Below is our account of our trip so far. I will place pictures on our website this next week. We have had great trip with great people!
Friday, August 26th, Bedwell Harbor and Ganges Marina
As planned, we departed Bellingham at 5:30 am just as the sun was starting to paint the eastern sky aglow in pinks and yellows. The water is flat calm without so much as a breeze to ripple it. We take advantage of the Internet service as we made our way toward Bedwell Harbor cleaning up the remainder of emails for work. Once we cross into Canada, no more email unless we are in a marina that offers free Wifi.
Our route will take us north up the Rosario Strait and then around the topside of Orcas Island. There we will pass just south of Sucia Island and enter Boundary Passage bound for Bedwell Harbor on Pender Island.
As the skies grow lighter we catch a glimpse of a pod of dolphin just ahead of us. They stay with us for ten minutes or so and then disappeared.
As we grow nearer to Sucia, the VHF comes to life. Karma, Karma, Karma we hear! This is Willies Tug. It is Herb on Willies Tug who is presently anchored at Sucia along with Bob and Nita on Nellie Too. They are following our progress on our Spot Messenger. We exchange pleasantries wishing them fair weather and following seas as they plan to make their way back to Anacortes in the afternoon.
Two hours out of Bedwell, I give Canadian Customs a call to clear entry into Canada via our new Nexus Cards. The woman on the phone was pleasant and patient as we went through the process. She did however inform me that it is not quite as easy as calling in and passing by. You must still pull into a port with customs and hold off until they inform you as to whether or not they would like to take a closer look. You must also give them an ETA as to your arrival. If you are going to be late, you must call back and update your ETA.
Our cruise through Boundary Passage is beautiful with flat seas and sunshine. We arrive in Poets to discover that Zuma is still in port. It seems Janeane had decided to take my advice and spend a bit more time at the spa…… sorry Lyman…..
Following the directions given to us by the customs agent on the phone, we hold off of the customs dock until an agent comes down, he give us a friendly wave goodbye. We are now free to proceed over to the breakwater to tie off so Maureen could make it to her spa appointment. What a great way to start your vacation!
While Maureen enjoys being pampered at the spa, Zuma casts off and heads for Ganges. We will rendezvous with them as well as the rest of the Ranger Tug fleet on Salt Springs later this afternoon. As planned, while Maureen is at the spa, I clean the boat and do final preparations for our trip north.
Maureen arrives back at Karma as planned at 2:30 and we are off. Our cruise to Ganges goes exactly the way we planned it. Smooth water, blue skies, great company of each other!
Upon arrival at Ganges the crews of Zuma and That’s It greet us. The rest of the group will be down shortly. Patrick and Gail have arranged a BBQ for the evening for all of the Tug owners.
Saturday, August 27th, Montague Harbor
Its market day in Ganges! It is said that Ganges has one of the largest markets in the Gulf Islands. While Janeane and Maureen head off to the market, Lyman and I move Karma and Zuma out to the anchorage. Since checkout time at the marina is 11:00 sharp, we have two choices, rush the ladies through or, move out. For obvious reasons, we choose the latter… I select a location to drop the hook and do so. Once I am secure, Lyman gently brings Zuma alongside to raft.
As we wander through the market, we meet up with Kim and Karen, owners of “Nest Egg”, a new R-27. We get to know each other better over coffee and pastries in a small bakery in town. It is decided then that our next port of call will be Montague Harbor. It will be our first night hanging on the hook for the trip. Kim and Karen quickly decide to join us as well as Patrick and Gail.
After a brief stop at the grocery store, it is off to the boats to prepare for our short hop over to Montague. Patrick and Gail have gone ahead to select us a location.
Since Karma is the one with her hook buried in the mud, Zuma is the first to cast off. We retrieve our anchor and are soon following. The cruise to Montague was uneventful due to the beautiful weather we have been blessed with. Light winds, clear skies, and abundant sunshine.
As Montague is packed with boats, Patrick has located a suitable location on the western side of the channel from Montague. It is much quieter and more relaxed on this side. No dinghy’s running about, no loud music. Just nature and us! Lyman and I take the dinghies and run over to Montague where I purchase fuel for ours. Gasoline was a bargain at $5.35 per gallon! Good thing I only need a gallon!
