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PART 2: HEADING NORTH/CANOE COVE TO LUND, BC DATE:
Wednesday, May 1, 2002
Larry had Al send a couple guys down to help us back out of the narrow slip. Once Larry got out of the slip we were mid channel of the docks right next to the fuel dock. The wind was blowing down the channel and funneling strongly between the rows of boat houses. The strength of this funneled wind was preventing Larry from turning the boat around so we could head out the channel. He tried a couple times and decided it was easier just to back it out all the way.
So, here we were on our way to Alaska, our grand adventure, and humiliatingly backing ourselves all the way out the channel to the main waterway. We must have looked kind of funny. When we got to the end and were free of the docks, Larry turned her around and headed out.
At the last minute, Larry decided not to go by way of Sidney to Friday Harbor. So, we went left. Our planned route looked a little worrisome as the weather looked a bit nasty that way. The winds were blowing and the seas were turned up. What we learned from this sudden change in the float plan though was not to change plans without being prepared to do so ahead of time. The charts we had open weren’t the ones for the alternate route we were now taking. I had to quickly find and get the other charts out and once I did, I had difficulty finding our location on the chart and then quickly locating any visual important markers to match. After all, it had been months, the whole winter at least, since we had been on the water, we were very rusty. The wind picked up rapidly as we got away from our sheltered marina and it started to rain just as quickly. The swells increased to 3-4 feet as we entered the main body of water where several bodies of water were merging. The currents and tides can be quite strong up here. It wasn’t as rough though as our original plan of exit. We had a nerve wracking 30 minutes until we were able to cross over again and get back to our planned course but out and away from the rocky area. There are lots rocks and small islands up here. It seemed like they were in every direction we looked. That’s how it is coming out of Canoe Cove. It was confusing after not boating for several months to be out in the midst of it so suddenly and on a course we weren’t familiar with and in not the best conditions. We got out into Haro Strait and it was blowing a strong one. The swells were pretty high, 4 feet and plus. The new stabilizers performed better than I ever imagined. I was glad Larry decided to spend the money to put them on this last winter preparing for our trip. Once we passed Roche Harbor entrance the winds and swells calmed down dramatically. The trip took us about 2 ½ hours to get to Friday Harbor. We docked on the outer ramp. It was a cold, cloudy, windy and rainy. We stayed inside and waited until the rain stopped. \After lunch, we took a walk into town. We walked over to Ace Hardware looking for a few odd ball things. Ziggy got his honorary biscuit at the check-out counter. We then headed down to the coffee café by the ferry parking lot to get a coffee. We tied Ziggy outside and he waited quietly and patiently for a change. We checked out our email for the heck of it and were surprised that we had a slew of mail already. Everybody was wishing us a good trip. How kind! We then went over to Kings Market and bought as much as we could carry. We got all sorts of goodies that we didn’t get in Sidney. We bought the “all natural” Washington meats, Thirsty Goose greens, Island Bread, peppered bacon, etc. I cooked dinner. After dinner we took Ziggy for an evening walk and settled in for the evening. DATE: Thursday, May 2, 2002
We decided to take Ziggy for a walk and made another market run. It was so refreshing to get out into the crisp windy air. It’s sunny and beautiful now. We walked up the dock and took a couple pictures of the harbor with Knotty Dog on the outer docks. We headed over towards the hardware store again. Larry bought some screen material for the doors. He’s thinking we can attach the screen to the door openings with Velcro if we find ourselves swamped by mosquitoes. (We still have a fly or two zooming around in the salon from Canoe Cove). Hopefully these screens will be a make shift way to keep out flies and mosquitoes. We went back to Kings Market and stocked up on fresh veggies and some sweets. Good thing we have our trusty old canvas bags to carry everything in. Don’t think those paper bags from the grocery store would make it all the way out to the end of the docks and the plastic bags just don’t hold as much. We’re at the farthest point out on the docks and it’s quite a walk to be logging stuff. While Larry was doing the dishes after dinner we were enjoying watching the wind on our new weather station monitor. We were getting gusts to 40 knots! All of a sudden we heard a huge crash above on the fly bridge. Larry ran upstairs to see what happened. I thought maybe one of our chairs had fallen over. He began stamping on the floor above to get my attention. I understood that it meant to get up there as fast as I could. When I got to the fly bridge he was holding on to the bimini for dear life. I thought he was going to fly away! One of the metal holders had broken free and the canvas was flapping wildly in the fierce wind. We both grabbed it and fought it as hard as we could to keep it from ripping completely off. We gradually were able to unzip it off its structural support bars and get it out of the wind. Larry was then able to get a hold of the metal bars and secure them with some Velcro straps. He tightened all the screws that had worked their way loose and we packed the header canvas in the dog crate. It was unbelievable the force of wind up there. I can’t imagine what it would have been like out in the ocean!
A boater down the dock stopped by and had asked if we needed help. By now though, we had the situation under control. He and his wife had a new 46 foot Nordhavn. When he asked where we were headed and we told him Alaska. (Sometimes it’s such a thrill to tell someone that as I can’t even believe it at times.) He said he had been to Alaska in a sailboat and loved it. He said it’s a wonderful trip. He was about three sheets to the wind. It was a nice evening to stay snug inside the boat. It was cold and windy but crystal clear. We had fun watching two guys in a sailboat going out in the 30-40 knot winds, going across the San Juan Channel. It was very rough and they were having a terrible time.
DATE: Friday, May 3, 2002
We’re on our way to Bedwell Harbor to check-in with the
Canadian Customs office, and then on to Ganges. Last night, in the middle of
the night sometime, the lights went out on all of Friday Harbor. Everything was
suddenly pitch black except for one or two lights on top of the town (probably
generator powered). The ferry was lit all night like a Christmas tree. The
ferry must have run its generator all night.
The power outage affected us too. The heaters went off but thanks to our trusty electric heater and the fact that we three all cuddled together, snug as bugs, we were warm. Sometime in the night, hours later, I think early morning, the island came to life again as the power came back on, including in our little boat. The heater came puffing back on and the red lights showed the temperature inside was at 54 degrees. We were quite comfy though. We got up about 6:30 AM. The water and wind were calm. It was quite a contrast from the wild weather yesterday.
