Sherry
04/28/2010, Port McNeill, BC

April 24, 2010: Clearing Canadian customs was painless with our Nexus cards. We could check in sitting at Roche Harbor since we are within their timeframe of arrival in Canadian waters.

Just outside the harbor we set sail, the winds were out of the SE, and we sailed the entire way to Clam Bay just 12 miles south of Dodd Narrows. As we passed Montegue Harbour and Wallace Island I had to grin to myself thinking of all the memories Bob & I had bringing the grandkids and their friends to these anchorages. These were very very good times!
It quite a chilly and windy day, so it didn't take long after anchoring to hide below and warm up which also resulted in a nap. Larry & Karen are learning that napping is an important part of cruising especially since we have to be up by 6:30 am the next morning to transit Dodd Narrows.

April 25, 2010: It's a partly sunny (the glass is half full) morning as we hauled anchor. We needed to be at the narrows by 8:40 am for slack tide which was 12 nm north. We passed a tug with a tow of logs and I was hoping we didn't have to jockey for position with this guy. The narrows are narrow ... both boats safely made it thru.

Since we were close to Nanaimo with cell towers, I grabbed my phone and texted family and friends about our location and that all systems were working perfectly. I felt like a "20 something" with my fingers flying across the keyboard. I have to admit it is pretty neat technology to sit aboard a boat and communicate with people miles away instantly. What are even more awesome are the immediate responses!

After clearing the harbor at Nanaimo, the winds picked up to 15-20 knots out of the SE and we pulled out the sails. A broad reach keep us going around 7 knots despite the lumpy confusing seas; another good crossing thru the Straits of Georgia.

Our destination was Boho Bay on the east side of Lasqueti Island. This island is part of a group of islands at the south and west end of Texada Island that we have never explored. Turns out finding an anchorage not exposed to the south winds was rather challenging. We finally decided on Plan D and tucked in behind an island on the north end of Lasqueti. We are totally exposed to the north wind but the weather calls for strong SE winds so we are okay.

Larry & Karen did have a great sail too but, thanks to confused seas, managed to hit a significantly large tree about 1 ½ ft in diameter and 30 ft long. It wiped out their knot meter and hit their keel & rudder hard. Larry was concerned about the prop but it seemed to work fine. The steering, however, wasn't doing so well.

Once we settled on our anchors, we dinghed over to assess the potential damage. It was no use crying over the knot meter ... we have fouled so many of these I have lost track. And it turns out, the steering problem wasn't an issue inflicted by the log - just happened at the same time. Larry likes using his autopilot so he and Karen rarely hand steer their boat. Once the log hit, the autopilot was turned off and the hand steering began and so was the recognition that the wheel was hard to turn to starboard ... it had a really tight spot.

Bob & Larry crawled back into the engine room to check out the steering pedestal and discovered a screw was sticking out causing the steering mechanisms to rub up against it. This is my laywoman's version of the story but you get the gist of it! It's back working ... just another day cruising! I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

April 26, 2010: The winds were expected to blow 25-30 kts by the afternoon again from the SE. But they were piping up in the morning as we were getting ready to leave. Once the anchors were up the sails were out and we had a screaming good time sailing downwind for the entire 48 miles to Gorge Harbor. It was unbelievable ... steady winds all day.

Just as we pulled into Gorge Harbor on the southwest end of Cortez Island we saw a 44 kt wind gust and then it started pouring down rain. Rafting up together was out of the question so we each took our spot and hunkered in for the evening. Panta Rhei set their tandem anchor just to get some practice in to hone their skills. We were all very tuckered out from the day of sailing.

April 27, 2010: I have learned over the years it is very important to check your engine oil on a regular basis ... that's why I have a husband that will do it for me. I never argue with him on his daily check of our boat engine. Larry was also doing the prudent boat boy chore and checking his oil and discovered that two of his three engine belts were shredded and the third one has hanging for dear life. Thankfully spare belts were aboard and 45 minutes later the problem was solved.

Our plan was to transit Seymour Narrows riding the ebb and be far enough along to our next anchorage before the tide changed to flood. What a wild ride ... several tugs and tows were coming towards us and we had one coming behind us with currents running up to 6kts ... which was well past maximum ebb. Logs and debris were everywhere swirling around in whirlpools. Panta Rhei was fish tailing ahead of us and the tug and barge behind us were fish tailing too - what a frightening sight.

We all came thru unscathed and sighed a sigh of relief. Our next adventure was Johnstone Straits but that would be dealt with tomorrow ... tonight was a quiet cove with wine and barbequed steaks!

April 28, 2010: I absolutely detest getting up early in the morning ... like 4:00 am early. I never feel good and it takes me forever to recover but since I can't be a wimp and we needed to catch the ebb tide off we went by 5:30 am. Johnstone Strait is notoriously a dreaded crossing ... when it is good it is very good and when it is bad it's hell! We had a good day! Didn't have any wind but the seas were flat and the currents carried us along, sometimes seeing 13.3 kts of speed thru the water.
We ended making the entire journey of 72 miles in 10 hours arriving in Port McNeil by 3:00 pm to fuel! Burgers and sweet potatoe french fries then fueled our bellies. No doubt bedtime will come early.

Sorry ... no Orcas were sighted. However, logs of every shape and size littered the entire way. I don't mean just a few here and there - it was wicked finding our way thru hundreds of logs. The high spring tides must be floating them off of shore. I have never seen so many ... sure glad we were traveling in daylight.

It's laundry and grocery shopping tomorrow - that never seems to end either just like boat repairs!

Comments [2]

Sherry
04/23/2010, Roche Harbor

Journey of Ponderosa
The real retirement has begun ... the past three summers sailing were just practice runs and shake down cruises. We have cast off our lines, sold our car, given up our moorage and now have become nomads. It is a pretty strange feeling ... home is where our boat is and that can be anywhere!
We had a wonderful bon voyage party - it was hard to goodbye to good friends, neighbors and family. But time does march forward and so will we with fond memories surrounding each of you.

Our plan is to cruise SE Alaska once again, visit Seattle in late August to regroup, provision, fix & repair and then work our way down the west coast visiting Oregon & California ports. By the first part of November we are hoping to be in sunny Mexico dining aboard "Jake" with Jake & Sharon Howard, our F dock buddies who have been cruising for 3 years in Mexico.
No doubt we will have endless stories and photos to share with you all. And so it begins ...

