This years cruise will again start and end at Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham. We continue to be impressed with the ramp and facilities, not to mention the free parking. We plan to skip through the San Juans and spend most of our time in the Canadian Gulf Islands, an area we just touched on last year.
Several things are new on the boat, including improvements to the galley, better storage for garbage and a new low power LED anchor light. I also replaced the sunbrella cockpit cushion covers with naughahyde. I've never been a big fan of the vinyl look, but the sunbrella absorbs too much moisture.
The big experiment will be towing a small canoe for a tender rather than dealing with the inflatable raft. We towed our big canoe on a lake trip this summer and really liked having it. We both felt it was too big to haul around for two weeks, so we purchased a used 12 footer (an Old Town Pack). It was designed as a single person canoe but is rated at 400 pounds, over 100 pounds more than our combined weight. At 33 pounds, it sure is easy to load. I added a second seat and sewed a snap on cover. It seemed a little tippy on our test paddle - we'll see how it works out.
Once again, we hope to anchor out most of the time. We have also concluded that shorter travel days (except for getting to/from the Gulf Islands) and more shore side activities will work better with a small boat like the P-19.
Throughout the log, there are links like this: (photos). These link to thumbnail pages from the site of Ray Morgan. He has thousands of online photos, mostly from the north BC coast and SE Alaska. I've made these links easily distinguishable so you can skip them if uninterested or stuck with a slow internet connection. I'm not shilling for Ray (don't even know him), I just think he has a remarkable collection of online pictures which help give a feel for some of the places we visited.
Here is a sat photo showing our route and overnight stops.
We are rigged and launched by 1:30 - destination Matia or Sucia. It seems late, but any earlier would have us against the current in Hale Passage. Wind is from the northwest.
Our first problem occurs just as we exit the marina. The canoe is on an 8 foot tether, which turns out to be too long. As we round the jetty, the starboard gunwale dips underwater and the canoe takes on water. The extra weight actually settles it down, but on the long tether it is rocking badly. Sandy shortens up the tether, which helps greatly. We decide to leave the water in the canoe for now. I'm already starting to think about a towing arm design. We'll do some towing experiments and get things figured out. We really want the canoe.
Here is a picture of the canoe on a short tether.
The NW wind puts us on a good point of sail for the southern end of Hale. We make it all the way across Bellingham Bay on a single reach. After short tacking part way up Hale, the wind fades. We motor up Hale and find no wind in Rosario Strait. This will be our fifth crossing of Rosario and the first not under sail. As we approach Matia Island on the north side, Rolfe Cove looks pretty full, so it's on to Sucia. There is lots of room on the docks at Fossil Bay.
The weather is clear and calm. After a short hike, we start motoring over to Bedwell Harbour.
(photos)
Bedwell is the primary customs check-in point for the southern Gulf Islands. We arrive about 4:00 pm and find nobody there. The phone check-in is quick and we motor to nearby Beaumont Marine Park and drop anchor. It's a short paddle back to Poets Cove Marina and access to good facilities. Returning in the dark, we get to check out the new LED anchor light. It draws only 60ma but is brighter than most of the dozen or so anchor lights in the anchorage. Our first night on the hook is quiet.
After breakfast and hot showers at Poets Cove, we paddle the canoe about a mile and a half to the end of the harbour, then up the cut that separates North and South Pender Islands. The cut is narrow and shallow with a blind turn and we encounter several power cruisers. Kind of creepy in our micro canoe. In theory, we should be able to clear the bridge in the Potter. Next it's over to Medicine Beach, a bird sanctuary. The wind is picking up out of the South. This will be our first paddle in rough water. It goes better than expected. The small canoe really zips along.
Back to the boat for lunch, then some hiking. First, we do the short walk into Greenburn Lake, which is not that great. We then trek down to Gowlland Point, mostly on roads. It's calm on the boat for dinner. We paddle over to the resort after dinner and hang out for a while. As we return, the wind increases suddenly.
