Hello Family and Friends. Do you realize that tomorrow is October 1? Time to start thinking about a Hallowe'en costume. The evenings are getting longer and cooler. Next thing you know it will be Christmas!

On Monday we left Maple Bay on the ebb through Samsun Narrows. It took us an hour and a half to motor around to Cowichan Bay (Cow Bay if you are a local). There was zilch for wind. It seems that it is blowing zero or blowing a gale. I am not sure if the Gods are looking out for us or not.

Once at Cowichan Bay we had lunch and went for a bit of a walk. I must caution any of you - if you are going to visit Cow Bay then Monday is not the day to visit. It seems that everything is closed. I was most disappointed that the bakery was closed on Monday and Tuesday. They have the best bread ever - even grind their own flour. I was talking to one lady and she stated that when the bakery closes for January she just doesn't eat bread. Nothing else will do until the bakery opens up in February.

Not long after we got back from our stroll and the clouds burst. It poured and poured and poured. The good news is that our leaks are fixed. As we were invited to Joe and Lisa's for dinner we had a bit of time so Ron and I broke out the Scrabble board. Ladies, I am proud to say that I remain the Scrabble Champ aboard Ta Daa.

Joe and Lisa live on the cutest and coziest little floathome. The view is to die for. And, Joe's renovations have just made it even better. I am envious that Lisa has her own washer and dryer - something us liveaboards do miss.

Supper was sumptious and prepared by Chef Joe Solanto - Lisa's Aunty Ivy's Spareribs, corn on the cob, veggies and salad not to mention a few sips of very tasty red wine. Lisa topped dinner with apple pie and ice cream. Joe and Lisa thank you so much for the invite, the company,the hospitality, and the laughs. It was great to catch up and listen to your adventures at Cow Bay.

Joe, let me know if I have the recipe correct - ribs baked in beer - pour off beer and juice - cover in favourite sauce and bake again. And if memory serves me you used a plum type of sauce.

Beleive it or not, after dinner and back aboard Ta Daa I whooped Ron at Scrabble again - still the Ta Daa champ!

The next morning, Joe and four paws Harmony walked over for coffee and muffins. We had the pleasure of showing Joe our boat.

Did you know that the state of Washington replaced the Hood Canal Bridge? Did you ever wonder what happened to the old Hood Canal Bridge? Wonder no more! It is here in Cow Bay. The locals will tell you that it was purchased by a company in Sidney for the purpose of using the pontoons. Well with the pontoons came with the steel structure and the asphalt on the road (complete with the yellow centre line). It seems that the idea of demolishing the bridge for the pontoons was a great idea and a great price EXCEPT someone did not take time to thinks of what a monstrous job the demolition would be. Apparently now, it will just sit until an idea is hatched of how and where to demolish the structure. Good luck, Folks!

By 1130 we were underway for Tsehum Harbour to stay at Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club. As we motored- yep you got it right, no wind - the clouds were building all around us. I can't tell you what they all mean but give me a few months to complete the weather course and I will be much more knowledgeable. Just before arriving at the yacht club the clouds burst again. We could barely see the bow of the boat. As our timing would have it, the dock at the yacht club was quite full and the boats we would have rafted to made it very difficult for us to get on and off our boat. In the torrential rains we decided to head to Port Sidney for a couple nights.

Len and Dawna - good buddies from Power Squadron - graced us with a visit last night. Len was outstanding at tracking our every move for the past few weeks. Dawna even tells me he had a map and pins in the map to point to our present locations. Thanks Len it was great to know you were monitoring our every move.

For the non-boaters out there, it is prudent for boaters to file a sail plan with a responsible person prior to heading out. We filed our sail plan with Len, Barbara (my SSB contact) and the Victoria Coast Guard.

So here we sit and today it is a beautiful sky with light winds. The forecast looks favourable for our sail to Cadboro Bay tomorrow. We are planning on anchoring there and heading around to WestBay on Friday.


Take care, All!

It is very quiet at Maple Bay. Not many transient people here - us and another boat. We decided to stay for two nights. Why? Not sure except that Ron is liking it. Yesterday, Sep 27, we walked to Genoa Bay 5 kms away. Genoa Bay is another popular stop for boaters. It has a very good restaurant. We timed our departure in order to have lunch when we arrived. Another tidbit about Genoa Bay is that some neighbours from WestBay now live at Genoa Bay on their Hatteras. We knocked on the hull but no one home. Maybe next time, Jim and Audrey.

If you folks haven't ventured to Genoa Bay, it's a nice drive and you will not be disappointed in the food. Having said that, the restaurant will be closing next week and re-opening in March. Put it in your calendar for a Sunday drive activity in the spring.

On our way back from Genoa Bay we stopped at Birds Eye Farm Market and purchased farm fresh eggs and beets. There is one egg in the carton that surely killed the chicken when she laid it. It could pass for an ostrich egg except for the colour.

Once we arrived at Ta Daa and resting in the cockpit Ron happened to glance over toward the fuel dock and noticed a kid. He say "Hey, that's Sam and there is Sara and Phillip and Julie."

What a pleasant surprise. If you read our second or third posting you will note that we met up with some friends that just purchased a 57 ft Carver. Well, these are the same friends - what a coincidence. Off we trundled to take a peek at their new toy. It's a beautiful boat and very much suited to their needs. Congratulations Julie, Phillip, Sam and Sara. By the way folks, Julie who is a tiny mite is the skipper of this huge boat.

