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.