Alaska Bound - Missive 1
April 20, 2010: At 12:15 pm we cast off the lines and slowly motored thru Shilshole Bay Marina taking in our last look. It was home for us 7 1/2 years. This marina hosts a community of good people with common interests and has treated us very well. Leaving was bittersweet ...
Our journey for the day was to Poulsbo to fuel and rest. I had just completed working mega hours during tax season and Bob worked equally hard getting the boat ready with solar panels, new refrigeration, engine repairs, etc. The list goes on and never ends. Our cruising buddies, Larry & Karen Nelson, worked equally hard wrapping up their land lives. They joined us a couple of hours later barely functioning mentally and physically - but they made it! Dinner was aboard Ponderosa and bedtime followed shortly thereafter.

April 21, 2010: Bob & Larry spend the morning working the kinks out of the two problems Panta Rhei had on the trip yesterday. First of all, the bow thruster was stuck in the down position and Larry likes have a working bow thruster. This is crisis #1. The other problem was the gear shift wouldn't go into reverse. He tells us that while pulling up next to us to raft! Fortunately he managed to get it to shift; disaster averted. This is crisis #2. By noon all was working - the bow thruster needed a broken wire fixed and the gear shift controls got adjusted.

By 1:00 pm Panta Rhei was back in working order and heading to the fuel dock. We headed out to Port Ludlow with cloudy skies, no wind and cool temperatures. Since we caught an ebb tide we made some good time. We are now making progress - we are at least going north!

April 22, 2010: Small craft advisory was on the weather report this morning, 15-25 knots from the west, ebb tide ... oh goody, big seas and waves while crossing the straits. Well the big winds didn't happen, had some waves and the sun shined ... hummmm! The wind was directly on the nose but we did motor sail to cut thru the waves better.

We arrived at Roche Harbor in sunshine; the place was deserted - so quiet & peaceful. Bedtime came early once again.

April 23, 2010: After breakfast & coffee we went to the resort so Karen & I could book our massages at the "AfterGlow" spa. Wow, it was great! We were wet noodles the rest of the afternoon. The boys got in a long walk and Larry retrieved his binoculars sent by Ballard Mailboxes. Forwarding mail really does work. After doing a few chores around the boat, we dined at McMillan's ... very good by the way!

Tomorrow we will cross into Canada and work our way towards Nanaimo. Now we will be moving quickly north. Bob is working on getting our SSB email up and running, but it takes time. I don't plan to use the internet much in Canada - it's very expensive. Larry will be transmitting position reports thru his SSB winlink account, use his blog to keep track of us. (www.sailblogs.com/member/pantarhei)

Comments [1]

Sherry
10/15/2009, San Juan Islands

Missive 8

9/17 - 9/20: The jazz festival was once again a wonderful experience and a lot of fun. There were 12 venues around the harbor hosting musicians each with a different style of jazz. We started off by attending the clinic especially designed for the school kids from around the area. About 100 snot nosed pre-teens piled into the community hall to play with Dylan Cramer, alto saxophonist and Ron Johnston, pianist. Fortunately about 15 kids brought their instruments and were taught how to improvise on the fly. The other 85 snots played grab ass, texted their friends, and showed poor audience manners.

Friday evening we took in "Brickhouse" for some dancing (well I got one dance) ... they were a fired-up group and played a variety of songs for all ages of the attendees. It was well past our bedtime before we got home and we felt it the next day!

Saturday, upon our late rising, we managed to still attend the Lion's pancake breakfast. Then we wiggled our toes, shoulders, arms and legs to some latin jazz and salsa music. Nothing like some exercise to settle our eggs, pancakes, sausage and coffee. In the early afternoon, we wondered off to the Painted Boat Resort's outdoor park to enjoy big band music in the style of the Andrews & Boswell Sisters. It was quite heartwarming to watch the faces of the audience as they relived their youthful days listening to this music; lots of smiles, hand holding and toes wiggling.

The afternoon was still young so after the big band performance we went to the school grounds for some mesmerizing and energetic blend of gypsy jazz played on a violin, bass, mandolin and guitar. They were fantastic too and entirely different from the other groups heard so far.

It was back to the boat for a nap and dinner so we were well rested for our evening concert of songs made famous by Nat King Cole & Johnny Mathis. Don Stewart, the performer, was unbelievably brilliant with his rich, smooth, mellow and deep voice. You could close your eyes while listening to a song and couldn't tell if it was Stewart, Cole or Mathis singing. He was accompanied by the best of the best from around Canada. What a night of song!

It was pancake breakfast time once again on Sunday and we barely made it in time as we visited our way across the harbor. It's just like walking up the dock at Shilshole ... it takes an hour by the time you greet and chat with everyone. Today was a perfect fall day - sunny but not too hot with a smell of crispness in the air. Today's performers were set up at the park which looks out over the entire harbor. There were 4 main jazz groups with folk singers playing between sets. We had five hours of music under clear blue skies. It doesn't get any better than this. But the day is not over ...

Two groups of cruisers we met in Roscoe Bay joined us for a chicken BBQ at the Grasshopper Pub and music by D & the Hot Club of Mars, a gypsy jazz dance band. We had a blast trading sailing stories, pigging out on food and spirits, as well as, listening to the music. The crew of "Blue Aweigh" and "Camberia" met while harbor hopping up the west coast of CA, OR and WA last year. They reconnected in BC this summer and decided to join us at the jazz festival. A good time had by all!

Pender Harbor 49.37.702N 124.01.268W 48 NM

9/21/09: I am getting to old to have all this fun! It was time to leave and boogie across the Straits of Georgia. I am ready to sail but the wind gods are not cooperating - flat calm, no wind ... but sunny and warm. We were however treated to a pod of orcas swimming just a few miles outside of Nanaimo. They were full of piss and vinegar - 3 of them breached while others did some tail slaps. Never tire of this sight.

We anchored by Newcastle Island and finally on this stop made it to shore to wander around this island park. What a beautiful and historical place with lovely campsites and walking trails. We were too tired to eat at the "Dinghy Pub" so we will save that adventure for the next visit.

Nanaimo 49.10.523N 123.55.849W 32 NM

9/22/09: Up and at it by 6:00 am this morning so we could make it thru Dodd Narrows at slack tide. I haven't seen the sun rise for a long time! What a glorious morning ... should get up more often to witness this phenomenon. It was another calm flat water day so we decided to go to Bedwell Harbor for one last night in Canadian waters ... although by now it also feels like "home". We even tied to a mooring buoy which was a first for this trip. And yes you guessed it ... a nap was next on the agenda. Sorry but I don't have any tall tales to tell you about - it's just a poor, boring, relaxing, no schedule, cruising life style ... and we loved this trip!

