Critters from Vancouver Island

Here's a video from our trip, some of the wildlife we encountered circumnavigating Vancouver Island.

day 37 - Silva Bay to Ladner (Lo49°06.8N’L123°04.4’W)

And then it was almost over. Sniff. We woke up this morning and enjoyed our last breakfast with coffee and Bailey's, cleaned up a bit, took Louie Bert to shore, then up came the anchor and we were on our way. Before this trip, crossing the Georgia Strait seemed like a pretty major undertaking to me. But now, it seems like one of our much, much easier days. With a wind at our backs we were able to put the main sail up for a while, but the wind died down again so we motored the rest of the way in. Once we got to Sandheads weather station near YVR, and amongst the MASSIVE amount of weekend fisher-folk out with their boats, we could see salmon jumping out of the water. Then up the south arm of the Fraser River past Steveston to Captain's Cove Marina, and back into her home berth. Sniff. I'll admit I was crying a little when we did our final rum jiggers before we locked her all up - I was not ready to be done yet. But, in reality this isn't the end. It is just the beginning.

This was, no question, one of the greatest trips I've ever done. The coastline of British Columbia is spectacular. A friend asked me, "so, what was the most beautiful place you saw?" That is very hard to answer, it was all gorgeous and all a little bit different. The landscape of the gulf islands, which prior to this trip was my only real frame of reference for the BC coastline, is beautiful. But now I realize it is a beauty that is particular to the gulf islands. Cordero Channel is stunning. The Broken Island Group islands are almost surreal. Hot Springs Cove? My god, possibily my new favourite place on earth, but because of the perfect water, not just the beauty. Meares Island was mystical. Rugged Point rivals Long Beach in its white sandiness. Bull Harbour on Hope Island was where I could sense the spirit of the land itself the most, but Nootka Island was a close second. I could go on and on, and the thing is we barely scratched the surface. Our 5 week circumnavigation of Vancouver Island could have easily been 3 months, and we still would not have seen it all.

There are places now that have intrigued us enough to go back and see more - the Broughton Archipelago is a trip onto itself, perhaps next year we'll spend 5-6 weeks up there. Because we spent more time than we planned in Quatsino Sound (but still didn't see very much, Port Alice could have been another day's trip), we didn't get a chance to see much of Kyoquot Sound. And while we did get to see a fair bit of Esperanza Inlet, getting all the way up to Gold River would have been good to see also. And Barkley Sound is another area we didn't get to explore as much as we'd like, Port Alberni included.

TOTAL NAUTICAL MILES - 794
# OF DAYS TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE - 37
# DAYS THE MAINSAIL WENT UP - 4
# OF SHEER PINS BROKEN - 4
# OF FISH CAUGHT AND ATE - 5
# OF CRABS CAUGHT AND ATE - 3
# OF PRAWNS CAUGHT AND ATE - 20
# OF PEOPLE WHO SLEPT ON THE BOAT THIS TRIP - 10
# OF BEERS CONSUMED - too many to count
# OF RUM JIGGERS - at least one each per day, sometimes a few more
AVERAGE DEPTH WE ANCHORED IN - 20 feet
# OF NIGHTS WE PAID FOR DOCK SPACE - 4
AMOUNT ERIN LIKES CAP'N ADAM'S 37-DAY SALTY BEARD - so, so much
COST IN DIESEL - about One Grand
COST IN FOOD - respectable
COST IN ALCOHOL - less respectable
VALUE OF MEMORIES AND TRAINING FOR FUTURE - priceless

day 35 & 36 – Ruxton Island to Gabriola Island (Lo49°09.0N’L123°41.5’W)

Our 35th day on the boat was a bit of a day for rest. Now that we have a Salty Dog onboard again, we needed to resume our “to land twice a day” duty. We headed over to the cabin after breakfast, and Cap’n Adam decided to stay there and do some light cabin chores while I headed back to the boat to nap, read, and edit videos. But mostly just to be back on the boat. We haven’t spent much time on land for the last few weeks, and now the rocking of the sea seems comfortable to me, rather than nauseating.

