1999 Cruise |
||
Outbound Route |
||
The QE Too is a 31 foot Cruise-A-Home from Tacoma, Washington. The owners are Carl and Gloria Tenning of Des Moines. Gloria boarded on 24th day of this 35-day cruise. For the first part of this cruise, the QE Too, piloted by Carl, accompanied the Restless Wind, a 41 foot ketch, piloted by owner Ken Litscher of Port Townsend (formerly of Olympia). The QE Too started from the Narrows Marina in Tacoma and joined the Restless Wind in Port Townsend. The two boats then cruised together up the Vancouver Island inside passage to Echo Bay on Gilford Island, about 37 nautical miles east of Port Hardy. The QE Too then returned from there while the Restless Wind spent the entire summer in that area. After returning as far as Everett, Gloria boarded the QE Too and we headed back to the San Juan Islands before returning home to Tacoma. | ||
DAY 1, Tuesday June 1, 1999, Narrows Marina to Kingston:Partly cloudy with moderate breeze. Before departing, prepared breakfast on board the boat, consisting of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Departed from the Narrows Marina at 08:37. Light waves with wind from the south. Passing Pt. Sandford at 09:42. Averaging about 7.8 knots at 1760 RPM and 4 GPH. Passing Southworth at 10:34. Blake Island at 10:47 with heavier seas, about 2 ft. waves and some to 3 ft. Have slowed to about 6 knots. The current at Restoration Pt. is 0.8 knot ebb and am now making 7.3 knots going with the current. Yeomalt Point at 11:35. At 11:40 heard report of a sailboat aground in Shilshole Bay reported by the Sightseer, a tour boat. Passed the southbound Princess Marguerite III to starboard at 11:53. Light rain starting at 12:30. Rounding Point Jefferson at 12:35. Arrived Kingston at 13:13, Space 5. Moorage with electric power was $13.85 for one night. Distance was 33.74 nautical miles at an average speed of 7.33 knots, and a time of 4 hr 36 min.Lunch of hot dogs with potato salad. Had a one-hour nap after lunch. At 16:00, the Sea Queen, a 40 foot Cruise-A-Home, pulled into the next slip. Walked up to town (more like a village) and found a small, but well stocked, marine supply store. Dinner at 19:00 of Triscuit and cheese hors d'oeurvres, a salad with Italian dressing, hard rolls, and a fried frankfurter. For dessert had strawberry Jell-O. The rain has stopped and the harbor is dead calm and partly sunny. Guest moorage is less than half full. Should plan on departing Kingston by 09:00 to avoid a flood current in Port Townsend Canal. |
DAY 2, Wednesday June 2, 1999, Kingston to Port Townsend:Breakfast at 06:00, consisting of oatmeal, roll, and coffee. Mostly cloudy, but calm. Small patches of blue sky. The trawler on one side of me pulled out at 05:30. Very light rain. Leaving Kingston at 07:15. One foot waves in Puget Sound, light wind. Two foot waves after rounding Apple Cove Point. Heading into waves is not too bad. Doing about 6.7 knots at 1500 RPM. To the east are sun rays beaming through breaks in the clouds. The Victoria Clipper passed me heading north at 08:23. Passing Point No Point at 08:30. The sky is clearing ahead. A second Victoria Clipper passed at 08:42. Passing the buoy at Foulweather Bluff at 09:00. Suddenly the sea is white capped here, possibly due to the current coming out of Hood Canal. Making 8 knots here at only 1400 RPM so I am picking up at least 3 knots current. Entering Port Townsend Canal at 10:04. Arrived Port Townsend at 11:10. Moorage was $23.00 with electric power included.Had lunch with Ken Litscher, the skipper of the Restless Wind, a 41 foot sailing ketch, at 12:20. It consisted of hot dogs, pork & beans, and potato salad. After a nap at 15:00 to 16:00, walked to the Safeway store about half a mile from the moorage. Lots of marine industry here. Blue skies, sunny and warm this afternoon. Dinner, alone, at 18:00 of imitation crab cocktail plus cucumber, lettuce, and tomato salad with roll and butter. The plan for tomorrow is to commence engine start at 04:00 and be underway at 04:15. I will set wake-up alarm for 03:45. |
|
DAY 3, Thursday June 3, 1999, Port Townsend to Prevost Harbor:The wake-up alarm didn't go off. At 04:09 I woke up and called Restless Wind on the VHF to tell him that I would be about 10 minutes late leaving and that I would catch up to him (I had set the alarm time, but didn't activate it to go off). Got out of the harbor by 04:30 and had the Restless Wind in sight about a mile ahead. Winds were light in the harbor and not too bad on Port Townsend Bay. However, after rounding Point Wilson and reaching the buoy, heavy rolling waves from the northwest were breaking over the bow and I decided to go back. I contacted the Restless Wind on the VHF and found that he had decided to continue on across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Mackaye Harbor. After turning the QE Too around and going with the waves, it was quite tolerable. I decided to go around the other side of Whidbey Island and probably overnight in Cornet Bay. We agreed to meet the next day (Friday) in Prevost Harbor.By 06:30, I reached Mutiny Bay on the west side of Whidbey Island and the seas were nearly calm. The sun is well up now and the skies are clear. Reached Double Bluff buoy at 06:45. Making some pancakes and bacon. |
Reached Scatchet Head buoy at 07:27. Passed Columbia Beach and the water is smooth, no wind. Estimate reaching Sandy Point at 09:11. Sunny and clear. Actually passed Sandy Pt. at 09:05. Passing Onamac Point at 10:45.
