Back to the Lower 48

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Sunday August 19, 2012 Port McNeill to Gowland Harbor (near Campbell River)

We were sent out early again by threatened afternoon winds in Johnstone Strait. They never materialized but from early on the tide was against us and we found some helpful eddies along the South shoreline. I misread the tide and current charts and we ended up at Seymour Narrows at a full flood of twelve knots just like last year. This year being a year older and having experienced full flood I decided I didn’t want to get knocked around again so we pulled into Plumper Bay out of the current and dropped the anchor for a couple of hours. Besides I’m into a good summer novel and it reads just as well on either side of the tide. Seymour Narrows was much quieter this time and the porch lights were already on for us when we reached Gowland Harbor.

Monday August 20, 2012 Gowland Harbor to Montague Harbor (107 miles)

It’s so pretty and peaceful at dawn. We have it all down. BJ climbs the stairs, turns on the heat and the coffee pot, then starts turning on the electronics while I get dressed. I start the engines and pull in the anchor. We turn the running lights on in the dim gray light and off we go. Usually by the time the coffee pot is empty we’re ready for breakfast alternating between eggs on an English muffin and oatmeal. We’ve been going longer and longer every day like a horse headed for the barn. Weather becomes warmer and more settled as we work our way South.

Early yesterday we spotted a 164-foot mega yacht and BJ christened it Big Liza. That's not 2-foot-itis, it's one hundred and thirteen-foot-itis. In the Straits of Georgia it has turned balmy. Three months ago we were near where I write now we were plowing through the nasties seeking shelter in the lee of Texada Island. We are passing many of our old cruising grounds, places I would love to visit again - maybe next year. Instead of going directly into the Gulf Islands we stayed in Georgia Straits until Porlier Pass because it was nice, more direct and we finally anchored in Montague Harbor at 7:30 PM – another thirteen-hour day. The wonderful dry smell of arbutus (madrona) wafts out over the water and the low horizon fills with the twinkle of anchor lights.

Tuesday August 21, 2012 Montague Harbor to Mystery Bay

We pulled into Anacortes for Customs and fuel and we found summer in full swing. Lots of boat chatter on the radio and conversation on the fuel dock tells of good summers and many boaters heading home. The decision du jour was whether to head down the calmer waters of the slough, a slow route with few good choices for anchorage or down the Straits of Juan de Fuca with some threat of fog and wind. We chose the Straits and we chose poorly. Especially near Partridge Point the wind waves hit us on the beam and for about an hour it was pretty bumpy. But now that we’re headed into the peace and quiet of Mystery Bay only the salt on the windscreen bears testimony to the, um, perilous passage past Partridge Point.

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Photos

Georgia Strait
mega yacht in Georgia Strait

Mystery Bay
sunset in Mystery Bay

Comments

[Sue & Ken]

Welcome back...
I feel so great that you are almost home and have had the trip of a lifetime. Well, it was for us.. Hope the rest is just a 'breeze' and you can get back to the new grandson and rest of the family ,,,,and of course the pears and apples etc. etc... We have spent 2 months in the White Mountains of AZ. Looks just like Or with lots of ponderosas, junipers and pin oaks. Much cooler than the 'Valley' but hit by monsoons almost every afternoon or eve. So we adjust our schedule...we are moving back on Thurs, as this lot sold 3 weeks after we got here and the new owners let us stay this long. So back to the heat for all of us! Safe travels and THANKS so much for the great blogs! Steve, you need to be a writer in your next life! Hugs, Sue & Ken