Day 10 - A Lazy Day

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Another gorgeous day in Paradise. More clear skies. Had a very lazy day. We all slept in. Then it was just reading books and doing really nothing worth noting. At about 1400 we went over to Squirrel Cove to get a few groceries. It seemed like everyone else anchored in Squirrel Cove had the same idea. The routine is the same - under slow bell through the anchorage, but as soon as you hit the cut at the entrance, open up the throttle to flank speed and race to Squirrel Cove. It looked as if Squirrel Cove was being attacked by ones and twos from people in dinghies. I took command of the dinghy invasion force by opening up the Zipper throttle and flying by them all. I rarely get to pass any boats when cruising in the Independence, so when I get an opportunity to pass something I'll take advantage of it.

We again picked up some groceries (chicken, Bavarian smokies, fresh veggies, block & cubed ice) since tomorrow we'll be moving on farther N and there won't me any nearby marinas to get any groceries. The other thing we picked up is some Squirrel Cove coffee. They have their own roast and it is so good. I also got a 3 day fishing license.

After our excursion to Squirrel Cove, we came back and had a nice sun shower. I touched the sun shower bag laying on the deck of the Independence and it was almost hot to the touch. So I tied the sun shower bag to the boom and hoisted it. The setup is that you can stand on the swim step with the sun shower bag above you and take a shower. It was absolutely delicious. The water was oh so warm. It was hot enough outside that almost as soon as you got done you were dry. It was perfect.

Once the larder was stocked, and we were 'refreshed' it was time for a cocktail and preparations for supper. I had me a very tall caesar with lots of ice that I had just purchased at Squirrel Cove. In fact, I had two caesars. I spent my time marinating some chicken. I also concocted my own cocktail snack - a handful of "Dragon Boat mix," a handful of oriental rice crackers, and some peanuts. Dragon Boat mix is something that I've only found in Thrifty Food Stores in Nanaimo. Dragon Boat Mix is a melange of rice flour coated peanuts - coated with a variety of items, seaweed, wasabi, coconut, black sesame seeds, and white sesame seeds, along with some cashews. It is a truly unique mix. I grilled the chicken but I was not so impressed with my marinade and the result. It was good, but not worthy of being entered in the log. Kim made a delicious cous-cous to go along with the chicken. We sat out on the back deck, enjoying supper, and watching the world go on at anchor in Squirrel Cove. One of the best things of being at anchor is how the boat slowly turns so you always get some new view.

Once again I capped off my day with a toast of Canadian whiskey to Squirrel Cove and a beautiful lazy day.

Day 9 - The Monster Conquered

Friday, July 16, 2010

Left Schooner Cove at 0715 with a brisk 15 knot NW wind blowing. The wind just never stopped blowing. Immediately we had issues. The first one was that we had a line from the Zipper in the water. Second issue, the safety line parted from the Zipper. And the third issue, during resolving the first two issues we took a few beam to waves and the coffee carafe fell and hit the deck breaking and spilling coffee all over. After resolving these things we started our trip across the Strait. There was a good 3' moderate sea coming from the WNW. I had a plan on how we were going to tackle this. We would use the lee of the islands and Ballenas Island to minimize the seas, and then we would work to quarter the seas rather than pound into them. That meant setting a course after Ballenas Island to the S end of Texada Island - Upwood Point.

We followed the plan which started to work really well, once we cleared Ballenas Island we felt the waves and swells. We angled for Upwood Point but the waves and swells were too beam to causing too much side-to-side rocking. So I adjusted the course to head for Squitty Bay on Lasqueti Island which was perfect for quartering these rough seas. Once we got within the lee of Lasqueti Island we then adjusted our course for Upwood Point on Texada. Instead of a straight line course we did more of a curved cresent shaped course. Sure it was longer and took more time, but it was much more comfortable of a ride for us. We were also riding a flood current which helped us cross the worst part of the Strait better than 6 knots.

Once we rounded Upwood Point the seas were very calm, in fact just rippled. However as we started up the east side of Texada Island and Malaspina Strait the waves increased, although there was little or no wind - they were just 2-3' smooth rollers. But we pounded right into them making for an uncomfortable cruise all the way from Anderson Bay to NE Point on Texada Island. Just prior to NE Point I layed down for a nap and let Kim take the helm. When I awoke we just shy of Grief Point and the seas were almost calm. These calm seas were with us all the way to Squirrel Cove.

