(Again, as on June 4, to be sung to the tune of “Over the River and Through the Woods”): “Nice motor-sailing o’er Hecate Strait: to the B.C. coast we go! The chart shows the way to pilot Braesail through the white and swirling foam–OH! Over the water and through the waves–now the islands’ shores we spy! Hurrah for the creatures that make them their home–hurrah for the sea and sky!”
WE MADE IT BACK safely to the B.C. coastal islands at about 4:30 pm on Tuesday, the day of the Summer Solstice (the skies begin to lighten slightly around 4 am and are not thoroughly dark until after midnight!). We left at about 6:15 am and motored for 10.5 hours, first under grumpy skies, and later beneath benignly smiling ones–“Hmmm–try to imagine that Summer IS actually here!”– through undulating seas, sometimes with our large foresail (the genoa) raised to provide extra stability and a little additional speed. I had to go down into the aft head twice, but sur vived the expeditions without problems with queasiness, and we both were able to enjoy a sandwich lunch and to take naps (I actually enjoy being rocked back and forth in our “floating sea cradle!”). This Hecate Strait crossing, a distance of about 70 miles, was SO much easier than the one we made 2.5 weeks ago–and I was SO thankful!!
Braesail had spent most of Monday docked behind the large stone breakwater at the settlement of Sandspit, to which we’d motored on Monday morning, both to save some money on moorage fees, and to be 1.5 hours nearer to our Tuesday destination. I attempted to catch up a little on the writing and posting of blog entries and photos, since connectivity was sufficient to allow efficient work, but I didn’t quite manage to achieve my goal of updating the photos for the entries from May 30 through about June 12; I DID add some new posts and pictures. Walt completed his preparations for Tuesday’s travel and went to bed early. I made sandwiches for Tuesday’s lunch and took the attached picture of the boats in the small Sandspit marina soaking up the sunset (at about 10:30 pm) that stained the water.
By about 5 pm on Tuesday, Braesail was comfortably ensconced here in the sparkling, spacious Spicer Island anchorage we’ve enjoyed all day (Wednesday, June 22), and we spent a relaxing evening dining, watching some sailing videos shot in this area a few years ago, and looking at the many surrounding islands looking back at us.
Today has been another planning day as we anticipate traveling to Prince Rupert this weekend (Walt should have a new refrigerator/freezer thermostat to pick up), and then continuing our journey, back in U.S. waters, into southeastern Alaska!
Braesail - A grand yacht in the Salish Sea 