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May 19 Talking about Cypress Island CruiseWe are in the early stages of planning for a CYC cruise to Cypress Island. We would like to get ideas from as many of you who might want to be there as to what activities you would like to do. We are always up for a hike on the many trails on the island. Crab season will be open, so we might incorporate crab catching/cooking/eating in the theme. Since there are mooring bouys in the harbor now (15 by our count), a beach potluck or dinghy raft-up are also possibilities. I tried to pick a date when there are no big tides so that access to the shore would be easier. We plan to arrive at Eagle Harbor on Friday to stake out the territory and grab a bouy. I realize that the Big Brother/Big Sister Day Sail is also on Sunday of this weekend. If you can make it over to Cypress for the day on Saturday or for the week-end we will welcome you. If not, we understand. Add any ideas you may have to this site or email us.
Quote: I get a tremendous feeling being out on the water, at one with the sea, sky, wind, and waves. I love to explore, and crave adventure. I like to do things with my own hands and mind. I am not afraid to be 30 miles from land drifting at 3 knots. There is something here that I need badly and can't get anywhere else. Very few people feel this way, and you can't really share it with those that don't. Cypress Island Cruise August 02 The Journey EndsWe had a great sail down the Strait of Georgia with the wind at our back all the way to Commodore Passage. We entered Silva Bay and spent the night at the marina there. They have a pub and a great little store nearby. We left early on the morning tide to go through Gabriola Pass at slack water. This was our last tidal rapids of the trip and by far the easiest. We ran down Trincomali Channel to Montague Harbour for the night. Montague is a very popular marine park in the Gulf Islands and we were not alone. We stopped counting boats at 200. We got in early enough to get one of the last mooring bouys. There was a yacht club gathering in the south end of the bay that was building a circular raft that held at least 50 boats together. Soon after some Canadian Navy ships came in to anchor near the entrance and last but not least, the bakery boat came in. The bakery boat travels around to the more popular anchorages and sells cinnamon buns, bread, and fruit pies. On Friday morning we left as the wind was building and sailed across the channel to Ganges Harbour and then down Swanson Channel to Bedwell Harbour. The Corinthian Yacht Club of Bellingham, of which we are members, was having a gathering there this weekend at the Poet's Cove Resort Marina. We got a berth there and met up with Mike & Paula off "True Love II", and Grant & Sharon off "Pinch" for drinks at the pub. We watched for our cruise hosts, Dave and Wendy Barrett to arrive and when they got settled in, the party shifted to "True Love II". On Saturday, Dave and Wendy invited all of us aboard their boat "Amphora" for a day-sail up to Otter Bay Marina. We had eight sailors aboard and formed a great crew for the Barrett's Offshore 41, an ocean-going ketch. We had all three sails up and got to Otter Bay in a few hours. We had burgers there and sailed back, arriving off Bedwell just as the sun made a spectacular setting in the west. Dave and Wendy broke out a bottle of champange and we toasted the sunset just as the full moon rose in the east. Afterwards, everyone met aboard "Amphora" for dessert, coffee and a photo show of some of our slides. Sunday was spent enjoying the facilities at Poet's Cove. Sharon and Rob took the dinghy through Pender Canal to Port Browning in the afternoon. We did some shopping and had an ice cream cone at the Driftwood Centre while there. "True Love II" and "Pinch" had left earlier to cross back to the US so the crews of "Amphora" and "Velveteen Rabbit" met for drinks aboard before dinner. On Monday we bid farewell to "Amphora" when they left to continue their cruise through the Gulf Islands. When we crossed the border at about noon, checking back in by phone was a breeze using our NEXUS cards and we spent the night at anchor in Fossil Bay. The next morning we left on the outgoing tide to travel back into Bellingham, arriving at our slip by early afternoon. July 25 Through the RapidsSince our last update we have
completed our cruise in the Broughtons, gone through Johnstone Strait
and the tidal rapids and found our way through Desolation Sound. We
experienced some beautiful anchorages in Turnbull Cove and Waddington
Bay. We also made overnight stops at Sullivan Bay Marina and Lagoon
Cove Marina. Lagoon Cove is a real kick of a place and is all
designed with fun in mind. The topper is the nightly "Happy Hour"
potluck with fresh caught prawns, lots of other goodies, and stories
from our host, Bill. We found the Squalicum Yacht Club Burgee on the