Just before Grief Point around 1300 the engine hour meter turned to 6000 hours.

As usual with this part of the cruise its kind of boring. You got Texada Island to the W. The island rises steeply above Malaspina Strait then levels out to bauxite mines on the N end of the island. After Grief Point you got the mill at Powell River and the town of Westview to the east. You pass Harwood Island and Savary Island to the W but these are low lying and featureless islands. The shore to the E is also relatively featureless, although in the distance you can see the mountains of the coast range. Far to the W you can see the vast snowfields and mountains on Vancouver Island. There weren't too many other boats out either. The cruise starts to get interesting once you pass Lund. Thulin Passage is quite scenic, and finally you get into Desolation Sound. Passing Sarah Point you get an incredible view of the Liberty Cap and other mountains of the coast range.

We got into Squirrel Cove at 1810 and dropped the hook in 18' of water at half low tide. It is good to be done cruising for the day. We anchored far into Squirrel Cove in the far NW corner, just past the shore trail to Von Donop Inlet. Squirrel Cove was not too crowded. For supper, we enjoyed simple celebratory fare - Chicago style hot dogs (tomatoes, green chili peppers, onions) with a cold beer. I also capped the day off with a couple toasts of Gibsons Canadian whiskey. Wow, I'm back in Squirrel Cove. I was elated.

Stats: 64.1 nm, average speed 5.8 knots, 11:03 hours of running time, ending engine hours 6005.4.

Day 8 - The Monster

Thursday, July 15, 2010
Woke to clear skies but breezy conditions. Winds are forecast to be 15-20 knots north of Nanaimo out in Georgia Strait. This may mean that today may be a long and rough day. I'd like to get as far as Lasqueti Island but we will see. Tomorrow the forecast is for lighter winds in the afternoon but overnight and early morning winds are still supposed to be about 15-20 knots. Maybe we should wait. If we do wait it would make for a very long day - 13 or more hours - to go from Nanaimo all the way to Squirrel Cove.

Josef gets picked up at 10:00 AM over at the main city dock. We left the Independence at about 0930 to get there on time. Josef didn't want to keep Jim waiting. When we got to the dock there was Jim. We walked up the dock with Josef and Jim and saw Josef off to Prep Camp. Kim wanted to walk about in town, but I was anxious to get out of town. Too many people for me.

I pushed hard to get going and cross Georgia Strait today. Kim reluctantly agreed. We pulled up the anchor at 1142 to take advantage of the winds that generally calm down around mid-day. It did seem that the winds had indeed calmed some. Weather reports from the Sisters Island and Ballenas Islands were that the wind had calmed down from 20+ knots to around 15-16 knots. Lighthouse reports were that seas were a 3' moderate. I hoped that they would calm down even more, perhaps 10-12 knots maybe. Once we rounded the Clark Rock light the seas got progressively worse. Seas were definitely a 3' moderate and maybe more. My wish for calming conditions was not going to be. The wind was from the NW at more than 15 knots. As we moved farther up the Strait the waves and swells got worse - we were getting pounded. The bow would dip into the trough and then as the next wave approached get raised way into the air and then fall with a crash. Spray would get sent over the bow and even over the flying bridge. I even had to use the windshield wiper because of the spray. The poor Zipper in tow was getting pounded too. The tow line would go slack then instantly "piano-wire" taught. My fear was that the tow line would snap and we'd lose the Zipper. In this wind the Zipper would probably drift faster than the Independence could motor and we would never recover her. Consequently I decided to use the "Walt Woodward route" that took us by Maude Island and behind Winchelsea Island. Sure enough being in the lee of these islands the seas were not so rough. Instead of 3'+ seas it was only about 1' chop. In fact it was calm enough for us to reconsider crossing the Strait. But the winds kept blowing and at times very hard so I made the decision to go for Schooner Cove Marina where we'll stay for the night. The weather is clear but it is just blowing so hard. We'll hopefully cross the monster tomorrow.

We got into a slip at Schooner Cove and tied up for the day. Both Hank and I are mentally exhausted from the pounding seas. It was a good decision to go to Schooner Cove. When we were pounding through the rough seas Hank assumed a position between Kim's legs and as close to her as he could possible be. You could tell he definitely did not like the rough, pounding conditions. Neither did I. I took some time to hose the boat off with fresh water to get the salt water spray off. There was salt from the spray everywhere.

