Chillin'

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday was a scorcher. We hiked into an impressively large lake, red with the tannins of centuries of cedar trees. We dove into the refreshing water from a dilapidated logging dock, sudsed up and dove in again.

I took a pic of the most handsome frog I've ever seen. He stroked his strong legs though the water to impress us with his athleticism, then hung limply in the water, enjoying the warmth of the sun above and the cool water from below. Just as we were doing.I'll post it when I can.  

Today it's raining; a hard rain that makes it difficult to see across the cove. We're in Waddington Cove, nestled among a cluster of rocky islands, cozy in the boat until morning when we'll bundle up and head for the next anchorage.

Tomorrow will be our 43rd out of fifty days on this little adventure.

Savoir-faire et Chance

We rounded the Cape yesterday, just in time to avoid some big weather. In one sense, we were lucky for that patch of kelp in our intended anchorage. It forced more miles out of us before the weather hit and left less time out in the strait this morning.

Queen Charlotte Strait takes us back into the Broughton Archipelago. For today it will certainly be at its best behavior at this hour. After a couple of hours we'll sneak out of the strait for the next few days and let the weather do its thing, leaving us unmolested. Maybe by the time we're ready to make our run down Jonstone Strait the weather will have exhausted itself. A combination of savvy planning and blind luck is not a bad thing.

Throwing Caution to the Wind

We made a productive day of it today. 53 miles in all, further than we intended to go. The wind started off light and variable. The anchorage was quiet, calm, and serene. The water was like glass as we glided out into the channel.

It's hard not to be struck by the beauty of the BC coast. Just as we were thinking we might sneak up on Cape Caution unobserved, she played her favorite trick: fog.

It wasn't really thick; just enough to keep us on edge. We felt we could see what we needed to. That was a good thing because Quijote's radar quit working. I'm not sure that it's not working, but it doesn't appear to be giving me any useful information. I guess we call that not working, unless of course there is no data.

When we arrived at tonight's anchorage it was choked with kelp. I don't know why it was recommended. We moved on and went to the next anchorage. It's huge leaving a lot of swinging room; a good thing since the wind is really blowing in here. I suppose having room for swinging leaves room for wind so we get what we plan for.

A Moderation of Ambition

There are lots of places to get beat up by the weather on this coast. Cape Caution is one such place; a place deserving... caution. It combines direct exposure to ocean swell, the product of storms raging thousands of miles away, with waves built by local weather. Add to that the brunt of unimpeded wind from weather systems and a lethal indifference to ones comfort.

When heading either direction up or down the coast, it pays to go when the wind is at your back, pushing you and the water in the same direction. The forecast says we'll have that tomorrow. We'll see.

We opted not to make a long day of today because the forecast said the wind would be lighter tomorrow. Then they changed their mind. I just hope they don't change the wind direction too.

The crew was unenthusiastic about continuing this afternoon. Understandably. Seventy-six miles is a long way to go in a day. Fifteen hours. We stoped at thirty-six. I hope we don't regret it.

Watch where you step

Yesterday the anchorage was hot and sunny. We hiked to the same beach at Codville Lagoon that Jeff and I visited in the rain. The hike was remarkable for a couple reasons. There is a sign at the trailhead warning hikers not to step on little tree frogs. They're about the size of a dime. This time saw a few.

And it was the first time on this crew's leg that they used the dinghy for recreation. There was still plenty of after dinner discussion in the cockpit, but last night it at least started out on the topic of WWII history, before moving on to Russian politics. You gotta give these two credit: they are well read and well traveled. And now they've enjoyed time in the dinghy at an anchorage.

Today's passage is a long, foggy run at Cape Caution. Details to follow.

Revisiting Shearwater

 We’re in Shearwater tonight. Jeff and I were here two weeks ago in windy wet weather. Today is glorious, though still windy.

There are far fewer boats tied to the dock than I've ever seen at this marina before. I don't know why. It's the middle of June - I'd think peak season. Where is everybody?  The laundry room was empty. The store was empty. Seating on the restaurant's patio was plentiful. I guess Shearwater is just not always the hubbub of activity I think it is. 

Or, here's a thought, the locals who would be in Shearwater hunkered down on an ugly day like we experienced two weeks ago are all out fishing on a day like today. 

We made the best of a short visit today, arriving after 1pm. I did a little laundry while the gents filled our water tanks and rinsed the boat free of salt spray. 

We'll leave tomorrow after breakfast and travel an easy 20K to position ourselves to scoot back around the Cape if the weather allows. If not, we’ll spend another night in position. I think it’ll probably be OK. The wind is coming from the north northwest which is ideal really. We’ll probably make a go of it in the next couple days.

I went for a run this afternoon. After so many days of inactivity, or different activity, it actually felt pretty good. I’m a little surprised.

Now it’s bedtime. I can’t wait.