The end of Summer 2024

The end of my longest cruise to date comes to a close. It felt like nature was sending hints as the weather started to feel more like fall with each passing day. After leaving Todd Inlet and finally visiting Butchart Gardens I ended up spending a few days tucked in beside Russel Island which is just north of Portland Island, my first choice. However, after a having a look at the stern tie situation and the winds on the day of my arrival I had to pass on Portland Island in favor of the simpler anchoring at Russel. I was really just hanging out until I needed to leave Canadian waters.

Next stop was Sydney Spit for a night and then on to Friday Harbor to clear into the US. Woke up at Sydney Spit to thick fog and thought how nice it would be if the fog would clear before I had to leave. It didn’t.

Started up the engine and powered up the AIS and radar and slowly motored my way into the mist. Reminded me of flying on instruments. Visibility was less than 1/4 of a mile and occasionally less. Strong currents, the regular moans of ships sounding their horns, the roar of outboards running blind at speed, all combined to make this leg of the trip “interesting and memorable”.

I only had one close call with a sailboat on a beam reach coming out of the fog on a collision course. I spotted the boat on radar at the last minute as it had no AIS transponder. Why someone would sail their $500,000 boat in the fog without AIS is a bit of a head scratcher.

I made it to Friday Harbor, cleared in the old fashioned way by hiking up the hill to the office after the CBP Roam App failed to work. I could rant on about that but there is no point. They know it has issues. I decided to stay in the marina for a few days waiting for the weather. Finally the window looked good for a two step trip down Lopez and across the eastern end of the Strait then down to Port Ludlow and home. After almost 3 months since leaving Seattle I had mixed feelings about returning.

I’ve been back a few weeks and I’ve got a few boat projects I want to get done and then I think I will do that again. Maybe Hawaii next time!

Some new, some familiar stops

After leaving Boat Cove (Bay?) on Lasqueti Island I made the long trip across and down to the northern Gulf Islands. The wind was light for the first hour so I motored but after an hour or so it picked up enough to roll out the genoa for some motor sailing. I needed to recharge the batteries and run the water maker so motoring for a while was best. After another hour I was ready to shut down the engine and let the building breeze do the work. I was doing 6 knots under genoa alone. I ended up sailing almost all the rest of the way down doing 7+ knots as the wind built to 20 knots from astern. It was a nice sunny, downwind sail.

Some nice little rollers building up in the Strait of Georgia

Winchelsea Island with a BC ferry heading to Vancouver in the background

I rolled up the genoa and motored past Silva Bay and into Dogfish Cove next to Kendrick Island for an overnight stay before heading through Gabriola Passage the next day. I like this little anchorage and this is the second time I’ve been here. It was a bit windy but not crowded. Shot through the Gabriola Pass with a good 2-3 knot current pushing me around and motored down to the old reliable Clam Bay. I had debated trying a small cove in the entrance to Ladysmith Harbor but didn’t want to chance it might be full and have to divert back to another anchorage.

My summer is winding down and I have always wanted to visit Butchart Gardens so this seems like a good chance to make that happen. The weather actually looked decent. I needed to make one more stop in Genoa Bay, North Cowichan before heading to Todd Inlet which is right next to the Gardens. Genoa Bay was okay but I would go back. Anchorage is open to the south and swells and wakes roll right in. It was convenient. Getting there was nice though. The trip through Sansome Narrows is very pretty.

Another motor down to Todd Inlet Friday morning and by noon I was anchored in with a dozen other boats. At first it seemed too crowded but there is little to no wind and no current so boats don’t move much. There always seems to be room for one more boat. I dropped the dinghy into the water, grabbed my camera and headed to the beach to find the trail that leads to Butchart Gardens.

