Yesterday, today & Tomorrow

Now I'm not complaining but yesterday was hot and it was a good day in Sturt Bay. We moved the boat around into a nicer slip and one that we can leave from going forward as opposed to backing out which is tricky with a boat that pulls hard to port in reverse. Ourselves and J, a solo sailor we had met before and who is also here, had a very nice dinner at the pub; a short walk from the marina. Kathy and Maddie went for a paddle around the Bay and we had a quiet evening. Today… no sun to be seen and it's raining, just as forecast. The SE winds are also picking up. We will stay one more day and then hope to continue our leg southbound to the Hardey Island area. All is well on the good ship SSpirit. Hope all is well with you.
CJ

PS. The grizzly that was in the Powell River area when we were there is now on Texada and his scat was found at the entrance to the shipyard across from the marina. We are all being very careful where and how we walk.

Time to move on…

As we begin our southbound leg.

Yes, it's time to face south instead of north. We will cast off this morning and head to Sturt Bay on Texada Island for a couple days and then press on. Weather looks good and the sun is shining. 😀. Hope your day is good as well. CJ

PS know anyone looking to buy a dock? I think this one would go for a very good price. 😜

Lazing about in Lund

Finally back to some connectivity (for a couple of days :-) Yes, we are in Lund and preparing for the third leg of our summer cruise. We spent the month of May wandering up the coast and visiting dear friends along the way. Then we spent the month of June wandering about Desolation Sound and meeting up with friends (old and new) as well as enjoying quiet anchorages where we were able to truly enjoy the marvels of Mother Nature, from weather patterns and displays, to down right gorgeous art work created with her natural resources.

So, here we are into July already. Lund is our first stop and the staging location for the south bound journey. We'll be here one more day and then we expect to head to Sturt Bay (Vananda) for a couple days before setting our course to our favourite anchorage in the Hardy Island area. The rest of the month should see us in Pender Harbour mid-month followed by yet another attempt to visit Jedidiah Island. We will likely head across and towards home from there….landing at our home dock on or near Aug 5th.

The photos today are pics of a lovely sunset over Lund, proof that our airforce is active and training (?), the view from land of the Lund Harbour docks and another gift from Mother Nature… a baby rainbow.

Hope this note finds you safe and well and enjoying your summer.

Happy Canada Day !!!

very proud today…to be Canadian and to be free to live our life.

June 29… a change of scenery…



With a move to Prideaux Haven, just next door. After three glorious weather days and very few floating neighbours in Laura Cove, we decided to move to the larger, and somewhat more protected from NW winds, larger bay next door; Prideaux Haven. There are more boats anchored here but, with the larger expanse, there's room for everyone and still lots of space to swing at anchor or choose a mooring ring for shore-tying. We chose to anchor and swing as we don't know which entrance the forecasted NW winds gusting to 25 will creep in through. And then there's the other scenario where the forecasted winds don't arrive and we needn't have moved… but we agreed to move anyway as the shores here are better for doggie walks than Laura Cove.

The more frustrating situation is that there is absolutely no connectivity anywhere here. We've tried heading 'out to sea' in the dinghy, standing on one foot and sticking our tongue out while nolding the phone as high as possible, and walking around the boat in both directions … still nothing 😣.. So, I'm writing this anyway and will keep it as a log, to send out when we are back in the land of electronic communication. Sorry about no pics… will send later. We head to Refuge Cove in a couple days and there should be connectivity there.