Kim was wanting a rich tomato sauce so I took advantage of the afternoon and made a rustic pepper sauce with some Italian sausage. Here's the recipe:

• 4-5 Italian sausage links
• 1 t olive oil
• 2 T onion, chopped
• 1 T Bick's Red Pepper Relish
• 1 t red wine vinegar
• 1/2 C yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 t red pepper powder
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 t capers
• 2 T Vindaloo sauce

Cook the sausage. When the sausages are about half cooked, saute the onion and red pepper relish using the fat from the sausages. Deglaze the sausages and onions with the red wine vinegar. Add the yellow peppers, garlic, and capers along with the Vindaloo sauce and reduce. Add cooked pasta and mix well and serve.

We enjoyed the evening eating dinner, listening to the radio, and having a couple of drinks. I enjoyed a couple of caesars (vodka, Clamato, A-1 sauce, Tabasco, and Old Bay seasoning) and Kim had a Smith and Kerns (vodka, Kalua, cream and coke). Perfect after a torturous day of being tossed about. We found out that the marina will be undergoing extensive remodeling. The motel will be torn down to make way for more condos, a restaurant, and some small shops. The pool we so enjoyed for so many years was closed as well as the restaurant. The chandlery and fishing gear shop were also gone. Its been about 5-6 years since we were last here.

The wind continued to blow from the NW all afternoon and evening.

Stats: 12.9 nm, average speed 4.6 knots, running time 2:49, ending engine hours 5993.8.

Day 7 - On to Newcastle Island and Nanaimo

Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Woke to clear skies and calm waters. We untied from the mooring buoy at 0803 and continued our trip N to Nanaimo. It was an easy cruise up Trincomali Passage. I would set the wheel and then not touch it until I noticed that the current was pushing us off course. I would then make a slight correction and again let go of the wheel until it needed it. The waters were calm or only rippled all the way up to Dodd Narrows. Unfortunately we were fighting an ebb and our speed was less around 5+ knots.

When we approached Dodd Narrows at 12:00 there was a real "gaggle" of boats on both sides. The VHF radio was almost continously abuzz with "Securitay - securitay - securitay. A xx foot (sail or power) boat approaching Dodd Narrows from the (North or South) any concerned traffic call on channel 16." The current was ebbing and running S and slack was scheduled for 12:57 or so. Boats would motor up and back off, or motor back-and-forth across the entrance looking for an opportunity to traverse the narrow pass. There must have been over 30 boats on the S side and about a dozen boats on the N side. Dodd Narrows is a real boating bottleneck. I never changed my speed, but just kept on motoring determinedly for the narrows. I decided that other boats would have to move out of the way or follow in behind me. And I never hail on the radio that I'm going through Dodd Narrows. There were two boats in front of me - a sailboat, a 32' Fisher and a powerboat, a 32' Sea Ray. The Fisher was working hard against the current and I heard on the radio the powerboat behind the Fisher say, "Now's the time you gotta push the throttle. Go, go, go." I generally approach the narrows more to the N side (if the current is ebbing), the Mudge Island side and ride the back eddy until I get right into the narrows. When I hit the narrows, the current slowed us down to 3.5 knots and I increased the RPM to 1850 from 1750 and we powered right on through.

After passing through Dodd Narrows the wind wasn't too bad coming into Nanaimo Harbor. Sometimes you'll feel the full force of NW wind, waves and swell of the Strait of Georgia coming headlong right into you. There were a few rollers about 2-3 feet in size, but we managed just fine. We got into Newcastle Harbor at about 1305 and dropped the hook in 19' of water at near low tide. The harbor doesn't seem too crowded and we found a nice anchorage - it was pretty much to our choosing.

I gave the engine a thorough checking over - alternator belt, cooling system, oil, transmission oil, as well as a scanning around the engine. I also cleaned the raw water strainer and removed the hose to the oil cooler and cleaned it too. I believe we're ready for the "monster" - that is crossing the Strait of Georgia. Josef called Jim Knight and arranged a time to be picked up (10:00 AM) tomorrow.