Dinner tonight was yummy. I looked up a curry dish that Ron and I enjoyed at Granville Island. It is Masala Chickpeas with Spinach. Look it up folks, give it a try. If you like curry you will like this. I thought I made enough for a couple nights but apparently not.

Thank you Doug from WestBay for forwarding Joe and Lisa's email. I have made contact and we will be visiting them tonight in Cowichan Bay. We will be leaving Maple Bay in about an hour to catch the ebb through Samsun Narrows.

So, time to prepare to undock... charts out,, route charted, instruments on, loose items secured, doggy life jacket on Winston and we are good to go.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

I cannot believe how fast the time has passed - some days before my very eyes and other days have lingered longer than I would have liked. All in all it is now September 26 and far too long since my last post.

Before I get rambling on to bring you up to date I just have to say that Granville Island is a delightful place to be. The markets are bustling by 0900, produce is being displayed, bread and baked goods are being lifted out of the numerous ovens. The aroma is delicious! Colours and more colours are everywhere - from flowers being the obvious to pasta to olives to fruits and veggies to prepared food. Our favourite was the curry. We felt is was the tastiest with the least amount of calories.

Ron and I treated ourselves to a fresh fruit salad for Sunday night dinner. It was accompanied by a honey, cinnamon 'record' baked at one of the market bakeries. We just had to try it. The 'record' was yummy with the fruit salad. It was sweet with honey and just the right amount of cinnamon to compliment our salad. It was truly a treat.

September 21, 2009

Today more work can be done on the boat - yahoo! Best of all the fridge will be put back in place and I will have my galley back. It won't happen until later today! I decided I would do a big chore. There is some hand stitching that needs to be done on the dinghy. I purposely went to the marine store to purchase a palm and some needles to handle the job. I got myself settled in the dinghy ready to sew for the next couple of hours. Why not, the weather is fabulous and I will feel good about getting this task completed.

I happily thread the needle with sufficient waxed whipping twine and push the needle through the hole - hence the needed palm. The palm is a tool to help me push the needle through the vinyl. I didn't even get one stitch completed and the eye of the needle broke off. Darn it all anyway. OK, thread the other needle and get stitching. It happened again. Now I am out of needles and a bit pissed at the whole situation. This task will now have to wait until I get back to Victoria so I can go to my favourite store for supplies - Bosun's Locker. Did I mention that even the palm fell apart when I tried to punch holes in it to re-size it for my little left paw. The dinghy was not meant to be stitched today.

Ron and I decided it would be good to go for a walk and some physical exercise. We walked for a couple hours up W 4th. It was a funky area and we discovered some good stores. There is a kayak / dive shop where I finally found a wet suit on sale; we found a book warehouse and Ron purchased two books. We now have The Lost Symbol from the author of Da Vinci Code. (Ron and I have both finished reading it at the time of this update). We also found a little tea store which I intend to go back to next time we are over there.

For supper and for old time sake, Ron and I went to Bridges for supper. We remembered having good food for good value on previous visits. We were greatly disappointed that their menu has changed.

September 22, 2009

I have been having great fun with the SSB radio in the mornings. I have been tuning into the Great Northern Boaters Net each morning at 0800. The reception at Granville Island was challenging but some morning I could talk to Barbara directly and other mornings I needed to use a relay. I have listened to people as far away as Miami, Florida. I've been a bit shy to talk to them but when I know better radio etiquette I will make contact and say hello.

This morning I should have just stayed in bed. I think it is time for a mini meltdown. I have noticed a couple more things that need to be addressed on the boat. One is the coffee pot leaking and the other is the port side salon shade. It has wrinkles... can you imagine! It will not retract properly and I cannot fix it. It seems like there is so much going on and no progress. I know that is not true but that is how I feel.

Today we were hopeful a part for the tachometer would be in. No luck. We did get some news though that it was just mailed and would be here in 2 to 3 days.... eeegads! That is Friday. I cannot sit here until Friday waiting for a part.

Ron and I decided that we would go to Keats Island - just off Gibson's Landing. We will leave the next day.

The crew is here again to deal with the sink drain. They have decided to replace the hose. Off the boat we go. When we came back I was asked to try the sink. Drum roll please....... The angels are singing a chorus of halleleujah (sp)! The sink drains and I cannot be happier.

This afternoon I cleaned, vacuumed and washed floors etc. It feels good to have our space back. While I did the inside, Ron polished the outside.

Our buffalo hide was changed out for elk hide and so now the canvas is back on the boat. Another good sign!

Tonight we had BBQ chicken and red peppers. It was very yummy and satisfying to have home cooked food.

September 23, 2009

Today we delivered flowers to Sarah the crew manager here and some coffee and treat money for the crew. They have really been working hard and things are being completed.

We have been at Granville Island a week and all done except for the tachometer and the blind.

We hare heading out at 1330 today for a couple days away. Our part for the tach should be - correction thinking positively -will be in on Friday morning. We will come back then.

On the way to Keats we heard on the VHF radio that a woman had disappeared from a cruise ship and was presumed to be overboard. We kept our eyes glued for anything odd in the water. I could only think how frantic her family must be. She is 67 years old. We saw Coast Guard on the water and SAR overhead. As I write this posting she has not yet been found and according to the paper it was a suicide as she was terminally ill.

We had no wind for sailing but it was great to be away from the dock and enjoy the ocean, the seals, the birds and the sun.

We docked at Keats. No moorage fees as it is past the season. We slept outside - in the cockpit - to watch the stars. I was waiting to see a falling star but no luck.

