Day 18- Flora and fauna summary; Bob

Before the trip started, I wondered  how much wildlife and interesting plants we would see.  Here is the situation as of Day 18.  Keep in mind that it is still relatively early in the warm season, more Spring than Summer.  Obviously the flora and fauna may change a lot as we get further into the trip.   The binoculars are picked up many times per hour.  We are not keeping any "list" of the species we see.

Birds are the most common wildlife and gulls tie with ducks as the most common birdlife.  Eagles, particularly bald eagles with their white heads, are easy to pick out and we might see 5-15 per day.  We hundreds of ducks and gulls per day. We saw beautiful red-throated loons last night and pairs of merganser ducks are seen a couple of times per day at least.  We sometimes see great blue herons and the occasional Kingfisher.  No grouse or owls have been seen, but we do hear owls.  Shorebirds, like Oyster Catchers are not visible so far but I did see a hummingbird.  We hear robins frequently, and I have heard Northern Flickers when anchored.  Crows are quite common. 

Trees are growing everywhere on land.   Here, the ground is very rocky with a thin layer of mossy soil.  Somehow the trees grow, even on rocky islands   As we went inland the trees were more towering, and we have seen huge cedars, Douglas Fir and Hemlock in addition to what I think is Sitka Spruce.  Earlier in the trip we saw the deciduous Madrona tree, but I think we have passed the northern range of it now.  The trees grow right up to the edge of the intertidal zone but never touch the salt water.  There is a perfect horizontal layer of tree branches above the water - like it has been clipped.  When we hike, we see 3-4 species of ferns, Devil's Club, huckleberry bushes (no berries yet), lots of salmonberry bushes, and what seems to be mountain ash and perhaps a wild rhododendron.  Tons of moss and lichen carpet the rocky forest floor making it almost impossible to walk where a trail is lacking.  Alder trees are pretty common, and grow where the fir trees have been disturbed.  Skunk cabbage can be seen in low spots.  In the intertidal zone, we see lots of rockweed and some beach grass.   Kelp beds are starting to appear.

What is the most common mammal?  We have seen seals more than people.  Usually we just see their heads, but in the last few days we have found them sunning on rocks.  We see deer tracks, but no deer.  We have seen 2-3 black bears and one grizzly.  No moose or mountain goats or Dall sheep.  We have not seen raccoons or smaller mammals, except for one very dark squirrel.  One Humpback whale, and few small porpoises were spied on the 1st day.  We look forward to seeing our 1st confirmed otter.

Bumblebees are pretty common, they even are seen out near the boat.  Small flies are common on land and make quite a racket.  A few mosquitoes have been seen.  Dragonflies and striders are common around lakes.  Butterflies are not rare.

We see small fish, no large ones.  Ditto for crabs.  We saw a very small squid last night - about 10 inches long.  Jelly fish are common.  We see lots of shell evidence of clams and scallops.  Barnacles are everywhere in the intertidal zone and we also see oysters pretty frequently.  Mussel beds are not uncommon.

Finally, we saw a half dozen frogs on a hike yesterday.  These were quite small but quite active, about the size of a matchbox!

 

Day 17 = Time travel musing; Bob

What to think about on a lazy afternoon during this long sail?  Today, it felt as if the Quijote was back in time and we were travelling up the BC coast a few hundred years ago.  There was nothing in my view to indicate we were in he modern age - except of course for our boat itself - which surely would have been as foreign as an alien spaceship to anyone we encountered back then.  What if I could take but a single object back in time from the Quijote, say to the middle ages…. what would the preferred object be?

A radio would do one no good - there was no electricity or anyone to receive the transmission.  A sharp folding knife would impress and certainly be handy but was not that huge of a leap in technology.  A manual clock might do it, but every timepiece here is battery powered.  A signal flare would dazzle but it would be for one event only.

I think a simple portable lighter might do the trick.  It is useful, portable and even when empty would be a dazzling object.  If you have another idea of what to take back in time from our sailing ship, feel free to suggest it in the comment section!

Day 17 - The Broughtons; Rod

Our days in the Broughtons have been lovely. We entered through Spring Passage on a fine, sunny, windy afternoon after a long day from Port Harvey. Leaving Port Harvey that morning, yesterday it was, we chose to leave somewhat later than usual so that current through Chatham Narrows was at slack. (As a side note… I found it curious that slack in the narrows occurs hours before or after high or low tide. This puzzled me for a while because we're used to thinking of the currents in Puget Sound going slack as flood turns to ebb or visa versa, roughly at a point in time that corresponds to high or low tide. Look for more on the reason this is not so in these channels in a future post.)

Chatham Narrows is, well… narrow, and can be quite shallow, so we wanted to hit it with both depth and slack. We were able to time it so we entered ten minutes or so before slack at about mid-tide height, according to the tide and current tables. Our recorded minimum depth through the narrows was about 28 feet, so there was plenty of room to spare (Quijote draws 6.2'). Kay spotted our 1st grizzly there!  It was on the bank some distance away, but it was huge. 

