Will Rogers Swim and Cruise June 23 to July 3, 2012
So, for the second year in a row the Port Nut served as escort boat for the Will Rogers swim of Georgia Strait in support of his charity: Servants Anonymous. The day was perfect for the mission, but there was a glitch on the eve of the event. The plan had called for the escort boat to stage at the Tsawassen Ferry Terminal Causeway the evening prior so that the swimmer could hit the water at 0500 hours on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, Saturday afternoon saw a gale pass through our area and by evening when the Port Nut set out, it was still too rough in the waters south of Pt. Roberts. I anchored for the night just inside Crescent Beach and set the alarm clock for 0300. When I awoke it was still dark and obviously impossible to navigate. By 0320, I started slowly down the channel. Although one could see the horizon to the Northeast, I was headed south and only saw the channel markers when I was right beside them. Ever so slowly the sea became visible and I sped up the Port Nut. By 0510, I was near the destination and the swimmer set off while I ferried the two support crew and all the gear. I caught up to Will at the Terminal's breakwater and by this time it was a glorious dawn. Will is in better shape this year and took less breaks than last. The Fraser River freshet combined with the outgoing tide helped to reduce the crossing time by 50 minutes compared to last year. We arrived at 1400 hrs at the Galiano Inn and there was a good crowd waiting. Will was checked out by the local ambulance crew and his temperature was just under 35 degrees Celsius. The ocean was 13 degrees and he had been in the water for 8 hours and 50 minutes. The Galiano Inn had made an effort to advertise the event and beside the many people watching Will's arrival, there was a groovy band playing in their Pizza Patio. Will was glowing with a sense of accomplishment and his boat crew are very proud of him. His was an amazing feat.
Task completed, I set off on Monday on a cruise around the Gulf Islands. First stop was my favourite marine park: Montague Harbour. There, I discovered that Gary and Lee were working their last days at the park and about to sail off on Moloda. I wish them well, they are such nice people and there is a vast cruising world out there. I anchored that night in James Bay on Prevost Island. This area is part of the Gulf Islands National Park and on Tuesday I hiked to Piele Pt. The first half of the trail there is a walk in the park and the last half has a couple of climbs that got me breathing hard. I could use a little more exercise! Within the bay is an old homestead that now is a wilderness campsite. A group of women in kayaks had been camped there for several days.
Tuesday afternoon I cruised to Ganges where I met up with a colleague from work. Ryan and Kaitlyn drove me on a sight-seeing tour. While docked at the public dock, four of the navy's training ships came in for the night. It was quite a sight in the little port of Ganges. Several walks around town to see the sights and a trip to the grocery store meant that I was ready to continue the trip on Wednesday morning. I had expected to see Mike Westman in Ganges but saw no sign of the Monk that he lives on. I cruised to Fulford Harbour on the SW side of Saltspring Island and while enroute, encountered a boat on the shore half awash. I figured that it had been reported already but couldn't take the chance, so I phoned Victoria Coast Guard on Cel *16 and was told that there were multiple reports made. Good thing that I didn't bother cluttering up Ch. 16 with redundant reporting. Continuing to Fulford Harbour, I discovered that there is no longer fuel there but that was OK as I didn't need any yet. I did speak to Marilyn, a live-aboard on a Chris Craft, who is friends with Mike Westman and she put me on the phone to him. I was very pleased to know that nothing serious had happened to the old guy and wished him well as he takes his Monk on a cruise this summer before settling in at Cowichan Bay. (By the way, nobody calls it by it's proper name but instead: “Cow Bay.” I then backtracked to my other most favourite anchorage: Russell Island. I pretty much wore out my pair of shoes walking the short trail on the island several times. I was still thinking about what bad shape I am in and wanting to build up a bit of stamina. Besides, the weather was good.
The next day I cruised down Saanich Inlet. I anchored at Coles Bay for a lunch stop and went ashore for another good walk. Later in the afternoon I was cruising down the Saanich Inlet to the far end of Finlayson Arm where it becomes too shallow to go further. By this time it was raining and so I hunkered down with a book and some good music. It rained all night. Though there was nothing much to see, there was plenty to hear. Besides the loud music on a near-by live-aboard, there was the traffic on Highway 1 as it started the climb up the Malahat. And the odd siren.
Friday I cruised back out, stopping in Tod Inlet which is a little indentation where Butchart Gardens is located. I anchored at the Tod Marine Park and went ashore where I . . . (wait for it) went for a long walk in Brentwood Bay. By the way, the sun had come out again by this time which made it very pleasant. In early afternoon, I was in Sidney by the Sea where I fuelled up and took on water before finding a place to anchor in Tsehum Harbour. By 1600, I was rowing ashore and walked to Joe and Shelley's house where I was received warmly and allowed, encouraged even, to shower and do laundry. Although I spent the next two nights aboard the Port Nut, the Saturday was spent going into Victoria with Joe to do some shopping (I had worn out my shoes by this time) and to say hello to our old buddy Darryl.
