June 10-18, 2011 Gulf Islands Cruise
This was supposed to be a cruise with other Ranger Tugs that I had penciled in after the one last year. Imagine my surprise when I went onto the TugNuts forum and saw no mention of it. I resolved to go solo. During this time, I visited some favourite locations and explored some new ones.
The trip started from my home port and I was accompanied by an old friend to his home in Sidney. From there, I began my leisurely 9-day cruise starting at Sidney Spit where there once was a brick factory that furnished the materials for the construction of early Vancouver. The facilities include a large anchorage, a good dock and acres of tenting area. The sunsets are beautiful from this park, although it can be disturbed by airport noise. Deer keep the undergrowth trimmed and a deer exclosure demonstrates what the grounds might look like if there were no deer. The birdsong of Purple Martins is thrilling as is a walk along the spit.
The next stop was Russell Island where it's status of part of the Gulf Islands National Park has resulted in a great new dinghy docking. Together with places on Saltspring Island such as Fulford Harbour, the Hawaiian heritage is highlighted in these parts. Having no deer, the undergrowth on Russell Island is lush and it seems that there will be lots of Salal berries this summer. A walk ashore at Fulford Harbour took me to a little stone church and the area around the ferry terminal is a garden of colorful structures.
I had wanted to explore the walking trails on Portland Island which is also part of the Gulf Islands Park. My first attempt was thwarted by gale-force winds and I fled to Otter Bay. The following seas were 3-4 footers and I bounced around for an hour in making the crossing. At Otter Bay Marina, the International Yacht Club was having a gathering and, being from their home area, I was well-received and encouraged to sign on. While there, the flags continued to flap briskly but the next day was quite calm as I made my way to Wallace Island.
Connover Cove on Wallace Island was actually quite choppy that night. No one there slept really well. The next day I made my way to Thetis Island where I docked at the Thetis Island Marina. On the way, I cruised past a Cormorant nesting area on the cliffs of Kuper Island. I met again a fellow cruiser (from Connover Cove) and we got to watch the Stanley Cup final at the nice pub that the marina offers. Vancouver lost to Boston and hooligans rioted back home, but it was very difficult for me to get sad about the loss as our team had given us such a good performance all year. The weather was becoming spectacular now and the next day I caught a car ride from Thetis to the main island. The ferry lands at Chemainus and Jan (the marina manager) happened to be going to Duncan which was my destination. This enabled me to get my bearings and to attend the area's retired paramedics luncheon.
The next day I cruised to Pirate's Cove Marine Park which is another favourite of mine. I have so many now! There, I was stunned to see a boat with a Portuguese name. Todo Bom (which means "It's All Good") had been recently purchased in California, checked out and was now heading for Anchorage with two great people aboard. The skipper was enthused to know that the name meant something to me. That night, I had a great sleep in this very protected anchorage which isn't too big and has a narrow entrance. The incredible sandstone sculptures are a "must-see" from your dinghy at sunset.
The next day I walked the trails surrounding Pirate's Cove before heading for Chemainus. This time, I had time to explore the town with it's many murals and it's tourist flavour. Speaking of flavour, lunch at the Harborside Cafe was delicious and it looked like a lot of the clientele were local residents. Always a good sign. When the wood industry collapsed, Chemainus reworked itself into a tourist destination. Besides the murals, which depict local people who influenced it's history, the town has some interesting architecture. The focal point is a playhouse which is a popular attraction. Something for me and the bride to do when we ultimately start cruising together.
After this, it was time to head south to Maple Bay. This sheltered spot has several marinas and is close to Duncan for replenishing ship's stores. In my case, I merely wanted to acquaint myself with the area and the plan was to spend the night on the hook. On the way south, it began to blow and I ducked into Crofton (a pulp mill town) to wait out the afternoon wind. There, inside the breakwater, I took advantage of an open slip for a few hours until the fisherman returned with his catch. The catch happened to be the biggest prawns that I have ever seen which were to later provide a delicious dinner. Crofton itself is rather small but does have two of the three boating essentials: groceries and booze. I was OK on fuel.
I should have known that the wind of the previous day was the harbinger of change in the weather. The next day was gray and drizzling. I set off early to catch slack at Sansum Narrows. Then it was a long trek down to Sidney where I would refuel and spend $44 after 8 days of cruising around the Gulf Islands. Less than $6/day gets you a lot of entertainment on one of these little boats. Sean, at Van Isle Marina, was just starting his day when I pulled in and we had an animated conversation as I was the only customer. They were serving coffee and muffins to celebrate Father's Day which was on the morrow. I had to make it home for that, of course, but in the mean-time, I still had one more full day to roam. My next stop was Royal Cove on Portland Island and this time the weather was settled enough to anchor and stern-tie.
At last I had my first opportunity to see this island. It had been raining all morning, of course, and the vegetation on the trails got me thoroughly wet. The island is spectacular: verdant trails, midden beaches and a symphony of song-birds to accompany me. I ran into a group of archeologists who are digging down about 1-2 metres and finding artifacts from 3,500 years ago. The peripheral trails offer stunning views, while the interior ones provide solitude and birdsong. A young bird stood quiet still while I photographed him at close quarters.