Lunch at 11:00 consisting of a hot dog, the leftover pork & beans and the imitation crab cocktail. Also finished the Jell-O. Getting reports of strong winds coming up on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Beginning to feel some of that westerly wind as I am approaching Strawberry Point. Glad to be out of the Strait today. Passing Strawberry Point at 11:50. Since I was making good headway I decided not to stop in Cornet bay and went on through Deception Pass at 13:05 and decided to go on to Prevost Harbor for the night. Refueled at Orcas, 96.8 US gal. Departed Orcas at 15:40. Estimate arrival Prevost Harbor at 17:25. About 30 minutes before arriving, I got a call on the VHF from the Restless Wind and was surprised to learn that instead of stopping in Mackay Harbor he too went on to Prevost Harbor. Arrived in Prevost Harbor at 17:30 and tied up to Restless Wind by 17:35. Dinner at 18:00 consisted of baked cod, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Had plenty of hot water so had a good shower. This was a rough day of cruising for both of us, so we plan to sleep in tomorrow and go only as far as Bedwell Harbour. Was tired, so went to bed at 21:00. |
|
DAY 4, Friday June 4, 1999, Prevost Harbor to Clam Bay, Kuper Island:Woke up at 05:40 and made coffee by 06:00. Had breakfast aboard the Restless Wind. We both felt so much better after a good nights sleep that we decided to go on to Clam Bay. Engine start at 09:30. Heading for Bedwell Harbour and Clam Bay. Pulled out at 09:35. Cleared Canada Customs at 10:47 in Bedwell Harbour. Sky is mostly cloudy, but with patches of blue. Wind from the south, not too cold. Estimate arrival in Clam Bay by 15:35.Finished off the hot dogs for lunch, had one carrot and a lemon-poppy seed muffin left over from breakfast. Whitecaps (at least 3 ft.) at 13:45, but travelling with them is not rough. Have been doing only 5.5 knots and getting good fuel consumption. Arrived in Clam Bay at 14:56. The Restless Wind arrived at 15:10. Secured at anchor by 15:30. Ken is making lasagna for dinner. It was very good. Two other sail boats anchored in Clam Bay while we were eating dinner. The winds have died down by 18:30 and it is raining. |
DAY 5, Saturday June 5, 1999, Clam Bay to Nanaimo:The skipper of the Restless Wind woke up at 05:00 and decided not to wait until the afternoon slack at Dodd Narrows, so we pulled out at 05:50 to make the 08:30 slack. Breakfast underway consisted of oatmeal, bacon, coffee and banana nut muffins. We entered Dodd Narrows at 07:54 going along with a 1 knot current. Northumberland Channel was not bad except for a lot of logs. Arrived Nanaimo about 09:00 and fueled at Petro Canada, then pulled into inner basin on north side of "J" Dock. The Restless Wind anchored over by Protection Island. It is warm and sunny.For lunch, purchased a chicken salad sandwich at the Thrifty Market and made a salad. Ken came over later and we walked up to the marine store. After that I took a one hour nap. For dinner, Ken brought over the rest of the lasagna, along with some cauliflower and I made a salad. It is overcast now. The plan for tomorrow is to pull out at 05:00 to test the Strait of Georgia. If we can, we will head for Ballet Bay on Nelson Island, just around Cape Cockburn. |
|
DAY 6, Sunday June 6, 1999, Nanaimo to Ballet Bay, Nelson Island:Departed the inner harbour at 05:05. It is overcast and dead calm. Out of Departure Bay (Tyne Pt.) by 05:35. The sea is lightly rippled, really great for crossing the Strait of Georgia. From Horswell Bluff it is a 29.45 nm straight course past Cape Cockburn to Kelly Island. We went through Whiskey Golf (WG) since it was not active today (being Sunday). Had coffee and the left over muffins with a fresh orange for breakfast. The Restless Wind is about a mile ahead of me. Entered WG at 06:18 and out of WG at 07:02. Some rolling waves from the west down the middle of Georgia Strait made for a rolling ride, so I rev'ed up the engine to about 8 knots for awhile. After we got to the east of Lasqueti Island, the sea was smooth again. I passed the Restless Wind in the process then slowed back to 1485 RPM and am still making 6.5 knots at 3 GPH. Must be picking up some flood current. Nice and smooth now at 08:00. Passing Upwood Point on Texada Island at 08:18. There is a tug boat off to the right, heading north, pulling three Seaspan barges loaded with wood chips. A rain squall is |
passing overhead, but I can still see some blue sky over the mountains to the east. It's 08:50 now and I am passing the tug boat Seaspan Cutlass in Malaspina Strait. It is now 8.5 nm to Cape Cockburn. Passing Cape Cockburn at 10:08. Looking back I can see that the Restless Wind has put up a sail. Arrived Ballet Bay at 10:54. There is one sailboat already anchored here. The Restless Wind arrived at 11:15. At anchor and secured by 11:30.
Lunch at 12:30 consisted of a salad, bread roll, Polish sausage and sauerkraut with red wine. Went out in the dinghy to explore the bay. Lots of oysters. Later in the day, two trawlers anchored in the bay. One skipper came by in his dinghy to say hello. He spent the last couple of nights anchored in Garden Bay (Pender Harbour) and said that the winds were pretty high. Some boats dragged their anchors. He is heading for Alaska. I made dinner at 18:15. It was to have been barbecued steaks, but the wind blew out the gas grill, so I did baked cod with baby potatoes and canned corn with a shrimp appetizer. Chocolate pudding for dessert. The plan is to sleep-in tomorrow. We will do breakfast individually and decide after that when to depart. |
|
The QE Too and the Restless Wind in Ballet Bay, Nelson Island |
||
DAY 7, Monday June 7, 1999, Ballet Bay to Refuge Cove, West Redonda Island:Well, so much for sleeping in, as the Captain of the Restless Wind upped the anchor at 05:35 and got under way. The sea is rippled with some rain squalls in the sky. Good cruising water, though. Oatmeal and roll for breakfast at 06:15. Started getting some rain at 06:50. The rain stopped by about 07:30. Some blue sky ahead. Really smooth cruising. Several barges under tow ahead; they are not going in or out of Powell River. Passing Grief Point at 07:55. Making 7.5 knots at 1525 RPM so am getting about 2 knots following current. I can see the ferry leaving Texada Island bound for Westview about 2 nm off my port bow. It is the "North Island Princess" and looks like a twin hull vessel. Can also see the ferry from Comox in the far distance to the west. Passing a log tow heading south at 09:00. Doing about 7.2 knots at 1735 RPM. Estimate arrival in Refuge Cove at 11:12 or before, since I am hitting 8.1 knots at times.Decided to stop at Sharpes Bay for fuel. It was 61.9¢ per liter, 5¢ a liter less than in Nanaimo. Passing Sarah Point at 10:56. Estimating arrival now at 11:30. Arrived at 11:37. Lots of space at the dock. It has |
been extended this year with an extra 150 or so feet with moorage on both sides. I tied up at the dock and Ken anchored out. "Upcoast Summers" was open for lunch. Made lunch aboard the QE Too of Polish Sausage and sauerkraut with Pilot bread. Ken came over for lunch and had the rest of the boiled baby potatoes instead of the sauerkraut. He will be fixing baked pork steaks for dinner tonight on his boat. He will pick me up in the dinghy. Had enough hot water from this morning's cruise for a good shower and still enough left to wash the dishes. There is a rain squall passing over at 13:45, but only lasted for 10 minutes. Fuel here is 69¢ per liter for gasoline and 55¢ per liter for diesel. Met an elderly couple and their wooden cruiser, the "Venture" from Everett. We met them here last year.
