Low Tide Rebecca Spit

At Rebecca Spit the shoreline falls off very quickly. We anchored in about 30 feet of water but sometimes the boat was in 90 feet. The tide change was about 10 feet. The anchor heald well so we were very comfortable.

Al...Herriot Bay

The Heriot Bay Inn and marina was a very good stop. We could provision at the nearby grocery store which had most everything except minced clams and anchoves. The dinning room had great dinners out on the deck. We had prime rib and Yorkshire Pudding the first night and returned for halibut the second night. The docks were rickety but safe and the BC ferry for Cortes pulls in right next door. We went in the dingy around the bay to explore the local islands and shoreside homes.

Cortes Ferry

This BC ferry goes from Heriot Bay, Quadra Island to Whaletown, Cortes Island carrying cars, trucks and passengers. It lands at Heriot Bay right next to the HBI marina, so we were aware of each landing by the noise and wake of the ferry. Added to the interest of the place.

Herriot Bay

Deadhead

This dead head is on its side at low tide on Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island. However, at high tide it is barely floating vertically so that all you can see is the end of it sticking out of the water. Fortunately, someone staked it with a bright orange marker to make it easier to see. Some times large dead heads have sea gulls perched on them so they are more obvious. Other times you are fortunate to see them or miss them and see them float by. They are particularly frequent right after low tide.

Dangerous Deadhead!

Patch, Kathy & Dan Schwarz

We anchored for two nights at Rebecca spit on Quadra Island. The Schwarz's, friends from the yacht club pulled in later and anchored next to us. We ended up having cocktails (green box) on our boat the first night, then we had cocktails and salmon dinner on their boat the next night. Dan is running for rear commodore this year and is campaigning discretely. Kathy is making fudge for members as a promotion for Dan. They are a fun couple. They have a 32 foot Grand Banks power boat. Dan was a captain in the merchant marine and managed the UW oceanographic research boats before he retired.

Rebecca Spit

Rebecca Spit is a Provincial Park on the east side of Quadra Island. Great trails,  beach walking, camping, and anchorage for boats. We spent two nights on the hook and explored the park by foot after dinging ashore to the nearby beach. After this we went to near by Heriot Bay Inn marina for two nights.

Sunset April Pt.

We left Blind Channel and cruised down Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage through the Seymour Narrows at slack tide. The timing of slack required a hour layover at Brown Bay to fuel up with desil and have breakfast. Our destination was April Point Resort on Quadra Island across the Passage from Campbell River. The marina was in need of repair, but the Lodge was very nice with a great view of the Passage and Vancouver Island mountains. We had a great lunch on the deck, sushi for dinner and watched the sun set from the deck.

BC Ferry and downtown Campbell River

This BC ferry goes from Campbell River on the eastside of Vancouver Island across the Discovery Passage to Quadra Island. You can then get another ferry on the other side of Quadra to go to Cortes Island. They both are relatively short trips and used by the locas to get to Campbell River, the main large town in the area.

Sunset at April Point

Sushi Sisters!

We decided go back to the Lodge to have sushi for dinner.  What a surprise to find that two gals were the sushi chefs.  They grew up in the Campbell River area and their parents owned a popular sushi restaurant for many years.   The parents are now retired but these two sisters and their brother "roll sushi" and have been doing it for quite a while!  Sushi was delicious.  Choice was far more limited than we are accustomed to in Seattle!

April Pt

After leaving Blind Channel we went west on Mayne Channel to the Johnstone Straight.  We left


View north from April Point



early (5.55am!) hoping to traverse the south end of Johnstone Straight before the winds picked up.   We were on a flood tide and  easily made 8k+ knots so we arrived at the Seymour Narrows well ahead of schedule.  We put on fuel and waited at Brown Bay until just before slack and passed through this area with fairly mild currents and riptides just before slack water.  This is the most treacherous of the rapids we encountered and what a relief to have no difficulty.  With both the wind and the tide behind us we cruised through with relative ease. 

