Day 16 - Last Day in Paradise

Friday, July 23, 2010

A lazy day. Had a lazy morning. Again I ran the generator to charge the batteries, put a bit of a chill on the refrigerator, and charge some things. We spent the time while the generator was running listening to CD's and reading books. I also checked the engine over for the trip down Georgia Strait tomorrow. All looked good.

Later in the early afternoon we loaded up the Zipper for a trip over to Teakerne Arm and Cassel Lake. The trip over to Teakerne Arm wasn't too bad, there was some wind and chop going up Lewis Channel, but as you made your way into Teakerne Arm it lessened. The dinghy dock at the falls was packed with other boats. The Canadian Coasties took up a whole side of the dinghy dock themselves. We tied up the Zipper and hiked up to the lake. The day was hot. The lake water was absolutely delicious. Oh my was it refreshing. I swam out to a log and just sat there for what seemed like a really long time just soaking in the warm water and the sun. What's so amazing is how clear the lake water is. Finally Kim came in the water too. Even Hank had some fun splashing about. We kind of got there in between crowds becuase just as we were finishing the place was packed with dogs, kids, and other adults. The trip back to Squirrel Cove was nice since we both felt so refreshed.

We once again returned to the Squirrel Cove store but this time it was to get some "bringsels" - particularly the wonderful Squirrel Cove coffee and some other trinkets. This time they were restocked with some meat and we purchased some pork chops for grilling for supper that evening.

I made our new favorite seasoned pork chops with Vindaloo glaze. Kim made a Greek cous cous. I made a couple of caesars and we sat out on the back deck and had a lovely supper. It was an absolutely gorgeous evening. Sad that its our our last day up here.

Day 15 - Back to Squirrel Cove

Thursday, July 22, 2010

We weighed anchor from Von Donop Inlet at 0930. We had a very peaceful night's sleep despite the winds that blew all around us. Never did I hear any waves lapping against the hull, but I could here the wind blowing through the nearby trees. The skies are partly cloudy and the wind is blowing briskly from the NW at 15-20 knots with a few higher gusts.

We made our way out of Von Donop Inlet and around Bullock Bluff and once again into Lewis Channel as we headed our way S. Seas were a 2' chop. We made good speed (7+ knots) with the wind behind us and a flood current pushing us. We got into Squirrel Cove and dropped the hook at 1235. We're anchored in 19' of water at half-tide in the N part of the cove between shore and middle of "Dog Poo" island. I call it Dog Poo island because every boater that has a dog lets the dog off on the small (about 1 acre) island to do their business. Hank has many times left his mark there too. There's more boats anchored here at Squirrel than when we were here just a few days ago. Even the bakery is now opened, whereas a week ago it wasn't.

I had anchored the Independence almost perfectly between this large powerboat and sailboat rafted together E of us and another sailboat W of us. I was quite proud of my position. Just as I was about to settle down this sailboat comes in and drops the hook between me and the powerboat-sailboat raft. I wasn't too happy because he was pretty close to us. When we would swing we would get to about 30' close. While this is acceptable I still wasn't too happy.

I wanted to change the shackle that held the tow line to the Zipper and the bow ring. I saw that perhaps during our early pounding up the Strait of Georgia that it was pulled apart a bit. The shackle was quite rusty and I didn't want it snapping during a critical time. So we motored the Zipper over to the beach, Kim and I got out on a rock and proceeded to hack saw the old shackle off. It was quite a chore and took some time but we did it. I put on a new anchor shackle that seemed a bit more sturdy and would allow me to easily take on/off the tow line.

With that chore done I now investigated why it seemed that the solar panel was not charging the batteries as I was expecting. The solar panel was in very bright sunlight but the battery level meter was not quite showing 100%. So I spent about an hour investigating the issue. I found that the solar panel was indeed putting out the required voltage (~20 V) and all the connections were good. I did discover that the ground to battery #2 was loose and I tightened this. I finally gave up since I could not find any issue. All I could gather was that after so many days of running the refrigerator the batteries were low and they needed some charging. So I pulled out the portable generator and let it run for a few hours to charge the batteries.

This is a new Generac portable generator which I purchased at Cabelas prior to the trip. Remember last year I spent almost my whole trip working on the portable generator. This one works great but unlike the previous Yamaha I had it does not run at a constant speed but has this annoying revs way up then goes down almost to an idle. I checked into this and this is called "economy mode" on the generator. If you turn off economy mode the generator runs consistently at a higher RPM. I let it run on economy mode. This little generator is much quieter than the Yamaha we used to have. While the generator ran we also did some charging of cell phones and other electronic devices. We also played the CD player and read some books.