And finally… a wee disappointment which, thankfully, we should be able to rectify today, thanks to Mother Nature and a warm sunny day. I popped the dinghy 😖🥺☹️🥵.
As you know wee Maddie has to make several trips to shore ; for walks and to answer the call of nature. She hasn t learned to use the pp mat yet and must be transported ashore for said relief. Well, this afternoon she and I hopped into the dinghy for a quick trip to shore and, to my horror, the port side pontoon was soft. Yup, I must have touched one of the razor sharp oysters or barnacles with it on a previous trip. So, using a halyard and collective brute strength we have lifted this rather heavy dinghy onto the foredeck and flipped it over. The cut is obvious and we have hauled out our dinghy repair kit (thank goodness it's up to date) and patching activities shall begin shortly. First, we must finish the last of our Biscotti with our morning coffee and thank the heavens the sun is finally shining and there aren't any clouds to be seen in the clear blue sky. Phew. The patch will take all day (and possibly more) to dry. Thank goodness Maddie and Kathy can use the kayak for shore trips today. Stay tuned.

It's been a very busy day indeed. The dingy patch exercise took over two hours and our fingers are crossed that Kathy's meticulous attention to the patching instruction details will pay off. We won't know until tomorrow morning.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing, reading, domestic boat chores and swimming for all three of us … and Maddie even dove off the SUP (stand up paddle board) to retrieve her orange puck… very cool. She's a great swimmer.

I must say, our fingers are crossed tight, hoping the dinghy patch works… If it doesn't there's always duct tape :-). We (and Maddie) are lucky we have the kayak and SUP. Both have been used to ferry M to shore. Well, that s all for today. Nothing too exciting.




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Dear Diary: June 30, 2025




0800 hrs. and still no connectivity. Who knew a technically ignorant person like myself could (oh my goodness, a hummingbird just came right into the cockpit to check out the blooms on Polly Plant. Very cool). Anyway, as I was saying… who knew I would miss being connected to friends and world news… ? well, I do. It's probably because I enjoy sharing some of the good things and the beauty this world has to offer and I recognize how lucky I am to be able to actually have these experiences. It's also because I miss family and friends at the same time… so sharing seems (ha! Hummingbird just took another pass through.) … and is, enjoyable for me.

I should mention I'm sitting in the cockpit, enjoying the view of a brilliantly sunny day in the Prideaux Haven anchorage. And, besides writing to you, I'm listening to all kinds of birdsong from the nearby forested shoreline. An Oyster Catcher just flew by calling out to his mate. They're nesting now, right on the ground…often atop moss covered big rocks. And they fly around in groups and they have a loud, somewhat screechy call.
Sharing this experience is, I hope, welcome… I can't help myself 😃

Now then: we have to make a decision this morning.

SITUATION:
1. It's beautiful here, the water is warm for swimming, there is easier than normal access to shore for Maddie, we are enjoying relaxing and getting a few boat chores done and we 're well anchored and secure.
2. The holding tank is good for one more day (today) so we have to leave tomorrow regardless.
3. We have, unfortunately been rather frivolous and have managed to finish the water in the water tank 😖😱. We use this water for all the usual things (morning coffee, cooking, drinking, brushing teeth, and washing). We do have 1 gallon in a jug and about half the water (1 gallon) in our deck shower that we could access for washing dishes (but not drinking).
4. Our plan was to head to Refuge Cove tomorrow for water, fuel, laundry, showers, and some grocery shopping(they don't have much.. but at this moment we have less 😃).
5. One complication re going to Refuge is that it will be busy and room at the dock is not guaranteed and it's the long weekend. I always like to arrive at docks at about 0900 hrs, which is when others tend to start leaving to carry on their journey.

What would you do? I'll let you know what we decide to do after our 'ship's company meeting this morning.

1030 hrs. OK, decision made… we'll stay today, ration the water and head to Refuge tomorrow. It really is a beautiful day. Don't know when you're reading this but hope you are having a good day too… CJ

2130 hrs. We had a great day. The dinghy patch held, we used the SUP as a little dock and Maddie did dog diving to retrieve her orange puck… she's really good at this now and we all had a swim. It was nice to have the dinghy off the foredeck so we could tidy up the place… we look still no idea what the weather forest is but, hopefully, once we re under way in the morning, we'll be able to tune in. Our destination tomorrow is Refuge Cove where we expect to spend two nights tidying up the ship, shopping and filling up on water, fuel, propane and groceries.

