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| Sunset in Glenthorne Passage |
A week or so planned in the Gulf Islands, hoping to meet up with cruising friends (SV Carousel and Chanter), as well as to visit family.
Day 1: Vancouver to Dogfish Bay (Kendrick Island): A good sail 75% across Georgia Strait (not too slow but not too crazy). First boat in anchorage (2-3 others arrived later).
Day 2: A nice quiet night at anchor. Headed through Gabriola Passage near slack, and motored (calm, sunny) down to Montague Harbour, with idea of meeting others. Lots of available buoys -- didn't stop one boat from anchoring within the buoys, all to save a few bucks -- Montague was far too busy! We contacted others, and arranged to meet elsewhere next day.
Day 3: A quiet night on the buoy at Montague. Headed down to Irish Bay. Sunny and calm. We went for a kayak to Winter Cove (including out and back through Boat Passage) and met up with SV Carousel (Gillian and David), as well as SV Fanuei (David & Janet). We haven't seen Fanuei folks since 2007, when we met them up on the North Coast (we were on Dancer, our Landfall 38) . They were quite surprised when they realized who we were. (We've been on HAM radio for years as D&M from Pelagia... they never put 2 & 2 together.) The three boats had a fun meal together in Irish Bay.
Day 4: With Carousel, we head to narrow, shallow Annette Inlet (Prevost Island), while Fanuei heads elsewhere. Drizzly rain, we get a short sail in, but mostly motoring. Quiet, drizzly, foggy evening, with dinner aboard Pelagia with Carousel.
Day 5: No wind, but also no rain. We head to Sidney Spit while Carousel heads to home port. Lots of buoys available at the spit, but not a lot with good depth (given near-zero low tide). Went for a nice walk.
Day 6: Quiet eve. We head over to Port Sidney marina, where we have a reservation and plans to go out with family. Got a little grocery shopping in, but we're not fans of Sidney -- far too "touristy". Unfortunately, only got to have dinner with 2 of our family, the others being nervous due to COVID worries. (All understandable, just wish we'd been told this before making marina reservation.) Still, had a enjoyable dinner with those feeling comfortable to meet up.
Day 7: Escaped Port Sidney, and headed over to Glenthorne Passage (Prevost Island). Plan was to meet here with Lee and Wayne on SV Chanter the next morning. A few other boats, but not crowded. Beautiful sunset (photo),
Day 8: A quiet eve. In the morning, got message from Lee and Wayne that their grandson (who had just been staying with them) was sick, and off for a COVID test. Damn! Being cautious, we all agreed it best to cancel our get-together. We weighed anchor and headed up Trincomali Channel (against a NW wind) to Clam Bay, to set us up for Porlier Pass and Georgia Strait the next morning. The forecast for Georgia Strait was decent the next day, but later in the evening was forecast to change to gale force winds and heavy rain for a couple days. So perhaps it was fortuitous that we had to cancel plans with Chanter.
Of course, not long after we got the anchor down Clam Bay, we got word from Wayne and Lee that the COVID test came back negative and they were off to Glenthorne Passage (they keep Chanter not far away on North Pender Island). We were happy for them and grandson.
The afternoon in Clam Bay was very bouncy with the strong NW winds. Fortunately, winds quieted down by dinner, and it was a quiet eve.
Day 9: Woke up early for ~7am slack at Porlier Pass. Once through Porlier, we raised sails and had a nice, comfortable sail most of the way across (started the motor off the North Fraser Jetty). Put Pelagia to bed at the VRC, and made it home to Whistler for dinner. The strong winds and rain indeed came later that eve.
A nice Fall cruise, with COVID running interference.