September 24, 2009

Today is our walking day. We hiked through the trails of Keats Island to Keats Landing. This island has several residents. The Baptist Church purchased a huge chunk of land in 1926 and it is what is now known as Keats Landing. As Ron knows when I walk somewhere I usually like to do a circle route. Little did he know I had plans to hike the highest peak on Keats. We had a spectacular view of Gibson's Landing and the Strait of Georgia - also known as The Salish Sea.

We were gone for three hours. It was a great hike. Winston had fun climbing the mountain. He was off leash most of the time and he was a very happy puppy.

Ron, Winston and I had a nap in the afternoon before making supper. We slept in the cockpit again waiting and looking for the shooting star. Again no luck but we had a fitful sleep.

September 25, 2009

Today is the moment of truth -will the part be in or not? We fueled Ta Daa at Gibson's Landing then headed around Bowen Island toward English Bay to Granville Island. We did not hurry to leave in the morning. By the time we got to Snug Harbour @ Bowen Island we called to confirm the location of our part. It was not in and confirmed that no parts would now be delivered until Monday. Ron and I looked at each other and we knew then it was time to head across the Strait to the Vancouver Island side. The part will now have to be forwarded to us and Ron will have to install himself. It's not that we couldn't have decided to do this in the first place but we have had such trouble we wanted it done by the service dept in the off chance that it still didn't work.

We made our decision. Another reason for heading across the Salish Sea is that the next day the forecast is for winds from the northwest and blowing 25 to 35 knots. That's gale force and we would then be forced to stay on the mainland side until the weather changed.

The crew at the service department at Specialty Yachts were outstanding! While I was frustrated that things were not happening fast enough there was nothing more that could have been done. I know that and I understand. Thanks everyone @ Specialty for your understanding and respect of our space aboard Ta Daa.

Momma Dougan -here we come! If you go back to one of my first postings you will note that Ron and I overnighted at Bud and Pat's dock. Since my Mom passed away, Pat had adopted me - hence Momma Dougan. Mom and Bud are the loveliest of people. You must meet them someday. And let me tell you - you don't mess with the Momma - when it comes to old Salts knowing their stuff about boating the Momma can tell you a story or three!

Once at dock we enjoyed a lovely meal on the front lawn as the sun displayed on a spectacular sunset. Even then, the Momma pointed out the clouds and boaters should not to take clouds for granted. They all mean something.

Ron and I love listening to their boating stories as we love to listen to my Dad's boating stories. There is one thing that seasoned boaters will always tell us - the boat can take more than the crew.

September 26, 2009

We had a great connection on the SSB today. Tonight I will try to contact the West Coast Boaters Net.

As I finished on the SSB and was about to head out with Winston for a morning stroll to get Bud's paper, the Momma called on the cell. Had we listened to the morning forecast and yes we had. It was calling for NW winds 25 - 35 knots. What that means when we are at Mom and Buds is that we leave the dock or the boat takes a beating. There is not much shelter from the NW. It was with great sadness we said our goodbyes and headed to Maple Bay. We had a great running sail with just the main and we topped 6.5 knots. Once at Maple Bay we called Mom and Bud. She reported that we had left none too soon. It was blowing a gale and right on the dock as she had predicted.

I have spent the afternoon doing laundry that desperately needed to be done. All in all, it was a good day. Tomorrow we will see what the forecast brings and then make a decision as to where we would like to go.

Time is drawing near for us to come home to WestBay Marine Village. I am not sure I am ready to come home. There is so much left to see and do. I guess it will have to wait until next year. Who out there wants to plan a trip around the island in June/July? I do, I do!!!

It's sunny on Granville Island. I have been remiss in updating the blog. The reason is simple... I have been feeling a little out of sorts with everything going on.

As I said before, everything happens for a reason. We had a list of issues that called for attention. Some could have waited and others we felt could not.

As you know, we came to Granville Island due to unsettling weather at the north end of the island and on the west coast. Ron and I determined this was the best decision considering he will be working out of Vancouver at the beginning of October.

One item on our list was a water drip in our aft cabin that was definitely more than condensation on the window frames. It seems that we had a major leak in two areas - the propane tank bin and through the arch where the canvas frame attaches. I cannot imagine what a nightmare it would have been this winter having to contend with these leaks. I don't even want to go there! Needless to say the crew here, Sara, Darren and Mark have been directing their attention to our issues.

We have been getting water in the bilge and may have solved that problem by stopping the leaks. We will see over the next couple days.

A primary reason for being here is our secondary refrigeration/freezer. It has not worked since we took delivery of Ta Daa. We now know that to access the secondary system, the primary system had to be completely removed from the galley. To do that our companion way stairs had to be removed. Freddy Freezerman was supposed to have a look at the system on Thursday afternoon but didn't make it until Saturday morning. We understand the delay and are very thankful he came out yesterday just for us. Problem now solved except that the crew here is not in until Monday to put everything back in it's rightful location.

Having mentioned all the above the galley is virtually unaccessable 'cept for coffee in the mornings. Our freezer and fridge food is being held under lock and key on another boat. The ceiling in our sleeping cabin was hanging down for three days until we were confident the rain would no longer penetrate and drip on our woodwork.

Ron and I will run some experiments to see if we can figure out the water in the bilge. As you know, when you want something to happen, it won't.

Through all of this I was not feeling my old chipper self. We were working alongside the people here to discuss and assist with the list of items. We have been eating out which is not my favourite thing to do.

We have breakfast and lunch pared down the a minimum cost. For breakfast the BELTCH sandwich is enough for two and only costs $6.00. For lunch I purchased a Tiffen Tin and it gets filled with two curry dishes for only $5.oo and the amount is enough for the two of us. The curry has been outstanding.