On another note ... and please read this part. We got word that an extended family member died quite suddenly of skin cancer and by suddenly I mean within 3 weeks. This fine man was in his late forties and just retired from the Army after serving in the Gulf & Iraq war. He had many more good years ahead of him to enjoy life with his wife, brothers (one is our son-in-law) and mother. He will be missed and we feel much sorrow for those he left behind. So remember to live your life to the fullest each and every day for you never know what lies ahead of us. Death always has a way to remind us what should be important in our lives.

Not every day cruising is a happy day ... life's darkest moments still happen no matter where we are at.

Bedwell Harbor 48.45.078N 123.13.948W 40NM

9/23 - 9/24: Okay now the hard part, getting back into the U.S. Homeland Security is doing its best to be screwed up like the rest of the government - incompetent and difficult. We got Nexus back in February with the express interest to pass between borders with minimum amount of hassle. Getting into Canadian was painless, quick and easy ... but clearing US customs is another story. The first question they asked was "what was our BR number" ... hummmmm, what the hell is a BR number? Translated it was a "Boat Registration number" ... okay so what does that have to do with our Nexus numbers ... or our passport numbers ... or our driver license numbers ... or our boat documentation number, or my dress size - for heaven sakes- what a joke!

Well, apparently when we applied for and got our Nexus cards they didn't have in place an area on the application where we could list our boat information ... only our vehicle is listed. So via a cell phone, Bob had to give them info so they could issue a BR number to each one of us ... so you tell me what the _ _ _ _ difference it makes if we already have a Nexus number as well as a Passport and the boat is a documented vessel ... why do we need another damn number! This crap is so wrong ... where is law enforcement when the really bad guys are around. It's like going thru airport security and setting off alarms because of the metal in my knees ... I get fleeced like I am a criminal! Grrrrrrr....

Welcome to the U.S. where everyone is considered "guilty" until proven innocent.

Friday Harbor 48.32.260N 123.00.590W 17 NM

Laundry and grocery shopping was on the agenda as we readied the boat for company. Bob's brother Dave and his girlfriend Rebecca were joining us for 3-4 days for a quick trip around the San Juan Islands. We visited Sucia Island, stayed in Swallow Bay, hiked to Fossil Bay, pigged out on fresh crab and watched a lovely fall sunset. And oh it was sunny and warm. We hopped over to Reid Harbor the next day and then onto Roche Harbor for a quick tour around the resort; and yes, it was sunny and warm ... then back to Friday Harbor. As soon as they left the weather has turned sour! They are lucky dirt dwellers experiencing sailing for the first time. They should have had some rain to enhance the adventure!
9/25/09 Sucia Island 48.45.746N 122.55.066W 18 NM
9/26/09 Reid Harbor 48.40.328N 123.11.334W 16 NM
9/27-9/28/09 Friday Harbor 14 NM

9/29/09: Time to start working our way back to Shilshole ... not sure if I can say that feels like "home" anymore since home is where the boat is at any given harbor. Small craft advisories were predicated on the water, time to leave to sail across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Once again Cattle Pass was awful - lumpy seas, wind against current ... that's twice now we got bounced around. Once clear of the islands we set sail, had a much better ride and enjoyed 20-25 kt winds. The fickle winds of the northwest died around Pt Townsend so the iron sail took us into Port Ludlow.

Port Ludlow 47.55.242N 122.38.908W 54 NM

9/30/09: No trip is complete until we land in Poulsbo to fuel the boat and start mentally working our way back into the real world. Last year I couldn't wait to get back ... this year was entirely different and we were ready to stay out longer and winter somewhere else. This is probably our last winter at Shilshole - time to expend our wings a little further.

Poulsbo 47.43.974N 122.35.908W 28 NM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are back in our slip now and gosh it feels crowded compared to our quiet anchorages. Here's a recap of our trip:
Fuel Prices: $2.75/gal vs $5.70/gal in '08 (w/taxes) ... 48% less
Fuel Used: 292 gal vs 715 ... 41% less than '08
Engine Hrs: 232 vs 557 ... 42% less than '08
Miles: 1363 vs 3028 ... 45% less than '08
Days Out: 90 vs 153 ... 59% less than '08

We anchored 85 nights, stayed at a dock for 3 and on mooring buoys for 2. Two nights at the dock were free of charge at Princess Louisa Inlet and the one night in Poulsbo cost $39. Our only expenses were fuel, food & spirits, dinner out occasionally, small repairs and entertainment.

So what's next? Well we need to replace our refrigeration unit since it is on the verge of dying. Adding solar panels is also on the agenda. And of course the never ending boat projects just to keep the boat well maintained. These will be our winter projects before we embark on another Alaska trip in 2010.

Hopefully I can figure out how to set up a web page to download our photos and missives for past and future trips. This year was truly a delight with our good weather. It makes up for last year's cold and rain.
Thanks to all for keeping in touch ... at times it does get lonely and it lightens the heart when we hear from family and friends. But we also meet many wonderful people along the way that we now can count as friends. It feels good ...

Until next year ... fair winds and calm seas to all.

Comments [0]

Sherry
10/15/2009, Desolation Sound BC

Missive 7

9/4/09: The inlet to Von Donop is 2 miles long and we didn't even make ¼ mile and the engine hiccupped a couple of times and quit! Fortunately we were in a large enough area and we set anchor once again. So now what is the problem? It sounded like lack of fuel problems; Bob decided to change the fuel filter on the engine. We have two separate fuel filters - one attached to the engine and one in-line with the fuel lines coming out of the tanks. The in-line filter looked clear so we figured the engine filter was plugged since we hadn't changed it for 2 years. After completing the task Bob tried to start the engine and nothing happened.

Okay now it was Plan B ... after a quick snoop around the engine compartment, Bob notice a wire hanging loose right next to the fuel filter he just changed out. So he cleaned it up and attached a new electrical spade connector and by golly we were back in business. That wire powers the fuel shutoff solenoid - no connection, no fuel.

Cruising just keeps throwing you curve balls ... now that we set off once again and exited the inlet, Bob pops his head out of the cabin and remarks that we have bigger problems now. Good grief, now what? The exhaust hose on the engine had rattled and corroded loose. We have exhaust fumes spitting all over the engine compartment. Big decision - where do we go anchor that's close enough to marine supplies if we need some?