So my friends there is a couple days of cruising with SV Shannon's Spirit.
Adios amigos for now. CJ




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Celebrate!!!

HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE !!!

Very 'proud' today … to be Canadian and to be free to live our life.

Thank-you all for your support of us and other members of your friends and families.

CJ. 🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈🇨🇦🏳️‍🌈❤️


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A long day, but worth it…



Subject: A long day, but worth it…

As I've mentioned before, sailing plans are best written in sand below the high water line. Flexibility is absolutely necessary and not just for getting around on a moving platform, but in making plans and adapting them as well.  We weighed anchor in Von Donop this morning and headed off to Walsh Cove… a nice little anchorage we had enjoyed years ago.  It's the place that a large eagle was cruising our dog Sophie and then sat on the tree we had shore tied to, just waiting for her to come out.   Anyway we headed for there; only to find it chocker- block full with sailboats, motorboats and even a prawn trap mid channel. So we carried on to the next possibility (Elworthy Island); it was full. On we went heading for a third possibility, Tenedos Bay which is a large anchorage, shielded from the strongest winds 🤞and it has a walking trail and a lake that may be warm enough for swimming.  Also we were quite certain Ms. Maddie could use the exercise as much as we could.  

So, here we are, shore-tied not far from the bluff in the last photo, looking forward to a good hike and possibly a swim, tomorrow.   Hope your swimming water is warm and your hiking trails clear. CJ











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Tucked away in Von Donop…



with a story from the blog about a very different anchorage; with dear friends Sue and John on board.

" Friday, January 20, 2017: A little wind…To keep you young :-). Ensenada Grande

It's 2230 hrs (1030PM) and the swells have finally calmed down enough I can hold my old IPad on my lap… What an evening we've had. We woke (at Ensenada Raza) to a beautiful, sunny, calm day. Left right after breakfast so we could get to our next stop early enough to have some fun exploring a bit. We were heading to Ensenada Grande as it is the closest anchorage to Los Islotes (the small rocky bits, housing a sea lion colony) about 4 nautical miles north of Isla Espiritu Santo. Swimming with sea lions is very cool and Kathy managed two dives with them when we were here last in 2012. Our goal is for the both of us to dive with them this time.

Anyway, first things first … we really enjoyed our afternoon anchorage at Ensenada Grande. Even though the water was a wee bit cool by Mexican standards, we hardy BC types (well, most of us) jumped in for a swim after lunch. Then Kathy took the kayak and John, Sue and I fired up Donny the dinghy to explore our anchorage. This place is beautiful, complete with water as green as our lime green kayak (I kid you not) and beautiful geological formations all along the shore… really amazing architecture created by Mother Nature and her forces. Back on board it was siesta and book reading time…for a bit, and then it was Happy Hour which, of coarse, led into dinner time.

Now we re back where my story began. When we first arrived we chose our anchoring spot very carefully. After all we'd studied numerous weather forecasts (none of which agreed) and selected a spot that would be, hopefully, fairly protected from whatever might come our way. Well, you guessed it, just as I was firing up the BBQ for the chicken portion of the meal, the wind piped up… followed closely by an increase of swell size. Oh, I should have mentioned it was dark by then and the direction the wind came in was neither forecast nor pleasant as it put us on a lee shore. Not to be starved to death, we continued with the cooking, at one point using the ships umbrella to divert the wind away from the BBQ so it would stay lit (which it did) :-). Unfortunately,by the time the chuck was cooked, the wind and waves were so strong, dinner at the table was nigh impossible and folks ate as they could and where they could.

By now (about 1940 hrs) we were all thanking Kathy heartily for her prowess on the foredeck (she's in charge of discharging the anchor from where it lives, sending it to the bottom of the sea, to a precise location selected by the crew in advance and the amended by the wind and current at will), and for her diligent 'setting' of the anchor, a process that requires experience and patience. As we watched two catamarans not far from us, climbing up and down the seas and worrying about their anchors, we patted Kathy on the back for 'sticking' the hook well, at the same time as we discussed the need for an anchor watch until things settled down.

