Monday, June 17, 2024
We, Braesail’s four crew members, enjoyed a restful night and had a relatively busy morning as we prepared, at last, to leave Port Hardy, travel to Bull Harbour on Hope Island, and then make our way along the northern shore of Vancouver Island and around the notorious Cape Scott at the northwest corner of the island, thereafter going south to Winter Harbour on the island’s “wild west coast.” Trash was taken ashore, the water tanks were topped up, the anchor chain received new colored zip ties fastened through its links at 30-ft. intervals, all loose items were properly stored, and all cabinet latches were fastened. We cast off the mooring lines and motored out of Hardy Bay at 11:30 am as planned, and began the four-hour journey northwest along the Goletas Channel in a moderate headwind, over ruffled seas, and beneath a canopy of thick gray clouds. Hans received a call from the crew of the ship whose electronics he’d worked on, and new problems were reported, so he gave them his best advice and referred them to other experts. I’d had a fine time in Port Hardy, and particularly enjoyed the friendliness and helpfulness of the people and the constant whistling and chittering of the many eagles living near Fisherman’s Wharf and, from time to time, performing delightful aerial ballets above the harbor, swooping, soaring, looping, circling, wind-surfing, diving, and generally putting on a splendid show!! But it was high time we were on our way around to the west side of Vancouver Island!
We arrived in commodious Bull Harbor at 3:30 pm after traveling along a passage whose high, rocky shores were pocked with dark caves and marked with fascinating “sea stacks” decorated with varied vegetation. We anchored easily with a large white powerboat to our starboard and another to our port. With no connectivity, taking a shower, napping, reading, chatting, building a website, re-learning how to use a particular camera rig, and generally enjoying one another’s company filled the afternoon and evening as a wonderful evening feast filled our stomachs. A long trail of black ducks wandered around and about the water near one of the harbor’s wooded, grass-lined shores, and provided relaxing entertainment for those of us in the cockpit.
Tuesday will be a LONG day–the journey to the Winter Harbour vicinity will take about nine hours, and, we hope, will provide us opportunities to raise Braesail’s sails (perhaps the spinnaker?) as we move through the swells on the open ocean. Wind, sea, and weather conditions look ideal for our crossing of the potentially-dangerous Nahwitti Bar (an area of shallow water) and for our rounding of Cape Scott. May we travel safely!
Braesail - A grand yacht in the Salish Sea 