A Sailboat For Christmas!!!

My kids gave me a sailboat for Christmas! I have decided to name it 'GARISH', can you imagine why?

After the coming summer of sailing, hopefully out west as well, I plan to sail it in the next Sydney to Hobart race next Christmas. Anyone want to crew with me?

Some great features on this boat...

- steering wheel that goes to starboard and port side of boat
- self tacking headsail
- navigation lights on the bow - do I have them the right side?
- winches that tack the mainsail
- low draft keel for those shallow waters
- wheels in the bottom of the hull so that I can easily get the boat out of the water for maintenance
- anchor light

A bonus on this boat - it can with some work be rebuilt into a catamaran - do you know of any other sailboat that can do that?

Vancouver Island for the 3rd Time...

I am very happy that this is becoming a habit because it is such a fabulous trip. Heading up the Strait of Georgia, along Johnstone Strait, going round the corner of Cape Scott and past Solander Island and Brooks Peninsula - what an amazing experience. Each year has different people and different stories, this year will be no different.

Solander Island and Brooks Peninsula in 2016

The central and southern sections are a natural wonder as well but different than the northern. 14 days and 750 miles, can't wait.

A bit too soon to look at the weather as it could change a lot. Last year there were 2 weather experts on board so that was no issue en route.

Going Round Chatham Point towards Johnstone Strait in 2015

Wildlife sightings have been special as well - Dall's Porpoises, Gray Whales, Humpbacks and in the first year numerous sightings of Orca. This year who knows?

We will be doing as much Celestial Navigation as people can stand, all four students this year seem up for it. So my goal will be to keep it simple and approachable.

Port Hardy in the Early Morning Mist 2015

Where will we be going to? The usual suspects with maybe a new spot or two thrown in. I wouldn't mind going to Kyuquot or Friendly Cove but that may be hard to do as the usual stops have always been very special places to go to. Maybe 3 weeks are needed to do this trip properly.

After Coming Around Race Rocks towards Victoria in 2016

Celestial Navigation on the West Coast

Well, less than 4 weeks to go before the Yachtmaster Offshore course goes around Vancouver Island. The course will of course include a CelNav component. My goal will be to use the passage across the north end of the island as a warmup with sun and noon sights. Maybe the moon and a planet or two will be out.

1904 Map of Vancouver Island

Once around Cape Scott I plan to go at least 25 miles offshore and rely totally on CelNav for position fixes - Sun, Moon, Planets or Stars - whatever is available. I will record GPS positions at all sights in order to compare our accuracy but not until we have come back inshore. To rely totally on CelNav requires a leap - if you knew how accurate or inaccurate you have been, may make you recheck your worksheet reduction if you are out in accuracy.

Once further south near Tofino I would like to do another offshore leg with additional offshore sights.

I am pretty sure that I have decided to bring my Astra III Professional sextant, as it has a full horizon mirror which will make it easier for people to take sights. This is the one I took around the island last year and seems to travel well and allowed me to take very accurate sights.

Astra III Professional Sextant

All my other metal sextants are split horizon mirrors and may be more problematic for first time users.

Then also to take stopwatch, calculator(s), note taking, alamanac, tables, plotting instruments, all plotting and sight reduction worksheets.

One of the best books that I have found, and the thinnest, is Tom Cunliffe's Celestial Navigation.

The Best CelNav Book...

See you back in October...

ISPA Yachtmaster Offshore in September

Well, this will be the big one. Ian asked me in June if I would be interested to take Belle Serena on the September course around Vancouver Island. Of course I said yes as this would the pinnacle of my sailing career, so far, as well as being a fun, challenging, nerve-wracking and rewarding passage.

Go here for a quick Facebook video on Serena...

https://www.facebook.com/nanaimoyachtcharters/videos/10155773641652214/

and another on Serena here as well...

https://www.facebook.com/flowmotionaerials/videos/1885780164979011/

I have done it twice so far, both times as student and crew - now as Instructor.

Among all things especially considering safety, weather and navigation - a key focus will be the offshore and celestial navigation component.

See the following for an earlier look at some of the more interesting navigational challenges...

http://heatherstreetsailing.blogspot.ca/2016/08/some-navigational-challenges-round.html

I am quietly making good progress on refreshing my knowledge of the western side of the island. Thinking about safe havens, different anchorages and possible stops. What a great trip it will be - more later.

Good Winds in the SGI...

Travel out to Nanaimo is starting to become a regular kind of a thing. NYCSS needed an Instructor on short notice and of course I couldn't say no. A third trip out west - how lucky can I get?

The Crow Bar chocolate that I got on a previous trip to Ganges was a big hit and there was a request for more. It was not a certainty that I would get to Ganges this time so I decided to find out if there were any outlets elsewhere. Little did I know that Crow Bar chocolate was made by the Salish Sea Chocolate Company based in Ganges and they did have an outlet in Nanaimo.

