THE JOURNEY BEGINS: Monday, July 25

We “shipped out” at last from sunny Bellingham on Monday morning at about 9 am and motored most of the way to Bedwell Harbour on South Pender Island in the Canadian Gulf Islands; there was little wind, but we did sail for a short time. We motored through Patos Island’s small-but-beautiful anchorage and past the picturesque light house on the point of the island (pictured above; Walt, Martin, and I spent some time in the area many years ago). That afternoon I discovered that my PFD (personal flotation device, aka life vest) inflates just as it should when one falls into the water! As we were landing at the Canadian Customs dock so that boat and passengers (particularly Joy) could be cleared for entry into Canada, I stepped off the boat with the boat’s blue “breast line” to try to tie it to the dock, but slipped backward and plunged into the VERY-dirty but not-very-cold water. Thanks to Walt’s skill as a helmsman, I was NOT crushed between the boat and the dock. I was helped up the slippery, weed-covered dock ladder by three kind gentlemen, I grabbed my partly-wet sailing hat (my spectacles had stayed in place on my nose, since the PFD had kept me vertical with my head above water), and, while Walt checked in with Customs, I stood dripping on the dock once the little crabs clinging to my clothing had been plucked off by my thoughtful rescuers. I COULD have been badly injured or possibly killed, but suffered only a bruise on my right upper arm and a small cut on my left ring finger. I let my soaked clothing dry after rinsing off the nasty water from them and from myself in the aft cabin’s shower. My Guardian Angel must have been on duty—thanks be to God!
After my “adventure,” we motored to a large and peaceful anchorage in Annette Inlet on Prevost Island, a place we enjoyed immensely last July. Walt took Joy in our inflatable dinghy, just purchased about a week previously, and went rowing over the sunset-stained, satiny water while I cleaned the galley after supper.