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.

day 27 – Bamfield to Port San Juan – Thrasher Cove (Lo48°33.5N’L124°28.2’W)

The marine forecast warned us that the waves were 3 meters, but they had already reduced and would be diminishing for the rest of the morning until they died right down. We’ve done this size of wave before, and this time the skies would be much clearer. It could be a training mission of sorts. If it got too uncomfortable, we could always turn around. But the thing is, our next stop is Port Renfrew. We have friends who will be camping there this weekend. We would rather get there the day before everyone else does so that we can recover from our journey at sea before we rendezvous. So we’re not as knackered. Up came the anchor and off we went.

It was OK for a while, I was able to post blogs as we left the inlet, and even finished editing a video I made of our trip to Meares Island (which will be posted once the internet connection is stronger!). But the farther we got out into the chuck, the lumpier it got. We were not going with the current, we were cutting across it and smashing into some decent sized waves side-on. First I had to close the laptop and turn to face the horizon. Then I strapped on the electric-wristband-thingy. Then I felt like I needed to bundle up a bit, it got chilly. Then I needed to lie down, so with a small struggle I converted the table to a bed, and I got horizontal. Then I realized that the strength of the sea’s swell had overpowered by internal balancing system, and I was going to hurl. Thankfully, there was an empty cooler beside me that prevented me from needing to launch myself to the stairs at stern of the boat, while somehow not falling off and into the ocean. The cooler could just get a little scrub-down later, it’s all good. And then I felt a little better after that. (“Oh mighty sea, you may have won this battle, but you haven’t won the War!!”) Cap’n Adam, as always, had guts of steel and was not bothered by the swell at all.

Once we got to the end of Trevor Channel, and after we took a wide turn around Cape Beale, we rejoined the SE flow of the Pacific current, things were much calmer. We were still in some 2-3 meter waves which is nothing to sneeze at, but surfing with the current is much more tolerable than crashing through it. As we entered Juan de Fuca Strait we could see the mountains of Washington State off of our starboard side. We arrived at our destination accompanied by a sea lion who was surfing our wake and jumping out of the water to wave at us. He hung around until after we anchored, then went on his way. Port San Juan, the minimally protected large bay that Port Renfrew banks onto, has part of the West Coast Trail coursing around it. We anchored next to a spot where many hikers spend the night – Cap’n Adam counted 18 tents on the beach. Tonight we will sleep with waves rocking the boat as the Pacific influences this anchorage a bit more than we’re used to.

day 26 – Nettle Island to Bamfield (Lo48°49.5N’L125°08.4’W)

We had the bay to ourselves and the abandoned Parks Warden office this morning. We spent some time lounging around, and Cap’n Adam worked on the motors and such for a while. Our main mission before we set sail for Bamfield was to circumnavigate Erin Island, one of the Broken Group, near Nettle Island. After we found Erin Island on the GPS, then found it in real life in front of us, we circumnavigated around it in about 5 minutes (it is not a very big island), then stopped to go ashore, so that we could both say that we got off on Erin Island (hee-hee!). Then back to the big boat, pulled up anchor, and headed for Bamfield.
After about 2 hours on some swelly seas, we passed though Imperial Eagle Channel, then through the Deer Group of Islands and across Trevor Channel. And then we arrived at the port of Bamfield. Bamfield is perhaps best known for its Marine Biology educational facilities and National Parks Board office. But it is also a bustling cottage and fishing community, dusted with colourful cabins, a charming General Store, a community-long boardwalk, and a gallery. There are lots of other boats anchored in the bay, it seems to be a popular stop on the BC the boating scene. However, deep in the inlet where the best anchorages are is not in range of internet or cell phone, so we found ourselves back out in the dinghy with our laptops again, checking the marine forecast and posting blogs. Tonight we will sleep well in preparation for our journey to Port Renfrew tomorrow. We’ll see some of you then and there!

day 25 – Effingham Bay to Nettle Island (Lo48°55.7N’L125°15.0’W)

We set out first thing, with only cereal in our bellies and our coffee in to-go cups. And a picnic lunch all packed up. We wanted to explore by dinghy as much as we could, and since the pattern we’ve clearly seen this trip seems to be wind (and, therefore, waves) increasing in the afternoon, our best chance of dinghy-ing on the Pacific side of an outside Broken Island was in the early morning. Plus, the tide was low, which would help us view the sea arches and sea caves. We were blessed with the calmest of oceans – our 3 hour dinghy exploration was on glassy waters, minimizing the splash factor and maximizing the comfort levels. And with waters that calm, we could get nice and close to some potentially gnarly coastline. As the sea pounds into the land, sometimes it creates holes in the rock, which become archways until they eventually erode into chasms, then into separate islands altogether. The steep rock face that stares back unrelentingly into the oncoming Pacific fury is majestic and noble, topped with equally strong trees pruned only by the winds. This is the kind of place that seems a perfect backdrop for the regal Bald Eagle, who pop into view just enough times to remind you that they are there too, watching.

