Our first long trip, Marie and I departed Anacortes for Stuart Island on August 15th. We spent a peaceful night in Reid Harbor before checking in with Canadian Customs at Bedwell 
Harbor on Sunday morning. No difficulties.
Leaving Bedwell, we went up to Ganges on Saltspring Island, got in early and spent the night there. It's an interesting town with a number of galleries and shops. I liked the General Store the best... they had a little bit of everything.
From Ganges, we proceeded to Silva Bay (northwest corner of Galiano) and stopped for the night before the long leg across the Georgia Straits. Originally, we planned to stop at Clam Bay, but we were making good time, so we checked the tide table (for Fulford Harbor) and decided to go out Porlier Pass up to Silva Bay. Unbeknowst to us, Porlier Pass has its own current table and we were a couple hours late from slack. We gunned it through the worst part and I was prepared to turn around if we got down to less than 1.5 knots COG, but we were able to maintain about 2.5. Headed north fighting current. It was twilight when we pulled in to Silva Bay.
Next morning, we left about 8:00 AM and headed into 20-25 knot NWerlies with sails reefed. After numerous tacks, we decided to motorsail as we would be sailing into Pender Harbour in the dark otherwise. The last part to Pender Harbour was dead flat calm. Dropped the hook and spent a quiet night.
Up early again (we thought)... I poked my head out the hatch at 7:00 AM and most of the boat that were in the harbor last night were gone already. We started out in dead flat seas motoring north. We were trying to make the turn at Malaspina Peninsula before dark. Currents were fair and we made Grace Harbour just as the sun was setting.
Grace Harbour was beautiful. We spent 2 nights there. Did some exploring by ding
hy and then 
we hiked up to the nearby lake for a swim/bath. I don't know what the name of the lake is, but we renamed it 'Leech Lake'! As we were sitting on a submerged log, Marie noticed a slithering across the top of her hand. Brushing it away, we made a quick exit and checked ourselves over. We found one leech had attached itself to Marie's leg... yuck! We know they are harmless, but the thought is disgusting. She pulled it off and it stretched out to about 3".
After our lake exploits, we left Grace Harbour
for Prideaux Haven and stayed in Melanie Cove, stern tying to shore. That's a wonderful area to explore and we did so by dinghy and on foot. The nearby mountains come right down to the water and were spectacular.
During our stay there we met Greg and Leslie Grant on a 37' Cooper and their friends Brian and Bonita (on a beautiful old wooden pilothouse sloop). Greg and Leslie invited us over to share some apple pie and ice cream with them all. Marie brought freshed baked brownies and we stayed up late in good conversation.
They left the next day for a nearby fjord where the water temperature was reported to be 82°! We stayed a 2nd night at Melanie and then left the next morning for Teakerne Arm and Cassel Lake. We dropped anchor deep (100'), stern-tied and went
ashore to hike up to the lake. It was crystal clear, deep and looked cold, but turned out to be very pleasant. It was nice to have a good fresh water swim.
The anchorage isn't the best there so we decided to pick up and go to Squirrel Cove for the night. Squirrel Cove was already on our itinerary so we picked up and extra day by going there the same day as Teakerne.
Another quiet night in paradise! Next morning we decided to go around Cortes Island to Gorge Harbour. Got to do a little sailing as the winds came up a bit and they weren't right on the nose. Pulled into Gorge looking for the petroglyphs that are on the entrance cliffs, but we couldn't spot them... maybe next time.
From Gorge, we traveled to Heriot Bay on Quadra Island. We pulled into the marina so we could use their facilities... ahh, showers!... and laundry.
Rather than go back down the east side of the straits, we decided to go down the west side so we headed out for Comox the next day. As we were approaching the Comox bar, we had trouble finding the range markers as the sun was right in our eyes and a structure about 1/4 mile north had one blinking light of some sort. It initially threw us off until we decided to just line up the two green buoys... then we found the range markers. There weren't very many anchoring opportunties, so we spent the night at the Comox marina and walked around town.
Next morning we decided to try to make Nanaimo but we also had a couple of 'hidey-holes' in case we weren't going to make it. Turns out we did and spent another night in the public marina. It was a tight fit. When we arrived, we were wedged in next to a floating restaurant moored to the pier next to us. With help from a neighboring boater, we decided to try to turn the boat around right then by him holding the bowsprit and me swinging the wheel hard over, motoring slow ahead. The boat gradually turned much to the delight of the diners sitting a few feet away.
They had nice showers that we took advantage of. Next morning we walked around Nanaimo because we were waiting for slack at Dodd Narrows. We decided we wanted to come back there to explore some more.
As we approached Dodd, I could see there were two tugs with log booms waiting for the slack also. We sped up and barely made it in ahead of them. When they go through, all traffic stops because they fill the Narrows.
We proceeded to head for Winter Cove, but as we were approaching Prevost Island, we decided to stop for the night in James Bay as a southerly was coming up, it was getting late and we were getting tired.
We explored the Marine Park where an old homestead used to be. Now, there is nothing left but a meadow and remnant orchard. The apples and prunes were just ripening.
That night the sunset was spectacular! And the winds died out to nothing.
Next morning we headed past Saturna Island and crossed Boundary Pass to Friday Harbor. Back in the USA! Got our BR# from Customs so that next time all we have to do is call in and proceed to our destination... Cool! While there, we enjoyed a nice dinner together with our niece Sabrina who works on the island as a summer ranger at American Camp.
Our last day we spent the morning walking around town waiting for the fog to lift. Left Friday Harbor and got back to Anacortes around 5:00 PM.
