Our plan originally was to make a really quick trip to the north end of Vancouver Island, then slow down on the Central Coast. Today we were supposed to run through the Gulf Islands to Nanaimo, so we’d be in position to run up the Strait of Georgia to Campbell River the next day. The weather isn’t cooperating, though. The Strait looks too bumpy on Monday, Tuesday, and maybe Wednesday. … Read more
Safe Harbour (Sam Landsman) Off to Alaska! Despite my best efforts, the last few weeks before departure always end up frenzied: endless trips Fisheries Supply, Costco, the supermarket; last-minute boat maintenance; visiting friends and family before the extended absence. Safe Harbour’s trip to Alaska this year started at Salmon Bay Marine Center on the Lake Washington Ship Canal. I’ve been fortunate to have been moored there all winter, and I’m … Read more
After wrapping up our last Vancouver Island flotilla, Kevin and I flew from Victoria to NY for some work and some fun, and then returned and met up with Kevin’s mom for some Gulf Island cruising. We went around from Sidney to Tod Inlet and anchored there for the night. The next day we dinghied in to Butchart Cove and spent most of the day exploring Butchart Gardens. Kevin and … Read more
September 15 – We left Port Renfrew at 6:30 a.m. for the last leg of the flotilla — the 50+ mile section from Port Renfrew to Victoria. We took advantage of the flood current we’d have for the first part of the day, with between 1 and 2 knots of current pushing us along for the first several hours. The Strait of Juan de Fuca was exceptionally calm today, with … Read more
September 14 – We’d hoped to spend a couple nights in Effingham Bay, but today looked like a great day on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Rather than push our luck for one more night in the Broken Group, we decided to take advantage of the calm and head towards Victoria. We were spoiled again by the ocean. Light winds, decent visibility, favorable current most of the day, and … Read more
September 13 – Effingham Island is the largest island in the outermost cluster of islands in the Broken Group, and the Effingham Bay anchorage is a great base from which to explore the many surrounding rocky islets, sea caves, and driftwood-strewn beaches by dinghy. We’d crossed paths a couple times earlier in the week with friends Alison and Kevin on Red Rover, a Nordhavn 55, and today we finally managed … Read more
September 12 – We’re starting to analyze the weather for our run in the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria. Based on the current models, it looks like we’ll have a good two days to make the run this weekend, September 15 and 16. With three more days in Barkley Sound, we figured we’d head to Bamfield today, explore a bit, and then head out to Effingham Bay for the … Read more
September 11 – Barkley Sound is nearly deserted this time of year. We’ve only seen a couple other cruising boats, so we figured we’d likely be able to get at least a few spots at the dock at the Port Alberni Yacht Club outstation in Robbers Passage. This is a wonderful stop, with short trails to walk around on ashore and an amazing coastline nearby to explore by dinghy. The docks … Read more