Blog Posts

Travel Stats

9/23/2019

After long voyages it’s customary to post the pertinent statistics. A summery is often all that’s needed. Here is ours.

The voyage.
Travel from Otter Bay, North Pender Island, up and across Georgia Strait to the Sunshine Coast, up through Desolation Sound and then the inside passage, ending up in the Broughton Archipelago, there to spend the summer exploring. The return trip followed the same path.

From one end to the other.

Number of days.
May 20th to September 15th
118 days

Distance traveled.
921miles

Longest travel day, time and distance.
September 10th, the return trip across Georgia Strait.
The torpedo testing range, WG, was active so we had to go around it.
6 hours, 36 minutes
39.5 miles

Furthest point from Otter Bay.
Muirhead Island Group, Drury Inlet
50º 55.303’ North 127º 08.593’ West
Straight line, 203 miles
Interesting fact. That is 173 miles further west then Victoria.

Maintenance and Repair.
None. Odyssey is a very good girl and her crew love her very much.

Adapting

9/21/2019

Here we are, well tucked onto a safe dock after four months in the remote north. We have all we could wish for, showers, laundry, fresh water and supplies.

And yet, after just three days, we decided to untie the dock lines and anchor out in the bay. This wasn’t about traveling, nor looking for a better place, we both just felt the need for a little privacy.

It sounds ridiculous, but compared to the Broughtons, Otter Bay is a busy place.

Out we went, less then half a mile, and dropped the anchor. There we spent a wonderful two days.

What did we do? Sarah painted, and in an amazing way, as she always does. Me? When all is well, the stars alined, and the world calms down enough, sometimes I just sit and contemplate the universe.

It had been awhile and I enjoyed it very much.

Happy, grinning and satiated, we headed back to the dock as the sun set. All was well with our world.

Anchor up.

What does it take for you to be really happy? Money? Accomplishment? A sense of being? Whatever it is, find it and enjoy it to the fullest.

Ours is a relatively quiet and creative life based on the philosophy of ‘Do no harm’. For us this is enough.

That, and loving each other.

South to Otter Bay

9/20/2019

Heading south from Nanaimo, through Dodd Narrows, into the southern gulf islands can be an exercise in patience. The Narrows, just an hour south of Nanaimo, really controls the timing. You only transit at slack tide and there is no cheating allowed. (Dangerous.) Be patient, wait for it, and all will be well.

Before heading to Otter Bay we planned an overnight stop in Ganges. We were in need of a big restocking of food and fuel. It’s a seven hour trip from Nanaimo, but with an early slack tide at Dodd you could do the whole trip in a day.

Unfortunately, the time of slack wasn’t so early the day we wanted to go and would put us in Ganges quite late. Also, for us, 7 hours is just a bit too long for a comfortable cruise.

With all this in mind, we broke the trip into two days. The first day we would head south through the Narrows and then anchor in North Harbor on Thetis Island. It’s a great anchorage in all except heavy NW winds, and very quiet with good holding in mud. We slept well that night.

With bad weather moving in we left early the next morning. We made Ganges by 11 am, fueled up the boat and tucked into a nice slip.

There were three days to burn before our slip in Otter Bay was available. It rained, it blew, we had a great time eating out, going to the Fall Fair, and shopping. On Sunday we headed out after the final food shopping, tired and happy.

Not a bad way to get back into the swing of civilization.

Just for fun. This is so me.

No Water Tornados

9/18/2019

My last post was a bit short. I complained about water spouts (think tornados on the water) that were in the forecast for the day we wanted to cross the Strait of Georgia. Actually, the complaint was focused on the forecast combination of water spouts together with calm winds. Those two things should be mutually exclusive.

At least that was my opinion.

Heading out to cross the Strait of Georgia.

The Captain should always have a plan, and mine for crossing large and often rough bodies of water is fairly simple.

- Get to the crossing point, the last safe harbor before launching across the big water.
- Wait for a weather window.

Our go spot was Pender Harbor on BC’s mainland. We like John Henry’s Marina and would happily wait there for good weather. It turned out that good weather was upon us for the next day, except for that whole water tornado thing.

We decided to go anyway.

Our path was nearly due south as we headed out the harbor. Towards the north, the sky was inky black from top to bottom.

I told Sarah, “Glad we aren’t going that way” and happily steered towards Nanaimo and clearing skies.

Vancouver Island in the distance. Notice the rain.

It took 6.5 hours and we got caught in some big downpours, but it was very calm and luckily water spout free.

How does a seasoned captain deal with heavy rain?

A Mary Poppins umbrella of course.

If it works.....why not?

Essential sailing gear readily at hand.

Are You Kidding Me?

9/9/2019

We are crossing the Strait of Georgia tomorrow, Tuesday.
This is the weather report I just pulled down.
Tell me, how can you have light winds and a risk of water spouts?

