Salish Sea Cruising 2014

[David Patterson]

Had a posting problem, now it is working. Flushing the engine did solve my overheating problem. The zinc was not much affected, though some. I'll try to get back to photos of some general interest.

[David Patterson]

This photo is of BEMA of Valdez, AK, working on her mast while docked in Friday Harbor. She is a Nor'sea 27 crewed by a young (to me) couple, meandering their way down to San Diego. No Intracoastal Waterway on the west coast. Plus, the coast is a lee shore for prevailing westerlies. Better have a sailable boat and a good offing. Their mast is hinged to drop forward at the step. They told me they had just re-done the mast's running rigging and were finishing up re-doing electrical connections at the mast base. The gentleman who sailed his Alberg 30 around the Horn used this arrangement. I was able to do this on my little Montgomery 17, by hand. My 25D is unfortunately hinged aft, requiring a gin pole arrangement for lowering the stick. One excellent explanation of mast-lowering (with fine drawings) using the leverage of the boom, can be found in Bruce Bingham's charming and informative SAILORS SKETCHBOOK. Out of print but definitely worth finding used. An east coast cruiser (and yacht designer), he would lower his mast to pass below obstructive fixed bridges, gaining access to extended gunk-holing, I recall reading. Must have made for some fine bird watching. (I had a close observation of four horned grebes in breeding colors recently. Remarkable birds. Very exotic, to me.) Note the rain shelter. These folks know rain!

[David Patterson]

Two views, starboard and port, of the old wooden ketch ROUGH AND READY of Shaw Island, WA. I judge her to be near 50'. She has shared my weekend anchorage, as I wait for a new tiller pilot to arrive, back in port. R'nR was owner built as a one-off for fishing. The aft house was added on later, over the fish hold, for cruising crew quarters. The forward house is the engine room. The heavy engines of the time were often placed forward for trim, when loaded with fish, and to free the aft area for the work of hauling in the catch. She is primarily a sailboat, however, not a motor vessel with masts. Without a lens to bring her image closer, I am not showing her fine entry, the wood smoke from the Charlie Noble in the evening shot, nor the swell of the beam brought far forward. I thought I was looking at a Lyle Hess design, when I first saw her last year and the owner told me of her history. Nope. Just a knowledgeable guy built himself a boat, rough and ready, back in the day. Superb old craft. The sunrise was lovely, between the two boat shots.

[John Schafer]

I enjoy your photos, not many CD's in this part of the world. Over spring break weekend we were able to pick up a buoy on Matia and Petos,a real treat. Other than Cabbage Island on bottom of Saturna these are probably the jewel in the crown. If you get a chance during good weather try to make a stop if you have not already been there. When the weather turns they will be full till fall. Only two buoys. Are you going to the Alberg Rendezvous on Telegraph Harbor, Thetis Island on June 20 weekend. Always a lot of fun, we missed last year but were going this year. John.

[David Patterson]

John, I've been to Sucia twice but not yet to either Patos or Matia. I have plans to go to both, though it may be fall before I get to it. Not crowded then either. I "circumnavigated" Sucia counter-clockwise under sail in November 2012, approaching and leaving via President Channel. Fascinating currents situation for a sailor. It was a little sailing voyage I considered a big accomplishment at the time. Lively weather that time of year. Decided against trying for the other two islands. Didn't see a soul on Sucia, until my third anchorage, when two Canadian yachts came into Shallow Bay. Great hiking. I do plan to be at the Thetis rendezvous. I was in Ganges last year. Excellent group of cruisers. I think this year will be well attended. Hope I meet you there. I'd love to hear about Cabbage Island. New to me, but then so much is. It is great to have a different world to learn at this point in life. Thanks for viewing my photos, and for responding. Much appreciated. For those interested, I've included an iNavX screen shot of these three exotic magical islands, parklands each. They are north of Orcas Island of the San Juan Archipelago. Saturna, a Canadian Gulf Island, is due west. That purple traffic lane is from Rosario Strait to the Strait of Georgia. Anything but placid waters, often. Right, John? (See chart 18421)

[John Schafer]

Cabbage Island is just off of Tumbo Island Park on SE bottom of Saturna Island. Most people cruise up or down the inside passages of the Gulf Islands and seldom venture on the exposed eastern shore. We used to keep our boat in Blaine[now Bellingham], and on a return trip home we discovered this seldom visited gem and it has become our favorite place. Beautiful sandy beach with "most intact wetland and vegetative community remaining on Gulf Islands." Ten buoys with lots of current and tricky entrance, this is exposed anchorage so be watchful of a SE or NW wind, but well worth the anxiety. My wife retires from teaching in June so we are planning a trip around Vancouver Island in August and September. Lots of rain coming, stay dry. John.

[David Patterson]

Thanks, John, you have put Cabbage Island squarely on my list of desireable destinations, as much with your intriguing description of the approach as with the island itself. When you cruise around big Vancouver, I hope you will share some of it on this site. I would love to follow along. When I and my diminutive boat are more ready, that cruise is high on my list as well. Thanks for the heads up re the rain. I don't mind (usually!) sailing in the rain. Wind and current matter more to me. At Force 3 (7-10kts) I'm reaching along at 4-5 knots in CLOUD GIRL. By upper Force 4 (11-16kts) I am reefing down. By Force 5 (17-21kts) I'm heading for my anchorage. On my 25D, Force 6 (22-27kts) may as well be a gale. I'm in a storm hole, well anchored. Sensibly conservative, viewed from my cockpit. I'm cruising, not racing. The rain you may get in Blaine or Bellingham, certainly Seattle and poor soggy Olympia, may be twice what the "Juans" get, in their famous "rain shadow." This wunderground.com screen shot covers the rain event you are warning me of, I think. I look at it and see some good passage days, hunched into my foulies. I'll watch ahead. These fronts often come in a series, I know. I'm looking forward to meeting you two on the water one day. After the screen shot is a photo of a drift log in my anchorage this morning. The angle diminishes it. About 25 feet long, 10" diameter. Things that can go bump on a passage, around here. Released from a beach by spring tides.

