Day 8 - Recon gone amuck; Rod

Disappointment comes from unrealistic expectations.  All too often though, we don't know our expectations are unrealistic until after the disappointment.  Case in point: what were we thinking in imagining we might treat ourselves to ice cream in Cortes Bay?

We entered the bay through a narrow channel at low tide early on Sunday afternoon.  The book recommends we anchor at the northwest end of the bay, near the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club dock or the SE end of the bay near the Seattle Yacht Club dock, depending on the prevailing winds.  We chose the former, expecting northwesterlies.  It also advised setting the anchor well because the mud is so soft.  Having an oversized Rocna anchor served us well and it set easily.

Deploying the dinghy and outboard, to say nothing of gearing up (changing shoes, grabbing hats, an extra layer, cameras, water bottles, a light, oars, security cable and lock, pfd,s) is always an exercise in protracted futzing.  After a mis-start or two, we are eventually motoring along a wandering line from the boat, having no real clue where we are going.

In the case of Cortes Bay one reference book, written in the late eighties, reported a small store.  Surely by now that has become a supermarket, Mexican restaurant, and Thai massage parlor.  Such was the state of our inflated expectations.  Granted, there was nothing to indicate services of any kind on shore, but such was commonly the case, whether present or not.  We were convinced that something would present itself in the light of determined recon.

As it turned out, there were no services of any kind unless you count a public dock.  We hiked from the dock to the highway and back to stretch out legs, then talked to a gentleman at the dock and learned there is a store one bay to the east in Squirrel  Cove, but "it's only open on weekends."  So much for our dreams of an ice cream sandwich.   Or three.

Ice cream or not, it's a quiet little bay with plenty of room.

(Written by Rod Mercer)

Day 7 - Provisioning; Kay

One week since departing Shilshole and we have found no reason to stop and reprovision.  Not fuel, not water, not food.  The thought was to stop in Nanaimo for fresh produce.  However, we would have purchased so little it wasn't worth the passage through Dodd Narrows, nor leaving the peace of outer Gabrioloa Island in Silva Bay.  Home-made dinners by Rod and Bob are lasting well in coolers.  With the addition of breads, butter, canned green beans, fresh carrots, bell peppers, spices, all is delicious.  Bob's been rustling up great breakfasts of omelets, french toasts, or cream of wheat.  It's not expected we'll need fresh supplies of produce or dairy until Campbell River.  Blueberries have been divine as they keep well and are a treat in cream of wheat or oatmeal.  Note: Cream of Wheat is NOT what I expected.  It is tasty, has a bit of 'tooth' or graininess to it.  Easy & healthy.

Milk is made from dried milk into Rod's special milk vessel.  The MV (Milk Vessel)  is hoisted overboard for overnight cooling in the sea, ready for breakfasts. Lunches have not yet been wanted nor needed except perhaps a pb & j here and there. Gorp (nuts/dried fruit/M&M's) is a treat during the days as are Tina's special chocolate Ande's cookies which Rod generously shares with the crew!

It seems we have dried food supplies to last the entire trip!  Duffel bags of baking goods, breakfast and lunch items, mixed nuts and chocolate found hidden storage in the huge stowage area in the V-Berth cabin. Fairly easy to access too!

Trash is of a concern.  Too much of it!  Stiff, plastic food containers and food packaging in general take up space.  We'll be transferring newly bought items into ziplocs, or reusable, stackable tupperware, leaving the excess packaging in port before departure.  The storage of trash on board, and the cost of disposing in port (which we have yet to discover) will be reduced.

Learning as we go, finding our way, challenges and success!  And never hungry!

(written by Kay Gowan)

Day 7 - Stern Tie; Bob

We used a "stern tie" for the first time yesterday as we made our anchorage in Blind Bay.  It was all new to me, but as you can see from the photo we secured the back of the boat to the shore in addition to deploying the anchor from the bow of the boat as is normal.  I was drafted as the crewmember to take the dinghy out to shore and make the connection.  This was made more exciting by the fact that a fellow boater had warned us that a bear cub had been seen on shore as we entered the little cove. 

In the photo you might be able to see two spools of line.  The small spool contains a strong but light rope that is used to pull in the heavier floating propylene stern tie rope once this heavier rope was looped around a post or tree on shore.  It sounds simple but as a newbie it was a little complex taking both diameter lines out in a rocking dinghy and looping the larger rope around a tree and then attaching the smaller rope to it in order for Rod and Kaye to haul it back to the boat.  With the front of the Quijote anchored traditionally and the boat keeping tension on the anchor line (engine in reverse at low RPM) the stern lie was tightened up snugly.

A stern tie is not only very secure, it also ensures the boat does not "swing" around its anchor.  This allows more boats to "fit" into a small anchorage and is a very common anchoring technique in Europe so I am told.  It worked well for us and we were able to simply haul in the stern tie the next morning without another trip in the dinghy to retrieve it.