By the time the canoe is secured, the wind is over 20 knots. Within a half hour, it is up to 30. We are anchored in 35 feet, not too far from a large rock face. It is pitch black, so it's hard to see if we are dragging. I let out a bunch more anchor line. Good for holding, but it puts us closer to the shore. Using flashlights, we try to determine if we are dragging. We don't think so but can't be sure. If we drag, there won't be much time to react. The gusts are hitting 35 and the boat is bouncing in the building waves. Even if we don't drag, there will be no sleep. We decide to bail out to the marina. The canoe is lashed alongside and fills with water. By the time we dump the canoe and secure the boat, it's close to midnight. We are pretty wired and it takes a couple hours to get to sleep.
We sleep in. While checking in at the marina, I explain our situation and the manager says "Oh, another one". It seems that several other boats ducked in during the night. All of them were much heavier than our Potter. We don't feel quite so bad about wimping out. Last nights blow is the talk of the dock.
Today will be a relaxing day. Marina guests have access to the pool and hot tub of the resort. We make maximum use of both. As checkout time approaches, we decide that all of this for $19 US is a great deal and sign up for another day. Our plan to "anchor out most of the time" is off to a slow start.
We take the canoe out for another paddle. The more we use it, the more we like it. Later, we do the Enchanted Forest hike, just above the resort. This trail, like many in the Gulf Islands, was created and is maintained by a local volunteer group. When we return, the boats for an American Tug gathering have started to arrive. The Seattle area dealer is sponsoring the rendezvous, which includes dinner and drinks on the dock, all catered by the resort. With these boats selling for $370,000, I guess the dealer can afford a few free drinks. Sandy later takes a tug tour from the sales guy and learns that these boats are the low end model. Somehow, I don't think these "low end" owners will be mistaken for nautical trailer trash. We Potter owners, on the other hand...
The resort has been great, but it's time to get out. One last hot tub and shower, fill the water jugs, dump the porta-potti and we're gone. We motor up the harbour, enter the Pender Canal and clear the bridge with no problems. The P-19 is about the largest sailboat that can do this. It saves us from yet another hour of engine time. Port Browning is on the left, but we decide to leave it for another trip and head across Plumper Sound towards Winter Cove. As we approach, Winter Cove looks crowded, but Irish Bay, straight ahead, is nearly empty. We drop the hook, grab some lunch and decide to paddle over to Winter Cove. (photos) It's about a mile over to the cove, an easy paddle in the calm conditions.
From the east side of the cove, there is a short trail over to the famous "boat passage", a narrow opening between Winter Cove and the Strait of Georgia. It looks pretty tame at slack, but can get wild when the currents are strong. We hike back and continue paddling around the cove. With the passage still at near slack, we can't resist taking our 12 foot canoe through and back. It's been only 30 minutes since slack and we have to paddle hard to get back. Another 30 minutes and it would be hopeless (and dangerous).
Back at Irish Bay, it's really quiet. Samuel Island is entirely private, with nasty signs to discourage landing. There is even a sign warning of rattlesnakes. I don't think so. We are still wary after our last night at anchor, so out goes a second anchor. The night is calm.
Our destination today is Montague Harbour on Galiano Island. Based on the Current Atlas, we have planned an early start. There is a weak south wind, which we sail briefly, but resort to the motor as we turn north into the last of the ebb current. As predicted, the current soon goes slack, then gives us a boost past Active Pass and into Montague Harbour.
Montague Harbour (photos) is probably the most secure anchorage in the southern gulf islands. It's also one of the most popular. The marine park, the first of its kind in BC, has a dock and at least 30 mooring buoys. Most of the buoys are taken. There is lots of room outside the buoy line, but the guide book says that small boats can sometimes anchor inside the buoys, close to shore. The book is right. Here we are at anchor. Hard to believe we are 200 feet from the dock and sharing the anchorage with over 30 boats.
We hike the short loop around Gray Peninsula and then spend some time at the dockside marine exhibit. It's maintained by a volunteer group and runs entirely on solar power. Later, we enjoy dinner in the cockpit. In spite of the many boats, the anchorage is quiet, especially after dark. We are impressed by the number of people who choose to row their dinghies to shore.
The quiet is broken briefly when a thirty-something foot charter boat pulls in and tries to snag a nearby buoy. It's a typical scene - he's at the wheel, she's on the foredeck with a boathook. After a couple of erratic laps around the buoy, she is unable to hook it. The volume level is increasing, but actual communication seems to be decreasing. She finally hooks the buoy, but the boat keeps going and the boathook is ripped from her hands. The volume ratchets up another notch. At this point, a member of the dockside audience takes pity and rows out in his dinghy, retrieves the boathook and loops their bow line through the buoy. I love our small boat - one of us just leans over the side, loops the buoy by hand, and we're done.
