Tuesday, June 18, 2024
WE MADE IT!! Out of tranquil Bull Harbour (as a large sea otter observed our passage) at about 10 am under cloudy skies, across the infamous Nahwitti Bar, along the northern coast of Vancouver Island, around rugged Cape Scott, down the northern portion of Vancouver’s West Coast, past the Kains Island Light Station, into Forward Inlet, and finally into placid North Harbour south west of Winter Harbour we went, taking advantage of the opening of an ideal “weather window” for making this trip: no rain, gentle winds in favorable directions, comfortably rolling seas, beautiful afternoon sunshine—what a gift!
We had NO challenges from winds or seas on our way, we enjoyed observing “rafts” of sea otters bobbing on their backs like flotillas of small, dark, furry canoes on the wavelets, and Martin, Hans, and I took photos of Cape Scott as we motored by.
By about 4:30 pm, we had sparkling sunshine, steady northwest winds, and delightful following seas, and Martin talked Hans into helping him raise the giant spinnaker sail at Braesail’s bow. They had some difficulties getting the sail out its “turtle bag,” raised it backward at first with the two bottom points of its triangular shape reversed, and experienced some line tangles, but they finally got the “kite” flying quite beautifully and effectively.
We were blessed with a quiet, leisurely, thoroughly delightful sail along the hilly, heavily-wooded coast for about an hour and a half, and then the wind rose and its direction began to vary, so Hans and Martin hauled down the spinnaker and we finished our nine-hour journey at about 7 pm under engine power, passing tumbled, spray-whipped rocks and the picturesque Kains Island Light Station
on our way to North Harbour, where one sailboat and one powerboat were already anchored.
Martin had heated a pan of lasagna and made a salad while we were still underway, and once Braesail was securely anchored, we dined in the cockpit on a truly splendid evening. Martin then pulled his new crab trap out of its carrying bag and assembled it, loaded it and himself into Coracle (our dinghy), revved the outboard motor, and launched out into the harbor to find a likely place for lowering the trap. Hans and Walt repacked the spinnaker and I tidied up the cockpit, galley, and saloon (the main cabin containing the dining table, settees, and stuffed chairs). Next, I helped Martin dock Coracle upon his return from trap-laying, motoring around our neighboring boats, and shooting beautiful evening scenes beneath a glowing gibbous moon. We ended our long, full day and prepared for our first night on Vancouver’s West Coast with mugs of hot chocolate and hearty thanks for an excellent trip!
Braesail - A grand yacht in the Salish Sea 