wall of the "workshop". It was left in years past by "Summer School". We departed Lagoon Cove with a good weather forecast for running down Johnstone Strait to Sunderland Channel. The winds and currents took us to Forward Harbour to anchor in Douglas Bay for the night. The next day we went through Whirlpool Rapids at slack and went up the channel to Loughbourough Inlet where we anchored in Beaver Inlet. This was a peaceful place to spend the night before going through Greene Point rapids the next day. Blind Channel Resort is just around the corner from the rapids and we had a favorable current to get there by early afternoon. The restaurant is superb and is being run by the same family who built the resort years ago. The third generation is preparing to take over the business and the original owner still greets diners. The next morning we left very early to catch the last of the flood tide up as far as Shoal Bay. We dropped the hook for breakfast there and waited out the ebb until it was time to leave for Dent Rapids. We arrived at Dent about 45 minutes early so we dawdled in the bay north of Little Dent Island until we could no longer see any white water. Getting through Dent Rapids at slack put us at Gillard Passage when the tide turned there and we shot down through the Yucultas with no problems. Another two hours took us down to Von Donop Inlet where we had our choice of anchoring spots. Surprisingly there were only six other boats in the anchorage when we got the hook down. We anchored near a 32' power boat from Anacortes, and met the couple on board later in Gorge Harbour. He is a retired forest engineer so he and Rob had stories to swap. We moved on the next morning with a low pressure system moving north from the Oregon Coast. We moored at the Gorge Harbour Marina about two hours before the storm hit. It rained and the wind blew for the next four days as yet a second "Oregon low" moved on through. We met up with our new friends from Anacortes again and rented a car from one of the locals for a few hours. The car's owner said that since he had to build fence all day, we might as well use the car! We toured all the main roads on Cortes Island going from Gorge Harbour to Squirrel Cove and back to Manson's Landing for lunch. We had one of the world's best burgers and dreamy milkshakes at the "Market Carry-out". There was an art and music festival going on at the community center, so there was lots of activity in "town". We went down to the park at Manson's where there is a small float for moorage and anchoring is possible. Saturday night saw gale force winds in the Georgia Strait and a power failure on Cortes Island on Sunday morning. Power was restored by early afternoon and island life is returning to normal. The marina has been full the past two night because of the storm. The low pressure systems are finally going away and leaving us with a promise of quieter conditions for an early morning departure for Comox. Monday morning was calm so we took off early for the six hour run to Comox. We arrived by mid-afternoon and had our shopping done by dinner time. After dinner we were sitting in the cockpit and a man walking the docks introduced himself as Bob Hale, publisher of the Waggoner Cruising Guide. We chatted with Bob for a while and told him of our travels on the north coast. He gave us some "inside" info on some of the places we visited and some that we have yet to. Tuesday brought light northwest winds so we sailed the thirty-six miles to Schooner Cove. This is a full-service resort with marina on Vancouver Island, just north of Nanaimo. We got moorage there using the reciprocal agreement that our club has with Schooner Cove Yacht Club. They have a pool, hot tub, restaurant, pub, store and fuel. Tomorrow we move on to the Gulf Islands. July 09 Through the BroughtonsWe left Port McNeill with a forecast of high pressure weather for a few days and went through the Pearse Islands Marine Park. We crossed Blackfish Sound and went through Village Channel to an anchorage at Crease Island. There was lots of room for all the boats anchored there and we settled in to a good spot for the night. The next morning we left on a course through the abandoned indian village of Mamalilaculla. The tide was low so we opted to continue on to an anchorage to the north called Bootleg Bay. We arrived about lunchtime and had the place to ourselves for the night. The next morning we left and traveled through the Broughton Archipelago to Joe Cove on Eden Island. The cove is a great place to anchor, and there is a float in the east nook that was placed by local residents for use by all boaters. There was one boat tied to the float and they helped us in. We moored there for the night and swapped stories with our "dock mates". Rob went for a dinghy ride around Joe Cove and discovered a hiking trail that leads to the other side of the island. After dark, the main entertainment is watching the jelly fish and shrimp under the float. The NW wind blew all night but we were safe and secure in our little nook. The next day we