Kim and Karen arrive shortly after Lyman and I return from Montague. They plan to raft with “That’s It” for the evening. Once they are secured to “That’s It”, everyone moves to Zuma and Karma for Happy hour!
Sunday, August 28th, Telegraph Harbor, Thetis Island
Our first night of hanging on the hook goes off as uneventful. I checked the anchor before going to bed, all was well. No need to get up and check it overnight as there was not even a breeze.
As I sit in the cockpit watching the mega yachts pull out of Montague, two small deer playfully fight on the shoreline. It would appear they are two small bucks, practicing for things to come later in life. A small harbor seal swims close by looking for a hand out.
This morning we have seen the lowest overnight temperatures so far. 54 degrees. No need to be concerned though, fire up the cockpit heaters, put on a pot of coffee and Life is Good!
The sun just came up over the hilltops bringing with it its warmth. It promises to be another beautiful day in paradise! The plan for today is to head to Pirates Cove Marine Park. The trip will take about three hour’s, as it is 18 miles north. Neither Zuma nor Karma’s crews have been to Pirates Cove before. The goal of this trip is to visit only locations we have never been to.
While there are a number of places that we would love to revisit, if you continue going back to those, you will miss out on the hundreds of others.
After a cup of coffee, Lyman and I jump in Zuma’s tender and head to the floating bakery. We get a tour of the floating bakery from the older gentleman who along with his wife, live aboard and operate this venture. Being a baker by trade, I am amazed to see that she does all of this work in her tiny home type oven.
We make our purchases of Sticky Buns and head back to our floating oasis. We enjoy our purchases from the bakery along with another cup of coffee and decide to head to Telegraph Harbor on Thetis Island for the evening. Gail and Patrick decide that while they will not be able to overnight, they are going to join us for dinner.
The three tugs pull up their anchors and it is off to Telegraph. Our cruising speed is a leisurely six and a half knots. At this rate we burn no more than two gallons of fuel per hour! At this speed, our tug has a range of just over 500 miles including the reserve in the generator tank!
We head into Telegraph Harbor making our way to the very back end. We find ourselves a nice spot to anchor in ten feet of water. We expected the tide to rise an additional two feet and then drop four overnight. This would leave a minimum of six feet beneath our keels. At these depths, you don’t require much chain to achieve our desired scope or 4:1. Lyman and Janeane drop Zuma’s big Rocna while Karma and crew standby preparing to raft alongside. Once given the go ahead, Maureen nudges Karma up to Zuma’s port side. Patrick then maneuvers That’s It alongside the starboard. It’s three little tugs in Telegraph Harbor!
Once all is secure, Maureen and I jump in Karma’s tender and head for the “Cut”. It is a very narrow channel between Kuper and Thetis Islands. They warn not to do this in larger vessels and if you are so inclined, do it at high tide!
Dinner this evening consists of a bit of everything from each boat. Lamb Chops and Potatoes from That’s It, Salmon Filets and Salad from Karma, and Grilled Vegetables and Mushrooms from Zuma. Lyman is elected to be our chef for the evening. Once dinner is over, Gail and Patrick bid their farewells and cast off heading for home. And then, there are just two tugs….
We sit in the cockpits and enjoy another beautiful evening. There is not even the slightest hint of a breeze. Hundreds of stars sparkle above. What a place to be!
Monday, August 29th, Silva Bay
Morning breaks cool and clear. Telegraph Harbor is dead still with not a sound but birds calling out in the distance. The sun has yet to make its appearance for the day. I sit in the cockpit enjoying the serenity of the moment. I wonder what it would be like to live in such a place. Would you go “Island Crazy”? How would you deal with the long winters? Someday, we will give it a try. As I enjoy my first cup of coffee, the sun makes its way over the tops of the trees. As it warms the air, the world begins to come to life once again. There are others that are beginning to stir over at the Marina. A Grand Banks makes an early start of it. Birds continue to call out to welcome the new day. The weather is looking as if it is going to be another perfect day. Just some very high-scattered clouds.