Another item on our list will be taken care of on Monday / Tuesday. It involves removing part of the canvas from the cockpit to replace the buffalo hide with elk hide. Our buffalo hide reinforcement is deteriorating much faster than it should. I guess elk are more though than buffalo - who would have thought?

Yesterday and today we went for long walks. Today was four hours which also involved off-leash areas for Winston. In addition we have been taking some pictures to help pass the time. There is so much here.

We are hopeful that we can leave here on Wednesday. It's up to the canvas guys now so we shall see. I will keep you posted.

While this is not the adventure we intended we made the right decision. While on the SSB this morning I became aware of a catamaran who was sailing the west coast. They endured three big storms which resulted in the loss of BOTH their rudders. They were being towed into Ucluelet by the Coast Guard. If we had insisted on sticking to our original plan, we would have been out there too.

Thank you all for checking the blog. It means a lot to us.
Until later - be happy!

While yesterday was exciting today was adventurous. We started out from Powell River with a favourable weather report. If any of you want to google Grief Point you will find that it is a jut of land that seems to have its own weather pattern. At Powell River - south marina - you are right behind the BC Ferry Terminal. It is also the home of numerous tugboats that come and go all through the night.

We headed out at 0845 toward Pender Harbour. The harbour we just left indicated 6 knots of wind. When we arrived at Grief Point it was gusting to 20 knots right on the nose. Then we hit a quiet area where the swells were 3 metres and the wind was only 2 knots. That was short lived. Before long we were in winds gusting to 25 knots, 3 metres+ seas and all on the nose. If we sailed all the seas would be on our beam and not a comfortable ride which would take twice as long as we would be tacking down Malaspina Strait. We made a conscious decision to take the short route and keep motoring. Any boat motoring the opposite direction would and did have smooth sailing. We passed many who waved and were taking much less beating than we were.

It was a very rough ride to say the least. At one point with the wind and the waves I was sure we were going backwards! Need I say more???

Our three hour trip took six. All was fine - we laughed, joked and talked about how we would do things different next time. Winston on the other hand did not find the rough seas amusing. He stuck to the cockpit floor like glue. Rest assured he was comfortable with bedding and extra coverings. He had been suffering from a sensitive ear. After picking up some earwash in Courtenay and using it dilligently his ear did not clear up.

Now you have to understand our gentle and sensitive little Winston. If he thinks he is going to be hurt he in on the defensive. Walking into a veterinarian office is usually not high on his priority list. Once in Pender Harbour and tied securely to the government dock, I immediately went to the office to phone the local vet. Once at the vet I warned him that Winston did not like the thought of pain and probably would not settle down in the office. Well, knock me over with a feather - Winston loved this guy. Nuzzled up to him, let him check his ear and all was a piece of cake. That was the best vet ever for us! Suffice it to say, he now has some medication for his ear and all will be well in a couple days.

Another interesting tidbit about Pender Harbour. Last year, Ron noticed that it is now the home of my father's former fishing vessel - Island Derby. It does not look the same. Last year when we were here the owner was not. Lo and behold he is aboard today. Naturally, I walked over and introduced myself and properly announce that my father used to own this boat. He was rightly excited. He promptly gave me his phone number to pass along to Dad. Let me say that this fellow is a character. Let your imagine to the rest. I did manage to get a couple snapshots.

For those of you who do not know (and I will try to keep this short) there is a portion of the Fraser River called Derby Reach - pronounced Darby Reach. My great-great grandmother had a farm there called The Derby. It was the first unofficial capital of British Columbia. The powers of the day didn't like the location so they moved the capital to Fort Langley. My grandmother was the first May Queen of Fort Langley. The family farm was called Derby. My great-uncle had a fishboat on the Fraser River called Derby Gal. When my father (a nephew) built his fishboat he aptly named her Island Derby because of living on Vancouver Island. Island Derby now lives in Pender Harbour. The first sailboat that Ron and I purchased, we named Derby Lass in keeping with the tradition. As you know we have strayed from tradition to something more whimsical. Just tonight a dinghy of people went by and all we could hear was Ta Daa.

Tomorrow morning we will listen to the 0400 weather report and make our decision whether to head to Gibsons or stay put for an extra day.

Mother Nature calls the shots!

Momma Dougan - thank you so much for the telephone call tonight. I had a great laugh and enjoyed hearing of your sailing experiences on Tapas!

Time to catch up again. The last two nights we were in Campbell River and spent much of the time with company, doing laundry and general boat cleaning and fishing. Let's start where I left off from the last post.

September 11, 2009

The fog horn at Chatham Point (in Johnstone Strait) has stopped sounding and that is a good sign. The fog around us at Blind Channel has lifted completely and we have a beautiful sunny day. Fog is great for photo opportunities. We shoved off at noon making way for Campbell River en route to Vancouver. We needed to do some laundry and trash duties. It's been a couple weeks!

We spotted whales again. This time there were at least half a dozen whale watching zodiac boats hanging around. We moved to the middle of the channel to keep our distance. We did not have the luxury of time on our side to drift and enjoy the pod. We had to make it to Seymour Narrows on time.

Have you folks heard of the infamous Seymour Narrows? I encourage you to 'google' it. Everything I read about the narrows scared the living #$%^ out of me for fear that we read the current tables incorrectly. I checked the tables, checked the time, checked the tables and checked our time again. I was sure that one of the whirlpools would swallow us up. On the other hand, tens and tens of boats go through there everyday.