That night, I docked at Whaler Bay on Galiano Island and left the Port Nut staged there for my next event. I returned home to my usual cares and responsibilities but nicely recharged by the trip. Trips like these make me realize that I chose well when I opted to "go boating" in my retirement.
The trip started from my home port and I was accompanied by an old friend to his home in Sidney. From there, I began my leisurely 9-day cruise starting at Sidney Spit where there once was a brick factory that furnished the materials for the construction of early Vancouver. The facilities include a large anchorage, a good dock and acres of tenting area. The sunsets are beautiful from this park, although it can be disturbed by airport noise. Deer keep the undergrowth trimmed and a deer exclosure demonstrates what the grounds might look like if there were no deer. The birdsong of Purple Martins is thrilling as is a walk along the spit.
The next stop was Russell Island where it's status of part of the Gulf Islands National Park has resulted in a great new dinghy docking. Together with places on Saltspring Island such as Fulford Harbour, the Hawaiian heritage is highlighted in these parts. Having no deer, the undergrowth on Russell Island is lush and it seems that there will be lots of Salal berries this summer. A walk ashore at Fulford Harbour took me to a little stone church and the area around the ferry terminal is a garden of colorful structures.
I had wanted to explore the walking trails on Portland Island which is also part of the Gulf Islands Park. My first attempt was thwarted by gale-force winds and I fled to Otter Bay. The following seas were 3-4 footers and I bounced around for an hour in making the crossing. At Otter Bay Marina, the International Yacht Club was having a gathering and, being from their home area, I was well-received and encouraged to sign on. While there, the flags continued to flap briskly but the next day was quite calm as I made my way to Wallace Island.
Connover Cove on Wallace Island was actually quite choppy that night. No one there slept really well. The next day I made my way to Thetis Island where I docked at the Thetis Island Marina. On the way, I cruised past a Cormorant nesting area on the cliffs of Kuper Island. I met again a fellow cruiser (from Connover Cove) and we got to watch the Stanley Cup final at the nice pub that the marina offers. Vancouver lost to Boston and hooligans rioted back home, but it was very difficult for me to get sad about the loss as our team had given us such a good performance all year. The weather was becoming spectacular now and the next day I caught a car ride from Thetis to the main island. The ferry lands at Chemainus and Jan (the marina manager) happened to be going to Duncan which was my destination. This enabled me to get my bearings and to attend the area's retired paramedics luncheon.
The next day I cruised to Pirate's Cove Marine Park which is another favourite of mine. I have so many now! There, I was stunned to see a boat with a Portuguese name. Todo Bom (which means "It's All Good") had been recently purchased in California, checked out and was now heading for Anchorage with two great people aboard. The skipper was enthused to know that the name meant something to me. That night, I had a great sleep in this very protected anchorage which isn't too big and has a narrow entrance. The incredible sandstone sculptures are a "must-see" from your dinghy at sunset.
The next day I walked the trails surrounding Pirate's Cove before heading for Chemainus. This time, I had time to explore the town with it's many murals and it's tourist flavour. Speaking of flavour, lunch at the Harborside Cafe was delicious and it looked like a lot of the clientele were local residents. Always a good sign. When the wood industry collapsed, Chemainus reworked itself into a tourist destination. Besides the murals, which depict local people who influenced it's history, the town has some interesting architecture. The focal point is a playhouse which is a popular attraction. Something for me and the bride to do when we ultimately start cruising together.
After this, it was time to head south to Maple Bay. This sheltered spot has several marinas and is close to Duncan for replenishing ship's stores. In my case, I merely wanted to acquaint myself with the area and the plan was to spend the night on the hook. On the way south, it began to blow and I ducked into Crofton (a pulp mill town) to wait out the afternoon wind. There, inside the breakwater, I took advantage of an open slip for a few hours until the fisherman returned with his catch. The catch happened to be the biggest prawns that I have ever seen which were to later provide a delicious dinner. Crofton itself is rather small but does have two of the three boating essentials: groceries and booze. I was OK on fuel.
I should have known that the wind of the previous day was the harbinger of change in the weather. The next day was gray and drizzling. I set off early to catch slack at Sansum Narrows. Then it was a long trek down to Sidney where I would refuel and spend $44 after 8 days of cruising around the Gulf Islands. Less than $6/day gets you a lot of entertainment on one of these little boats. Sean, at Van Isle Marina, was just starting his day when I pulled in and we had an animated conversation as I was the only customer. They were serving coffee and muffins to celebrate Father's Day which was on the morrow. I had to make it home for that, of course, but in the mean-time, I still had one more full day to roam. My next stop was Royal Cove on Portland Island and this time the weather was settled enough to anchor and stern-tie.
At last I had my first opportunity to see this island. It had been raining all morning, of course, and the vegetation on the trails got me thoroughly wet. The island is spectacular: verdant trails, midden beaches and a symphony of song-birds to accompany me. I ran into a group of archeologists who are digging down about 1-2 metres and finding artifacts from 3,500 years ago. The peripheral trails offer stunning views, while the interior ones provide solitude and birdsong. A young bird stood quiet still while I photographed him at close quarters.
That night, I docked at Whaler Bay on Galiano Island and left the Port Nut staged there for my next event. I returned home to my usual cares and responsibilities but nicely recharged by the trip. Trips like these make me realize that I chose well when I opted to "go boating" in my retirement.