Travels of "Emma B" (JD powered Helmsman)

[Durant F]

Yes, they are open year round. The little store, which for its size has an amazing variety of goods including fresh bread, organic veggies and beer/liquor, serves the locals as well. Cortes is a big island with only a couple of stores so although not “busy”, they are certainly steady. The fuel at both the store and dock remains open as does the propane. The “float house restaurant “ is currently open although I’ve seen it both “weekends only” and “closed” during previous years visits. I think they try to keep it open as several locals have “date night” here. The docks themselves go on reduced rates in September, which are further reduced come October. Heriot Bay Inn is similar. This is not why I cruise this time of year here but certainly is a bonus. Gorge has a monthly rate of only $6/ft through winter so several folks choose to store their vessel here in the off-season while some liveaboards move in for the winter as well. Incredible rate really considering the impeccable grounds, awesome docks, store etc.
Bill chooses to fill the WNW docks first as winter winds from the SE can kick things up a bit and the wave action is reduced in this section.
I honestly can’t think of a better run marina with nicer grounds or superior docks anywhere.

Today:
ESE docks
WNW docks

 

[IRENE]

Thank you. Looks like you had some blue sky and calm! It blew down here all day after the front went through this morning. The strait was snotty.

 

[Durant F]

Yes....had sun twice yesterday for an hour or so per time. Awoke to rain again today. With steady rain and high winds forecast for later this afternoon, I think I’ll stay putt on the dock overnight. Sun is to return tomorrow and be much brighter the next several days so I’ll head out in the morning for my last Desolation Sound tour of this year before haulout.
I’m not the only nut still cruising...
Last night what I think is a GB or Island Gypsy sedan came in and anchored. Shortly after a Nordic Tug 32 rafted alongside.
They just separated and hauled anchor to leave. With strong winds forecast later today, I’d be curious where they’re heading....
If anchoring, Melanie Cove is about as secure in a blow as it gets.

 

[Durant F]

Hope those 2 cruisers are long tucked in somewhere!
It’s been building all day and really gusting since about 5pm.
Just checked the closest bouy report on the Strait....
6ft waves with a 5 second interval!!
That would NOT be fun...
Hope they’ve long been safely tucked in somewhere...
Forecast is to get worst! Gusts up to 45!
Glad I’m tied to a dock here.

 

[Durant F]

Awoke to a very different day. The elusive sun made an appearance, the winds were very low and with that, after stealing some apples from the orchid, I was off. This will be my last week cruising before oil changes, boat cleaning etc in prep to haul out. What better way to spend it than heading back into Desolation Sound. Northern Spy, you’ll be happy to know the bell on the bouy is working fine and no sharks were spotted going by! The sun tried staying out but by the time I was anchor down in Prideaux Haven it was overcast again. Still beautiful! Forecast shows rain again tomorrow but the sun comes back for most of the remainder of the week!
I’m sitting here, at anchor and feeling pretty thankful for the season and all we have seen. It’s amazing country up here!

 

[Durant F]

After a very calm night at anchor, awoke to sprinkles off and on. Tomorrow the sun is forecast to return for over a week!
Will try to make Apple crisp in the oven with the apples I stole from the orchid while at Gorge Harbour (if you’re reading this, thanks Bill) although great on the bbq, I’m not much of an oven guy so this will be interesting.
Although overcast, its still a beautiful place to wake up..
Pic is just now

 

[Nomad Willy]

Great pic Durant,
Anchoring in little coves like this is wonderful.

 

[Durant F]

Yes Eric, the coves and little protected anchorages are truly special. Prideaux Haven has decent protection but the view here is awesome! Tomorrow, with the sun back, I’ll post the view forward again only there will be mountains showing up.
Melanie Cove just behind me has great protection and good holding in mud. The view isn’t the same tho...
I love Squirrel Cove as well.
Up north, Totally protected Joe Cove on Eden Island with the old float is a favourite!
Just took this picture out the starbside. Still pretty even tho overcast.
I’d better check my Apple crisp.
Hope to run into you next year Eric
Love the Willard 30s !
Take care
Frank

 

[Durant F]

