Rosa's Retirement Cruise
June 28 - July 8, 2013
At last, the time has come. Rosa retired and we are now able to cruise together without worry about what day we must get home by. This proved to be immediately useful when on our planned return, the 7th, it was too windy and we had to wait for a break in the weather. But I digress. That was at the end of the trip and there are some highlights that would be nice to relate. But it sure is nice that the "first mate" is able to take a more leisurely approach to cruising now.
On June 28th, together with the Red Current, the Port Nut staged near the Tsawassen Ferry Terminal for the Will Rogers and Jennifer Dawkins swim across the Georgia Strait. The two are swimming to raise awareness for the charity Servants Anonymous (Surrey). In the previous two years, the Port Nut was escort boat for Will, but as this was Jennifer's first attempt at the crossing, I thought it advisable that I would escort her while Bruce escorted Will. Willy Bruce quickly perceived that it was more likely that I made the suggestion because I would have the all-woman crew.
Conditions seemed right during pre-planning. On the morning of the swim, the weather was magnificent but currents, however, had their way with us and at each of the first few nutrition breaks, we would lose a lot of the "ground" we had covered. This necessitated marking a waypoint at each stop and returning the swimmer there to restart her swim. The result of the day was two very tired swimmers who took 12 hours to cover the 10 nautical miles (22 kilometers), compared to the 9 hour time of last year. I should say tired, but elated at having made such an astounding effort As usual, BC Ferries gave us lots of room and announced to their passengers that there were swimmers in the water. Several times they tooted their horn. Once, a friend of Will's (Dean Russell) buzzed us in his helicopter. CCG Channel 11 "Victoria Traffic" were professional and accommodating.
At the Galiano Inn dock, we were welcomed by the owner, Connie, and a BC Ambulance Service crew who performed a wellness check on the swimmers. The wives of the two vessel captains were also present and so that is how the retirement celebration cruise began. Meanwhile, no trip to Galiano Island is complete without a visit to the Hummingbird Pub and we were "picked up" by their driver. Actually we had to drive half of the attendees in an old Toyota which only added to the entertainment of the evening. The Hummingbird Pub was packed with guests and we struggled to find a table for our group of 8.
After sleeping at the dock, we cruised out the next day to refuel at Miner's Bay and then head down to Winter Cove where we would attend this year's Saturna Island Lamb Barbeque on July 1. Miner's Bay as no fuel facilities now so we dropped into Lyall Harbour where we got fuel and met an old acquaintance, Reg Campbell, whom I no longer recognized on account of his hair and beard having an uncanny resemblance to that of Santa Claus. In fact, I thought at first that Santa might be holidaying on Saturna Island.
Next Day at the Saturna Island Lamb Barbecue in Winter Cove, our friends, Bruce & Debbie had responsibilities to attend to, mainly, running the boat building activity for the children. As last year, there was also live music, a beer garden, booths selling wares (I nearly bought an olive tree) and of course, the Argentine-style lamb for lunch. Following is the first installment of photos relative to the events related so far. The story continues after the slideshow but hold the cursor over the photo to reveal slideshow controls
On June 28th, together with the Red Current, the Port Nut staged near the Tsawassen Ferry Terminal for the Will Rogers and Jennifer Dawkins swim across the Georgia Strait. The two are swimming to raise awareness for the charity Servants Anonymous (Surrey). In the previous two years, the Port Nut was escort boat for Will, but as this was Jennifer's first attempt at the crossing, I thought it advisable that I would escort her while Bruce escorted Will. Willy Bruce quickly perceived that it was more likely that I made the suggestion because I would have the all-woman crew.
Conditions seemed right during pre-planning. On the morning of the swim, the weather was magnificent but currents, however, had their way with us and at each of the first few nutrition breaks, we would lose a lot of the "ground" we had covered. This necessitated marking a waypoint at each stop and returning the swimmer there to restart her swim. The result of the day was two very tired swimmers who took 12 hours to cover the 10 nautical miles (22 kilometers), compared to the 9 hour time of last year. I should say tired, but elated at having made such an astounding effort As usual, BC Ferries gave us lots of room and announced to their passengers that there were swimmers in the water. Several times they tooted their horn. Once, a friend of Will's (Dean Russell) buzzed us in his helicopter. CCG Channel 11 "Victoria Traffic" were professional and accommodating.