Marie said it was the best vacation she had ever had... enough said!
Harbor on Sunday morning. No difficulties.Leaving Bedwell, we went up to Ganges on Saltspring Island, got in early and spent the night there. It's an interesting town with a number of galleries and shops. I liked the General Store the best... they had a little bit of everything.
From Ganges, we proceeded to Silva Bay (northwest corner of Galiano) and stopped for the night before the long leg across the Georgia Straits. Originally, we planned to stop at Clam Bay, but we were making good time, so we checked the tide table (for Fulford Harbor) and decided to go out Porlier Pass up to Silva Bay. Unbeknowst to us, Porlier Pass has its own current table and we were a couple hours late from slack. We gunned it through the worst part and I was prepared to turn around if we got down to less than 1.5 knots COG, but we were able to maintain about 2.5. Headed north fighting current. It was twilight when we pulled in to Silva Bay.
Next morning, we left about 8:00 AM and headed into 20-25 knot NWerlies with sails reefed. After numerous tacks, we decided to motorsail as we would be sailing into Pender Harbour in the dark otherwise. The last part to Pender Harbour was dead flat calm. Dropped the hook and spent a quiet night.
Up early again (we thought)... I poked my head out the hatch at 7:00 AM and most of the boat that were in the harbor last night were gone already. We started out in dead flat seas motoring north. We were trying to make the turn at Malaspina Peninsula before dark. Currents were fair and we made Grace Harbour just as the sun was setting.
Grace Harbour was beautiful. We spent 2 nights there. Did some exploring by ding
hy and then 
we hiked up to the nearby lake for a swim/bath. I don't know what the name of the lake is, but we renamed it 'Leech Lake'! As we were sitting on a submerged log, Marie noticed a slithering across the top of her hand. Brushing it away, we made a quick exit and checked ourselves over. We found one leech had attached itself to Marie's leg... yuck! We know they are harmless, but the thought is disgusting. She pulled it off and it stretched out to about 3".After our lake exploits, we left Grace Harbour
for Prideaux Haven and stayed in Melanie Cove, stern tying to shore. That's a wonderful area to explore and we did so by dinghy and on foot. The nearby mountains come right down to the water and were spectacular.
During our stay there we met Greg and Leslie Grant on a 37' Cooper and their friends Brian and Bonita (on a beautiful old wooden pilothouse sloop). Greg and Leslie invited us over to share some apple pie and ice cream with them all. Marie brought freshed baked brownies and we stayed up late in good conversation.
They left the next day for a nearby fjord where the water temperature was reported to be 82°! We stayed a 2nd night at Melanie and then left the next morning for Teakerne Arm and Cassel Lake. We dropped anchor deep (100'), stern-tied and went
ashore to hike up to the lake. It was crystal clear, deep and looked cold, but turned out to be very pleasant. It was nice to have a good fresh water swim.The anchorage isn't the best there so we decided to pick up and go to Squirrel Cove for the night. Squirrel Cove was already on our itinerary so we picked up and extra day by going there the same day as Teakerne.
Another quiet night in paradise! Next morning we decided to go around Cortes Island to Gorge Harbour. Got to do a little sailing as the winds came up a bit and they weren't right on the nose. Pulled into Gorge looking for the petroglyphs that are on the entrance cliffs, but we couldn't spot them... maybe next time.
From Gorge, we traveled to Heriot Bay on Quadra Island. We pulled into the marina so we could use their facilities... ahh, showers!... and laundry.
Rather than go back down the east side of the straits, we decided to go down the west side so we headed out for Comox the next day. As we were approaching the Comox bar, we had trouble finding the range markers as the sun was right in our eyes and a structure about 1/4 mile north had one blinking light of some sort. It initially threw us off until we decided to just line up the two green buoys... then we found the range markers. There weren't very many anchoring opportunties, so we spent the night at the Comox marina and walked around town.
Next morning we decided to try to make Nanaimo but we also had a couple of 'hidey-holes' in case we weren't going to make it. Turns out we did and spent another night in the public marina. It was a tight fit. When we arrived, we were wedged in next to a floating restaurant moored to the pier next to us. With help from a neighboring boater, we decided to try to turn the boat around right then by him holding the bowsprit and me swinging the wheel hard over, motoring slow ahead. The boat gradually turned much to the delight of the diners sitting a few feet away.
They had nice showers that we took advantage of. Next morning we walked around Nanaimo because we were waiting for slack at Dodd Narrows. We decided we wanted to come back there to explore some more.
As we approached Dodd, I could see there were two tugs with log booms waiting for the slack also. We sped up and barely made it in ahead of them. When they go through, all traffic stops because they fill the Narrows.
We proceeded to head for Winter Cove, but as we were approaching Prevost Island, we decided to stop for the night in James Bay as a southerly was coming up, it was getting late and we were getting tired.
We explored the Marine Park where an old homestead used to be. Now, there is nothing left but a meadow and remnant orchard. The apples and prunes were just ripening.
That night the sunset was spectacular! And the winds died out to nothing.
Next morning we headed past Saturna Island and crossed Boundary Pass to Friday Harbor. Back in the USA! Got our BR# from Customs so that next time all we have to do is call in and proceed to our destination... Cool! While there, we enjoyed a nice dinner together with our niece Sabrina who works on the island as a summer ranger at American Camp.
Our last day we spent the morning walking around town waiting for the fog to lift. Left Friday Harbor and got back to Anacortes around 5:00 PM.
Marie said it was the best vacation she had ever had... enough said!