The plan for tomorrow is to go all the way to Forward Harbour instead of stopping at Shoal Bay as previously planned. Ken picked me up in the skiff at 17:30 for dinner aboard the Restless Wind. He baked the pork with barbecue sauce, which made for good flavor. Also had baked potatoes. Back on the QE Too by 19:30. Will sleep in tomorrow. It is really quiet here in Refuge Cove this evening, as there are very few boats or people. |
|
DAY 8, Tuesday June 8, 1999, Refuge Cove to Forward Harbour:Woke up at 05:00. It is raining. Kind of cool, but the heater brought the cabin up to 70°F. Breakfast at 06:30 consisting of poached eggs, bacon, and hash browns, with coffee. Finished the dishes by 07:15.The route for today will be leaving Refuge Cove on West Redonda Island, heading NNW in Lewis Channel with Cortes Island to the West, then past the Rendezvous Islands and into Calm Channel. After passing the entrance to Hole In The Wall to port, we reach Stuart Island and enter Cordero Channel. Passing Kellsey Point to starboard we enter Yuculta Rapids, past Big Bay and into Gillard Passage, where the current can get to 10 or 12 knots. Today we expect only about 1.6 knots ebb which will be with us. Continuing through Dent Rapids we cross the conjunction of Nodales Channel on the port and Frederick Arm on the starboard. Continuing westward in Cordero Channel we will pass Shoal Bay on East Thurlow Island and beyond that into Green Point Rapids. From there we'll pass the entrance to Loughborough Inlet on the starboard and thence into Chancellor Channel. At D'Arcy Point we will turn to starboard into Wellbore Channel and continue through Whirlpool Rapids. By this time we will be near the end of the ebb current so we will have about only a 0.9 knot current through the rapids. Out of Whirlpool Rapids we turn right into Forward Harbour and anchor in Douglas Bay. The expected arrival is 17:56. |
Spotted some porpoise in Lewis Channel. Have also seen seals many times already and a few eagles. We seem to have a slight current with us which is causing us to project an arrival at Yuculta Rapids an hour early. Rather than wait, we decided to go around Stuart Island and go through Arran Rapids. This should get us there at just about the slack before ebb at 13:09. It is a beautiful sight looking into Bute Inlet. There are many solid rock cliffs and streams of snow.
Made a salami sandwich for lunch. Passing Henrietta Point on Stuart Island at 12:20. Through Arran Rapids by 12:52. Later, we saw the results of a huge landslide between Blind Channel and Greene Point. Must have happened last winter. Arrived Forward Harbour, Douglas Bay at 17:25 and had calm water all the way. Set the anchor by 17:37. There were four other boats anchored here, two sailboats and two trawlers. Ken decided that this was too crowded for the Restless Wind, so he anchored out at the inlet. I found that the welds at the base of my pilots chair have broken, so I won't be able to use it from here on unless I can find a welder somewhere. Ken came over in the skiff for dinner aboard the QE Too. We had barbecued tenderloin steaks with green beans, bread and dill pickles. Everything cleaned up by 19:30. The plan for tomorrow is to leave at 05:00 to have smooth water in Johnstone Strait. We can lay over at Matilpi for the slack in Chatham Channel at 13:53. |
|
DAY 9, Wednesday June 9, 1999, Forward Harbour to Lagoon Cove, East Craycroft Island:Up anchor at 05:10. Breakfast underway at 05:45 of French toast and coffee. Sunderland Channel had light waves (less than one foot), but they were coming from the west. It is cloudy today. By 05:53 the waves have built up to one foot. Light to moderate northwest winds are predicted, rising in the afternoon. Dishes done by 06:12, but still have to make the bed. Starting to mist now. Lots of snow on Vancouver Island mountain peaks. Passing Gunner Point at 06:36 and the sea is only rippled now. The misting comes and goes. Passing Jesse Island at 07:04. Getting 2-foot waves off of the entrance to Port Neville. Doing 7 knots now at 1560 RPM. Passing "Wes" |
on the mainland side at 07:40 and it is about one hour now to the Broken Islands. Arrived Matilpi at 09:45. The Restless Wind pulled in at 10:18. Anchored in 35 feet. Ken has decided to spend the night here. I decided to go on to Lagoon Cove and spend the night at the dock. Left Matilpi at 13:42. Arrived at Lagoon Cove 15:00 and fueled up 43.7 US Gallons. Moorage was $14.85 per night and fuel was 59.9¢ per liter. The Restless Wind will come up about 08:00 tomorrow. Found out that there is a welder in Potts Lagoon just 7.16 nm from here so I can take the base of the pilots chair there for repair tomorrow. Fueled up in Lagoon Cove Marina at 59.9¢ per liter, the best price yet.
Dinner tonight will be creamed shrimp on rice with corn bread and dill pickle. |
|
The QE Too at Lagoon Cove, East Craycroft IslandSkipper of the QE Too at Lagoon Cove |
||
DAY 10, Thursday June 10, 1999, at Lagoon Cove:Up at 06:30 today and made French toast and bacon for breakfast. The Restless Wind pulled in at 07:30. I borrowed Ken's skiff to go to the welder in Potts Lagoon to repair the pilots chair. It was a 30 minute trip. He did a fine repair by adding braces to the legs. It was about an hours labor for which he charged $35. Got back at 11:15. Ken had a spray can |
of silver paint which made it look good again. Later in the day, a Canadian Coast Guard boat anchored in the lagoon.
It was sunny all day today and got quite warm. Lunch at noon is Polish Sausage and sauerkraut. Ken made dinner for us aboard the Restless Wind of boneless pork cutlets with mashed potatoes and pork gravy. The marina owners, Bill and Jean, invited everyone at the dock to come to a campfire and marshmallow roast at 21:00. She had some good stories to tell. Twelve persons attended. Got back to the boat at 22:30. |
|
DAY 11, Friday June 11, 1999, Lagoon Cove to Waddington Bay, Bonwick Island:Got up at 07:00 and started breakfast of bacon, eggs and hash browns. I could see that the Canadian Coast Guard boat had overnighted in the lagoon. Had the dishes washed by 08:30. Our destination today is Waddington Bay on Retreat Passage. The Restless Wind pulled out at 09:15 and plans to do some fishing along the way. We will meet up in Waddington Bay. I watered up and pulled out at 10:12 heading toward Knight Inlet. It's a beautiful sunny and warm day. Out of the harbour there is a moderate southerly wind. I see porpoises jumping about 500 feet ahead just past Bennett Point. One hour out of Lagoon Cove heading almost due west in Knight Inlet the QE Too is making about 7.5 knots at 1540 RPM travelling with the wind, but against the tide. Tribune Point is about 1.5 nm ahead. Arrived Waddington Bay anchorage at 13:00. |
Polish sausage and sauerkraut, dill banquet pickle and Canadian dry white wine. There is a brisk easterly wind in the anchorage, but it is not a cold wind. This is supposed to be a firm anchorage, so I hope that it is. I made some butterscotch pudding for dinner tonight. Dishes cleaned up by 14:25. The wind now is quite warm. The temperature inside the boat with the windows partly open is 77°F. I took a ride in the dinghy to explore the bay. Lots of marine life including star fish and urchins.
