Through the Narrows and Up the Rabbit Hole

Today we're off on the leg from Telegraph Harbor to Nanaimo, where we'll re-provision before we head north. We left about 0800 to catch the morning slack at Dodd Narrows, heading out into another soggy gray day. Even with a bright morning sun up there somewhere, Preedy Harbor didn't look inviting as we rounded Foster Point and headed up along Thetis. We were hoping we wouldn't face this kind of weather all the way up, and we weren't disappointed.

As we worked our way north, the sun started to break through the clouds - the first of two transformations we would experience that day. With the layered clouds and the sun lighting up the green mountains of Vancouver, it made for a particularly beautiful morning. The view across just north of Hudson Island represented a typical Northwest day perfectly - just about every kind of weather imaginable in a very small area. Happily no more fog though.

We were expecting Dodds Narrows to be particularly busy today, as the remainder of the Labor Day crowd headed south at the end of the season. We were making good time though, and as the wind picked up around Fraser Point, we raised sail and decided to make a go of it. We had a pretty good time for a while close reaching between Vancouver and the De Coursey Group, but alas we weren't making enough headway to reach the narrows ahead of slack. The current would be northbound, so we figured we'd be able to go through with northbound traffic before slack (and before the southbound crowd started).

We reluctantly dropped the sails and motored on to Dodd Narrows. We arrived about a half hour ahead of the slack, so the current was down to about a knot and a half (it had been over 5 knots at the morning's max flood). We lined up for our turn through (there was only one other northbound craft at the time), but the south-bounders had already started in. So much for having an orderly progress through the cut. Oh well, what should I expect - it's not any different than how folks drive around here (meaning Seattle - there were a lot of US-flagged boats coming down).

We worked out way up to find an open spot in the traffic and called our crossing. Just as we were reaching the cut, another boat appeared from behind Purvis Point - they must have been waiting on the east side to avoid the crowd, but it made their appearance very unexpected. We managed to slow up enough to let them clear ahead of us, but the notch is smaller than it looks. It wasn't the last of the conflicts going through the Narrows that morning - there was at least one power yacht which waved off due to conflicting traffic after we passed through.

Once past Dodd, it was like entering another world. The western shore of the Northumberland Channel is heavily industrial, with pulp mills, saw mills, oil terminals, the BC Ferries terminal, and all kinds of other big smoke-belching marks of humanity. The channel itself is also busy with tugs and barges ferrying materials and products between all the sites. It was a very clear transition crossing from the peaceful idyllic world of the Gulf Islands into the modern-day reality of Nanaimo.

Coming into Nanaimo Harbor proper was also an interesting challenge. We dodged the ferries and tugs to enter the Harbor on the Protection Island side near Gallows Point. We figured that would buy us some time to get a feel for the area, and to find out if there was any room at the boat basin. Unfortunately, nothing would be that simple - as we passed the Gallows Point buoy, a huge log boom - filling what seemed like most of the inner harbor - was on its way out with the little tugs swarming around it keeping everything together. With the Nanaimo River estuary under water, it made for a confusing environment for new visitors (much like the back side of Whidbey Island).

We managed to get across in front of the boom (didn't seem to annoy the tugs as we crossed) and circled around in a fairly small open space outside the boat basin while we waited for a space at the fuel dock. Between the boom, the ferry, the float planes, and the general traffic, we kept pretty busy.

We eventually gave up waiting and radioed in for a dock assignment. We were placed about half-way up on I-dock - what a coincidence (Frog Prints home is I-24 at Shilshole). The Port of Nanaimo Boat Basin is quite a nice marina, with everything convenient, clean, and in good repair (and not too expensive either). We got all settled in (we'd be here for a day to do laundry and some shopping) and headed out to explore the neighborhood. In our wanderings, we found a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant on Waverly called Phoenicia - very tasty, and surprisingly affordable. Highly recommended.

Telephone, Telegraph, Tell A Friend

Since Nanaimo is going to be our re-provisioning point before we head north, we need to plan the next part of the trip around the Dodd Narrows tides. Rather than get a really early start from Prevost (hey, it's a vacation after all), we decide to make one more stop on the way - Telegraph Harbor on Thetis Island.

