All photos in this
website are copyrighted; we ask that you
not copy them in any form without permission.
Please contact webmaster@familyyachtclub.com
for any additional information.
Spirit of
Freedom's Gunkhole Adventure 2009
June 12 - October 11, 2009 1,615.4 nautical miles
Part Four: The Broughtons to Pt. Hardy --Pamela and Glenn's Adventure! July 20 - Aug 6
July 20 Dad and I left Blind Channel Resort after Cliff flew out, clearing Greenpoint Rapids at 3:00 PM and then onto Forward Harbor for the night. We had a LOT of wind on the nose, so opted to motor the entire way in order to make Whirlpool Rapids, which we did with 4.5 knots with us and the turbulence building rapidly! Forward Harbor was crowded, with 17 boats waiting for a weather window on Johnstone Strait for the trip north, or the morning slack for the trip south. We anchored in 80' of water, with a good set. It was windy!!! Gale warnings were posted, and the wind was blowing on the strait, so we opted to sleep in. I was very surprised to find out there is now cell coverage here! Wow!
July 21 Still sitting in Forward Harbor, very windy but clear by noon. Southbound boats left this morning, The six of us remaining boats (all northbound) were joined by 5 more after slack. Gale warnings still posted, but we will try to leave early AM.
July 27 Time to catch up on my log!! We are in Grappler Sound, Carrington Bay. The weather is CLEAR AND HOT, and has been for several days. The trip up Johnstone Strait on 7/22 was un-eventful, a motor run, cloudy and misty but with no wind to speak of even though gale warnings were still posted. The water was bumpy and lumpy though. We dropped anchor in Maltipi with an iffy set. The wind came up in the afternoon and we drug a teeny little, so we moved over to Burial Cove. Very tight, very shallow, but a good set. On 7/23 we toured around a bit before heading thru Chatham Channel, raising our sails as soon as we cleared the channel. We had a lovely sail around Minstrel Island and sailed into Lagoon Cove and tied up at Lagoon Cove Marina. It is a lovely place and we had a lot of fun at the happy hour pot-luck, with great story-telling by Bill, the owner. The dogs got to run around a lot in a large field, so they really enjoyed it! We also went to the marshmallow roast, which was very enjoyable as well, especially watching all the kids play. We left Lagoon Cove Marina after one night and were barely 200' from the dock when Dad realized that the raw water alarm was buzzing. He called to me since I was on the foredeck to tell me it was on; I asked "Is there water coming out the exhaust?" He said "OH... I didn't think about that... NO" We immediately turned back to the marina, and I hollered to Bill who was still at our open spot that we were coming back in and were going to be shutting down the engine and needed to be caught. By the time we were at the dock there must have been 10 guys there to catch us! The local "mechanic" pulled the hose off of the thru-hull (still with great difficulty!) and put an air compressor to it...and out popped a very large, very dead shiner perch!!!! We had sucked him in when we started the engine. And evidently this was not the first time it had happened there! So funny!!! So $40 later, and perchless, we were on our way.
Off to Kwatsi Bay, where we spent two-and-a-half enjoyable days, visiting with other cruisers. The pattern was set...the Broughtons this year was going to be a "social time" with lots of visiting, lots of pot-lucks and appetizers! From Kwatsi Bay we started sightseeing thru the Broughtons, so different from the last time Cliff and I were here, then it was cloudy, dark and rainy. This year it is gorgeous, sunny, clear and hot. Dad and I explored deep into Viner Sound and then sailed on to Laura Cove hoping to anchor but found it full! That was a first! We were finding more boats in the Broughton's then we saw in Desolation Sound! I radioed Shawl Bay, and they said they had room for us for the night. Shawl Bay (in Simoon Sound) is funky and fun! You want local flavor? Go there! Margo Woods (Charlie's Charts) was giving a talk that night, ending a special day with several local artists who were having a show. I had a nice visit with Margo, having met her before. She invited us to stop by her place in Bamfield on our way down the west coast of Van Isle, telling me we could tie up at her dock. Dad and I ordered fresh baked bread and a pie from the bakery, which we picked up the next morning before we left. We saw some other people that we had met at Kwatsi Bay and Lagoon Cove Marina and had a nice visit. The next morning, after a big pancake breakfast on the dock we left, and "Pocket Yacht" escorted us out of the bay, which was cloaked in a foggy shawl... hence the name "Shawl Bay."
We sailed our way out of the bay, thru the lifting fog and headed for Grappler
Sound. planning on anchoring in Carrington Bay, which
we
did. Nobody was here when we arrived, but by late afternoon, we were joined by
five other boats. But since the bay is large, it is still quiet. The view is
spectacular from there! But so are the flies! YIKES! They bite!!! And hot! The
Broughtons this year are exceptional; where is all the rain, dark clouds, cold
wet fog and misery?? Wish every summer was like this! We kept our eyes open, but
didn't spot any bears on the beach; kind of disappointing.
Aug 5. I really need to keep up on my log!! I am being very lax this year. I am also not taking near the number of photos I normally take. From Carrington Bay we headed up Grappler Sound to Turnbull Cove; very lovely, very quiet, only a few boats and hotter then hell!!! Dad and I toured the cove in the afternoon, still having problems with the outboard. That darned thing just wouldn't run right! When we were a ways from Spirit, it quit; so we started rowing back. We saw a dinghy leave a boat and head for us and realized it was the couple that we had met a month ago in Pender Harbor, the couple with their sheltie "Pride." They came over to offer us a tow back to Spirit (which we declined) and to tell us proudly that their Pride was using the foredeck and didn't need to go ashore! They were so happy! They are also heading down the west coast of Van Isle, maybe we will see them again.
Next:
Go to Part
Four, 2009 (continued)
Go back one page
Go back to beginning, Part
Three, 2009
Go
back to Part Two, 2009
Go back to Part One,
2009
Return to Spirit
of Freedom's Logbooks