There are range markers on the far shore going both directions; it is possible to position the boat in a way that the far and near markers are aligned, one above the other, to keep the boat in the center of the deepest part of the channel. We also put way points in the chart plotter for redundancy.

We glided through the narrows and into Knight Inlet without incident. From there it was a few hours out in the direction of Queen Charlotte Straight, dodging Islets with a 15 knot wind on our nose all the way.

We intended to spend three nights in the Broughton archipelago on our way through to Queen Charlotte Sound, but since the weather is looking favorable for getting around Cape Caution, we decided to bank a day and just spend two. The first was in Wadington Bay where it started off quite windy, but settled down as the evening wore on. The book described the anchorage as protected in all directions, but it didn't feel that way at first.

There was a large cabin cruiser anchored near the entrance to the bay and we thought it an odd choice of places to lower their anchor, since there are better, more protected corners of the bay available, but eventually we came to the conclusion that they chose the spot for the convenience of getting their dog ashore.

Our furst full day in the Broughtons, we were witness to a wonderland of tiny islands, remote craggy rocks, boundless forested hillsides, with occasional evidence of logging, aquaculture, and many crab pot buoys scattered about the marinescape.

We targeted Claydon Bay for the second night's anchorage, but noticed a small trail in the description for the Turnbull Cove, so we made a temporary stop to stretch our legs. The trail was short and sweet to a small dock with a picnic table on a picturesque lake. Kay found an abandoned paddle board and paddled around the lake for a while; Bob and I poked around in the woods along the shoreline enjoying the time on terra-firma.

Returning to Quijote, we found the cabin cruiser had followed us, again anchored near the entrance to the bay. We were half tempted to leave Quijote where she was, since the day was sunny, calm and quiet, and the boat was already anchored. But tomorrow was to be a long day and we'd be adding to that by staying put. The book also promised wildlife in Claydon Bay in the form of loons, herons and seals.

So we moved the boat and were quite pleased we did because we had red breasted loons, bald eagles, seals, and ducks to share the anchorage with, but no other boats. The loons clucked away in pairs, but started up a chorus of wailing when a bald eagle or a hawk flew overhead. The evening was warm and the water glassy as we enjoyed a meal of barbecued sausage, mashed potatoes and veggies, with a variety of bird calls filling the air around us. Perfect.

Day 14 - Slaying Dragons; Rod

It's a funny fact of recreational life that the better you prepare for slaying dragons, the fewer dragons there will be to slay. I guess that's another way of saying that the best way to beat dragons is to avoid them.

Reading about the lives that have been lost in Johnstone Straight, it's hard not to be intimidated by the idea of navigating through it. We're told to avoid large currents, large tidal exchanges, shoals, tugs, barges, heavy weather, spring tides, opposing wind and current, turbulence, and sea monsters. In crossing Seymour Narrows yesterday and Johnstone Straight for seven hours today, we avoided all of it - partly by luck and partly by doing our homework.

The first point of luck was high tide, 7am at Chatham Point on a day with relatively small tidal exchanges. Granted we might have chosen a different day if things had not been aligned so nicely. High tide allowed us to drag our buts out of bed at 6am and put ourselves in position to ride the ebb all the way to anchorage.

The second stroke of luck was a light to moderate SE wind that flowed in the same direction as the current. We even had the sails cranked out for a while.

We started the day in heavy rain and ended it in sunshine, at times fished through choppy turbulence and then glided across glassy water. We gave way to three tug and barge combos steaming down the straight in tandem, and later had the passage to ourselves. We motored and sailed, shivered and baked, ate well and socialized.

All the while we kept eyes out for dragons where none appeared. Yay verily.

Day 16 - Anchorage memories; Kay

Snuggled up in my sleeping bag sitting in the main salon area, listening to the rain dripping.  We've been lucky: little rain, few mosquitos, fairly warm.  

Two and a half weeks in to our 12 week trip and it is difficult to recall all the various anchorages.  Although they all have salt water, trees, hills and maybe mountains, they are also quite unique from each other.  I try to recall the differences to remember that wonderful places we've been.

Fly Basin was memorable, not for flies thankfully, but for the long, quiet dinghy excursion I took. Not only the feeling of ancient surroundings of mossy, fern-covered trees, but also the hidden marine and wildlife we don't see when on Quijote.  Sea Stars, sea cucumbers, schools of little fishies.  A mama duck and her ducklings nestled on a tiny rock island. The sound of a mammal splashing into the water's edge. So much life going on, day in and day out, regardless of the rest of the world.

Fury Cove was memorable for the many other anchored boats, the three of us playing frisbee on the beach, exploring rich tide pools on the edge of Queen Charlotte Sound.

Claydon Bay where we were greeted by an island of lazy, sleepy seals.  Dining al fresco while listening and watching pairs of loons. Sitting on the deck until the sun goes down, the birds become quiet, the stars begin the show. 

The list goes on.  Every anchorage being unique, beautiful, full of life.

 

Day 16 - Word games; Bob

 

In order to take advantage of tides, winds and other factors we often set out quite early on the Quijote.  6AM is not an uncommon time to get going.  By the time 2 or 3pm rolls around it is time for us to anchor.  This leaves of plenty of free time in the evening and tonight we decided we would get creative and play a word game.