After a leisurely breakfast of cereal and coffee, a little housekeeping on Karma and Zuma, it is off to our new destination for the day. Todays cruise will find us in Silva Bay on Gabriola Island. Our journey will take us north around the eastern side of Thetis Island then through the DeCourey Group of Islands. From there it will be a brief run in the Trincomali Channel and out through Gabriola Passage. The last stage should be the most interesting, as our arrival time should put us there about an hour and a half after slack. The current forecast is for a flood current of 7 knots.
Upon arrival, all as predicted is true. The current is running at 7 knots however, the flood runs east out into the Straits of Georgia. This means we will get a push through. Running the pass was beautiful when I did get an opportunity to look around. It is a quick ride through and then a quick turn to port to run in behind the islands and into Silva Bay.
We poke around until we find ourselves a suitable spot to drop the hook. Once our hook is down and set, Zuma takes up her position on our starboard side. We pass lines and secure Zuma. Once all is complete, it is off to the great little town described in the cruising guides.
While the bay itself is very crowded with moored vessels, what was once supposed to be a nice little town seems to be no more. All of the cruising guides speak of the great little art studios, a nice little supermarket that sells great meats and vegetables, and a nice little bookstore at Pages resort. All that remains is the liquor store, pub, and the bookstore. All the others have fallen due to the poor economic times. I purchase a current atlas at the small bookstore. While I know I can purchase this for less in a major town, we try and support these small town merchants when we can. If we don’t, these towns will be no more.
While ashore, we spy a little green R-21 named “Gizmo” moored at Page’s Resort. These little tugs are everywhere!
As we wonder around on shore, the winds continue to build out of the southwest as promised. Clouds begin to move in and it seems that there is a threat of rain. The weather however calls for diminishing southwest winds late in the afternoon coming around to northwest around midnight. While everything they said held true, the northwest winds did not come up until 2:00 am. I awaken to the sound of the burgee ratting on the bow. This is my wind indicator while we sleep. It has yet to fail to wake me. I get up and check the anchor. I make the decision to drop another 25 feet of chain increasing our scope. With the tide rising, we will have the current coming in from the south while the wind blows from the north. The 2-knot current helps to take some of the strain off of the anchor. Once I am confident all is secure, it is back to bed for an hour or so when I will be up again to check our position and anchor.
Tuesday, August 30th, Conover Cove, Wallace Island
The big Rocna did its job and held us in place through the night. The opposing winds and currents sure helped as they worked against each other. The winds are still gusting to 15 knots this morning. The air has a slight chill to it but nothing that the cockpit heaters can’t take care of. It is once again another incredible morning with the sky painted in lavenders and pinks. An eagle (the first we have seen) circles overhead. Across the way is a beautiful home with an incredible Totem Pole in the lawn. A Diesel Duck quietly slips by on its way to its next destination. This is one of the incredible things about boating here in the PNW. Boats and crews come from around the world to enjoy these waters. You just never know whom you may run into.
While we wait on slack water at Gabriola, we spend another nice morning just talking, enjoying the scenery, and each other’s company.
The winds continue to blow all morning. The forecast is for more of the same with a slight chance of rain. Oh well, what are you to do? At 11:00 we begin our journey. Lyman and Janeane cast off their lines letting the current and wind separate Karma and Zuma. Once clear, Lyman motors to the center of the cut and stands by while we retrieve Karma’s big 15 kg Rocna. This anchor has once again proven its worth not only holding one R-29 against a two knot current along with winds gusting to 20 mph, but two. I would strongly recommend that anyone considering purchasing a Rocna do so. (If you do, go one size larger than recommended, 10 kg is the recommended size for the R-29, we went with the 15 kg and 100 feet of chain along with 200 feet of line)
Our cruise today will take us south to Princess Cove on Wallace Island. We have reached our furthest north destination. Now our trip south begins. We will check the weather forecast to insure that this location will be suitable for a northwest wind. If it is not, we will choose another.
Once we have the Rocna on board, we point the nose towards Gabriola Passage and start making our way to Princess Cove. Our trip south is uneventful other than spying a Green R-21 off of Whaleboat Island and a Blue R-29 (Livingston Dinghy on swim platform) off of the north end of Salt Springs Island. We try to hail both vessels on the VHF with no luck.