I made spaghetti for dinner. The butterscotch pudding was not yet thoroughly chilled so we will have it tomorrow. At 20:30 it is still a warm wind and it is 75°F inside the boat. |
|
DAY 12, Saturday June 12, 1999, Waddington Bay to Echo Bay, Gilford Island:The weather has warmed up considerably. The temperature inside the boat before turning on the heater was 66°F. Previously it had been around 55°and sometimes only 50°. I had the heater on only 10 minutes before it got so warm that I had to turn it off. Of course the stove top burners were also on, so that helped too. The sky is a thin overcast and you can see the sun shining through the overcast. I am making oatmeal for breakfast with apricot nectar and coffee. Ken took the dog out at 08:25.Departed Waddington Bay at 09:12 heading for Echo Bay. Arrived at Echo Bay Windsong Sea Village Resort at 10:04. Very calm here on the inside of the dock. It is quite warm. With all the doors open it is 74°F inside the boat. The bakery has moved here. I am the only pleasure boat at the guest docks with just two fishing boats. The alternator stopped charging on the way here from Waddington Bay. I will first troubleshoot the connections, then if that is not the problem I will install the spare alternator. All the connections looked alright, so I put in the old Motorola alternator. It squealed a bit but it charges the battery. Had a |
shower for $3. Have heard that there will be strong winds. It's 14:20 and the strong winds are coming in now. It is 80°F now inside the boat, even though the sky is overcast. A few other pleasure boats came in later, two trawlers and two sailboats. The CHB trawler "Loon" from the Duwamish Yacht Club moored on the Windsong dock, the others moored on the Echo Bay Resort docks. The "Loon" is the same boat that we saw in Ballet Bay several days ago. The lady on the "Loon" is flying back to Seattle tomorrow via Kenmore Air at 12:30. I may try to fly the inoperative alternator back to Seattle on that flight.
For lunch I made a salad and had the last of the Polish sausage. The wind subsided and it began to rain lightly. Ken, who decided to moor the Restless Wind in Shoal Harbour just west of Echo Bay, came over before dinner and we sat under a canopy and talked with the resort owner, " Muffin". The couple from the "Loon" also came over and we discussed cruising. He is heading for Alaska. His wife flies back on Kenmore Air tomorrow, heading back to work in Atlanta, GA. He is a retired Delta Air Lines pilot. Dinner at 19:00 consisted of carrot sticks, the left-over spaghetti, a pickle, and some Poulsbo bread which I purchased at the Echo Bay Resort store. The sea is very calm now except for waves from boat traffic. Glad I am moored headed into the boat waves. |
|
DAY 13, Sunday June 13, 1999, Echo Bay to Lagoon Cove:Partly cloudy and warm this morning. Breakfast at 08:30 was bacon, eggs and a pancake with orange juice and coffee. There are high southerly winds today and not a good time to cruise over to Alert Bay to repair the alternator. I may wait here until tomorrow so I decided to disassemble the alternator to see if I could tell what was wrong. It turned out to be a broken brush holder assembly and a broken brush. I could repair it myself if I could get another holder assembly and a new brush. I went to the Echo Bay Resort store to call home, when I found that my son Philip had sent me a FAX confirming that he would pick up the alternator from Kenmore Air today and get it repaired Monday, then ship it to Refuge Cove on Thursday, the next available flight. But I decided not to send the entire alternator back for repair since I could do it myself, once I had the parts. And besides, the bearing on the replacement alternator (the Motorola alternator) did not sound too good. It kind of squealed. If that bearing should fail, then I would need the original alternator to carry the belt, since that belt also turns the water pump. I called Philip to say that I would not be shipping the alternator to Kenmore via Kenmore Air this afternoon and the all I needed was the brush holder assembly and brushes. So he will attempt to send these parts back to me via the Kenmore Air flight on Thursday to Refuge Cove. |
I decided that I needed to head for Refuge Cove to meet the Thursday flight, so pulled out of Echo Bay Windsong Sea Village at 12:20 heading for Lagoon Cove. The Motorola alternator bearing squeals on startup, but then quiets down. Hope it holds together! Made a bologna and lettuce sandwich for lunch with a dill pickle and beer. There are some gusty winds, but Cramer Passage is not bad. I will go up Knight Inlet if it isn't too rough, otherwise I'll cut over to Clio Channel. It is mostly sunny and warm now. At 14:00 I reached Knight Inlet and it was a little rough, but not too rough for the QE Too. However, I was bucking a 2 knot current, so I decided to go the Clio Channel route. In Eliot Passage it was much smoother. It's 77°F inside the boat with no heat on. Rounding Nicholas Point at 15:15. Getting the same wind in Clio Channel as in Knight Inlet, but this is probably a little less rough than Knight Inlet. About one hour to Lagoon Cove. Further on, Clio Channel got smoother. Arrived Lagoon Cove Marina at 16:20 and fueled up with 113.2 litters (61.9¢ per liter, or about $1.67 USD per US gallon). That was 2¢ per liter more than a few days ago. Got 30 Amp power for $6. They are having another marshmallow roast tonight at 21:00. Had a good shower aboard the boat.
