Captain's Log

Here's the take-away from this entry; "Don't sail off your mooring unless you're confident you can sail back on at some point." With that said, I blissfully begin my cruise to Sidney Spit with no engine.

Don't sail off your mooring unless you're confident you can sail back on at some point.

I arrived on T2 after work, under sunny skies, with a steady Southwest wind blowing 10 - 15 Kts., and the tide in full flood. After loading the fridge and rigging for sail, I majestically slipped my mooring and sailed out of Cadboro Bay, through Banes Channel and North up Haro Straight.

I was enjoying a refreshing broad reach, until the wind began to fade just off  D'Arcy Island. Once my speed fell to below 2 Kts, I thought I'd drop the jib and motor the rest of the way. And so, for the first time this cruise, I started the mighty Yanmar and that's when I noticed there was no water coming out of the exhaust. Not wanting to overheat the engine, I shut it down and went below to lift the engine compartment lid. I was met with exhaust smoke, which obviously had not exited via the pipe. So I raised the jib again and hoped the wind would continue to take me to Sidney Spit with no engine.

It did, and I dropped anchor under sail. My first time doing that. I anchored way out. I was still sheltered from the South but clear of other boats. Once I had deployed the anchor and ensured I was secure, I had another look at the engine. I checked the water intake and the water filter. Both fine. So I'm thinking the problem is most likely the water pump, although I don't understand why the exhaust was was not exiting. So there may be some kind of blockage. Either way, I don't have the tools to continue.

So, in a bid to calm my mind and enjoy the soothing ambiance of a warming fire in my wood burning stove, I lit an 'Eco-log'. It wasn't long before I became painfully aware that there was also a blockage in my stove pipe. The cabin was full of smoke to the point where I had to abandon the cabin until it cleared. It was so bad, I worried someone would call the coast guard.

The wind shifted slightly and blew into the anchorage from the West, resulting in an uncomfortable night with not much sleep. Along with being knocked about all night, my mind was racing with what to do about the engine. I had also made plans to pick up Gina in Sidney the next morning in Skully, my inflatable tender. So, should that still happen? Should she take the passenger ferry to the Island instead? And what about Sunday? Would she come back with me? What if there was no wind? How would I get Trouper 2 back to Cadboro Bay?! To quote Kansas; "The Answer my friend, is blowing in the wind". Well that's actually only part of the answer. Like it has for hundreds of years, it all comes down to time and tide and wind.

It all comes down to time and tide and wind

I was awake at midnight, then 2. When I finally got up, it was to a calmer sea as the wind had once again shifted to the Southwest. I dressed and went to Sidney in Skully, where I enjoyed a Serious Coffee on Beacon at 4th. Gina arrived and, after parking her car,  we walked to Port of Sidney and were soon aboard Skully for the somewhat lumpy ride back to Sidney Spit. It was great to have Gina's company.

Once Gina had adjusted to life at sea, I led a shore party and we walked the forest trail. There were signs posted warning of cougars in the area. I'm surprised they could get away with that wording in this day and age. We didn't see any cougars anyway. There were only a dozen or so campsites occupied by Kayakers and ferry passengers in the Federal Park. After our morning walk we returned to Trouper 2 and enjoyed a lovely lunch of pinwheel sandwiches, vegetables and olives. Yum.

After lunch I dropped the crab trap with the left-over roasted chicken carcass I had bought from Save-On Foods earlier in the week. I thought we'd either catch our limit or none. The latter proved correct. (Yes, I complained to Save-On. I spent twelve bucks on that chicken.) We spent the afternoon on the beach playing 'name that song' and people watching. After several hours we returned to the boat. I cleaned the chimney in preparation for another go at a fire. We ravenously devoured a barb-b-que'd,  Cedar Plank Salmon. It was served with a Caesar Salad and a refreshing rose'.

After a warming fire, a rousing card game or two, and some late-night star gazing (I saw a shooting star with a sparkling tail.) it was time to turn in. Here's hoping tomorrow brings enough wind to get home.

Sidney Spit With No Engine

Click for chart view

Up early with the ebb tide. We departed Irish Bay just after 8 a.m.

Was going to meet up with B-Man, but rather than take Skully, I motored over in T2. Barnucka was unavailable.

Navionics Track.

My long standing plans to take Beth, Marnie and John to Portland Island overnight fell through. Environment Canada posted a strong wind warning for winds that ultimately never materialized. So we went to Saltspring Island on the ferry yesterday. And today, with no wind to sail, we motored against the tide to D'Arcy Island so Beth could get her walk-about. As it turns out, it was perfect. We dropped the crab trap on our way out of Cadboro Bay.

D'Arcy Island was deserted. We were the only ones there until the very end. We hiked all the way around the island and saw the ruins of the old Leper Colony. I once shot a video of a previous adventure to D'Arcy Island.

It was nothing like today's expedition. Beth even went swimming! Marnie hurled abuse where appropriate. We ate like real explorers too. Vegetables, humous, Chicoutami (named after the Canadian Submarine), and red twizzlers for desert.