left and motored through a maze of islands that lead up Misty Passage to Indian Channel, across Fife Sound, and around Pearse Peninsula to Laura Cove. There was only one boat anchored there, so we dropped our hook and made ourselves fast with a stern tie to the shore for the night. We had some rain the next morning, but departed in time to make it to Greenway Sound Resort Marina for the night. Geenway Sound is a secluded body of water with a floating resort that was built here twenty-plus years ago by the current owners. They have a wonderful restaurant and there are hiking trails to Broughton Lake and Beaver Dam Lake. Rob took the trail up to the lakes and found bear and cougar tracks on the shore. After the walk up, a swim in the lake hit the spot. The weather has turned gorgeous with sunny days and temperatures near 80 degrees. We will move on tomorrow to the northern parts of this cruising ground. July 02 Crossing OverWe left Duncanby Landing on June 27 with a good weather forecast for rounding Cape Caution. The wind was light in the morning with a low ocean swell from the west. We sailed on down Queen Charlotte Strait to Blunden Harbour. We anchored along with 10 other boats for the night. The next morning a front was forecast to move through the strait in the afternoon. We left early and caught the building southeasterly to cross the strait to Port McNeill. We arrived just as the rain began and were snug in a berth as the storm blew through. We had a good meal at Gus' Pub and hot showers the next morning. We spent the next couple of days doing boat maintenance and resupplying for a cruise through the Broughtons. We met some nice folks on the docks and toured some of their boats. We went to the Seaside Market on Saturday. There were booths set up along the waterfront with crafts, produce, and baked goods for sale. We picked up a bag of freshly roasted coffee and some home baked cookies for ship's stores. On Canada Day (July 1) we toured Alert Bay, an indian community on Cormorant Island. We took the BC ferry from Port McNeill and went to the U'mista Cultural Center. They have a wonderful collection of native masks and ceremonial regalia, along with other exhibits that explain the culture of the Kwakiutl Indians. We also saw the world's tallest totem pole and the native burial grounds in town. We had lunch at a funky hamburger joint across from the ferry dock called "Bill's Pool Hall and Cafe". Oddly, there was not a pool table to be seen. Back in Port McNeill, Canada Day celebrations were in full swing with an air show at the airport and a blues & bluegrass festival at the harbor. June 26 North Coast TravelsWe are continuing our cruise from Ocean Falls with a run up Dean Channel towards Bella Coola. We explored some of the inlets along the way. Jenny Inlet, Elcho Bay, Cascade Inlet and Eucott Bay. Eucott is an amazing place, the scenery reminds one of that in Yosemite. There are glacial cirques and volcanic domes all around and three hot springs along the shore. One of the springs is crudely developed with a soaking pool. The water is very hot, but can be regulated with a stick that you place into the inlet pipe. Rob took a soak in the springs and chatted with the BC Parks crew that came in on the "Hakai Ranger", a patrol craft based in Bella Coola. They said that Eucott Bay is a candidate for park status and is now in a protected state. Good news, this place is well worth protecting. While soaking in the pool, a black bear sow and cub came out of the forest to graze on the beach across the bay. Grizzlies were also spotted later on. We moved on after two days, getting pictures of MacKenzie Rock. There is an inscription on the rock that reads "Alex MacKenzie from Canada by land 28 July 1793". This is an early explorer who walked across Canada at the same time that George Vancouver was exploring the coast. They missed meeting each other by only weeks! We also visited the site of some native petroglyphs on the rock walls along Dean Channel. Continuing on, we sailed down Dean Channel to Fisher Channel. This is prime Humpback whale territory and we saw them, close up and personal! They come up for air and blow a spout, if your boat is near enough you get a good whiff of "fish breath". From there we explored Gunboat Passage, a navigational challenge, but very pretty with several good anchorages. We wound up back at Shearwater to get supplies, fuel, do laundry, etc. Moving on we went back down Lama Passage, stopping at Codville Lagoon, then on down Fitz Hugh sound. We got in a good 20 mile sail in the sound with more humpback sightings before anchoring in Pruth Bay. This is a beautiful place, protected, but less than a mile inland from Queen Charlotte Sound. There are many ocean birds here and the crabbing is great. The next day was another sunny, calm day so we crossed over to Rivers Inlet and up to Duncanby Landing. This is a small fishing resort/marina with a good restaurant and showers. We had humpback whales swimming past our