Photo: Osprey anchored in North Arm of Kootenay Inlet

"We deserve a day off after all that work repairing the autopilot," we told ourselves and spent the next day fishing, relaxing, exploring the river at the head of the inlet and generally enjoying the sun and the scenery. The mountains around us blocked the VHF weather report but with sun and calm winds around us we didn't worry.

We learned our mistake the minute we put our bow out of the inlet next morning to find screaming winds and mountainous seas. "Let's go back," said Steve. "We can wait another day."

This time we anchored in the larger east arm so we could get weather. "Northwest gales, 30-40 knots," said the radio. A good time to do some laundry while we were waiting, I decided, so we went ashore to a small creek and filled our water jugs then returned to the Osprey. But by afternoon the wind was blowing so hard, I had to take the laundry in before it was completely dry to stop it from blowing overboard.

"Northwest Gales, 30-40 knots" repeated the weather radio the next morning. We stayed put but noticed that the wind in the anchorage never blew as strong as the day before so we thought surely the gales were over. But more were ahead of us.