Soon after landing in Nanaimo and getting squared away on the boat - thanks to Connor for picking me up at the airport and thanks to the NYC team for getting the boat ready for me - I was off in the Boatyard car with stick shift down to the Nanaimo waterfront. After parking illegally and sprinting into the shop, I took all that they had of the Dark Chocolate w. Sour Cherries as requested - got 6 bars. They had other kinds and I should have taken a photo so as to send back home.

Main task for the week - completed!

I had dinner on the boat which consisted of soup that I picked out of the charter base. Soon to bed and likely an early rising next day

Stones Marina in the Calm Morning

Day 1 - Saturday, 29 July - Harbour Day in Nanaimo - Preboard

I had arranged to keep the Boatyard car so that I could go for breakfast and coffee at Tim's - which I did. After showering and checking the boat out I kept on with my checklist of things to do for the course - it was getting very long.

Mid morning I decided to take another trip to the Nanaimo waterfront to see what other flavours of Crow Bar chocolate that might be of interest back home. Picked up 6 more of 2 more flavours. My baggage allowance was being severely challenged.

Students Janis and John arrived after lunch - they came from the Ferry at Departure Bay while Connor had gone to Duke Point to pick them up. Connor doesn't get out much so he enjoyed the extra time away from work.

We would meet up later in the afternoon when student Connor was done working for a crew meeting to discuss goals, objectives and duties for the course.

Made burgers that threatened to become hockey pucks on the bbq - came out alright by chance.

Early to bed as we would be up at 7:00am in order to get on with preparations by 8:00am the next morning.

Spirit of the Winds or SPOW in NYC Talk

Day 2 - Sunday, 30 July - Nanaimo to Evening Cove - 21.2 nm

The weather forecast for the duration of the course was good weather - sunny skies and warm temperatures - there was even a prospect of having decent winds for a good part of the period - yes!

As determined the evening before we had set a departure time of 0945 in order to get to Dodd Narrows slack.

We went through various things that included safety equipment, checklists, water, some minor charter base extras and before you know it we were off. Connor drove us out - there was no wind - just blue skies.

Of course at slack, Dodd Narrows is a no brainer. It would probably be more of interest to go through before or after to have some fun. Another time maybe.

After a chalk talk on sailing, we hoisted the sails and made our way to the evening's destination, which was an anchorage that I had not been to before - Evening Cove, it is just around the corner before going into Ladysmith Harbour. There were a few boats already in the cove but there was a lot of room so the anchor went down in West Bay and we looked to enjoy this very pretty location. There was still a bit of wind coming into the bay but it was expected to shift around to the north for good protection during the night.

Janis made a terrific Spaghetti Bolognese where she made good use of the spices that we had gotten out of the charter base earlier in the day.

Time for bed - off to Genoa Bay next morning.

Our Evening Cove Anchorage

Day 3 - Monday, 31 July - Evening Cove to Genoa Bay - 27.4 nm

I was up promptly at 0700 and on duty to make my regular all aboard full meal deal breakfast of bacon, sausages, eggs and toast.

Morning View Southeast to Saltspring

After raising the anchor we saw that we had some wind and raised the sails. John had a great time sailing downwind across Stuart Channel towards Sansum Narrows - then the wind died - no more helming for John.

Janis was on the helm next and rode some wind through Sansum Narrows at slack. We did some gybes through the narrows and then rode the wind down and into Cowichan Bay. We had decided to stop off at Cowichan for lunch and a quick tour of the village. It took a little time before deciding to dock after considering a few places and trying to drop anchor.

Once the pit stop was over we got underway and sailed back and forth across the harbour - everyone got some sailing in with some nice tacking - before finally tucking into Genoa Bay and dropping the anchor among a few other boats. The marina was quite full and fun to be here again after stopping in on the last course in July. Again a bit of wind was coming into the bay on our nose but again the forecast was for it to come in from the north through the night for best protection.

This was my first time anchoring here, I had been to the Marina a few years ago on a charter with the kids.

Genoa Bay Anchorage

Genoa Bay Marina

I made baked potatoes, veggies and chicken thighs for dinner.

Our Genoa Bay Anchorage

Day 4 - Tuesday, 1 August - Genoa Bay to Ganges - 24.2 nm

The Big Green House at Genoa Bay

Woke up to a very calm morning - no wind but a clear day, sort of. There was a light haze in the sky, it made the sun appear a bit yellow. Later on we would determine that it was a smoke haze from all of the forest fires on the BC mainland. Couldn't smell anything but could sure see it.

The Very Motley Crew

We crossed Satellite Channel, avoided a few ferries and made our way past Russell Island and spotted some wind coming our way. Raised the sails and had a nice ride back and forth towards North Pender and then up Captain Passage towards Saltspring Island.

Tangling with the BC Ferries

After motoring into Ganges Harbour with Janis on the helm - we went looking for a berth at Kanaka Wharf. It was all full up. Then I got on the VHF to call Ganges Marina for a slip - all good, we would have B38 for the night. Janis took us in nice and slow, tied ourselves up, connected to shore power and it was time for beer o'clock.

