Georgia Strait....Across We Go...

Nan checking the old charts...so serious??

The sunshine holds.  We are up at 0630 to listen to the weather broadcast on the VHF radio.  The forecast for the "straits" north of Nanaimo is 10k NW raising to 20k in the late afternoon.  0730 finds us at the fuel dock and 0815, leaving Entrance Island astern.  Today Whiskey Golf is "active" which means the Canadian Naval testing range has live ammo racing around underwater.  This means we add one more hour to our trip by staying clear of WG area.

Log adrift on our 12 o'clock.....until we change course.

Once we clear the far corner, the wind drops from 8k to 1k....and as we make our turn, the Coast Guard announces that WG is "open and cleared for transit."  Right.  With almost glassy seas, the big thing to watch for in deep water is "drift" or in this case, after a log barge passes us...many prepped logs that must have escaped the barge.  They are scattered far apart, so it's eagle eye Nan and the binos for another hour.  We enter Pender Harbour at 1320...a 5 hour trip.  Fisherman's Marina is a great stop, and surprise, at the little store up the road we find Peter and Mary Lou from Lulu Maru.  They are tied close by!  Once again the boating world is...small.

The next day we depart after checking weather, at 0840.  It sounds perfect for going up Malisprina Strait.  10k - 15k and dropping from the NW.  Always on the nose!  It would have been ok, except that it is more like 15k - 20k WITH 3 foot wind waves close together.  We take green water over the bow...and over the pilot house roof for two hours.  Suddenly at Grief Point, the wind drops to 9k and the seas flatten out to 1 footers.  The remaining four hours are across calm water with no wind.

Can't see no stinkin' logs today!

I have some fun using the iPad and a chart program for B.C. waters.  At one time in the pilot house we have a natical chart, two chart books, an iPhone, iPad and our Standard Horizon chart plotter, all telling us we are where we think we are.  A few years ago I just could not let go of the paper chart.  I have to say, the electronics are really nifty.

The red arrow is Kairos....the yellow trail is our "track."  6.4k is our speed.

Today it feels like we crawl up inside of Texada Island and FINALLY get to Powell River and beyond.  At 1430 (2:30 p.m.) we round Sarah Point and cross the immaginary line into Desolation Sound.  My first trip here was 33 years ago.  Rounding Sarah Point and looking to the east always has the same effect.  Speechless....but some sound like: "Ohhhh, or Ahhhh, or WOW!"

The "view" into Desolation Sound - British Columbia

Another hour and we'll be anchored up in Squirrel Cove on Cortes Island!