When we were in Campbell River, Kay spotted a toy store and purchased a game called BananaGram.  It is loosely related to Scrabble but with a lot fewer rules.  We decided to chuck all rules and just have fun.  We spelled out obscure words and laughed at how they combined to almost form a story.  We decided to play with the letters not on a traditional X,Y grid.  We toyed with spacing.  We tried to come up with palindromes.  Rod formed a block out of 3 letter words.  My favorite was a game called "Rock Band or Race Horse" where we thought up weird names for well, bands or horses.  It was all done in a spirit of silliness and the good company, wine and music made for a fun evening. 

Day 15 - Resource-based economy; Bob

We are sailing thru a bountiful area in terms of natural resources.  Historically, large numbers of people were engaged in harvesting these resources, but that population peaked in the 1920's as roads and trucks altered the economy of resource gathering.  No doubt the fishing used to be better, as we have seen old black and white photos showing hundreds of boats gathered in one bay.   On this trip, we have seen several dozen fishing boats but nobody seems to be actively fishing.  They may be making their way up to Alaska for the salmon or halibut seasons.

Some small scale resource gathering is occasionally evident.  The image at the top of this post shows a surprisingly elderly guy gathering oysters.   That is hard work.  It is also common to see where crab pots are set in the water, and no doubt many of these are from commercial crabbers. 

Larger scale natural resource activity is seen everyday, but it is not overwhelming in scope.  The trees here grow straight and tall - exactly what the lumber industry needs to charge top dollar for.  Back in the day the British Royal Navy reserved some areas here as sources of wooden masts for their ships.  Now one can easily see the lighter green swaths of trees where timber has been harvested.  Less often we see recent clear-cuts, sometimes scarring the ridges with their ragged profiles.  There is little 1st growth timber left, especially in accessible areas. The large floating log booms of yesterday are not around anymore, instead logs are transported on huge barges towed by tugs.  Timber harvesting requires far fewer people these days.

All manner of commercial ships are seen on passages of water that constitute the "marine highway".  Ferries, cargo ships and fishing vessels are commonly seen - but there are not as many as you might think.  We have seen tugs towing large barges filled with gravel.

 

One thing we do see a lot of is aquaculture.  Generally, this takes the form of black PVC enclosures that occupy small inlets.  Each enclosure is approximately the size of a swimming pool.  There is no signage indicating the names of the operators or what the facilities are dedicated to growing.  We think they might be raising oysters (on strings) or salmon.  In contrast, no farming on land has been seen on the trip. 

We have also not seen any evidence of freshwater gathering, even though there are waterfalls gushing down the sides of these gorges.  Perhaps this will be a future resource to be tapped for a thirsty world? 

 

Day 14 - Sancho Panza awakens on Quijote; Kay

My name is Sancho Panza.  In my past I was the faithful squire to Don Quixote de la Mancha while he ventured the countryside and righted the wrongs of the 17th century.  Amazingly, with 21st century technology, you can, what do you say?…. google me, and discover the life and times of Don Quixote, as well as the wisdom I bestowed upon the man.

Reincarnated as a majestic Scottish Highland longhorn, today I find myself newly awakened yet again but with a very different perspective.  I am upon the good ship Quijote where I am observing the life and rituals of crew and skipper, while taking in unbelievable sights of glory and beauty.  I am not a crew member mind you, only a wise and thoughtful observer on this voyage.

 In observing the crew for the last 10-12 days, I notice a settling of behavior.  To what at first appeared awkward, there is now a rhythm which carries purpose. Engine checks, hauling anchor, log entries, look-outs, chart reviews.  Anchoring, tying dinghy, dropping the milk jug in the big pond. A type of white board above the galley sink displays daily departure times, tides and currents, wind directions, and a running list of desired items such as hand warmers and sandwich bags.

And the galley, oh, the galley. Full of food, full of cooking and baking apparatus and wondrous smells. Robert, some call him Bob.  I cannot see the Bob in him and insist upon using his given name of Robert.  Robert is a master in the galley.  Wielding instruments to flip, stir, whip, crush, and mix as he sautés, fries, boils, broils, and grills delectable meals.  And he keeps all on board laughing to the point of tears with his quick wit and humour. Notice the Canadian spelling of humor. How easily one transforms to their surroundings, eh?

Our good natured Skipper keeps pace with Robert's wit while keeping the good ship Quijote in top notch condition.  Not only is the engine so clean one could eat from it, the electronics work, we have artificial light in the evenings, even 21st century music to dance to (however, neither crew nor Skipper seem to enjoy kicking up their heels, yet).  Every night Skipper's head is in a book checking and re-checking currents, winds, sailing directions, choices for anchorages ahead.  He is dedicated to Quijote's safety, and with it, the safety of the crew.  He has also proved himself a competent cook and does not shy from cleaning floors and scrubbing decks. Lucky to be aboard with such a versatile, knowledgeable fellow.

Kay, with no nick name as yet, appears to be happy as a lark with whatever presents itself. Taking the helm, rowing the dinghy, scrubbing the decks.  Life is grand!