A chiseled and raw coastline transitions into smoother rocks between the larger chunks of land, and sea lions a’ plenty have made at least 2 of these sea polished islets their rookeries. “Bark, bark, bark, bark, bark! Back off, this is my space! Bark, bark, bark, bark! Hey, I said Back off! Bark,bark!!”. All day long, a perpetual game of King of the Castle, who can stay on top of the rock, in the sun, the longest.

After puttering around a little while longer we headed back to the boat, until Erin got distracted by something on land and learned the reality of the Broken Group – there are lots of rocks to watch for, and if you hit one with your propeller the sheer pin will break so that the propeller itself does not break. When that happens, you have to row back to the boat, to get your supplies. Good thing we weren’t far from the boat, but too bad we didn’t have a spare sheer pin with us.
After a snack at the boat we headed off to explore Effingham Island on foot. A primitive path, marked only by strategically placed pieces of flotsam and jetsam collected from the beach, lead us to some clearings in the woods. The remnants of an ancient village. They appear suddenly as fields of ferns, former clearings where longhouses once stood. There were also middens – mounds composed mainly of shells, which were used as sites for domestic waste. An interesting spot, which was unfortunately also inhabited by stinging nettles, and our sandled feet were encouraging us to explore elsewhere. Back through the unpretentious path to the boat.

We decided to pull up the anchor and sleep in a different spot for the night – with only 2 days in the Broken Group, we wanted to see a little more. We had a nice, jib-only sail across Coaster Channel and Thiepval Channel and through a rocky pass to Peacock Channel, then motored to our anchorage near Nettle Island. We were alone in our bay, however there was an empty-but-still-used National Parks Board floating office nearby. A peaceful bay to spend the night in.

day 24 – Tofino to Effingham Bay (Lo48°52.7N’L125°18.4’W)

A beautifully sunny it was, waking up at the Tofino government dock. Fishing boats, both commercial and tourist, began their daily quests shortly after dawn. A shirtless, tanned, sinewy, salty old dog in a small wooden boat with peeling paint cruised quietly by. The chocolate lab wharf dog and his stocky human pal who lives in the tiny house boat with the pirate flag stood at the end of their dock, contemplating the calm morning waters. Feeling like we were back in the big city, we headed out for breakfast and provisions. We stocked up on candied salmon jerky, found our token souvenir shot glass, hit the bakery and got more beer, then untied at noon, heading for Barkley Sound. After leaving Duffin Passage and entering Templar Channel, we rounded Cox Point then were back into the Pacific Ocean. The seas were calm, blue and inviting, with a small steady swell but very little chop. We passed Chesterman Beach, then met a pod of Orcas before we reached Long Beach, which together with the West Coast Trail and the Broken Group form Pacific Rim National Park. Man, Long Beach is a really long beach. South from there we passed Ucluelet and into Barkley Sound. If you look at a map, this section of water looks quite large, and it is. However, sprinkled throughout this stretch are many small islands, some only large enough to support a few trees, some are just big rocks supporting barking sea lions. They are beautiful and fascinating to sail or motor through. We headed for Effingham Island, the largest of the Broken Islands and on the Pacific side, which means it has been particularly molded and shaped by the crashing waves of the sea against it. And it has a trail to the remains of an ancient village. Sharing the big bay with about 4 other boats, we dropped our anchor at 18:00, then had dinner on the bow while we watched the sun go down over Coaster Channel and the small rocks and islands around us. Tomorrow we will explore on foot, and by dinghy.

day 23 – Meares Island to Tofino (Lo49°09.2N’L125°53.9’W)

The sun rose in a blue and fluffy-clouded sky over Clayoquot sound. The mud flats around us were covered in mist as the dew evaporated. We took our time over coffee, knowing that the day’s trip was a short one – Tofino was just around the corner. We planned on rolling into town about noon, going for brunch / lunch, and making sure that our departing crew mate got to his homeward bound flight on time. JP has been with us since we untied in Ladner on day 1. 23 days at sea he be. But he misses his wifey, and it’s time for him to go home. His enthusiasm, consistent assistance, culinary skills, and laughter will be missed! (“Rations!”)

It’s been a few years since any of us have been to Tofino. A lot of new stuff is going on around here – coffee shops, eateries, stores, property development. But coming into Tofino by boat gave it another whole new flavour. When I think of Tofino, I usually think of surfing, storms, and hippies. But there is also an extensive fishing and boating culture here that we have now been introduced to. The Co-op grocery store even delivers to the 4th Street docks for $1.00, which will sure make it a lot easier for us to get provisions. We got all of the garbage & recycling off the boat, had warm showers, did laundry, filled up the water tanks, did the dishes, updated the blog & website, and then the remaining crew – Cap’n Adam and his First Mate Erin, went to a pub for dinner.

While at dinner, we had a call from some friends OJ & Cristal from Vancouver, who were camping in Tofino. About an hour later, they stopped by the boat for a visit. That was a nice surprise. From our spot at the end of E dock, we have a ringside view of Duffin Passage and the lifeline of the Tofino marine culture. But I’m sure we will still sleep well here tonight.