Life is certainly Good and with each new Bay we explore another opportunity arrises. We are in Jennis Bay marina and originally we were going to go for a hike and await the slack tide at Stuart Narrows. We stopped yesterday and this place had such good energy that it wasn’t hard to talk us into the cajun dinner that will take place tonight. So the girls are off on a hike and I got talked into splitting some wood and I decided that I wanted to post something.

I needed to say how wonderful of a time I was having and how great of a mate I have found in Becky. She is having a great time and loves being on the boat and has learnt all the task needed to get us to the dock and continues to feed us nicely.

Alas we need to get south and I need to start figuring out how to retrace our steps south. Whatever decision we make, our what stops we make it will be all good.

Giving thanks for a boat that is running good and a boat full of woman I love.

 

 

By Becky – After a couple very long days of watching tide tables and weather conditions we have made it through the many rapids that even on slack tide toss our boat around in 45 degree swings.  We are now resting in Port Harvey.  It is a funky little outpost marina off of Johnston Strait and a welcome rest from the wind and waves.  We had planned on stopping in Port Neville but decided the weather was good and we had to take advantage of that to get a bit further to where we will pick up our daughters.  We will rest here for the day fishing, crabbing and shrimping before the final push to Lagoon Cove.  As we get farther north the wind and water are getting colder and the landscape gets a bit more rugged. Beautiful!

 

I did a bit of a reality check this morning….. I have not looked in a mirror for a few days but Paul has not complained about my looks so it must be acceptable.  While we are eating very well, my clothes still fit so I think my weight must be ok.  Paul does chuckle on occasion as I try to contain my hair in the wind and he did comment on a large red welt on my face from a bug bite.  I am pretty much covered in them; some itch like crazy and some are not so bad.  I do have swollen toes on one foot… I am not really sure why but probably from bug bites.

 

We take advantage of opportunities that arise such as getting some fresh herbs from a garden planter on a boat next to us….picking some fresh veggies from a garden at a marina, buying fresh shrimp from a fishing boat at a dock or even some freshly baked bread. This morning we are having freshly baked cinnamon rolls with our lattes as we listen to eagles.  It is not a bad way to live!  Thank you so much Terry and Kelly for allowing me the time off so I can enjoy this adventure.

 

By Paul – Port Harvey, and our entrance into The Broughtons. So nice to get here, even though we blasted through Desolation Sound and the middle of Vancouver Island and its tidal narrows.  Pushing hard to be able to stop and relax; and ensuring that we are waiting for Ellie and Kassia when they arrive. Enjoyed a visit last night with the proprietors of the Marina, George and Gail and their daughter Christine. I sometimes can’t believe how well the boat is performing; steady on, our John Deere engine, loving to be driven. We approach the 400-mile mark and just over 90 gallons of fuel consumed. Becky is awesome and has mastered the line and finder handling. She is keeping us fed, the refrigerator full and is helpful in reading about the passages ahead. She is managing her motion sickness with ease, the 20 knot head wind in Johnstone Straights yesterday didn’t phase her any.

 

Vanilla latte and soft boiled eggs, 1030 and we are still lounging around, Becky is picking up the book I finished last night, my agenda today is to get the crab pot in the water and perhaps shave the two day growth off of my face.

By Debbie: Wow, what a week we’ve had.  After leaving Salt Spring Island, a small farmer paradise we headed north to Naniamo.  It’s grown a bit in 40 years but still really beautiful with mountains forming the backdrop and a busy harbor at its entrance.  Then we headed across the Straits of Georgia to the Jervis inlet and dropped anchor at Harmony Island Marine Park   Quiet, tranquil and our first kayaking.  Paddling around these little islands met some seals as well as the owner of one of the private islands in this group. Nicely he plans to donate his island to the BC government to be part of the marine park.  The next day we headed to Princess Louisa Marine Park.  All of British Columbia is beautiful but Princess Louisa Inlet is magnificent.  It is like Yosemite on the water.  Steep granite mountains with multiple waterfalls.  Our plans had been to moor at the dock but lucky for us it was full so we found ourselves a place at the base of a waterfall.  Two nights falling asleep to the sound of water falling is like a bit of heaven.  Blazing sunny weather made for perfect kayaking with the 5 resident seals (also known as little buddies) yesterday before leaving the inlet Paul decided to take us on an epic hike (no trail, in a rainforest) to a cave we could see above the timberline.  Becky and I decided it was a bonding experience as we were sliding down logs on our butts.  It added to the adventure.  Now we’re in Pender Harbor waiting for our floatplane to take us back to reality, while Paul and Becky continue to head north.

Debbie

By Becky:  We are currently in Powell River scooting North in what will be long days to make sure we get to Lagoon Cove by the time our daughters arrive.  Debbie and Jim caught a ride to the floatplane on a large catamaran and we are missing their company.  After they left a 150’ sailboat of the ‘rich and famous’ tied up at the dock next to us.  It was pretty funny watching the attention it drew.  Every eye was on it and it boggled my mind as well as most of the others in the bay.   It also killed all access to any Internet access we had been enjoying…. I am not sure why but something about its electronics.

We are picking up a shrimp trap and a fishing pole and will see how our foraging skills are this year.   The day started out with ‘fresh’ seas (that means hang on!)  The sun is now burning through and we are hoping to continue with our amazing weather.   I am keeping an eye on the emails from work (thank you Monica and Michele) but it all seems so far away from the amazing adventure I am on.

We continue to eat extremely well and Paul and I are feeling very blessed.

 

We have made it to Nanaimo, and are having breakfast at an outdoor café and happily I am worrying about getting to much sun.

The days have been wonderful, the boat is behaving nicely, we have hit the tides perfectly and the food is good.

Yesterday, after a night at anchor beside Russell Island, we went for a hike around the Island and visited the homestead of the Hawaiian settlers brought there by the Hudson Bay Company for laboring in the fur trade. Apparently there were hundreds of Hawaiians around Salt Spring Island.

After the hike we tied up in Fulford Harbor for a walk and bus ride into Ganges. Becky bought some Oysters

and roasted them on the Grill yesterday afternoon as we motored through Dodd Narrows. We hit the rapids perfectly and continued onto Newcastle Park in Nanaimo and picked up a mooring. It was a wonderful evening and we watched the planes take off, a sailing race as we ate and after dinner took a sunset hike around the park.

 

So it’s a pulled pork wrap, keeping the Hawaiian theme going, for breakfast and a trip to the nautical book store and across the Straits of Georgia and into the fiords and Princes Louisa later today

 

AUG 2 – We are finally all settled in and heading off to Canada today.  Saturday and Sunday were spent in Springfield, OR where Paul and Becky celebrated Becky’s mother’s 90th birthday by rafting the McKenzie river with the entire family, Becky’s mom included.  Sunday was a rush to get back to Portland, quickly load the last of the gear into the truck, drive to Shelton, quickly load the rest of the gear onto the boat and then set sail to Hope Island.

Monday Paul was up at daybreak to set sail for Seattle area.  Becky didnt quite make daybreak but shortly thereafter.  In the afternoon we met Paul’s friend Bob who drove us around for the last few items after we stowed the gear to make room for Jim and Deb to get to their bunk without climbing over several bags of gear.  Deb and Jim arrived after dark and relaxed on the deck watching stars.  We were up at 6:00 with anticipation to begin the adventure North.  We are dodging ferries, barges, huge sailboats and misc other boats as well as logs in the water.  It is overcast but pleasant as the sun is trying to break through.