This is Sancho Panza, ever-faithful servant to Quijote and crew.

Out.

Day 13 - Campbell River recharge; Bob

We stopped in the town of Campbell River for provisions and a dose of civilization.  Earlier in the day we had called the marina (there are 4 in town) to arrange for mooring space.  The town sits on the fast moving Discovery Passage and the current and opposing winds made it tricky getting into the relatively narrow opening to the marina. Ultimately Rod brought the Quijote in perfectly to the fuel dock, which was our first priority.  The fresh faced attendants there expertly grabbed the docking lines we tossed in anticipation of a big fill-up.  38 gallons later we got our assigned slip by radio and gently eased our fair ship into her moorage. 

Campbell River sits almost midway up on the Northern Coast of Vancouver Island.  Readily accessible by car as well as boat, the town has a regional economy.  With over 100K residents, it is easily the biggest town we will stop at on the entire Inside Passage trip. 

We had a long list of things to get done after fueling and ticked off the next item by refilling our fresh water tanks on the boat.  After that it was time to hose down the decks and wash the salt off the windows using a hose and a long-handled scrub brush.  Next, we climbed up the long ramp out of the marina and trudged off to find the Laundromat.  Unfortunately, to my eye at least, the town is a bit of an eyesore.  And I even like grit and industry.  There was no town center and the sprawling commercial area is a series of huge shopping malls with big box retail stores and franchises.  The malls were created on fill in front of the original shoreline (as seen on historical photos) and now sit on a vast asphalt plain.  Charming it is not. 

We found the Laundromat and bought some books in one of the few mom and pop stores we could find as our clothes tumbled clean.  Next we bought some fresh food in a vast grocery store, hungrily eyeing other treats that we had no room for on the boat.  Back across acres of asphalt to our marina for the highlight of the afternoon - hot showers!    Now we felt truly civilized.

The final chore was actually a fun night out, treating our skipper to a meal in a "fancy restaurant."  The menu at the Riptide Restaurant had a "U hook and we'll cook it" option for fisherman who brought in their catch.  We amused ourselves by guessing the names and lyrics of tunes being played by a musician playing and singing to recorded tracks of familiar songs.  He was a pretty good country singer who wasn't afraid to throw in some light rock and roll.  An informal contest was improvised by the 3 of us to guess the weight of the giant King Salmon which was mounted as a trophy on the wall.  Your intrepid reporter won with a guess of 60 lbs for a fish that in better days weighed in at 64 lbs.  We made our way back to the boat with the stars becoming visible and a truly massive cruise ship gliding silently by in the nearby channel with lights blazing. 

​

 

Day 12 - Moron Anchoring; Rod

It’s great to arrive at an anchorage early in the day.  Not only does it simplify the job of anchoring with fewer boats around  to consider, but it gives us the opportunity to watch other boats go about the task as they arrive.  Some make us want to cringe; others we can learn from.

Consider two very different anchoring styles demonstrated after our arrival to Grace Harbor in Malaspina Inlet.  The anchorage is well protected, but the winds can still kick up a bit and push the anchored boats around.

The first, one I witnessed, an elderly couple arrived in their cabin cruiser, slowly motored to a point midway between three existing boats (one was ours),  and dropped their anchor until it hit the bottom: 40’ chain for 35’ depth.  Since the chain needs to be pulled horizontally to set the anchor, we’ll call this the “anticipating perfect weather technique.”  It’s a forecast that has held up remarkably well so far tonight.  Since their arrival this afternoon there has been hardly a breath of wind.  If the wind does kick up, they’ll be up on deck in their pajamas letting out more chain to allow their anchor to set properly.

The second technique, one Bob witnessed,  we’ll call the hurricane set.  According to Bob, they dropped their anchor, let out an appropriate amount of chain, and powered up to full throttle, tearing the anchor out of the bottom of the bay.  While this technique sounds a little crazy, it has some merit.  Sure they had to reset their anchor and try again, but they do have a better sense of what it takes to drag the anchor in this bay than someone like me does, who applies a moderate amount of power to set the anchor, but stops short of pulling it out.

(Image courtesy of Kevin Monahan, author of Local Knowledge)

Day 12 - Hike to Black Lake; Bob

After anchoring in Grace Harbour, the three of us hopped in the dinghy and paddled over to land for a quick hike.  This would give us a chance for much needed exercise and maybe an adventure or two.

The well-defined trail led directly from the small rocky beach into a dense wall of vegetation that we had to push out of our way as we went along.   The sounds of buzzing insects (thankfully not the biting variety) filled our ears as we entered a forest of 2nd growth cedar.  Partially dried wide  spots on the trail must have been muddy spots just a few weeks ago. 

After only a few hundred yards we spied the remains of a very old tractor.  Rather small in size compared to today’s behemoths, this was obviously a remnant from past logging activity.  Parts from the old Caterpillar were strewn about the undergrowth along with thick cable.  Damage to a key hitch was apparent and we concluded that the loggers had simply abandoned it at some point after the repairs became too much.