Sunday saw the Port Nut bucking a strong ebb as I cruised to Pender Island and through the canal between the two Penders. I had never before had to crab so dramatically to make a straight course. It was 30 degrees. By late morning, I arrived at Winter Cove on Saturna Island where Canada Day was being celebrated in their usual style: a lamb barbecue! After a very late breakfast, I went ashore and the sun came out to bless the event with glorious sunshine. Indian drummers opened the ceremony and a groovy band later played for the crowd. I unexpectedly ran into several acquaintances and met some other boaters. This, in addition to meeting up with Bruce and Debbie (Red Current crew) who I had planned to hook up with. They were volunteering at one of the booths. The lamb was good and I picked up a bag of books and a nice T-shirt with a "Lamb Barbecue" theme. The event has been running for over 60 years and Winter Cove was festooned with boats. "Water taxis" ferried attendees to and from the dinghy dock. A booth there will care for your PFDs while you attend the event.
After the feast I had every intention of returning to the Port Nut to have a siesta. But as the Tug draws a lot of attention, I was continuously chatting with other boaters, including Cliff and Jody of Gizmo, another R21 attending the event. Having missed my nap I powered up and ran through Boat Pass to arrive at Bruce & Debbie's in time for Happy Hour. I spent two nights at their place and the weather was pretty miserable, although the company was outstanding as usual. We got in one good long walk during a break and found that the Fog Alarm Building at the East Point Lighthouse was open that day. Within, there is now a display that highlights the local history surrounding the first arrival of Europeans beginning with Narvaez on the Santa Saturnina in 1791. The presentation is nicely done and the short time we spent there was not enough to see the material in its entirety. The society which undertook the project should be proud of what they have accomplished.
The rain came again Monday evening and it rained all night and into late Tuesday morning. When it finally stopped, we all three had cabin fever. Debbie was particularly bummed out because she was on vacation from work and the weather looked more akin to late May rather than early July. It was either that or perhaps by how badly she was beaten at Cribbage the evening before.
The weather report was “so-so” for Tuesday afternoon, so I chanced a crossing. Boy, was it nerve-wracking! The huge incoming tide clashed mightily with the huge Fraser River outflow and the 10-15 knot wind teased the two opposing forces into a frenzy. It was chaotic and rough all the way across, getting even worse south of Pt Roberts where the NW wind has a tendency to pick up some velocity as it sweeps into Boundary Bay. At this point, there was a call from a vessel in distress near the Pt. Roberts Bell Buoy. I offered to stand by although there was very little that I could have done. At the point when it was time to turn into the seas and make for the vessel, I felt the full force of the seas and got slammed really hard. This only lasted for a few seconds before a US Coast Guard vessel suddenly crossed my bow enroute to the emergency. I quickly came about again and resumed my course for home. Meantime, a catamaran was reported overturned by Birch Point and two people were fished out of the water at that location. Real life drama going on and heard on the VHF that afternoon, an afternoon that proved to be a bit more problematic than I had expected or wanted to experience. I was very happy with the Port Nut in it's rough water handling characteristics. Looking back over the days, I had a great cruise filled with many good experiences and enjoyable visits. That's why I got the boat, right? Hope you enjoy my photos. Just hold the cursor over the photo and press "Play"
Task completed, I set off on Monday on a cruise around the Gulf Islands. First stop was my favourite marine park: Montague Harbour. There, I discovered that Gary and Lee were working their last days at the park and about to sail off on Moloda. I wish them well, they are such nice people and there is a vast cruising world out there. I anchored that night in James Bay on Prevost Island. This area is part of the Gulf Islands National Park and on Tuesday I hiked to Piele Pt. The first half of the trail there is a walk in the park and the last half has a couple of climbs that got me breathing hard. I could use a little more exercise! Within the bay is an old homestead that now is a wilderness campsite. A group of women in kayaks had been camped there for several days.
Tuesday afternoon I cruised to Ganges where I met up with a colleague from work. Ryan and Kaitlyn drove me on a sight-seeing tour. While docked at the public dock, four of the navy's training ships came in for the night. It was quite a sight in the little port of Ganges. Several walks around town to see the sights and a trip to the grocery store meant that I was ready to continue the trip on Wednesday morning. I had expected to see Mike Westman in Ganges but saw no sign of the Monk that he lives on. I cruised to Fulford Harbour on the SW side of Saltspring Island and while enroute, encountered a boat on the shore half awash. I figured that it had been reported already but couldn't take the chance, so I phoned Victoria Coast Guard on Cel *16 and was told that there were multiple reports made. Good thing that I didn't bother cluttering up Ch. 16 with redundant reporting. Continuing to Fulford Harbour, I discovered that there is no longer fuel there but that was OK as I didn't need any yet. I did speak to Marilyn, a live-aboard on a Chris Craft, who is friends with Mike Westman and she put me on the phone to him. I was very pleased to know that nothing serious had happened to the old guy and wished him well as he takes his Monk on a cruise this summer before settling in at Cowichan Bay. (By the way, nobody calls it by it's proper name but instead: “Cow Bay.” I then backtracked to my other most favourite anchorage: Russell Island. I pretty much wore out my pair of shoes walking the short trail on the island several times. I was still thinking about what bad shape I am in and wanting to build up a bit of stamina. Besides, the weather was good.