Our first choice was Refuge Cove that had a dock, small store, etc. But anchorage area was too small and the docks crowded with boats; as you can imagine we had quite a family discussion. The next option was Squirrel Cove (which is just directly across the island from Von Donop) and we knew we could dinghy to the small community and also have a well protected anchorage. That was our better choice in the end.

We got settled in and Bob started investigating the magnitude of our exhaust problem. This is when I would like to magically disappear for a few hours. Turns out the water injection nozzle has dissimilar metals connected to each other (black iron pipe & aluminum); it set up corrosion and due the shake rattle and roll of our engine, the pipe fell apart. At least now we know the extent of our problem.

Squirrel Cove 50.08.294N 124.55.328W 21 NM

9/5/09: I hung out in my corner of the boat doing paperwork while Bob cleaned up all the corroded parts, especially the threaded ends, found some good goop'um pucky (pipe joint compound) in his stash of treasures and once again we had a working engine. It's amazing how repairs take 2 to 3 times longer than expected! At least this didn't cost any money ... only time and patience.

The day was gone so we planned to stay put another night. Good thing - as the weather gods predicted gale force winds and thunder storms. Sure enough in the middle of the night we were awoken to heavy rain, wind, thunder and lightning that went on for hours; it sounded like "Alaska" outside.

9/6/09: The rains stopped about mid-morning and the sun was peeking thru the clouds. It was time to wipe down the cockpit, toe rail and windows since we had a good dousing of fresh water on the deck. Not 15 minutes after I got done, another hard rain shower came thru. Hummmm ... well I could live with that, so I patiently waiting for the skies to clear once again and went thru the same process. And sure enough another big ole ugly rain cloud come thru and dumped a bunch more rain. Okay, so now I have learned my lesson and turned my energy to other tasks at hand.

While watching the rain showers, thunder & lightning I was beginning to grovel about our cockpit cushions and how poor they look - tears everywhere, vinyl is cracked and I can't seem to get them clean. Quite frankly I am not impressed with "Bottom Siders" and won't recommend their cushions to anyone. (We didn't get much satisfaction from speaking with them at the boat show either!) My solution was to make some material covers which would prolong the cushion life a bit, cover the ugliness and be washable. It was a good brain teaser exercise to measure each cushion and figure out the yardage of material I would need and how to assemble the cover. That took most of the afternoon! This is my second winter project, the first one is making mosquito screens for the hatches; we have screens for the portlights.

It continued to rain all afternoon ...

9/7/09: It has been 16 days since doing laundry and I couldn't face waiting another 10 days to take care of it at Pender Harbor. We hauled anchor and motored the short mile to the public dock at the community of Squirrel Cove. Figures ... no room at the inn ... so we set anchor, got the dinghy ready and hauled laundry to the dock. The laundry/showers/washrooms combination building wasn't elegant by any means but functional. The island was experiencing a water shortage so you were asked to start the washers on a staggered basis. Easiest enough to do, when one washer filled I started the next one. Plenty of washers but only 2 working dryers but all in all the task got done. I picked up a few supplies from the general store and Bob wore his sanitation engineer hat and dumped the garbage & recycling.

Once these chores got done we headed the short distance to Roscoe Bay. The timing was perfect since you have to enter the inner bay at high tide. There is a drying shoal between the outer and inner bay to this marine park. We picked our way thru carefully while observing the sallowest depth at 10.8 feet; we draw 6 ½ feet. Guess I can't whine since the seven other boats in the anchorage were sail boats.

Just before bedtime, we always check around outside to make sure our boat is sitting okay in relationship to the other boats at anchor. That's when we noticed a small boat coming thru the passage - now this is 10:30 pm, it's pouring down rain, and pitch black. Who in their right mind would be out in these conditions? So we watch it tie up to the sailboat (a Hunter without its mast) behind us and finally determined it was the Canadian Coast Guard. Medical emergency was our first thought ... but no one seemed panicked or moved quickly below to the cabin. So we had a mystery on our hands. Neither of us could sleep for awhile and then finally a couple hours later the Coast Guard left. Very curious ....

Roscoe Bay 50.09.598N 124.48.159W 11 NM

9/8/09: We had a mystery to solve this morning; what happened with our neighbor. My imagination was running wild at all the possibilities. I figured we would hop in the dinghy and pay a visit to see if all was well. So much for good intentions ... the sailboat up and left the cove. But at least we got to overhear some of the conversation with another boater inquiring what happened except that it wasn't enough to piece together the whole picture. No problem - we will ask the inquiring boat what the story was ... except they left shortly afterwards! Doggone it, we are very poor snoops.
Here are our guesses to the mystery ... the sailor in the Hunter called the Coast Guard with an inquiry that we believe involved the oysters he harvested and ate from the cove (there is a sign posted that the shellfish are contaminated ...) The Coast Guard was already out on patrol (according to our overheard conversation) and so they stopped by to check on him. From all indications he was alone on the boat. I guess he was okay since he didn't seem too fussed up as he left the anchorage this morning. All's well that ends well.

It was time to pay attention to other matters and start exploring this area. We took the path (1/4 mile) to the lake at the head of the cove; it's supposed to be a warm swim and fun kayak paddle. Instead of swimming we continued on our hike part way around the lake. I love these comments ... "let's see what's around the next bend" or "just a little further" or "let's see where this trails goes". Nothing like being married to an ole billy goat as we went over hill and dale.

There are 3 trails around this area. I especially like the one that is described as: a trail that boys love, that men who want to be boys again try and for women and girls who love boys will hike. I think I will save this one for another trip. It's a good day in paradise!

9/9/09: It's raining, it's pouring, the ole man is snoring! Remember that rhyme? Well it rained all night long - just another Alaskan night ... oops, I am mean BC night. The sound of the rain drops is quite comforting in an odd sort of way but I am ready for dry weather again.

We had to leave at high tide so we were gone by 10 am. This time we had 14.5 ft of water! This cove along with Von Donop and Squirrel Cove has been loaded with moon jellies and fun to watch as they float around the boat. Our stop is Prideaux Haven a mere 5 miles away but we took the long way by going up Waddington Channel, around the north end of East Redona Island and down Homfrey Channel. This way we could make water, heat water, charge batteries and warm up the engine so Bob could change the oil. Even though it was rainy and foggy the scenery was spectacular and numerous waterfalls graced the mountain sides.

