Sailing Slowly

When we went out earlier this month, I was constantly amazed by the motor yachts running to the next stop.  There seemed to be an essential difference in motive between the motor yacht and the sailing yacht.  The difference is not so much the boat itself, but in the entire of idea of why you are out on the water.  In sailing, you must understand the wind, the tides, the weather and how to take best advantage of all of these to go in the direction you might want to go.  These are not as important when you have power generated by a large diesel engine.

For a sailboat, there is an entirely different idea of getting anywhere.  It is about the trip - not as much about the destination.

Doing 3 Knots and Loving It  

Beautiful Evening in Otter Bay

Anchored in Otter Bay on Pender Island.  Very special sunset last night as we sat in the cockpit.

Looking South Toward Sidney.  

The Large Hill is Salt Spring Island

Looking Toward Prevost Island

A View Across to Otter Bay Marina

The Pender Island Ferry

Some Scenes From This Cruise

Just a few quick shots of the scenes and views from the last couple of weeks on the water.

The Dodger View

In Maple Bay Marina

Some Young People Learning to Sail

A Very Common Sight in the Gulf Islands

Salt Spring Air Coming In to the Dock

Frustratingly Slow Wifi in Marinas

Here we are a week into our summer sail and we have not posted much.  Forgive us for that, but we are really needing the down time.  The other issue we are encountering is limited internet access.  Even in the larger marinas, we find wifi frustratingly slow or not working at all.  It starts making satellite connectivity something you might want to look at were it not for the cost of both antennas and data plans.  

Wonderful, Peaceful, Sailing

After such an interesting crossing we stayed a couple of nights at Otter Bay at North Pender Island.  We then decided to sail off to Cowichan Bay and spend a day or two at this wonderful little town with a really cool waterfront.

A Far Cry from the Sand Heads

Carolyn relaxing in the Cockpit

An Aerial of Cowichan Waterfront

Rough Exit from Fraser River

There is a phenomenon that is created when wind driven waves run counter to tide and currents.  That got us this morning.  We left our home marina at 6 AM and started down river.  We were in no hurry and were enjoying a cup of coffee and the early morning sun.  As we approached Steveston, the wind piped up and we could see whitecaps out toward the Sandheads and whitecaps on the blue waters beyond.  Checking the wind direction and speed we were showing 20 knots from the northwest with gusts to 25.

The Sandheads is the end of the breakwater that protects the Fraser River channel.  This is also in the vicinity of the spot where the water goes from about 600 feet deep to about 50.

Sand heads Light - South Arm

Fraser River

Add to that the traffic!  In this case one lone sailboat outbound and three vessels in bound: a huge freighter, a pusher barge ferry whose deck was filled with trailer rigs, and a fishing boat - all jockeying for position in the channel.

Now for the piece de resistance:  steep breaking waves on our starboard quarter and an a very rough ride as the boat pitched and green water breaking over the bow.  

So now my wife is seasick and heaving and my son is doing the same below deck.  I am struggling to steer clear of all this traffic and not have the waves hit us broadside.  Oh, did I forget to mention the enormous red channel buoy on our PORT side?  Well yes, we find ourselves between the traffic and moving toward the damned buoy, so the give it full power on our auxiliary, come up behind the traffic and well ahead of the buoy.  Lots of rocking and rolling.  I get the sails up and size up the situation, close hauled to Porlier pass or broad reach to Active Pass.  Hell, broad reach it is.  The boat settles down nicely, making 8 knots in 22 knots of wind.  and we are on a perfect track to Active Pass.  Seasick wife is NOT amused.