At the Galiano Inn dock, we were welcomed by the owner, Connie, and a BC Ambulance Service crew who performed a wellness check on the swimmers. The wives of the two vessel captains were also present and so that is how the retirement celebration cruise began. Meanwhile, no trip to Galiano Island is complete without a visit to the Hummingbird Pub and we were "picked up" by their driver. Actually we had to drive half of the attendees in an old Toyota which only added to the entertainment of the evening. The Hummingbird Pub was packed with guests and we struggled to find a table for our group of 8.
After sleeping at the dock, we cruised out the next day to refuel at Miner's Bay and then head down to Winter Cove where we would attend this year's Saturna Island Lamb Barbeque on July 1. Miner's Bay as no fuel facilities now so we dropped into Lyall Harbour where we got fuel and met an old acquaintance, Reg Campbell, whom I no longer recognized on account of his hair and beard having an uncanny resemblance to that of Santa Claus. In fact, I thought at first that Santa might be holidaying on Saturna Island.
Next Day at the Saturna Island Lamb Barbecue in Winter Cove, our friends, Bruce & Debbie had responsibilities to attend to, mainly, running the boat building activity for the children. As last year, there was also live music, a beer garden, booths selling wares (I nearly bought an olive tree) and of course, the Argentine-style lamb for lunch. Following is the first installment of photos relative to the events related so far. The story continues after the slideshow but hold the cursor over the photo to reveal slideshow controls
North to Prevost and Thetis Islands
After the lamb barbeque at Saturna, we spent a lovely July 1 evening with the Rhodes. It being Canada Day, we could see fireworks in distant White Rock as evening fell. The weather continued to be summer-time pleasant as we set forth alone the next day. Our first stop was at Port Browning for a trip to the store and a great lunch at the marina's pub. Departing at 1600, we were anchored at James Bay on Prevost Island at 1800 where the west-facing anchorage provides a great view of the setting sun. A NW breeze rocked us gently to sleep. When we awoke the next morning, we took a trip ashore and hiked the trail to tip of the peninsula. The anchorage was sparsely populated providing us with a pleasant sense of solitude. That afternoon, we cruised for three hours around the north tip of Saltspring and anchored in Telegraph Harbour between Thetis and Penelekut Island (formerly called Kuper). This is an anchorage that I am familiar with and although it looks crowded, it is very quiet. The pub offers fairly good fare although the showers were in a state of disrepair and cost $1 for 3 minutes. The next day we went by ferry to Chemainus which has become a tourist destination. The town is dressed up with hanging flower pots and painted footsteps on the sidewalks lead you through the streets to admire the many murals painted on buildings. We had a great lunch al fresco and returned home with a camera full of photos as well as a CD of Peruvian-style music. This, after we sat and enjoyed the entertainer "Jorge" in the open air venue of the bandshell. Of course, I had to try out my Spanish which he graciously complimented me on. I will pause here to show a few photos of the area we covered up to now.
South to Cowichan Bay
Early in the morning of July 5, while Rosa still slept, I gently pushed off the dock so as not to disturb the live-aboards at Thetis Island Marina. The Port Nut was pointed southward with a tentative destination of Maple Bay. The day was gorgeous, as we stopped at Octopus Pt. for breakfast. There, in a little nook protected by an outer dock, we tied up to a private float which contained no indication that anyone wanted people to keep off. Breakfast was delicious with the sun coming up over Saltspring and warming us both inside and out. A few boats passed in the nearby channel, but the wash was muted by the outer dock. Continuing on, we forsook Maple Bay and cruised instead into Cowichan Bay (local name: "Cow Bay") which is both picturesque and accommodating. We met several friendly boaters and locals. In addition, I unexpectedly met up with Scott, a White Rock FD colleague who seemed happy to see us enjoying our retirement. He recognized my voice while I was talking to a local woman and he said it took him back to when I barked orders at him at work and it creeped him out. Once his anxiety abated, we had a pleasant chat.
Cow Bay is a very pleasant sea-side village and it is clearly dressed up for the tourists. In that effort, the community showcases their maritime heritage and, at the Maritime Centre, there are a great number of historical artifacts on display. Unfortunately, the pigeons have pecked holes in the shingle roofs of the several pods of the museum (they are strung along a pier) and a lot of damage was done by rain water. Out in the harbour is anchored a replica of the Beaver, which was the first powered vessel on the BC coast and owned by the Hudson Bay Company. In the harbour too is a de-commissioned CCG icebreaker which is being refitted as a research vessel. We cruised past these and other vessels when we went on a cruise of the local harbour with our friend Shane and his two daughters: Gabriella and McKenna. Shane and I were on the same platoon and helped keep the streets of Surrey safe for several years until he got a transfer to Victoria. It was nice to see them and the two girls were both entertaining and a reminder of our two grandsons that we miss so much when we are away.