Just to give you a sense of how it felt… on several occasions I went forward to check the anchor chain and snubber and had to crouch on the foredeck , hanging on to the pulpit with both hands as the nose of the boat… almost…buried itself in each swell. Yup, we were doing a pretty good imitation of a rocking horse ! It wasn't too unlike parts of our journey down the coast in 2011. And so it continued…

It's now 2330 hrs. I drew first watch (2100-0000) and I'm happy to report the wind and seas have started to calm down. If they stay calm we'll be able to call off the formal anchor watches and all get some sleep. I gotta say though, there's nothing like a little unplanned chaos to draw a crew together. Hurray for good friends and sailors to boot!

PS. The photo is from our current journey… of another beautiful anchorage at sunset.

Hope all your journeys end well and your anchors stay 'set'. CJ

Time to move on…


To another wonderful location. Von Donop inlet lies further up the west coast of Cortez Island. It should take us 2 or 5 hrs. To get there, depending on whether we motor or sail. It's nice to have a choice especially in these times of unsettled weather. It has a very narrow entrance, followed by a dastardly underwater rock on the port side (that's the left side for you land lubbers :-) of the passage. In the old days (when I was much younger) there was a fallen tree that had landed on the starboard (right) side and lay pointing towards the underwater rock. We shall see if it's still there when we arrive.

One of the elements that guides our destination choices is whether or not the shore is dog-friendly and by that I mean; does it have easy and safe places to land an inflatable dinghy? Are there some trails of areas a dog can 'use' for business and for exercise? These are important points if we want Maddie to keep enjoying the trip (and, therefore, future trips). So far so good.

Wishing you all tangle free trails and sunshine. CJ

PS: likely poor connectivity over the next week or so as we venture to less civilized anchorages. No news is good news TTFN

Gorge Harbour Marina…


What a beautiful place… but first, a little history. Our first visit was many years ago, when Kathy's parents were still camping. We arrived by boat (in dear SV Shannon) and they arrived in truck and camper. The reason I mention this is that we (and SV Shannon) were the first guests to arrive by water at the newly renovated, landscaped and reopened marina and resort. The (then) new owners had done a great job and the place was beautiful. It was so new the docks weren't attached to land yet and we had to make the short hop by dinghy. It was all very exciting and photos were taken of the owners kids sitting on Shannon at their new docks.

Over the years since we had heard the Marina was sold, the lovely restaurant was closed (it still is) and all had fallen in to disrepair. I am happy to report. The new (new) owners have done a wonderful job of returning the resort and property to its splendiforous self. Even the pool and hot tub are open and, yes, the docks are attached to land :-). As well, the store is well stocked and there are washrooms, showers and a laundry room available to guests

We are here to visit old friends and have decided to stay an extra couple of days. Even sailors like to be spoiled from time to time 😀. Best wishes always… CJ

PS: the huge motorboat is called 'After Eight'. it's a family yacht and we've seen it in a few places. If you look very carefully and closely, you will see Shannon's Spirit on the dock closer to you. You can find her by looking for the green and white striped cockpit cover.

Sat. Friday 14

The day after one of the worst Friday the 13th (s) internationally speaking.

However, while we wait to learn of the future … our sailing vacation continues.

We have had a very pleasant stay at Prideaux Haven. None of the anchorages are crowded and most folks are very nice. We've had sunshine every day and the water is warm enough for swimming. We have even managed to keep Maddie entertained and exercised. She surprised us yesterday though. She and Kathy had completed a short hike and Kathy whistled for me to come and pick them up. As I rounded the point Maddie caught sight of the dinghy, leaped into the water and swam out to meet me. Quite a shock but neat to see. I hoisted her into the dinghy and we carried on to shore to collect Kath.