Shortly after we pulled into the marina at April Pt.   This is a popular spot for Seattle boaters to leave their boat for trips back to Seattle or to pick up passengers.  It is part of a lovely lodge and fishing guide location.  We had lunch on the deck at the Lodge and later sushi for dinner!  (See next post!) 



Clearing Chatham Point

This is Chatham Point where the Johnstone Straight meets the Discovery Passage.  Frequently there can be strong winds and currents but when we passed early this morning we were blessed with calm seas and a lovely morning.

Rainy quiet day....we did a puzzle!

We awoke to a fairly cool, rainy, foggy Sunday morning so we decided to just hang around the boat and relax.   (NO charts, or tide/current tables today!)  In the afternoon we did a puzzle which was the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego.  Ate dinner on the boat....tomorrow laundry and a small hike to an 800 year old cedar tree and maybe some plans for where we will go next.

Going to dinner, Blind Channel

We arrived at BC around noon after an early morning passage through DentRapids and a morning wait at Calm Bay. We dropped the hook and made breakfast while we waited for slack water at Blind Channel.  We decided to wait here for a few days relaxing. It's a modest but extremely well managed marina (4 generations!) with a terrific restaurant. Al had goulash and spaetzle for dinner and I had mussels and spot prawn. Well stocked store sells homemad bread and cinnamon rolls! We r miles frm ANYWHERE and no cell service! Will head back south frm here in a few days.

Our Friend Craig on No Worries

Once again at Dent Island Lodge we ran into our new friend Craig and today I said we needed to introduce him on the blog!  Tonite he invited us to his beautiful boat and then we had dinner together at the Dent Island Lodge.   Craig and his partner, Matt live in Bridle Trails.  Craig is our on No Worries most of the summer and Matt joins him when he can.   Small world....Craig lived in Avila when we lived in Tampa!

Pancakes for breakfast at Big Bay

This morning (7. 20) we had to wait a long time for the time to change so we altered our usual cereal breakfast and made blueberry pancakes.   It is not cold but very rainy today!

At 11:30 we went through the rapids (which are "calm" at slack) a short distance to the lovely Dent Island Lodge.  

Al charting for tomorrow

We are in very new territory and so in the evening we read and reread the charts, the tide and current tables and all the books we bought beforehand.  (I thought Al had bought too many books but now I'm thankful for each one of them!) To those who've made this trip for years some of this may be a piece of cake but to us there is much to learn before we start out each day.   The road ends in Lund, BC which we past last week.  Everything in this part of the world arrives by boat or float plane.   

Prideaux Haven

Prideaux Haven is one of the most popular stops in Desolation Sound.  We spent two nights there on the hook.   It has gorgeous views of snow capped mtns all around.   And as might be expected lots and lots of boats....big and small.    The weather was hot and many were jumping right off their boats to swim.  We found a lovely lagoon and jumped in off our dinghy.  It was delightful.   Photo doesn't do it justice so will try and later add some of Al's shots.

After dinner at Gorge Harbour Marina, The Gorge, Cortes

A local trio of folk singers provided wonderful entertainment after we
had an outstanding dinner at the Floathouse Restaurant.

Margie enjoying her kayak

Margie really enjoys getting around the harbors in her kayak. She gets up close and personal with the shore line, other boats and any other features such as wild life. We carry it on our port side. It is inflatable and very light for us old folks to manage.

Al shucking oysters

OYSTERS FOR DINNER!

This morning at low tide we picked up oysters on the beach at the outstation.  Actually we had to pry most of them off rocks.  We took them back to the boat for Al to shuck.   Tonite we will have fried oysters and tomorrow oyster stew!  Then we took the shells back to the beach....which is what you are supposed to do. Al is worried that we will get PSP but the Manager told us that the beach is safe!  Here's hoping he is right!

Heather Proctor

 

While we were collecting oysters a couple came along and we introduced ourselves.   The gal asked if I was Matt Einstein's mother!   She then introduced herself as Heather Proctor Sheenan(?)   Then she explained to her husband Dillion that she went to school with Matthew from 2-6th grades at St. Thomas!  Nice gal....she lives with her physcian husband and two children 4 and 6 in San Diego.   They were visiting her Dad, Rod and step-mother for a week of cruising.