The next day I cruised down Saanich Inlet. I anchored at Coles Bay for a lunch stop and went ashore for another good walk. Later in the afternoon I was cruising down the Saanich Inlet to the far end of Finlayson Arm where it becomes too shallow to go further. By this time it was raining and so I hunkered down with a book and some good music. It rained all night. Though there was nothing much to see, there was plenty to hear. Besides the loud music on a near-by live-aboard, there was the traffic on Highway 1 as it started the climb up the Malahat. And the odd siren.
Friday I cruised back out, stopping in Tod Inlet which is a little indentation where Butchart Gardens is located. I anchored at the Tod Marine Park and went ashore where I . . . (wait for it) went for a long walk in Brentwood Bay. By the way, the sun had come out again by this time which made it very pleasant. In early afternoon, I was in Sidney by the Sea where I fuelled up and took on water before finding a place to anchor in Tsehum Harbour. By 1600, I was rowing ashore and walked to Joe and Shelley's house where I was received warmly and allowed, encouraged even, to shower and do laundry. Although I spent the next two nights aboard the Port Nut, the Saturday was spent going into Victoria with Joe to do some shopping (I had worn out my shoes by this time) and to say hello to our old buddy Darryl.
Sunday saw the Port Nut bucking a strong ebb as I cruised to Pender Island and through the canal between the two Penders. I had never before had to crab so dramatically to make a straight course. It was 30 degrees. By late morning, I arrived at Winter Cove on Saturna Island where Canada Day was being celebrated in their usual style: a lamb barbecue! After a very late breakfast, I went ashore and the sun came out to bless the event with glorious sunshine. Indian drummers opened the ceremony and a groovy band later played for the crowd. I unexpectedly ran into several acquaintances and met some other boaters. This, in addition to meeting up with Bruce and Debbie (Red Current crew) who I had planned to hook up with. They were volunteering at one of the booths. The lamb was good and I picked up a bag of books and a nice T-shirt with a "Lamb Barbecue" theme. The event has been running for over 60 years and Winter Cove was festooned with boats. "Water taxis" ferried attendees to and from the dinghy dock. A booth there will care for your PFDs while you attend the event.
After the feast I had every intention of returning to the Port Nut to have a siesta. But as the Tug draws a lot of attention, I was continuously chatting with other boaters, including Cliff and Jody of Gizmo, another R21 attending the event. Having missed my nap I powered up and ran through Boat Pass to arrive at Bruce & Debbie's in time for Happy Hour. I spent two nights at their place and the weather was pretty miserable, although the company was outstanding as usual. We got in one good long walk during a break and found that the Fog Alarm Building at the East Point Lighthouse was open that day. Within, there is now a display that highlights the local history surrounding the first arrival of Europeans beginning with Narvaez on the Santa Saturnina in 1791. The presentation is nicely done and the short time we spent there was not enough to see the material in its entirety. The society which undertook the project should be proud of what they have accomplished.
The rain came again Monday evening and it rained all night and into late Tuesday morning. When it finally stopped, we all three had cabin fever. Debbie was particularly bummed out because she was on vacation from work and the weather looked more akin to late May rather than early July. It was either that or perhaps by how badly she was beaten at Cribbage the evening before.
The weather report was “so-so” for Tuesday afternoon, so I chanced a crossing. Boy, was it nerve-wracking! The huge incoming tide clashed mightily with the huge Fraser River outflow and the 10-15 knot wind teased the two opposing forces into a frenzy. It was chaotic and rough all the way across, getting even worse south of Pt Roberts where the NW wind has a tendency to pick up some velocity as it sweeps into Boundary Bay. At this point, there was a call from a vessel in distress near the Pt. Roberts Bell Buoy. I offered to stand by although there was very little that I could have done. At the point when it was time to turn into the seas and make for the vessel, I felt the full force of the seas and got slammed really hard. This only lasted for a few seconds before a US Coast Guard vessel suddenly crossed my bow enroute to the emergency. I quickly came about again and resumed my course for home. Meantime, a catamaran was reported overturned by Birch Point and two people were fished out of the water at that location. Real life drama going on and heard on the VHF that afternoon, an afternoon that proved to be a bit more problematic than I had expected or wanted to experience. I was very happy with the Port Nut in it's rough water handling characteristics. Looking back over the days, I had a great cruise filled with many good experiences and enjoyable visits. That's why I got the boat, right? Hope you enjoy my photos. Just hold the cursor over the photo and press "Play"