We had a lazy afternoon until around 1600 when we went into town to do some shopping. We first went to the marine chandlery to pick up some stove alcohol - its so cheap here. Only $10 per gallon. I checked at the West Marine store in Olympia and they wanted over $30 for a gallon - same brand. Rediculous mark up. So we picked up 2 gallons - enough for this year and next. We also bought a new crab pot since we lost one last year. Next, we went to do some grocery shopping. Finally, I went to the liquor store to get enough liquor provisions for the rest of the trip. I got more Gibsons (Canadian whiskey) and beer. I timed it just right being the last one in and out of the store - whew. When we got back to the boat we unloaded the supplies and then went to get some Zipper fuel and some ice at the gas dock. Once that was done we came back and had a great supper of potatoes and grilled pork chops.

I moistened each pork chop lightly with some olive oil then sprinkled on some Montreal Steak Seasoning, some curry powder, a bit of red chili powder and dash of soy sauce. I let this marinade on the pork chop for about an hour. I also thoroughly perforated the pork chop with a fork to ensure the spices and marinade would penetrate the meat. When at the grocery store I saw a bottle of Indian Vindaloo sauce. Vindaloo is a puree of onions with a bunch of spices. I grilled each pork chop and then finished it with a glaze of the Vindaloo sauce. It was excellent. A definite hit. I finished the day with a caesar drink filled with lots of ice.

Stats: 27.8 nm, average speed 5.4 knots, running time 5:09, ending engine hours 5990.8.

Day 6 - A No-motor Day

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

We decided to spend the day at Montague Harbor rather than move on to another location like Pirates Cove, or Thetis Island, or even Newcastle Island. A strong wind blew last night just like the evening before at Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island. Maybe that was the gale winds mentioned on the weather radio for southern Georgia Strait. It must have been blowing 25 knots or more. The Zipper moored along side the Independence was making quite a racket, so I untied it and tethered it to the stern cleat of the Independence. By morning the wind had greatly subsided. The weather has been mostly sunny with only a few clouds rolling through, although last night after returning from Ganges I thought we'd get some rain, but it missed us.

Kim, Hank and I took a long walk on the road that leads into Montague Provincial Park walking all the way to the Montague Harbor Marina. It was a nice walk with many nice views of the bay and all the boats anchored and moored there. We then came back and had a few snacks. The rage has been resurrecting the Yahtzee Game with a new battery. By having the battery die, Max's old high score - an impossible 586 score was now gone. Now it was who was going to have the next high score. The electronic Yahtzee game is relegated to the forward head and the unwritten rule is that where it belongs. You cannot take the Yahtzee game out of the forward head and play it. I tried that and was severely chastized. Luckily I got the high score properly - while sitting on the forward head and peace and order was restored.

We had a lazy afternoon, had a late lunch and then did an extended beach trip. We found a shady spot on the N side of the beach with a great view up Trincomali Passage. We also played water fetch with Hank - which he thoroughly enjoyed. I threw the stick fairly far out in the water this time forcing him to swim more. I think he would play water fetch until he dropped dead from exhaustion. As we sat we saw first one large double masted sailboat anchor in the bay, but up the channel we saw more and more approaching. Somebody walking by mentioned that there was a double-masted sailboat regatta going on. It was fun to see these big beautiful sailboats come into the bay and anchor. All in all we counted over 12 large double masted sailboats. We finished our afternoon with a hike on the Point Grey trail. The weather was warm and fortunately there was a steady breeze blowing from the SW to keep us cool. The wind died down later. We were still all so stuffed from lunch that we passed on making any kind of significant supper - just a few snacks.

Day 5 - Crossing Into Canada

Monday, July 12, 2010
Last night the wind howled. At times I believed there were wind gusts of maybe 20-30 knots. But now this morning, there's cloudy skies and only a few remnant gusts and breezes, though definitely not as strong as last night.

We left Prevost Harbor at 0825 to continue our trip N. Haro Strait was very rolly and once again there was a huge ebb tide to contend with. Again we crabbed our way across Haro Strait and into Canada. The current was going W, we were going N, but we angled our way more ENE - its just really kind of funky. Kim made breakfast en route. Because of the waves and the strong current I didn't call early enough to take advantage of the CanPass system. When I called CanPass they simply said, report to Bedwell Customs dock for processing. Okay on to Bedwell then.