Dinner began with a smoked salmon appetizer. Then a salad followed by macaroni and cheese. I plan on leaving at 04:30 tomorrow to make the early slack in Chatham Channel so I can make it to Blind Channel. If Johnstone Strait is not too rough, I may go to Blind Channel past Helmcken Island and through Mayne Passage. |
|
DAY 14, Monday June 14, 1999, Lagoon Cove to Blind Channel, West Thurlow Island:It looked foggy out early this morning, so changed my mind about leaving at 04:30. After an oatmeal breakfast at about 08:30, I pulled out of Lagoon Cove Resort at 10:30. It is mostly sunny with thin clouds. Am getting 7.0 knots in Chatham Channel with 1600 RPM. At 11:12 on Chatham Channel, I saw a bear with two cubs. Passed two Microsoft Billionaire cruisers going northwards. The largest one was the "Blitzen". The water is dead calm in Havannah Channel, but watch out for driftwood! There are some nasty logs. Another bologna sandwich on the Poulsbo Bread for lunch. Got to use up the stuff while it's still fresh. Rounding the Broken Islands and into Johnstone Strait at 12:25. This is as smooth as I have ever seen Johnstone Strait; just a 3 inch ripple. A light breeze from the south is cooler. There are two barges passing ahead of me, one going left and the other going right. More barges in the distance. Lots of logs here. I saw what looks like a low lying fog bank ahead between Hardwick Island and Helmcken Island. Ten minutes later it has disappeared and I think it was a mirage.Passing the entrance to Port Neville at 13:57, although I am on the opposite side of Johnstone Strait. About six inch to one foot waves now. There are snowy peaks on both sides of the strait. I am dodging a lot of driftwood. Vancouver Island is 0.18 nm off of my starboard bow approaching Hickey Point. Now the sea is almost smooth again. Passing the Hickey Point light at 14:04. There are a lot of logs here. Am making 6.5 knots at 1600 RPM. From here you can look down Sunderland Channel at some snow covered peaks on the mainland. You think that you are heading south, but it is more east than south. The water continues to get calmer. |
It's like glass now and I see a spectacular waterfall beside me and up about 500 feet or so on Vancouver Island. Very mountainous here, right down to the water. Across from Sunderland Channel at 14:20 I have just come into an abrupt increase in current and am getting 8.9 knots now. The edge of it looked like a mini rip tide. This is beautiful cruising. Really smooth. Magnificent mountains on both sides. There's another waterfall. This is like being in the mountains, except that you have to dodge driftwood. The scenery is exceptional. Have slowed to 7.5 knots now. It is sunny and warm. Passing Kelsey Bay across the Strait to starboard at 14:48. There is a slight waterfall across Earl Ledge on Hardwick Island. I've picked up to 13 knots now. The current prediction for Camp Point is 6.3 knots at this time while I am heading into Race Passage. The water looks dead still, but it is moving at least 5 knots. I'm doing 10 knots now. Passing Camp Point at 15:18 with 6.0 knots flood current and doing 12.4 knots at 1615 RPM. Arrived Blind Channel at 17:16. It is 82°F here. Six other boats at the docks, including the "Kalama" from Tacoma. Moorage here is 50¢ per foot. Gasoline is 69.6¢ per liter. Laundry is $2 per washer load and the dryer is $2. I put in my laundry before dinner. For dinner at 18:30, I made a salad and had the rest of the macaroni & cheese. The 8 oz. bottle of Italian salad dressing is almost empty. At 19:40 it is beginning to cool off and is now quite comfortable. I talked to the resort owners, Mr. & Mrs. Richter. They were looking good. There were about three parties in the restaurant. Also talked to a logging contractor who pulled up in a skiff at Blind Channel with his black Labrador. He said that it was very unusual for so much driftwood to be in Johnstone Strait. The slack before flood tomorrow in Gillard Passage is at 12:21 and it is 16.55 nm to Big Bay, so I will have to leave Blind Channel at about 09:20 to make it to Big Bay through Gillard Passage. Tomorrows flood in Gillard Pass is 12.1 knots, so that will be something to watch. Hope nobody is trying to go through at that time, but we will see! Closing up the boat now at 21:00. |
|
The QE Too at Blind Channel, West Thurlow Island |
||
DAY 15, Tuesday June 15, 1999, Blind Channel to Big Bay, Stuart Island:For breakfast I baked blueberry muffins and made sautéed onions and green pepper with bacon bits mixed with scrambled eggs, along with orange juice and coffee. Today started out with bright sunshine, but after breakfast it started to cloud up. There is a forecast of rain. I am heading for Big Bay. Leaving Blind Channel at 08:50. Perfectly calm water, but I am bucking the ebb current. However, I only need to make 4.5 knots to hit the 12:21 slack at Gillard Passage. Passing Goodwin Point at 10:15. Came through Gillard Pass at 12:18, very calm. Arrived Big Bay Marina at 12:30. Smooth passage. Only two other boats here. Mostly cloudy now. Fuel here is 74.5¢ per liter for gasoline and 68¢ per liter for diesel. Pretty quiet around here today except for the rush of the water through Gillard Pass. One boat was on the grid for repair. Moorage for 33 feet was $24.75 and 15 Amp power was $10. They have added to the dock considerably and are building a bakery & pizzeria in the store. |
Lunch at 14:00 began with carrot sticks and a smoked salmon appetizer. Then, guess what, another bologna sandwich. That leaves only three slices of the Poulsbo bread. Complement this with some dill pickle slices and chilled dry white wine from Argentina that I purchased in Blind Channel. Finished this off with raspberry Jell-O for dessert. The man operating the marina was familiar with the Delco alternator and in fact had a spare one for parts. I could have gotten the brush holder from him, but decided to wait until Refuge Cove. It started raining late in the afternoon. Didn't get hungry for dinner until 19:30, when I made a lettuce and tomato salad, which finished the 8 oz. bottle of Italian salad dressing. I used one whole tomato that I got in Blind Channel. Then had the leftover breakfast sauté and also finished the bottle of Argentinean white wine. I'm down to only one slice of the Poulsbo bread. There was still raspberry Jell-O for dessert. The dishes were done by 20:15. It is raining pretty good now and really gloomy out. |
|
DAY 16, Wednesday June 16, 1999, Big Bay to Refuge Cove:The Yuculta Rapids slack before flood is at 13:05. Plan to leave Big Bay by 12:50. Estimated arrival in Refuge Cove is 16:06 based on 21.21 nm at 6.5 knots.Blueberry muffins and oatmeal for breakfast at 07:00. It is mostly cloudy with low laying clouds and a small patch of blue sky. It is raining on and off. A number of sport fishermen have gone out in outboard boats. The water is dead calm. I took a spin around the bay in the dinghy. Saw two places for sale. Lots of space at the public dock. The cell phone is getting six stars signal here. I have seen at least four seaplanes come and go. Two more seaplanes have been here in the last half hour. It's been sunny for the last two hours. For lunch at noon, I made a bacon, fried egg and sliced tomato sandwich, using the last slice of Poulsbo bread, with two strips of crunchy dill pickle on the side. The dishes were all cleaned up by 12:10. I will |
commence the engine start procedure in 30 minutes. Left Big Bay at 12:50. A huge yacht is coming north as I head into Yuculta Rapids. It is sunny and warm. Entering Lewis Channel at 15:00. Arrived Refuge Cove at 17:00. The store closed the same time that I arrived, so I will have to wait until tomorrow to get some salad dressing.