Later we went over to Squirrel Cove to get some groceries. Like before everyone else it seemed in the anchorage went too. The store was packed and the fresh meat shelves were almost empty. We wanted some pork chops but had to settle for some Bavarian smokies. I picked up some more liquor - another bottle of Gibsons and more beer. We also got some ice. We then came back and enjoyed some drinks on the flying bridge and enjoyed the rest of the day. You could hear the closeby sailboat's skipper, crew and guests talking and telling stories of Bayliners and other close encounters with powerboats - that was entertaining. A couple of times I wanted to comment but decided to bite my tongue. The wind kept on blowing - although not as hard.

x

For supper I cooked up Bavarian Smokies and some home-fried potatoes - a regular Deutsches supper. It was mighty fine especially with a nice Canuck beer - Kokanee.

Stats: 16.7 nm, average speed 5.6 knots, running time 2:58, ending engine hours 6024.8.

Day 14 - Early Morning Cruising

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

We weighed anchor at 0506 to get through the Yuculta's at 0726 (slack at Gillard). It was a beautiful morning as we moved E down Cordero Channel. The morning's clouds and rising sun made for some very dramatic scenery. The winds were light - about 10 knots.

We made it to Gillard Rapids at about 0750 - a few minutes late. I didn't figure we'd be fighting so much of the ebb on our way to the Yucultas. A trick I learned over the years from watching fish boats is to motor very close (about 20-30') to the Cortes Island shore and you can ride a back eddy that instead of fighting a current, you can move along at 6+ knots. It's just spooky being so close to shore and going full speed. There's plenty of depth though as you never get above 60'.

There was no issue in being late to the rapids. The morning was cloudy but the clouds quickly burned off to clear skies. There wasn't too much boat traffic going S and only 1 or 2 boats going N through the Yucultas.

After the rapids we rode a healthy flood down Drew Passage and all the way to Von Donop Inlet. We got to the inlet early at about 1000. Many of the boats were leaving to get through the narrow pass before low tide. As such we found most of Von Donop open to wherever we wanted to anchor. I thought about the winds during the past few days and ventured farther in to Von Donop than we've been in before - all the way to the nook at the end. This little nook would provide us some shelter in case the winds decide to blow again - which they are likely to blow. We're anchored in 15' of water at near low tide. We dropped the hook at 1045. For now there's not too many other boats in around us and we're the only one anchored in this nook. However, as the afternoon wore on, so did the winds, and more and more boats wanted to anchor in the nook to escape the winds. Finally 2 sailboats and a Nordhavn found their way into our nook and are anchored in here with us.

We explored Von Donop Inlet by Zipper and found a campsite to stop and throw the stick for Hank. He so loves to play water fetch. We then slowly cruised around the shore of the Inlet poking in to the little bays here and there.

For supper I grilled some Bavarian Smokies and made some home fried potatoes - it was really good and hit the spot. For awhile it looked as if we were going to get rained on as the clouds really came in and we did get a few "spits" of rain. However, this disappated and we got no real rain. We did notice that out in the main part of Von Donop Inlet the wind was really blowing and making quite a chop. You could hear the wind blowing through the trees. We were quite quiet and snug in our little anchorage - the wind never really found its way into our nook.

Stats: 33.2 nm, average speed 5.9 knots, running time 5:38, ending engine hours 6021.6.

Day 13 - All Fished Out

Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I got up early, well not that early, to go fishing. The winds were down to about 10 knots and the tide had just changed - ideal conditions to catch a fish. So I motored out to the reef that is at the entrance to Beaver Inlet and started to jig for a bottom fish. I jigged and jigged, but I never even got a bite. This was affirmed by the depth sounder because once again I saw NO FISH. From the reef I motored out to William Point and tried fishing along the wall. Again I jigged and jigged but never got a bite. Again the depth sounder showed no "real" fish. There were some soundings of fish but they were all very small fish. This was better than no fish, but it didn't help me.