We had intended to stay a few days at Ruxton, enjoying the cabin and getting reacquainted with Cap’n Adam’s folks. But, the wind blew up very strong during the night, and Cap’n Adam had to do his first “anchor watch” overnight. We were concerned again about whether the sudden wind might cause the anchor to drag, causing us to smash into the rocks nearby. So, Cap’n Adam kept a watch, constantly assessing whether our position had changed and whether we would need to spring into action, firing up the motors and getting the anchor raised so we could relocate somewhere safer.

Our anchor didn’t drag overnight, but the weather forecast predicted that the wind would be strong for another day and night. Our anchorage in Herring Bay was fairly unprotected from a wind of that direction, and so we decided to move on a bit and head for Silva Bay.

After motoring across Pylades Channel, we passed through Gabriola Passage and then into Silva Bay on Gabriola Island. Silva Bay was, in a nutshell, completely packed with boats. This is a very popular bay for boaters, as it is the first protected bay on the west side of the Georgia Strait (if you leave from Vancouver). Boats were rafted up together 2-3 deep on the dock, so we opted to anchor again, and hoped that the wind would not be as fierce here in Silva Bay as it was last night. If we swung too much on our anchor line, there were all sorts of boats and docks that might get in our way.

Once the anchor was down we had lunch at the pub, spent the rest day wandering around and checking out the weird sandstone formations on the beach, and updating our boat log. But we didn’t want to talk about the fact that tonight was most likely our last night to sleep on the boat this trip. While our Vancouver Island circumnavigation has been a “vacation” of sorts for us, it has also been a test for a potential future lifestyle. And I think we can both see ourselves sleeping many, many more nights onboard down the line…

day 34 – Salt Spring Island to Ruxton Island (Lo49°05.1N’L123°42.8’W)

A sunny morning at Long Harbour on Salt Spring Island. After breakfast we borrowed a couple of bikes from the dock, and rode the 5 km or so into Ganges, the major commercial centre on the island. There were a few provisions that we needed, but most importantly Cap’n Adam needed a bigger wrench. He realized this morning that the rudders were not aligned correctly, which probably explains why the Auto-Pilot seems to be drunk, and gives us reason to believe we weren’t being as fuel efficient as we could have been. In order to fix this, he needed a bigger wrench. It seems hard to believe that with the multitude of tools Cap’n Adam has on board, somehow he doesn’t have the right wrench. But, it was true. So, off we peddled to town.

Back at the boat, we untied about noon and headed north to Ruxton Island. Cap’n Adam’s family has a cabin on this no services, no ferry-access island in the De Courcy Group of islands, just outside of Nanaimo. After leaving Long Harbour we came around Nose Point, then travelled north through Trincomali Channel (just west of Galiano Island) and past Wallace Island, Secretary Islands, Hall Island, Reid Island, and finally Tree Island & Pylades Island. We floated past Naylor bay and waved, then anchored in Herring Bay on the north end of Ruxton. We dinghy’d around to the cabin and were greeted by a border collie wagging very excitedly. Up to the cabin for a round of sparkly wine with Cap’n Adam’s parents to celebrate the rendezvous, a delicious dinner, then an early night back on the boat. With crewmate Salty Dog Louie Bert back on board.

day 33 – Victoria to Salt Spring Island (Lo48°51.2N’L123°26.1’W)

And in the morning the sun returned. By 09:00 we were untied, and heading from the inner harbour to the outer harbour of Victoria. From there we motored on calm waters along the south shore, around the point and then north through Oak Bay, around Cadboro Point and through Cordova Bay. By this point, we were feeling as if we were back in home waters. The landscape looked a lot more familiar. There were far more boats we needed to be aware of. But the most telling – we could see BC Ferries again. Their giant silhouettes, each a slightly different size and shape depending on whether they carry cars and when they were acquired, loomed on the horizon. They are a ubiquitous presence in the Strait of Georgia, and I had taken for granted their absence as we explored some other parts of the BC coastline. We passed between Sidney Island and James Island, and across Prevost Pass between Portland Island and Moresby Island. From there we rounded the east tip of Salt Spring Island, and headed north to Long Harbour on Salt Spring. We were so happy that there was an open and easy spot on the dock for us to float right onto. After getting settled in with shore power, checking out the life attached to the side of the dock, and having a BBQ dinner, we hit the sack.

day 32 – Victoria

Overnight we heard something we haven’t heard for more than a month – the sound of rain. The weather had changed for us quite dramatically – the beautiful, hot sunny day we enjoyed yesterday turned into a chilly evening, which then turned to showers. And this morning there was a Gale Force Wind Warning in effect for both where we were, and where we were headed. It looked like there was a good possibility that we would be going nowhere today.