Todd Inlet from the trail to the gardens (Kinetics is lone sailboat)

It’s maybe a 15-20 walk by trail and road to the main entrance. I think I was the only person to arrive on foot! Had lunch at the restaurant and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the grounds. Took a lot of pictures but they’re in the Fuji XT. I still have to upload and cull them. Beautiful even in late summer and nice to be able to do some walking. I can finally check that one off the list!

Still heading south

This update combines several stops on my return south. Shorter stays as I stop for supplies and dodge weather make for a bit less to say. However, with one exception all of these places are new to me so I have been able to stay with the plan to see new locations on my return journey home.

From Handfield Bay I hopped down to an interesting little cove on the west side of Quadra Island called Small Inlet. Reached by passing through a narrow, kelp chocked pass, it provided decent shelter from some strong NW winds for a couple days. I anchored in the very back behind a couple small islets. There was room for maybe two or three boats. I had only one other power boat join me for one night. I didn’t bother to put the dinghy in the water given the windy conditions and knowing I was leaving soon.

Small Inlet and the islets at the very back. The last day the wind had let up.

From Small Inlet it was down the last part of Discovery Passage, through Seymore Narrows and to the Discovery Harbour Marina at Campbell River. The Narrows rapids were a non-event as the tide this day was a neap one. I had good current helping almost the entire way. Two nights in the marina let me top off the water tanks, batteries, dispose of the trash, do a load of laundry, and visit a big market (twice) to stock up on fresh food items. This is a very convenient place to do this. I wanted to visit their museum but just didn’t have time given my list of chores. Boats have never ending maintenance lists.

A long day of motoring took me to Hornby Island and Tribune Bay. A repeat visit from a few years ago where I spent some time here with my friends Dan and Irene. However, the forecast was for strong SE winds the next day so it was up and out of there the next morning and off to Lesqueti Island. I had wanted to visit this island on my way home and so I made the choice to head there despite some unsettled weather.

Looking south out of Tribune Bay on Hornby Island. Only a few boats here.

Because of the rain and wind due in this day I made for False Bay which I knew would offer good protection from the strong SE winds. It was also the closest. A bit crowded with private moorings, something I have noticed more and more in a lot of anchorages, but I got lucky when another sailboat was departing and a spot opened up.

The next day the wind was supposed to switch around and I wanted to head south so I decided to trust the forecast. Typical, it was wrong. Not sure why but the Canadian forecasts are generally not too reliable. We’re spoiled in the US with excellent and detailed weather data. I explored several coves on the west side of the island but they were all to exposed or too deep. I ended up in Boat Cove on the west side of Lasqueti. It’s a bit lumpy but tolerable and hopefully the wind will eventually turn and things should calm down. Based on the forecast, if it’s remotely correct, I’m here until Tuesday when I will head south again for the Vancouver Island side and get back into the Northern Gulf Islands. I want to get into more protected water with these frontal systems that seem to be rolling through almost weekly now.

Leaving False Bay, Lasqueti Island, after one night.

Dinghy sailing in Handfield Bay

My first stop on my return southbound on the Inside Passage is Handfield Bay which is part of the Thurston Marine Park. There are a few adjoining larger bays, one of which is directly connected. Not as picturesque as Cordero but much larger in size. The NW winds also make it in here and they have been fairly steady since I arrived on Thursday. I decided on Friday it was time to rig the dinghy for sailing. The big open bay looked perfect and I had the place to myself.

It wasn’t as hard as I thought to rig it from the boat but it still takes some planning

I spent the afternoon exploring the bays under sail. The Spindrift sails very nicely. I need to improve a few things but the design is actually a good sailing boat.

The channels getting to this anchorage from the Cordero Islands were nice. Here are a couple images from that trip on Thursday morning and one sunset from the Handfield Bay itself. I plan to move on south again very soon.

Peaceful respite – Cordero Islands

After checking out of the Blind Channel Resort I dropped anchor in the nearby Cordero Islands. Intending to stay only a couple of days before moving on to Port Neville and then the Broughtons I found a good place inside the small chain.