We weigh (sp?) anchor today ; provided the boat that anchored too close to us yesterday while we were away foraging (even though there was an almost empty bay to choose a suitable location in) hasn't dropped his anchor chain over ours, and head for Refuge Cove. Sure hope the garbage scow is open. We've done pretty well policing our garbage but it still builds up over time. Garbage and good water are two constant challenges on trips like this.
Must go now. Time to ferry M to shore for a short 'walk' before we begin our travels today. Wishing you all a good day and peace on earth. CJ

Connectivity…


The problem with connectivity is that in these beautiful Desolation Sound anchorages… there isn't any. At least there isn't any consistently. We can answer all kinds of emails, hit send and watch them zoom right into our Outbox. They sit there until the boat swings on its anchor to some invisible spot we cannot predict and, as it continues to swing with the tide or the wind, we sometimes have a brief moment of connectivity. Emails fly out and others fly in and poof! We re back in touch (for that moment). Some times if I stretch my hand holding the phone up as high as possible and circumnavigate the deck, I can get two bars; and sometimes I don't. Other times I give up and set it down and a couple minutes later I look and there's a new email. 😜

I tell you this in the hopes you will understand any delays in hearing back from us. We came to enjoy the peaceful, quiet beauty and serenity of these anchorages and to do so we must let go of the 24/7 connectivity of that other life.

A quick story…. Decades ago when I used to sail with my parents we came to Desolation Sound for summer vacations. The one, most favourite anchorage, was Laura Cove (not named after my baby sister as I had once thought :-). My mom and dad were great sailors and boaters and really enjoyed being tucked in to Laura Cove and we spent many happy days there. One of the things my dad liked to do was to climb up the bank, grab hold of an ancient rope that was hanging from a tree and swing out from shore, then let go and crash into the water. It was quite the spectacle and one of the father/daughter dares I always lost (rope swinging wasn't in my skill set… but it sure was in his).

We are currently in Melanie Cobe, adjacent to Laura Cove and we took a dinghy ride to see how things were next door. Today's photo is that same swinging rope (possibly renewed at some time) on the same tree, over the same rocks that my dad used to test his mettle. There you go dad; it's still there.

That's it for today. Hope you are enjoying your day and finding some peace and tranquility. TTFN CJ

Emerald sea



Relaxing in an emerald green sea..


is one of the many reasons we love to get away on the boat. Roscoe Bay provides us with the clear emerald water, meeting a few friends (old and new) and the opportunity to relax, swim, hike, snooze, and relax with a good book. We're not too far away from other great anchorages either. We head to somewhere new tomorrow (Sunday) destination to be determined. TTFN. CJ

Emerald sea



Roscoe Bay. Ta Da!!


Second try worked. We have arrived in Roscoe Bay without incident. 😁. All going well we will be here for a few days. It's a beautiful spot; not to be rushed.

A very nice man & a very brave woman…


Saved the day.

Yesterday was not our best day. Sure, we've had a few that didn't live up to our expectations… but yesterday takes the cake so far.

The dastardly high winds were finally abating and we felt confident it was time to leave beautiful Grace Harbour and carry on with our itinerary. Roscoe Bay was selected as our next destination. We were looking forward to a swim in Black Lake and the quiet ambience provided by the shallow entrance requiring careful planning to arrive at a high enough tide.

Up early and ready to go - tick. Motor out into Malaspina Inlet - tick. Finding literally no wind, carry on under power and head for Roscoe Bay (approximately 12 nautical miles away) - tick.

All was going well; it was a beautiful morning and we were very pleased with ourselves for getting up and getting going. We were motoring along at a steady pace of 5 knots and so close to our destination we could see the entrance and two sailboats coming out of the Bay (actually two solo sailors we had met in Grace Harbour the day before). They passed by us heading west and we continued on our course.

And then…. everything changed.