[David Patterson]

Poised to transit Sansum Narrows north behind Saltspring Island, I have a chance to post from Cowichan, BC. Below are photos of ISLAND RAVEN, for those who enjoy superbly crafted wood boats. Built by Jesperson to a Bill Garden design 32 years ago, I was able to be aboard her in Royal Cove of Portland Island. 37'. Everything about her makes a viewer feel good. The last photo is one of the sort I post to Facebook for my grandchildren. The travel doll Paddington Bear is their viewpoint of my cruising. Here he is calling out "Rocks, dead ahead!"

[David Patterson]

Two photos: one a view of my recent wanderings, the other of Haro Strait looking south. On the small scale chart (US 18400) my track of the last week or more includes two very enjoyable passages by sail alone, anchor up to anchor down, pleasing for their planning and execution. From Parks Bay of Shaw Island in the San Juans, to Reid Harbor of Stuart Island was one. Another was from Royal Cove of Portland Island, the Gulf Islands, to sweet Genoa Bay, off Cowichan Bay of giant Vancouver Island. The rest of the track is of passages of mixed sailing, motor-sailing, and straight-forward motoring. Wind, tide, and time rule, not to mention various hazards. The cruiser adjusts. Right? In the second photo a container ship and a bulk carrier steam up Haro Strait, along the US/Canada border. I was motor-sailing for speed in light airs, having crossed their traffic lane already, warned of their approach by AIS. Victoria Traffic Control had surely warned them of me. They were astern of me within minutes, moving much faster than I was in little CLOUD GIRL.

[John Schafer]

In lower Saanich Inlet we like the inner recesses of Todd Inlet. A nice secluded anchorage close to Victoria by bus at head of bay. The flowers should be working overtime at Butchart Gardens this time of year with this warm weather. My Frigoboat refrigerator died and I have to head over to fix it. If this warm spell lasts I will try to get a coat of varnish on. John.

[David Patterson]

A glance at my chart track will show how close I came to yielding to the pull of Todd Inlet. For another cruise, I suppose. In the weather conditions at the time, the very name Squally Reach on the chart gave me pause. I was already at 6.7 SOG by GPS in moments, aided by a current. running wing and wing. The steering was getting kinda dicey. Hull speed on my little cruiser is only 5.4, or something like that. Discretion and valor, and all. I altered course. I'm making a recon of routes to Thetis Island for later in the summer, when I am to squire my next oldest sister to the NW Alberg Rendezvous 6/20 - 6/22 there. Don't want to be a fool with her aboard. Good luck with your refrigeration, John. I was harbor-bound for several extra weeks with my engine. Frustrating, with all of the exploration waiting.

[David Patterson]

Some local Trickster god lost a pocketful of diamonds on the waters of the lower reaches of Sansum Narrows, in this photo. Showing only a narrow range of color in the bright sun, in the far background the Olympic mountains are still discernible, south of Juan de Fuca Strait, looking south past Vancouver Island. The iNavX screenshot of my track through the central strictures of the Narrows is a good reminder of the limits of a small scale chart (still US 18400 I think). I didn't really sail across any shores. My track is accurate; the chart lines are not. Marking a chart with a broad pencil can likewise obscure rocks and other hazards under the drawn line, if one is not careful. Calder and others write about chart issues on a plotter. Wind can speed up in the Narrows, in a Venturi effect, I suppose. Makes for interesting transits, considering that current does exactly the same thing. Lots of eddies and rips, even at supposed slack water, at times. I motor-sailed through under main and iron jib, more "sail-motoring" little CLOUD GIRL, often, for I was having the odd experience of being close hauled with just the main up, in Force 4 (11-16kt) wind, using the engine to correct my course in the current's swirling. A light boat is easily moved by wind and current. A keel boat catches currents, naturally. I arrived at the narrowest point half an hour prior to slack, and paid for my early arrival by having a skittish boat.

[David Patterson]

Oddities: one photo is of effluent from a paper mill. I crossed through big patches in Stuart Channel. Organic matter, but still.... When I first motored into it in a calm, I thought I was running onto a reef. Gave me a start. The other photo is of a mystery solved. After lights out, a strange creaking noise of plastic began to emanate from the forward compartment. Investigation with a light showed nothing odd. The noise kept happening. Out of my berth again with a light, still nothing unexpected could be seen. The noise stopped. This morning I found I had been only seeing what I expected as my eyes passed over this spare PFD. Somehow it got triggered and swelled to stretch its case. Two problems now: how to get it out without sacrificing the case, and where I stowed my spare CO2 canisters?

[Sea Hunt Video]

David:

"Somehow it got triggered . . ."

It is recollection and understanding that, depending on make and model and year of mfg. of your PFD, there is a small salt tablet at the tip of the CO2 trigger mechanism. When it dissolves the trigger "fires". It is possible that over time moisture ever so slowly dissolved the salt tablet.

What is make and model of the PFD pictured in the photo.

What is make and model of the harness pictured in the photo.

[David Patterson]

Robert, I have concluded it was the moisture, condensation where I had it stored. I doubt it was the pull cord but could have been I suppose. It is a Bluestorm ProSail 33 designed to fill when it hits the water. The tether is one I got five years ago from Defender, I recall. I have better aboard and just stow this one with the PFD. And I did manage to extract it from the cover and deflate it. Now to find a CO2 replacement.