An abandoned dock in bay that once served the only home on the shoreline (I assume no one lives there now)

I waited patiently for a good forecast in Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlette Strait to head north. Each day the forecast got windier and then I saw a series of small fronts starting to line up off shore. I spent one day after another trying to decide whether to advance myself up the inside passage or not. Meanwhile the conditions here in the Cordero anchorage were very nice!

The dinghy with Kinetics in the background

I finally decided that Summer was ending a few weeks early and I had no desire to spend my final few weeks moving from cove to cove staying out of strong westerly winds and rain which is more than 50% likely to be what’s in store for September in Blackfish Sound and parts north.

So this is the end of my northward journey for this year. I will take my time heading back south and visit bays and harbors I have and have not seen before. I have all of September to do so and I think the weather will be better as I head south. I’ve had the Cordero Islands almost all to myself for a few days now. It is like someone flipped a switch and most of the boats have disappeared. I hope it stays that way as I make my way home.

The tide rushing through the gap between one of the islands and the mainland

Hike at Blind Channel Resort

Here are some photos I took on my short hike around the Blind Channel Resort on West Thurlow Island. The area above the resort is forested but logged in the past 100 years. The original owners of the resort engaged with the logging firm to allow trails to be created. It is a great asset for them and I really enjoyed getting some exercise and breathing some fresh air. One highlight are a couple of old red cedars that were left standing. Beautiful examples that I hope live for another 100 years or more.

Fresh water stream flows down into Mayne channel with the marina in the background

The smaller of the two big cedars

The big cedar, the top of which you can’t really see

Me at the base for some scale

Sitting out a front in Blind Channel

Last Sunday I departed under cloudy skies for Blind Channel Resort on Mayne Passage just short of Green Point Rapids. This looked like my only chance to get further north and stay somewhere secure for the incoming front. I needed to recharge batteries, refill on water, pick up a few groceries, do some laundry and get out for a little exercise. They have nice hiking trails I hope to try while I’m here. There is a big old cedar tree up the trail that is worth a visit apparently.

I very glad I was here for the rain and wind that came through last night. It dumped what I suspect was over an inch of rain and the gusts of wind were pretty significant. Almost lost my Starlink device which I ended up having to tie down to keep it from sailing away.

The first night I had a really good dinner at their restaurant, the Cedar Post, I haven’t eaten food that good in quite some time. The service was also very good. I can recommend the Blind Channel Resort and Marina.

Here is a shot from my route between the Octopus Islands and Blind Channel. My timing for the Oskillo rapids was good and I had favorable current most of the way. The expected hurting current in Mayne channel at the end was far less than expected and I arrived a little early.

Cortes Bay to Octopus Islands

After waiting out the front that rolled through BC on Sunday I departed Pender Harbor early Monday morning for the long run up the rest of the Georgia Strait to overnight in Cortes Bay on Cortes Island. The day started out sunny and nice leaving Pender Harbor.

Despite the repeated warning for waterspouts I saw nothing but overcast skies and light winds in the Strait. I made a stop in Westview Harbor to top off the fuel tank. Surprisingly tight little marina! Especially at low tide.

The young woman manning the fuel dock was fantastic at helping me get tied up and departing in the tight space. Her recommended pivot and turn made my departure quick and easy. Thank you!

The views on the way up were typical BC.

After an uneventful night in Cortes Bay I woke up to light rain. I retrieved the anchor without ramming the big powerboat the anchored too close last night and headed out right on time. I had carefully calculated my route to catch the slack at Beasley Passage and Surge Narrows off Quadra Island around 11:15am. It was nice having the new radar on board as visibility was not great in the rain and mist.

