Sunday, May 29, 2016

Chapter 9 Nanaimo to Pender Harbor

We were up early and was pulling the anchor at 8am.  Marks Bay (Nanaimo) was real sticky mud.  Took us 10 minutes or so to wash the mud off the anchor.  We left Departure bay with excitement and anticipation.  I called Whiskey Golf control of our intentions to cross the military testing area.  The area was open and we were given permission to cross.  Once we hit the open Straits of Georgia, we found out why it can be a little rough.  We had NW winds at 15-25mph which created 4foot plus waves close together.  This rocked the boat and as it was hitting us from the port bow, it would give the bow a saltwater wash.  All in all not to bad.

The closer we got to Texada Island, the seas laid down and we had smooth water.  It picked up again as we approached Francis Peninsula, but no worries, we were almost to Pender Harbor.  We have heard stories about this harbor as to its beauty and friendly people. The entrance to the harbor is a little tricky and not something I would want to do at night. To enter, it is a narrow entrance with rocks, but once inside, WOW!  What a awesome place.

We made our way back into the harbor and around an island to Garden Bay Marina and Pub.  Yep "Pub!"  I am in heaven.  We got docked up, paid our moorage fees at the pub and sat down for a good lunch.  All in one marina and pub.....

I washed to boat and filled with water.  Then a 58 foot Ocean Alexander and a 58 foot Selene docked with us!  The Americans have arrived.  The owners and family are good folks and they are headed to Lund.  We also met this guy named Scott.  He was on his way back from Alaska.  He joined us on our boat for a beer and then he came down later and invited us for dinner.  Ribs and fresh oysters!  Well yes!  After dinner, Scott and I was back on my boat and I brought out the special scotch, Delmore.  We are finding folks on this trip are friendly and willing to help anyone.

I think I will like this cruising thing.

Tomorrow we head up to princess Louisa.

Leaving Nanaimo




Running the narrow channel from Nanaimo to Departure Bay






Entering Pender Harbor

Enjoying a brew after the "crossing"

Garden Bay Marina




The Pub


Easter Island, nope Pender Harbor


Company

Life is good



Friday, May 27, 2016

Nanaimohttp://www.newcastleisland.ca/ and Newcastle Island Marine Park

In making it to Nanaimo we saw the second largest city on Vancouver Island.  There are high rise buildings and anything you could want in a city.  The difference here is the attitude of the folks that live here.  They are always friendly and willing to help you if asked.  In fact we have found all of Vancouver Island this way.  Yesterday with some friends we met in Sidney and on the TF Forum, we wondered down the main drag.  Coffee cafés everywhere.  The ladies decided to try a French café.  They had great pastries and real coffee, not the crap you find at Starbucks.  I had a Nanaimo bar with my coffee. It is made of layer of chocolate, cream cheese, chocolate cookie/nut crust with a little coffee.

http://www.nanaimo.ca/EN/main/visitors/NanaimoBars.html

We anchored up just outside of Mark Bay.  This is our first time anchoring in the open and not in a river.  We have a 77lb Rocna anchor and 550ft of chain rode.  As this was our first time the first night was no sleep, but after a few days no worries!  The swinging back and forth puts you to sleep.

As we are going to be here for a few days because of high wind weather, we visited Newcastle Island Marine park.  This is a wonderful park with great trails and an ice cream shop. in many ways my favorite park so far and better than the San Juans.  If you walk the shore line trail you can look out over the Strait of Georgia, which is the next body of water we have to cross.  With wind this can be a very nasty crossing and best to stay in port when it is bad.  Looks like we will be crossing tomorrow morning for Pender Harbor for the night and then up to Princess Louisa Inlet.

http://www.newcastleisland.ca/


Newcastle Park has these critters!  Yep and they will walk down to the dock to your boat in search for goddies



These two were scoping out some baby geese

Time for a nap

What is this?  A huge ant hill. Reminds me of fire ants


ASD at anchor


The station wagon of the north



Our friends Tom and Jan of Sun Chaser V


Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Chapter 8 Sidney to Nanaimo

The distance was 55 miles.  This is significant as you have to arrive at this little split in a hill called Dodds Narrows.  You need to cross this as close to slack tide as possible.  We left Sidney at 12:30.  We were suppose to leave at noon, but the nav computer decided to do a windows update.

Once we started to pick our way through a bunch of small islands such as Portland, Coal Islands and its associated reefs to get to Swanson and Trincomali Channels. We were about an hour into it and according to the nav computer, this speed would put us at Dodds Narrows at 4:30!  We slowed way down to about 7kts.