Water Spouts?

Caution is the better part of....

9/6/2019

NOTE: I wrote this a month ago while anchored in Drury Inlet at the north end of The Broughton Archipelago. My apologies, many posts were shelved till better internet access.

Today I watched the grounding of the sailing vessel Monna.
Several hundred yards from us she came to a sudden and violent stop when her keel hit a rock.

I was watching her at the moment of impact. The bow went down and the stern came up out of the water. I still can’t believe she didn’t tear the keel off and sink right there.

We were anchored in the Muirhead Island group at the end of Drury Inlet, a long way from anywhere, especially any kind of quick help.

Lots of rocks, but beautiful!

The charts are nicely detailed, which is a good thing because there are rocks everywhere, some showing themselves at low tide, others staying hidden just below the surface.

When we arrived yesterday we had the place to ourselves, which was surprising considering the sunny day. But as the tide changed, quite a few boats began to show up. Most passed the islands by for a large (and rock free) anchorage a half mile away. Most boats that is.

The approaching sailboat looked to be about 45 to 50 feet long, threading his way through the islets, taking it slow. The small cove we were in really wasn’t large enough to handle two boats swinging on anchor, and my fear was someone would try to fit in anyway. As the sailboat approached I was hopeful he would pass us by.

No such luck.

His intent was obvious as he turned towards us. It never occurred to me he was turning too soon to avoid the rocks at the entrance. I was watching closely as the 10 to 15 ton sailboat came to a jarring halt. The captain disappeared, I’m guessing thrown from the wheel.

The noise it made was surprisingly loud. I imagine anything not bolted down inside was now on the floor. The captain was quickly up and started backing away ever so slowly. Soon they turned back into the channel.

I hailed them several times on the radio to see if they needed assistance, but I never got a reply. They were probably too busy checking for damage. I could see that no one was wearing a life jacket, nor did they put them on after the collision. If his wife had been on the bow, getting the anchor ready, she would of been tossed into the water.

At a snails pace they headed out of danger to the larger anchorage just north of us.

Why did it happen? I don’t know. Was the captain distracted for a few moments as he tried to figure out where he could anchor? Did his chart plotter fail to show the rocks? He obviously made a decision to turn into the cove, but why too soon? Simple carelessness?

Our chart plotter records our path, so I took a look to see how close to those rocks we had come. The safe entrance was about 400 feet wide and I had stayed safely in the middle. The rocks were marked on the chart and we never came close.

Chart Plotter Love

There is an old saying. “There are two types of Captains, those that have run aground, and those who lie about it.”

That may have been true twenty years ago, but with high definition chart plotters fitting on your phone and GPS accurate to 16 feet, it’s hard to imagine anyone running aground unless they just aren’t paying attention.

And no. I’ve never run aground.
And yes. We always wear our life jackets when in transit. Always.

The Last Leg of Summer

9/1/2019

The last leg of summer.

September 1st, Refuge Cove Marina, south end of Redonda Island.
It’s the last leg of summer, and we woke to the lovely sound of rain. If you’ve never been inside a boat during a rain shower, you’re missing one of life’s little pleasures.

We’ve decided to stay in Desolation Sound for most of the coming week before starting the trek down south. The weather is going to improve and we have a few favorite anchorages in the area that promise quiet days of just messing around. With winter’s imminent arrival, it would be a shame to let that slip by.

Odyssey has been stocked up from the little store (thank you Sarah), the water tanks are full, and this morning we will fill the fuel tank on the way out.

After a week we’ll be back. With fresh supplies and internet weather forecasts, Refuge Cove is a great jumping off point to head south. From there we stop twice as we head down the Sunshine Coast. Then, from Pender Harbor, we can watch for a weather opening before crossing the Strait of Georgia to Nanaimo.

Now it’s time to untie the lines. We’ll keep you posted and run the tracker.

Sarah and Jonathan
SV Odyssey
Desolation Sound

Finding Summer

8/30/2019

“I’m too hot.”

I’ve been waiting since spring to say those three little words. I’d planned for it, as did Sarah. We stocked up on cool clothes made from little bits of light fabric. We acquired new hardware like a 12v box fan and a kiddie pool just big enough to soak our feet in.

Rain Catcher

You see, last year we had learned our lesson well. Oh yes, the weeks of unbearable heat in Desolation Sound would not soon be forgotten. So this spring we set off in shorts and t-shirts, baby pool and spray bottles on standby, ready for the Broughtons and the simmering furnace that (we thought) awaited us.

And we just kept waiting.

As the weeks went by, the weather never really warmed. If anything it got colder. By mid August we had to accept the fact that summer had forgotten to show up.

Late August. Really. (The bowl collects rainwater.)