The rain let up mid afternoon so I took a nice dingy tour and explored a near by island. Felt good to get off the boat.
With being at anchor, thought I’d unscrew my solar panel in prep to rail mount it. It was mounted flat on the aft upper deck which is anything but ideal. It cannot be tilted to get best exposure to the sun at all “as is”. I didn’t rail mount it right away as I thought we would use the “deck chair/storage box” up there a lot. Fact is, it never gets moved so it’ll be given away and the panel will be up on that aft rail, capable of being tilted fore and aft. After removing it from the current mounts, I simply propped it up into position for the angle of the sun and went below to see what the change was.
Before heading up, the charge controller was showing 2.6 to 3.4 amps. When I came down after tilting the panel towards the sun, it was showing 9.9 and 10amps! A huge difference!
Tomorrow I’ll attempt a more permanent rail mount.
BTW, it is a 160 watt panel.
You can see the angle of the panel after I tilted it, as well as the soon to be given away deck box/bench

 

[dhays]

I am loving your pictures. My favorite spots are in Laura Cove. Good protection and good views in a small space.

 

[Durant F]

You’ll chuckle at this Dave...
My dingy tour earlier took me on the outside down to Laura Cove, did a “once around”, then back to Prideaux on that inside channel.
Picture is the entrance rock at Laura Cove looking out. Nice rainbow this afternoon!
Have fun
Frank

 

[Durant F]

Awoke to the promise of some sun today.
Hard not to love how the cloud movements creat an ever changing scene.

 

[Nomad Willy]

OK Frank you did it again and upped the anti.
The anti = the addition of great clouds.

Re the Willard I’m waiting for a new seawater pump.

 

[Durant F]

Shoal Bay is another spot with an ever changing back drop looking up Philips Arm.
I was hoping for more clearing today and a better view of the mountains I know are there, but heh.... the sun is coming out now and then and better yet...it’s not raining!

 

[dhays]

Great photos Frank. Once I retire, I may have to ditch my wife for a few weeks and do a late fall cruise of there myself. My wife wouldn't be crazy about it that time of year so...

 

[Durant F]

Day 3 here Dave and not another boat!
Toured Melanie Cove earlier today and noted all the chain hooks set into the rock for folks to shore tie....they seem about every 100 ft or less!
Not for me...
Call me selfish but I love this feeling of having it all to yourself!

 

[dhays]

Day 3 here Dave and not another boat!
Toured Melanie Cove earlier today and noted all the chain hooks set into the rock for folks to shore tie....they seem about every 100 ft or less!
Not for me...
Call me selfish but I love this feeling of having it all to yourself!

Yup. Last time we were in Melanie Cove every one of those were being used in addition to the cove being filled with boats without a stern tie. I like the sound of it now much better.



OTOH, you probably aren't doing a lot of swimming right now. ;-)

 

[Durant F]

No.....not a lot of swimming
But, not listening to others talk, others music, others Gen sets.....
Just listening to birds and the odd splash from a seal.....
Geez there’s alway a ton of jelly fish in Melanie Cove this time of year!
Wouldn’t want to swim there anyway.....


Prideaux Haven just now

Now....picture that with 30+ boats, music, generators...
Nope, not for me....

 

[Durant F]

I’ve been asked about towing a dingy....
As I’ve never really had a vessel large enough to stow on deck, I’ve always towed.
Typically they follow along faithfully in just about any conditions!
The only problem sitruations arise when in strong winds from the stern and a following sea.
The dingy will surf up to you...even pass... then fall back and SNAP as the painter tightens , only to surge forward again... Repeat....
Helped by shortening the painter or putting the shortened painter in electrical conduit to stop the surge forward.
My current dingy is 9ft and has been towed over 5500 nautical miles
Picture is the same dingy on a different boat, Johnstone Strait, in a blow with a following sea. Note that wave size in pictures seams to make them look smaller..

 

[koliver]

I’ve been asked about towing a dingy....
As I’ve never really had a vessel large enough to stow on deck, I’ve always towed.
Typically they follow along faithfully in just about any conditions!
The only problem situations arise when in strong winds from the stern and a following sea.
The dingy will surf up to you...even pass... then fall back and SNAP as the painter tightens , only to surge forward again... Repeat....
Helped by shortening the painter or putting the shortened painter in electrical conduit to stop the surge forward.
My current dingy is 9ft and has been towed over 5500 nautical miles
Picture is the same dingy on a different boat, Johnstone Strait, in a blow with a following sea. Note that wave size in pictures seams to make them look smaller..

Frank
First of all, thanks for all of your pictures and your travelogue through the greatest cruising grounds in the world.