Green box at Cortes

 

Quite a few boats came into the oustation yesterday....all of them LARGE (over 50').  One of them was HUGE....83'.   Turns out it is owned by John Fluke, Jr.!  He and his 2nd wife Lynne, and their son Adam were the only people aboard.   They tied up RIGHT next to us!  

Happens that a Green Box was organized for last evening.   (For those of you who don't know what a Green Box is, it's the SYC version of a cocktail gathering....everyone brings their  own beverage and some nibbly to share!)   It was a very congenial group.   John and Lynne joined the gathering and I ended up having a long......chat with Lynne! Most interesting!

Entering Desolation Sound

This is our first few of Desolation Sound and after all these years it was very exciting for both of us to finnally get here.   We came from Garden Bay up the Malaspina Strait past the town of Powell River and the treacherous Grief Point.  Fortunately for us the trip was uneventful.   Despite the flood tide and the NW wind which thankfully was weak we did not encounter heavy seas and actually enjoyed the 6 1/2 hour journey.   We had some difficulty finding the enterance to Cortes Bay, having been warned of rocks at the entrance but Al carefully followed theChart Plotter and we had no trouble.   The new SYC manager took a line and gave us a warm welcome on the dock.  We were so happy to be here.

Passing Powell River

On the way to Cortes

Left GB @ 6:45am....lovely day...calm seas...just saw 2 or 3 orcas swim by

Chores!

Al is putting on water before our am departure!

Lilly with statue

Whale

Lunch in Madera Park

Yummy onion rings!

Grandpa gets a haircut!

We Finally Made It!

After looking forward for many years to coming to the Sunshine Coast and Desolation Sound on our sailboat, we finally made it.   We spent last night in the Gulf Islands at Silva Bay and early this morning crossed the Straight of Georgia to Garden Bay where SYC has a lovely outstation.   Our crossing was relatively easy with a flood tide and light winds from the SE.  We made the crossing in less than 3 hours and arrived at Garden Bay in less than 5 hours.   We will stay here a few days exploring and then head further north.  Weather is terrific as you can see from this photo.

Small world!

Today as we went through Welcome Passage we encountered a group of kayakers.  Al slowed for them and so did they.   Before we knew it someone was yelling, "Hey, Al."  Turns out that among the group was Dennis and Ingrid our sailboat neighbors from Elliott Bay Marina.   They are visiting friends at a nearby island.  Tonite they came to the Garden Bay Outstation for a BBQ and stopped by to visit.  It is a very small world!

The O's come to visit aboard the Lochearn Lassie

The O's came aboard the WA State Ferry from Anacortes to Sydney, BC on the Fourth of July.  We set off right away for Otter Bay on North Pender Island.   This is a small, family friendly marina with a heated pool, playground and  relaxed atmosphere.  Lilly and Nanna decorated the boat and we had an all American supper of Hamburgers, potato salad and apple pie.  Afteer a few days we went to Ganges on Salt Spring Island, the largest town in the Canadian Gulf Islands.



Grandpa helps Henry Fish!

Nanna helps Henry with his Stickers while we are underway!







.  

Heading back to the boat after lunch in town.

Saturday morning we went to the Ganges Farmer's Market.  Lilly discovered the lady with the broad beans who gave her a sample to taste.  We bought some and then Lilly and Nanna shelled the beans and cooked them for dinner.  Very delicious!  Henry like them too!  Grandpa tried to catch some crabs but we only got one so we went to the fish store and bought 4 big Dungeness Crabs which we cooked for dinner,   Yummy!

Visit with the Kecks

We had a lovely visit on Orcas Island with our dear friends Rich and Elise Keck.  We have visited them many times before.  Their home is high a top a hill on the western side of Orcas with views that go almost 360.  Elise made a delicious dinner and then they drove us back to Deer Harbor Marina.  

Quiet evening aboard the Lochearn Lassie Lassir