Our hop into a bit of paradise...
Late start out of the gate...
Let us start off by saying that we are in B.C. Canada on our boat. For those of you that know us and are aware of our circumstances of not being able
to cross into Canada, that saga has come to an end. Rebecca's Nexus expired during the pandemic, plus the in-person interviews were cancelled due to
border shutdowns which didn't allow personnel (i.e. Canadian border agents that were a required presence in the interviews) to cross. Her last
interview that wasn't cancelled was held in Sweetgrass, Montana, which we ended up driving to. So, on July 7, 2022 we motored our way to Bedwell Harbour,
B.C., fully armed with all of our updated documents and received clearance to travel into Canada. Looking back we can say that it really wasn't anyone's
fault, just circumstances that arose from the covid that was beyond anyone's control. This is the first summer that the border is open in both
directions, so we were not alone. The tragedy is for all of the people that were affected who will never get back the years they lost, the families that lost their incomes,
and the social interactions between children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors. We can only speak from our experiences but having the loss of contact with family,
friends, religious gatherings, etc., really tears at our fabric. We are very optimistic that we are near the end of this tragedy, as a society.
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La Conner time...
Moving forward... we actually did a fast trip north leaving Edmonds on July 6th, refueling in La Conner and stopping for the night at the public dock.
A few more bird pictures and then on to the landscapes of our travels. We just have to catch the views as we go.
Bedwell Harbor and Poet's Cove than on to Montague and Nanaimo...
July 7th, Canada's border agents were quick and we were in and out in less than an hour. We planned on stopping for fuel and supplies in Nanaimo but we decided
that we were going to miss the slack water at Dodd Narrows. Instead, we anchored out for the evening. We had pulled out at 6:00 a.m., made it to
Bedwell just after 12 pm and then pulled out again before 1:00 pm. Montague showed up 2:30 pm and we stopped. Yesterday, we also left at o'dark thirty (5:45 a.m.)
and tied off at 11:00 a.m., after fueling up. Rebecca, "The Navigator" figured the departure time in the morning in order for us to safely pass through
Dodd Narrows and on July 8th, we pulled the hook at 7:55 a.m. We pulled into an empty fuel dock and filled both tanks with diesel, took on water and filled little tanks
for the dinghy with gas. We had contacted the harbormaster and they assigned us a dock to moor at. Walking up to the bank, we tried to exchange our US dollars
for Canadian, but found that the banks (we went to more than one) no longer provided that service. (You had to have an account and to open an account, you had to
make an appointment, and there was no one available to make an appointment with!) One bank official suggested a nearby Casino and when we went there, no problem. We
then walked over to the (thankfully) nearby market and using a long list, we loaded up on supplies. (Fruit with seeds, can't come to Canada, i.e. apples, etc.). After
a nice dinner on the boat we spent the evening planning our trip north.
Georgia Strait and Squirrel Cove...
First, though, was figuring out the water conditions to cross the Strait of Georgia. We originally planned to stay an extra day in Nanaimo; however, when we got up
at 7:00 a.m. on July 9th, and looking around we saw how calm it was. We did a quick weather check using "Windi" and pulled out at 7:19 a.m. Made coffee on the way and
ended up have a flat calm and smooth trip across Georgia Straits. Well, we planned that one well! One thing that we did notice was the absence of boats. Normally you see
several pleasure boats crossing on calm days. Heading up Malaspina Strait, we decided to pull into Power River/Westview and top off our fuel tanks. The further north
you travel, the more expensive the fuel becomes because it has to be barged in. After Westview, we continued on into Desolation Sound and our plans were to stop at
Squirrel Cove for the evening. This was our longest day, and ended up arriving in Squirrel Cove at 6:29 pm. Lost an hour or so, refueling. We found a pleasant
anchorage with a nice view of the mini rapids and the surrounding tidal area. Great for kayaking and checking out the sealife. Stayed here for two nights.
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Refuge Cove...
