The tides of the Pacific Northwest are typically semi-diurnal – and extreme. Consulting tide charts shows two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours. As Heron slipped out of Newcastle Island Marine Park (where we’d anchored for the night, just above Nanaimo), at 7:30 a.m., Jeff noted that dead low tide would be at 7:48 a.m. The sailboat we’d seen leaving 5 minutes ahead of us failed to note this, apparently. As we rounded a rocky islet, there it was: hard aground atop a sandbar, going nowhere. Ouch!
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| Imagine the discussion in THAT cockpit!!! Not even 8 a.m... |
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| We set out across the Straits of Georgia in early morning light, the wind picking up from 7.5 knots to 10, then 15, as we hit open water. We put up all three sails and had a glorious run across the Straits; averaging boat speeds of 7.5 – 7.9 knots under sail. Heron handled beautifully under these conditions, humming across the water. We savored the sound of the wind in the canvas, the waves splashing off the hull, and just enjoyed the simple warmth of the sun as it pierced through the clouds, shining on Heron’s foredeck. |
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| We lost the wind, as usual, rounding the southern tip of Texada Island. Then, when we went to start the engine: nothing. Dead silence. A bit unnerving, as we were afloat in the middle of the Straits of Georgia. Jeff went to check below, fearing there was a connectivity issue. Still, nothing. He pulled out the strainers, found a jellyfish clogging one, tossed the jellyfish overboard, and reset the strainer. When Kim retried the starter: Eureka! Power again. We docked at the SYC Garden Bay outstation, re-provisioning and wheeling our cartfull of produce and Canadian Kokanee beer down to the dock. Bumped into Malcolm of Coon Island while grocery shopping, Malcolm joined us for cocktails on the boat. Fun! |
It was still T-shirt-weather by dinner time, 9 pm.
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