Laura Cove / Turnbull Cove

Surprisingly good night in Sargeaunt Passage. One other sailboat came in sometime and snuggled into a quiet nitch for the night. 09:08 anchor up from rocky bottom, little breeze, calm water, few low clouds, and sunshine. We continue up Tribune Channel, counterclockwise around Gilford Island. Stopping in to peak at Kwatsi Bay, It is very different from when we stayed here two years ago when the mist was heavy in the air and the cliffs were covered with waterfalls. Continuing we travel north of the Burdwood Group to Broughton Island. Our destination is Laura Bay. We arrive at 12:45 and anchor in the little cove next to Trivet Island with a stern tie to the shore. During this process, a passing dinghy asks if we know of any doctors in the area. Brad promises to make a "boat call" when we are secured. In the afternoon we take the dinghy out to fish. I have the pleasure of steering. As hard as I try, I cannot keep a straight direction of travel. That's probably why Brad catches the lovely bottom fish as we zig zagged our way around the outside of Trivett Island. Meatballs, garlic mashed potato and green beans for dinner. Todays stats: sea temp 58.8, outside temp 67, engine hours 5, nautical miles 22.4, total trip miles 387.6, one fuel filter changed, GPS coordinates 50.49.427N / 126.34.134W.

Last evening we decided to loosen up the stern tie and anchor out a little further so we can let out more rode. This morning we remain in a good position to let loose the stern tie and bring up the anchor from the rocky bottom as we head out at 10:00. Our heading, up Penphrase Passage, through Sharp Passage, into Sutlej Channel. From there we take Dunsany Passage, to Grappler Sound. As we turn east, we are treated to the spectacular view of what I believe to be Mount Stephens. Our destination is Turnbull Cove were we arrive at 12:45. We anchor on the east side well away from shore. There are two rock slides in this cove which we stay clear of as well as several other boats which we also give room. Plan to take the dinghy for a ride still and have BBQ hamburgers for dinner. Todays stats: sea temp 56.1, outside temp 78, engine hours 3, watermaker 2 hours, nautical miles 17.9, total trip miles 405.5, GPS coordinates 50.57.642N / 126.49.877W.

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Looking into Kwatsi Bay

Laura Cove, Stern Tie

Sushi?

Laura Cove

Becalmed

Major Landslide

Turnbull Cove

Sargeaunt Passage

07:45 Anchor up and on our way. Low clouds conceal the majestic mountain tops seen yesterday. Heading out Sunderland Channel, we want to go north in Johnstone Strait with the tide and before the wind picks up. We make the turn back east at Havannah Channel deciding to pass up Bougey Bay in hopes of

a better anchorage. We are officially in the Broughtons and the scenery has changed. It feels more isolated and the mountains seem closer. We turn into Chatham Channel around noon, consider Cutter Cove, but decide the wind could make it uncomfortable. After much contemplation we go east in Knight Inlet and decide to anchor in a wide spot inside Sargeaunt Passage next to Viscount Island. There doesn't seem to be much current and we are protected from the wind. We only have a 270 degree view however as there is an abandoned logging camp on the east shore. It is 14:30 and time to relax. The sun doesn't start to peak out until afternoon. There is TEX MEX Chicken Casserole tonight which will get served on lettuce with Tostitos on the side. Todays stats: sea temp 55, outside temp 62, Engine hours 6.9, motor sailing up Knight Inlet, nautical miles 41.1, total trip miles 364.5, GPS coordinates 50.41.579N / 126.11.863W.

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Sargeaunt Passage

Old Loading Dock

Douglas Bay in Forward Harbour

With the vessel fully charged from a night in the marina and water tanks topped off, we visit the general store to settle our tab and hope to purchase freshly baked bread. The morning starts off with low clouds, but the sun starts to come out as we pull away from the dock at 10:00. Upon turning into Chancellor Channel we get up to 5 knots push. Brad hand steers as there are still back eddies. From here we turn up Wellborne Channel which is close to our intended destination. At Forward Harbour a huge log raft is parked in the opening. We decide it is too tight to try and maneuver around. While looking for a new destination, we notice the raft seems to be inching it's way out, probably waiting for the current to be more favorable. We pass the time looking at a couple of Bald Eagles that are perched high in a couple of nearby trees. It is worth the wait getting into our anchorage at Douglas Bay as the view is spectacular. We put out 150 ft of chain at 13:40. I make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch as it is a bit cool today, 65 degrees. We launch the dinghy for a trip to shore and a walk along the gravel beach. After the walk we explore the shore from the dinghy and are delighted to find a family of otters. Back at the boat, there is still enough sun to hang up the hammock and get in some recreational reading prior to fixing dinner. Tonight we're having pre made cantanese pork with freshly cooked noodles. Todays stats: sea temp 54, engine hours 3.7, nautical miles 17.1, total trip miles 322.8, GPS coordinates 50.28.866N / 125.45.263W.