I expect the worst fear of every sailor is sinking your boat or worse, falling off it. No, we didn't fall off or sink. We did, however, hit something. The water was flat. There were no floating logs in our path, but we hit something submerged. I was at the helm and I heard and felt … a 'thunk' and then the vibration started. What a sinking feeling those two occurrences can cause. There's only so much you can do; put the engine into neutral and coast; check for any water coming in; gently go back into gear and try forward and reverse to try and rid the prop of whatever has grabbed on to it; hoist the sail even though there is no wind in case it does come up and allow you to get going.

Realizing we were effectively dead in the water I turned the boat around intending to motor slowly to Refuge Cove (about 10 miles west of us) but I quickly realized the vibration was too violent and the potential risk to the drive shaft etc quite clear. I shut the engine down and we drifted.

Having run out of self-help ideas except maybe trying to tow our 34' sailboat with an inflatable dinghy and a 4HP outboard, I tried calling one of the sailboats that had passed us as we were putting up our mainsail; and lo and behold a 'very nice man' answered our call.

After hearing our story Bill quickly agreed to give us a tow to Refuge Cove while we attempted to locate a diver in the area to clear our prop; and so the fun began.

Towing a boat doesn't actually mean towing as we know it. It requires significant lashing of the two boats side by side so that the towee (with no brakes) doesn't ram the tower at any given time. Thank goodness it was a warm, windless day with flat water.

Bill saved us from a bleak future and delivered us handily to the dock in Refuge Cove. He would not accept payment for his time or his fuel but we were able to force a bottle of good red wine into his hand, along with a promise to pay his kindness forward at every opportunity.

Enter the brave woman. After many calls to potential links with a diver, we realized there were none to be had… unbelievable. The closest possibility was in Campbell River! I won't bore you with details of all we called without success but suffice to say our independent nature took hold and Kathy (the very brave woman) stepped up and became the hero of the day. She dug out her snorkel and her mask and donned her neoprene vest. She found her under water camera and over she went, into the fairly chilly water. With the help of a boat hook Kathy was able to clear away the long pieces of cedar bark that had spun themselves around our prop and shaft. She was and is, amazing. We tested the engine…forward and reverse; no more vibration…phew! Vacation back 'on'.

I can't tell you how relieved we both are. This could have been a show stopper. Thanks to a very nice man and a very brave woman we are back on vacation. I continue to be amazed and grateful for the wonderful people in my life… our dear friends and the strangers we meet along the way.

I hope you also share life with good friends and kind strangers. Adios Amigos. The adventure continues. CJ

Hanging out in Grace Harbour…

This place called Grace Harbour is something very special. Yes, we were ducking some major North west winds but are we ever glad we chose to visit this hidyhole. From 'to die for' scenery, brilliant tropical green waters, one of the highest populations of jellyfish in the world, trails that lead to a small lake, friendly fellow boaters and a mama bear and her cub… this place seems to have it all. We may move to Roscoe Bay tomorrow or stay here. It all depends on Mother Nature and she's playing her cards close to her chest… so we shall just have to wait and see.

Hope your days are flowing smoothly and your winds are steady. Always. CJ

Grace Harbour

They say Grace Harbour is a land-locked, peaceful anchorage; protected from all winds. It also has a trail leading to a lake. We arrived yesterday. Given the forecasted NW winds of 20-30 we decided this would be a good place to hang out in the rain for a few days.

In case you're wondering, life on board at anchor (no shore-based power to plug into) is like wilderness camping with more gear than you would have hiking… and with furniture 😊. The biggest issues are monitoring the power drain on the batteries (even LED lights add up), conserving water, keeping warm and ferrying the dog to shore as needed.
Easy peazy. 😱. We're doing fine thank you.

Time to make the morning coffee (which will warm up the cabin). Hope you're enjoying yours. CJ

Light, Variable and/or Strong Wind warnings…

 


Weather forecasts are not always accurate, usually leave you tossing a coin, and are an ever- ready resource designed to provide sailors with information they can gamble with…er…I mean seriously consider when making 'informed' decisions about their route and timing.