I had some chores - garbage, beer, hardware store, Crow Bar chocolate - I would be busy. Success on all fronts including a new flavour - Dark Chocolate with Blueberries, and a Leatherman at Mouatt's. It was another great day in Ganges.

It was a quiet night in the Marina, music drifted over from the Oystercatcher. We could afford a later start next day but first we would do some docking practice on our favorite dock at the outer edge of the Marina.

At Ganges Marina

Day 5 - Wednesday, 2 August - Ganges to Clam Bay - 27.7 nm

It was tough to get up - not really sleeping, just enjoying the lying in bed part as much as possible. Day light starts to creep in very early, around 5:00 am.

It took a bit of work to get going. We couldn't top up the water tanks due to water restrictions at the Marina - we would have to make do.

Off to our docking practice - everyone drove the boat in and did a number of springing off the bow and the stern - no problem with space, wind or current.

After getting out to Trincomali Channel, we raised sails and made our way tacking northwards. I had thought to go to Wally's Bay on the south side of DeCourcy Island but given our progress thought that Clam Bay would be the better anchorage with an earlier arrival.

We did a lot of tacking until finally arriving just east of our destination. The weather was predicted to swing around from its current NE/SE direction - to the north where we would have good protection on the north side of the bay, from Thetis Island.

We dropped our anchor in the spot selected but had to try again as it did not take hold - it dragged and vibrated on the set. All the way up and all the way down again - this time it held. We were still exposed to a good bit of wind but hung in as it was expected to shift. I was thinking of that little 22 lb claw anchor and chain that was keeping us in place - good job guys!

There were a good number of boats in the bay with one even a bit close for my reckoning. I even wondered about their rode as it had quite a steep angle on it that might have suggested being all line with little or no chain. Our angle was quite vertical as I felt that we had laid a lot of chain out and that we were swinging on that rather than the anchor itself.

Got through most of the workbooks, determined when we had to leave to get through Dodd Narrows next day - then dinner and to bed.

The smoke haze had been very visible for the last couple of days - the sun was yellow during the day, orange in the evening and red as it set down.

The Sun Going Down in The Cut

The wind did shift and it was a calm night as predicted.

Our Clam Bay Anchorage

Day 6 - Thursday, 3 August - Clam Bay to Nanaimo - 27.2 nm

The wind was up a bit today - good for sailing. Finished breakfast, did Coastal Navigation workbooks and then talked about Crew Overboard and Recovery.

Got going and had a nice wind while rounding the top of Thetis Island. Got clear of all the hazards, did a fair number of COB's and started making our way to Dodd Narrows. The sail was vigorous and we made good time to be there a half hour before slack.

Conditions were lumpier and windier in Northumberland Strait once through the narrows. Sails went up again and we sailed most of the way back to Duke Point.

The Duke Point Ferry Coming Up Our Stern

Connor took over on the helm to drive us the rest of the way back and into the fuel dock. The wind was good and on the nose coming up through the channel. Got into the fuel dock with no issues, fueled up and were off again with John to take us into the slip.

Our strategy to reverse in against the wind all the way into the slip proved to be effortless, and docking was a breeze. No NYC team at the ready, or even needed or desired - we were a training vessel don't you know!

I did some paperwork, took it to the office - no one there, got some beers and we had a final one on the boat before everyone headed off. I took Janis and John to the Departure Bay ferry terminal and then went back to the boat and had a beer with Ian.

A very good trip, great sailing - I even had the helm for a while tacking up to DeCourcy before Dodd Narrows - great fun!

I spent the rest of the evening puttering about packing, tidying the boat before the early morning departure back to Toronto.

The GPS Track

Another 5 Days in the SGI...

My 2nd course for the month of June would bring 3 students - Iris, Jesse and Alan - onto KalaKala for a 5 day Competent Crew cruise through the SGI. KalaKala is a 33 foot Beneteau that I have chartered before a few years ago with my family so it was like revisiting with an old friend.

Day 0 - Travel Day - Toronto to Nanaimo

The trip out to the West Coast was pretty routine. Had only to put up with a layover in Vancouver - the norm when flying on Aeroplan points. Had to call Lorraine about the pickup as I had neglected to let her know about the flight time change and later arrival than they were aware of.

KalaKala had been a priority to get ready for the charter base team due to my arrival day of 1 night before the Cruise and Learn course. Of course all was good as it is a very efficient team.

The View From KalaKala

Got charts, guides, docs and instruments all sorted out and onto the boat.

Chilled out for the evening with some fish and chips from the pub brought back onto the boat. Stayed up as long as I could in order to get in sync with West Coast time.

Looking over to where Belle Serena was docked, I had a chuckle when I remembered what I told Ian what I thought the following image was...a seat for his hemmoroids...

A Whoopee Cushion Or For Hemmoroids?

Day 1 - Pre-board (Nanaimo)

Had a pretty good sleep for the night. Got up pretty early and went in the courtesy car to a Tim Horton's for coffee and breakfast - then a shower.