Our favorite spot at Prideaux was open so we quickly set anchor and soon received an invitation for cocktails on a neighboring boat that we had seen in other coves. "Andromeda" is a 50 ft aluminum custom built boat from the east coast. She was modeled after a wood sailing ketch built in the 1920's. The entire boat inside and out was beautifully hand crafted and in excellent condition. Roland & Lisa were former owners of a 40' Valiant which they sailed everywhere so that was the connection to meeting them. Note to Larry: they know the owners of the yard that began building your boat ... and almost put money down to have that design built for them. They also know the original owner of "Scoots".

Prideaux Haven 50.08.595N 124.40.847W 24 NM

9/10/09: Rays of sunshine were beaming into our stateroom this morning. That means coffee and breakfast in the cockpit to be drank and eaten sometime before noon. Well you don't want to rush these matters while snooping about the anchorage and watching the world go around. Most of the entertainment of the day is watching the coming and going of boats.
We managed to get in a dinghy ride and another visit with Roland & Lisa as they toured our boat. They spend part of the year on the east coast, in Germany where Roland came from, and out here where the boat is kept.
We witnessed a beautiful early evening sunset and enjoyed the serenity of the anchorage.

9/11/09: What can I say, another clear blue sky day. All the cruisers are laid back, reading, kayaking or like us just puttering around the boat. Honestly we just laid around and enjoyed life.

BUT ... there was one large power boater in the anchorage tonight that did make an all out ass of themselves - they played loud music, laughed and hollered at each other until around midnight. So if you see the boat name "Glory" stay away from them; they are inconsiderate assholes. They ruin our star gazing evening.

9/12/09: The anchorage evacuated quickly this morning thanks to the inconsiderate neighbors last night. Bob and I were discussing designing torpedoes that we could launch that would encase boats in a sound proof plastic bubble ... or better yet, just duck tape their mouths!

Our destination was Tenados Bay a mere 6 miles away. This place has a short hike to a great swimming lake. Since we are having another sunny day this will be fun and refreshing ... and sure enough it was very nice. It's that first plunge that always takes your breath away but once you are in, the temperate seemed perfect.

Tenados Bay 50.07.562N 124.42.446W 6 NM

9/13/09: I was ready for a nice downwind sail today but no such luck. The winds were not strong enough to keep us going at a reasonable pace to log in our 41 miles to Thunder Bay; got some sailing in but not much. And of course once we got within 3 miles of our intended anchorage it piped up to 20 knots apparent. While Osprey suffers from too much wind we suffer from too little. The small cove we set anchor in was quite charming as we surrounded by small summer cabins that eluded character of the area. It was well protected and provided us a good starting point for the passage up Jervis Inlet.

Thunder Bay 49.45.837N 124.16.146W 41 NM

9/14/09: In order to get thru Malibu Rapids, the entrance into Princess Louisa Inlet, we needed to leave by 9 am. The wind was cooking pretty good from the SE for a couple of miles but we could see the flat calm water ahead of us. We had 44 miles of traveling so we were hopeful the winds would continue up the channel at least part of the time.

LeRoy, our autohelm, was on duty today. He doesn't whine as much as I do so I think Bob was thankful for some peace and quiet. I like being behind the helm - I know the boat and how she handles in a variety of wind conditions and I think that is important. The weather gods must have decided to give us a break and the winds picked up thru the channel and we had 10-15 kt apparent winds from behind us. Life was going to be good ... I pulled out the head sail and off we went. Wow it couldn't get better than this - one sail, no engine, LeRoy was working, and we going with a flood tide. Bob and I gawked around the waterway like a couple of kids exploring it for the first time.

What amazed us, were that the winds continued up the zigzagging reaches and we probably had the best sail of entire time we have been out. It didn't matter how slow we went since we were ahead of schedule to transit Malibu Rapids and had plenty of time to kill. Malibu Rapids can run up to 9 kts so timing is everything getting into Princess Louisa Inlet.
Princess Louisa is a BC marine park and we decided to tie up to the park dock. There was plenty of room and this was the first time all summer we did not anchor for the night. It was good move all around, since the power boat ahead of us had plenty of chili and invited us for dinner. And if that wasn't enough we headed to the campground area and built a campfire to further enjoy the evening. Gosh, it was a good day!

Princess Louis Inlet 50.12.255N 123.46.148W 44 NM

9/15/09: We exchanged cards and goodbyes with our chili and campfire friends this morning as they headed out. It was time to explore Chatterbox Falls and the surrounding area. The short boardwalk hike to the falls was like walking thru an enchanted forest. Ferns and moss covered the trees and lined the forest bed while creeks of flowing water meandered thru the park area. The BC Parks and Princess Louisa Park Society manage this wildlife area and have done a wonderful job keeping it pristine for all the visitors.

Since the summer was so dry, Chatterbox Falls was quite tame in the amount of water that was flowing and the falls were much smaller in size horizontally. We added more pictures to our collection then set off to start ... and I mean start the trail to the trapper's cabin. This hike is a gorilla climb in the first degree and I wanted some exercise but not that much. Bob went a little further but turned back when the next part of the hike was a 30 ft climb up a rock face. Turns out this was the wrong way to the cabin!

Reading in the cockpit on a sunny warm day was much more inviting instead of working up a big time sweat hiking. We passed away a portion of the day visiting and reading - then got bored. Bob decided to try the trail going to the left (instead of the right one which we took) and worked himself into a good lather and climbed a significant elevation. I, on the other hand, walked the boardwalk again and parked myself on the wooden bench with the best view and watched the waterfalls while contemplating life. This place is so incredibly peaceful and beautiful.

One of our neighbors made his way here via a canoe ... it was a very tough adventure and longer than he expected coming up from Egmont, on the Sechelt Peninsula, which is near the beginning of Skookumchuck Narrows and Sechelt Rapids. He did have a 2 hp engine on his canoe but regardless he claimed "once was enough and he wasn't man enough to make the return trip". He is catching a ride with one of the other boaters ... and we offered him a ride back too if that offer fell thru. Barry is an artist specializing in NW Indian art and basically on an art sabbatical fueling his imagination and creating ideas for future projects. Nice fellow, colorful and very informative about native history. I stocked him up with chocolate chip cookies and fresh water.

We have had many many nice days this trip ... but I would say this day was probably the best. And I can't point my finger to any one reason why, it just was.

9/16/09: It's sad to leave this peaceful place but necessary. Our trip out the rapids was a non-event and we proceeded to set "LeRoy" since he had helm duty. The beautiful weather was about to change as we watched the evil rains clouds moving in.