The winds so far have not been in our favour but we have been diligently checking the forecasts hoping for an improvement. We are at the dock in Lund waiting for that break and it was supposed to be today. Pre-departure habits include showers, walking the dog, coffee and a quick breakfast and then all that goes into preparing the boat.

Not so this morning. We got through the first two requirements and were planning to leave this morning even though it had been windy overnight. The forecast said the wind would diminish by late morning so we planned to leave about 1000 hrs. The main threat to this plan was a nasty looking black sky firmly hanging over the horizon and moving our way. We decided to stay and wait for whatever was going to hit us but move the boat to the other side of the dock where it would be better protected from the forecasted NW. Having finished the dog walk, and with that plan in mind, Maddie and I headed back to the boat (Kathy was just finishing her shower). We were half way back to the boat when the SE wind that had been cooling my left cheek, stopped. It was followed almost immediately by a blast of NW wind in my face. The NW arrived like a freight train and the plan to move the boat evaporated. By the time we got back to the boat, heavy rain was pelting down like a waterfall. After doubling up on the fenders, checking the lines and snubbers and phoning the Harbour Master to let her know we wouldn't be leaving today, we retreated to the comfort of Shannon's Spirit and turned up the heat.

The new plan (#347😏) has us sitting tight until the weather settles down. Loose plans include leaving Lund, hopefully tomorrow afternoon, and heading to Grace Harbour (which is well protected) for a couple days. For now, we relax with books and the crib board… and keep checking the forecasts. Hope your forecasts are warm, dry and dependable. CJ

Also hope you enjoy these photos. The jelly fish one was taken right beside our boat.

Lund Ho…


Ahoy from sunny Lund. We arrived here after a short motor (2.5 hrs) ride from Beach Gardens Marina at Grief Point. We had a wonderful visit with our friends in Powell River…lots of laughter, lots of crib and even a game of Jenga… all good for the soul. We were also spoiled rotten with fantastic dinners. It was hard to leave but Desolation Sound was calling and there was finally a break in the very windy conditions. Not that wind is a bad thing (after all, we are a sailboat) but there's a limit to how much wind is comfortable for us… and when the numbers get higher than 20 or the seas look horribly lumpy… we tend to kick back and open another book. Yesterday was the best day to leave and so we did. Winds were light and seas were comfortable and we wanted to get to Lund in time to take advantage of other cruisers leaving Lund to carry on their way… and so me motored on up there and actually got our favourite slip at the dock. We were also happy to meet some very nice folks who arrived and took the other side of the dock and enjoyed good chats back and forth about boating and life in general.

We'll be here for, we think, one more day and will be watching weather predictions closely. The winds right now are still swirling (back and forth) and the gusts are reaching into the 20's so we shall just have to wait for a break before moving into Desolation Sound. On the good side, Kathy has discovered that we can purchase (still kicking) prawns from the prawn boats when they come in to unload… awesome.

That s all my news for now. Even though each of us have visited Desolation Sound dozens of times over our life span…we are still excited to see it again and expect to also explore places we haven't been to before (as well as our favourite haunts:-).

Thanks for following along… I hope you get to explore new places too… from time to time and as the mood takes you. TTFN. CJ

Boater’s Bling…

To be sure, there are lots of ways to waste money on a boat. Some purchases lose their glow fairly quickly (like the stainless steel… that isn't or the fancy new BBQ that can't handle a little 'breeze); but there are times when every penny spent is soooo worth it.
There are also times, like when you meet a talented and skilled young man who has developed into a fine marine mechanic, plumber, etc. AND he agrees with you that the heart of the fresh water distribution system on board is clearly dying of old age and broken… then you listen. I'm sure glad I did

The same fellow I found to do an oil change for us also does other work and when I asked him if he could help us out he not only did, he also fixed things up quickly and professionally. AND he charged a lot less than I thought he would…. We are very pleased with the results and enclose a photo for your viewing pleasure. This is indeed a sample of Boater's Bling. Wishing you all good service and a good day. CJ

>

Grizzlies, puppy dog fixes, good friends… and Gale force winds..