When we approached Bidwell Harbor, we were greeted by the view beautiful homes on the cliffs. The cliffs were covered in masses of yellow flowers flowing in the wind. We were absolutely the only boat at Bedwell this morning and I think the customs inspector must have decided to take advantage of his free time by checking every cubby hole we had. I hoped he wouldn’t find all the fruits and other contraband I had stashed. While this was going on, I was in charge of controlling Ziggy and keeping the boat on the dock which was not the easiest task. I set the ropes for a quick docking not knowing we were in for the complete checkup. I was busy running back and forth adjusting the lines as there was quite a serge in the harbor today and keeping Ziggy from getting into trouble on the dock.
The new little donut sized helm seat doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too valuable. When you squat on it (that’s about all you can do since it’s only about 5” in diameter and both our butts are quite a bit bigger than that), you can’t see over the route charter. So it looks like we’ll be standing all the way to Alaska and back. Well, here we are heading in to Ganges, and out come those fender and lines again. We pull into Slip 86 between Dock A & B. The place looks so different from last year. There’s a huge scary derelict black carcass of a freighter or some such sea going vessel that is sunk in front of the marina for winter weather protection I guess. The docks are still as rickety as ever, although it looks as though they are redoing the place. They have a new floating building that is serving as the dock office and it seems like they are getting ready to rebuild some of these old docks.
It was quite a windy landing
(or I should say docking) and we had the help of a strong dock hand or
construction worker who practically pulled the boat to the dock with his strong
muscular arms as the wind fought our intentions. I was finally able to get
close enough to jump off and secure the aft.
(We actually were discussing later that we think we might’ve done better without his help though we appreciated it very much.) This docking stuff is going to take us awhile to get the hang of it. Sometimes it kind of throws off our game plan when someone gets involved and pulls the boat differently than what we’re used to. I was originally going to jump off onto the dock and tie the center line to secure the boat to the dock and then secure the forward and aft lines as needed. When someone else comes, they naturally expect to receive the forward line. This threw Larry off because the guy pulled the bow in very tight and this combined with the wind pushed the stern out. The wind was so strong it was difficult to get the stern back to the dock even when Larry used the tied line for leverage with the engine because the guy had it pulled so snug. Next time I’ll try to throw to whomever the spring line and tell them to secure it at the center which will pull the boat to the dock. At that point I can jump off and then secure the remaining lines as needed. (We’ll see how that works next time.)
We hosed the boat down as Ziggy terrorized the empty docks by running around and barking at the water as it smacked into the docks making loud noises and splashes. I’m sure he thought the splashes were some kind of sea monsters down below. There seemed to be a lot of seaplanes landing and taking off today and Ziggy of course also had to bark orders at them as he chased them up and down the docks even though they were several 100 yards away. As you may be wondering, it was OK to let him run all over because we were literally the only people here. Usually this place is so crowded you’re lucky to find dock space. We finally got the boat cleaned (well sprayed with the hose and shammied), and the electrical hooked up. We blew the fuse almost immediately with practically nothing on but 30 amps. We headed up the huge steep ramp from the docks to the road and walked the short walk to town to relieve Ziggy in some discreet spot. The marina has a really spiffy “dog area” but Zig will have nothing to do it. It’s like a raised flower bed, but planted with grass instead. They have mounted a handy poop disposal container and poop-picker-upper contraption on a nearby post. I was relieved we didn’t have to deal with that as Ziggy likes to go “au naturale”. Also, the prospect of someone watching us do the whole act was not appealing. So we proceeded across the street as usual and Ziggy zipped around behind an old vacant house and did his duty in the weed patch with total privacy. He was successful I could tell because he galloped back with a joyous look on his face. We wandered down the road and stopped to eat at the closest spot, a place called “Calvins”. It was recommended by the guy that tried to help us leave the docks at Friday Harbor. We tied Ziggy up just outside a place by the front door. The owner sat us down within eye sight of Ziggy which at first I thought was good idea but very soon realized it was not good. He was able to effectively give me the gaze or stare from that location that I’m sure he thought would make we feel very guilty and began to make some little whining sounds as if he was being tortured. Everyone that passed by must have thought what a poor pitiful tortured animal he was just sitting there waiting for his cruel selfish masters inside. He has this act down to perfection. We also tried out a little muzzle we purchased in Sidney because Ziggy snapped at someone when we had him tied up in Friday Harbor. It wasn’t a bite, just a warning to “get lost”. Sometimes he doesn’t like to be bothered by strangers, just “admired from a distance”. Well, if you can imagine anyone coming up to pet a dog with a muzzle on, well this was the day. Someone learned very quickly that that was not a smart thing to do. We found out that Ziggy has a new unique talent. Ziggy is actually capable of snapping at someone with a muzzle on. He never seizes to surprise us or I should say exasperate us. We had a pleasant lunch in their new upholstered booths and a warm carpet beneath us. It was luxury after being on the cold boat for a week. It was just what I needed. I was totally exhausted. Even my hands hurt. We finished lunch, released Ziggy from his shackles and walked around town poking in the cute stores a bit before heading back to the boat. Once back to the boat my intention was solely to dive onto the couch for a nap with a cozy blanket. I decided that’s the way I was going to spend the rest of the day. After all, I was thinking, I put all the ropes and fenders away at Friday harbor, then got them all out at Bedwell Harbor, and then put them away leaving Bedwell Harbor (plus manually pushing and pulling the boat in Bedwell to keep it at the dock), and then got them all out again in Ganges, plus pushing and tugging the boat to the dock again, and then tying the lines again. I then hosed the boat down, helped wipe it down, walked up and down that steep enormous dock ramp to lunch. No wonder I was pooped!! Larry was still trying to fix the depth sounder since they had no luck figuring out what was wrong with it back at the boat yard. I couldn’t pay attention to what he was doing as I was falling off into never-never land. The book I was reading, Sailing Home, was putting me right to sleep although I can’t say it was responsible. Somewhere in that hazy lazy time, I heard Larry say “the fuse was blown in the depth finder”. So he took Ziggy and trotted off to find a fuse with great hopes that a little fuse would fix the trouble and he would be finished. No such luck though. He replaced the fuse but it didn’t solve the problem. I heated a pot of water for some tea so we could think more on it. He now decided that the repeater must be “broken”. Of course I don’t understand a word he is saying and think to myself that this boating stuff can be very complicated, far more demanding than my talents. The conclusion to our discussion over tea was that we were going to see about having “it” replaced in Nanaimo. I don’t know what “it” is but I think it sounds like a good idea. It’s another windy evening with winds up to 25 knots. We were up several times checking on strange noises.
