Monday-Tuesday, September 21-22, 2026
Clouds didn’t arrive above our anchoring spot in the Octopus Islands on Monday until afternoon. The “sun porch” was warm and wonderful, and Walt and I enjoyed reading and writing, Walt working on his article about our Bute Inlet experiences for Compass Magazine, and I writing and editing my photos and blog posts. When Walt had finished his article, I read it and made suggestions, and he sent it off to the editors—I’m quite sure it will be accepted. In the early afternoon, Walt climbed into Coracle, pulled the engine’s starter cord, and it came to life—good! Off he went to haul up the crab trap, in which he found two very large and very heavy, but female, crabs, and so there would be no crab meat for supper, sad to say.
It wasn’t long before I glimpsed Walt rowing Coracle back—the outboard engine had taken him to the trap but then had refused to start therafter, and we saw a rainbow sheen of leaking gasoline on the surface of the water at Braesail’s stern—not good! We hoisted the engine aboard with a bucket to catch the dripping gas, of which there wasn’t much remaining. Walt will investigate the problem on Tuesday morning before we leave our anchoring spot.
Some inquisitive breezes had dropped in to visit during the early afternoon, ruffling the water and producing little waves that lapped at Braesail’s hull, laughing and gurgling happily. At about 4:30, clouds assembled and initial sprinkles led to a gentle shower or two. I rested in the cockpit while Walt napped so that I could enjoy the sound and the smell of the rain. When I saw sun-rays piercing the clouds in the west, I looked for a rainbow to the east, and was not disappointed.
We ate supper in the cockpit and I watched and photographed the glowing rainbow arc over the islands, increase in intensity, and then be joined by a second bow, both of which were reflected in the glassy water around us—marvelous!
The double bow lasted for a surprisingly long time as the sun sank behind the forested hills and the clouds scattered its last light
and later on set the retiring moon in a cream-and-copper frame. What a wonderful gift to appreciate at the close of the day!
Walt spent a sunny, calm Tuesday morning working on the outboard engine, disassembling it, checking this and that, and diagnosing a problem with the carburetor that he is quite sure he was able to fix. I enjoyed the warmth of the “sun porch” while reading articles, editing photos, and writing email, and soon it was 1:30 pm and we were raising the anchor and motoring away from the Octopus Islands after a marvelous almost-four-day stay.
Our first goal was passing through Surge Narrows at slack tide (at about 3 pm), when the currents helping us to get there would be running slowly enough to keep from interfering with our safe travel between the rocky, wooded shores. We encountered no difficulties with sideways-pushing swirls, and, after another hour of travel, we were checking with the staff at the marina at the Heriot Bay Inn in Heriot Bay at the southern end of Quadra island to see where we should moor. A helpful dock-hand met us and took our lines, and Braesail was soon tied up securely and hooked up to shore power for battery-charging. Walt walked up the dock a short distance to register our presence and pay our fee, and I chatted with two pleasant gentlemen who stopped by to admire our boat (this happens frequently). A light rain shower ambled through the marina and left a little sunshine behind, and the freshened air was as delightful as the rain!
Later in the evening, we carried two bags of recyclable waste onto the shore and deposited their contents into the proper containers behind the 131-year-old Inn (the present building dates from 1912). We had dinner in the Inn’s warm and charming pub, and the food was plentiful (I have a good amount of Greek salad left for lunch on Wednesday!) and delicious, and the service was very friendly. We’d noticed that the pub’s exterior “vinyl” siding was made from a vast number of overlapping LP discs (photo next time–what a great use for old, unwanted records!), and the performance area in the pub was decorated with album covers—unusual and very cool!
We have a number of tasks to accomplish on Wednesday (or Thursday, if we decide to stay here in lovely Heriot Bay for a second night): dispose of more rubbish, defrost the refrigerator, walk up to the grocery store, top up the water tanks, install a larger alternator on the engine, and purchase some diesel fuel. With the boat’s batteries filled and our tummies too, we looked forward to a comfortable night and a busy day ahead!