So, during a break in the downpour off we went to Yates Market to get provisions (what a great grocery store!). By the time we got back, we had decided it was best to spend another night tied to our choice berth in downtown Victoria. And quite honestly – I was most happy to do this. We have been moving at a consistent and assertive pace to get around this island – the thought of having a “day off” to lie around, read my book (oh Lisbeth Salander, you do so intrigue me with your situation), and feel cozy in our boat on a cold rainy day seemed irresistible. And because we were tied up to a dock with power, I could even plug in some space heaters, an absolute luxury after 31 days with nothing but the sun, sweaters, down blankets, and rum to keep us warm.

During the day Cap’n Adam was finally able to locate precisely where the leak in the fresh water was coming from, and by closing the correct pipe he was able to stop the trickle until it can be better dealt with later. And although we are in the city, we still opted to prepare our meals and eat on the boat, as more of our budget than expected was being given to the Victoria Harbour Authority for letting us sleep here.

At all other Government Docks we’ve tied up to, the standard rate is $0.75 / foot, per night. For this 40’ boat, that’s $30 & HST per night. You pay about $8-9 more if you want shore power (if it’s available), and usually water is free (if available), except Tofino where we had to pay for water. We never bothered to realize that certain docks, such as the downtown Victoria and I would also assume the downtown Vancouver Government Docks, cost more in the peak season. $1.40 per foot, per night is the rate for this dock, which is $56 & $9 for power & HST per night. It makes me appreciate the real value of the anchor, and how quickly the new anchor bridal and line that Cap’n Adam invested in has already paid for itself.

But what a great place to sleep downtown Victoria in a boat is. $68 a night or whatever it ended up costing us for this berth is totally worth it.

day 31 – Sooke to Victoria (Lo48°24.7N’L123°27.8’W)

Our sleep on the calm waters of Sooke Harbour was peaceful. That is, until about 06:00 (that’s A.M.), when the fishing boats started leaving the harbour. The first time that it woke me up, I thought a storm had blown up and the winds were rocking the boat. But no, it was just a series of impatient fisherfolk, rushing to get out to sea so they could stop and drop their hooks, not caring in the slightest that the sailboats anchored at the mouth of the inlet were being rocked violently out of sleep by their wake. So rude. We decided it was best to just get up and go rather than try to continue to sleep through it, and we had the anchor up before our coffee was finished brewing.

A gloriously calm, sunny day at sea had its typical hypnotic effect. We motored out of Juan de Fuca Strait, hit our southernmost point at Race Rocks, then started heading north again into Victoria Harbour. As we rolled into the downtown about noon, the sun was bright and uninhibited. We headed for the government docks at the Empress Hotel, and landed ourselves on the most skookum spot in the harbour – in front of the grand hotel, on the last finger on the dock before the parliament buildings. A sunny afternoon to enjoy the harbour, wander around, and feel the culture shock of being back in the big city (complete with traffic lights and cement trucks and such).

Our friends Pete and Sonya and their little tyke Des, who live in Victoria, dropped by the boat after work, and we walked down to Red Fish Blue Fish for some fabulous fish tacones. Showers and laundry enjoyed, we are all clean and set for the next leg of the journey – the Gulf Islands. But tonight we sleep in the centre of the capital city, tied securely to a dock and hooked up to shore power.

day 30 – Port Renfrew to Sooke (Lo48°21.0N’L123°43.4’W)

Another rocky night anchored in the deeper waters of Port Renfrew. After onshore breakfast and departing hugs from the camping crew, we lifted anchor and headed back out to sea. The Juan de Fuca Strait down to Sooke was the day’s journey, and according to the weather forecast we were expecting a windy trip. No such luck, which meant the water was flat, but there was not enough wind to hoist a sail.

