Finally out on the water again. We managed to sail across the straight of Georgia in about 12 knots (sometimes only 3 or 4) of wind using our new wind vane which worked fabulously. We've been told that the stronger the wind the better they work. The other thing we got to try out this weekend is the electric windlass which is the thing you use to pull up the anchor with. Ian pulled up the anchor this morning with no effort on his part what so ever. I think he is happy about that especially since we went with a bigger anchor and lots of chain.
At the moment we are in Montegue Harbour on Galliano Island. The strong winds we had in the bay have subsided but now it is raining quite steady. The forcast for tomorrow is 15 to 20 knots from the SE so hopefully we will get a good run to the mouth of the Fraser River. It might be a bit bouncy though if it blows all night. We are thinking of trying to 'heave to' for practice out there if it is windy. 'Heaving to' means placing the sails in a way that stops the boat from moving forward and keeps you into the wind, giving you a break from rough weather. It is something you would want to do if you are in a storm and need to take a break to rest. We have tried it before but always is fairly calm situations. Despite the rain and the strong winds today we are happy to be out here again. Today was an easy sailing day as we sailed from one anchorage to another on a downwind point of sail which was really easy and just like driving a car! If only it were that easy all the time.