July 11th, when we left Squirrel Cove we decided to pull into Refuge Cove to again top off our tanks and then moorage because we wanted to fully charge our batteries
and fill our water tank. In the past we have stayed here because they also have a general store that is well supplied, great showers and laundry. Everything is very
rustic, including the old log floathomes. We stayed an extra night because the Co-Op of Refuge Cove was celebrating their 50th anniversay.
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Big Bay...
July 13th we left early in order to catch the slack current in Yuculta Rapids. A little off in our timing but were finally able to tie up at the Big Bay public
docks with several of the boaters waiting for the slack water to continue north. Current can be tricky when pulling into the docks due to their strength and
the direction of their flow, and several boaters stood by to catch our lines. Whew! While here we received a text message from our boating friends, Tom and Jane.
They were on their way to Octopus Islands. Unfortunately we had already passed the channel that leads down to the Hole-In-the-Wall, missing the slack water time
for this passage (slack water is a must here too.) Tom and Jane were traveling with their boating friends and that was as far north as they were going to travel.
We planned to go further. Eagles were covering the trees on the island next to Gillard Passage and someone mention there was a whitefish run. There had to be a
thousand eagles all over! Too far to get a good picture and while going through Yuculta, too busy handling touchy water. Next time.
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Forward Harbour to Bessborough Bay...
July 14th we left Big Bay early, 5:23 a.m., to head for Forward Harbour and anchor there for the night. We needed to get through Gillard Passage, Dent Rapids,
Green Point Rapids and then Whirlpool Rapids. Before Green Point Rapids we were saddened to see the remains of Cordero Lodge in complete disarray. This used
to be a restaurant, with a marina on floats and some big docks. The homes, shop and docks appeared to be washed ashore and falling apart. Just another example of
what has been happening to private marinas from Desolation Sound to the Broughton Archipelago. We reached Forward Harbor and anchored for the evening in our
usual spot. However, a north wind came up and blew right down the harbor and we had to move over to a more protective sid of the island, along with a couple
of sailboats. It turned out to be good anchorage in Bessborough Bay with no wind where we spent a pleasant evening. Our view was right down Sunderland Channel.
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Lagoon Cove then landing at Alder Island...
July 15th we left early to head for Johnstone Strait, pulling anchor at by 5:40 a.m. After a couple of hours we were nearing Broken Islands, when a pod of
killer whales were busy breaching. Rebecca had her camera ready and she caught one coming out of the water, rather than just their fins swimming by. We continued
on to our destination, which was Lagoon Cove Marina, a place that we have stayed at many times. We were fortunate to know the previous owners, Bill and Jean Barber;
along with the managers Pat and Bob. Pat and Bob continue to be really good friends and are now caretakers and living on Alder Island. Bill Barber passed away in
April 2013 and Jean sold the marina sometime in the fall of 2016. Anyway, we topped off our fuel tands and left to continue on to our next stop, Bob and Pat.
They were waiting on the dock to help us tie up. Emotions were certainly high, seeing each other after all of thes years. We stayed for several days, which
allowed us to catch-up, exchange stories, share meals, etc. Pat is a great cook and we got to enjoy some great dishes. Rhubarb pie and ice cream, just for
starters. Needless to say, our visit was too short but we needed to continue our travels with our next destination, Sullivan Bay. Before we left, Bob and John
discussed replacing the impellor pump in the Honda Outboard for the dinghy, but because of a genset problem, John reserved it for a later time. The genset was acting
up and becoming harder to start, plus it was not wanting to carry a heavy load. Bob has many years of marine engine repair and generator service. Bob offered
several suggestions that could possibly be the problem. We wound up by leaving the genset alone because it was still working but in a limited capacity.
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Sullivan Bay...
July 19th we left in the morning for our trip to Sullivan Bay Marina. This has always been one of our favorite destinations because our friends Pete and Gail have a floathome
there and their grandsons always visit them for the summer. Also the marina has a restaurant that serves dinners which are always delicious, a general store, and fuel supplies.
