the reverse curve of time

Sometimes you gotta smell the thorns. – Sturgill Simpson

~ From Nate ~

Today marks (at least) a full month since we left Bainbridge Island. We just pulled in to Tenedos Bay, Desolation Sound. This is just south of the aforementioned, much hullaballooed, and as-pretentious-as-it-sounds Prideaux Haven. Tenedos seems still a well-known spot, but as has often been the case in July 2022, it’s well-appreciated but not jam-packed.

We pulled in this evening after a 1-turned-4-night stay at Walsh Cove. It was just too sweet and restful: safe anchorage, reef-and-cliff surroundings to explore in small craft, mountain-peak views to gape at. A stern tie and rotating cast of characters around – “Prawndy” at the next mooring, a single, self-proclaimed millionaire in an 80s power cruiser prawning his face off from an ideal anchorage. Tisha, Alex, and Reo – cousins cruising on a seriously racy sailboat. Leif, Alexis, Odessa, and Freya – an adventurous, happy young family from Nanaimo cruising an IOR flush-deck racer.

An anchorage so ideal that the expensive-tour-worthy Toba Inlet is just across a pass, so we thought we’d take Grasshopper up to see a little on our first night there. Yeah, fjords, they’re… photogenic? Picturesque? The best shit you’ve ever seen?

We kept going, as each big waterfall enticed us further up the inlet, a bit past Brem River, a spot Ron had mentioned. We decided it was time to head back, now roughly 12 miles from the Crow – no small distance in boat terms, skewed by Grasshopperism. As we headed back, Grasshopper – heretofore performing admirably after some serious engine work this winter – sputtered and lost power.

Uh oh.

This is the kind of moment that helps you plan better in the future.

Details aside, we puttered home in limp-mode at 6 knots and made it safe, albeit a bit later than planned. Grasshopper’s motor was oiled, checked over, and run in the morning. All seemed decent, but we decided to take a day to chill at Walsh Cove anyway.

Coop sailed Sweetpea for most of the next few days. We met more new friends we hope to see cruising in the future. We swam and soaked it in.

Our ideas of transiting the Rapids were dimming, but if it was gonna happen, we’d need some communication and weather reporting. We agreed Julia and I would Hop down Waddington Channel until there was cell reception, do the necessary comms and recons, and head back. See the last two blog posts; they were achieved through that cell service.

After we had achieved our goals, we headed back up Waddington. We zoomed past Roscoe Cove, so recently a delightful surprise, when Grasshopper’s motor made a very loud noise, in time with the engine revolutions.

Uh oh.

We stopped. I checked the oil. Oil fine. I crossed my fingers and started it again. A few metallic whaps and CLUNK. The Honda 15hp made a sound that assured of its demise. Another attempt at starting confirmed: this frankendinghied Honda was DOA.

A fishing couple came to check on us, but were not impressed nor inclined to help. I got ahold of BoatUS with one bar of service left, and after 30 minutes the captain confirmed he was launching his boat and on his way to tow us – included with my coverage. Huzzah! But it would take 2+ hours to get to us, and we were just 6 miles from the Crow…

He said he’d come no matter what, so I said go for it but I’m going to start paddling. I did that for about 90 minutes, seeing that with a specific angle, Julia could steer down wind while I paddled, achieving roughly 2.7 knots. She held an umbrella for the well-renowned Mary Poppins Effect. I tried a rainfly spinnaker but it proved more hassle than solution; my overall impression of spinnakers, really.

As we neared the last corner, a cruiser we’d met through his multiple paddle-board-bound inquiries about Grasshopper and whether or not I’d be taking it out, came around the bend on his way to Refuge Cove, as he’d told us earlier. My hopes came true as he rounded up and offered a tow. In a way, Grasshopper did save itself…

It’s a bummer that the Cheat Code Craft is disabled. It’s been a joy to have Russell’s Special Project back up here and explore so many coastlines and vistas, not to mention the ease of resupplying. Luckily, it still tows easily, so we’ll take it to Cortes to leave it until our final approach home. I’ll figure out the solution later, but I do know the boat has yet again proved its worth and fun in exponentially greater ways, and it deserves a motor as capable as the rest of it.

Desolation is still beautiful. Always, forever beautiful. It’s bordering on too hot for me and more on the way – but that does indeed make it feel like it’s my late-July birthday again, so here we go. Pretty good way to circle the sun.