We arrived at the narrows ahead of time so fished while we waited. Now I have to tell you, when we fish we really do not know what we are doing! Ron drops something pink over the side and we troll. We heard that the fish this year like anything pink so pink it is.

The time came to make our way to the narrows. Ron piloted us through while I was on the lookout for the big one that was going to spin our boat, swallow us and spit us out in some other location. I never felt this anxious piloting us through all the other rapids. This one has such a history.

Ron reminded me that we did all the others just fine, the moon was not full which meant smaller tides and less current. Seymour Narrows can flood/ebb up to 16 knots!!!! Not today and not when we transited. It was beautiful, calm and uneventful as were the others.

We continued to motor to Discovery Harbour Marina in Campbell River. We had dinner with my Aunty Linda and Uncle Al. Kris, if your are reading this blog - Al and Linda say hello! They were surprised that we are living at the same Marina.

We were pooped so turned in early. We knew we had a busy coming up.

September 12, 2009

How exciting can laundry and vacuuming be? Not very so I am not going to tell you about it. After our chores we went fishing. The tyee are jumping like crazy. They were running like porpoise. I had never seen anything like it before. Ron and I were in our little dinghy. Remember, we do NOT know much about fishing and especially in unfamiliar places.

We eagerly set out to land the big one. We motored to this little place the locals call Tyee Bowl. This is where they were almost jumping into the dinghy. We trolled back and forth, back and forth. We were commenting to each other how interesting it was that other people were in dorries and rowing - now that is adding sport to the sport of fishing! After Ron promptly lost his tackle and was reloading a kind gentleman gestured me with this pointing finger to come closer to his boat... I did as I was motioned to do. He very gently explained that we were in a no motor zone and if we wanted to fish we had to tilt our motor and get out the oars. OK, we said, we can do that. It was not so easy. The current was building and I was rowing nowhere fast. When I was pooped from rowing - and just to be fair to Ron, I chose to row - we dropped the motor and happily changed locations. We went back to the boat absolutely skunked by the jumping tyee.

Friends, Bill and Leanne, from Courtenay drove up for a visit. We had a very nice evening and dinner. Not a late evening as Bill and Leanne had to releive the babysitter and Ron and I were planning so undock at 0700 the next morning to catch the flood tide past Cape Mudge.

September 13, 2009

We witnessed a spectacular sunrise this morning while walking the dog. We could feel it was going to be a stellar day with some sailing - finally. We popped over to the fuel dock before heading into Discovery Passage. The people at this fuel dock were outstanding in their customer service - Discovery Fuel - if you are boating in this area.

As we were heading out we tried to reach Barbara on the SSB. No luck but then came to the conclusion that the huge antenna towers might have had something to do with the interference.

I spotted a single whale this morning. I do not think he was an Orca as there was a very tiny dorsal fin. I will have to research to see if I can ID what I saw. He was definitely blowing out of his blowhole.

You will never guess what happened on the way to Powell River! Ron and I do not need to circumnavigate the island for excitement and adventure. We cleared Cape Mudge, had a good point of sail for raising the genneker. It is a large and lightweight sail much like a spinnaker but is a different shape.

We were breezing along at 5 knots and so enjoying being one with the wind and the water. We sailed on past Middlenatch Island maintaining our point. Ron played with our new Hydrovane ( a steering system that does not use electricity). We are neophytes when it comes to the Hydrovane so play we did. Ron did very well and we were impressed. The wind was quite light so thought we would try again later when we have the main and genoa sails up.

Ron went below to review our charting. I was at the helm. What ensued next took only a matter of minutes but felt like hours - drum roll please....

I head some raindrops hit the canvas. I felt a great gust of wind. I look behind me and a squall was coming down on us fast. I called Ron up and we decided to drop the genneker. Not an easy task in now 20 knots of wind. I really don't know at what point things started to go wrong but suffice it to say that we have learned very valuable lessons. At some point I let the genneker sheet go as Ron was pulling the sock over the sail. You are not going to beleive what happened next and keep in mind we are in the middle of a 20 knot squall. For some it might be a piece of cake but for Ron and me, this was a new experience.

I started the engine - as you should do before dropping sails. I heard a klunk and thud and then an alarm. Yes folks, for those of you who sail will know I wrapped the genneker sheet around the propeller shaft. We were now dead in the water. We cut the line - good idea but wrong timing. As soon as Ron cut the line the Genneker flew out from the boat and the sock was unreachable. Now what - and keep in mind the wind is blowing us about. We knew that we and the boat would be fine but how are we going to get the sail in.

As I dropped the halyard, Ron pulled on the sail during the lulls in the wind. As the wind picked up I was sure my husband was on his way overboard. Again and again and again he gave it the old college try and between us we managed to get the sail onboard before it completely landed in the water.

We could start the engine but not put it in gear because of the sheet wrapped around the prop shaft. So here we are half way to our destination and completely shocked at what just happened - perhaps we were in denial. We set the main sail and got underway.

After many minutes of silence we decided that we should do the inevitable - Comox Coast Guard, Comox Coast Guard this is sailing vessel Ta Daa. We explained that we were in no immediate danger and felt that we could make our way to the marina but would need a tow to the dock. The Coast Guard was absolutely wonderful. They monitored our progress every hour. We gave them our coordinates and speed to help estimate our time of arrival to Powell River. Once there they would put out a call for any boats in the area to assist. As our luck comes and goes... we sailed well to the Powell River mill and then the wind died. Again we were dead in the water. I hailed the Coast Guard letting them know we would need a tow sooner than anticipated.