boat, within 100 feet of the dock, last night and this morning. The fishing here is incredible, and the fact that the whales visit is testament to that. Thats about it for now, we will update again in Port McNeill or whenever there is a connection. June 17 Shazaam!!!!What a break! We found a computer wizard right here in little Ocean Falls. His name is Peter and he has a big box of computer parts and he knows how to fix things. He had a power adapter that works just fine on our Toshiba. He was willing to part with it for a small sum so we took him up on the offer. Who would have thought that we could fix the computer up here, in a town with no cell phone coverage, one restaurant and one road. Thanks go to Sharon for networking with the locals and getting things arranged. We even got a ride to Peter's house with Harbor Master Herb. We are going to dinner at the Lodge tonight and will travel up Dean Channel to Eucott Bay tomorrow. There is a hot springs there and Dean Channel is a good place to spot whales. To see a slide show of our photos to date, cut and paste this address to your browser: http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=165148413/a=23828929/t_=23828929 All Is WellWe have been out of contact with you for several weeks. Our laptop computer stopped working right after we left Port McNeill due to a failure of the power adapter. No power equals no computer! So much for the electronic age. We got around Cape Caution and up through the Inside Passage as far as Hartley Bay, B.C. We had some minor problems along the way but nothing serious. Running out of fuel on a sailboat is not a serious problem. After all, she is a SAIL boat! Sharon handled the boat with ease and alacrity while Rob transfered fuel out of a jerry can obtained from "Puffin", one of the other boats traveling with us. Upon arriving at Hartley Bay, we decided that this is not the year we will go to Alaska. We are continuing our summer trip by independently cruising the Central Coast of B.C. and the Broughton Islands. We are currently in Ocean Falls, B.C. which is an abandoned mill town with a population of 40. We are going to explore this area and the Fijordlands Recreation Area for a while and then move down the coast to Port McNeill. Our mail will be waiting for us there and we will then plan our next move. We will update this blog at the next port where there is a public computer. May 22 Port McNeillWe travelled through Johnstone Strait and some of the lower Broughton Islands to arrive at Port McNeill on Vancouver Island today. We will spend tomorrow resupplying the boat and checking the weather for crossing Queen Charlotte Strait to the mainland. This is the next portal to pass through; an open water crossing of approximately 15 miles. We had a front move through on Sunday and spent an uncomfortable night anchored in Cutter Cove near Minstral Island. We should have stayed at the Minstral Island dock. It was more sheltered from the NW winds that blew all night. The anchor was well dug in and we did not drag, but the motion kept us awake all night. We picked up the hook early and, at Rob's suggestion, moved to a secluded and landlocked anchorage in Potts Lagoon, off Clio Channel. We got there early, ate lunch, napped, and watched the local residents go about their daily routines. The eagles fished and we sighted our first bears! A black bear sow and her cub came down to the shore, only 100 yards from our boat, and the sow rolled rocks over, searching for seafood. The cub followed along, never far from mom. This was a great place to spend some time and recover from the all-nighter in Cutter Cove. This morning saw clearing skies and calm winds and seas. We bid farewell to Potts Lagoon and travelled up Baronet Passage to the west end of W. Cracroft Island on the morning flood tide. Meeting the change of tide at Cracroft Point, we took the ebb out Johnstone Strait to Broughton Strait and into Port McNeill. Another front moves through tonight, we will see what this one brings. May 18 Through the PortalWe write this update from the Blind Channel Resort near Greene Point Rapids. We left Pender Harbour on Tuesday, May 15 with calm conditions and went up to Lund, BC. Sharon and I enjoyed showers and a good meal at the pub that night. We got a great sail in southerly winds the next day up to Stuart Island, with a stop in Squirrel Cove for lunch. The group travelled up Lewis and Calm Channels to transit the Yuclata Rapids that afternoon, arriving at the Big Bay Community Docks on Stuart Island in time for supper. No showers here yet, but they are working on the facility with big things to come. On Thursday, May 17 the three boats hung out at Big Bay until the late slack at Gillard and Dent Rapids. At the appointed hour we "circled the wagons" in Big Bay, each boat working up the courage to cross the stream and enter Gillard Passage. Velveteen Rabbit entered the cross current high and to the right, powered through, and arrived mid-channel in Gillard