Click for chart view

Dropped Andrew and his FIANCE (Chrissy) off at Customs Dock, Port  Sidney and then headed for home. This was a long day on the water.

I was up and underway early partially to take advantage of the ebb tide but also out of excitement that Andrew and Chrissy were arriving this afternoon! I made great time. Home in 3 hours.

SMOKIN'!

West 5 - 20 Kts. Flood tide. Sunny and warm. Met Curtis and Camille out on the water.

I had intended to sail to Portland Island for the first visit of the season, but due to the strong Southwesterly winds (20 Kts.), I dropped the hook at Sidney Spit instead. The Spit offers a little more protection from the South and while one does have to contend with all the chop created by the crabbers, at least there's no ferry wash.

Gina is on-board for her first cruise of the season. We motored out past the regatta taking place in Cadboro Bay and while I was raising the jib, we managed to snag a commercial fishing trap. Actually we both saw the big yellow float, but by the time we resumed course with all sails up, there was no sign of it. I pulled a 360 degree turn once we were through Banes Channel but I didn't dislodge anything, so we carried on to Sidney Spit. There was no vibration or additional wake from anything snagged on us. In retrospect however with an average speed of only 4.10 Kts., with the flood and a strong wind, performance was cannibalized. 

That's right, CANNIBALIZED! And no, I don't think that's too strong a term for it. I totally forgot about the float until we dropped anchor at the Spit.

The sail North was invigorating. With a strong wind warning posted for SW 15 - 20 Kts, I rigged main and jib and was nicely powered all the way. The wind let off slightly just before D'Arcy Shoal but then quickly picked up as it funneled through Sidney Channel. Gina took the helm and sailed wing-and-wing,  which is pretty fucking impressive for a novice. (No offense G.)

In a following sea of 3 to 5 foot chop, we were comfortable yet still able to make great time. As I told Gina; "When we turn into this wind to drop the sails, it will appear windy, wet and cold. Here, take the helm!!"

Acting in the great tradition of heroes like Horatio Hornblower, Captain Blood, Captain Ahab, Captain Marvel, and Captain Sparrow to name but a few, I climbed the rigging with sail ties in my mouth. Fighting the not-even-close-to gale force winds I brought the sails down and secured the rigging in preparation for anchoring.

It was blowing so hard from the South that I didn't even have to put the engine in reverse to set the hook. I gave her a burst anyway, as I always do and then shut down the mighty Yanmar 15 HP diesel engine. That's when Bob, as we came to refer to the stow-away crab trap, surfaced a few feet to our stern.

It's a pirate's luck the damn thing didn't foul on the prop. I had completely forgot about it by then. Oh well, that was the only potential disaster of the weekend. All in all, not bad.

For the next two nights we continued our exploration of Sidney Spit, the beach and the campers. Even found a huge octopus washed up on the beach. Never seen that before.

Sidney Spit

Click for chart view

Left the Spit on the flood. High clouds were moving in and the wind was South 10 Kts. Cold.

No. I wasn't racing. But I was out on the water sailing for over four hours today during the THRASH regatta! It was really nice.

The sun was shining, the wind was steady from the Southeast and the tide was ripping along on a major ebb. That would come into play later, so pay attention.

I arrived on T2 just after 10:00 and immediately set about cleaning in preparation for Opening Day at RVYC. Mom had invited me and offered to buy me a pulled pork sandwich and a beer at the bar-b-que. So, after Trouper 2 was ship shape and ready for a casual inspection, I raised the sails and slipped my lines. That's when the adventure went a little sideways. How do you know when you're getting too cocky? When you leave your mooring under sail and don't even know where the keys for the engine are.

I was under main sail alone and immediately ended up in Irons like some rank amateur. I back winded the main, and managed to come out of irons but with no time to maneuver, I struck my neighbor amidships.  

Fortunately, being a spry sixty year-old, I managed to spring to the pulpit, and fend off. Nothing damaged except my pride.

I spent the next several hours having a lovely sail among the fleet of racers taking part in the annual THRASH regatta. Of course I steered well clear of the fleet. At one point I had a broad reach from Willows Beach, through Banes Channel. That's when the wicked ebb tide came into play. I know it was ebbing but thought I'd give it the old college try. I finally motored through after it became clear that the tide was taking me backwards under sail. But hey, that was the only time I used the engine. For about 15 minutes.

When I finally made it through the rip at Banes, I decided to head back to meet Mom at the bar-b-que. That's when I hit my maximum speed over the bottom of almost 9 Knotts. It didn't look like opening day. Everyone from RVYC was racing, and there was no sail past. So I asked one of the sailing instructors, on my way in and she told me it was next weekend. So I dropped the jib and sailed back onto my mooring buoy under main sail.

THRASH Regatta

SW 5 -10 Kts. Partly cloudy, turning to ebb tide

Bought the wrong Sail Stop at Trotac.

North 10 Kts. Sunny. Flood. I don't know what the fuck is up with my Navionics phone ap. Arrived T2 with dead Chart Plotter. So I used my phone instead. Apparently my top speed this evening was 19.2 Kts.

I may have been unconscious for a while, but I have a hard time believing I reached that speed.

Seriously.