Coast Guard to the rescue! Once they arrived they attached a tow line and to Powell River we landed in style. It sure saved on the fuel bill -hee hee.

For any of you who are boaters I strongly urged you to send them a donation - it was very comforting to know that they were there when needed!

Once tucked into the dock we took Winston for a walk and our luck changed again. There were a group of commercial divers and Ron struck up a deal with one of them. All the line was cleared off the prop shaft in short order. He checked our through hulls, sounder and zinks while he was at it. We were very appreciative and felt the small fee we paid was well worth it.

We will certainly have a good night sleep knowing that all is fine and we are much wiser than we were yesterday. Tomorrow we are off to Garden Bay in Pender Harbour. Tomorrow is a new day and all will go well. TA DAA

Hello Family and Friends! Time for some catch up on the blog. We have not had good connections until now.

September 8

It was extremely foggy outside so we had to stay put another day. For those of you who do not understand why we stay put for a whole day, we have current times that we have to meet in order to transi t some of the rapids in daylight and that will be flowing in a favourable direction. For us, we want the ebb tides as we go north.

The fog did finally lift later in the morning. We had a little sleep in, as much as I can sleep in. We have also had good SSB connection with Barbara in Sidney. It is a steep learning curve to operate the SSB but I am persisting.

Before leaving Victoria, I had purchased some very nice and new fender line. Thanks, Fern, from Bosun's Locker! I changed all the fender lines today so have now gotten rid of some of the less than desirable fender line that came with the boat. What I purchased from Fern works on the Chinese Pull Finger method and it is great to handle. For you who have boats -go see Fern.

I tried my had at fishing from the dock but nothing bit in the first 5 minutes so I gave up, but did try again and no bites so I gave up again. Good thing it is not my job to feed the crew - we'd all starve.

September 9

Woooo whoooo we are leaving Cordero Lodge. Not that is is not a nice place to wait but there is so much more to see. Today we transit Green and Whirlpool Rapids. Our destination - Forward Harbour. Did I tell you that it is raining buckets. We are in our winter gear.

It is stunning scenery up here. And that is without seeing the tops of the mountains. I still don't know how high they are visually however the chart does indicate the height.

We made it to Forward Harbour in record time. We caught the last of the ebb through Whirlpool and had a good ride. Anchoring went without a hitch. Another boat was just ahead of us and we had a sheltered little bay without a breath of wind. We anchored in 50 ft of water so let out all 300 ft of chain. It was a good thing we did because no sooner did we anchor and I looked to the east and I could see unsettling skies and I could hear the water start to ripple. Yes sireee-we anchored just in time to ride out a four hour storm with winds gusting up to 36.8 knits. Double that for a rough estimate of kilometers per hour. We made a decision that if the wind didn't settle by 4 PM we woud weigh anchor and move to the head of the bay.

All went well - we stayed the night. I rowed Winston to shore to do what dogs need to do then rowed for another 45 minutes enjoying the calm and quiet. It was so quiet that I could hear the seaweed brush by the dinghy.

All in all we had a very peaceful night with four other boats that joined us in the early evening. They missed the storm. We have great faith in our new anchor.

September 10

Today we need to make some decisions. As you already know we have decided not to circumnavigate the island but thought we would mosey on north a little while before heading south for Victoria. Well, another option came available. We have some warranty work that needs to be done on the boat. Specialty Yachts can fit us in to have the work done. It was a tough decision - go north or Granville Island; go north or Granville Island. Ron and I knew that the best decision is to go ti Granville Island and have the work done while we have the time. It will be much more complicated to get the work done once Ron starts working in Vancouver. There it is... we are turning around. Sad but true. It was tough for both of us but is is the right thing.

Today we left Forward Harbour for Port Neville. From Port Neville we charted our new route to Vancouver. We always like to take new routes so we can see new thinngs. Well, as they say "everything happens for a reason". We saw two pods of whales! How exciting. The first pod was about 6 whales. They were on both sides of us. The second pod was about 10 whales and babies. Yes, we did keep our distance even though it was tempting to get closer. We didn't want to intrude.

There has been no wind for sailing. We had a nice motor to Blind Channel - a stunning little place. Moorage is only a buck a foot but electricity is expensive - nearly $20. a night. Thank goodness we are green and have our solar panels.

We had BBQ chicken and cole slaw last night for dinner. Food always tastes better when we are somewhere new.

We saw stars tonight. They were magnificent and the planets shone like lightbulbs. We sat outside until about 10 PM picking out the constellations we know. We noticed that the big dipper is starting to spill its contents.... winter is coming.

September 11

This morning we had about 50 feet of visibility - fog surrounded us and we could hear the fog horn at Chatham Point. Not a good sign for heading into Johnstone Strait. It's a good thing that we do not have to leave until noon. The fog has been slowly burning off. It is about 1030 and the fog horn has stopped. Looks like it will be a go to leave as planned. We are off to Campbell River. Funny thing but we have never been there by boat before so it will be an adventure.

All in all even though we are heading to Vancouver it is good. We will still see new sights, have new experiences and above all we are still vacationing.

Cheers!

OK - here is the scoop. This is the third time that I have written this update. I just keep losing the connection. Also, the internet is sooooo slow that it will not allow me to upload pictures. That is the life in the boonies.

Don't faint but I have baked muffins since we have been here. Thanks, Tara C of SV Sumitra, for a great recipe. I also have apple crisp in the oven as I type - recipe compliments of a no name boat from Washington State. They are delightful people.

