the reverse curve of time

~ From Coop ~

6:20am alarm clock was set with the intention to make coffee and pull the anchor to be leaving Bedwell Harbour by 7. We were close, but yet another no holds barred cage fight between Nate and Verizon held us down until 7:30.

We motored out of the bay in calm winds and lumpy water as residual swells from the wind the day before reflected off the steep rocky cliffs that are well decorated with huge houses ranging from wild modern monuments to massive McMansions that belong on a golf course from 1992. One thing about Canada is that they seem to do their building to a different code. Perched atop steep and jagged rock faces decks, pools and additions are supported by long posts that like that clown on stilts, you know which one.

Beyond just the opulent houses, their shoreline engineering is impressive in the way it adapts to powerful exposure to wind, waves, tons of rain, and steep rocky shorelines. Drawbridge-like gangplanks often have Rube Goldbergesque method of getting people and goods from the boat to the island. Most islands don’t have ferries but there are lots of ways to make it work with small boats, welded aluminum structures, and some creative laws of physics.

By the time we got to the north end of North Pender Island, the wind had built behind us and we had a great downwinder as we headed past Ganges on Saltspring to port, Galiano to starboard. The new extendable spinnaker pole (not a joke) worked awesome to pole out Crow’s huge genoa and sail wing on wing (one sail on either side, straight downwind) to Porlier pass. As we passed Wallace island (look it up, interesting history involves Marilyn Monroe) Nate and I recalled it as the only place we got really frustrated with each other when we were in Bunny Whaler rowing to Alaska; we were being set backwards by the current and the exhaustion of day 2 of 23 made us really cranky. But this time we were just gently sailing, French toast with blueberries made by mom (!!! – ed. Nate). And we timed the currents right and got slurped through Porlier Pass out into the formidable Straight of Georgia. Normally heading north we would avoid zig zagging across this piece of water that, if you have been on more than a couple times, you treat with respect. Winds can build quickly and its massive size gives the water enough fetch to feel like an angry ocean. Despite the intimidation factor (partly because of towing Grasshopper) we were very excited to visit dear friends in Gibson’s Landing. After Porlier Pass and its associated rip tides, we were treated with 12-18kts of beautiful broad reaching across the 28 miles of swirling shades of green from the Fraser River and the leftover abundance of rain from this soggy spring. Grasshopper was very well behaved and the Crow, loaded with food, fuel, lots of water and a bunch of wood for the wood stove, took off gently galloping like a rocking horse with her full keel and huge rig. 6 knots became 7 and then 8, like the current through a pass she built and eased. It’s the first time we’ve had hours of 7+knot sailing on the Crow, and it was impressive, heavenly, giving Nate and I dreams of what it would be like to sail this wonderful boat on the Pacific. Looping the bitter end of the jib sheet around the tiller proved better for these conditions than the auto tiller – it could be tied against the gentle weather helm or held like thick reins.

We sailed all the way into Plumper Cove on Keats Island and grabbed clean shirts and undies in preparation for dinner and a show(er) at Peter and Christie’s. Gibson’s harbor proper was not great for anchoring so Peter picked us up in their center co sole skiff and the 22kts skip to the beach was fun in the sun!

Dinner looking out from their very sweet and reasonably-sized house with a billion dollar view of Howe Sound towards the mountains below Squamish was great fun, as well as sharing some stories from when we met them in Princess Royal channel in 2016 during R2AK and slept in the fish hold of their old wooden troller Tomte; they nourished us with food and fun stories. I remember that breakfast of potatoes and eggs, in Prince Rupert with the rain just coming down, when Nate said, “Peter you should write a book!” and he handed us each a signed copy of his Lee Shore Blues: Sex, Drugs and Bluewater Sailing. That breakfast, and the gin we bought the night before, gave us the fortitude to sail Bunny out of Venn Passage and make a very lucky 24-hour run across Dixon Entrance to Ketchikan. We read Peter’s book out loud to each other that night drinking the gin with grapefruit soda, eating potato chips with cottage cheese. All those decisions seemed like a good idea back then. But tonight we had delicious salmon dinner with all the beautiful things that make home cooked meals different than what and how we eat on the boat…. And showers! Our first of the trip!

After dinner and pie, Peter zipped us back across the bay along with 200’ of beefy chain that he gifted us from Tomte. Peter was instrumental in connecting Nate with the Crow, one of many zigs and zags that have brought us to here-now. Back on the Crow we got the chance to learn the slight gaps in our mosquito protection strategy and we went to bed under the covers, not because it was cold, but to avoid the frequent fliers that kept trying to turn our bunks into the next sequel of Twilight (insert other vampire mosquito reference if that doesn’t work for you.) I’ve never seen Twilight, and probably never will because I don’t watch movies anymore, just YouTubes of truck and heavy equipment accidents, boat fails, disc golf, and my new favorite genre of watching other people work on their own boats – like how my students tell me they watch other people play video games on YouTube.

A quick stop at Tomte this morning before we left to scrub her propellor and rudder before Peter and Christie head north next week. Nate put on a wetsuit, fins, and snorkel and got to scraping. A quick Grasshopper run to the fuel dock to top up the Crow with diesel and get a couple gallons for Grasshopper made us glad we have only used about 12 gallons of diesel on the trip so far after motoring for nearly 30 hours… if you thought fuel was expensive in the States?!

We’re way up the Strait of Georgia – can’t see Orcas Island anymore, Dorothy! Headed to Hornby island after a quick stop (might be a two-nighter – Canada Day!) to show Mom Jedediah island on the backside of Lesquiti – one of our favorite zig zags from trips past.