A city bus from Cow Bay into Duncan costs $2. It took about 20 minutes to get there and visiting the Saturday Farmer's Market was rewarding. We took great delight in buying exotic coffee and bread and walking around town admiring the many totem poles which the community has on display. Again, painted footsteps carry you through a tour which we did not have time to take advantage of but promised ourselves that we would come back and admire at a leisurely pace. Clearly, the Cowichan people have great carvers and the community of Duncan showcases their work.
With strong wind warnings in the forecast, it was now time to position our vessel for a run across the Strait when an opportunity arose. We stopped at Portland Island (close by Brackman Island) for lunch, then headed to Poet's Cove to top up the tank. Winter Harbour, being open to the NW was a bit choppy so we tried Horton Bay. Although it was pretty active (current-wise) we spent the night there as the wind remained high out in the Strait of Georgia. We didn't get an opportunity to cross until near noon the next day when there was a slackening of the NW wind. By the time we got to Pt. Roberts, the wind had backed to SE and we got an easy ride home for a change. The hour-long run from the Pt. Roberts Bell Buoy to Crescent Beach can be a challenge.
We anchored off Crescent Beach waiting for high tide to take us up the shallow Nicomekl River. The sunny weather brought out the people and there were paddle boarders, pier-jumpers and swimmers as well as many sun-bathers. Cruising up the river in the early evening, we were met by our daughter and her family. What a thrill to see everyone again. She brought pizza and chilled wine while sister Branca brought blueberries for dessert. But mostly, we were grateful that she brought our two grandsons. What a great trip we had and how we are looking forward to lots more cruising with our new freedom.
Cow Bay is a very pleasant sea-side village and it is clearly dressed up for the tourists. In that effort, the community showcases their maritime heritage and, at the Maritime Centre, there are a great number of historical artifacts on display. Unfortunately, the pigeons have pecked holes in the shingle roofs of the several pods of the museum (they are strung along a pier) and a lot of damage was done by rain water. Out in the harbour is anchored a replica of the Beaver, which was the first powered vessel on the BC coast and owned by the Hudson Bay Company. In the harbour too is a de-commissioned CCG icebreaker which is being refitted as a research vessel. We cruised past these and other vessels when we went on a cruise of the local harbour with our friend Shane and his two daughters: Gabriella and McKenna. Shane and I were on the same platoon and helped keep the streets of Surrey safe for several years until he got a transfer to Victoria. It was nice to see them and the two girls were both entertaining and a reminder of our two grandsons that we miss so much when we are away.
A city bus from Cow Bay into Duncan costs $2. It took about 20 minutes to get there and visiting the Saturday Farmer's Market was rewarding. We took great delight in buying exotic coffee and bread and walking around town admiring the many totem poles which the community has on display. Again, painted footsteps carry you through a tour which we did not have time to take advantage of but promised ourselves that we would come back and admire at a leisurely pace. Clearly, the Cowichan people have great carvers and the community of Duncan showcases their work.
With strong wind warnings in the forecast, it was now time to position our vessel for a run across the Strait when an opportunity arose. We stopped at Portland Island (close by Brackman Island) for lunch, then headed to Poet's Cove to top up the tank. Winter Harbour, being open to the NW was a bit choppy so we tried Horton Bay. Although it was pretty active (current-wise) we spent the night there as the wind remained high out in the Strait of Georgia. We didn't get an opportunity to cross until near noon the next day when there was a slackening of the NW wind. By the time we got to Pt. Roberts, the wind had backed to SE and we got an easy ride home for a change. The hour-long run from the Pt. Roberts Bell Buoy to Crescent Beach can be a challenge.
We anchored off Crescent Beach waiting for high tide to take us up the shallow Nicomekl River. The sunny weather brought out the people and there were paddle boarders, pier-jumpers and swimmers as well as many sun-bathers. Cruising up the river in the early evening, we were met by our daughter and her family. What a thrill to see everyone again. She brought pizza and chilled wine while sister Branca brought blueberries for dessert. But mostly, we were grateful that she brought our two grandsons. What a great trip we had and how we are looking forward to lots more cruising with our new freedom.