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 2002
I made a package of oatmeal muffins for breakfast. I didn’t have my glasses on when I was making them so I read the measurements wrong. I ended up making 18 muffins! We gave a bunch to the sail boat next door and some to the tattered boat on the other side both of which came in at the end of the day yesterday. Everyone was very appreciative to get fresh warm muffins on this cold morning. I discovered it was a great way to meet other boaters. It breaks the ice instantly. We listened to the weather report. We’re trying to get used to identifying the locations on the weather report. We are unfamiliar with many of the names and are having trouble understanding the names. It looks like this is going to take some practice.
Ziggy seems to like Ganges. The marina is practically empty as it’s early in the season. Since there’s no one around he can run around the docks and bark at the splashes and not get into too much trouble.
The Farmers Market is definitely “hippy revival” time.
Everything was made by hand by artists: tie-dye shirts, soaps, pottery, jams,
jewelry, knits, clothes, wood bowls and even kids selling cookies in casino
cigarette boxes (they were cute). Another kid was drawing pictures and selling
them. They sold hand crafted wood furniture made out of driftwood, homemade
(fire oven) breads, cookies and sweets. Anything goes here if you can sell it
and make some money. Dogs run loose and play together. It was quite an event
and lots of fun.
Later in the afternoon we heard a trio playing Caribbean style music in the adjoining park. Kids were running around, adults were playing with something that looked like a little bean bag ball which they could only use their feet to catch and throw. It looks like it takes lots of skill. There was lots of laughter in the air and it was a relaxed home spun atmosphere. We had lots of fun. One vendor caught us looking at her hand made creams and put some on both of us. It was so oily we couldn’t wait until we could hide somewhere to wipe it off. Nothing tempted our pocket books though.
We walked across the street and Larry went to the library
to check our email, Visa and checking account. While Larry was inside, Zig and
I walked around. I stopped to take a picture of a couple dogs that both
happened to be in their owner’s pick up trucks. One old style truck was cream
colored and the golden retriever inside the cab matched the paint color
perfectly. This dog was so cute and waited patiently for his master in the
driver’s seat like he would naturally drive.
The other truck had a retriever-type in the back open bed who was giving me the eye. I sat on a set of stairs nearby to rest and watch him. Pretty soon he started rummaging through the junk in the back of the truck making quite a racket. Suddenly, after knocking several things over, his search was successful as he found what he obviously had been hunting for. He popped his head up and had a big throw stick in his mouth. He was staring at me intently with a look that said, “I’m ready, let’s play!”
How could I throw this stick for him when he was in the car? I just had to sit there and watch him feeling very guilty after all his trouble to find the stick. That didn’t stop him though, this dog was persistent. So he put his front paws up on the side of the truck, leaned his head over the side and very carefully dropped the stick on the curb in front of me. This time I could interact. I picked it up and threw it back into the truck bed and we proceeded to repeat this maneuver several times until a rugged looking guy came out of a nearby store, gave him a couple hugs, some friendly pats and a few scratches on his back and hopped in the car and drove off.
While waiting for Larry, I also had some time to observe the mix of people that make this little village their home. Some are successful novelists and artists, some are hippies, workmen, some are just regular people like you and me and some are pretty tattered looking like they were on their last nickel. What was consistent all around was that they seemed happy and content with where they lived and their lifestyles. They seem like a happy group of people and they all mix together no matter how different they are from each other. As we were having afternoon coffee at one of the local hangouts, later that day, I overheard a guy talking to his friend next to him which kind of said it all. He said “The weather’s good – not to cold, not too wet, not too dark, not too bright and the streets are dry. You can’t ask for more than that. That’s the way I like it!” You feel safe here too. You don’t feel the need to lock the boat or worry about anything. For example as we were sitting there at an outside table sipping our lattes, a guy came by with his little dog. He just came right up to me, put his dog in my lap and said he’d be right back and went in to get some coffee. His little pooch was named “Pooh” and he never took his eyes off him for a second as he went in to get a cup of coffee. When the guy came out, he sat right down with us and started a friendly conversation. It’s an amazing place.
We came back to the docks and Ziggy ran down the docks chasing off the seagulls and in the flick of an instant ran right off the dock into a bunch of nasty floating trash and flotsam that had accumulated in a corner turn of the wooden dock. He just disappeared underneath the water in an instant. He must have thought it looked like a hard surface, like land. It was such a solid goop of junk that I’m sure he assumed it was something he could run on. Good thing I had the long leash on him because I was able to just pull him right up out of the water like he was on a hangman’s noose. Larry decided he needed a bath after diving into who knows what had accumulated there. He usually does that up on the deck above our master stateroom. I heard Larry drying him off after the bath with a towel and it sounded like WWII. Ziggy was growling at him and pulling at the towel and Larry was growling back, both having fun, turning the bath into a competitive tug of war. After his bath, Ziggy came inside. Ziggy opted for a round with “lover babe” rather than a nice blow dry with the hair dryer. Guess he felt pretty frisky and fancy after his bath. “Lover-Babe” is Zig’s substitution for a girl mate. It’s a white stuffed animal that Ziggy likes to hump. He’s had it for years and it’s a favorite of his. If we are on a long trip away from lover babe, the first thing he does when he gets home is give his Lover-Babe a good hump. So, there was no way we could leave her home. I know it sounds ridiculous but it’s true. The thought of Ziggy not having her for 5 months was too cruel. So she was aboard too. While all this humping was going on, I saw a huge cloud of
smoke behind our ghostly black sunken freighter on the outside of the marina.