Dinner at 18:00 was from the leftover spaghetti sauce, to which I added some chopped fresh green pepper, which made it taste like new. At this time it is 75°F in Refuge Cove. I understand from the couple on the Venture, which was back at Refuge Cove again (they had been in Grace Harbour for 4 days), that they take garbage over at Squirrel Cove for $3 per large bag. That's really not any more than we pay at home for garbage service, so I will cruise over to Squirrel Cove tomorrow to deposit my garbage. Gloria, my wife, called at 19:00. We talked for almost 10 minutes. The cell phone reception was good. |
|
DAY 17, Thursday June 17, 1999, Refuge Cove to Cortes Bay, Cortes Island:Made some more onion sauté with potatoes and egg and fried some Jimmy Dean sausage. Then out of Refuge Cove at 07:55 to Squirrel Cove to drop off the accumulation of garbage. It is $3 per bag up to 40 lb. Arrived back in Refuge Cove at 09:16.Went to the store and bought a tomato, a head of lettuce, some salad dressing, and a loaf of bread. For lunch, I used the last of the lettuce purchased in Nanaimo (I think) and the tomato purchased in Blind Channel, for a salad and made a salami sandwich. |
My parts came in on Kenmore Air at 15:50. There was only one passenger on board. I started up the boat and left Refuge Cove at 16:00 heading for Cortes Bay. Arrived Cortes Bay at 17:15. Moorage was $16 and power was $3. There were eight other boats here, two of which appeared to be commercial. Get full cell phone reception here. It is dead calm here in Cortes Bay. I installed the new brush holder and brushes in the Delco Remy alternator on the way over and installed it on the engine before dinner. It works!!! Warmed up the leftover spaghetti for dinner. At 19:20, the Coast Guard rescue boat left the harbour at high speed, with three personnel aboard wearing their survival suits. They left from the Seattle Yacht Club outstation. I heard on channel 16 that someone was aground on the reef at Sutil Point. |
|
DAY 18, Friday June 18, 1999, Cortes Bay to Heriot Bay, Quadra Island and return to Cortes Bay:The destination today is Heriot Bay, 16.5 nm. Left Cortes Bay at 06:10. It was a little rough outside of Cortes Bay, but after rounding the Sutil Point it became tolerable. I had secured everything for the rough water, except the sliding door between the main cabin and the bedroom. It slid shut and locked (the privacy lock is on the opposite side). I had to bend a paper clip to press the lock release. After it calmed down a little, I had the leftovers from yesterdays breakfast. It is raining now going up Sutil Channel and getting calmer as I head up the channel. It was completely calm by the time I was passing Rebecca Spit. The beach is absolutely covered with what seems to be fresh driftwood. Arrived Heriot Bay at 08:40. The bay is covered with logs, even in the slips. Some moorage spots are completely blocked by driftwood. There are a lot of old boats moored here. The water surface is covered by an oil slick. This place looks like a dump. Gasoline was 60¢ per liter (over 100 litters), but add to that the GST of 4.2¢ per liter (for a total of about $1.74 USD per US gallon). After refueling, I left Heriot Bay at 09:35 intending to go to Comox. By 10:30 the wind from |
the SE has increased and I have decided to head into it going behind
Hernando Island and go over toward Lund instead of heading for Comox. The going is not too bad here heading into the waves, but I would not like to be caught out in the middle of Georgia Strait in this. The cruise ship "Spirit of '98" passed me at 11:30 just off of Hernando Island. It looks like he is heading for Desolation Sound. Rounding Hernando Island it got a lot rougher, so I pulled into Stag Bay and tied up to a buoy in 45 feet of water. Made a salad and a sandwich for lunch.
At 16:10 I decided to make a run back to Cortes Bay. Heard on the VHF that a sailboat off of Raza Island needed a tow, as its engine was overheating. They were calling Big Bay to see if they knew of any boats heading south. They reported no wind. A nearby cruiser agreed to tow them to Squirrel Cove. That seems like a long way. Arrived Cortes Bay at 16:55 and tied up for the night, maybe longer. For dinner I poached the last piece of frozen cod and accompanied it with boiled baby red potatoes and one poached egg. There is a red tide warning in effect around here. That affects clams, oysters, scallops, mussels, and goeducks. Where I go tomorrow will depend on the winds. You're kind of stuck in Cortes Bay if there are strong winds from the southeast. |
|
DAY 19, Saturday June 19, 1999, Cortes Bay to Pender Harbour, Sechelt Peninsula:I pulled out of Cortes Bay at 07:55. The sea is calm after raining all night. Made some oatmeal for breakfast, with orange juice and coffee. Stopped at Sharps Bay for refueling, 79 liters at 61.9¢ per liter including tax. Left Sharps Bay at 09:05. Along the way I baked some apple-cinnamon muffins and promptly ate three of them. Looking across the Strait at Comox, the seas seem calm enough to cross, but the forecast is for such high SW winds that it made me decide to continue down the east side of Georgia Strait behind Texada Island. Had I awakened earlier, it would have been an easy crossing to Comox. Passing Harwood Island at 11:02. Passing a couple of Microsoft multi-millionaire cruisers heading north. I am bucking a knot or so of current. Passed two more millionaire cruisers at Powell River heading north. Southerly winds are starting to build up now. Doing 6.3 knots now at 1570 RPM. Starting to see some small white caps. Sure wish I had set the alarm for 05:00. Passing Grief Point at 12:15. The sea has built up to two-foot waves with occasional three-footers. Looks |
like I may need to head for Ballet Bay. Several sailboats coming up Malaspina Strait have their colorful spinnakers out. Quite a sight. Passing Albion Point at 13:20. The sea has calmed down just slightly.
Made a salami, cheese and lettuce sandwich at 13:30, accompanied with sliced dill pickles. The water is looking better at 13:40 so I think that I will head for Pender Harbour. Passing Cape Cockburn at 15:05. Getting much rougher here. There is another houseboat type vessel coming up on my port stern. I'm going to speed up to raise the bow because it's getting rougher. Big rollers coming against the starboard side. Arrived Pender Harbour Entrance at 15:50. Tied up at Wally's Fishermans Resort on Hospital Bay by 16:08. There is a really big cruiser here, the Buckeye IV. Moorage with electric power was $30.50 CAD. Quite a few boats in here. The public dock was about 75% full. For dinner I plan to make macaroni and cheese again. Also had a the leftover spaghetti as an appetizer along with a lettuce and tomato salad. Dinner was over and the dishes done by 18:15. I will go and fill the water tanks now. Talked to the owner of a sailboat who also had a laptop computer and the electronic chart display. He uses Chartview and displays his markers on his radar display. |
|
DAY 20, Sunday June 20, 1999, Pender Harbour to Secret Cove, Sechelt Peninsula:Pulled away from dock in Pender Harbour in the rain and dead calm at 05:25. However, outside of Pender Harbour. there was a one to two foot chop rounding Francis Point. I am taking the route behind the Thormanby Islands. I am going to pull in to Secret Cove until this afternoon, when the winds are forecasted to diminish. Tied up to the public dock at 06:55. Made French toast and sausage for breakfast, with orange juice and coffee. It's been raining continuously.Sunday dinner at 13:45 consisted of a lettuce salad and a grilled tenderloin steak (that leaves one more steak). Some boats have left the harbour and I have heard on the radio that some are crossing the strait without difficulty. The winds from here still seem to be fairly strong. |
Looking out of the harbour I can see the low lying clouds moving rapidly from the south, so I think I will wait. The rain is falling at about a 45° angle. The winds seem to be getting worse so I may be here all night! Decided to make some vanilla pudding while I am waiting. Found a rainwater leak below the left front door. It is at the lower aft corner of the door. Will have to figure how it is getting in. For now I put the dishpan under the leak to collect the drops. At 16:00 it is still winding and raining, but the reports from the other side of the strait are easing (only one-foot chop at Entrance Island). Other places, however, are reporting 30 knot winds.