The weather was pleasant and sunny as we ambled further up the path, gradually gaining a few hundred feet in elevation.  No wildlife was evident, but we saw some interesting funghi and lichens.  A smaller species of Skunk Cabbage dotted the occasional dried mud hole. 

Soon Black Lake was visible through the trees.  I was looking forward to the lunch of bread and cheese we had packed but we were mesmerized by the compact lake and its shore life upon arrival.  Dragonflies flitted about in the sun, and a few Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies also paid a visit as we silently observed the scene.  A loud buzzing announced the arrival of a Rufous hummingbird who poked at the wild roses briefly.  A Garter Snake (possibly the Puget Sound sub-species) was sunning itself and Rod managed to get a picture of it.  These are some of the most northern reptiles in the world and Rod said that the snake seemed unafraid and simply eyed him as he got the “perfect shot”.  We looked for a loon (in vain) but heard an owl from across the lake.  A hawk soared above us, looking at us carefully.

On the way back we detoured (on purpose) onto a very overgrown trail and eventually revealed itself to be an old logging trail of some sort. It was very brushy and we spied a single deer track in some fresh mud.  There was no other wildlife sound or sign - not even a squirrel.  The flies were becoming an annoyance as stepped over and under logs so we turned around after only a 1/4 mile.  The original path back seemed to be in especially good shape after that episode of “bushwhacking.”

Back at the bay, we spent a few hours lollygagging on the shore, each of us in our own world of contemplation, before heading back to the Quijote sitting gracefully in the middle of the Bay.

Day 10 - Malaspina Solitude; Rod

The anchorage in Penrose Bay, a small cove deep in Malaspina Inlet, has one road and no cell phone coverage.  It doesn’t feel completely cut off from civilization because there are houses along the shoreline, sounds of occasional human activity, and even a kayak camp at the head of the bay that opened its doors for seasonal operation just last week.

 

Even so, it has the feel of a place out on the edge of things; a place where contact requires effort if you don’t bring your people with you.  It’s a place to get away from people or, if you’re sent there, to pine for company.

 

After the day’s activity: navigating the Malaspina Inlet and deploying the dingy to row in and have a chat with the couple operating the Kayak center; Bob, Kay, and I lounged in various places about the vessel.  It was a pleasant evening of reading and enjoying our space, the solitude, and bird calls reaching out from the forest.  Again and again a great northern owl, feeling the remoteness of the place, sent out a forlorn plea for its mate that went unanswered.

 

Drawing by Bob Bennett

 

Day 10 - Shout out to Tina; Bob

The three of us are thinking of you on this important day.  And not too long from now you will join the expedition!

(Written by Bob)

Day 10- Hallberg-Rassey; Bob Bennett

I may not be a sailor but I appreciate quality, and this boat has it.  It is a Hallberg-Rassey, a Swedish brand that is well respected in the sailing community.  Specifically the Quijote is a 37 foot center cockpit offshore sloop.  "Offshore" in this context designates a higher degree of seaworthiness than a boat that sticks close to land needs to have.

The first thing one notices is the construction materials.  The main cabin or saloon is almost all wood - and this is solid wood which glows with a gorgeous caramel color.  The blue upholstery is easy on the eye and yet durable and seemingly impervious to staining.  The metal hardware has a solid feel and sports a lustrous patina.  Even the "dodger" that shields the cockpit from wind and sun has sturdy glass windows instead of plastic.

After a few days in the boat, the real magic of the boat reveals itself -- thoughtful design. Storage space is ingeniously maximized.  Cabinet doors do not clang against anything else, and light switches and latches are within reach right where you need them.  There are no design flourishes, but the practical has been transformed into its own attractive aesthetic.  The teak deck looks like a giant cutting board in a high end kitchen.   

To me, one of the hallmarks of quality is when you can obtain a wide variety of original equipment parts years after your purchase.  Rod recently was able to replace a domed metal fresh air inlet cover with a replacement part from HR.  And when an upholstery button was lost, Rod contacted the manufacturer and they asked to see a sample of the material.  With that in hand, they were able to make up a new batch of matching buttons and send them along.  This boat is meant to last and was built with that in mind.

(Written by Bob Bennett)

Day 8 - Ode to a Dinghy; Bob

When Commander Vancouver sailed this exact area for the Queen 224 years ago, his ship was accompanied by a 65-ton consort called the Chatham which carried a crew of 65.  This "smaller" (ahem) ship would poke into bays and inlets looking for good routes with the crew noting hazards and gathering fresh water for the main ship when needed. Fast forward to 2016 and the good ship Quijote also has a 2nd boat - a humble dinghy that we have grown to appreciate.

The dinghy has no name yet, but she may get one before the journey is over for she is quite useful.  She is there if we ever had to abandon ship to be sure, but is mainly used for getting back and forth to shore.  It is a  rare event for us to tie up to a dock.  There are not very many docks here to begin with but even if there were they generally cost money to tie up to overnight.  So when we anchor for the day, we turn to our dinghy if we want to get to shore for a hike.  This handy little vessel is also great for exploring.  "The dinghy is my best friend, it gives me so much freedom," is how Kay put it last night. 