Just as we were entering Bedwell Harbor and customs, a very large sailboat passed us and tied up right in the middle of the customs dock. There was no room in front or behind him, rather you would have to navigate more into the marina and around the back to get to the customs dock. It would also put me "bow in" not "bow out" as I preferred. My manueverability was hampered by having to tie the Zipper up on the port side of the boat. So I wasn't too happy. As a result, Josef angrily stood on the bow of the Independence and yelled across the bay, "Move yer boat, or I'll move it." He, like me, was none too happy. Luckily the sailboat skipper moved his boat forward and we were able to tie up in a small space behind him. As we approached the customs dock the sailboat skipper said to Josef, "There's plenty of dock space on the other side." I said in a low barely audible voice to Josef, "Easy. Let's not lose it." Fortunately Josef just glared at him. As I was docking in the limited space provided by the sailboat another boater commented on my great docking job. I did bring the Independence in perfectly in a tight spot without any issue.

I trotted up to the customs shack and got our clearance number for entry into Canada - 20101930209. I finished before the sailboat skipper, trotted back to the Independence and said, "Lets get out of here before he comes back." I didn't want any more challenges with this goofy sailboat skipper. We quickly untied and moved on our way. Our next challenge is going through Pender Canal that separates North and Sound Pender Islands. By taking the Pender Canal route we will save an hour or more cruising. The current was running S (ebbing) and the tide was falling. As we cruised through I had Josef up on the bow just to spot the shallows - the lowest it got was about 4' below the keel. Going through Pender Canal is always a fun challenge.

We now moved around Razor Point, up Navy Channel, and into Tricomali Channel and eventually Montague Harbor at 1212. We got a mooring buoy on the W side of the bay. Listening to the weather radio there's forecasts for gales in S Georgia Strait for later in the day. For now the wind was from the SW at less than 10 knots. We settled in and decided to do a Zipper trip to Ganges for groceries. However, it was decided to leave Hank the dog at the boat instead of taking him. This would make for easier grocery shopping and less stress for all. It was a good decision.

We picked up a variety of groceries and most importantly some good Canadian whiskey. When we came back Josef made a great Greek Salad. Here's the recipe.

• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, cut into small chunks
• 1/2 C yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 C kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 2 T fresh basil, chopped
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1/2 t dried dill weed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1/4 C feta cheese, crumbled
• salt & pepper to taste
  
  Cut veggies, add feta and spices and mix well. Then add olive oil and red wine vinegar, chill and let set for 30 minutes or more.

We had a great dinner of Greek salad, grilled steaks and spinach Nan (Indian flat bread) with Tzatsiki. I grilled the Nan on the BBQ until just toasty. Then I dipped the Nan in the steak juice added some Tzatsiki - it was incredible. What a nice evening.

Stats: 18.4 nm, average speed 5.1 knots, 3:35 running time, 158.0 trip miles, ending engine hours 5985.3.

Day 4 - Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island

Sunday, July 11, 2010.
Woke to mostly sunny skies. We had a "rolly-polly" night as there were some winds and swell that entered Fossil Bay from the east. Nothing worse than trying to sleep in your bunk and keep from falling out because the boat is rocking from side to side. I had enough of the rocking and the crowds. Rather I suggested that we move on from our plans of staying another day at Sucia and move on to Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island. I said that this put us closer to our route, Prevost Harbor is much more sheltered, and it's not so crowded. I want to get away from all these people. The crew agreed. So we pulled up our anchor at 0850.

The weather is clear with a light breeze from the ESE. After exiting Fossil Bay we made for Satellite Island just off of Stuart Island and Prevost Harbor. The current was running strong to the S and we were "crabbing" along - that is moving more sideways than forward. It was kind of funky steering for Little Bare Island NW of us in the middle of Boundary Passage, but yet you could tell you were moving W towards the small channel between Waldron and Skipjack Islands. At times we were making 9 knots or more. Cruising from Waldron Island to Stuart Island there was a westerly chop. We arrived early enough in Prevost Harbor to find a mooring bouy and we tied up to it.

We had a light breakfast then all took late morning naps. Why not? We're on "holidays" as the Canadians say. After our naps we decided to hike to the Stuart Island school house. The trail the park wants you to take is a huge round about route - down a steep stair case to Reid Harbor, then across a long beach where you join up with a small county road. Then the road climbs back up a long hill, and winds to the school house. This route adds about 1.5 or more miles one way! Many, many years ago we used to take a more direct route that keeps you on top of the hill and almost directly to the school house. Sure, you leave park land and probably go along on private property, but it sure saves you a lot of time. We took this trail and unfortunately I tripped on a branch and hit the ground with a thud. I definitely bruised a rib, if I didn't break it, with this fall. However, we still made it to the school house.