It was the old tattered boat returning (the one I gave some warm muffins to this
morning). (Guess that was the huge cloud of smoke we saw from the farmers
market earlier in the morning when they left). Apparently it was too rough out
there at the tip of Salt Spring Island. Good thing, he came back – I’m not
convinced that the boat would make it in calm perfect weather. Later after they
got docked again he told Larry later he was trying to g I made Bev’s “Fresh Pasta” and salad for dinner. I also made a chicken soup starter in the pressure cooker. Took 1/10th the time the pasta did. Getting to love this pressure cooker! I can understand now why my Grandmother and mother used those pressure cookers. We modern women could learn a lot from their “old fashioned techniques”. We had some homemade blueberry pie for dessert. We both said we’ve got to get back onto our diet meals but we felt the need for some good old comfort food this evening. I had Larry take a picture of a “Norstar” boat that docked in front of us today. It’s the same boat that our friends have purchased. It was kind of ironic that we were the only two boats docked tonight. We took Zig for a walk into the village after dinner. There was a busload of Japanese tourists in town. They were the only ones around. We saw a couple seals watching us. They seem so human and they are so curious watching everything that we do. Ziggy got a little bit of chicken from the soup starter on his dog food that I had made earlier. He ate the chicken but left the dog food. He’s got discriminating taste. So I put some cottage cheese on it but he still didn’t touch it. I know he plays games with us to see what he can get. He usually likes the cottage cheese so when he didn’t eat that we figured he needed to go out pretty bad. When we got back he was still looking over the sink to see what else might be offered. Ziggy must love this boat because he has a bird’s eye view of everything I’m cooking and he loves to stick his nose around the corner to see if he can get a little tidbit. Sometimes when he’s on the deck he gently paws my galley window. I open it and he likes to stick his head in and watch what I’m cooking from there too. Tonight though, he knew there was chicken and he let me know he wanted it. So, he won again as I gave in to his cleverness and gave him a little more. Once he squeezed that last bit of chicken from me he then finished his cottage cheese and dog food. He’s a cunning little stinker. He certainly conned me. He’d be a great poker player. DATE: Sunday, May 5, 2002
A long blue sailboat next to us left this morning. The people were from Ketchikan. It was a quiet day. Larry took Zig for a walk in the afternoon and when he picked up Zig’s droppings he found a quarter next to it. Larry said it was a little like “getting paid for picking up the poop”. We bought a few things at the great little hardware store in town and shopped in Moat’s another great store that I love. I decided to cook some of the pot stickers that we bought at the Farmer’s Market for dinner along with some steamed rice and asparagus. Those darn pot stickers stunk the boat up so bad that I couldn't get the smell out of the boat for at least a month. Don’t think I can stand the thought of buying them ever again. We listened to the weather report again trying to figure it all out: locations, sequences and details. It’s not easy.
DATE: Monday, May 6, 2002
It’s very cold this morning. We’re getting ready to leave for Nanaimo, BC. We listened to the weather reports again. We made one last trip to the hardware store to pick up one more storage unit that we bought the day before and a fog sponge. I took Zig for his last walk before we were to leave.
1.) Put remote out window for dinghy, 2) Pick up and take hand held radio, 3) Check position, 4) Get satellite signal devise, 5) Get in dinghy J.
We also went through the drill for man overboard. Larry showed me how to use our new two way radios. As we left, it started to snow lightly. I couldn’t believe it! Everything was turning a light transparent shade of white. It was freezing cold so Larry ran the boat from inside. We have always run the boat form the fly bridge but now that it’s going to be so cold, he must learn to run it from inside. That means he’ll have to stand all the way. I think it’s going to be very tiring for him standing so long. I don’t know how he’s going to do it all summer.
We had Bev’s Chili and rice for lunch and Greek flat bread which was the perfect lunch for a cold day like this. We docked at the public dock in Nanaimo as we have done many times before. There were some other boats there but not many. We took an evening walk and found a dry cleaner that will do our laundry for us and tailor Larry’s pants. Hooray! They will pick up and deliver too. It can’t get much better than that. So we’ll get that done tomorrow.
Larry walked all over town to see about getting the depth sounder fixed. I washed the boat while he was out. Much of the harbor was under construction so everything was in disrepair. We saw two otters sunning themselves on the dock and scratching their backs. Ziggy nearly went wild at the site of them. He could smell them way before he saw them. A neighbor on a nearby boat said it snowed in Vancouver
today. It’s the coldest day on record for this day up here.
DATE:
Tuesday, May 7, 2002
We took the laundry and tailoring to the Chinese dry cleaners at the nearby mall. They will deliver it all back to the boat at 6:30 PM. It will cost us about $50 Canadian. What a deal and it’s so nice not to have to do the wash. I went for a walk along the waterfront after breakfast and saw bicycles for rent at Harbor Air office. We inquired about them. They were brand new, never been used. We decided to rent them. They cost us $24 Canadian, each, for the whole day or $6 for each hour. The harbor is so large and everything is a long walk so I think these bikes will work out great for us. It will give us an opportunity to see more without tiring ourselves out.
Earlier in the morning, Larry had called Raytheon. He
found a replacement for the defective depth sounder. He had to order it through
a Rep in town (Anchorage Marine). Keith the salesman there w We got on the bikes and decided to ride the length of the waterfront to Anchorage Marine and see what else they had that we might be interested in purchasing. Ziggy adapted to the bikes quickly. The bikes were great. It allowed us to see so much more and not get so tired and Ziggy gets lots of exercise running alongside. Although our butts and legs were sore from using muscles we haven’t used for awhile, it was fun. We were able to see the other marinas which looked great and well kept. We found Anchorage Marine and introduced ourselves to Keith. We made a few more purchases and Keith said he would bring them tomorrow when he delivered the other part that we ordered. We rode the bikes a little further down the waterfront to see the restaurants and shopping areas near the ferry landing. We stopped in a great fish and tackle store with lots of fancy flies and lures. I had no idea there were so many different kinds and many are quite beautiful and complex. There’s a whole other world out involved in fishing and fishing gear that I know nothing about. The store had 4 different dogs running around inside too. We tied Ziggy up outside and he was pretty ticked that we didn’t take him inside too. He could see all the activity inside and he wasn’t included. Sorry Ziggy.