Mid morning the NYC team came to lift the boat out from the previous charter - it is amazing to see a 10,000 lb boat hanging in the air. All was good and just a bit of new zinc was added to the prop shaft.

I also spent the morning watching some of the comings and goings of boats into and out of the docks as the wind was up out of the north - and gave the drivers some challenges.

The provisions arrived mid afternoon which I put away. It is helpful to do that so that one knows where and what everything is. Later on I was to see the menu for the 5 days and it showed Halibut - but there was no Halibut that I put away.

Mid afternoon all the students arrived and we had a bit of a briefing session on the boat, going through the plans and expectations of the course. Crew assignments were arrived at

As usual when heading south to the SGI, we had to determine slack at Dodd Narrows in order to identify our start time. Plans were agreed to on destinations and people broke up for dinner and other things.

Day 2 (1) - Nanaimo to Clam Bay - 21.8 nm

After an easy and light breakfast - safety and boat briefing was held, boat checklist, discussion on navigation and an overview on how to leave the dock got us ready to go. As opposed to the earlier challenge of leaving the dock - we would have it much easier as we were on the south side of the marina and would let the wind blow us off.

The plan was executed flawlessly with Alan at the helm and we were underway. Iris had worked out the pilotage plan through the harbour channel and also all of the course work through to Clam Bay.

Northumberland Strait was a bit lumpy but this would soon pass as we got further south into the Strait. We hit Dodd Narrows a bit before slack and had a bit of remaining ebb current as was the expectation. Once through we hoisted our sails for a bit of an upwind sail that ended up taking us towards Yellow Point. Towards mid afternoon in nice sunshine the winds started to die down and we dropped the sails and motored towards the ship graveyard in Trincomali Channel and on into Clam Bay.

An Interesting Sailboat

There were a few boats on the south side but our plan was to anchor on the north side given the forecast for the night. There were a couple of boats already there including Baraka Too. Later, another NYC boat, Skookumchuck would arrive nearby further cramping our style.

It was a very pleasant evening and soon a dinner of burgers were grilled up by Jesse with help from Iris.

Will Iris and Jesse Return Under Power or By Rowing?

It had been a full day and it was soon to bed for all.

Day 3 (2) - Clam Bay to Ganges - 21.3nm

Today was Thursday and we felt that we would have better luck in getting a berth at the Kanaka Wharf public dock before the holiday long weekend. Winds were light and it was a bright sunny day.

The Navigation Team on the Job

After a filling Canadian old fashioned breakfast of sausages, bacon, eggs and toast served up by me as cook for the day it was to head further south into Trincomali Channel past Wallace Island and around Nose Point on Saltspring Island. Once around the corner we picked up some nice winds and decided to head further south in Captain Passage before heading in.

Some nice tacking back and forth before a bit of downwind sailing with some gybes to get under our belts and we were off to try our luck at Kanaka.

Once into the harbour, I could see no free berths so it was a change of plan to call up Ganges Marina on the VHF. They reopted back with a slip number and docking instructions - they would also have someone on the dock to take a line.

It was an easy docking - nice and slow. The shore power cable was too short to reach the pedestal so another one was borrowed to reach the connection. It was beer o'clock time, with snacks.

Ganges Marina

Dinner was chicken thighs, baked potatoes and mixed vegetables. The potatoes took forever so it ended up being a late dinner. Rumours had fireworks for the evening but everyone ended up going to bed early after another fun but tiring day on the water.

Later on while exploring the Marina, I would find NYC boat Serenity tied up near the Marina office. They are everywhere!

Tomorrow we would be off to Portland Island with an anchorage in Princess Bay.

Day 4 (3) - Ganges to Princess Bay (Portland Island) - 16.6 nm

We topped up the water tanks and with a light sail up Captain Passage, took us across to Satellite Channel where a bit more wind allowed us to tack to Moresby Island before tacking back behind a BC Ferry towards Portland.

Looking South From Russell Island Towards North Pender

There weren't too many boats in the cove - got a nice spot with a great view towards Boundary Pass and beyond. Iris and Jesse braved the dinghy and went ashore for a hike to Kanaka Bluff.

Princess Bay on Portland Island

After dinner I noticed that the freshwater pump was running a long time. I had also noticed that the shower faucet at the stern was running a bit. All of this led me to believe that as no water was flowing from the tap that we had lost prime on the pump. After running the pump for a while with no flow in water, I contacted Ian to help resolve. The answer was to go into a marina to fill the water tank and regain prime on the pump. Could we have run out of water in the tank?

So with no water, bottled water was used to brush teeth instead.

My thinking was to go to Genoa Bay, which was enroute to Telegraph Harbour - to fill up the water tanks and regain prime.

On getting into bed it was obvious that the weather had not tunred yet to the north. Princess Bay had no protection and full exposure to anything from the south. Well, as it happended, it was a lumpy night for everyone with a lot of rocking and slapping of water on the boat. Everyone, except Alan it seemed, had a very fitful night with little sleep. Everyone in the cove probably had the same result. It would be my first poor anchorage ever - due to weather conditions.