Years past we have always caught lingcod, halibut, prawns and crabs in this area. Somehow we always find a reason to extend our stay and then some. We did catch several lingcods
and one nice salmon. John decided to check both diesel engine fluid levels, including the 3 sets of batteries. When finished with that chore he moved forward on trying to
troubleshoot the genset problem. Using a fresh approach he started by eliminating the obvious causes. About that time a fellow boater across the dock stopped by and asked if we were
having a problem. (The engine covers were up and John was down in the bilge.) His name was Arthur and he was at one time, in the Merchant Marines repairing engines. John and him
both spoke the same language and quickly began troubleshooting the genset. They checked out the battery first, then the air intake and fuel. John mentioned that the fuel heaters
appeared to not be working but he had checked them out and they were, just did not seem to have an affect on starting the genset. John then checked the fuel filters and they were
both ok. Art suggested opening a fuel bleed line and seeing if there was any fuel present. There was, but only a limited amount. John then checked the injector pump and saw that
the linkage had become loose and was not working properly. Rebecca supplied the wrenches, Art watched and offered suggestions, and John readjusted the linkage shaft and tightened
the adjusting nuts. Rebecca tried starting the engine and it fired right up. After checking the operation and voltage settings, all was good to go. The repair was a joint
operation. Bob troubleshooting, Art troubleshooting, Rebecca organizing the tools, and John using blind luck! We said our goodbyes to friends at Sullivan Bay.
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Hoy Bay and then Claydon Bay...
July 28th we left in the morning in hopes of some good crabbing. We have been anchored in Hoy Bay one time and had some luck. There is a small Indian village over on shore.
It was a very hot stay in Hoy Bay and found the blasted deer flies. Plus, it was HOT inside of boat, climbing to 92 degrees F! We tried crabbing and caught one and then no
crabs to speak of, except a line draped over the crabpot making it hard to pull up the trap. Fishing was catch and release.
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Changes in Claydon Bay...
July 29th we got up early and moved to Claydon Bay. We have been here several times and always did well. There were just a few boats (5 left as we were coming in!) anchored so we had our pick where we
wanted to drop the hook. Once we were set up had some lunch and then put the crab traps together. Rebecca saved most of the scraps of fish that we caught so we had plenty of
bait. We put our traps where we had done well in the past. When we pulled them in the morning we had caught 5. We stayed another day but didn't catch any more keepers. Two nights
anchored was enough. Rebecca enjoyed kayaking the entire bay. Plus went swimming one day when it was still very warm.
Last time we were in Claydon Bay there was several docks and floathomes, and boats on the left side after entering the bay. They are all gone. Except for two old floating docks
and a spyhopping boat. But first, there was the sunrise as shown in the first picture below. then there is the spyhopping boat (much like a whale does when it is spyhopping) where
the docks and floathomes used to be located. Back behind where the docks used to be located was an old logging dock and that is in the third picture below. I was finally able to get
a really good picture of it without it being blocked by docks and floathomes. Then there was view of the remnants of the docks and a dinghy (actually a workboat that the loggers
used to run across the bay and tie off and walk up to their logging job) that has definitely seen better days.
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Turnbull Cove with Roaringhole Rapids nearby...
August 1st we checked the tides and pulled anchor to go to Turnbull Cove. We were lucky to find our favorite anchorage open so we grabbed it. In the past we have run a stern line
ashore but this time we just swung on the hook. Good thing we did because three larger boats came into the bay not long after we did. Rebecca has her favorite spots to kayak here
and it is not unusual for her to be gone for several hours. We have been successful fishing here in the past. Our favorite fish is greenling, which were were fishing for but
only caught rockfish, which were released. Several years ago we found a petroglyph on a high wall of rocks which has the name, Monkey Face. We believe that it is a red ochre
painting that actually depicts a monkey face. Rebecca remembers this area well because she caught a salmon bare handed and we ate it for dinner. Score! We plan on two nights
here and then off to Lagoon Cove for fuel and possibly moorage. The weather was sunny when we initially arrived and then on the 2nd it opened up and poured in the afternoon. We have
had pretty much sunny weather since Sullivan Bay. The 3rd was an overcast, cloudy, clammy day and we enjoyed reading on the boat all day staying dry and warm. Roaringhole rapids
is just outside Turnbull Cove and runs very fast. People have taken dinghies in when it is near slack, and needed to time themselves to get back out again before it picks up speed.