I know I said we'd be 10-7 but I just had to acknowledge how many challenges can all come together in one location at the same time.  To be more accurate the challenges were dealt out by Mother Nature and circumstance… and the good friends provided the puppy dog fixes; but they really did all occur in basically the same location.

So, re the grizzly:  bears in this location are fairly common…and folks have adapted to their presence BUT the arrival of a big, bad boy grizzly wandering through yards and meandering along the popular beach… well, that was not normal and he s been here for a good number of days.  Turns out he was 'relocated' from Gibsons and now he's here, meandering around the outskirts of Powell River.  Well done authorities.

Re the good friends and puppy dog fixes… nothing like a big ol' boy who loves to cuddle, a perky, way too smart and full of endless  energy, cute as a button, puppy, and our also too smart and energetic (with maybe a titch of attitude) Maddie…all under the same roof or in the same garden playing chase the ball, guard the ball, chase each other, discuss who's faster and then prove it and keep chasing until one mom or another calls a 'halt' to the game (which doesn't last all that long really 😃. 

And then there's the friends… one goes back to elementary and high school with me and the other was a work mate of mine decades ago and we formed a bond that was strong enough to survive and rekindle when we reconnected several years ago.  Getting together each time we pass their town is a 'must do' and the laughter and friendship is so good for each of us. 

Now then, about the Gale force winds.  I guess Mother Nature  tired of just stirring the winds around and decided to speed things up and get everyone's attention. Last night the winds were from the SE and screamed in between 25 and 35 knots. We are moored broadside to the winds but luckily we had 'knit' the boat to the dock well and no damage was done.  The fun isn't over yet as they are forecast to stay 'up' for the day and begin to slow down tomorrow and the next day.  We are all fine but we sure hope they die down and stay down for a while.  We know several boats with friends aboard that are working their way through these waters just as we are and they're all nailed down in place.  We had planned to be here for this week anyway so it's just about the miserable conditions; nothing a good game of crib can't improve :-).  That's the update for now.  Hope all of your tarps are tied down and you're safe and snug at home.   TTFN. CJ.

Leave our favourite anchorage…??

And run for cover; which we did and none too soon. yup, it was one of those decisions that is based on as much knowledge as you can collect (whether you trust the source or not) coupled with a cranky Mother Nature who can't decide whether she wants to spin clockwise or anti-clockwise (and that makes a huge difference in which wind direction she spins out) hence the "swirling winds" I mentioned the other day, and…?. You guessed it, a WAGuess. Sooo, based on the fact that we tried to leave on Thur. May 15 and got knocked around quite a bit by the confused seas and wind… enough so, we turned around and went back to the anchorage; and the fact all forecasts were calling for continuing winds up to and including 20 and 25 knot winds… we decided to wait for the forecasted lighter winds on Saturday. That being said, after a quiet almost windless night last night, we decided to make a run for it. We weighed anchor at 0700 this morning and slid into the Beach Gardens Marina at Grief Point (appropriately named considering the rough weather it tends to collect and today is no exception). At least now we are connected to something more stable than a small anchor in swirling winds; and we are also where we are supposed to be on Sunday (visiting dear friends who live not too far from where we have landed. this gives us a day for tidy up and clean up.

I just checked and it's now blowing 25 knots in the Marina. We're very glad we sucked it up and made the jump today. Most of the photos are of the anchorage we left behind this morning and one photo shows our ensign while tied to the dock in our current location. Boating is certainly not for the feint of heart.

We'll be 10-7 (off the air) for a few days while we visit and misbehave in Powell River. we're looking forward to visits with dear friends, challenging games of Jenga and crib… and fun walks with dogs on trails and beaches.
Until I write again, from the cozy couch of SSpirit, I thank you for supporting this blog. TTFN. CJ