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Douglas Bay, Forward Harbour

Otters

Douglas Bay

Blind Channel Resort, West Thurlow Island

Suspecting we may have anchored on rock, we use a different tactic which works well and leave at 09:30.   The unsettled weather seems to have passed.  It is cool, but sunny today as we head out and NE into Nodales Channel.  The fishing boats are trolling along the shore.  We're an hour early by the time we reach Cordero Channel, so we let the boat drift and put out a fishing pole.  There is a report that a 20 lb. salmon was caught in Rock Bay.  As we start the engine again we head west in Cordero Channel.  Our destination is the Blind Channel Resort.  We stop at the fuel dock to top off the tank.  We have used 14.9 gals since Refuge Cove.  The price at the pump $5.91 per gal.  We are averaging 1.1 gals per hour.  At 13:30 we are tied up at the dock and start to sort out the water and power.  It is low tide and the ramp is steep.  The tides have been 10-12 ft.  We take advantage of the services here and do more laundry, buy a few supplies, and deposit the trash.  We are sending out yesterdays and todays blog report via the internet.  The single sideband radio is not alway reliable and may be a little less dependable as we travel further north.  Todays stats: sea temp 51.3, outside temp 66, engine hours 3.5, nautical miles 17.8, total miles 305.7, GPS coordinates 50.24.846N / 125.30.099W.

Dinghy on Davits

Blind Channel Resort

Handfield Bay, Sonora Island

Time for cleaning and other projects this morning as we wait for the right time to leave which comes at 11:45.  We head out the same way we came in yesterday, weaving between the islets and rocks.  Cruising past the Hole in the Wall, we head NW in the Okisollo Channel.  We're timing are arrival to the upper and lower rapids for slack tide.  Very excited as always at sighting a school of dolphins as they jump out of the water and swim under the boat.  We have a short distance to go in Discovery Passage before turning NE into Nodales Channel.  Our destination is Cameleon Harbour.  We drop anchor at 14:35 in Handfield Bay on what feels like rocky bottom.  The sky looks a little threatening and there are a few sprinkles.  We get the hammock out again, and hang it from the whisker pole which works well.  We opt for a quiet afternoon and evening on the boat rather than launching the dinghy.  It's fun to watch the boats come in and anchor.  Tonight we get a Yawl with school children.  Todays stats: sea temp 54, outside temp 65, engine hours 3.2, nautical miles 18.4, total trip miles 287.9, GPS coordinates 50.20.888N/125.18.908W.

Hole-in-the-Wall

Susan Relaxing

Waiatt Bay/Octopus Islands Marine Park

09:30 Anchor up and underway, a little more mud on the chain today, but cleans easily.  Another beautiful day, slightly cooler which is quite alright.  We head out the two mile inlet and travel south to the bottom of Read Island, then north up Hoskyn Channel.  A few other boats have the same idea.  It looks like we are all trying to time our arrival at Beazley Passage and Surge Narrows for just before slack tide.  We have about a two knot advantage as we take the lead through.  Another vessel spots us on the AIS (automatic information system) and calls just as we are navigating the passage to ask for advice.  One of the other boaters joins the conversation.  Brad manages to follow the chart, steer the boat, talk on the radio, and switch from channel 16 to 9 to 16 to 9 and back to 16.  After a few minutes we are back in calmer waters and it is my turn to steer.  As we approach the Octopus Islands area, we take our time navigating through the rocks and islets that guard the bay.  After a look at the marine park, we opt for a more open anchorage in the a joining Waiatt Bay.  It's 13:10 and time for lunch.  Late afternoon we take the dinghy out for a spin and explore the area.  Before I forget, I should mention we have been enjoying the view of the snow capped mountains on both the mainland and Vancouver Island.  Todays stats: sea temp 52, outside temp 68, engine hours 3.9, nautical miles 21.6, total trips miles 269.3, no sailing, GPS coordinates 50.16.057N / 125.14.993W.

Waiatt Bay

Octopus Island Marine Park

Von Donop Inlet

08:30 After two restful nights on anchor and stern tie at Tenedos Bay we're ready for more adventures. First stop just around the corner at Refuge Cove. It's time to top off the fuel tank and water tank, buy a few fresh provisions, and wash clothes. We also sample some of the local baked goods which are reasonably priced and lastly drop off our single tightly compacted bag of garbage for an exorbitant price. Following the Lewis Channel we duck into Teakerne Arm to see the waterfall from Cassel Lake. We had considered dropping anchor here, but it doesn't look good, so we head out and up the channel around the top of Cortez Island. At 17:18 we arrive at the Von Donop Inlet. It's our first time here and sure not to be the last. We settle in for a quiet evening. Pork fried rice for dinner. Todays stats: sea temp 65.8, engine hours 5.3, no sailing, nautical miles 30.2, GPS coordinates 50.09.4335N / 124.57.523W.