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Alder Island and southward...
August 4th we decided to start our slow meandering south, just deciding as we go where we might plan for the next day or so. Our decision for today was an early start for Alder
Island to make sure we saw Bob and Pat before we disappeared. We ended up having some nice trail walks with them and it was good to get out and stretch our legs with them for a
couple of days while again chatting and sharing and just enjoying each other's company. We are really glad that we will be able to continue to stay in touch over the winter via email.
While exploring the "front yard" with Pat one morning, a raccoon walked by us in the salal bushes and it was so busy feeding on salal berries, it basically ignored us! That is, until,
John and Pat got busy chatting again and of course it stopped and looked at us. Then it went to find a quieter location. Of course, we tried the salal berries and they were pretty sweet.
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Lagoon Cove...
August 8th we left by 10 to catch the incoming current up Knights Inlet, to Lagoon Cove. New owners are running the place and are doing an amazing job. Dan and Kelly are in charge
and they have Brandon and Nick on the docks to catch lines, help boats fueling, moving logs and trees, clearing paths, helping in the office and a multitude of other jobs. Rebecca
spent ALL day on August 9th, bringing the website up to speed!
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What's Next?...
We are planning on leaving by 9 tomorrow morning, to catch Chatham Channel going our way, and hopefully a calm Johnstone Strait. We'll see.
Forward Harbour...
August 10th... Well Chatham Channel had some speed on it, yep, going our way. Very nice on the navigation. Reached Johnstone Strait and there was a light northwester blowing and, the current
was also flowing our direction. A few whitecaps out there somewhere, we could see them in the distance, but nothing to speak of as we headed down the Strait. Good run overall.
When we went up Sunderland Channel, we considered anchoring at Bessborough Bay, but opted for Forward Harbor. Inside we found three boats anchored and then stern tied ashore.
That took some very loooonnnngg lines to reach shore. We anchored out a little further and got a good bite on the hook at first drop. Cloudy, trying to rain at times and just
a good time to relax after our four plus hour run. Plus, steaks on the BBQ, tops off an overall good day. Another boat came in named Steel Tiger and had to be 60 or 70 feet long.
It had a HUGE anchor and looked like a boat that could travel just about anywhere. We lost count of how many times they dropped, tried to set, and then pulled their hook back up.
They had were trying to anchor in 80+ feet of water and we had dinner watching them. Roughly two hours later, the skipper was happy with the bite and shut down for the night.
John heard loud thunder and saw a lot of lightening, after we went to bed but no raindrops pattered on the boat.
Foggust to Big Bay...
August 11th we left at 6:30 a.m. to go through Whirlpool Rapids, then Green Point Rapids, and then Dent Rapids and finally Gillard Pass (which is rapids and done at slack only),
before entering Big Bay to tie up for the day. Plan was to be going against the current until arriving at Gillard Pass and to go through it at slack, or as close as possible.
Pretty much nailed it.
The one detail we could NOT plan for was Foggust, otherwise known as Foggy August, and boy did we hit the fog, the whole way, sitting right down in front of our face from 6:30 a.m.
until Big Bay. When we initially poked our nose out of Forward Harbor, the first picture shows that it is looking a bit soupy. Once we
turned the corner to our port (left) it set right down and made it a little harder not being able to see ahead while going through Whirlpool Rapids. Same deal, going through Green
Point Rapids and of course both of these we have to go against the current in order to time getting through Gillard Pass at slack. Head through Dent Rapids area, there were several
other boats also heading towards Gillard for slack. We saw them on the radar; however, we could only actually see the boats when we were about 20 feet from them. It was getting a
little crowded with both power and sailboats heading for Gillard Passage. Got through with fairly calm waters and yet the fog was still a visibility challange. We couldn't even see
the docks we were heading for, until we got close! An honest to goodness, very foggy day.
