Currents and Narrows

Depart early-ish, for big day through Dodd Narrow and crossing the Strait of Georgia. Sky clear; temps Northwest warm; wind easy 5 knots. Pleasant cruise up long protected bank of Galliano Island. Everyone settles into their preferred reading spots on deck, boys stripped down to shirtsleeves. Put sails up briefly; bring them in again. We’re closing in on Dodd Narrow, a notoriously interesting feature of B.C.’s maze of inlets and channels…

Dodd Narrow, we read in our Waggoner Cruising Guide (the Bible for northwest cruising), is a place where the water swirls though a narrow but deep passage between high rocky cliffs. Tide currents regularly run a crazy 9 knots through the cut, so boats line up to circle around and wait until they can ride through on slack water.

Tensions are running a little high as Heron falls in with the half-dozen other boats to wait her turn. We watch while a line of boats heading south passes us, single file. Then the current starts running in our favor. Anticipation high, we fall into a train of vessels passing slowly, single file, through the cut. It’s the kind of place where picnickers hike down to hang out and watch the action.

“Man, this is wild! Like running the Middle Fork of the Salmon, or something,” my husband says. Just then, at the worst possible moment, Heron tosses her daily curveball: the engine dies.

Up on the bow snapping photos, I recognize the sound. Or sickening lack thereof. There is a sudden quiet, then a pathetic clunk, clunk noise interspersed with under-the-breath swearing as my husband attempts to get us going.

“Sam grab a line in case we need a tow!” he yells. This is bad.

Me? I reach for a life jacket. Might come in handy, I think, whether we’re running around on deck or abandoning ship.

“Not now! Not now! Don’t crap out on me now!... my husband is saying to the boat.

Things get really interesting when we begin floating dangerously close to the gleaming 55-foot Halberg Rassey we’ve been following. Of course that’s when Heron decides, capriciously, to spring to life. The engine turns over innocently, and we’re on our way…