At spring break, my wife and I had the opportunity to try out the boat for an extended cruise. At last we could go together. There were four storms which passed through during that week and in between there was some glorious sunshine that enabled us to see the sights. We were even hit by a snow squall. Throughout the week, Rosa suffered from a cold, but did not complain. She was having too much fun. Our first stop was Cabbage Island where we tied up at one of the park moorings. On a walk ashore, we saw where one of the moorings was beached which did not inspire a lot of confidence in the state of our park system. Conditions were calm though and we were only there temporarily until slack tide made transit through Boat Pass safe. Winter Cove was to be our overnight anchorage, but I did not listen closely to the weather report. We spent a rough night when the wind direction became NW and blew right into the anchorage. Next morning we raised the hook and went to near-by Irish Bay for a lee anchorage where we could make breakfast in a calm setting. This was followed by a walk on the beach and on returning to the boat, that's when a brief snow squall hit us. Next stop was Pender Island's Port Browning where we spent the next two nights. The Port Browning Pub is a fine establishment. Not fancy, just really down-to-earth comfortable. We moored at their dock and took advantage of good food, warm showers and a comforting wood stove beside which we spent two evenings playing crib. Days were spent exploring on foot. The sun was out and we became familiar with the commercial area nearby which has a modest variety of shops. Another highlight in the neighbourhood is the Pender Canal area with midden beaches around Shark Cove and Mortimer Spit. Mar. 10 we cruised to Sidney, BC where we visited with friends both in Sidney and in Victoria which is an easy transit ride away. It was gratifying that my friend, Bill, is making good progress on his boat and he assures me that it will be ready to cruise in 2011 barring any unforeseen circumstances. Rosa and I took Bill & Brenda for a short cruise near Schwartz Bay Ferry Terminal, but the wind came up and the return was not very pleasant for any of us. Four foot chop in our teeth! Sidney Marina is right downtown with everything you need (except fuel) in the immediate area. After this pleasant visit, it was time to show Rosa beautiful Montague Harbour Marine Park. To our delight, the sun again came out and we had the white shell beaches to ourselves. At this time of year, mooring was free. Eventually it was time to leave and go home, but the weather window we counted on was delayed. When we stuck our nose into Georgia Strait at Georgina Point, it was blowing a strong 20 knots and we had no desire to make a long slow crossing in uncomfortable conditions. We retreated into Whaler Bay and moored at the public dock there. After walking to the pub for lunch, we returned to the marina but the tops of the trees were still swaying vigorously. After meeting Mike, the wharfinger, we opted to stay overnight. In the morning we had a 15 minute walk to the ferry terminal and caught a ride to Tsawassen. The Port Nut would have to stay safe in Whaler Bay until I returned to get her at a later date. We returned home very excited about our week on the water.