This afternoon we went for a dinghy ride. Discovered an island for sale. Any one of you can purchase it for a mere $1.6M. Leanne - you wanted a project. Here it is. All there is is the island and a ramp to the dock. It looks new so maybe it is a bargain!

We saw a huge sea lion - the only one. We have heard the orcas are on their way. We shall see as we head north.

Lots of boats from the marina tonight. Ron and I are the only Canadians and probably have the smallest boat. Do the math - they are 60 plus feet.

Tomorrow we will head out at daybreak for the Green Rapids and mosey on up to Whirlpool Rapids then on into Forward Harbour. I am hoping for find a Grand Banks there - named Sea Gypsey. I understand they know how to work a SSB. I am going to crash their boat and not leave until he teaches me everything he knows. Shhhh- he doesn't know that yet.

Time to say goodnight. Until the next update... stay safe1

Here it is, the morning of Sep 7. All is calm at Cordero Lodge. We have gone for a forest (also pronounced 'forced') hike this morning. I think Ron and Winston would have rather stay curled up in the dry and warm boat. I managed to drag them out after checking in with Barbara on the Single Side Band. Our connection with Barbara is hit and miss. Last night I could listen to people from Michigan. We keep saying we have radio problems but me thinks it is Janice knowing how to work the radio.

Tomorrow we will head north to Forward Harbour. The weather reports for Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait do not sound favourable so we will just take out time in the calm and protected waters. We have also been monitoring the weather on the West Coast - it is crazy out there too. Our goal is to at least get to Bull Habour and it looks like coming down the West Coast might be saved for next year. The final decision still to be made.

We have a lot of fun using our navigation skills, checking each other's work. Planning around tides and currents. Dent Rapids has an area called Devil's Hole... it sounded extremely daunting but was totally uneventful. I guess that is why we did all the courses!

It is very peaceful up here. Even though it is drizzling outside I am enjoying sitting in the cockpit as I type. Winston is snoozing beside me and Ron is cooking brunch. Can it get any better?

I walked in the forest yesterday when we arrived at Cordero Lodge. It was so quiet, so lush and the only sound was a very loud and large Raven. I am sure he was talking to me and Winston. I have no doubt he reminding me that I was intruding.

Internet up here is intermittent. Funny how I can update this blog yet I cannot seem to send an email. My Crackberry doesn't find the signal but Cordero Lodge has very slow wireless. Thanks to them you are getting this update.

This afternoon we may go exploring in the dinghy and I also might put my nose in the manual (yet again) for the SSB radio.

TTFN (Ta Ta For Now)

Yesterday was a very rainy day. That, however, did not deter us from trekking through the forest along a very lush, water's edge trail. I spotted my very first ever forest frog. It was the size of Ron's fist and blended in very well with the brown and green of the forest floor.

In the afternoon, Ron and I poured (pun for all the rain outside) over our reference material to best decide our departure time from Dent Island to transit Dent Rapids. We decided to head out for the slack turning to an ebb (just what we wanted) at 0606 hrs.

After that we pumped the dinghy of the rain water so we wouldn't be pulling all the extra weight - glad we purchased a proper hand pump. It was much faster than bucket bailing.

We caved and ate dinner at the resort knowing it likely will be the last time we eat here. If you save every cent for a year you too can afford to eat at this lodge. The food is to die for. Enough about that as I already mentioned how good the food was in the previous writing.

Off to bed early as we were due to arise at 0500. I was wide awake this morning at 0300. Not sure why so just started thinking about our day ahead. As I checked the 0400 Marine Weather report on the blackberry and reading about THUNDER storms a sheet of lightening lit up the boat and cracked loudly in the not too distant. That went on until about 0530 and by that time Ron and I decided we were not heading out at 0600 with lightening about. Our mast is a good target so we stayed put.

This morning the rain has subsided for now. I did get a chance to see how light it is at 0600, 0615 and 0630 for when we have early starts later in our trip.

At the moment I am enjoying a relaxing cuppa Joe. Ron and Winston are snuggled and reading a good book. We have referenced out materials and will push off about 1130 today to catch the slack at the Dent Rapids. This slack will be turning to a flood but we feel this is the lesser evil between the alternative - Thunder and Lightening.

We are optomistic the weather will be changing in a couple days.

Yesterday was a very exciting, anxious and nerve-racking day. Why, you ask... well, Ron and I will be going where we have never gone before. To get to Johnstone Strait we will be transiting 5 sets of rapids: Yuculta Rapids, Gillard Passage, Dent Rapids, Green Rapids and Whirlpool Rapids. Why would we choose such a route you might ask...Well because we can and thought it the best route for us considering the other choices. Our considerations included weather forecast, flood and ebb tides and the time of the flood and ebbs. Also consideration was given to where we could duck out of any unfavourable weather if needed.

We left Gorge Harbour at 1100. Again, no wind for sailing so we motored and explored Von Donnup Inlet. Last time we were in this area with Figment Too we were afeared of 'the rock'. So, we went exploring today on Ta Daa which is longer and wider and we went in at low tide. No problem at all and what a beautiful anchorage. From this anchorage you can beach your dinghy and walk to Squirrel Cove as both places are on Cortes Island. Being conscious of the time we motored north to Harbott Point on Stuart Island to wait for the ebb tide. We met strong current so it did take us a little longer than expected but that was fine - extra time was factored into our calculations.

As many of you know Ron - we have reference books on the reference books! That is why we needed the bigger boat - hee hee. Following the reference books, advice of old salts (Sue and Ralph, SV Mariah), the tide and current schedules, our chartplotter predictions and our trusy paper chart we headed through Yuculta Rapids at 1700. We took advantage of the back eddies and made great time and only slowing to 3.6 knots. There were no whirlpools that threatened to swallow us, no rapids that threatened to return us from whence we came - it was uneventful - as it should be if you follow the sage advice of all mentioned above.