Our dinghy is an inflatable.  Once we pumped it up on Day 2 with a foot pump, we have kept it in that state because it takes a bit of work and we want to be able to jump in it at a moment's notice.  She is attached to the back of the Quijote and is there tagging along if we need her at any time.  The dinghy can be powered by two oars or by a 4HP Yamaha motor that we lower onto the transom when needed using a pulley attached to a hoist bar. 

(Written by Bob)

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.

Day 7 - On Land Recreation and alternate uses of teapots; Rod

It was a day of recreation for Quijote crew.  It started with a marathon sleep-in.  Bob and I had a day long hike in mind that the books described as steep, slippery, and difficult - just what we needed to shake our limbs out of a week of lethargy.  Since the route was described as a couple of hours each way, there was clearly no need to get going early.  We slept in, had a leisurely breakfast, and relaxed the morning away.  Then discovering that the day was getting away from us, we mustered quickly and Kay ferried us to shore.

Charging up the trail, it started off easy, then disappeared. We continued following what trail remained but it kept getting steeper until we found ourselves hanging off a moss covered wall with dead trees and decaying roots as our only hand holds.  A faint path clearly forged ahead, but my inner voice was telling me we were off route, following others who had no inner voice.

We turned around, worked our way back, and found the real trail, wide and lovely.  As advertised, it was steep in places, and certainly strenuous, but anyone who is accustomed to climbing in the Cascades with a good pair of boots would not find it difficult.

After an hour and a half we found ourselves at the top of the trail where the remains of a log cabin rested next to an impressive waterfall.  Bob drew my attention to tree scars and devastation from rocks that come down from above.  He noted that it wasn’t a very smart place to build a cabin.

Returning to the boat an hour or so later, it was sunny and warm.  We jumped at the chance to do laundry and take showers.  Each of us started with a teapot full of hot water and added it to a bucket with enough cold water from the stern shower to give us a bucket of warm water.  We lathered up and scrubbed ourselves and a weeks worth of dirty laundry, then hung the laundry on the life lines to dry in the sun and handed the bucket off to the next person.  There is a hot water heater on board that is warmed by the engine or shore power, but since we hadn’t used the engine or had the luxury of shore power for a couple of days, the tea pot method worked nicely.

Day 6 - Anchoring in Princess Louisa Inlet; Rod

In a trip likely to be flush with first experiences, we can report one in the way we anchor at Princess Louisa Inlet.  There are several moorage options in the inlet.  The easiest is the public dock at the head of the bay.  It is also the most expensive; put $20/night  in the slot please.  The next easiest is to tie up to a mooring ball: $10.  These prices likely reflect their relative cost to maintain, although the funds are probably used for other things as well.  The inlet is mostly deep (sheer cliffs into the water and beyond in many places), so the anchoring techniques reflect that reality.

At the head of the Inlet is a waterfall: Chatterbox Falls.  For the purpose of the anchoring technique we used in the inlet any river outlet will do.  Where the rest of the inlet is deep, the head of the bay has a band near the shore line that is relatively shallow, although it does get deep quickly by comparison to most anchorages.  If you anchor in this shallow area close to shore and adjacent to the falls (or river outlet), the water outflow will keep the boat aligned perpendicular to the shore and will keep the boat away from the shore, even when the tide comes flooding in.  The boat will fish around a little at times, but the motion isn’t noticeable.  This was the first opportunity we had to practice the technique on this trip and it kept us pretty secure  for our two night stay.

 

The other option commonly used in the deep anchorages of British Columbia and southeast Alaska is to drop the anchor close to shore and tie a line from the stern to a ring or a tree on shore.  This technique keeps the boat from swinging and therefore allows more boats to be anchored in closer proximity.  We used this option extensively in the Mediterranean (where it is referred to as Med mooring).   Quijote has 600’ of 1/2” floating polypropylene line and a garden hose reel on board for this purpose.

Day 5 - Imaginary Thieves and Real Military; Rod

Thunder Bay!  Our staging point for Princess Louisa Inlet.  I had in mind a remote, secluded little bay; rarely visited by anyone but the occasional boater.  The reality is that the shore is lined with small cabins and a boat ramp or two.  It does offer protection from the wind and is probably popular with the yachties when summer gets into full swing.  For now it is nice to have the bay to ourselves, even if we do have to share it with the locals.

Tonight we have lasagna and green beans in mind with warm bread and good company.  Simon and Garfunkel are serenading in the background.

I drifted to sleep last night, imagining Canadian mercenaries drifting silently up to the boat in a small skiff and cutting our dinghy free.  I wondered whether we'd be able to buy another in Campbell River, and berated myself for not securing the dinghy with a steel cable and padlock.  In the bright light of day it all seems a little silly.  Fatigue and darkness take the mind in funny places - not that we won't secure the dinghy with lock and key at times along the way.

Crossing the Straight of Georgia yesterday was a mixed bag.  We exited Silva Bay at a leisurely  hour anticipating having to make way against the current in Georgia Straight.  This was by design as it would give us wind and current flowing in the same direction: a little slower, but much more comfortable.  The winds were predicted to die down in the afternoon for our crossing from Nanaimo to Malaspina Straight.