I then decided to go check the prawn traps that I had set the day before over on the other side of Loughborough Inlet. I was by myself but figured I could pull the traps and wrap the line by myself. So, off I went. I needed some alone time anyway. I found the traps and began to pull them up. I developed a system where I could wrap the line around the spool and pull the pot up too. It was slow going but it was working. I pulled the first pot up and found 7 prawns in it. Hmmm, not good but at least I wasn't skunked. I hoped that the second pot would have more. The second pot was heavier and I was thinking maybe this was good. But when I pulled the pot to the surface there was only ONE lonely prawn in it. The heavy feeling was the canvas wrapped around the pot making it hard to pull up. Now I was thoroughly disgusted. This little piece of heaven was all fished out. I then decided to not re-set the prawn traps and instead raced back to the boat. In my mind I said that I had enough of the poor fishing and the wind and decided to move on to a different anchorage. Checking the crab pots around the Independence only verified my decision - they were empty too. I thought not even a freeking sunstar. So either the bait was terribly ineffective or there were no fish - fish, crab, and prawns here. I decided it was the latter. x
We weighed anchor at 1040 and left the "blow hole." As we were leaving Beaver Inlet the wind started to build again. At the entrace to Beaver Inlet was another boat fishing the same spots I had fished earlier. I watched him through the binoculars and never saw him pull up anything. Again I felt that my paradise was spoiled. I doubt I will ever return to Beaver Inlet.

We caught the last of the flood and rode through Greene Point Rapids and anchored in Cordero Cove just E of Greene Point at 1210. We're anchored in 35' of water at near high tide in between the island and shore. Anchoring here puts us in better position for catching tomorrow morning's slack through the Yucultas.

x

As we were anchoring Kim spotted a bear at the far E end of Cordero Cove. We hopped into the Zipper and went to check the bear out. We saw that it was a sow Black Bear with two very small cubs. As we approached the cubs darted up the beach to the tree line. The sow remained turning over rocks on the beach and licking up the small crabs. We watched this bear for a good 30 or more minutes. We then set two crab pots E of where we are anchored. The bottom looked good with a nice covering of eel grass.

The persistent wind picked up again late in the afternoon. For supper I made a corned beef pepper pot dish which I didn't like. Kim and Hank did. I enjoyed a beer and later a whiskey instead. We checked the crab pots and reset them in several different spots but the result was always the same - no crab. Again I am disappointed.

Stats: 9.9 nm, average speed 6.1 knots, running time 1:30, ending engine hours 6015.6

Day 12 - Disappointment

Monday, July 19, 2010

We had a lazy day. Afer a late breakfast we went over to check the shrimp pots in Sidney Bay. It was terribly disappointing but we pulled up only ONE prawn per pot. WTF? Was it the bait? Was our location off? Or, was it because it was fished out. A friend of ours who lives in Port McNeill, BC said that during the winter months the commercial prawners hit many popular places hard. He said that he found many of his usual spots with poor hauls of prawns. Instead of hauling up 100's he was only pulling up 10-20 and occasionally none. So, I suspect the same thing here. I've noticed that each year coming here to Sidney Bay and setting prawn traps that the catch has been going down. Last year we only caught a dozen for each pull. But, a dozen is better than ONE.

I was truly perplexed. I scanned the charts hard looking for where I could set my shrimp pots in a place that might be more productive. Most of Loughborough Inlet is very deep - 600-800' deep. The deepest we can set prawn traps is in 300' of water. I found a spot on the NE side of Loughborough Inlet near some islands and where a small stream flows into the inlet. It goes from 10' to 300+' deep within 20-30 yards - my thought is that this is great for prawns. At least its worked for me before. We set both pots and then went to explore these small islands. Unfortunately I forgot to bring the camera. But then this was supposed to be a fishing trip not sightseeing.

We explored the islands, Hank especially enjoying some real land where he could roam a bit and do his business. The islands are unamed and are about half-way up Loughborough Inlet and enjoy a great view both up and down the inlet. I really wished I had brought the camera. The islands were quite boggy and you had to be careful where you stepped because you could step into a sink hole that was about 2-3' deep. At the bottom of these sink holes was water. Within a few minutes we were surrounded by hordes of mosquitoes. These little bastards probably thought this was incredible - fresh blood. So we rapidly exited the islands and went on our way. I gunned the Zipper quickly to out run a few of the flying blood suckers that ventured with us.

I noticed that there was a brisk breeze blowing up Loughborough Inlet, kicking up waves that were about 2' high. Motoring back to our boat was going to be a rough ride. We slowly idled our way down to Strachan Point wish is almost across from Beaver Inlet. I had the depth sounder going the whole time trying to see if there were some fish about. What startled me was that I didn't see ANY fish - nada, nothing, zero, zilch. No bait and no fish. This was disconcerting. A couple of years ago I saw plenty of fish, now nothing.

We raced across Loughborough Inlet to Beaver Inlet bouncing off of the waves. Hank tried to ride up on the bow but it was too rough. I slowed down at a reef at the entrance to Beaver Inlet and once again using the depth sounder scanned the water for signs of fish and baitfish. Again nothing.