Next came Gillard Passage - again uneventful but put on the way as we still had a bit of a flood. We motored across to Dent Island where Ron treated me to the bestest meal I have EVER had and may not eat in a regular restaurant ever again. We celebrated 13 years since our first date. If the truth were known we actually haven't stopped dating.

Today we will stay put as the slack and ebb tide in daylight for Dent Rapids is tomorrow morning. We are having a lazy morning sipping coffee and refraining from going outside where one raindrop is big enough to kill man or beast.

It is actually starting to brighten a bit so in a short while we will trundle off with cameras and Winston to do a bit of exploring.

Until next update...

For those of you who have not been to Gorge Harbour, by boat, it is well worth visiting. They have all new facilities; gas dock, docks and swimming pool as well as previous facilities; canpground, laundry, store, showers etc.

It is a great little marina and prices are fair - including internet which is how I am reaching you now. Thank You Gorge Harbour Marine.

We are full of steak and prawns - Ron did an excellent job on the barby. The wind is building so it was a good call to come in and get a good night sleep.

Ta Ta For Now - time to piddle the dog and hunker down.

Hello Followers. We are in Gorge Harbour on Cortes Island. We had plans to leave this morning but due to weather forecast of winds up to 50 knots we, being the purdent sailors we are, stayed hooked for the afternoon and moved to the marina due to 3o knot forecast for the night.

Let's do some catch up - in the Comox Valley we had 14 guest aboard to celebrate Juliet's fourth birthday - she is a big girl now. The following night Ron and I had friends over that we had not seen in some time - Donna and Eddy, Bunty,and, Leanne and Gracie.

Dad came over yesterday to have coffee with us and say good-bye before we headed north. When leaving Comox to head north you have to cross the Comox Bar. It was a beautiful morning and lots of boats were out fishing. We had light SE winds - thought we could do some genneker sailing but alas, the winds were tooooo light. We motored to Gorge Harbour.

On the way to Cortes Island there is a small island called Middlenatch. This is approximately where the tides that flood around Vancouver Island meet. When Ron and I now look at the charts we need to remember and check that the ebb tide is north and flood tide is south. That is opposite to when we are in the Victoria area.

Middlenatch is also the island that my Dad was stranded on for a night or two abut 38 years ago. If you ever meet up with a fellow by the name of Bud Hayward buy him a beer and he will tell you the story.

Prior to getting to Gorge Harbour we spotted a boat perched on the rocks at the SW corner of Marina Island. Poor folks had to wait for a high tide.

We had a great night on the hook (anchored) last night but the winds did pick up fairly early this morning. Winds were gusting to 25 knots so gave our new Rocna anchor a good test.

I forced Ron and Winston to walk to Whaletown and wouldn't you know it -it poured rain too. We have all the rain gear but left it on the boat. Who knew...

The good news - this morning Ron added another strip of copper foil for more grounding. The SSB worked and we finally made connection with Barbara of the Great Norther Boaters Net. I am not sure who was more excited-us for contacting Barbara -or Barbara for finally hearing from us! It was wonderful to check in. Tomorrow our plan is to transit the Yuculta Rapids and Gillard Passage then stay at Dent Island the night. The following day we will transit the Dent Rapids and then pick a spot to anchor before heading out to Johnstone Strait. The winds are 30 knots in Johnstone Strait right now but will calm before we get there.

Winston is enjoying having Ron and I with him 24/7. He is getting lots of attention from other boaters we meet.

Tonight we are going to feast on steak and prawns - yes Bill, they are OUR prawns!

Finding internet connection is getting more difficult but say tuned and I will update in a day or two.

Cheers for now!

Happy September 1st Everyone!



The last couple days have been very busy. Ron and I left Salt Spring Island at 0500 hrs. Did you know it is very dark at 0500. We had to make Dodd Narrows for the slack or at the least the turning of the ebb to a flood tide. Our speed in the dark was half the normal speed. The sunrise was beautiful and we arrived at Dodd Narrow as predicted. The winds were either right on the nose or very light. Ron and I were in agreement that we would forego the sailing (as we would have had to tack to Lasqueti Island) to get to the Comox Valley.



The Comox Valley is where I (Janice) grew up. It is also where my dad, my sister, two kids (Stewart & Meghan), grandchildren and countless friends live. We have spend the past two day having a birthday party on board for Juliet, who is now a BIG girl of four, tidying the boat for guest arrivals and planning our new route.



Tonight we are having a few friends aboard to catch up from the last time we saw each other.



To say the least, the SSB radio is giving us a bit of grief. It seems that we have too much interference and Ron is trying to solve the problem before we head north.



Speaking of heading north, mother nature has a way of calling the shots - she has re-routed us thrugh Desolation Sound and the Yuculta and Dent Rapids. Seymour Narrows at this time of year with the full moon brings higher tides. And to boot, the tide would be changing from and ebb to a flood which was not in our favour. So, we will go to plan B. It will all be new scenery so it is all good.



For those of you who have not been to the Comox Valley by car or by boat - it is a stunning place to visit. The Marina is lovely and very convenient to anything you could possibly need and by foot. No car needed.



Having a couple days rest is just what we have needed. We didn't realize how tired we were from getting the boat ready for our trip and after putting in two long days to get here. From now on, our days will be shorter with time to explore.



Ta ta for now...