Around Vancouver Island 2013

Vessel Name: Reborn
Vessel Make/Model: 1952 Wood Ketch out of Orkney Islands
Hailing Port: Nanaimo, BC Canada
Crew: Moe and Laurie
About:
Moe, the Skipper, has many years of sailing experience. He owned his first sailing dinghy when he was 15 and sailed with his friends around the Sunshine Coast of BC. Later he discovered windsurfing and devoted many years to his board. [...]
Extra: Reborn is a 42' fibre glass over wood ketch built in the Orkney islands in 1952. In her life time she has been redone enough times to carry her name with pride. Reborn has served as a pilot boat, a pleasure motor craft and now as a ketch.
21 August 2013 | Winter Cove to Nanaimo
21 August 2013 | Sidney Spit to Winter Cove, Saturna Island
21 August 2013 | Victoria to Sidney Spit
21 August 2013 | Sooke to Victoria
14 August 2013 | Bamfield to Sooke
13 August 2013 | Ucluelet and Ucluelet to Bamfield
06 August 2013 | Ucluelet
06 August 2013 | Joe's Bay to Ucluelet
06 August 2013 | Tofino to Joe's Bay
06 August 2013 | Tofino
02 August 2013 | Bacchante Bay to Tofino
02 August 2013 | Hot Springs Cove to Bacchante Bay
02 August 2013 | Friendly Cove to Hot Springs Cove
02 August 2013 | Bodega Cove to Friendly Cove
02 August 2013 | Tahsis to Bodega Cove, Kendrick Island
28 July 2013 | Dixie Cove to Tahsis
27 July 2013 | Walter's Cove to Dixie Cove, Hohoae Island
25 July 2013 | Bunsby Islands to Walter's Cove, Kyoquot
25 July 2013 | Columbia Cove to Bunsby Islands
24 July 2013 | Walter's Cove, Kyoquot
Recent Blog Posts
21 August 2013 | Winter Cove to Nanaimo

Day 39

Day 39 – August 29, 2013 Monday

21 August 2013 | Sidney Spit to Winter Cove, Saturna Island

Day 38

Day 38 – August 11, 2013 Sunday

21 August 2013 | Victoria to Sidney Spit

Day 37

Day 37 – August 10, 2013 Saturday

21 August 2013 | Sooke to Victoria

Day 36

Day 36 – August 9, 2013 Friday

14 August 2013 | Bamfield to Sooke

Day 35

Day 35 – August 8, 2013 Thursday

13 August 2013 | Ucluelet and Ucluelet to Bamfield

Day 33 and Day 34

Day 33 and Day 34, August 6 and 7, 2013 Tuesday and Wednesday

Day 33 and Day 34

13 August 2013 | Ucluelet and Ucluelet to Bamfield
Laurie / Foggy
Day 33 and Day 34, August 6 and 7, 2013 Tuesday and Wednesday

Tuesday was a stocking up and picking up new crew day. We had heard about a bakery in town and decided that would be our first stop. We walked past the Co-op thinking that we would catch it on the way back as, we thought, the bakery was farther on. After walking for about 15 minutes we looked at the map and realized we were going the wrong way! We turned around and on the way back, we stopped at the Co-op and got what we needed. We took everything back to the boat and then I went on a bakery hunt, which I eventually found, as well as some local shops with treasures that I picked up. When I returned it was lunch time so Moe and I went up to a fish and chips stand that had been recommended to us. It was great! The recommendation was a good one.

After lunch we headed back to the boat. We had about an hour before Moe had to pick up our new crew so we took advantage and had a little cat nap. At 2:00 Moe went up to the bus and soon returned with Ken and Rory in tow. We had a couple of drinks and then cast off our lines from the dock to go anchor in the bay for the evening. When we were safely anchored I cooked some dinner for us then we spent the remainder of the evening sitting outside and watching the fog roll in. We also had a short visit from Thor on Gotha Foss who Moe used to tuna fish with. We had been watching him drifting down the bay and then motoring back up just to drift down again. He finally came over to our boat with the Gotha Foss and we had a short visit. He had been doing some work on his boat and doing it while drifting was just as effective as doing it any other way! Later, just as Moe and I were going to bed, a fellow came roaring up in his dinghy. He asked if we wanted a hot shower, he said he was a sailor too, had a house on shore, and knew what it was like on a boat. He promised he wasn’t an axe murderer! None of us were in need of a shower, so we declined and Moe and I went to bed. I did hear him come back shortly after, he didn’t stay long but he did bring us three fine crabs.

Wednesday we woke up to no world again. I don’t know how people live in this fog all the time! I got up about 7:30 and everyone else was already up, the coffee was made and the bacon was on. I finished making breakfast and by 9:00 we were on our way to the fuel dock. While making breakfast I realized that we were getting pretty low on the butane cans that we use for our cook stove and hoped to pick some up while Moe re-fueled Reborn. The manager at the fuel dock made a quick call for me and determined that it was time for me to go for a walk to the Co-op. Ucluelet is a small town so it didn’t take me too long to get up there and back. By 10:05 we had cast our final line from Ucluelet and were on our way!

