Greywolf’s Chronicles

June 27th
On our way from Sidney to Montague Harbor on Galliano Island, I snapped
a clandestine photo of the Queen of Nanaimo. I am mystified as to
why I feel compelled to take pictures of the lovely
(beauty is in the eye of…) vessels. Doug is simply dumbfounded.
By his count, this is number 1,472.

Possibly my compulsion is related to my first encounter with the boats. To celebrate our first wedding anniversary a few years back, we took a BC ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Vancouver Island, cruising past more than one idyllic island cove cradling a solitary sailboat. We were enchanted and have remained so ever since, expanding our destinations, but never losing that initial awe of discovering something very important to us.

Aeolian, a Sceptre 41, anchored next to a sister-ship in Montague Harbor

Shortly after we anchored in Montague Harbor on Friday afternoon, an inflatable approached Greywolf and the occupants hailed us:

We’re your neighbors.

How nice. But the boats near us all had their dinghies attached. What neighbors?

Jane and Jerry.

The addition of names didn’t help. Give us another clue. They did.

Jane and Jerry, your neighbors at Winslow Wharf.

Oh! THOSE neighbors!

Well, that was embarrassing. We’re old.

Jane and Jerry purchased their sailboat last winter and moored it next to us on Bainbridge while it was being refitted. They live in California and were only on Bainbridge occasionally to oversee the work. Aeolian will take them to San Francisco in August as part of the Coho Ho Ho sailing rally, and then offshore next year.

The park, that includes a large campground and many mooring bouys, has a few miles of lovely AARP Approved Trails. We walked them every day in the 25-30 degree celsius weather that all of the northwest shared for ‘way too long. We tired of the heat, but never the trails.

Hot, eh?

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After a long dusty walk, a girl needs to get her feet and legs sluiced off. The life jacket while in the pan was simply a precaution.

We were in Montague for almost a week, during which time, Canada Day (July 1st for those of you south of the 49th parallel) was celebrated twice. On Saturday, June 27th, a small flotilla of decorated boats scooted around the harbor sounding horns. Anchored vessels answered. Very festive.

On the Wednesday, the 1st, ceremonial flags were hoisted in addition to the required flag of the country of registration.

Allie and I honored her native land with appropriate colors, collars, and scarves.

Is the sail only used on Canada Day?

New owners (as of 2014) of the Montague Harbor Marina, have put money into

both cosmetic enhancements and structural improvements. Even the

ice cream tasted better than in the past.

On June 30th, the longest day of the year (someone who knows how to do it

added one second) we joined dozens of campers to watch the sunset.

(Yes, we know this is out of chronological order....)

That lump in the bottom left is not a dead sea monster, but two over-tuned boats.

The dinghy ride back to Greywolf.

Dinghies moored at the park dock,
after having delivered their happy crews to catch the bus.

We decided to celebrate Canada Day by taking the Pub Bus to…the pub. The Hummingbird Pub, about 5km from Montague Harbor, runs a bus each evening, cleverly increasing their revenue.

Tommy Transit, a retired Vancouver transit driver, makes the ride a hoot.

The ride is no longer free! You have play to pay! and he proceeded to reach into an apparently bottomless stash of percussion instruments, passing them back over his head for the seated boaters. Then the 60’s music, and the singing, started as the ancient school bus ground its way up the hill.