Only days ago we sat under the repurposed sun shade (aka rain shade) bundled in sweats and turtleneck sweaters, warm socks and slippers, enjoying the sound of rain as it approached across the water. We are lovers of the cold and damp, but we agreed that if the world ever saw 70 degrees again, we wouldn’t complain.

That was in Shoal Bay, where we were preparing to traverse the last set of rapids and say goodbye to a wonderful, albeit cool, summer of cruising the Broughtons.

Heading south in search of sun. Johnstone Strait.

It’s now three days later and we are firmly embedded in Desolation Sound. The sky is a deep blue, the wind warm and pleasant, and the sun, unobstructed by clouds from sunrise to sunset, is in full force.

SUN!!!!

We’ve found our summer, and I’m delighted to say “I’m too hot.” Even if only for a week or two.

Now, where did we stow that sunblock?

Happy Feet

Notes From The Quarter Master

8/23/2019

From guest Blogger, Sarah Gayle!!

One of the big unknowns for us this summer was what food (and water) would be available in the Broughton Archipelago. We decided early that we would not do a run to the mainland like many do, but instead, support local marinas and enjoy whatever was available. Our various cruising guides listed if there was a store, but I wish I had had some additional information. So, here’s what we found this summer (June 15 - Aug 20, 2019).

The Whole Enchilada

Bottom line: fresh items are VERY limited before July 1, so plan accordingly. After that, you can restock all basics, get fresh fruits and veg and discover some new items by being flexible.

Side note: A big part of the marinas here are happy hours, so I included how each worked. The best advice I got, if you plan to do happy-hours, was to pick something easy to prepare that you can bring with you (like brownie mix) and make the same thing for any happy-hour you go to. I didn’t do that coming up, but I did going home and it was so much easier!

Lagoon cove - no food store, but Ice cream bars, snacks, soda, coffee and drink ice!
Water is good
Prawn happy hour is great, bring a good appetizer to share and a plate, it’s worth it!
If you’re lucky, one of the owners, Kelley, bakes the best sourdough bread for happy hour.

Kwatsi Bay - no food store. Honey and jam in gift shop
Best water in the area, only ‘clean’ source
Casual happy hour with owners on the dock. Mostly light snacks are brought. Some nights they do a pot-luck, so ask.

Pierre’s Echo Bay - Food store! (closes at 4:00)
Water ok, but not ‘sanitized’, however, we used this with no problems.
Before July 1
   Canned and dry goods only
   Flour/Sugar/yeast
   Shelf life milk-Evaporated milk
   Many gluten free things
After July 1 - best for:
   Frozen meats - very good!
   Best place for fresh fruits, cherries, nectarines, tomatoes, peaches, blueberries
   Some veggies - green onion, lettuce
   Dairy - Cheddar cheese, Goat cheese, Yogurt, Butter, Milk
   Frozen bread - bagels, English muffins, garlic bread
   Ice for food storage, none for drinking
Note: group dinner are well known and excellent, but you need a big plate here!
No organized happy-hour

Sullivan Bay - Food store and only alcohol in the area
No potable water, ever
Drink ice available
Before July 1
   Small selection of basics, eggs, butter, milk and canned/dry goods
After July 1
   Fresh veggies - celery, onions, broccoli, avocado, tomato, zucchini, peppers, garlic, ginger, potatoes
   Some fruit - apples, cherries, oranges
   Dairy - cream, milk, sour cream, cream cheese, good eggs
   Lunch meat, some frozen meats
   Sandwich bread/tortillas
Note: there is a restaurant some nights, so food in the store reflects what a restaurant would get, all veggies/fruits etc. are in bulk. Also note that if you do dinner at the restaurant, it’s one choice and you are required to sit with whomever they place you with at a table for 4. They do encourage boaters to meet up for a 5:00 happy hour, but it’s not hosted in any way.

And last, a short list of things that we thought of as basics but found were always in short supply or nonexistent no matter the marina: Toilet paper, paper plates, decaf coffee, regular coffee (that wasn’t Folgers), dry creamer, dried fruit like raisins, spices, oatmeal, juice, chocolate chips, sugar, white rice, and perhaps most surprising to us, fishing gear - almost nothing!

I hope this list helps other who go, it was a wonderful place to explore. Happy sailing one and all!

Can You Hear Me Now?

8/17/2019

We have functional internet here, at least for the last several hours.

“We have internet” doesn’t really mean that you can connect to it in any useful way. Forget what you are used to and be happy to maybe get a few emails. Most of the time it just doesn’t work.

Here in Jennis Bay, probably the most remote wooden dock we’ve tied to, it has been pretty good. I have no idea why.

I have much to post of our travels, but to even attempt to edit my blog often ends in frustration. Photos? Not a chance.

So, I’m going to post this and hope your patience holds out better then mine. There will be more to come, I promise!