This summer has been a long time in arriving. OK, I have an excuse, as my daughter and her family, including our only grandchildren, who live in Portugal, came to visit for 3 weeks, ending last weekend.
We had a few days away on the boat over the July long weekend, but stayed in the Gulf Islands for all of it. I did find new prawning grounds near Silva Bay, and stocked the freezer a bit.
On Saturday we put the Portugal bound family on the float plane in Ganges, started to de-childproof the house and started the general cleanup. Finished all of that in time to depart on Monday and got as far as Silva Bay. We met friends there and had a good dinner out at the Silva Bay Pub.
On Tuesday morning, the forecast was for strong winds, diminishing, then rising overnight. We left at about 09:30, heading north out of Commodores Passage. Within a mile, the waves were so steep that the dishes were coming out of the cupboard above the fridge and littering the floor. We turned around. At 1:30 PM things looked a little better from the best land based vantage we could find, so we set out again. This time, at the same spot, the waves were not over 6". Tne crossing to Pender Harbour was a little sloppy out in the WG area, but not anything like what had turned us back earlier.
We arrived in Garden Bay to find good friends who had pulled in just ahead of us, on their way home to Vancouver, so had dinner together on their boat, stayed too long, had a great time.
This morning, we did a tour of Pender Harbour with our friends, in their 33' tender.
Off to Desolation Sound. We stopped in the Copeland Islands, tested out an anchorage that has been a favourite, but in the 8 knot wind from the NW, couldn't settle in our favorite anchorage, so moved on to anchor behind Otter Island. This is where we want to be. Prawn traps go out in the morning.
We had a few days away on the boat over the July long weekend, but stayed in the Gulf Islands for all of it. I did find new prawning grounds near Silva Bay, and stocked the freezer a bit.
On Saturday we put the Portugal bound family on the float plane in Ganges, started to de-childproof the house and started the general cleanup. Finished all of that in time to depart on Monday and got as far as Silva Bay. We met friends there and had a good dinner out at the Silva Bay Pub.
On Tuesday morning, the forecast was for strong winds, diminishing, then rising overnight. We left at about 09:30, heading north out of Commodores Passage. Within a mile, the waves were so steep that the dishes were coming out of the cupboard above the fridge and littering the floor. We turned around. At 1:30 PM things looked a little better from the best land based vantage we could find, so we set out again. This time, at the same spot, the waves were not over 6". Tne crossing to Pender Harbour was a little sloppy out in the WG area, but not anything like what had turned us back earlier.
We arrived in Garden Bay to find good friends who had pulled in just ahead of us, on their way home to Vancouver, so had dinner together on their boat, stayed too long, had a great time.
This morning, we did a tour of Pender Harbour with our friends, in their 33' tender.
Off to Desolation Sound. We stopped in the Copeland Islands, tested out an anchorage that has been a favourite, but in the 8 knot wind from the NW, couldn't settle in our favorite anchorage, so moved on to anchor behind Otter Island. This is where we want to be. Prawn traps go out in the morning.