We monitored the VHF and could hear chatter from the folks towing Barry's canoe ... it was not going very well. It wasn't long before the boat "Seacher" was calling us asking for some help. Fortunately we were close by and it was decided our boat was better suited for the towing. We transferred all of the loose gear, the canoe and Barry to our boat. Barry's method of tying off the canoe for towing just wasn't working. Finally Bob took over and fashioned a bridle to help keep the canoe's bow up thru the waves and then attached a drag line that helped it track straight behind Ponderosa. Once we got up to speed the canoe rode the waves just fine.
Poor Barry was soaked to the bones as the rain kicked in full force; it was definitely Ketchikan rain showers now. Bob got him some dry clothes to put on plus a spare jacket. It was then, you could finally see relief on his face. We fueled him up with sandwiches and soup and motored on down to Egmont where his truck was parked. He will have some good stories to tell about this trip once he gets home!

We proceeded to Pender Harbor as the skies cleared and got settled into the anchorage area at Garden Bay. Time to enjoy some jazz.

Pender Harbor 49.37.702N 124.01.268W 48 NM

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Sherry
10/15/2009, Desolation Sound BC

Missive 6

8/21/09: It's time to catch up on my journal since I have neglected to write anything for 5 days. We haven't exactly been living life on the edge so I haven't mustered up the energy to be jabber jaws.

We left Pt McNeill with a working windlass which was music to my ears - almost as good as diamond earrings but not quite. The windlass seems to be running smoother and faster with the replaced motor brushes so we are quite pleased with the outcome. The weather prediction for Johnstone Strait was perfect for the next couple of days, winds 10-20 knots out of the northwest and we were going to ride a flood tide. Well we got winds out of the east at less than 5 knots and dead calm seas. So much for a grand sail to brag about ... but at least we saw Orcas feeding along the shore.
So I can't even come up with a good story of braving high winds and waves while rescuing lost sailors in the treacherous Johnstone Strait. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

Port Harvey 50.23.405N 126.16.204W 34 NM

8/22/09: We spent a leisurely morning (like all the other mornings) waiting for the tide to change to flood. The day looked promising for some sun and wind as we started out. But no such luck - no wind and flat seas again. We saw another pod of orcas feeding, what a great sight to watch. I was remarking to Bob that I wanted to see one breach ... and sure enough not 5 seconds later one of the smaller whales breached and we saw 3 separate spy hops performed by the larger whales. Not a bad day of cruising!

Ponderosa cruised up to 12 knots with the flood tide and we made short order of the day but no sailing today either. Bummer!

Cameleon Harbor 50.20.211N 125.18.139W 45 NM

8/23/09: As the crow flies it was only 1 mile to our next anchorage but 7 miles and 2 hours later we made it to Octopus Islands Marine Park. We plan to stay here several days to work on the boat. There is more bright work outside around the cockpit and it's time to oil the teak down below.
We dropped anchor in the early afternoon and started in on our projects. It sure was a lot easier to oil the teak when we didn't live aboard. The boat looked like gypsy camp with stuff scattered everywhere and since "everywhere" is not much room, it is a disaster. Bob was adding to mess working in the cockpit plus making a lot of noise with the heat gun, sander and vacuum. We were not going to get the good neighbor award. It's not a bad venue to hang out for several days; I think we can handle it.

Octopus Island Marine Park 50.16.461N 125.13.933W 7 NM

8/24/09: It was coffee, breakfast and off to do chores for our agenda today. They don't get done unless you start 'em. Yuck, this is like work. But the efforts always look so good when we are done.

This afternoon we heard a boat hit rocks coming into the anchorage. It was a sailboat and they got high centered in the narrow channel between small islets and rocks. We usually come thru a different narrow but deep enough channel between islands. It was a sickening sound (and one we know quite well) and they looked quite stuck. We put aside our projects and took the dinghy over to see if we could help. By the time we got there, one of the crew was hoisted part way up the mast and was able to swing off to the side and heel the boat over. That little bit of weight shifting allowed the captain to motor in reverse and back off the rocks. It was a fin keel boat so I suspect he has some serious damage.

That was our only excitement of the day. Except for when Bob got the first coat of varnish on the wood and it started to rain. We quickly put up our side curtains and taped up plastic to fill the cockpit. Now the boat really looked like a derelict with the added touch of a blue tarp. Yup, this is what cruising is all about!

8/25/09: Second verse same as the first ... coffee, breakfast, chores! Yes it is boring to read and it's hard work. My fingers are being worked to nubs and I can't bend into awkward places around the boat anymore. Advil and Aleve are my friends and don't forget the wine for medicinal purposes too.
Bob was stymied with his varnishing since it had not dried thoroughly so then he starts interfering with my project. What a pain in the neck ...he is lousy supervisor and constantly in my way. Fortunately he got sidetracked fixing a few small things around the boat so I could work in peace.
The afternoon ended with a whopper rain storm but the varnished wood was well protected and dry enough by now so no harm done.

8/26 to 8/28/09: Third, fourth, and fifth verse same as the first, coffee, breakfast, chores and it goes on thru Friday. These past 3 days have been constant just working on oiling the teak and additional coats of varnish on the wood surrounding the cockpit. It's a labor of love, I guess, hard work but very rewarding looking at the results. We did get off the boat finally on Thursday afternoon and hiked across the island to Small Inlet about a ½ mile trail. Felt good to stretch our legs - every other part of my body was too sore to move. Then on Friday after we were all done we took a dinghy ride around the neighborhood. One of the islands has a small cabin loaded with decorated driftwood sporting boat names of those that have visited the area. The island and cabin are privately owned but visitors are welcome to sign their guest book. People were quite creative with their designs. We still have great weather and managed to stay up late enough one night to view the stars.

8/29/09: Okay it is finally time to move - we are having another beautiful sunny warm day as left our temporary home after 6 days. We motored down Okisollo Channel thru Surge Narrows - Beazley Passage, then south thru Hoskyn Channel to Drew Harbor/Rebecca Spit Marine Park. I need to do some walking after being stuck on the boat for 8 days (minus our short walk). The marine park has a level and well maintained walking trail along the spit and thru the campgrounds.

Most likely we will need to visit the Heriot Bay Lodge for some sweet potato fries (yum yum) and find an ice cream cone for dessert. Don't you wish life was this simple all the time?

This evening, folks we saw in Octopus Islands stopped by for a visit. Jim & Karen live in Pt Townsend and they had spent part of their summer in the Queen Charlottes, which impressed Bob & I since their boat was a 24 ft Pacific Seacraft Dana. I will stick with the Ponderosa ...