We got to Sooke at about dinner time, then cruised around the harbour for a while before we chose a place to drop anchor and watch the beautiful sunset. We spent about an hour or so trying to lasso a line around a piling so we could tie up for free, but gave up after a series of unsuccessful attempts. The calm waters in this harbour will influence our sleep tonight. And tomorrow, we head for the capital city.

day 28 & day 29 – Port Renfrew (Lo48°33.4N’L124°25.4’W)

It was a rocky but sleep-able night in the open waters of Port San Juan. In the morning fog we had breakfast, and were briefly joined by a West Coast Trail hiker. He swam over in nothing but a mask, his swim trunks, and a smile. After making small talk for a while (“Where are you from? How long have you been at sea? How fast does your boat go?” etc…) he got to his point – did we have any beer we could sell him? Looking for breakfast beers, impressive. Cap’n Adam only had a finite supply of his own beers, but did appreciate the effort and therefore gave him the last 2 beers he had left in the poop-deck cooler (but none from the private Bilge Reserve inside the boat). Happy, the hiker thanked us and was on his way, to be greeted with cheers and congratulatory back-pats upon his return to camp. Good times.

Knowing we did not have very far to go to meet up with some friends who would be arriving to camp later in the day, we puttered along the coast further into Port Renfrew. We checked out the sea caves, and slowly idled towards the beach where we knew the campsite was. Now out of cell phone range again, we decided to get as close as we could to the beach, throw down the anchor, and wait for our pals to see us and holler from the shore. While we waited and napped the wind picked up, something fierce. Concerned that the wind might actually cause the anchor to drag in the sandy bottom and blow us ashore, we decided we’d better move to a more protected spot, or at least throw down another anchor. As we started to sort this out, suddenly we could see our friend Kath, waving at us from the beach. She was getting pounded by the wind as she tried to yell the direction of their campsite to us. Adam, now in the dinghy and heading toward her, could barely hear her. The rendezvous point would have to be figured out later, now we had to make sure the boat didn’t end up high and dry. Back on the boat, Adam throttled up and drove forward while I pulled up the anchor with the winch – the anchor line was being pulled so tight by the wind that the winch alone could not lift the anchor, Adam had to assist with the engine-based-forward-momentum power. Successful, we motored over to the more protected Snuggery Cove and dropped the anchor there, in deeper water.

Into our survival suits and into the dinghy we hopped, and headed over to the campsite. We were most happy to see some pals there. Sam & Kath, Shan & Tara, OJ & Cristal, and Talia & Sean. Over the next hour or so the wind died right down, and we were able to enjoy a most beautiful sunset. We loved how well our stomachs were taken care of – we really appreciate the effort our pals made, especially Sammy & Cristal but really everybody, to cook for us and then clean up after us on land. Follow that up with a beach fire and some wine, and it turned out to be a pretty good day.

The next day we took the camping crew for a short cruise on the boat, tried to catch a fish, tried to trap some crabs. Unsuccessful at gathering protein, we headed back for a campsite BBQ, and bought some crabs from a local fisherman. Crab feast, another beach fire, more wine, another great day.

All 3 of our nights in Port San Juan / Port Renfrew were pretty rocky – this bay is not very protected from the winds or the waves. Port Renfrew is an interesting little place – not a lot going on, yet thousands of people descend on this town every summer to hike the Trail, or to fish. There is a new(ish) hotel and pub which replaced the one that burned down a few years ago. There is a great, small breakfast place we went to, which also had a nice dinner menu. Kath’s blog, which can be found by clicking here, describes the restaurant in greater detail (once she finds some time to blog about it). But the highlight of Port Renfrew was definitely the fact that our friends were there to camp, and met us on our circumnavigation journey. We treasure that, and are so glad that we can also have some “Hey, remember that time we were going around Vancouver Island and you guys camped in Port Renfrew?” memories with even more people. Good times.