I had to slow way down as I approached Beasley Passage. The ebb tidal flow was pushing me most of the way there. Better early to these things than late. I was the only boat going north. I met a handful of boats going south, one of which I shared the pass with. Both the pass and the Narrows were smooth and presented no problems. Having the ebb tide with me I made quick time up the entrance to the Octopus Islands Marine Park where I expect to stay for several days. It’s very nice here and not crowded so far. I’ll wait for my chance to head north up Johnstone Strait in calm weather. For now, more rain then some sunny days with views like these.

Sailing on to Canada!

This post covers a lot of hops since Sucia Island in the US. I just didn’t have the motivation to do one sooner. I’m now in John Henry’s Marina, Pender Harbor, Canada on a beautiful Saturday morning. While there is supposed to be rain and wind on the way, today is going to be warm and nice. I was happy to get a slip here in the marina after finding all the anchorages packed with only tight, sketchy spots left to drop the hook in.

Being here also allows me to take advantage of a washer and dryer for my month of laundry, get rid of some trash and to simply be able to get off the boat and walk. They have a nice restaurant, store, and fuel here as well. Docks are brand new.

Between Sucia Island and Pender Harbor I made a few stops. I made my way over to Stuart Island’s Reid Harbor before heading over the border. I like this island but it was a bit crowed so I anchored way out. That left me in the zone of constant power boat wakes. I stayed a few days and managed to hike up to the School House where I restocked on my favorite tee shirts and met the woman who, along with her husband, makes them. Boundary Pass Traders.

From here it is a short hop over the South Pender Island to check into Canada where I met a couple on their way up from Edmonds in a power boat. After a lot of questions from the local border officer it was off to Ganges Harbor on Salt Spring Island for the usual grocery provisions and a visit to the Farmer’s Market and bookstore in town. Ganges Harbor is too busy, noisy and often too windy for me so I headed out after just two nights for Clam Bay on Thetis Island.

Clam Bay is generally a quite place to hang out for a few days before heading to Nanaimo or further north. I took the dinghy through a cut in the island over to Telegraph Harbor and had my first ice cream cone in a very long time.

Looking at the weather for the Georgia Strait, Friday was going to be the only day with guaranteed good weather for a crossing so it was up a 6am and off to Pender Harbor. I snapped this photo of Texada Island on the crossing. It is a very imposing landmark in the middle of the Strait.

I’ll be heading north again on Monday unless the weather makes it impossible. Next stop will be somewhere near Cortes Island most likely.

Bellingham to Sucia Island

August 3rd 2024

After a bit of deliberation I departed Blind Bay on Friday, July 26th around 6am to catch a favorable tide over to Bellingham for a visit with friends that live there. It’s been a few years since I visited and it was by car not boat. I have never visited Bellingham with the boat and never had the time until this year. Calling up Squalicum Harbor from a mile out I was able to secure guest moorage for a couple of nights.

I had a very nice weekend visiting my friends in Bellingham who graciously shuttled me around and had me to their house overlooking Chukanut Bay for dinner. It was great catching up and watching some Olympics. They have a very nice Farmers Market there on Saturday.

Sunday morning I left for Sucia Island. I was able sail part of the way under full jib. I arrived to an uncrowded Echo Bay which is what I expected on a Sunday afternoon. I spent a quiet first half of the week in the rain. The sun returned on Thursday and the crowds started rolling in.

I practiced rowing in the new Spindrift dinghy. I need more practice and some better oars are now on the list for next year. But mostly my technique is poor. Friday I took the SUP to shore and went for a nice hike. Lost my sunglasses on the trail but another hiker found them after I mentioned my loss and saved my trip. I’m not sure how I would have gotten by without my prescription sunglasses for two more months.

I’ve been able to work a few hours as planned, which included a few meetings. Starlink is working but the service does not tolerate the rotation the boat, which it does at anchor. The connection drops anytime the boat rotates more than 30 degrees or so. I have to get up and move the dish but sometimes it is a waste of time if the boat is doing a dance in the wind or current. I expected this might be a problem but it’s a bit more of one than I had hoped. A truly first world problem.