Lots of boat traffic in these channels.  BC ferries, whale watchers coming and going.  But then my radar lit up and the AIS showed a ship moving very fast!  I looked behind me and here is the HMCS Winnipeg and she was not slowing down!  I immediately went hard starboard to get out of her way.  Her wake rearranged my liquor cabinet. Looked at the computer arriving at 5:30.  Still too early. slowed to 5 knots, almost idle. We were following a sail boat and he was going faster than me, but he was making his way to the narrows.  Heck if he could do I could do it.  It was embarrassing enough that a sail boat was running faster than me.

He approached the narrows went through then got swept to the right around the corner and disappeared.  Oh oh.  After a few minutes he reappeared.  Wellllllll!  I started toward the narrows and announced my intentions on VHF 16.  A voice came back "U.S. boat there is a sail boat that is entering from the north."  I responded that I would back down.  Then I realized that we were going WITH the current, not against it.  Mmmm lesson learned here.  Going to low tide the current flow north.  The sail boat announced he would wait, so I poured on the kitty cats (Caterpillar Engines) and killed every mosquitos in the area with the smoke that poured out of exhaust pipes.  Went through the very narrow gap and there you go.  That wasn't too bad.  In fact Cattle Pass on San Juan Island was harder and worse.  Cool. Welcome to Nanaimo.

It is amazing that once you go through the narrows, the scenery completely changes.  It is all industrial and city.  I am told that Nanaimo is the second largest city on Vancouver Island.  We decided to anchor in Mark Bay if there was room.

Anchoring....We have not done this yet on this trip.  Our experience with this boat is only in the Columbia River where the current basically set the anchor for you, so we were a little nervous.  As we entered the bay, there was still plenty of room.  We picked a wide spot between two sail boats in about 30 feet of water, so at 5:1, I would have to use about 150 feet of anchor chain.  No worries as I have 550 feet on board.  We lowered our anchor and once it hit the bottom, I stared to back up slowly while Kay was keeping track how much chain was out.  Once we hit 60 feet, I put the boat in full reverse and set the anchor.  Once set I continued to back up until we had 140 feet of chain out, the set it again.  I installed the chain reliever on the chain, which takes the pressure off the windlass.

Every hour I would check the anchor.  Hard set!  Still nervous.  I went to the bow at about 10:30 last night when I heard what I thought was a couple arguing very loudly.  Then I heard :HELP!!!"  Help me!  What the crap?  I asked Kay to listen.  She said that was a cry for help.  My dinghy wasn't even in the water.  I grabbed my PFD and flash light, then got the dinghy in the water.  I headed toward the call for help.  I traveled about 3/4 of a mile to Mud Bay.  As I approached an old nasty dock, there was a lady screaming for "Rose!"  About that time some folks arrived on the dock and helped the lady on the dock as I searched the dock.  I saw a head barley above the water, holding on to a small rope attached to a junk dock.  I yelled and got on the dock to help this person up to the dock.  I thought it was a small girl.  But when I pulled onto the dock, it was a lady around 34 and once I got her to the dock it was VERY clear she was smashed and very drunk.  Oh and she was half naked with no pants.  Her pants, shoes and backpack were on the dock.  I found a blanket in a boat and covered her up while I called out to the group of folks that had arrived at the docks.  Soon the RCMP and Coast Guard should up as well as EMTs.  Both ladies were drunk and have no idea if she decided to take a swim or fell in.  RMCP took my statement and I went back to my boat.  Well not straight back as I couldn't figure out which boat was mine.  Took me a bit, but Ms. Kay was waiting on me and I told her we need to go to this Dinghy Pub!  It would appear drinking there makes your cloths fall off!

Now what was I doing?  Oh checking the anchor.  We made it through the night, shifted with the tide and we were set good.  I still got up every few hours to check.  What a day!

BC Ferries all over, big and small


Light house on Prevost Island

Heading up Trincomali Channel




HMCS Winnepeg



RMCP

You have to be carful, lots of reefs and rocks.  Would not want to travel at night.

Awesome warm day.




More rocks


Dodds Narrows


If the sail boat can do it I can.......


Well a sail boat is going to show ASD up!!!

You can see the current on the other side







Welcome to Nanaimo

 
Down Town


First Nations very cool

Nice sunset

Nanaimo at night

Not everyone runs an anchor light.  Good Night