Rebecca Spit 50.05.899N 125.11.287W 15NM

8/30/09: Another sunny day, I could become accustomed to these nice days. We headed into "town" for find the small grocery store to pick up a few more fresh items since we will be in Desolation Sound for the next couple of weeks. The store was quite nice and had a good variety of items to choose from.

Then we took a long hike around Rebecca Spit and admired all the views along the shore. The campground at the south end was almost full for the coming long weekend and you hear kids giggling and playing in the water; it was a great summer sound.

Back at the boat, Bob got to watch all the "eye candy" laying around the beach - I took a nap ... so what's the big deal about lying around topless!
8/31/09: We had pretty good winds all night and they continued this morning but it was still another warm sunny day. Our destination was Von Donop Inlet on the west side of Cortez Island. It's a well protected anchorage, as well as, quite popular so we will have to see how many boats we encounter.

We fished the entire way but no luck except for the one that was too small. Once anchored we knocked off a couple of small maintenance chores - I cleaned and polished the dodger windows while Bob tweaked on a couple of other fix & repairs. Figured if we can do one or two projects every day while the weather is good would be prudent.

All in all a very good day on the water ...

Von Donop 50.08.499N 124.56.808W 15 NM

9/1/09: Well what sailing we did do on the west coast of VI did manage to scuff up our bright work on the hatch covers. It's a never ending battle between maintaining a "home" vs. a "sailboat". Bob started working on touching up the areas that lost out to the lines crossing over the deck while tacking. There should a rule in boat building: no teak on the outside of a boat! I went thru the boat cleaning all the port and hatch lights. Yuck! But it's amazing how much brighter the boat is down below with clean windows.

After chores we went for a walk to Squirrel Cove ... well almost, the trail we took went to the road leading to the small community of Squirrel Cove instead of the actual anchorage area. But it was a good walk and trail about 4 km total so no big deal.

Now that it is getting darker earlier and still very warm it has been fun to sit out and watch the stars and moon pop up over the horizon. Couldn't ask for a more pleasant way to end the day.

9/5/09: Today we are meeting up with some folks we met last year here in Von Donop. Bob has been communicating with them on the single side band for the last month. This is truly a small world ... and too long of a story to weave about how it fell together but needless to say the boating community is a close knit group of very nice people.

Stan and Irene live on their 43 ft steel trawler that they built after coming back from sailing to Mexico and the South Pacific. They have taken "Me Too" to Alaska 5 times and down to Mexico once. They have great stories to tell, of course, along with adventures racing in Swiftsure and the Pacific Cup. It so nice to have other people to talk with!

9/3/09: Today we off in search of woodpeckers ... Stan and Irene are bird watchers and photographers so we tagged along for another nice walk in the woods. Thanks to a little patience we were entertained by a Hairy Woodpecker and Stan got quite a few nice pictures showing off the handsome fellow. I like bird watching! It gives me a reason to stop, rest my weary body and breathe!

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Sherry
10/15/2009

Missive 5

8/11/09: We caught the 8:40 am ferry to Alert Bay and enjoyed the scenery on the short 40 minute ride. Alert Bay is the 'Namgis First Nation's home located on Cormorant Island and houses 23 totems. We stopped at the visitor's center and received our brochures on all the sights to see. Besides the totem poles there are about 24 historic sites that were described on our guide. Since we were on foot we toured everything except the ecological park; I didn't have enough knee power to continue uphill to the trails.

The highlight of our visit was the U'mista Cultural Centre. The exhibits included ceremonial regalia confiscated during the ban of potlatches that now have been repatriated back to First Nations tribe. As I learn more of the history of the First Nations, as well as, all native Indian tribes I struggle with the ways of the white man as they attempted to "civilize" this culture. Populations were destroyed with diseases such as small pox and fire water - alcohol. Missionaries added their misery as they tried to convert the "heathens" to the Christian ways.

I find two particular points quite disturbing: 1) the ban of potlatchs and 2) putting native children into residential schools away from their parents to teach them Anglo-European beliefs, values, English and a basic education. Per our brochure: "The word potlatch comes from the Chinook jargon, a trade pidgin formerly used along the coast. It means "to give" and came to designate a ceremony common to peoples on the Northwest coast and parts of the Interior. The potlatch ceremony marks important occasions to the lives of the Kwakwaka'wakw: the naming of children, marriage, transferring rights and privileges and mourning the dead. Guests witnessing the event are given gifts. The more gifts distributed, the higher the status achieved by the potlatch giver. It is a time for pride - a time for showing the masks and dances owned by the family giving the potlatch."
So I ask myself after reading the above description, how this can be a bad thing even in Anglo-European beliefs. How does this differ from giving gifts at Christmas, or for birthdays, or for weddings, or for any other religious ceremonies in any other culture? It really appalls me that these ceremonies were prohibited and the ceremonial gear confiscated. What bothers me even more was viewing the St. Michael's Residential School. Here 200 students separated from their parents were taught white man ways forgoing their language and cultural knowledge. So now generations later the elders are reintroducing the children to their history and language so it will not be lost forever. What a shame ...

Yet on the other hand I also struggle with what I see today - run down homes, boats in disrepair, junk thrown everywhere and extreme lack of caring. You can't change yesterday but they sure can do something about today and their future. The sights are conflicting in very many ways.

On a lighter note we made it back for our haircuts and Bob got a great one; I, on the other hand got clipped a little too short. I asked for a ½ inch cut off ... not leaving ½ inch on my head! Well the good news it will grow and doesn't take much to style it. Uff DA!

Alert Bay

8/12/09: Times to move on as barnacles were beginning to grow on our hull. Not really but it seems like we have been here forever. Next stop was the fuel dock to spend some money ... not bad compared to last year. The fuel was $3.63 per gallon ...in '08 it was $5.70/gal. We were hoping for a nice sail across Queen Charlotte Straits but no such luck - flat water and no wind. Wouldn't you know that would happen? Since we had a bounty of crab from Pt McNeill, I got busy and cleaned most of them so we could have crab quiche tomorrow morning. Hummmm ... I have been hungry for this dish.

A humpback whale greeted us on our way into Wells Passage while we rode the flood tide up to Claydon Bay. We had blue skies in and around the clouds but no rain. Once anchored a nap was in order from our strenuous day of fueling and motoring.