The night before, I dug out the book and recorded the coordinates of the corners of the Canadian Military exercise area (WG, known locally as Whiskey-Golf).  Then I ploted the corners as way points and plotted a course around the area on the chart plotter.  A typographical error in the book for the coordinates made me use Bob's iphone to pull up the coordinates on the internet.  (123deg 47'70" is not a legal coordinate and should be 123deg 47.70').  Later we saw that various sources plot the boundary of WG differently as well (see images).

Entering the Straight of Georgia that morning we were hit by 14-16 knot winds dead ahead and 3-4' chop (a very good thing the 2 knot current was not opposing) that gave us quite a ride, but not much opportunity to do any sailing.  I tried that game 25 years ago and found reference points on land stayed stationary.

As the day wore on the chop and the wind moderated and we glided north of Nanaimo toward the way point that would take us around the corner of Whiskey Golf.  Ten minutes or so after rounding that corner we were hailed by the Canadian Coast Guard on channel 16 informing us that we had entered an active military area and asking us to depart the way we had entered.  They told us we could transit the straight by going around the Balinas Islands.

We complied of course, but reviewing the material afterward in the Douglas book  shows 2000 yards of clearance inside the islands that we should have been able to use.   The chart shows the boundaries through the middle of the Balinas Islands, so that's the source we should have used.  Live and learn.

Day 5 - Wine Hitch; Bob

It seems like knots are everywhere on the Quijote.  Today Kay added another one with an original design born of necessity.  Her Wine Hitch ™ uses two loops with a center stay to form a secure harness for cooling wine in the cool waters of the Inside Passage.  This flash of inspiration came to Kay at the base of Chatterbox falls in Princess Louis Inlet.  Here a steady flow of cool water from the waterfall is ideal for cooling a bottle of Riesling. We think this knot will come in handy in the days ahead too!

(written by Bob)

Day 5 - Marine Perspective; Bob

Being in a boat offers me a totally new perspective in a literal sense.  Normally at home, I am in my home office which lacks a view of any kind.  When I take walks in my home city of Seattle, they are often in the neighborhood and offer "peek-a-boo" views at best.

This contrasts greatly with the 360 degree views that are available all of the time from the good ship Quijote.  Instead of looking a screen a few inches away, I am generally looking at a distance - for example looking at islands that are perhaps 500 yards away.  Of course my views are from a moving platform - the boat is never really steady.  And when the boat is underway, I am not always looking straight ahead as I would if I was the driver or a passenger in a car back in Washington. 

What are the effects of this "marine" perspective?  Well, the immediate impact on me from seeing things from a moving platform was seasickness.  But that was a few days ago and I am more used to it now.  Another effect on me is that when I am on land now I am fascinated by the detail at my feet.  The beached crab claw above provides an example.  My hunch is that since here is since the views from the boat are primarily distant, I am more inclined to look at nearby detail when on a hike.  Research continues!

(written by Bob Bennett)

Day 4 - Plotting our course; Bob

As a newbie to sailing, I have been keenly interested in how we plan out our daily sailing routes.   Captain Rod has our overall route planned out but each day we get into the nitty gritty of plotting our specific route out in great detail.  To do this, both high and low tech methods are used. 

In the image here you can see a compass is being used to compute out the distance of a proposed route on a paper chart.  The distance between the compass legs represents one nautical mile and the compass is "walked" along the route to get total distance.  5 steps of the compass would equal 5 nautical miles.  'Who cares what the distance is?' you might be thinking.  Well, distance takes time to cross in the boat and the Quijote can only go so fast.  If we know when we will reach a certain passage for example, we can be sure to get there at slack tide when the currents are minimal.   If we did not do this planning we might face a 9 knot current as we try to cross thru the passage -- which is faster than out boat could ever go against it.

High tech navigation aids on the Quijote include a Furuno navigation station that plots our current location on a colored digital map at all times.  This station is visible to whomever is piloting the boat and is constantly referenced.  Before each day's journey, waypoints are entered into the navigation station.  These come from consulting numerous other sources like guide books, paper charts, digital maps on a PC.  Each information source offers its own perspective on the complex coastline, indicating for example hazards, depth, shipping lanes.  Sometimes the information from two sources conflicts slightly and we have to choose which one to believe.  When underway, to keep us on our toes, we write down various datum into a paper logbook at each waypoint including barometric pressure, windspeed, engine hours logged and so forth.  Waypoint by waypoint we are making it up the coast!

(written by Bob Bennett)

Day #3, Nesting Birds - Kay

We anchored at Silva Bay this afternoon.  Silva Bay is a sweet spot off the east side of Gabriola Island. After taking the dinghy to town, well not town, really just the marina and some services, we are back on Quijote safe and sound. Lucky we didn't stay off board for a beer. We are sipping beers while snug in the cockpit with winds increasing to 14 knots, and gusts thus far up to 19 knots!

Enroute today we had time to waste before slack at Gabriola Passage. We choose to drift gently, no motor, no sails, along Valdez Island 100 yards offshore where we watched and listened to nesting birds, soaring eagles, sleek seals.  A special treat.