Day 5 (4) - Princess Bay to Telegraph Harbour - 29.6 nm

After a terrible night of sleep, we would be off to Genoa Bay for water. It was an easy motor as Alan took us into the dock.

What we missed hitting along the way was a big nasty and ugly looking deadhead that was floating vertically with just 6 inches being exposed above the water. Best to keep a sharp lookout at all times in these waters.

We had a welcome committee on the dock but it was another boat that they were expecting.

Leaving the Lumpy Waters of the Princess Bay Anchorage

We told them that we were only there for a short while and would be on our way. After filling the water tank - which seemed to take a long time - I also got some bottled water for the remaining days. Once underway, I ran the water pump and before long, it spewed water. So I guess we had really run out of water or the tank had not really been filled up the day before in Ganges. Anyway we were back in business on the water front.

KalaKala at Genoa Bay

Once back on the water our next order of business was to get through Sansum Narrows and then on to Stuart Channel. Currents aren't very much through the Narrows, in fact Ports and Passes used to have a current table for it - but no longer. The flow isn't enough to be a problem.

The original plan was to go to Sibell Bay in Ladysmith Harbour but I thought that given the weather and the holiday weekend - we would have better access and protection in Telegraph Harbour. The plan would be to find a spot to drop the anchor once there.

We did a bit of sailing in Stuart Channel until the wind dropped so then we motored the rest of the way in. In the harbour there were a lot of mooring buoys with a few boats. Some of the boats looked unused and appeared derelict for some time. It didn't leave a lot of room to anchor. We motored up and down the harbour looking for a spot between mooring buoys and marinas - looking for a spot that would be out of the way of the channel. Eventually we tried a spot at the south end just past Thetis Island Marina on the west side. After dropping the anchor, it was felt to be a little close, what with swing room, to a nearby mooring buoyed boat. Thinking about that, the rough night that we had the night before - it became an easy and quick decision to radio call Thetis Island Marina for a spot on the dock.

Thetis Island Marina

After confirming a spot at the marina - Jesse motored us in, I have been saying all along to dock hands wanting to take one of our lines that we are a training vessel and that we can do it on our own. Once tied up and shore power connected we just hung out with some going to explore the pub and other facilities.

Dinner came and went, we feared that Canada Day revelers would keep us awake but that didn't happen. Did I tell you that negotiations had occurred on crew jobs? Alan wasn't into cooking so he traded off cooking for cleaning with Iris. It seemed as if Iris was always cooking and Alan was always cleaning up.

Day 6 (5) - Telegraph Harbour to Nanaimo - 24.5 nm

After a nice breakfast with a targeted departure of 0930 in order to get the slack at Dodd Narrows, but first Alan would need to take us out of the narrowly spaced docks. Everyone came out of their boats to watch - or to help as they would say. Alan did a great job as no help was needed.

A Tight Squeeze to Leave?

We did a number of crew overboard recoveries under power and sail while en route. After a bit, more wind came up and we did some nice sailing up towards the Narrows. As we got closer to Dodd Narrows we saw that Baraka Too was coming up on our stern. I checked my binoculars and saw that Beth and team were on board - checking us out again possibly?

Going through on the remaining hour of an Ebb was a non event. We noticed that Baraka Too was hanging back a bit - waiting until slack I bet.

The Queue Through Dodd Narrows

Mudge Island Houses at Dodd Narrows

Once through we spent a bit of time on serious lookout for floating logs in Northumberland Strait - there were a lot of them! In fact we thought that we had hit one but weren't sure as nothing was seen before or after the thunk. It could have been an odd wave hitting the boat. When the boat was lifted next day, it would get the all clear on inspection.

We made for the fuel dock with Jesse driving and the plan was to leave enough room for Baraka Too who was now trailing us closely so that they could refuel as well. The plan changed when a motor launch decided to pull up right in the middle of the dock. We pulled in tight in front of them, leaving Baraka Too to wait till the motor launch had left.

After refueling Iris would take us into our slip - a bit tricky with a tight final turn in - but there was little wind and taking it nice and slow would be the order of the day for a successful docking. Iris drove the boat while standing behind the wheel and did a great job what with 3 NYC folks to receive us including Ian as spectators. Iris wasn't at all nervous (sic).

After docking, it was time for a final lunch, logbooks, packing and getting ready to get back to our non-sailing lives.

The GPS Track

I spent the rest of the day tidying up, packing my own things and completing my logbook and fault sheet. There wasn't much to report as all NYC boats are always kept in top condition.

I checked in for my flight, caught up on news and emails and was ready for a good sleep and the next days travels.

Day 7 - Travel Day - Nanaimo to Toronto

It would end up being a day where I went to the airport twice. Once to deliver Alan and pick up Andre, and then to get Andre to drop me off later in the day.

I also had to make a trip to the health food store in the plaza to get some Denman Island chocolate for the folks back home.

There were a few delays on both flights and I would not get into Toronto until about 2:30 am. I ended up not being able to get to sleep which worked out pretty well in that it got me into the local time zone really quickly with no jet lag effects.