I have towed for many years. I have never had an issue with a tow. I have towed in all conditions.
I once had my dinghy surf up so that its bow was fwd of my stern. That only occurred once. Following sea, in Malaspina Str, 5 or 6 ft waves, following wind. I took no corrective action, as I have my painter limited to a length that is too short to reach the propellers, ever, so the dinghy tows as close to the boat as I would want.

I usually carry my present dinghy on stern mounted davits, but sometimes, in rolly conditions like I had last week crossing Georgia Str, I might rather tow, as the dinghy wants to swing from side to side and stretches out the side motion snubbers that I use.
I think you are OK to continue to tow, though you may want to try a shorter tow line.

 

[Durant F]

Thanks Keith
I only posted that as others asked me about towing...
I’ve always towed and most likely always will.
This little dingy has over 5500 miles out back on the west coast.
I’ve been sailing Florida to Bahamas in winter since 2002....
About 19 Gulf Stream crossings towing and gosh knows how many miles in those 18yrs...
Yep, they tag along pretty well don’t they!

 

[AKMary]

Hi Frank,
I've had a great time reading through this thread over the last few days. I've been as far north as Shoal Bay and am planning to explore the Broughtons next year, roughly Aug - Oct.

Your posts and pics have been a huge help as I start putting to paper places to visit, rapids that will need to be run, and where to drop anchor.

Thanks for getting me off to a good start. Your posts are greatly appreciated and very much enjoyed! I'll be sure to say hello if we cross paths.

Cheers,
Mary

 

[Nomad Willy]

Frank and/or Keith,
How do you control the buildup of seawater in the dinghy in sloppy going?

 

[Durant F]

Mary....just sent you a message

Eric...I leave the plug out of this dingy at all times. It has that little “one way” flapper and works extremely well. Any water build up quickly goes out when towed. My southern dingy needs pumping...doesn’t work as well. This dingy here is pretty well done. Too many rock fish and red snapper holes...patch’s on patch’s. Will be interesting to see how the new dingy acts next season.

 

[Durant F]

Prideaux Haven looking quite “mystical “ in the morning mist today

 

[koliver]

Frank and/or Keith,
How do you control the buildup of seawater in the dinghy in sloppy going?

Buildup of Seawater? Interesting concept. One that has never been an issue, as I have never seen one drop of errant seawater enter any of my dinghies when towing, since 1977. Various dinghies too, Sportyak, Galleon 9, Achillies SE11 (soft bottom inflatable), Caribe 10 (RIB), Caribe 12 (RIB).
For those with outboards, I have always left the outboard tilted up on the transom, fuel tank lashed down (or rigid installation) in the bow.

I was with a friend who was doing everything he could think of (overthinking a problem that wasn't a problem, as things turned out) to prevent his Achilles 10 soft bottom from filling with water. He removed the outboard and fuel tank, pulled out the drain plug, towed on a long painter. His dinghy flipped over and acted as a Sea Anchor. I suspect it was too light and too far back to track properly, causing it to turn away and be jerked by its painter.

 

[Durant F]

Agreed Kieth
They stay amazingly dry...even in the big stuff.
Rainwater (west coast liquid sunshine) is the issue, not seawater.

 

[Nomad Willy]

“Amazingly dry” ...
Does that mean you extract any water in the dinghy bilge whenever you get a chance? Hard for me to imagine spray over time wouldn’t accumulate and cause problems.
If I was to tow my 12’ FD rowboat as a dink I’m think’in the turned up bottom aft will pull the stern down and give it much increased directional stability. Also act as a speed brake and prevent the dink from rushing fwd causing problems. Probably cause extra drag as my cruise speed is probably above hull speed for the dink.
Well I guess doing some towing will tell all.
I have towed my 10’ SD dink (converted from a sailboat) but don’t recall much. I was supprised how hard the painter pulled when underway. Come to think of it I usta tow a 7’ FD dink at 8.5 knots. That’s prolly where I experienced the high painter tension.

 

[AusCan]

I’m really enjoying your posts and pics, Frank. Much appreciated.

Eric, the only time I was getting sea water into the dinghy, the painter ended up snapping in the 6-8 foot breaking waves. Time to lift the dinghy out of the water in those conditions.

 

[Durant F]

The morning mist actually thickened into a complete blanket of fog! It just didn’t want to lift! My view from beautiful Prideaux Haven was this right through lunch.