Yesterday was a lazy day. Plans for today are more ambitious. First, we take the canoe out for an extended paddle, visiting Parker Island, (photos) some outer islands and touring the harbour. It's a great way to scout the area, check out future anchorages and see some wildlife. The northern of the two Parker Island Isthmus Coves looks like a nice anchorage. The marina on the east side has ice and fuel.
Here is an aerial view of the Montague Harbour area showing our route.
After lunch, we set out on foot for Mt. Galiano. The first few miles are along the road, but there is little traffic. There are several trails in the Mt. Galiano area, mostly maintained by locals and not always well marked. We are carrying a copy of "Hiking the Gulf Islands" by Charles Kahn. He lives on nearby SaltSpring Island and has extensive local knowledge. This is the best book we know of for Gulf Islands hiking. We take the standard trail to the top. The views from the top of Mt. Galiano are spectacular.
We descend by the "Grace" trail, crossing the road and entering Bluffs Park. The park has many trails and no signs, but with help from the guide book we find our way to the northeast corner and link up with the Sturdies Bay Trail. It's becoming a long day but something is keeping us going. In 2 km, the trail ends at the Hummingbird Inn Pub. Having trashed our arms this morning and our legs this afternoon, it's now time to start in on our livers.
Most Gulf Islands cruisers know of the Pub and its classic "Pub Bus", which runs from Montague Harbour to the pub every hour in the evenings. We are counting on the bus for a ride back. Here are photos of the pub and the bus.
Busses are hourly and we're too tired for another hour of drinking. Not wanting to either waste or chug our beers, we discreetly fill a water bottle and hop on the bus. The bus features the same music, which we enjoy while taking turns on the water bottle.
We wake up to another day of great weather. After brushing my teeth, I grab the nearest water bottle for a rinse. Big mistake...
Today we plan to make the short hop up to Wallace Island, (photos) another marine park. The wind has been out of the south for the last two days, which would provide a nice downwinder, but not today. The two best anchorages on Wallace are Conover Cove (photos) and Princess Bay. Conover Cove is small and shallow with a dock and a few stern tie rings. It looks full as we pass it, so it's on to Princess Bay. (photos) At Princess Bay, we anchor and tie off to a shore ring with a stern line. As often at stern tie sites, the boats are packed in pretty close. We drop a second anchor. There is a new dinghy dock, but the nearest outhouses are back at Conover. We are able to hike the entire island before dark, about 7 miles. At Conover Cove, we learn about the interesting history of Wallace. Upon our return, we find a couple anchored next door in this boat.
We don't hear a sound all night. I guess the name applies to only the boat.
Back at the boat, we pull anchor, motor back to the SE tip of Wallace, then catch a light south wind for the short reach over to Retreat Cove on Galiano. Retreat Cove isn't much of a destination - we have chosen it for access to the highly rated Bodega Ridge hike. The dock, reputed to be in terrible shape, has been rebuilt. From the dock, it's a two mile walk on roads, then another mile or so to the ridge. The hike lives up to the guidebook billing.
Back at the dock, Sandy takes the canoe for a circumnavigation of Retreat Island while I dig out the tools and do some minor boat projects. I also spend some time sketching ideas for a canoe towing arm. We're just dozing off when a boat pulls in with a bunch of kids. Early the next morning, it's the same drill in reverse. The boat is their school bus and we are moored at their bus stop.
Looks like we might get one more day of decent weather. Before leaving Retreat Cove, we do the short hike over to Pebble Beach on the other side of Galiano. It turns out to be a nicer hike than expected.
Today's destination is Ganges on Salt Spring Island. The wind is on our nose, so progress is slow. The sailing, in 10-15 knots is quite pleasant. About five in the afternoon, we give up and turn on the motor. Having never been to Ganges, we would rather not arrive at night. There are many options in Ganges. We initially pull in to the public floats just west of Grace Islet.