side-by-side with Puffin. We made it through and raced the two-plus miles to Dent Rapids, finding them at just after high slack. The whole event was much anticipated, and handled with alacrity. We all timed it just right for our own boat's capabilities. The passage was safe and almost a "non-event". We rested overnight at Shoal Bay and ran with the morning ebb current to Blind Channel Resort. This is a welcome stop as they have showers and laundry. Alas, the restaurant is not open yet. We will make this a stop on the way back to try it out. A front has moved in bringing rain and wind for the first time since leaving Bellingham. We will move tomorrow, how far will depend on tide and weather. May 13 On Our Way!We left Bellingham as planned on May 7th with a stiff breeze out of the south as is typical of Bellingham Bay. All three boats rendezvous in Shallow Bay on Sucia Island that night and celebrated our departure with a bottle of bubbly. The next morning we crossed the border to Canada and went through customs in Bedwell Harbour. It is good to start this long trip in familiar waters. We met with gale force winds outside of Bedwell and turned back for a night in the quiet and safety of Poet's Cove Marina. The next day was an uneventful day winding up at one of our favorite spots in the Gulf Islands, Pirate's Cove Marine Park. Velveteen Rabbit discovered a glitch in the autopilot on the way to Pirate's Cove and we diverted to Nanaimo to seek parts and repairs. Once in Nanaimo, the winds in the Strait picked up out of the northwest to 30 knots for two days. We enjoyed a visit with the Nanaimo Yacht Club, using reciprocal moorage priviledges. This is a fine facility and we highly recommend it to our fellow clubmembers. On Sunday, May 13th (Mother's Day) we crossed the Straits of Georgia to Pender Harbour. Rob called his mom from the anchorage in Garden Bay. All three boat crews met for a Mother's Day dinner at the Garden Bay Hotel and Restaurant. Tomorrow we will rest and resupply, then on to Lund and Desolation Sound. The weather reports look good for the next few days. April 24 Sucia Island Group HugWe took the boat out on a mini-cruise to Sucia Island State Marine Park over the weekend. Our yacht club participated in a clean-up event at the park and we spent Saturday working on trail maintenance and beach clean-up. There were five different clubs at the event with over 60 people. The island had sustained a lot of damage from the big storms last winter and the park service needed our help to clear away the debris. A lot was accomplished and there was a big potluck dinner that evening. We experienced some cold temperatures and were running the furnace at night. There was 30 knot winds on Saturday night and we stood watch in the cockpit until they subsided around midnight. We found some items on the boat that need attention and are spending this week taking care of them. We are setting a target date for departure on our big trip for May 7. We are hoping that the weather will warm up by then. It gets a little nicer around here every day. April 08 Shakedown CruiseWe had a great time yesterday on a shakedown cruise to Chuckanut Bay with our friends from the Squalicum Yacht Club. Chuckanut is a small bay just a few miles south of Bellingham. We left town with our friend Larry aboard to help out, and arrived at the anchorage in time to join our club in a raft up of ten boats. We shared a potluck meal in the afternoon and celebrated our club's first cruise of the season. We spent the next couple of hours visiting and catching up before motoring back to our marina. The weather was fine for the Pacific NW, a cloudy day with a few showers. The rain held off until dinner was over so the rolls and cakes did not get too soggy. Sharon's Crunchy Corn Salad was delicious, even though diluted by a few rain drops. April 01 IntroductionWe are taking the "Velveteen Rabbit" on a long trip this year. Our ultimate goal is Southeast Alaska, but there are many places to visit between Bellingham and Glacier Bay. We will be starting our trip on or about April 30. Our first destination is Princess Louisa Inlet in British Columbia. We are busy now preparing the boat and ourselves for departure. Rob has done preventative maintenence to the boat's electrical, plumbing, and propulsion systems over the winter. We have obtained the necessary charts, both electronic and paper. We also attended some training seminars on cruising the Inside Passage and took the US Power Squadron's boating course to improve our navigation skills. The only things left to do are to load the boat with provisions and our clothing. We are hoping for good weather, but the Pacific NW is notorious for not having the best spring conditons. It is still cold and raining, although we see some improvement every day. We will update this site with our current location, places we visited, and new photos as we go. Check back often and see what's new! |
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