After our tea break, we started to head back but then decided to take the little ferry over to Newcastle Island. First though, we needed food. We decided to ride the bikes to the old part of town up on the hill for lunch at Mac Kenzies. I wanted to buy one of their unusual looking tea cozies but, too bad, they were all out. The cozies are unique because they are so (and I hate to say this) so ugly but in a beautiful way. The yarn colors and combinations are really awful but I love them because I see some sort of strange artistic beauty in them. I hope they will have some on the return trip because I just have to have one. We rode the bikes back down the hill to catch to ferry but unfortunately, we didn’t have cash and they didn’t take credit cards so Zig and I plopped our weary bones on a nearby bench at the waterfront and Larry headed back to get some cash. I wasn’t bored waiting because there’s lots of activity on the waterfront. There a constant parade of people walking by and today 2 young guys were building rock sculptures on the water front. It was very entertaining. When Larry got back we had to wait a bit for the next ferry. It runs every hour and we just missed the last one. It gave Larry a chance to catch up and get a snooze a bit on the park bench.
The little ferry ride only took about 10 minutes. It was a beautiful sunny day and the hills were covered in lush green grass and filled with white wildflowers. The skies were blue and filled with white lacy clouds. It was a wonderful backdrop for the first of many totem poles we would see on this trip. It would’ve been a great picture had we had brought the camera. There were lots of old turn of the century camp buildings nestled back in the woods. I love the old buildings still the same and still being useful and functioning for the park. Nothing was open though as it was too early in the season.
Ziggy was running free and in all his glory. The ride was much longer than we bargained for but it was worth it. We reached the lake and then turned east to follow the lake path which leads to the eastern shore route. It was a placid day on the straight – would’ve been a great day to cross Queen Charlotte Straight but we were waiting for a necessary part so that was not an option. We rushed back to the ferry landing hoping to catch the next ferry but just missed it. We saw a bunch of school kids and tents who were camping on the island. These Canadians are a tough bunch. They can bear any kind of weather I guess.
The delay gave us the opportunity to lie on the flower filled grass, the first hints of spring and soak up the warmth from the granite rocks hidden below. We were three tired bodies, Ziggy included. The kids were preparing for a canoe ride. It was fun to watch. We made our way back on the ferry and dropped our fun bikes off at the rental shop. We stopped for an ice cream. It was a well deserved reward for all that hard effort
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 2002
We got up early and took Ziggy out. We have to stick around the boat today waiting for our important part. I decided to get the lemon oil out and oiled the teak. Larry’s doing his normal fiddling. Keith called to tell us the part was in and he was on his way down to bring it to the boat. When we got the part Larry checked it out first to see if it actually fixed the problem (I didn’t know there was some doubt until he did that). Success! The only problem now was that it required a hole to be drilled in the teak to install it (the new replacement was quite a bit bigger than the last one), but it was going to solve our problem. Keith gave us the name and number of a carpenter who could help us get the hole cut and lickety-split Keith had someone down to the boat to install it. I left for the market as soon as he arrived. I don’t like to be around when they start making messes and I could tell this was going to be one of those situations. I bought some more things we needed and getting extra fresh produce that looked especially good. I still don’t know how long it will be again before I can get groceries so I feel the need to stock up whenever I see something good and fresh. I came back from the market and the part was installed and the place was clean.
We had heard from people on the dock that the Navy sailing ship (a 100 footer) was coming in this afternoon. We were looking forward to her arrival. We took a walk and upon our return we scrubbed the hull and
did a little polishing but that didn’t last long because the excitement started
on the dock. The Navy ship was arriving in full sail. It was a magnificent
sight. The crew was dressed in navy (of course) and all were at their
stations. Very formal and serious indeed! One of the crew brought their dinghy
around and dropped two ensigns off on the dock to catch the lines. The dinghy
also helped push the bow in to the dock when the wind caught her. It was a
great site and gathered quite a crowd on the dock. We were lucky that they
docked just behind us! Even Ziggy was in awe. That evening, we took another walk. Larry stopped at the drug store to buy another battery charger. The poor guy always has something he needs to fix. He can’t relax. We listened to the weather report again and charted our route to Westview near Powell River for tomorrow, if the weather is good. We will be crossing Queen Charlotte Straight. Our last crossing was a rough one so we were being very careful this time. We’re planning to pull in at Squirrel Cove if the weather is not good. The TV tonight had a lot of interference. Larry thinks it was probably from the Navy ship (their radar) or could have been the police boats that were hanging around.
DATE: Thursday, May 9, 2002 Larry was up at 5:50 AM. I got up shortly thereafter. I took Zig out and we took off not without a little incident with a Nordhavn in the harbor who was not very courteous. It didn’t matter though as we soon left him in the dust once outside the harbor. We had a comfortable (not exactly smooth) crossing across the Strait out of Nanaimo. The stabilizers really settled the boat in the seas. The weather was good for the crossing so we decided to go all the way to Westview. I’ve been very comfortable just sitting back and watching TV (satellite no less) during the crossing. We’ve been able to watch the news and the little electric heater is on so I’m good to go. Ziggy is relaxed and sleeping in his bed high up on the bar cabinet with a good view out. We’re happy and very comfortable. We had scones and rice cakes with almond butter for snacks to break up the trip. We avoided a few logs that sneakily crept up on us. We had one major glitch though during this peaceful crossing. The auto pilot went crazy and it suddenly and without warning turned us completely around in a full circle. I was in the galley at the time. Larry doesn’t know what happened. He said sometimes computers just go berserk. That was his only explanation or rationalization. We left this morning about 6:45 AM and arrived at Westview at lunch time. No one answered our hailing on the radio so we just docked at the nearest opening. I took Ziggy out and walked up what they call “Cardiac Hill” to survey the town and look for a place for lunch and to take care of Zigger’s business at the same time.
I was surprised to find so many little restaurants and stores here. I actually saw a quaint Mexican restaurant painted hot pink, purple, yellow, turquoise and flowers to match. It was a little surprising to find a Mexican restaurant this far north. They had outdoor seating. It was a great day and I decided that was where we’ll eat if Larry is up for Mexican food. I headed back to the harbor and passed a sign shop. It had a page long description of what hours the guy worked or didn’t work and when he shouldn’t be there or should be there and all the possible variables. It was clever and cute. Westview is a fairly major ferry landing. The harbor and marina accommodates that ongoing activity. The car ramp to the ferry divides the harbor in two separate sections. I think this is the most northern car launching point on the BC Coast for the inside passage. You can take your car on the ferry all the way to Alaska from here. We were in the South Harbor which is designated for transients and workboats. The North Harbor is for resident boats and pleasure boats like little fishing boats.