It's a sorry looking place, packed with a mix of fishing and pleasure boats, some rafted three abreast. We raft onto what looks like a multi-year project boat that clearly is not going anywhere. Someone has blocked open the normally locked washrooms, so we quickly dump the porta-potti, then top off our water from taps on the dock. We're both tired, but we just can't bring ourselves to stay here. The main anchorage, which looked crowded from a distance, actually has plenty of room.
Morning brings a light drizzle. Probably should have put up the tent last night. No big deal - the naughahyde cushions are easy to wipe down. We go ahead and erect the tent before breakfast. Our first priority this morning is finding a shower. The woman at the infocenter directs us to Mrs. Clean. The fantasy is short lived once she explains that it's a laundromat with some public showers. The place is kind of grungy, but the showers are hot, and we feel much better.
We kill most of the day wandering around Ganges, picking up a few boat items and more ice. The bookstores here are worth some time. By afternoon the weather has improved. We paddle back to the boat with the ice, then return for dinner at the Oystercatcher. The place is packed, but it's a fun place to hang out with a beer while waiting for a table. The beer, food and service are all good - the bill is a little steep. We are pretty buzzed paddling back. The distinctive hue of the LED anchor light makes it easy to find our boat among the many moored here.
There is lots of stuff going on in Ganges today. First, we head over to the regular Saturday farmers market. Salt Spring Island has a large collection of artists, many of whom exhibit at the market. Today's main event, though, is the annual Fall Fair, a really big deal in Ganges. It's mostly an old fashioned fair, with lots of animals, baked and canned food judging, etc. It also features a wide range of live music.
The most interesting event, at least to us, is Mike Lane and his Welsh Border Collies, Mario and Nash, giving a demonstration of sheep herding. After the demo, we spend a few minutes chatting with Mike and his wife Marjorie. They operate Ruckle Farm a few miles southeast of Ganges. Part of the farm is now a provincial park. We had hoped to visit the park, but are running out of time. The Lanes are really nice folks. They tell us all about Mario and Nash, as well as filling us in on anchorages around the park.
While at the fair, we run into Rick Dalman and his girlfriend Diana. Rick is a longtime sailing buddy of well known NW Potter personality Derek Jensen. Derek, owner of the classic P-19 Hamada, maintains the NW Potter website. We met Rick, who lives aboard his Crown 34 in Portland, at a NW Potter event this spring. After Ganges, Rick and Diana are planning to charter a 35 footer for a week of San Juans cruising. Here's Derek showing his foredeck footwork on Hamada with Rick at the helm.
Today's destination is Roche Harbor. We want to get an early start but the morning fog is pretty thick. We gas up at the Ganges Marina and depart as the fog lifts. It quickly turns into a nice day. Passing Ruckle Park to starboard, we nose into the anchorages Mike Lane mentioned.
After that, it's a long motor down to Roche Harbor with Portland Island to starboard, then Moresby to Port. Somewhere along here we're back in the US. The currents at the west end of Spieden Channel are strong and we get knocked around quite a bit in the choppy seas. Not all that pleasant. Roche Harbor, a zoo in the summer, isn't too crowded.
We pull into the customs dock, where a sign explains that starting today, the office is closed for the year. I had phoned US Customs before the trip and was assured that the office would be open through September. I was also told that we would have to check in in person with a customs officer - no phone check in allowed. That would mean a detour to Friday Harbor. Outside the office is a customs phone. I give it a try. A very nice customs lady comes on the line and quickly checks me in. I'm pleased but confused.
Just past customs is the free 2 hour guest dock. We hike over to the mausoleum, then return to anchor the boat. This is our first visit to Roche, so everything is new. We paddle back ashore and hike the Wescott Bay Reserve sculpture park. We continue the hike along Wescott Bay but run out of daylight. Back at the marina, we take showers and listen to live zydeco music from the Katrina benefit in the hotel garden. At $150 a head (minimum), it's a little out of our range. As the party winds down, I sneak in for a quick look. Many of the leading island restaurants have banded together to provide an incredible spread. I'm sure the Katrina survivors would love to dine like this.
Back on the boat, we have a tasty, if less spectacular dinner and hit the sack. Tomorrow will be another long travel day.
Luck is with us - a lack of morning fog lets us depart early. We make a quick stop at the guest dock to dump our garbage. A guy pops out of the "closed for the year" customs building, walks down the dock and asks if we are checking in from Canada. I'm tempted to explain, but since we are legally checked in, and in a hurry, I just say "no" and get out of there. Time for Customs to get Bart and Benjamin down here for some management consulting.