I paid for moorage to stay the night, $19.70 including tax plus $3 for 15A power. A loon swam by with eight chicks. At least two were riding on her back. When one gets behind it scoots ahead by sort of walking on the water. |
|
DAY 21, Monday June 21, 1999, Secret Cove to Nanaimo and on to Otter Bay, North Pender Island:Off the dock at 04:50 heading for Nanaimo. Calm with low clouds and drizzle. Visibility is about one mile and improving. The starboard side windshield wiper failed. I'll have to try and replace it in Nanaimo. Passing Pirate Rock at 05:30 and I can see the Ballenas Islands. It has stopped raining. Whiskey Golf is not active today. I can see some barge traffic out there. Starting to rain again at 06:17 under a dark cloud layer. Sea is a very light ripple with light swells. Vancouver Island is not yet visible. Made some French Toast still using the bread that I bought in Refuge Cove. Entering Whiskey Golf at 06:36. The computer startled me with a loud warning bell. Had to go to the "Properties" setting to deactivate the alarm. When I did so, the red crosshatch changed to blue. I |
am beginning to see part of Vancouver Island at this point. It's 06:57 in the middle of WG and I can now see clearly Five Finger Island. About 50 minutes to Horswell Bluff and the entrance to Departure Bay, Nanaimo. Visibility is better than 6 nm. Leaving WG at 07:20. Passing Horswell Rock at 07:50 and heading into Departure Bay. Arrived Nanaimo fuel dock at 08:24, then pulled up to "J" Dock to run up to the grocery store and get some things at the marine store.
Left Nanaimo at 10:30 heading for the 11:34 slack at Dodd Narrows. Made a salad for lunch with fresh rolls and with imitation crab on the side. Heading for Otter Bay. Arrived at 16:05. Wonderfully calm water all day today. It makes long-distance cruising a real pleasure, because you can do other things while cruising rather than just hold on. Had a light supper of Polish sausage and sauerkraut with fresh rolls and sliced dill pickle. Had a shower and did some laundry. |
|
DAY 22, Tuesday June 22, 1999, Otter Bay to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island:Out of Otter Bay Marina at 10:10 heading for Friday Harbor. I saw a school of porpoise at 11:20 and then saw them diving in front of my boat. I cut the throttle and stood on the bow to watch. I could see them beneath the water and around the boat. The fun lasted for about five minutes. Crossing the Canada-US boarder north of Stuart Island at 11:39. Approaching Green Point on Spieden Island and getting the first non-smooth water, about two-foot chop mixed with three-foot swells. Rounding the point at 12:35 and back to the one-foot chop. Maybe the temporary roughness was a tide rip. Arrived Friday Harbor 13:40 and got customs clearance. |
DAY 23, Wednesday June 23, 1999, Friday Harbor to Langley, Whidbey Island:Cloudy with rain at times. The San Juan Explorer is taking on the morning passengers and the Victoria Clipper III is in port. Decided not to go to Bellingham because of the weather. Left the dock in Friday Harbor at 10:30 heading toward home. At 11:00, the excursion boat "Glacier Spirit" passed me heading into Friday Harbor. It makes a huge wake. I am speeding up to make it through Deception Pass before the ebb current starting at 13:11. Need to average better than 9.6 knots. Made it about 20 minutes before slack. At 15:25 the excursion vessel "Orca Song" passed me heading south about 2.5 nm before Onamac Point, Camano Island. It is a twin hull waterjet vessel. Arrived Langley Boat Harbor at 17:35. Very well protected, although most slips are only about 25 feet. I moored next to a Nordic Tug "TUGetherness" of Port Ludlow. This is a very nice spot now that they have a breakwater. Pan fried the last tenderloin steak for dinner with baby red potatoes and a salad. The weather turned out better than expected. |
|
DAY 24, Thursday June 24, 1999, Langley to Everett:Rained all night. Mostly cloudy this morning, but at least it's not raining. I didn't wake up until 09:15 and all but one of the other boats was gone. That one left while I was fixing breakfast, which was oatmeal, coffee and orange juice. The destination today is Everett, which is only about an hour and a half cruise. There is no wind, the water is calm except for boat swells. Arrived Everett Harbor 12:50. Tied up at the south finger guest dock. My wife Gloria arrived about 18:30 with her sister and brother-in-law, Sylvia and Bill. We all went out to dinner at the Woodfire Restaurant. Got back to the boat at 20:40. |
DAY 25, Friday June 25, 1999, Everett to Cornet Bay, Deception Pass State Park:Up at 07:50. Gloria was awake first. It rained hard all night, but the rain stopped after breakfast. Totally overcast. Fueled up and left the fuel dock at 10:54 heading for Cornet Bay. Arrived Cornet Bay at 16:00. There was a 40 ft. Cruise-A-Home here, the "Carpe' Diem". Baked some fresh salmon for dinner. Tomorrows slack before flood in Deception Pass is at 08:55, so we should plan to leave by 08:30. |
|
DAY 26, Saturday June 26, 1999, Cornet Bay to Friday Harbor:Up at 07:00. It's really sunny out. It gives the appearance of being a promising summer day. Looking out the stern, there is nothing but lovely blue sky. Off the dock at 08:40. Took the route around Iceberg Point and up San Juan Channel. It got a little rough out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca due to swells, but not heavy winds. Arrived Friday Harbor at 11:30 and was assigned to 40-ft slip G28. Went up town to look around and found lots of people here. Had lunch in a waterfront restaurant. For dinner, did barbecued steak and salad on the boat with chocolate pudding for dessert. |
DAY 27, Sunday June 27, 1999, at Friday Harbor:Captain Carl woke up at 04:45 and made some corn meal muffins. The boat across from us pulled out at about 06:00. Gloria slept until 07:15. Captain Carl went for a walk around the docks at 07:25 and was surprised at how many others were up and about. Most boats were still here at 08:30. It's a bright sunny day and essentially calm. Made two trips into town, had lunch at Haley's Bait Shop & Grill, got some groceries, and did a wash. The wash was $2.50 plus $1.25 for dry. |
|
DAY 28, Monday June 28, 1999, Friday Harbor to Deer Harbor, Orcas Island:Gloria got up at 07:10 and Captain Carl slept in another ten minutes. It is raining this morning after a beautiful day yesterday, except for the wind which came up in the afternoon. It started raining sometime during the night. Glad that we made the best of the day yesterday.Left Friday Harbor at 10:10 averaging 5.5 knots. Arrived Deer Harbor at 11:10. The rain has stopped. Moorage here was $33. Holding tank pump-out was $5, but the laundry here is only $1.50. Met a party of four from China who wanted to see whales. Since the regular 14:00 tour was full, they were asking along the docks about the possibility of going out. Later, they got a special tour from the resort. The rental cabins here are super expensive, like from $289 per night and up including a continental breakfast. They have fireplaces and some have hot tubs. |
There is not much to do around here except talk to other boaters. The couple moored next to us have a new 24-foot Sea Sport. It has a 5.7 liter Volvo contra-rotating I/O drive and can do 47 MPH, but normally cruises at 30 MPH. He says that he gets 4 miles per gallon. A young boy (about 9 or 10 years old) wearing a staff shirt came around pushing a cart and asked if we had any garbage. Gloria asked him how much he charged for garbage pickup and he said "Nothing really, but tips are happily accepted". Then she asked him how late the store was open and he said it might be 10:00 but would she like him to find out for sure. She said "yes" and he went off. When he returned later with the confirmation that the store was indeed open until 10:00, Gloria handed him a 25¢ tip. His face brightened up and he said "Thank you very much". Two little kids from a 24 ft Oak Harbor boat the "Whale's Song" were particularly interested in collecting kelp. They laid them on the dock to see which pieces were the longest. They also had a long haired Golden Retriever which seemed to enjoy the children's activities, and especially romping on the beach. |
|
DAY 29, Tuesday June 29, Deer Harbor to Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island and on to Roche Harbor, San Juan Island:Up at 08:10. Overcast but calm and cool but not cold. A bunch of up-in-years people dressed in scruffy camping attire got out of a long skiff along with boxes and luggage. They must be camping on an outer island. The closest State Park from here is Jones Island; so maybe they camped here. Today we are heading for another State Park, Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island. Gloria is making a fine one pan breakfast of fried |
potatoes, bacon, onions, and scrambled eggs. Just before we ate it started to rain. Commenced engine start procedures at 10:15 and pulled out at 10:35. Arrived Prevost Harbor at noon. Had lunch and took a nap.