I introduced myself to Jim, the very friendly and likeable Harbormaster. I told him where we docked and hoped that location would be OK with him. He said he saw us there and that was fine. He said we could move to dock 5 (we were at 6) as it would give us more protection if we needed it. He said “it tends to blow out there on 6”. He added that the weather is supposed to be good so he thinks we’ll be fine where we are. He wanted to give Ziggy a treat which Zig gladly accepted and then began telling me about his Chihuahua and what he likes and dislikes to eat and how tough he is for a pip squeak. He told me how he has to chop up his treats very small or he won’t eat them (my how these dogs control us). He also said the Fish Monger on the dock near us raises Jack Russell’s. He said he’d catch up with us later in the day for the dock fee. Friendly guy.
On the way down the docks to the boat I said “Hi” to the fish monger. I told him we’d be back to get some shrimp from him for dinner since he said “that’s what’s in season”. Larry was hosing the salt off the boat and getting ready to wipe it down. I helped him finish and then we headed for the Mexican joint. It may be our last chance to have Mexican food for the whole summer. The food was delicious or either we were starved from the long morning journey. Larry had huevos rancheros and I had a beef enchilada. We had black beans, rice and cabbage salad. We also had freshly made hot pickled carrots and fresh homemade hot sauce. We ordered their drink of the day which was fresh pineapple/orange juice with a lime slice and 2 ice teas. We were so thirsty. We sat outside on the patio and watched the cars go by on the Pan Pacific Highway. We walked the town looking for a mail box to post some cards. It’s a cute town but the noise from the trucks was unbearable. They rumble through town and the whole town shakes like a construction site. We headed back to the boat but stopped in the Fishery Store first. They had every kind of fishing gadget imaginable. Larry purchased our Canadian Fishing License there. It cost $140 Canadian. He also bought a plastic gauge to measure the legal sized crab and another tape to measure the legal sized salmon. We had to get a special fishing line that they recommended because someone (we were supposed to recognize the name) “caught a huge one the other day with it”. Larry asked how deep we should go for salmon and the young man got out their log book and rattled off all the different depths, and locations and details of recent sport catches. This was a very serious business. I had no idea fishing was so serious. I can see now how fishermen get into all these gadgets and tackle. Some are really beautiful. It was and eye opening experience. When we returned to the boat, we were exhausted. I went to sleep on the sofa for who knows how long. Larry picked up the prawns from the fish monger. The fish monger had already beheaded them for us, thank goodness. He recommended boiling them but that was too much trouble and steams up the windows. I used a recipe out of my Northwest Cooking book and sautéed them with chili flakes, garlic and oil in their shells for 1 minute on each side and added lime zest and juice from a beer and a little butter. We had steamed white rice and fresh asparagus. They were a little bit bitter from the lime but that was the recipe. Next time I’ll use less butter and no lime – perhaps lemon. We had tea with gingersnaps after dinner. Larry took Zig for a walk while I cleaned up the galley. While he was gone a 40 foot sail boat motored in with some really old guys on it. I was tempted to run down the dock to help them tie up but thought maybe it would be a mistake since they looked like the docking was a challenge they wanted. A fishing boat also came in the harbor entrance. The captain did a quick 350 degree turn very close to the side of us and slid his way in behind us so close that I was sure he was going to crash into our stern. I got the impression that he and the crew did it on purpose to give me a little thrill especially since we centered ourselves on the dock not realizing at the time we didn’t allow a lot of room for another boat. Larry came back as they were tying their lines. Larry must have been distracted by it all because he ordered Zig to jump into the boat and didn’t release the leash. So when poor Ziggy tried to jump aboard the leash was to short for him to make the jump and he went straight into the brink. I yelled out a few choice words at the top of my lungs as Larry pulled him out again by what’s becoming a familiar hangman’s survival noose. I was afraid Zig was going to get caught under the dock. As tired as Larry was he had to give Zig a bath on the back of the boat and I towel dried him. Guess the fishermen (and one woman aboard) thought we were a bit much, washing a dog just because he fell in. I also wondered what they thought of all our matching lines and fenders and embroidered floor mats. They must have thought we were a bit silly compared to their sturdy no frill work horse of a ship. I must admit, I felt a little frivolous next to them. The evening was fine. We did have some rolling swells during the night but it was fine. The fishing boat had it’s generator on all night (which was annoying) but I understand the need to keep the refrigeration going to keep the fish fresh. The harbor has a strange orange glow all night as the orange street lights are kept on probably for the ferries. DATE: Friday, May 10, 2002 We had coffee and oatmeal with cranberries for breakfast. Larry took Zig out while I put things away and prepared for our trip which would be only 20 miles to Lund, the end of the Pan Pacific HWY (101). It starts in Chilie, South America and ends in Lund, British Columbia. I think that’s quite amazing.