The Stuart Island School has been in existence for quite some time, although it is in danger of being closed because there's not enough students. Its a small "two-room" school house that's powered using solar panels and batteries and wood for heat. We toured the small school museum looking at pictures of student classes past. We saw one picture that had our good friend Dave Delong in it when he did his student teaching here. Unfortunately the picture had the name of the teacher and students but had "unknown" for the student teacher. We entered in the guest log the name of the student teacher. We also purchased a couple of shirts at the Stuart Island treasure chest "honor" store.

We then finished our hike and returned to the boat for supper. I grilled a couple of brats and made a nice German potato salad. It was a beautiful evening. Unfortunately I didn't feel good from my fall and couldn't seem to get warm. My rib (on my lower left side) definitely hurt when I coughed or laid down on it. Ugh.

Stats: 14.0 nm, average speed 6.1 knots, running time 2:18, total trip miles 139.6 nm, ending engine hours 5981.4

Day 3 - Sucia Island

Left Friday Harbor at 0930 under clear skies and variable winds. Went up San Juan Channet & turned N just after Wasp Island. Then up President Channel, round Pt. Doughty and to Sucia Island and Fossil Bay. Fossil Bay was full of boats; all the mooring buoys were taken, the docks were full, there wasn't even much room to anchor. We found a spot & dropped the hook in 6' of water at low tide. A light breeze from the E was blowing. It was 12:30 PM.

I was hoping a mooring buoy would come available but no luck. All afternoon boats kept on coming and going. They'd pull into the bay, cruise about with a forlorn look, then leave. However there was a small sailing craft rendezvous going on too. These sailboats weren't you popular production craft but looked like home-built sailboats that had a historical look to them. They were either sail or human powered, although a few did have small outboards on them. They were all brightly painted in greens and reds, and the captains and crew looked as eccentric as the boats.

I spent the day doing some much needed brightwork. I put a coat of varnish on the cap rails, hand rails, and a few other items. It was perfect for this kind of work - not too hot out, a light breeze, and no waves. I got quite a bit of work done. Meanwhile the crew slept or read books. Later we went to shore for a short visit. There are so many boating memories here. When we were "young boaters" we spent a lot of time at Sucia. So many long walks, looking for fossils, and just exploring. Its been over 10 years or more since we were last at Sucia. Now they have a pavilion for sitting, a handicap tent site, shelters with bunks so you don't have to use a tent, and many more camp sites.

After our short shore visit we came back and grilled some chicken for dinner and had a relaxing evening. We watched for a long time a river otter playing and splashing just off a small island in the bay. Josef also got the call that he needed to be in Nanaimo on Wednesday and they'll pick him up on Thursday morning. I was relieved since this put some organization on our trip, because until then it was just "wandering about" until we knew we had to be in Nanaimo. This also helped me think of the rest of our trip beyond Nanaimo and I started to work on a schedule.

The day's stats: 16.2 nm, average speed 5.1 knots, running time: 3:09, cumulative trip 125.6 nm. Ending engine hours 5978.9, 3.5 engine hours.

Day 2 - Friday Harbor

Left Kingston at 5:10 AM (same time as yesterday) to continue our trip N. As yesterday, the skies were clear and the winds were calm as we started out. Once again we are going to ride the morning ebb, however this one was much more beneficial than yesterday. We almost immediately felt the pull of the ebb as soon as we got out of Appletree Cove (Kingston). By the time we made Point No Point we were doing 8 knots and it only got better. As we cruised up Admiralty Inlet the ebb current got stronger and stronger. By the time we reached Bush Point just off of Whidbey Island we were doing well above 9+ knots, even hitting 10 knots at times - we were flying. We made Point Wilson by Port Townsend at about 9:30 AM and now were doing 10+ knots. The Strait of Juan de Fuca was calm. We were traveling up the E side of Admiralty Inlet going towards Point Partridge on Whidbey Island. When we hit almost exactly the Point Partridge green buoy we slowed down to 5+ knots. We continued this slow pace to just beyond Smith Island and near Cattle Pass where we started to take advantage of the flood current into the San Juan archipelago. The Strait was calm except for some waves that were caused by the current not wind. Just about Smith Island we were being tossed side to side fairly good. Fortunately these uncomfortable seas didn't last too long. Everyone was asleep in their bunks anyway, so it didn't matter. It was just me skipperin' the boat.