Can't wait for the next trip out to Nanaimo currently schedule for September.

5 Days in the Southern Gulf Islands

In the coming days I would be leading a group of 5 students through the SGI on a Competent Crew and Coastal Navigation course on Skookumchuck.

Preboard - 9 June 2017

After a long wait in Vancouver waiting for my connection to Nanaimo I was finally on the ground with a pickup by Lorraine at the airport. It was a clear and sunny day in Nanaimo.

There was some front office paperwork to do, met a couple of the students and down to the boat to meet the rest. We would have Karen, Ian, Gillian, Josh and Jim on board for this trip.

We had a bit of an impromptu overview of what we would do over the next 5 days including some protocols and briefings on various things like safety, goals of the course and alcohol. We were all in agreement, set a destination for Clam Bay the next day and went to the classroom to load up on charts, instruments and other documents. The first assignment was to determine Dodd Narrows slack and our departure time. This one would be too easy.

I set Ian and Karen to start mapping out the route on the charts and talked about various passage planning issues.

It was dinner time and most everyone went to the pub. I had eaten a bit already en route and was wanting to do a once over on the boat to be sure that I knew where everything was and to be able to ask Ian any questions before leaving next day.

The temperatures for the night were to be cool so the heater was fired up for a while before finally getting to bed after a long travel day. I should have kept the heater going all night as I woke up being cold mid way through. I fired it up reluctantly as I thought for sure that it would wake everyone but apparently not. The students seemed to be able to sleep on the boat better than I can.

Day 1 - Nanaimo to Clam Bay - 22.3 nm

Next morning with a departure target of 0945 we set about getting ready on various duties - water tanks, navigation, vessel checkout, confirmation of vessel operation, final weather check and other miscellaneous stuff.

Before we knew it was time to be off. Weather was clear, a little bit of wind and Dodd Narrows awaited.

Getting out of the slip took an extra hand by me to make the turn. Shari was looking apprehensively from the dock? Not at all.

For the day Jim was on the helm, Karen and Ian on nav, Gillian and Josh on cooking and I was on clean-up.

We were following Ian's pilotage plan out of the channel and out into Nanaimo Harbour proper. After crossing Northumberland Strait we hit Dodd Narrows right on time. There was no impact as we drove through without a ripple of current. Not many other boats, and once through the Southern Gulf Islands lay before us.

En route to Clam Bay we did various educational things at various times such as...

- how a sailboat sails
- points of sail
- sail trim
- heaving-to
- anchoring

...this all in support of what we would be doing for the rest of the day leading up to our anchorage in Clam Bay on the east side of Thetis Island.

Light Conditions in Trincomali Channel

As we made progress south in Stuart Channel at first under motor and then under sail - we basically tacked back and forth in light winds to give everyone a hand on sailing and helming the vessel. Raising the sails was effortless with the furled in-mast main sail. We followed all the basic instruction to ease the main sheet, boom vang and topping lift to let the boom seek its own level for the outhaul to bring the mainsail out. Rolling it up was a bit more work and certainly wouldn't be as easy as dropping the main into the bag and lazy jacks.

We made our way through a ship graveyard that seems to have been created for some defunct shipping concern. The 4 ships that we encountered were all staffed by a skeleton crew and we imagined a dreary and boring existence on board until legal issues got resolved.

We did an anchoring chalk talk while hove-to in preparation for our anchorage in Clam Bay.

On arrival there were a few boats on the south side of the bay which was our destination. We checked water depth, tide and determined our target rode. After circling around near the day beacons into the Cut - we dropped, laid out, pulled out and set the anchor. All looked good for a comfortable stay.

It was a well earned beer o'clock with chips and dip.

As always when camping out - dinner was great - bbq'd chops!

Soon it was time for bed and time to catch up on a bit of sleep. It was a very good day for all in the SGI.

Day 2 - Clam Bay to Ganges - 20.0 nm

 

Heading South from Clam Bay

After a good night's sleep through a quiet night on the water, it was time for the great Canadian breakfast of sausages, bacon, eggs, toast, juice and coffee. We made a note on the fault list for the boat to have a 2nd coffee press for a boat of this size and number - people were getting ferocious having to wait for the 2nd half of their 1st cup!!!

Karen and Ian were on the helm, Josh and Gillian on nav, I was on meals and Jim on clean-up.

The day was clear and winds appeared very light. We likely would not get much sailing done today. After raising anchor, our destination was an overnight stay at the Kanaka Wharf which is the public dock in Ganges. Ganges is a favourite stop of mine for all the things to be found - namely shore power, WiFi, Mouat's, Thrifty's, Saltspring Coffee, the bakery, the Oystercatcher, the Treehouse Cafe, a liquor store and SHOWERS. Not that after 1 day we needed a shower.

Josh and Gillian did some basic nav including a 3 point fix - the lesson here became to keep a sharp order to what was being sighted so that the fix would work out.