Heard from the weather reports that high winds are predicted for tomorrow, so decided to head for Roche Harbor tonight instead of tomorrow. Left Prevost Harbor at 17:00. Arrived Roche Harbor at 18:20. Moored at guest float 12A. Gloria went to the store to buy some popcorn. The same people with the two little children that were having so much fun in Deer Harbor, were here too. |
|
DAY 30, Wednesday June 30, 1999, at Roche Harbor:Up at 07:30. Made some muffins for breakfast along with orange juice and coffee. Captain Carl took out the dinghy to explore the bay. Lots of boats and lots of waterfront homes around here. Had cup-o-noodles for lunch. Decided to refill the propane tank, but after hauling the tank up to the fuel dock I was extremely disgusted to find from the female fuel dock operator that their propane facility had a broken handle and that she could not dispense propane. I think that if it were a male operator, he would have found some way to operate the valve with a wrench. Being so disgusted, Captain Carl had a shower and took a nap. Gloria was studying charts and the guide book descriptions to decide where to go tomorrow.We had dinner reservations in the Roche Harbor dining room at 17:30 for dinner. We both had the rock salt roasted prime rib which was very good. The waitress who's name was Stacie, recognized us from the othe day when we had lunch in Friday Harbor at Haley's Bait Shop & Grill. She and her husband are the owners of that place. Had dessert on the boat of custard with whipped cream topping. |
DAY 31, Thursday July 1, 1999, Roche Harbor to Blakely Island Marina:Up at 08:00. The destination today is Blakely Island. Pulled out of Roche Harbor at 09:40. Saw seven kayaks in white caps in San Juan Channel west of Jones Island. Saw the Sidney ferry going north of Jones Island. Passed the "Island Spirit" excursion boat at 10:43 coming out of Deer Harbor. Arrived Blakely Island Marina at noon. Assigned to slip A10. It is a nice sunny day here. Five other boats came in after we did. At about 16:00 it turned to intermittent rain. Tried to make jiffy-pop popcorn, but it does not do so good on a gas burner. Only a fraction of it would pop. Gloria made Beef Stroganoff for dinner. Had chocolate pudding for dessert with whipped topping. Tomorrow we will head for La Conner. |
|
DAY 32, Friday July 2, 1999, Blakley Island Marina to La Conner on the Swinomish Channel:Up at 06:00. It is raining again, but calm after yesterdays high winds. Probably rained half the night. We want to get an early start to take advantage of the smooth waters. Left the dock at 06:30. Stopped at the Boaters Discount Center in La Conner, then to the gas dock, and finally tied up at the Port of Skagit County La Conner Marina at 11:30. Changed the engine oil since they had a waste oil dump here. Met the owners of a 63 ft converted tug boat. Walked up to town and had dinner in the La Conner Seafood & Prime Rib House restaurant. |
DAY 33, Saturday July 3, 1999, La Conner to Langley:Up at 06:00. It rained all night again. Off the dock in La Conner at 07:30 in light rain. Arrived Langley Boat Harbor at 11:40. It has stopped raining. Met the harbormaster Ben Reams. He has lived here for 60 years. Walked up to town and had pizza for lunch. Gloria went shopping and found a nice basket, a pitcher, and two beautiful blue-green bowls. Had leftovers for dinner, but had fresh strawberries for dessert. |
|
DAY 34, Sunday July 4, 1999, Langley to Eagle Harbor, Bainbridge Island:Up at 07:30. It's cloudy, but not raining. The destination today is Eagle Harbor (Winslow, on Bainbridge Island). We will probably have to anchor out because this is the Fourth of July weekend. Bacon and eggs for breakfast. Left Langley at 10:20. The sea is dead calm. Got kind of choppy around Possession Point, but smoothed out again at Edmonds. Turned into a beautiful sunny day by the time we got to Shilshole. Saw the Princess Marguerite III coming out of Seattle and Gloria took a picture of it. Got into Eagle Harbor at 14:15 and tied up to the linear moorage for 25¢ per foot. There were lots of boats at the QCYC outstation and a big party. There were also some festivities at the public park including a rock band. A float attached to the public dock rents small boats including two swan boats. Gloria got a picture of one of the swan boats. About 15:30 it started raining again. It had been such a beautiful day up to now. However, by 15:55 it stopped raining and the sun was back out. Gloria prepared spaghetti for tomorrows dinner. Dinner tonight will be broiled steaks with baked potato and corn. |
DAY 35, Monday July 5, 1999, Eagle Harbor to Narrows Marina:Up at 07:30. The destination today is Narrows Marina. For breakfast we made French Toast with coffee and orange juice. Leave Eagle Harbor at 09:35. Took a side trip into Blakely Harbor. Lots of boats were anchored here. Sea has gotten quite choppy by the time we got to Point Defiance. Arrived Narrows Marina 14:15. |
|
End of trip. The total cruise distance traveled was 925 nautical miles. |