It’s really quite an impressive sight seeing these empty
ghostly moss covered monolithic freighters protecting the harbor. The creaking
sound of the vessels and the crying and groaning of the We had another scary repeat performance where the auto pilot as it again turned the boat around in an unexpected 360 degree circle. Now we know there’s a definite malfunction and that the last time wasn’t just a fluke. Larry will have to get on the phone with someone who knows about these things and see what’s wrong. He thinks it may be a glitch in the settings. It’s pretty scary since it locked the steering wheel for a bit. As we made our approach to our new port for the evening, again, no one answered our hails to the harbor master. We pulled up near the gas dock in front of the old hotel to see where we could dock. The kid running the gas pump didn’t seem to know what the protocol was for docking in the harbor. So Larry pulled up to the dock in front of the hotel and we did a temporary tie up as Zig and Larry headed up the ramp and over to the Harbor Master’s office to see what the docking situation was. No one was there so we saw an open spot inside the harbor. Where we were presently was way too exposed and rolly to the open water. Getting into the harbor with a boat our size looked a little tricky especially because there a partially submerged rock right in the center but once inside we could see it's doable. We pulled in to the open spot. This looks like a nice, secure, safe picturesque spot. Larry sent me off immediately to take Zig for a “pee” but I think more so to get me out of his hair for nagging about the docking. I was doing a little complaining about the long lines on the fenders were which makes it a major juggling act every time I have to deal with them. I get pretty wasted doing all the fenders and lines and pulling the boat in. I think it’s much easier physically to drive the boat but much more difficult mentally. Takes lots of guts to maneuver a big heavy boat in some of the places we go into. They are usually all new situations and many are difficult with strong winds and currents and a naggy wife. So Zig and I explored the area to give Larry a break. There’s not much here but it’s quaint. There is a nice old hotel that has been remodeled. It doesn’t have the aged look and charm of Roche Harbor but still it’s likeable and we’re glad to be here. It is perched on a hill overlooking the quaint harbor and the Malaspina Straights. It’s a fantastic day, in the warm 50’s, sunny, clear, and just a light wind.
The hotel has a restaurant and bar with an outdoor deck for eating and drinking. It was all newly done, clean and inviting. Across from the hotel is Nancy’s Bakery, a cute little cottage with a grass yard fenced in with a picket fence and flowers lining the fence. They had wonderful baked goods, coffee and espresso drinks. We decided we’d come here for our usual 3:00 coffee break. The marina itself was very small with only two docks. Across the marina to the other side is the Starboard Café. It’s built on a hill hanging out over the water on stilts with outside decks and plenty of planters filled to the brim with flowers. It has brown shingles and all the trim is painted a bright cheery yellow. It was very cute and looked very inviting. At the top of the ramp from the docks is the Harbor Master’s office, with showers, toilets and the Community bulletin Board pinned with notices of just about anything that was going on in the area. There is a freestanding chalk board easel with the new menu for the Starboard Café, very artfully written – but not open until 3:00 PM. Too bad – we would love to had lunch there. I forgot to mention all the huge dogs running around harbor
free as birds. Some are lying in the center of the road and others are on the
docks or wherever their fancy leads them. Zig will have to figure this
situation out on his own. I thought it best to let him off the leash and get it
sorted out sooner rather than later. It was comical watching how they sorted
out territory but somehow they all worked out the social hierarchy and then it
was over, they all could relax. We finished wiping the boat down and started up the ramp for lunch at the hotel. We found an outside seat on the patio and a good place right near by to tie Ziggy with a convenient doggy water bowl nearby. Larry ordered a Halibut Burger and I had a sautéed shrimp appetizer. I ordered it to get a new take on how to prepare the local shrimp that is so abundant and popular up here. Everything was excellent and prepared with a gourmet flare which was a surprise to me considering we were at the end of the line so to speak. There would be no more roads after this stop. We also ordered two Canadian ice teas which can be addictive because they are deliciously and sinfully loaded with pure calorie filled sugar. Our lunch spot was the best place to view what goes on in the Malaspina Straight and the harbor. After lunch we walked around a little and checked out the General Store at the hotel and the little art gallery. We walked across the boardwalk at the back of the harbor to see the Starboard Café. Mid-way on the boardwalk is an old grist mill. The rudder is not rotating but upon a closer look inside – the locals have rigged the shack for fish cleaning with a good size metal tub/tray and a hose lashed up to generate running water. Very clever we thought. We walked on over to the café and up a steep set of concrete steps behind it to the upper road. There are a few more houses up there including one under construction in a beautiful setting. It’s going to have spectacular views of the harbor and the Straight. I really liked the design. They were doing something special with the shingle layout, very artistically laid out. Another house down the way, overlooking the harbor, has a unique shingle layout also. It’s sort of organic in style. The window designs are unique also. All the panes of the windows are not square or equal which makes for a fun whimsical look. The trim is a light turquoise color and the shingles are natural. There must be an artistic contractor living around here. At the point of their property just in the water on a rock is a carved wooden sculpture of Neptune. He looks so lifelike. Someone, very creative, lives around here that’s for sure. Even a little storage shack up by the bakery has again a unique shingle treatment. It has two windows on opposite ends. The shingles are laid out in perspective around the windows to give the illusion that the window and the door are far in the a distance instead of flat on the building. I love the idea of it. We had a pressure cooker dinner of ham, green beans, onions, potatoes, carrots. We made Bev’s baked apples with cranberries, pecans, brown sugar, touch of whipped butter and orange juice. Mmmm good. Well, our day in paradise was interrupted by the harbor master who I just had to nickname “Mother Goose”. Ziggy barked at and scared a couple resident geese and it was like a volcano erupted from the harbor master’s office. She bellowed as loud as she could across the harbor at us to “leash that dog!” She was a white haired, older lady, a little on the plump side, and the name of “mother goose” came immediately to mind when I saw her. She came waddling out of the harbor master’s shack to protect her flock and bellowed her orders over the peaceful harbor. It was embarrassing for us. We immediately leashed Ziggy and cowered over and sat down on a bench to recover from our humiliation like two bad puppies that had soiled in the house. We quietly watched as she hobbled down the rocky path to the waterline to check to make sure her flock of birds wasn’t damaged. She then threw them a batch of “goose food”.
All the shrimp boats are coming in for the night after being out all day working hard. I was surprised to see that most of the shrimp boats are run by just young kids in their twenties. That surprisingly includes many girls too, dressed in overalls and tank tops. They are working just a hard as these rough tough guys. This was the start of my first exposure and enlightenment to the tough creed of women that I will start to see and document on this trip (whom by the way, I have great admiration for). All these kids are gathered on the docks, sitting and squatting, drinking beer, eating and playing music. It’s the start of Canada’s three day weekend and the start of the boating season. I don’t know if this is a normal sight or if they are celebrating the holiday together. It’s a close knit clan and they are having lots of fun and enjoying the simple things in life, conversation, nature and hard work. I’m reading about the weather conditions and what to expect for our trip. Here are a few excerpts from the book to remember: “Winds going against the current are bad. A forecast of southeast winds means a return to unsettled rainy weather.” Larry and I end the evening sitting on the fly bridge gazing out to Malaspina Straight. It’s flat as a pancake. There is a tug in the distance pulling a heavy load. Across the way is Savory Island and in the far distance lies Vancouver Island with its snow capped peaks. Everything has a soft blue grey haze. There is a small cove north of the harbor that’s very picturesque with its unusual rock formations, small cottages, and boats at anchor. Cook Cove is a look alike for the Maine Coast.