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Cassel Lake Falls

Von Doop Inlet

Tenedos Bay Again

We decided to spend another day here in Tenedos Bay. This morning we took the dinghy across the bay to a trail that led us to Unwin lake. Very pretty, with clear water and tree lined shores. Later, Susan put up the hammock on the boat and read for awhile while I dinghied around the bay for a short boat ride. Hot again today, 84 degrees in the shade and no wind where the boat is anchored. Will depart tomorrow for more adventure. I tried to connect with the SSB (single side band) radio tonight and was not able to, so this message will not go out until tomorrow. Therefore, there may be two blogs tomorrow.

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Unwin Lake

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Tenedos Bay, Dinghy on Wheels

Tenedos Bay

08:40 leaving Sturt Bay. Good stopping location, quiet and attractive anchorage with room for a few boats. Less breeze and current today as we turn the corner of Texada Island. Taking turns being on watch as it will be a long day. On further review our intended destination of Campbell River appears poorly timed for the tides, so we head for our alternate location of Tenedos Bay. This has been a favorite location in the past with its tall walls and quiet waters. Quite a few other boaters have the same idea, yet it is still peaceful. Very warm in the 80's as we anchor and then stern tie around 15:00. Short ride in the dinghy to cool off. The hatches are open with screens in place to try and keep out those pesky mosquitos. Still cooler outside, so we dine on BBQ hamburgers ala fresco with our citranela candle burning. Todays stats: Sea Temp 71.1, Engine hours 6.8, watermaker 4 hours, nautical miles 36, outside temp 76 degrees, GPS coordinates 50.07.648N / 124.42.371W.

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Stern Tie

Tenedos Bay

Tenedos Bay

Sturt Bay, Texada Island

08:15 Anchor caked with sticky mud up and leaving the relative shelter of Nanaimo Harbour for the wide expanse of the Strait of Georgia. The wind off our port and bow with a little current against us makes for white caps and slow going. The canvas on the port side does a good job protecting us from the spray. We start to make better progress as the water calms under the influence of Texada Island. A cruise up the length of Texada Island gets us into Sturt Bay and at anchor in 40 feet at 16:45. It's very quiet here with only one other boat anchored before us. The new system of lowering the dinghy works well and we're off for a ride over to the marina. It's been a few days since we've made landfall, so we decide to take a hike on a nearby trail that takes us to a road that circles back to the marina. All this without the help of a GPS. Back at Summer Place, Susan prepares the swiss steak with corn and potato for dinner while Brad cleans windows and prepares for Sunday's journey. Brad also works on receiving SSB messages and sending our blog which wouldn't send yesterday. We also both made calls to our parents using the SAT phone. Today's STATs: Sea Temp 57.4, Engine Hours 8.6, Nautical Miles 47.4, GPS coordinates 49.45.729N / 124.34.152W.

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Sturt Bay, Texada Island

Nanaimo

08:50 under way just after the other two sailboats in last nights anchorage. Surprised we're not all headed north. Trying to time our arrival at Dodd Narrows for just before slack tide. Couple of boats tacking in front of us tempt us to take out the sails, plus we're early and need to slow down our pace. Exciting ride from the bow coming out of the narrows with the conflicting currents. Quite windy in Northumberland Channel and a bit of traffic. Cruise into the mass of boats anchored off Newcastle Island near Nanaimo at 15:40 and pick our spot in 30 feet or should I say 10 meters since we are in Canada. A few house keeping chores to be completed before retiring for the night. Heated up the chicken broccoli casserole and dug out a few homemade cookies from the bottom of the frig for dinner. Todays stats: Sea Temp 57.7 degrees, engine hours 6.4, sailed one hour, nautical miles 33, ran watermaker 4 hours and changed the filters, GPS coordinates 49.10.655N / 123.55.912W.

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Dodds Narrows

Auto Pilot

Nanaimo

Glenthorne Passage, Prevost Island, Canada

09:00 depart Blind Bay after a better nights rest. Retrieved anchor with much less mess today after replacing the rusty old nozzle on the hose. Very little mud and a one persistent clam came along from the bottom. Another sunny day with sight breeze. Motored out through Wasp Islands past Jones and north of our favorite, Stuart Island, across the border into Canadian waters. The wind was at our backs, but the current was against us. Cleared customs in Bedwell Harbour by customs dock phone at around 11:00. (no hassle or attitude, just professional and courteous) Continued up Swanson Channel along with many other boaters. Arrived Glenthorne Passage on Prevost Island to set anchor at 13:20. Todays stats: Sea Temp 54.3 degrees, 28 nautical miles, engine hours 5, GPS 48.49.436N / 123.23.528W. Brad took the dinghy to explore. When he returned, we decided to reverse the dinghy position on the hoist and replace the 9 horse engine with the 2 hp. Having the 9 horse engine on Summer Place made it much easier to flush after use. The little 2 horse is air cooled, so not a problem. Cooked hotdogs on the BBQ for dinner. Easy and a good choice for the holiday. Engine ran a little ruff in idle last night, so Brad changed the fuel filters. All is well, just swinging gently on the chain and enjoying a quiet evening. Temp 72 inside, and 65 outside.