We fight the current in Spieden Channel, then turn SE into a choppy San Juan Channel, where the current eases. We snake through the Wasp Islands and take the southern route around Crane Island. The current is neutral and we're making good time in Harney Channel, but grinding out the miles under power is getting old.
Just past Upright Head, there is a clear shot for the moderate south wind and we sail on a beam reach to Peavine Pass. Peering out of Peavine into a capping Rosario Strait, we decide to tuck in a reef while in the shadow of Blakely Island. The sailing in Rosario is great. We had written today off as a long boring motor, but it has become the best sailing day of the trip. We round the north end of Cypress Island, pick up one of the DNR buoys off Pelican Beach and paddle ashore. The Eagle Cliff hike is every bit as good as we remember from last year. We also take the path down to Smugglers Cove on the west side. Back to the boat and off to Inati Bay on the east side of Lummi Island.
We arrive late, but that's ok since we can't go ashore. The Bellingham Yacht Club, which leases the land around Inati, recently declared it off limits to non-members. They also tried to claim rights to the bay itself and prohibit public anchoring. There was a huge uproar. A ruling against BYC by the state caused them to back off.
We get going early again - our goal is to beat Seattle rush hour, an event which seems to start earlier every year. There is a light south wind that moves us at only 3 knots. The large trimaran we shared Inati Bay with last night leaves later, raises its sails and just smokes by us in the light breeze. We later decide that running our motor is better than sitting in traffic. We reach Bellingham, pull the boat, de-rig, wash the boat and shower as quickly as possible. We make it past Seattle just in time.
This year's trip was easily the best we have had. The two main reasons were the weather and the canoe. Here are a few observations in hindsight.
When cruising in a small boat, there is just no substitute for decent weather. We finally got the weather we expect in mid September.
The canoe is the only way to go. It completely changes the game. Paddling ashore becomes easy, rather than a chore. This, in turn, makes anchoring out, which we prefer, more practical. We used to pull into docks, even when busy and noisy, just to avoid dealing with the raft. Even though the raft can be towed, which eliminates inflation/deflation hassles, it rows like a pig. Anything but very short trips to shore are ordeals. Also, there is no such thing as a dry ride on a small raft. The canoe seats ensure arrival with a dry butt. The canoe also adds the option of interesting side trips, such as the one we took at Montague Harbour.
I need to make a few canoe related improvements, starting with a transom mounted towing arm. A built-in fender and dedicated boat hardware should make quick trips even easier. The nylon cover expands/contracts a lot based on temperature and humidity. Sometimes it's too tight to snap on, other times it's so loose that rainwater can pool. Some design changes are needed to deal with this.
The LED anchor light worked well. It is brighter than most of the anchor lights we saw and draws only 60ma. By contrast, the factory light draws over 700ma. The blue-white light is easy to spot in a crowded anchorage, though that will change as more boats switch over to LED's. For boats with small battery banks and limited charging capacity, an LED anchor light is a big win. Since I made mine, it isn't Coast Guard approved, but I'm not worried. I know it is safe.
Switching over to naugahyde for the cushions was a big improvement. Should have made them that way initially. We picked up a squeegee in Ganges and used it to wipe down the seats. It gets almost all the water off and keeps us from having a bunch of wet towels.
I made some improvements to the galley, which I'll try to document on this site. Sandy really likes the Corian counter top.
Flaking a long stern line is a pain, just like it was last year when I noted it. Time to get going on a spool system.
After a slow start, we anchored out 9 of the last 10 days. This was the first year we really got serious about anchoring and it's great, even in a small boat. We didn't miss the docks at all. With the canoe, we never had that "trapped on the boat" feeling.
We continue to believe that longer trips in small boats are not only possible, but quite enjoyable. With a grocery stop and a laundromat session, we easily could have gone another two weeks. The key is getting off the boat and doing other things. We have made our Potter about as cruising friendly as a 19 foot boat can be, but we can't live on it.
We had fewer sailing days this year, but it wasn't a big deal.
Without the summer crowds, the Gulf Islands are a fabulous cruising ground. There is much more to explore - we need to go back.