They should call this place “Honking Harbor”. The “protected” geese are having a competition to see who can honk the loudest. It dominates the cove. They are a very social group, these geese. Much of their time is spent fighting amongst themselves for dominance. All it takes is one goose to start and then the flock starts a commotion of cackling, honking, flapping wings and joining in. It’s quite a sight and the sound is so loud that it just overwhelms the harbor and everyone just has to stop what they are doing and watch.
This little harbor, though charming and quaint, is not always as quiet as you’d like it. After the shrimp boats finally settle down and you think you’re in for some quiet time, then all the people who’ve been at the hotel bar or restaurant start coming out into the night with their loud happy voices and some are a little tipsy too. They make quite a commotion getting into little boats heading home to some nearby cottage probably accessible only by small boat. So, it was a noisy night. After we finally got to sleep, we were then awakened at 6:00 AM, early Saturday morning, by the sound and wakes of the shrimp boats leaving. This is not to mention the one million and one trips made by the red and white water taxis, taking vacationers to and from Salvary Island that goes on all day long. All combined, it made for a busy noisy harbor.
We heard there are rental cottages on Salvary island. The locals told us it’s supposed to a charming little rustic resort island that is very unique and quiet.
Needless to say, though this harbor is at the “the end of the line”, it’s certainly an active place little harbor.
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We
got up early. I made oatmeal with cranberries for breakfast. The fellow came
to do the final buffing on the hull. All was buttoned up and we were ready to
finally go. 
We
ate some Island cinnamon bread for breakfast. Mmmmmm good! The sun was peeking
through but is very windy!!
We
checked everything else to make sure all was tight and secure. We may be in for
a rough night. I think this outer location at this dock is very vulnerable to
the winds and weather. The other permanent slips further inside the harbor are
more tucked in from the weather and weren’t bearing the brunt of it like we
were.
Larry filled the water tanks, and I took Ziggy to do his
morning constitution. As we were getting ready to leave the guy in the boat
ahead of us came to help but was more in the way than anything. He kept talking
to us and trying to pet Ziggy while we were trying to concentrate on getting the
boat out of our tight quarters safely. (He doesn’t know how nervous we get
docking). Ziggy finally gave him a snap like as if to say, “Beat it!” I heard
the guy call him “you Knotty Dog”. He was good natured about it and laughed as
we left. He was just trying to help us out as we had helped them to dock when
they came in. We waved goodbye. 
Larry
looks cute with his pants rolled up. I mistakenly ordered them too long on the
internet and we didn’t have time to get them hemmed. We tried to find someone
to hem them in Friday Harbor but had no luck. Hopefully we’ll find someone
along this journey to fix them. For now, rolled up is cute!
Today
is the Farmer’s Market so we got our trusty canvas bags and headed off to the
market. 
We
went to the Thrifty Market and browsed the isles. I love that store. They have
the best munchies around. There are a million kinds of gourmet cheeses,
appetizer spreads, gourmet breads, salami, nuts, candies, bakery goods and fresh
local island lamb. It’s a wonderful market and it small, just the right
selection of stuff, not too much and not too little and all quality! We managed
to pick up a few more things there to stash away that may come in handy to warm
our spirits in the bleaker times of this journey as we head farther North.
et the boat to Victoria
so he could have the boat hulled out and painted on the bottom. I hope he makes
it.
We
decided to stay another day. I wanted to get good and rested before we headed
north. It was 39 degrees this morning. We had oatmeal again for breakfast.
Somehow on a cold morning there’s nothing better. I took Zig for his usual
walk. Today we just hung out. Larry fixed the horn and puttered with other
things.
We
did a safety run through on the emergency exiting plan: 
The
trip was going smoothly. I read my lighthouse book about Polier Pass as we went
by. We arrived at Dodd Narrows at perfect slack tide. It was almost dead flat,
nothing like the rapids we experienced running through there the first time.
as going to have it
flown in from Ottawa on Wednesday. OK, that will work!
We stopped at a little dock shack for coffee and tea.
Ziggy has been running and running and finally had a chance to rest and get a
drink.
We headed down a dirt path on our bikes to the center of
the island to see the lake. It was easy and the paths are all clearly marked
through the lush forest. It was amazing to be in this forest and just be a
hop-skip-and-jump away from the bustling city of Nanaimo. We were transported
to another time and place. 
Ziggy
discovered two Siamese cats on the huge 3 masted 70 foot sailboat down the
dock. That little stinker actually snuck down the dock and jumped aboard their
boat! I saw him heading that way and I ran down the dock to get him as fast as
I could, but by then he and the Siamese cats were at a stand off – eye to eye.
The captain came out and made it clear I was not to get on his boat to get
Ziggy. He just reached right down and picked Ziggy up and put him off the
boat. 
I read a little about Powell River. It’s a company town,
all planned with green belts and gardens, and bosses “row”. There are several
huge cement freighters partially submerged just outside the waterfront to create
a holding area for logs. It used to be a big prosperous logging town. Now it’s
a haven for sea lions. 
We understood her concern even though Zig had no intention
of hurting them. To him the thrill is all about the ability to surprise and see
if he can rustled up a reaction, a flutter of wings, a little squawking, and
maybe scare a few into flight and I know the idea of killing one is not even in
his vocabulary. Larry later said she was a pleasant lady when he went to pay
the docking fees and I’m sure she is but she sure made us feel bad. So we spent
the rest of our stay with Zig on the leash while all the other dogs are running
free. Even Ziggy felt ashamed and hid under an overturned dinghy on the dock,
every once in awhile peeking out to see if she was around.
Since
Lund is the last stopping point for cars it is also the last launching place for
small boats going to Desolation Sound. A local told me there is a rough dirt
road known to the locals that branches off at the end of 101 to Malaspina spit
but Lund is the official last stop. 