We arrive at Princess Cove at 2:00 pm and find that there is space for Karma and Zuma. However with NW winds predicted we decide to go down and check out Conover Cove. Conover offers protection from all but south winds. Zuma arrives first and determines this is the spot. The hook is dropped, a line run ashore. Once all is secure, they hail Karma on the radio informing us that they are ready for us to come alongside. Once again, Maureen does a flawless job rafting to Zuma without so much as touching the thrusters once. She really has gotten proficient at maneuvering in tight quarters without the use of thrusters.
After cleaning the salt spray off of Karma, I go ashore and hike the short distance to Princess Cove. Along the way I come across a cabin that is covered with the autographed driftwood as well as the rusted old jeep pickup along the trail. I stop at both to take a closer look and get some pictures. The hike is just under a mile round trip. It winds through the interior of Wallace Island giving you peeks at the water along the way.
Upon my return to Karma and Zuma, I inform the others of my discoveries. They too want to check them out so it is back to shore we go. We make the short hike to the “Driftwood Cabin” first. We check to see if there are any names that we recognize, but there are none. We will change that later when we add our piece of personalized driftwood to this vast collection. Next we make the hike to the old jeep pickup. We have a good time taking pictures of each other in various poses alongside and inside of the jeep.
As we make our way back to Conover Cove, we stop to sit and relax while enjoying the incredible sunshine. Some great rocks along the shore provide our seats. Through the years, they have been worn perfectly flat making for an ideal bench. What a spectacular way to end a perfect day!
Wednesday, August 31st, Canoe Cove
It is difficult to believe it is the last day of August; the morning comes with a chill in the air. This morning the thermometer reads a balmy 49 degrees. It is 5:30 and I enjoy my morning coffee in the warmth of the cockpit. The cockpit heaters are working overtime this morning.
Sleep came easy last night. With the gusty winds blowing the previous night, I was up through out the night checking the anchor. For that reason, there was not much sleep.
Comparatively, last night all was calm except at 2:20 when we had one of our lines “squeaking” on both boats. I got up to take care of it as I knew if it were keeping me awake, it would surely being keeping Lyman awake. Right I was. As I was adjusting it, Lyman poked his head out the window. He had heard it too and was just coming out to take care of it. Once all was secure and quieted down, it was back to the warmth of our comfy bed.
Currently our little cove here is quiet as can be. Not another sole is yet to stir. A tug with its tow passes by the opening bound for “Points North”. I can only think that the life of the Captain of a true working tug must be great. I am sure they have a different opinion.
Today our trip will continue to work us back south. It will be the last night that Karma and Zuma will be together. Tomorrow, they will make the turn toward the San Juan’s and then home, we will continue our trip toward Victoria for the classic boat show.
Our last night together found us in Canoe Cove just north of Sidney. While there is not much of a town, there is a considerable size marina with a complete boat yard and small chandlery. The must see thing you cannot miss while in Canoe Cove, is the Old English Pub. It is just a short walk up the hill from the marina. While it was built in the 80’s, its appearance gives it the look of something that was built in the late 1800’s. The gardens surrounding it are beautiful.
Thursday, September 1st, Victoria Harbor
We have a new overnight low! 48 degrees this morning. It is hard to believe it is just the first of September. What a beautiful morning though. The air is heavy with dew allowing the rising sun to give an orange glow to everything. All is quiet as the others are still asleep. We are not sure of our plan today. Zuma will make her way to the San Juan’s for a couple of days. Karma is headed to Victoria. We are just not sure if we will make a stop in Sidney or just continue on to Victoria. The opening festivities for the wooded boat show will start at noon on Friday. If we chose to go to Victoria tomorrow, we will miss them.
We make the decision to carry on to Victoria. I contact the Harbor authority to request an early arrival. I am informed that the marina is booked however, there are five first come first served slips available. However we must arrive by noon to insure we are able to secure one of the five. This should not be a problem as we are ready to depart Canoe Cove at nine. The dinghy has been loaded on the roof. Everything lose in the salon has been secured. With gusty south winds predicted, we are expecting to see some lumpy seas the last five miles of our journey. We will not be disappointed. Our trip south to Victoria takes us west of Sidney Spit where we get our first look at this cruisers destination spot. It looks to be an incredible location to spend a day or two swinging on a mooring ball.
