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Published: September 2nd 2017
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FROM AMA LOG: Friday, 9/1/17
Octopus Group
DEPART: 0615
TO: Heriot Bay
ARRIVE: 0930
www.DecarbthePassage.net WEATHER: Clear, overcast, temp about 80˚
PILOTAGE: We left the Octopus Islands early in the am, first listening for other boats leaving the islands. Were we wrong about the tidal info at Beasley Passage? Why wasn’t any other boat up and starting their engines? Did we have the tides right, the date, time, place? Not that we didn’t listen to the weather two, no was it three times? Wait, there it is, another boat, and a fisher boat at that, they know, they’re the one who deal with this all the time.
Lean in, knee on the up button, hands on the rail, lean out, check where the anchor line is coming from, careful not to scratch the hull. With 200’ of chain possible, it could be a loooong pull. I’ve got the best windlass, one of the newest mechanical equipment pieces on Ama right now having waited a week in Shearwater last year
to replace it. We are confident and assured while hoisting anchor, only pausing when the metal tip is visible, barely touching the surface, so the mud and sand are swept cleaned by water pushing, rushing by the point of the bow where it lays.
Beasley Passage is thin. Narrower passages we have coursed in our travels but this is early, no coffee yet, and the pho-fish boat we are following veers channel right, then left. Should we follow? Eastern skies blush pink, embarrassed to show how beautiful this land will be, more and more as the sun rises. Our path is clear, slow but sure with Brig on the bow, “all clear” she confirms while sipping tea, and we are on our way into Beazley Rapids along the backside of Quadra Island.
How much does embarrassment overrule incompetence? “Warfinger Modero, ” as his adoring girlfriends call him no doubt, tells me I must have called the wrong number or he would never have directed me into the only empty slip, “north finger, port tie.” After calling back 3x, we confirm, “tons of water, don’t worry about the low tide,” though
in reality the water under the hull is rapidly disappearing. Captain says, “5’ now 4’ now 3!” Yikes, time to back out, as best as possible with a right-leaning prop wash pulling us back away from the docks!
Peter pulls Ama around, right rudder, quick engine, full turn, left rudder, squeezing by the docks, a slim margin of low tide and a string of sailboats, fish boats and pleasure craft alike. Nothing at the inn despite that unreliable Warfinger assuring us, of the last empty slip, we are convinced that there is no room to tie up on any of these docks so while crossing to Heriott’s Marina docks, we hear a friendly hail that Tarnu is leaving the docks at 1000. We realize that it’s still only 0930 so we take a cruise of the harbor, admiring Rebecca Spit and the beauty of the North Georgia Strait Islands and enjoy Nature’s bounty until mooring to Heriot Bay docks.
Heriot Bay Marina is all about fun! The grounds are also lovely, with garden beds full of flowers and large shade trees dotting the lawn with Adirondack chairs groupings inviting mostly family tourists. The large building hosts an inn, restaurant and pub surrounded by a wrap-around porch and large dining deck bursting with colorful umbrellas.
We hear that their kitchen crew is short-handed because of a music festival taking place on the other side of the island, the fun continues all over Quadra Island. We are happy at the pub anyway because we hear about the band scheduled for tonight’s entertainment, “grown-up blues, featuring experienced musicians.” Most people would just call them old but either way, they are terrific and we stay late, dancing and drinking too much!
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