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Big Bay Hosts...
We met Claire and Danielle, on our way north and they were gracious, welcoming hosts who were also very handy on the dock when we came in the first time. They are very hard working
individuals and you never see them slow down from one job to the next and never see them without a smile on their faces. Both continued to be a warm welcoming committee, upon our return
(now heading southward) and their care for boaters landing safely on the dock with tricky currents is deeply appreciated. I didn't get a picture but would have loved to see how Claire
handled a sharp 90 degree turn on the dock to go up the ramp driving a quad pulling a trailer full of supplies! Whew! Skills!
Big Bay...
Well, we are sticking around for a couple of days to continue updating and taking care of other business. The view is amazing and it is interesting meeting people every day. There is
Eagle Lake to hike up to and view an old trail along with ferns and different fungi alongside the trails. It was amazing how many boats can be seen coming through Yuculta Rapids at slack.
Caught the early morning fog view and then a beautiful sunset picture that just concludes your day!
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Crystal Spirit Adventure...
Had a delightful meeting with Liz and Dave from Harbledown and they shared about the business, Crystal Spirit Adventures, that Liz is building with two of her sisters.
There is a dock that includes power, plus laundry facilities, and other I believe you can rent a room. This is their first year of really opening
up for business and boats have been starting to stop in. If we had known, we would have stopped there too. MORE details to come as we receive updated information.
Next Adventure from Big Bay to Refuge Cove...
August 14th, Of course, when you get up at 5:45 in the morning to go through Yuculta Rapids at slack at 6:30 a.m., you expect great visibility so that you can see
the treacherous waters ahead and plan accordingly. Oh no! Not again... heading out to go through rapids on radar and compass only! Saw a blip coming our way, once we were
out there, and could not see that it was a sailboat until it was less than 20 feet off our port. They were heading north as we traveled south. Slack water sure made things
easier, but still stressful. Both of us on the bridge and looking all over for anything. All's well that ends well and at least it was only one set of rapids in the fog,
unlike the other day with four sets to get through safely.
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Of course, AFTER we get through Yuculta Rapids, it becomes this amazing view.
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And then, to add the exclamation point to the morning, we saw one set of humpback whales (sorry, no spyhoppers today) and then another set about an hour later. We are heading
for Refuge Cove to top off our tanks and stay the night at the docks. We have learned that if the weather is favorable, take adcantage of it. We knew that we had to cross the
Strait of Georgia and that you have to plan your crossing very carefully. Instead of staying the nightt at Refuge Cove, we decided to continue southward.
Pender Harbour...
Moving along and right in the passage between Copeland Islands and land, a floatplane flew towards us and there was a sailboat right next to us in the narrow passage. The plane
veered to it's right in order to avoid the mast on the sailboat and essentially "buzzed" us and then landed immediately behind us on the water. I noticed someone on the sailboat
taking a picture of the plane as it flew over us. Wish we had a copy of that picture to demonstrate how close it was. We were in Malaspina Strait and coming near the bottom of
Texada Island. The wind was blowing from the southeast but was doable. After checking the weather station again we could see that it was deteriorating quickly. We pulled into
Pender Harbour and found moorage at Madeira Park Wharf. the weather forecast was for windy conditions so we decided to stay a second night. We were tired. There are two main
docks and the other dock is full of commercial boats.
Beautiful evening sunset on the docks and it was nice to get out and stretch our legs a little. Oh, getting back to docking. We were told B dock with bow in, port side tie. Ok,
not too much trouble, right? Hm, as Rebecca brought the boat in and John had fenders and lines all ready, the spot on the dock looked just a little TIGHT (snug). Pulled in, and
the guy on the dock got the bow line and then hollered, "hit reverse" because our pulpit was getting ready to kiss the swim platform on the 60 foot boat we were pulling in behind. Ok,
hit reverse and pivoting stern to the dock and concerned about the bottom of our dinghy kissing the pulpit of the sailboat behind us. A little forward and reverses and two other gals
catching the stern line and all is well. We looked at it afterwards and our pulpit and anchor were overhanging the swim platform and there was just a few feet of open air space behind
us as well. Saving grace was the light breeze was with us, not blowing us away from the dock. Just another day of boating!