We motored into Ganges just after noon and headed right for the long outer finger at Ganges Marina so that we could do some docking practice. Everyone did 3 coming and going off the dock which included springing off with the stern. No crashes and everyone did very well. The wind came up after a while which meant that we needed to maintain good throttle to the wind in order to not lose the bow.

Now on our way to Kanaka Wharf we spotted a spot on the inner finger, it was the exact same approach and rigging that we had just been practicing. Ian took us in like the experienced pro we had just created. After tying up and connecting to shore power, people sort of just went their own way about town - some for food, some for drink and some for chocolate.

Skookumchuck at Kanaka Wharf, Ganges

Jim was very kind to pursue the perfect salmon for dinner the next night.

It was a leisurely afternoon puttering about here and there. Eventually everyone wandered back for a late lunch in the cockpit of the boat - sandwiches and veggies, and a beer.

Chilling on the Kanaka Dock in Ganges

I made dinner that night - chicken thighs, baked potatoes, mixed veggies, salad and bread - all eaten out in the cockpit of the boat in Ganges Harbour. Great banter and enjoying the locale. The weather forecast was showing some nice winds and clear skies for the next day, so the outlook was shaping up to be very good.

The plan was to head out Captain Passage, crossing Satellite Channel to Swanson Channel in order to round South Pender Island and come up Plumper Sound, again crossing Satellite Channel and pick up a mooring buoy in Montague Harbour. The plan was to try and have a different kind of anchorage each night. It was a roundabout way to get to Montague but the sailing would be upwind and downwind if things developed as forecast.

Some of the folks went to the Treehouse Cafe for music, the rest of us hung out to enjoy the atmosphere of the marina. Pretty sound we were all in bed ready for another day.

Day 3 - Ganges to Montague Harbour via South Pender Island - 50.2 nm

I got up early for a quick shower, others picked up a few provisions and soon we were ready to depart. The departure as planned to spring off didn't quite happen the way it was intended - we instead did a prop walk turn in the tight space - surprising a few people when our 40 foot boat did a 360 within the two fingers. All good.

On duty today Gillian and Josh on helm, me on nav (sic), Jim on cooking and Karen and Ian on clean-up.

Motoring out, my anticipation was building because the winds were light to moderate. Once out of the harbour, the sails went up and we had a GLORIOUS sail all the way south to Tilly Point off South Pender Island.

Lunch of Soup and a Sandwich while Sailing across Swanson Channel

Everyone enjoyed the sail - helm was changed up every hour. During the sail both Gillian and Karen set the bar with their +9 Knots SOG - the boys were chasing the girls the whole time.

A Nice House at Tilly Point on South Pender Island

At Tilly Point, we weren't pointing as high as I would have liked so we took a break sailing and motored eastwards to the beginning of Plumper Sound which was between South Pender and Saturna Island.

Now the wind was a following wind, at least 12 Knots, and we set to some downwind sailing - gybing back and forth between South Pender and Saturna. Everyone did really well and fully understand what was needed to hold a straight course and to perform a controlled gybe.

West Side of Saturna Island in Plumper Sound

Once we got to the north end of the sound where it narrowed down, we dropped the sail in a brisk wind and motored the rest of the way to Montague Harbour. There were lots of buoys that were free and we were successful on the first approach to pick one up and tie up.

Jim now went o work on bbq'ing his salmon - it was delicious - thanks Jim! we ate outside in the sunny splendour of the Montague scenery. Josh had bought a crab trap, bait, permit and instruction while in Ganges, and decided to drop it off the stern to try his luck, or was it to be his poor luck?

When Do We Eat???

After a while the trap was pulled with no crab in sight. The sardines were added to the bait mix and over the side she went again.

As it unfolded, the boat swung a bit and it looke as if the trap line might have gotten caught on the rudder. After several tugs the trap would not come clear so it was decided that rather risking more wrapping of the line - the trap was cut lose and dropped to the bottom thereby eliminating the possibility of fouling and a crab dinner. It was back to primary school of crabbing for Josh - always a lesson to be learned from every setback or mistake.

The plan for the next day was to get to Pirate's Cove which have us within striking distance of Dodd Narrows for slack and to give us a stern tie anchorage. The key would be get to the Pirate's Cove bar as late as possible as there would be a low low water at mid afternoon.

Time for bed and a good night's sleep after a long and tiring day.

Day 4 - Montague Harbour to Pirate's Cove - 30.4 nm

We woke up today with more cloud in the skies, lighter conditions and less wind in the forecast.

Today's assignments were Jim on nav, Karen and Ian on meals and Josh and Gillian on clean-up. I was on helm but put everyone else to work instead.

More Fun Than Work I Think

We spent a few hours motoring north in Trincomali Channel with a fix and running fix by Jim. After meeting up with the ships in the graveyard again - we put up the sails for some light wind sailing.