As I was cleaning up the galley I was summoned to the deck to help keep an eye out as we were in deep fog. Moe had the radar set up and everyone had their eyes peeled. Moe figured that we would be out of the fog shortly after leaving Amphitrite Point but, sadly, that was not to be. Our scenery for the majority of the trip was of white fog. We were joined at one point by a pair of big sea lions that came up to check us out. We didn’t actually see much of anything until we turned up into Trevor Channel and slowly the world started to come back. By the time we were approaching Bamfield Inlet we were in full sun. Yay!! As we came into the inlet we spied Paxx and dropped our anchor nearby.

After a quick celebratory drink, Ken and Rory took James to do a little sightseeing. While they were gone Michel and Frances came up to the boat and we made some plans to go for a little hike later in the afternoon. In the meantime, it was nap time for both Moe and I. When I awoke the sun was still shining. Life is good! I went out onto the deck to enjoy the sunshine and, wouldn’t you know it, ten minutes later the fog was starting to roll back in. Arrggh!

As it was getting to be dinner time, I started my preparations when Rory and Ken arrived back with James. While I was getting dinner on, Frances and Michel returned to let us know they were on their way to the dock. We said we would be about another 15 minutes or so. Once we finished our stir fry Moe and I left Rory and Ken in charge of the galley, boarded James and rowed over to the dock. Fortunately, the fog had disappeared by this time.

Dinner took a little longer than expected so we were late meeting up with our friends and they were nowhere to be seen. The sign posts at the head of the dock directed us to Brady’s Beach one way or the Boardwalk the other way. We picked the boardwalk.

The Boardwalk at Bamfield is very well maintained and decorated. We soon came to the home of the Bamfield water taxi. On one side of the boardwalk is an old wood building with a direction post in front. It directs to places like ‘Boardwalk Bistro’, ‘Swallow Hollow’ or you could take a walk through the aptly named ‘Dogshit Alley’. We didn’t go there! On the other side of the building are a fleet of yellow kayaks painted with the black checkerboard you would see on New York taxis. Across the boardwalk from this building is the Home of the Water Taxi. It is a mobile home, also painted yellow with the black checkerboard lining the bottom section. The rest of the Boardwalk was just as quaint with flower boxes attached to the railing and decorated at the discretion of the owners. Some had happy marigolds; some had not so happy marigolds. One had a cactus garden and another a garden of beachcombed treasures.

Eventually, we ran into Michel and Frances as they were studying the signs posted on the Treehouse Toilet. We walked along together admiring this lovely community that the residents obviously care about decorating in their own Westcoast style when we arrived at the Bamfield Cat House. Someone has gone to considerable effort to create a wonderful little village for cats. All the small houses are painted and well decorated. There is even a cat lighthouse! Too bad, no one was at home when we were there. We carried on to the Bamfield General Store where I picked up some paper products and the others got some drinks. As the four of us came out of the store, back to the Boardwalk, there were a couple of people standing to one side, another couple to the other side and a woman pushing her full wheelbarrow through the crowd. I stood beside a man who was sitting down with his ice cream cone. I could tell he was a local when he said, “It never gets this busy here!”

We found a quiet place to sit down and enjoy our drinks before we followed the sign to Brady’s Beach. As we were walking down the road we heard a siren go off. We wondered if it was the tsunami warning! It soon stopped so we carried on our way down the gravel road. As we walked, and walked, it seemed that the way was quite long, longer than we expected, but we persevered. We came to some down hills where the road deteriorated abit and the rocks became looser and larger. We kept on and eventually came to “Brady’s Loo”. I wouldn’t normally comment on an outdoor toilet but this one beat many of the indoor toilets I’ve seen! To begin with, it’s a composting toilet and the actual seat is on the second floor. There is some interesting reading material, about how it works and how to use it, posted on the back of the door. You can’t miss it when you sit down. It was clean and even decorated with fresh cut flowers!

Past the loo, we followed a short path to the beach. It was beautiful! Not a huge beach, but big enough that no one there felt crowded. Someone had built a small drift wood shelter and hung up a hammock seat which Moe immediately tested. There were a few campers to our left so we walked to the right towards a large rocky pinnacle with a lone tree occupying the top. Trees love to grow on rocks and this tree had picked a dandy! As we approached we noticed that, perched about three quarters of the way up the rocks, was a bench. Weird place for a bench. Michel and Frances scaled the rocks and sat down on the bench. Moe and I followed. The bench was put there in memory of Mrs Gumby. Her Wellies, placed on a concrete slab and filled with concrete, stood beside the bench. We all enjoyed the view and the bench and then clambered down the rocks. At the bottom we discovered one very large cave and one smaller one. Neither was deep so, for me not being a caver, it was cool to walk into them. We soon left the caves, the beach and the loo behind and headed back to our boats. Thankfully the fog had not joined us on our journey!

When we returned to Reborn, Ken was already in bed. His bed is the bench in the galley that pulls out to a bed. Unfortunately, we had to disturb his slumber as I needed to make some sandwiches for the next day. We knew it was going to be a long one, beginning with a 5:00 a.m. start, and thought it would be a good idea to have something to snack on as we travelled. Sandwiches done, it was off to bed for everyone.
Comments

About & Links