We made Cattle Pass - the southern most end of San Juan Channel at about 11:00 AM. Once again we were riding the current and moving along at over 8 knots! We rounded Turn Rock and then went into Friday Harbor tying up to our slip at 12:30. That's just over a 7 hour run (7:12 to be exact) for 53.1 nautical miles. For the Independence we made some excellent time. Just out of Friday Harbor I snapped this great pic of a schooner in San Juan Channel.

The current was really moving in the harbor. I could tell as we came down the slip way. At one point I was moving more sideways than forward. Hmmm? This could be interesting. Josef met us at our assigned slip after taking the Zipper in. This was good. He motioned to me that the current was running hard E to W. As I turned to go into the slip, we were going more W than S. Fortunately Josef caught me and we got in without any problems.

It is hot here, but the weather is changing. By late afternoon the sky was mostly cloudy and a few degrees cooler. I was disappointed in that my favorite watering hole - The Front Street Ale House is gone. Oh drat. Now what am I going to do? No more authentic Bavarian Hefeweizen or "Bangers, Bubbles & Squeak." We'll have to find a new watering hole. We tried the "Rumor Mill" which is now at the old "Electric Company Pizza." It was okay. Tonight was their grand opening. I had meatloaf with no gravy - what the heck is that about? Meatloaf with no gravy? Sorry didn't work with me.

Again, it's really cooled down. The skies are all overcast which has dropped the temperature by a good 10 degrees F or more. This is a relief. Oh, and one more thing... Friday Harbor is "dead." Many stores are closed and there just doesn't seem to be the crowds. Sure, it might be early July and not August but it still seems too quiet. I think the recession has come to Friday Harbor too.

Tomorrow we are thinking of going to Sucia and maybe staying for more than one day. We still haven't heard from the hockey camp Josef is going to be a counselor at so it leaves our plans up in the air. Hmmm? Hey, don't worry its as the Canadian's say, "You're on holiday."

Stats: 53.1 nm, average speed: 7.4 knots, 7:12 cruising time, 7.7 hours engine

Day 1 - Kingston

Left West Bay Marina at 5:10 AM under clear skies and calm winds. Great to have Josef help with the Zipper. Just as we were leaving so did another boat - the "SV Halcyon Days." We traveled with that boat all the way to Kingston. Sometimes we were in the lead other times he was. While some may of thought that would be fun; I found it to be a pain. I think it would've been different if we would have krown them.

We rode a good ebb up Budd Inlet making 6.6 knots or more. At Dana Passage we did well over 7 knots. At times the sun was blinding me. At 7 AM we were by Eagle Is. By 9:30 AM we were by Pt. Defiance, at 11 AM we were passing Blake Is., and into Kingston at 2:30 PM, just as planned. We rode the ebb all the way to Blake Is. where then we hit the flood tide and really slowed down. Before we were making 6.8 knots average, then we made just above 5 knots. Also the NW wind picked up to 10+ knots. It made for some cool cruising; I actually got cold. The temperature out on the main Sound was 74 F. However once we got into Kingston the temperature shot way up to 86 F. I went from cold to HOT. Ugh.

When we got to Kingston we fueled up. I picked up 85 gallons at $2.95/gallon. Should've fueled up completely last season when it was only $2.39/gallon.

After fueling we pulled into a slip and tied up for the day. Here's the stats: 56.3 nm, avg. speed 6.3 knots, and 8:55 trip time. The engine hour meter said 5967.7 or 9.7 hours.

One of the real treats in Kingston is the restaurant "Bella Luna." We've been going to Bella Luna for well over 15 years. The tradition is to order the "Morgans Special Pizza." This pizza has everything - onions, peppers, italian sausage, jalapenos, green & black olives, and plenty of cheese. Its tradition to order the Morgans Special each time we're in Kingston - this time was no different. What we don't eat we always box up for breakfast the next day. The only difference this time was that it was so hot, eating jalapenos on a hot day just didn't set well.

After a long day of cruising, I closed off the day with a shot of whiskey on ice and that did the trick. As soon as my head it the pillow I was out.