Reality	Tofino
Wednesday		0643	8.2
		1220	4.6
		1858	10.2

0800hrs Sitting in a quiet cabin with my coffee, updating the log from yesterday. Carey is still asleep. All the boats that were going to leave have done so although not exactly at first light. Some of them were not too quiet about it either! And then the fishing crowd started out with their outboards. That’s all over now and it’s quiet again as the thick fog drifts through the docks. Yesterday the forecast was for the possibility of showers this afternoon. We’ll see how that works out. More than likely we’ll stay here today, probably head over to Ucluelet tomorrow for the last two days before Carey goes home on Saturday.

2300hrs Just finished watching “When a Stranger Calls”, a pretty pathetic movie but certainly filled the time. Now it’s time for bed. The fog is so thick we can barely see the glow of lights across the harbour. It’s very quiet. It’s off to Ucluelet tomorrow, but no big hurry.