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

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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

May 11, Surrounded by Giants…

Sorry if you’ve already seen this, but we are reposting it, as many of you did not receive a link to CJ’s post when the photos were sent out….  

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To stand, in one spot on this earth, surrounded by towering giants… to turn one's face upwards, towards the heavens with eyes closed, and to listen… to water tumbling and crashing down and to listen with full attention to the tiny birds twittering on the path and in nearby bushes… without fear, but continuing their daily rituals despite my presence… THAT my friends is but a moment in this majestic place called Princess Louisa Inlet.

We arrived yesterday, after a long ten hour run up from Pender Harbour. It took rather careful planning to arrive at the entrance to the inlet; we adjusted our speed to ensure a safe entry and passage of Malibu Rapids. It's approximately 4 NMs from the entrance to the docks at chatterbox Falls and as we were fairly chilled and dusk was approaching, there were times we wondered if this trip was worth it; we ponder no longer :-). If all we do is stand at the base of these falls and stare way, way up to the heads of the giant walls and listen to the roar of the waterfall and the chittering of the resident birds… this trip was worth it.

Icing on the cake? We are sharing the dock with two other sailboats, both with sailors seeking and enjoying blue water (our favourite topic). One boat (Atisha) is working their way around the world and have already circumnavigated most of it and been to more countries than I can list. They are about to start working their way down our coast, headed to Mexico for their first visit. The second couple is also preparing to head south… and that is how blue water folks meet up. It's wonderful.

I will follow this post with photos of this wondrous destination. They need no words to enjoy. I also know none of this will leave my mailbox until we leave PLI and gain connectivity. By the time you read this we will be on our way to Powell River. Adios for now. CJ




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It’s a dogs life…



Just a few more to wet your appetite



PLI photos