Motoring through Gabriola Passage at slack was a breeze.

After another long day, we all look forward to a long sleep.  Tonight it will be to the sound of howling wind and hard rains cleansing the decks.

Day 2 Avocado madness; Rod

Twelve avocados were perfectly ripe at the same time today.  What can you do?  When life feeds you avocados, make guacamole.  By the time you add cilantro, salsa, cheese and chips, you have enough nachos to feed an army.  Did that slow us down?  Of course not.We added tacos, a bottle of wine, and the berry pie that Pat sent us on our way with - all incredibly delicious.  Silence prevailed except for the occasional sounds of the marine life around us and the appreciative murmurs of culinary ecstasy by the Quijote crew.  A late evening sunset splashed the surface of the bay while we devoured our meal, stuffing ourselves as only the high energy lifestyle of outdoor adventuring will allow.

The latter point is, of course, so much rationalization for overdoing dinner.  Sailing is mostly a sedentary sport.  If we have many more meals like last nights, they will have to roll us off the boat.

We did get some exercise in Bedwell harbor yesterday.  After clearing customs we anchored by the shoreline and paddled the dingy to shore where we enjoyed hiking along a spectacular trail that ran along the shoreline for a mile or so before petering out where bluffs made passage by foot impossible.  It was so good to get out and stretch the lungs.

Day 1, Aleck Bay; Rod

A quiet start on a misty morning.  Quijote crew said their goodbyes and started north under gray skies and a light wind.  We were passed by the odd barge or two, a coast guard cutter, and several motor yachts, but for the most part the traffic was light and the passage largely uneventful.  Kay served up snacks as we plodded along, bucking a flood current, making 6 kts headway.

We rounded Partridge Point on the northwest shoulder of Widbey Island when things started to happen.  First the wind kicked up to 16 kts, then Bob turned green and fed the fish, and the sun came out.  Encourage by the former and latter events, and hoping to improve Bob's disposition, we hoisted sail and cut the engine.  It stayed sunny for the rest of the afternoon, the wind stayed fresh and steady at 12kts all the way to the anchorage, but Bob never did get his color back completely.  So much for the patch.  It was a little rough out on the Straight of Juan de Fuca.  Three cheers for Bob who will also be rounding Cape Caution with us.

We arrived at Aleck Bay in the early evening with just enough sunshine left in the day to enjoy dinner by.  A cacophony of birds filled the bay in fading fading light as the sun settled onto the horizon.

A fine send-off

May 15th found crew and family and friends at Golden Gardens giving the SV Quijote a fine send-off party. Food, greetings, exploring the map, bubbles, frisbee. Such a caring group of strangers and friends giving goodwill and blessings for safe travels.  A perfect way to start this journey.

The party is over.
It is quiet. Drizzle has settled in. The distant trees have softened edges. Everywhere is light greyness. Gentle rain on the dodger. Dusk. A perfect first night on Quijote. 

Food preparation

Kay has been organizing a list of what food items are needed for the big sailing trip up the Inside Passage.  Importantly she has assigned meals that each of us are responsible for.  Rod lent one me one of his two vacuum sealing machines and I am busy cooking meals that should be welcome fare up North.  The idea is to have meals that can be easily prepared while sailing.  In the photo you can see a home prepared meal that is about to be vacuum sealed!

Second of Two Crew Preparation Cruises

We enjoyed another fine weekend getting used to the boat and the cruising life last weekend.  This time it was Bruce, Lavanya and Jason on board.  We're two for two on the weather for these practice cruises.  It's hard to describe the weather for both weekends as anything short of glorious - sunny and windy; what more can a crew of sailors hope for?

We transited the locks in short order on Saturday morning and motored North past the south end of Whidbey Island dodging regatta boats that were floating aimlessly in the slack early morning wind.  Abreast of Everett the winds started to build until we were snorting along at over six knots under jib and mainsail.

Wanting to arrive at Langley before the marina office closed at 5, we used up our play time and headed in to dock and explore the town.

Langly has a small town feel to it, but the general store has ample provisions and the dock has great WIFI.  We stopped at a small beverage cafe to unwind a little and then found a trail down to the beach to get a little walking in.

Saturday was all about giving the crew time to become acquainted with Quijote and her various systems.  For lunch, Lavanya and Jason put together awesome grilled sandwiches and salad and we barbecued chicken on the stern rail for dinner.  The new griddle Kay added to the galley works really well.

Sunday started by anchoring outside the marina and, with more great cooking by the Lavanya-Jason duo, Bruce and I worked though the dinghy deployment and used the new outboard hoist to mount the outboard onto the back of the dinghy.  With a few practice runs of the dinghy around the boat, we filled our bellies with the fruits of L&J's efforts: a mushroom cheese scramble and toasted bread, granola, fruit and yogurt.  Awesome!

After a little attention to some odds and ends, jack lines, man overboard procedures, etc, We were under way again with a galloping 16 knot following wind - great conditions for spinnaker sailing!

Photos by Rod and Lavanya