End of Summer Cruise - September 4-8, 2014
As the season comes to an end, the Port Nut ventures out one more time to squeeze a last cruising opportunity out of what was a great summer. We headed out of Vanier Park and through Burrard Inlet, passing Lonsdale Quay where the Mexican tall ship Cuauhtemoc was docked. The weather was fabulous and we then continued via the Second Narrows to Belcarra where we stopped for lunch. After a restful pause, we made our way northward into Indian Arm and spent the night at the Twin Islands dock. It is small but the only other vessel there was a double kayak.
The next day, we cruised slowly up Indian Arm to Granite Falls. Enroute, we marveled anew at the Gothic structure which is the Buntzen Powerhouse. Later, we arrived at Granite Falls Provincial Park to find that the dock there was full as so many other boaters were taking advantage of the gorgeous weather. We anchored out and set our crab trap just in case there was one or two creatures that had evaded capture over the summer. Later, we would get a slot at the dock where we slept soundly on our second night out.
The next day, we started our return trip but discovered that somehow, our crab trap had disappeared. This is becoming a pattern when we leave our trap un-watched near Vancouver. [Note to self: Some boaters are thieves] The cruise southbound was through placid water and picturesque scenery. We stopped to see a waterfall and, all too soon, had arrived at Deep Cove where we tied up at the dock and had lunch. Impatient to get going again, we continued onward passing a regatta of colourful sailboats and then fighting the last of the incoming current beneath the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. It was a hard slog against a 3+ knot flow. Our maximum speed is only 8 knots, so our speed over the ground was 4 knots at this point.
Burrard Inlet was churning with boat traffic and we bumped our way west to the Lion's Gate Bridge where we paused to watch two cruise ships exit the harbour. These giants are on runs to Alaska where they visit Glacier Bay and then return to Vancouver. While at Deep Cove, we briefly met a Montreal couple who had arrived earlier that day and had enjoyed spectacular weather during their Alaska trip. Now, the same ships were headed back up north.
That night, we anchored in False Creek and were about to sleep soundly when a fireworks display broke out. We had not expected it as we had not seen any advertisement, so it came as a surprise. Unfortunately, it was too far away to have a good view, although the sound from it arrived at our location quite clearly.
The next day, we picked up Michael (our son), Dan and Michelle and went on a harbour cruise. We motored over to Caulfeild Cove and had lunch. Then we cruised along the West Vancouver shoreline and under the Lion's Gate Bridge to Harbourgreen Park. The kids went ashore while Rosa and I kept an eye on the boat as the chop is pretty awful at this location. We then took them past the Vancouver waterfront before crossing over the the Lonsdale Quay to see the Attessa, a yacht complete with helicopter owned by a wealthy family. [If you are reading this in Dubai, the Attessa may not seem very impressive, but by Vancouver standards, it is] We dropped the kids off before going out to dinner at the Afghan Horsemen Restaurant, a local restaurant whose food we have been enjoying for over 30 years. As usual, it was outstanding and provided us with lunch for the next day as well.
After another peaceful slumber in the bosom of False Creek we took the Port Nut out into English Bay for a last burn. We had to wait for the tide to rise so that we could retrieve the boat. After doing so, we left it on the trailer and took a last walk to Granville Island Public Market for an afternoon coffee where we met some people from Kitimat: Maria, Aida and Uli, with whom we had a pleasant chat. Maria and I attended the same school.
Now it is time to winterize the boat as other commitments will preclude any further cruising this year. The boat is just shy of 800 hours and has provided us with very good entertainment. As the cruising season comes to an end, I hope that whoever reads our stories and sees our photos is enjoying the ride too. I know that the site is open for the whole world to see and it pleases me that I can showcase the beautiful coast and provide some insight into cruising the local waters. Whoever you are and wherever you are, I wish you peace.
The next day, we cruised slowly up Indian Arm to Granite Falls. Enroute, we marveled anew at the Gothic structure which is the Buntzen Powerhouse. Later, we arrived at Granite Falls Provincial Park to find that the dock there was full as so many other boaters were taking advantage of the gorgeous weather. We anchored out and set our crab trap just in case there was one or two creatures that had evaded capture over the summer. Later, we would get a slot at the dock where we slept soundly on our second night out.
The next day, we started our return trip but discovered that somehow, our crab trap had disappeared. This is becoming a pattern when we leave our trap un-watched near Vancouver. [Note to self: Some boaters are thieves] The cruise southbound was through placid water and picturesque scenery. We stopped to see a waterfall and, all too soon, had arrived at Deep Cove where we tied up at the dock and had lunch. Impatient to get going again, we continued onward passing a regatta of colourful sailboats and then fighting the last of the incoming current beneath the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. It was a hard slog against a 3+ knot flow. Our maximum speed is only 8 knots, so our speed over the ground was 4 knots at this point.
Burrard Inlet was churning with boat traffic and we bumped our way west to the Lion's Gate Bridge where we paused to watch two cruise ships exit the harbour. These giants are on runs to Alaska where they visit Glacier Bay and then return to Vancouver. While at Deep Cove, we briefly met a Montreal couple who had arrived earlier that day and had enjoyed spectacular weather during their Alaska trip. Now, the same ships were headed back up north.
That night, we anchored in False Creek and were about to sleep soundly when a fireworks display broke out. We had not expected it as we had not seen any advertisement, so it came as a surprise. Unfortunately, it was too far away to have a good view, although the sound from it arrived at our location quite clearly.
The next day, we picked up Michael (our son), Dan and Michelle and went on a harbour cruise. We motored over to Caulfeild Cove and had lunch. Then we cruised along the West Vancouver shoreline and under the Lion's Gate Bridge to Harbourgreen Park. The kids went ashore while Rosa and I kept an eye on the boat as the chop is pretty awful at this location. We then took them past the Vancouver waterfront before crossing over the the Lonsdale Quay to see the Attessa, a yacht complete with helicopter owned by a wealthy family. [If you are reading this in Dubai, the Attessa may not seem very impressive, but by Vancouver standards, it is] We dropped the kids off before going out to dinner at the Afghan Horsemen Restaurant, a local restaurant whose food we have been enjoying for over 30 years. As usual, it was outstanding and provided us with lunch for the next day as well.
After another peaceful slumber in the bosom of False Creek we took the Port Nut out into English Bay for a last burn. We had to wait for the tide to rise so that we could retrieve the boat. After doing so, we left it on the trailer and took a last walk to Granville Island Public Market for an afternoon coffee where we met some people from Kitimat: Maria, Aida and Uli, with whom we had a pleasant chat. Maria and I attended the same school.
Now it is time to winterize the boat as other commitments will preclude any further cruising this year. The boat is just shy of 800 hours and has provided us with very good entertainment. As the cruising season comes to an end, I hope that whoever reads our stories and sees our photos is enjoying the ride too. I know that the site is open for the whole world to see and it pleases me that I can showcase the beautiful coast and provide some insight into cruising the local waters. Whoever you are and wherever you are, I wish you peace.