Claydon Bay, Grappler Sound 50.56.235N 126.53.576N 28 NM

8/13/09: Our biggest challenge today was figuring out our next anchorage site. So we moved a long distance of 5 miles to Turnbull Cove. We are back in the land of cruisers since we shared the cove with 12 other boaters. Can't complain since everyone was quiet and kept to themselves.
We dug out the shrimp pot and got that set. What a hassle to drop 300 ft of line in quite a bit of current and wind but several dinners of shrimp was quite appealing. We took a dinghy ride around the neighborhood and checked out Roaringhole Rapids at Nepah Lagoon. What a sight watching the water pour into the Lagoon. We kept a safe distance since it wasn't high tide slack and didn't want to get sucked in; slack only lasts 5 minutes.
It was an easy fun day and not much else to report

Turnbull Cove, Grappler Sound50.57.682N 126.49.954W 5 NM

8/14/09: I seem to suffering from bouts of insomnia - don't even try blaming it on the naps, I didn't have one yesterday. I finally fell asleep about 4:30 am this morning. Boy this is sure frustrating as I lay awake thinking about everything in the universe, all the decades of my life and some that don't even exist yet. This usually happens when I am trying to solve problems at work ... not playing on the boat. I may have to resort to drugs! Some of the Canadian 222's will do the trick since they contain codeine.

So once we got going today, we took a hike to the lake and went for a swim. Although it was cloudy and cool the water temperate was about 70-72 degrees and felt quite nice. Saw evidence of bear scat along the trail but no appearance of Boo Boo.
Then it was off to check on our success with catching prawns. We were successful alright ... 2 starfish, 4 rock crab and 3 prawns. What a bummer - I was looking forward to a prawn dinner. Instead I repaired our poor Canadian courtesy flag that was getting whipped and bleached to death.
8/15/09: We had 2 birthday and 1 retirement card to mail so we stopped at Sullivan Bay for stamps and postal drop off. Sullivan Bay is a floating home community and has many services that a boater may need such as small store, post office, fuel dock, laundry, restaurant and float plane service. They also have a small dock area for short term visits such as ours.
Now I am going to brag a bit about my docking skills today ... I impressed all the people standing on the dock how I managed to maneuver our boat between two small fishing boats. We set up for a port tie and that's good since the boat backs to port. I was a little worried I didn't have enough space but I came in perfectly and maneuvered the boat forward and back several times and it nestled right up to the dock. I love it when it goes well and I have an audience. Usually no one is a witness when things go well ... only when they go all wrong. I even managed to get some kudos from the men standing on the dock ... including from Bob (those are rare!). By the time we got tied up, there was only a foot or so to spare up at the bow pulpit and barely enough room for the dinghy at the stern. It's so nice when it all works right - almost like a poker game as it keeps suckering you in on the successful hands or in this case, dockings.
Our destination is Greenway Sound . It has a lagoon to explore and a hiking trail to a lake. There is a nice marina too but we prefer to anchor; not interested in paying moorage fees unless we absolutely have to. We found a small bay behind Broughton Point at the east end of Carter Passage that will do nicely. Time to throw out the crab and prawn pots again ...
Carter Passage, Greenway Sound 50.50.242 N 126.49.916W 16 NM
8/16/09: Today we got our exercise hiking up to two lakes - Broughton Lake and Silver King Lake. We were on a BC forest service recreational site so the trail was well marked. Portions of it were the skid trail and road from the old logging days. A donkey engine, heavy cable and other assorted equipment lay strewn throughout the woods. The woods had an eerie creepy feeling about it - like any moment you encounter trolls or bears. At the first lake we rested on a log picnic table and viewed the surrounding evidence of logging activity. We continued on and the trail got more interesting going thru some more "Hansel & Gretel" type woods and then onto the old log skid pathway that took us up to the second lake. Although a little mossy and slippery here and there, it was a pleasant hike. We found creeping wintergreen with its red berries (I thought it was Kinnikinnick) growing between the logs and expected to see Boo Boo any moment.
On our way back to the boat we toured around the Greenway Sound Marina to check out the dock systems and their facilities. It looked like a very nice place to moor and included a small restaurant.
I spent the rest of the afternoon recovering from our hike. P.S. skunked on crab & prawns!
Carter Passage, Greenway Sound
8/17/09: I am ready for some sunshine; it seems to be eluding us now for several days. I am losing my tan and summer blonde hair (what little I have left). Anyway today was totally overcast yet quite warm. We motored thru the fjord like waterways to Moore Bay, dropped anchor and took the dinghy over to Shawl Bay Resort.
To Chuck & Margie, we stopped and said hello to Carol, The Bead Lady. We both got hugs from her to pass onto to each of you. She was bubbly and fun to chat with and I enjoyed browsing thru her store - she really has some quality items to sell. I did manage to indulge myself on a couple pieces of her bead work.
Moore Bay 50.52.296N 126.34.076W 12 NM
8/18/09: Just when we bragged about how we enjoy anchoring and how well our windlass works ... life goes to hell. Sure enough this morning the anchor windlass was throwing a fit and wouldn't work. Bob finally got the motor to go after using the bar to turn the capstan a bit - why that did it who knows but it got us on our way.
We cruised by Pierre's Marina (home of the pig roast) and then by Echo Bay Marina who were hosting a bunch of large power boats. We decided to anchor in Shoal Bay, take the dinghy to Billy Proctor's museum and then wander about the marina. But the windlass acted up again and quit (after we got anchored fortunately) so Bob's play agenda got changed to a fix & repair afternoon. I had a book to read so I stayed out of the way except for when he needed a gofer.
What a yucky job pulling the motor out of the anchor locker, cleaning off all the rust and then prying one end open to see what the problem could be. Bob had checked all the electrical connections and they were all okay; turns out that all the motor brushes were now bits of fine powdery grit. Great ... just what we need. So Bob cleaned out the grit and tweaked on what was left of the brushes and got the motor to work. It's only a temporary fix so it is back to Port McNeill in search of replacement brushes or possibly a new motor.
P.S. This little cove is UGLY! Broken down float homes, abandoned logging activity, crab pots everywhere ...
Shoal Bay 50.44.111N 126.29.825W 14 NM
8/19/09: We are up early to get to Port McNeill by noon. Who knows what difficulty we will encounter finding parts and/or motor. Nothing like starting the day with fog and drizzle to get one energized and wide awake. We made it safely across the straits and anchored once again. The good news is here we should be able to catch more crab (last time we catch 9), do laundry once again and pick up a few groceries and wine. Oh well, this is the life of cruisers.
Pt McNeill 26 NM

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