August 15th Rebecca went for a bike ride to get some riding time in and found a possible home that might be on the market. Just kidding, it is literally "on it's last legs".
the other item of interest was what looked like a bus stop for kids. And then, there is the idyllic picture of a cove in Pender Harbor. Rebecca reports it is very HILLY and she was
wore out when she got back.
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Peter Lazenby and Fran Mertin along with John and Rebecca, taken in Pender Harbour August 1, 2008. Being here in Pender Harbour brings back memories or our time with Peter
and Fran. They took us on a tour of Pender Harbor in there skiff, 'Zoomer'. If you look at a satellite picture you will see just how many nooks, coves and crannies in here. They
shared a lot of the fishing history of this place and there is a great book to read called, "Fishing with John". It gives you a real feel for 'back in the days' when fishing was
really good. Miss you Peter. Rebecca and Fran stay in touch and we hope to see her some time in the near future.
Nanaimo, Dodd Narrows and Clam Bay...
August 16th and planning an early, early start to cross Georgia Straits, fuel up in Nanaimo, check current and planning to arrive before slack in Dodd Narrows and then hope to
drop a hook for a couple of days in Clam Bay. Fishing? Crabbing? Hmmm...... Anyway, when we pulled out of Pender Harbour we were checking the "Whiskey Gulf" area where Canadian
military operations happen on a regular basis. This is a military training area for submarines, surface vessels and aircraft. They use non-explosive weapons but you do not want to
be anywhere near that area. We heard that it was closed to boaters starting at 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.; which means we have to travel north, then go straight across Strait of
Georgia and than hang a left and go south in order to arrive at Nanaimo. Adds another good hour + for crossing the Straits. So, we left the dock on the 16th at 5:00 a.m. with just a
small chop and light winds. As we were getting close to Whiskey Gulf area, the Winchelsea Range Control broadcast a new time for closure which was now from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Plenty of time for us to cross and clear the active area, plus, we had calm seas with a light chop all the way to Nanaimo. We topped off our tanks at the fuel station in the channel
area and then motored to the Nanaimo Basin where we dropped the anchor to wait for slack at Dodd Narrows. After going through Dodd Narrows with a light current going our direction,
we continued to Clam Bay where we found a nice anchorage. We dropped the hook, secured our stuff on the bridge and had a well deserved rest. We plan on staying here a couple of days
so Rebecca can kayak. We know that we are nearing the end of our vacation and are "dragging our heels", so to speak. The first picture is a deadhead and it is always helpful when a
white seagull is sitting on top of it to draw your attention to the hazard in the water. In Clam Bay, the greener was amazing and a restful view.
Port Browning...
August 18th we were both getting restless and planning for an early check in at Roche Harbor Customs, we moved from Clam Bay to Port Browning. We have stayed here before and
there is PLENTY of room for LOTS of boats to anchor and very good holding. We got up early and the morning sunrise was worth getting pictures of to share. Plus, caught one of John
up on the bow after pulling the anchor. He was busy cleaning up and securing everything before getting under way. As we were heading into Plumper Sound (yes, that is it's name) we
saw a view on an little island that makes you wonder if it was an original fort of some kind. Don't know.
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Roche Harbor, Customs and La Conner...
