A downpour doused Rolfe Cove at about 7:30 am, encouraging us to remain in our comfy beds for another two hours. A brunch of buckwheat pancakes and bacon, prepared by Walt, finally coaxed us into our clothes, and after partaking of the delicious repast, we resumed reading, writing, doing puzzles, and chatting. The sun managed to elbow its way through the clouds as the morning passed, and at about 1:30 pm we boarded Coracle for a circumnavigation of marvelous Matia Island.
We visited little nooks bordered by sandy pocket beaches
and madrona-crowned bluffs, found fascinating figures in the galleries of sandstone sculptures that we passed (puffy mushrooms, huge toads, processions of unidentifiable animals marching beside the water, giants’ mouths filled with jagged teeth, cave walls inscribed with spiderweb patterns resembling city maps, draperies edged with honeycomb stone lace, distorted faces peering around boulders, white rock pillows tossed beside piles of driftwood, waves frozen just when breaking), and waved to somnolent seals taking siestas in the September sun.
Once back on board Braesail, we enjoyed a tomato soup lunch and then followed the seals’ lead and slipped off to sleep while new neighbors settled into the space across the float that had been vacated by the boaters with whom we’d visited on Monday evening. Following our naps, we spent the rest of the afternoon engaging in our customary quiet pursuits while sunbeams and showers chased each other around the cove and the rocky island at its mouth. Joy and I decided we’d been far too sedentary all day, so, during a break between showers, she walked many times along the float and up and down the ramp to shore while I hiked up to the top of the bluff overlooking the cove, returned to the shore, walked back and forth along the beach through the gravel at the water’s edge on one side of a tangle of drift logs and along the sand on the other side, and at last joined Walt and Joy in a conversation with our new neighbors, Richard and Christine (the sister of a LIOS co-worker whom I haven’t seen for at least 15 years!). Following a tasty dinner featuring Indian cuisine, the neighbors came by to chat and tour our boat, and we had a wonderful visit. Graham cracker/ice cream sandwiches and a game of Farkel ended our day, and we looked forward to motoring to Stuart Island in the morning.
Braesail - A grand yacht in the Salish Sea 