We returned to the Independence and settled in for a lazy afternoon of reading books and relaxing. I made some of my Dragon Boat-oriental cracker-peanut mix and sipped a couple of beers. The wind continued to blow harder and harder until we were probably experiencing the same gales that were blowing in Johnstone Strait.

For supper I made a sausage and chicken gumbo (it was supposed to be a sausage & shrimp gumbo). It turned out real good. We then settled down for an evening of conversation.

Day 11 - Traversing the Rapids

Sunday, July 18, 2010
We weighed anchor at 0730 under clear skies and continued our trip N. We got out of Squirrel Cove and started up Lewis Channel with a brisk wind blowing down the channel at about 10 knots. As we motored several boats passed us going the same direction. The wind abated when we hit Calm Channel. I was getting concerned because our speed wasn't what I expected. We were fighting a pretty good flood current and only making about 5 knots. My plan had us traveling at an average of 5.8 knots. Fortunately just SE of Harbott Point, Stuart Island we started picking up speed - enough to lessen my concern of making it too late to the rapids. We made it to the Yuculta Rapids at 1100, Gillard at 1118, and rode a healthy ebb out of Dent Rapids. While not as crowded as Dodd Narrows near Nanaimo, these tidal rapids can be a bottleneck at times too. We were at the tail end of the boats traversing the rapids.

The Yucultas (pronounced Yew-Caw-Tahs) are a series of three tidal rapids. These rapids are a dividing point between the south and the north. South of the rapids you can find Arbutus trees (Madrona) but you will not find them north of the rapids. South of the rapids sea water temperatures are in the high 50's, north of the rapids sea water temperatures are in the low 40's. Many times you will notice a temperature difference of almost 20 degrees F! When you pass Sarah Point in Desolation Sound that is the dividing line between where water goes. South of this all water drains out through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. North of Sarah Point the water drains out through Queens Charlotte Sound.

The Yuculta's are also a set of rapids that I will only traverse at slack or near slack water. Dent Rapids is particularly nasty with a whirlpool that forms that has the name - even printed on the nautical charts - as the "Devils Hole." Once many, many years ago we heard of a fishboat that hit some whirlpools by Gillard Rapids and was capsized. It is a series of tidal rapids that demand respect.

Just after Hall Point I turned the helm to Kim and took a nap waking just as we passed Bickley Bay. Kim said that the marina at Shoal Bay was packed with boats. We saw several boats in Cordero Channel going our way to the W. The winds turned very gusty in Cordero Channel. Listening to the weather radio we heard for days now that there are afternoon gale warnings for Johnstone Strait. Weather reports confirm these forecasts of winds 30 and 40 knots or more. While Cordero Channel is well away from Johnstone Strait, the winds are coming down the narrow valleys and finding their way here.

We cruised through Greene Point Rapids where at one point we made 11.3 knots riding with the ebb current. Greene Point Rapids is one that I feel comfortable traveling regardless of the time. When riding the ebb through Greene Point you just need to be careful to turn early enough or you could be pushed up on to the N shore. The wind was building in intensity coming down Chancellor Channel when we turned into Loughborough Inlet. The southern end of Loughborough Inlet was almost calm. We made for William Point and the entrance to Beaver Inlet. As we turned into Beaver Inlet we faced very strong winds - it is blowing a gale - literally. I estimate wind speeds of 25-35 knots with higher gusts. However, the skies remain clear.

These conditions of high winds from the NW are common when there is high pressure in or near the Queen Charlotte Islands just beyond Queen Charlotte Sound. The air pressure in Washington is lower and so the air moves from the high to the low. The mountains of Vancouver Island and the mountains of the Coast Range act as a funnel to channel the winds down these narrow valley. All the while you have beautiful clear weather. That's why sometimes when cruising up here I would prefer a light rain because then the winds are not so bad.

We got into our anchorage at the end of Beaver Inlet at 1500. We're anchored in about 30' of water at near high tide. Because of the wind I put out all 100' of chain. We are snugly anchored and the boat is turning from side to side. As we move to one side the wind catches us and you can hear the anchor rode tighten like tightening a guitar string. But again our anchor is firmly set.

Shortly after arriving we went and set the shrimp pots over in Sidney Bay at our usual locations. Setting shrimp pots in such windy conditions can be challenging. I have Kim let out the shrimp pot line - all 300' - while I keep the Zipper in and out of reverse gear. I find that if done properly I can set the pot without drifting too much. Hopefully tomorrow we'll have prawns.

We are at the "zenith" of our 2010 trip. We will stay here for a few days.

Stats: 45.5 nm, average speed 6.0 knots, running time 7:37, ending engine hours 6013.5.

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.