August 19th Well, here we go, back into the US. Pulled anchor at 5:50 and headed for the Customs in Roche Harbor, arriving at 7:50 a.m. Not bad. There were no boats on
the dock and the Customs Agent was just raising the US Flag. Nice. John went in to see about checking in and here is a new one!!! The Customs Agent told John to go online and
download the app CBP ROAM and yes, all capital letters. Rebecca got busy on her phone and it is a pretty straightforward app. Had to enter in who was Master of the ship (John)
and then take a picture of his passport and enter in other details. Then Add Traveler, Rebecca and enter the same information. A few other questions and then hit SUBMIT. The
Customs Agent came to our boat while we were doing this and then walked further down the dock to another boat that had pulled in and gave them the same directions. Took us a bit
longer due to when picture was taken of John's passport, for some reason the auto picture taking feature did not include John's photo. Took a couple of tries to fix that and then
click submit again. Piece of cake. Passed info on to another one of our boating friends and they did not know about this, either. They completed the app process and when they
crossed the border out on the water, they clicked SUBMIT and were almost immediately given a clearance number. If we had known, we could have done the same and not wasted an hour
going through customs at Roche Harbor. Next year, we will know! Also, completed the application for both John and I to be a Verified Traveler in the app and were both sent emails,
the next day with our Verified Traveler #s. Entered those into the CBP ROAM app and one more thing done. Beautiful sunset in Port Browning before we left the next morning. An
interesting setup with wigwams on the north end of Spieden Island before we went into Roche Harbor and an interesting story on the dock of La Conner...
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La Conner dock...
August 19th-21st Traveling 55 miles on the water is a different story than traveling by car. There is some comparison of similarities between a boat and a bicycle involving
expended energy. Point being, by the time we arrived in La Conner, it had been a long day on the water. We were going to top off the tanks, but looking at the north and south docks,
it looked like we had better find a spot on the dock and grab it while it was still open. We saw a big boat (had to be 100 feet long, plus) pull away from the north dock and then do
a 360 degree turn in the channel. That was pretty close with both stern and bow almost reaching the opposite shores at the same time. We were going to slip into the open spot; however,
Rebecca was looking through the binoculars and said she could see open section on the inside of the south dock. This is our preferred dock to tie up to and definitely want the inside
so that we don't have to deal with debris floating by and the wash of the wakes from boats going by TOO fast. All part of boating. Watching the direction of the current, it was going
northward, we planned for a portside tie on the inside dock to take advantage of being able to better control the boat. Tied up and then in the middle of the dock, we saw these big signs
that said, "Reserved Aug 19th-20th". Oh boy. Rebecca walked down the dock to see if the signs were all the way, because at this point at 2:00 in the afternoon, the dock was pretty open.
Rebecca spoke to someone who was with the Navy Yacht Club Everett, and he said that they have reserved the entire dock. The gentleman went on to say that there were some cancellations
and graciously offered a spot if we just wanted to pay a dollar a foot (which included power). We looked at each other and both of us nodded, yes. That would be great. We ended up
staying here for three nights and for two of them, wrote a check to the Navy Yacht Club of Everett. A couple of other boaters were given the same option and needless to say, it helped
the yacht club to offsett the costs from their boaters who had cancelled. Rebecca got a couple of good rides in, in La Conner; one of which was really hilly. Getting those legs in
shape for Ireland. The mornings were definitely foggy!
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Port of Edmonds...
August 22nd we pulled over to the fuel dock early in order to top off tanks one more time and then left by 8:20 a.m. for Port of Edmonds, our home port. Overall, it has been
a really good summer and meeting different boaters. One of the main highlights for us was being able to see Pat and Bob again, on Alder Island. They are great friends and near and
dear to our hearts. Thank you for the warm welcome and stay. We were very sorry that we were not able to meet up with Tom and Jane on their boat "Seacoaster". They were primarily in the
Desolation Sound area and we kept "passing each other in the night". Actually, as we headed out of La Conner, we were in the south end of the Swinnomish Channel and happened to see
a BIG boat aground on the wrong side of the channel breakwater. Not sure how that boat got there. As we continued south we went around Rocky Point and then southward the whole way on
the inside of Whidbey Island. About 30 minutes or so, after passing Rocky Point, Rebecca sent a text message to Jane asking, "Where are you guys?" Jane responded shortly that they
were anchored at Utsalady Point. Rebecca asked where that was and after looking at a map, we realized that we had "passed them" one more time! What a way to end our 7+ week trip,
of trying to meet up with them and they were out and returning within practically the same days! August 25th we did meet with them for dinner at the Channel Marker restaurant here in
the port and they looked as relaxed, sunny and brown as we did. All's well that ends well.
