Greywolf finally left Montague Harbor on the morning of July 2nd, headed for Dodd Narrows and Nanaimo. By the time we got to Dodd (at slack water) the 20-25 predicted northerly winds were in full force.
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| Nanaimo on a calm day.... |
The Boat Basin at Nanaimo is fairly well protected. We were not trilled at the prospect of docking in those winds, but the Port Authority always has personal on the docks to take your lines. What they did not have was space for the boat. Due to the high winds, boats were not leaving.
A new marina up the channel had moorage, but no protection from the winds. Greywolf can not, will not, maneuver in small spaces in high winds. Just the thought of it make her bow and stern thrusters go into apoplexy. Mr. Lugger almost stops breathing. (She has just recently forgiven us for Skagway last summer.)
What do to do? Cross the Straits of Georgia, or go back through Dodd Narrows to Ladysmith? What do do? We needed to get water and do laundry, so, we retraced out route. And waited the six hours for the next slack water at Dodd, pleasantly out of the 25 knots of wind.
Destination: Ladysmith, a few miles to the south.
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Tug following Greywolf south. It was probably
NOT his second transiting of the Narrows that day.... |
A sad story unfolded on the VHF during the morning. A skipper hailed the Coast Guard saying that he was aground just outside Nanaimo Harbor and needed assistance.
How many people? One. What kind of boat? Thirty-four foot sailboat.
The tide was going out and the boat was being pushed onto an extensive tide flat by the 25 knot winds. The rescue boat was unable to tow the boat to deeper water.
When we passed the tide flat later in the morning, the boat was on her side, far from open water.
When the tide came it, it undoubtedly flooded the boat; with her deep keel, she would not have enough water to right herself.
We see many sailboats in these waters with their dinghies skimming delightfully behind. On a sunny day with the light sparkling on the water, nothing looks more carefree and idyllic.
Looking at the vessel on her side in the mud with her dinghy waiting behind her, we were again reminded of how quickly life changes, how quickly dreams unravel.
Stan Mack, a fellow member of Eagle Harbor Yacht club and his grandson Mac,helped us tie up at Ladysmith in the early evening. Mac is a very competent young yachtsman, making off our lines smartly and checking to make sure everything was to our liking. I think he’ll be looking for a sailing club soon. They’ll be lucky to have him.
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| The Museum, with bird houses on the piling (see page 13, footnote 3a) |
The Ladysmith Maritime Society Community Marina is small, new, and invitng. On the dock, they have showers, nice laundry, a cafe, outside gathering spaces and a one- room museum. The society’s 200 volunteers keep the area well-maintained and add individual touches to the facility.
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We’re trading in the Honda....
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No, you don’t know any of these people. Neither do we. On Friday nights during
the summer, the Maritime Society hosts Dine of the Docks with a different restaurant
caters it each week for the enjoyment of locals and boaters.
We enjoyed chicken enchiladas and good company.
Almost every piling had bird houses. With numbers. We could hear birds morning and night.
I’m thinking of moving to number 933. How did you like it when you lived there?
It was fine except in a south wind. Great view. Lots of insects about 8PM.
We called the birds The Purple Martin Majesties....and then hummed along.
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Downtown, the storefronts vary from well-maintained to
economic struggle, but the town has a nice feel.
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The merchants are emphasizing Ladysmith’s
maritime, logging and mining heritage with vintage artifacts placed along the main street.
Okay, I heard you curmudgeons saying that they just don’t want to pay to have them hauled away….
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The walk along the old railroad bed offered welcome shade for a Poodle
and her people in the 30 degree heat. It looked like fall with the trees
dropping their leaves to conserve moisture.
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On Sunday, July 5th, Greywolf made her second attempt to exit the Gulf Island,
heading out through Gabriola Pass into the Straits of Georgia:
destination, Pender Harbor on the mainland coast.
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.....looking east toward the city of Vancouver
To the north of Vancouver,
the rising sun was filtered by smoke. Surreal.
We knew there was a fire in Shechelt, but, like everyone else, we were not aware of what that would mean for the Sunshine Coast where we were headed.
While I was in the main cabin taking a “toes up”, (does anyone besides my sister and bother-in-law know that is a nap?) the boat was engulfed in smoke and ash. Doug and Mr Lugger did not like the air quality. Lines of ash flowed across the water. Greywolf was peppered with black on all surfaces, even the overhangs.
Hard left rudder and Greywolf headed west and then north, back to Vancouver Island. Destination: Comox.
Comox had water restrictions in force. The visiting boats sluiced off the worst of the ash using minimal water.
Leaving Comox the next morning, we had smoke, but no ash. Visibility was less than a half mile to the east. We could see Vancouver Island, a mile to the west; we turned on our running lights and radar.
Bad timing for slack water at Seymour Narrows north of Campbell River: I didn’t factor in the strong ebb current pulling all of the water from the norther portion of the Straits of Georgia through the Narrows, into Johnstone Strait and on to the Pacific. That’s a lot of water and it has to move quickly! ‘Long way to go.
Doug piloted Greywolf in figure eights in Discovery Passage for some time, trying not to get sucked though the nasty Narrows prior to slack water.
Small Inlet, north of Seymour was our home for the night.
Allie padded out to the foredeck, checking for dangerous critters in the water, her job prior to her evening pee.
Danger!Danger! Danger! Bird off the starboard bow! And, what is this?
Bark!Bark!Bark! in response to Allie’s bark.
Oh, no! Birds in the water! Dogzz on shore!
Bark!Bark!Bark!…..Bark!Bark!Bark…Bark!Bark!Bark!…..Bark!Bark!Bark!
Doug didn’t help. Calling into the forest, his voice echoed back.
Dogzz AND People! So much for a Poodle to do!!!
We went back to our reading our books, but Miss Protection Service stayed on the deck echo-barking with her imaginary friends/ potential enemies.
No other boats were anchored in Barking Bay. Let a girl have her fun. She’ll have stories to tell when she gets back to Winslow Wharf.
With high winds forecast by afternoon the following day, we opted to head north and only slightly west, giving us a shorter time in Johnstone Strait the following day. I knew that Allie would love running with Fanny the Doberman at our destination, Shoal Bay Marina.
Allie and Fanny three summers ago. One of the ladies behind the dogzz is a
WWOOFER: Willing Workers on Organic Farms. The two WWOOFERS at
Shoal Bay when were were there this year are from Ireland and Scotland.
They’ll go to the Okanogan next month and then to Hiada Gwaii.
When we tied up at the dock, Donna Demeyer, off of Carmanah, a C&C sailboat and a fellow member of Eagle Harbor Yacht Club was on the dock to take our lines. Close on her heals was Lucy, a slight version of Allie.
Donna and her husband, John, have been cruising since mid-May. They are “headed back down” to Port Townsend for final outfitting before heading to Mexico in August.
(Donna and John: Our Mac laptop wants me to rename Carmanah "Crabmeat” What do you think?)
We walked to the field,…no Fanny. Seven year old Fanny died
recently while, running, running, running in her wonderful field.
Allie and Lucy have actually met walking the streets of Winslow
on their lashes, but that could not compare to
RUNNING in Fanny’s Field.
I like to think that Fanny’s spirit ran with them.
John, Donna,and Lucy leaving Windwalker, another BI boat,
after we all shared a potluck with fresh crab.
The white dog bum is Allie.
Poster Boy
If you only get one slug for the whole hot summer, this impressive
guy is your slug. A fine specimen, indeed.
Allie wanted to bring him home.
Or at least toss him in the air a few times.
What else would you call it, if not Shoal Bay?
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