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Prevost Island

Blind Bay, Shaw Island

Little rough sleeping last night with high winds and bouncy seas. Anchor held well. The alarm only sounded twice this morning, once when the wind direction shifted and put us a little outside our boundary,and then again as we were leaving and forgot to turn it off. 07:30 Departed Port Townsend, destination San Juan Islands. Ebb tide and west wind made for choppy water, and some steep seas. Genoa and mainsail out for the first time this season. Ran water maker and then cleaned filters(dragged one behind the vessel). Wind dropped off as we approached the islands. Flood tide into Cattle Pass gave us a four knot push with 10.8 SOG. Weee! Despite a large amount of debris in the water, good to be back. Last minute decision to avoid the crowds of Friday Harbor and Parks Bay for the wide open shallows of Blind Bay at Shaw island. Dropped anchor about 12:30. Good holding ground. Should be a better nights rest. Launched dinghy from boat and sped over to the General store / Ferry dock. Purchased ice cream cones and sat in the little park there to take in the view. Note: spumonte is a little like fruit cake, go with something else next time. Back at the boat, worked on hanging the dinghy and cleaning the new engine for the first time. Need to work out some of the kinks in the system, maybe tomorrow. Heated up lasagne for dinner (the first of 30 pre made casseroles, that are labeled and stacked or should I say packed into the freezer according to predicted date of consumption. Stats for the day: sea temp 52 degrees, distance 32 nautical miles, engine hours 4.4, water maker 2 hours, coordinates 48.34.914N / 122.56.310W.

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Blind Bay, Shaw Island

Port Townsend, WA

We left the dock this morning at 9:00 to go to the fuel dock, to fill the boat diesel and dinghy gasoline. Motored to Port Townsend for about 5 hours, 38 nm with the wind on our nose the whole way. Temp in the low 70's, water temp 52, wind up to 20 knots, sunny. It was very nice to get back out on the water. Everything on the boat seems to be working as it should. Towmorrow Blind Bay, Shaw Island. Coordinates for tonight: 48.06.735N 122.45.215W.

Admiralty Inlet

Port Townsend

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Getting Ready

For the past few months we have been getting the boat ready for our trip around Vancouver Island.  We should be starting the trip the 1st of July and lasting about 2 months.  Susan has made almost 20 dinners, and froze them in containers, for easy reheat and eat.  We have stock piles of shampoo, deodorant, soap, toothpaste, etc.  Summer Place will be loaded to the gunwales with food, clothes, supplies, and spare parts.  We have to be ready for hot weather on the East side of Vancouver Island and cold weather on the West side of the Island.  Rain should not be as much of an issue this year because of the new full Bimini enclosure.  It should also make the cockpit much warmer during any cold weather.

We will be sending updates most days while traveling.  The updates will be uploaded via Single Sideband radio (HAM Radio).  It is very slow, slower than dial up, if you remember back then.  So no pictures will be uploaded until we have a fast internet connection.

I hope you will follow along as we make this journey.

Hanging Dinghy from new davit/radar arch

New Honda 9.9 with cover Susan made

Aluminum 9' dinghy with cover Brad made

New compressor for freezer 

Ultrasonic speed and temp sensor

Life Raft Recertified

Summer Place Updates

This winter has been a busy time for the boat,  many updates and new gear.

1. Enclosed bimini from Iverson's
2. Newport 400 MKII from Spectra with a Z-Brane
3. Custom Radar Arch/Dinghy davit from Tanner Manufacturing, with starboard side attachment for Monitor wind vane storage when the dinghy davit is being used
4. 2-130 Watt Kycocera solar panels
5. Superwind 350 wind generator
6. Filter Boss fuel filter/fuel polishing system with dual Racor filters
7. Selden bow sprit pole for asymmetrical spinnaker
8. New keel cooled freezer
9. New keel cooled refrigerator
10. New exhaust elbow for the generator, the old one was leaking
11. New Oil pressure sensor for the generator
12. New water pump for the fresh water system, with the old held for a spare
13. Old Clark pump rebuilt by Spectra to serve as a spare
14. New zincs and bottom paint
15. New speed temp sensor from Airmar
16. Prop cleaned and serviced
17. Plus many other small jobs

Full Bimini Enclosure From Iverson's

Radar Arch Being Installed

The Brains of the Spectra Watermaker

Leaking Generator Exhaust Elbow

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