Photo: Osprey sailing acrossQueen Charlotte Strait

Our day starts badly but ends well.

We can't leave Port McNeil until after 10 am because Steve needs to pick up some fuel filters he ordered. When he goes to get them, he discovers they are the wrong size. Then he has to spend half an hour on the phone to straighten out a credit card which our bank shut down for no other reason than that we were charging from Canada. When we finally leave, we have to stop for fuel.

By the time we get out into Johnstone Strait the current is running strong against us and the wind is whistling down from the north, the direction we're heading. In theory, there should be less current and wind in Queen Charlotte Strait, but when we finally turn the corner at Puteney Point the current is still strong and the wind is even stronger. We start with a full main and self-tender, heading for Skull Cove. We soon realize we aren't going to make it and head for Blunden Harbour, farther south, instead, but still across the Strait. When the wind reaches 30 knots, we take a reef in the main. When it reaches 35, we take a second reef. Waves are breaking over the bow. I go down below and discover the portlight gasket in the forepeak has failed and water is streaming in, onto our bunk below. I put towels on the bunk and go back to the cockpit. We're pounding into the waves and heeling uncomfortably hard, but we're flying along.

When we get to the entrance to Blunden Harbour, the wind is still blowing 25 knots but we have the perfect sail combination for it. We sail on through and tack through the harbor to the anchorage, avoiding several submerged reefs on the way. Sailing by a powerboat, we see someone either taking pictures or looking at us through binoculars (waiting for us to crash and burn?). He doesn't know how easy this is compared to crossing Queen Charlotte Strait.