Mother Nature Rules

 There’s nothing like the rock and roll of a boat gently responding to the rubber snubbers you remembered to install fore and aft. And, there’s nothing better than being snug as a bug in a rug below decks… while the SE winds roar through the rigging. I am very happy with our decision to tuck in and let Mother Nature continue her rant without our participation. Those that claim to know, predict the winds should calm this afternoon and the seas should be ready for us to transit Gabriola Pass and head to Pirates Cove tomorrow. 🤞 I sure hope so. These have been easy days at Pages, catching up on small projects, going for walks in the forest (Kathy and Maddie long walks, myself shorter ones) and having time, finally, to sit quietly and enjoy our books. With time to consider our options we have decided to stay at Pages today and, hopefully, head over to Pirates for one or two days before heading home. This has been an interesting summer cruise, much like our spring maintenance sojourn, with very few of our carefully crafted plans actually working out. While it is a humbling experience, it has caused me to pause and think about what’s important and what can be left to sort itself out. That being said, I shall try to relax more and enjoy the moment(s) 😉. I hope each of you are enjoying good times and special moments….and not running full steam ahead into contrary winds. Until next time… CJ

The view from our floating home today.

Sailing is a wonderful way to spend time on the water…

unless you’re running up and pounding down through the swells of a south east wind ‘on the nose’. Now don t get me wrong; it wasn’t a vicious wind, but it was enough to keep our attention, soak our decks from time to time, and necessitate the distraction of singing loudly songs of the sea and taking turns cuddling the dog (she was warm) while the other helmed. Steering by hand was a smoother option as you can work with the waves vs. the self-steering machine that just steers the course no matter what configuration of waves is about to hammer you. It took 8 rather cold hours to make the crossing from Pender Harbour to Pages marina in Silva Bay on Gabriola Island. We are happy to be here (it’s been a long time since our last visit) and we will likely stay here for a couple days while an even stronger SE breeze blows through. We’ve studied the options and this one won. As well, it’s a chance for us to have a visit with old friends who live here. We still plan to be home by Sept 7 and our course between now and then remains in the wind. TTFN. From sunny Silva Bay…. CJ

Sat Aug 29: They say tomorrow will be a good day to cross the Strait…

  We shall see. Until then,then. CJ

Quick Update…

and not the end of the world. Rather an unusual cloud size and shape, passing over the sun. Hello good morning; checking in from Madeira Park, Pender Harbour. We’ve had a good run so far and are currently settled at our favourite dock in PH. Robin, the wharfinger is a gem and it is always good to catch up with him. We will be here for a few days it seems, waiting for the winds and seas to calm down a bit. Like most sailors we enjoy a good sail but climbing up and down moderate swells, beating into a SE wind and burying the rails in the water …is still not a welcome experience (unless you’re racing ;then it’s fun! ) Nothing exciting to report, except the fact Mother Nature continues to treat us with her magnificent beauty as we travel along our coast. We are indeed blessed. Hope the winds and rain near you also offer up some fresh beauty for you to enjoy. We may decide to cross tomorrow (Friday) or wait another day or two. There are worse places to hang out and we still have some days without commitments left TTFN. CJ

August 21: Destinations are not always where you intended…

they are where you end up :-) Yesterday, when we headed out of Lund, we headed for the nearby Copeland islands. We’ve been wanting to stop there but circumstances usually prevent us from doing so. Yesterday was no different with boats in every conceivable anchoring spot and shallows everywhere else :-(. Sucking it up, we carried on, not really sure where we were heading. With our limited time, Gorge Harbour and Read Island were no longer on the planning board. One thing we did notice was the increased number of boats heading south. 😁 which meant usually busy anchorages might not be full to overflowing. We poked our noses into a couple of possibilities and/but settled on an anchorage we hadn’t even considered until we arrived. Prideaux Haven is not normally on our list of places to visit because it’s usually chocker block full of big boats. Yesterday was different. We were able to anchor well and swing (which is lovely as it means we don t need to shore tie with all the complications that entails). The water was warm for swimming and, when we woke up this morning, half the nearby boats had left (heading south, I presume). We’ll stay here today and, sometime during the afternoon, we’ll figure out where we ‘think’ we’re going tomorrow. Many of you who know us well will recognize this is not our usual MO (modus operandi) so you will understand when I say “we are stepping out of our comfort zone with our fingers and toes crossed that all will unfold without too many more surprises. This is CJ signing off for now and wishing you all a good day with only pleasant surprises that keep you smiling. 😊

Our journey through life continues

 We are not just lucky… we are blessed Blessed to have been born to boating parents ; blessed with the courage and drive, inherited from our parents, to reach out and sample as much as life has to offer…as often as we can, and blessed to be surrounded by supportive siblings and friends who stand by us no matter how whacky we sometimes appear to be. All that to say, thank-you all for your care, your love and your support…which means so much, particularly when the day to day stuff can become somewhat challenging. Thanks too for the complete strangers we meet, like George, our go to guy up here, who helped us through a challenging time with our galley plumbing last year and our cranky windlass this year. It seems the damp atmosphere surrounding the windlass as well as salt water, overly-tight bits and pieces and other parts that were cracked, seized or corroded just couldn’t do the job anymore; so they just quit. All fixed already and we’re prepping to go. Fact is, today, right now, we are packed, healed and chomping at the bit to get going again. Lund has been a pleasure to visit but it really is time to move on. Unfortunately, due to the time delays, we will be reducing our original itinerary as necessary. As always we must allow extra days for foul weather and unruly sea conditions and the ‘cast in stone’ date we must be home by. It’s all good. We are happy, Maddie is having fun and SSpirit (the boat) is in the best shape ever 🤞. This is CJ signing off for now… it’s time for Maddie to practice fetching floaty things at the wee beach nearby. TTFN. Tatafornow. CJ > >  >

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