A Ship Graveyard in Trincomali

As mentioned before, the bar on entry to Pirate's Cove would be a low low water. There is no depth of water on the charts but we deduced that with a nominal water cover plus height of tide we would shoot for at least a 7 foot tide to cross. We got to Pirate's Cove pretty early and saw another sailboat try to go in around llw - soon to stop, reverse and go back out. We carried on instead towards Degnen Bay at the head of Trincomali to have a look around. Gabriola Passage was a half hour from maximum flood with some affect on our approach but masterfully helmed by Gillian as we came and went at Degnen Bay. It was a very interesting anchorage, quite tight but a very folksy air about it.

Degnen Bay Side Trip

It was back to Pirate's Cove to test the bar water level. On approach I was still a little nervous so decide to waste a bit more time to go up towards False Narrows and on returning felt confident that we could make our entry.

Back we went this time crossing the bar with 8 feet on the depth sounder - not sure what calibration margin of safety was built into the depth sounder as I forgot to check when we left Nanaimo.

Now it was time to find a spot on the east side of the cove so that we could tuck in behind a clump of trees on the shore for protection overnight. Spotting some chain lines on shore became a challenge for some (me) but in the end picked a line of chain close to the dinghy dock but away from a neighbouring boat. Anchor was dropped and set - then the dinghy party went to work taking the line to shore and around the chain line. For the team on the boat there appeared to be too much jocularity and guffawing while on the job to get the line fed through. Beer o'clock was awaiting!

There Was More Laughing Going On Here Than Should Have Been Maybe???

Once the line was fed through and secured to the boat cleat - al was good and we could start to wind down for the day. Pirate's Cove is a very pretty anchorage and not too busy on thsi night. A few more boats had arrived but they pretty much went to anchor in the middle or stern tie on the west side.

We had done a bit of sailing today but felt that the forecast for the next day would bring us another good day for sailing.

A very nice spaghetti and meat sauce dinner was had to close off another great day.

Day 5 - Pirate's Cove to Nanaimo - 19.9 nm

After a delicious breakfast by Chef Josh we set to pull in the stern tie, raise anchor and leave across the bar. Height of tide was approaching to be about the same as the day before - so no issues. Today was overcast a bit, cooler but with very nice winds to be seen on the water.

Is Anyone Hard at Work Here?

Until departure time, I went over everyone's workbooks for a final review of content and questions.

Today Jim was on the helm, Karen and Ian on nav.

We motored out into Stuart Channel, the winds were about 15 Knots so we put up the sails with a bit of a reef. Everyone really enjoyed the upwind sail - both Gillian and Karen working to enhance their speed demon status already earned. The boys were still chasing the girls. We tacked backed and forth towards Thetis Island and when it looked that we would be about 2 hours away from Dodd Narrows, turned the boat, hauled in the main sail and sailed downwind with only the head sail.

The winds were still brisk but the downwind sail was very much an affair of great ease. We got to Dodd Narrows about a half hour before slack and drove through the last of the flood after dropping the head sail. You could look behind us to see the forming queue all leading towards Dodd.

Once into Northumberland Strait, we emptied the holding tanks for the last time, motored into Nanaimo Harbour - prepared the rigging for the fuel dock and got Ian to take us in the final way.

Ian did a great job docking, we kind of topped off the fuel tanks - it is as if we had hardly used any fuel. Then proceeded back to the slip we left 5 days ago. Docking was a challenge with a wind and a very narrow channel and slip to deal with. Ian did his best but I felt I needed to take over to make the final turn and couldn't have done without some assistance from the NYC team on the docking lines.

Whew - what an adventure!

We made ourselves some lunch, eliminated some leftovers and rewarded ourselves after the final meal with signed off and certified logbooks.

We ended up going 143 nm from top to bottom of the SGI.

Our Day by Day GPS Track

After cheerful goodbyes to everyone I tidyed up, did some dishes, completed some paperwork and did a bit of packing for the next day.

I bumped into Ian and thanked him for letting me take out a great boat in Skookumchuck. There was not single fault of merit that I could identify. Just the thing that I have always encountered with any NYC boat.

It would be a quiet night, early to bed and then a mid afternoon flight back home the next day.

My Day 6 - Nanaimo to Toronto

I was up early after a very good sleep. It was overcast and raining. Glad to have missed this weather on the trip.

After a shower - breakfast and a coffee from remaining provisions.

Not long after, one of the NYC crew came on board to take the boat over for a lift and inspection. Great - I haven't experienced this before. The boat was driven over to the travel lift, turned around to go in reversed. There were about 8 guys at the lift - what a mob! Every one was off the boat and the boat was guided back over the slings by long boat hooks. Once up in the air, a small paint chip was spotted at the front edge of the keel - probably from hitting a small log or something. The final verdict - all good.

The Boatyard Team Prepping for the Lift

10 Tons of Boat in Mid Air!!!

Down she came and I drove her over to a slip so that the NYC team could go about cleaning and preparing for the next charter the day after.

I spent some time in the office watching NYC front office at work jockeying people, calls, clients, boats and repairs.

Time to go to the airport - Beth drove me - thank you Beth!

Many thanks to Karen, Ian, Gillian, Josh and Jim for a truly great 5 days - and to the NYC team for the great support on and off the boat.