Our trip south is uneventful. We cruise along at nine knots burning 3 gallons per hour. At this speed, we should arrive in Victoria at 11:45.
We round the point and head into Victoria harbor right on time at 11:45. While Maureen takes pictures of the seaplane traffic as well as the cruise ship traffic, I contact the Harbor Authority. They assign us to slip Delta 2. We are asked to be sure to snuggle up close to the vessel Sand Dollar.
As we make our way to the Wharf Street Floats, we spot a R-25 heading to the fuel dock. We get closer to see who it is. It is Dave and Lynn aboard Lobo. We call out greetings letting them know where we will be secured. They inform us that “Sand Dollar” had just arrived also. Sand Dollar is a new R-29 belonging to Keith and Kathy out of Bowen Island BC. Amazing. We have been in the company of one R-Tug or another now for the entire trip. We have not had a day when we have come across another tug either out cruising or secured in a marina.
Cruising through Victoria Harbor is interesting to say the least. At one point I look aft to see a seaplane not more than 75 feet astern. Naturally I give way….. It is amazing to watch these crafts come in. They circle around the Delta Resort and then just sort of “drop” out of the sky to make a perfect landing. Vessels arriving into Victoria are required to stay to the starboard side of the channel. The port side is the location of the world’s busiest commercial seaplane base. The channel is well marked with yellow buoys. Inbound vessels keep these close to their portside as do outbound vessels. This insures the safety of everyone using the harbor.
As we approach the marina, I turn control of the helm over to Maureen. Once she is at the helm, I prepare our lines and fenders. Once all is ready, I give Maureen the go ahead to go on in. Over the years, we have developed our system for docking and departing. On our approach to the marina, we discuss how we will handle it. Once we have determined the type of tie we are going to make, I prepare fenders and lines. Once all is complete, I let Maureen know we are ready to go in.
The same applies on departure. Once safely away from the dock, I stow all lines and fenders. Once this is completed, I will do one more quick visual to insure all is stowed. This includes the swim platform to make sure nothing was left out. After insuring all is secure, I call out to Maureen, all secure. At this point she knows it is safe to proceed to our destination.
Once again Maureen makes a flawless arrival at the dock. Even with a strong cross wind blowing she does it effortlessly.
After getting Karma secured, we introduce ourselves to Keith and Kathy. Now it is time to give Karma a much deserved fresh water bath. While we have kept as much salt off of her as we could through out the week, she is still in need of a bath. While I take care of the exterior, Maureen takes care of the interior.
Once she is clean, it was off to the grocery store to re-provision. When you find yourself in Victoria and in need of provisioning, visit the “Market on Yates” located on the corner or Yates and Quadro. This is a nice little market that will have everything you need at a very reasonable price. They offer a full service meat counter, where you will find everything from home made sausages to frog legs. Once you have visited the meat department, make your way over to the delicatessen to check out their incredible selection of gourmet cheeses and salads. Then, leaving the best for last, stop by one of the best in store bakeries I have ever seen. The majority of the items here are made from scratch. Their pies are incredible. The decorating on their cakes is some of the best I have seen. (It makes you want to have something to celebrate just so you can order a cake)
After our shopping was complete, it was back to Karma to store the groceries. Once that task was complete, Maureen and I walked down to the Causeway Floats to admire the classic vessels that had already arrived. The care and work that has gone into these crafts is amazing. The pride of ownership certainly shows.
We made it about halfway through when the rain began to fall. We quickly make our way back to Karma. Once aboard, we open a nice bottle of wine to settle in for a nice evening aboard. Keith walks over and invites us aboard Sand Dollar for cocktails and hor’ dourves. We grab our wine glasses as well as our freshly opened bottle of wine and head over. It is a nice evening getting too know Keith and Kathy. It is now 8:00 pm and we have yet to have lunch or dinner. We head back to Karma and decide that the nice little cherry pie we bought at the store would be a great lunch/dinner. We are not disappointed. This bakery makes an incredible pie!