From Annette Inlet we headed up the Trincomali Channel, through the Houston Passage, and up along Kuper Island to Telegraph Harbor. It was a hazy day with light winds - a generally uneventful trip.

Coming around the top of Saltspring Island, Chemainus comes into view on the east side of Vancouver Island. With the overcast skys, light haze, and huge plumes coming from the mills at Chemainus, the scene was almost Victorian - the huge factories belching their vile stink into the air, with the sun blotted out. It makes quite a contrast to the magnificence of the mountains rising up through the lower clouds just a little bit north along the shore. Looking back on it, I wish we had taken a shot of the mills - but we focused on more attractive views.

We spent the night at the Thetis Island Marina. The weather seems to have chased away the crowds - we had lots of space coming in. They said it's been a bad season this year with so much rain in July and August - it was certainly an odd year for someplace that ususally gets lots of good weather in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island. If we had know things would be this empty on the holiday weekend up here though, we probably would have taken a different route up and anchored out. It was still a nice stay though (clouds and rain don't bother real Northwestern sailors), and we did our part to support the local economy.

Off into the Great White North, Eh?

From Reid Harbor, we headed straight to Canada. For non-Canpass holders, the two closest boarder stations are Sidney and Bedwell Harbor. Last year we went to Sidney to re-provision and do some laundry. This year, since we were just two days out, we checked in at Bedwell instead. We had considered stopping to take advantage of the Poet's Cove Resort amenities, but the holiday crowds made that impossible.

Headed across to Bedwell, we had a good chance to see Turn Point Light from the other side. As you can see, there wasn't much wind that day - the water well into Boundary Pass was almost like glass. Not always a bad thing, but Frog Prints is a sailboat. Also no whales or porpoise, which was disappointing. Last year we had a family of Dahl's Porpoise play around the boat in this area as we were returning to the US. Oh well, the day is young.


Since our main goal this year was to make it all the way up to Princess Louisa Inlet, we decided to head on through the islands. Prevost Island is about a third of the way up the Gulf Islands, and was one of our favorite stops last year. So, we decided we'd head for Annette Inlet. Coming out of Bedwell Harbor and along the south coast of North Pender Island, it looked like either opening or closing day of fishing season. There were dozens of boats - mostly various sizes of power vessels, although also the occasional sail boat - fishing off the island. There were of course also a number of seals looking for the ones that get away. I'm not sure what proper etiquette is in this case, but we tried to stay as far away as possible as we wove our way through all the fisherpeople (both men and women out fishing this day).

One of the highlights of the trip came when we were just passing the Acland Islands on the south side of Prevost Island. Just as the log was turning over 7,600 miles under keel, we spotted a whale headed southbound. We cut the engine and drifted as it passed - not 20 yards to starboard. It wasn't a big picturesque event (good thing - the camera batteries had just died), just a lone whale surfacing every little bit as it went on its way. Perhaps it was just a Minke, but I like to think it was an Orca that had left the pod to run an errand and was on its way back.

We decided to anchor in Annette Inlet, a lovely little anchorage (we'll try the other anchorages next year perhaps). It's well protected and very quiet. There were perhaps three or four other boats in the inlet when we arrived - quite a difference from the crowd we saw in Bedwell. We picked a spot and settled in. There wasn't enough wind to need the anchoring sail, but we put it up anyway. The seals were about and performing their back flips again - one of these times I'm going to get good photos of that. We also paddled around the inlet in the kayak a bit - it's a nice place to poke around, with a deep mud shore at the head and some small rocky outcroppings at various places. In better weather, people often take their dinghies out to the mouth to watch a magnificent sunset over Saltspring Island, but the clouds would not cooperate today.

A Day at Reid Harbor

Today we decided to stay at Reid Harbor so we could hike Stuart Island (and to celebrate Tim's birthday). Stuart is in the northwest corner of the San Juans, and is kind of dumbbell-shaped with Reid Harbor on the south side, and Prevost Harbor on the north side. Turn Point Light (the fourth turning point of the US/Canada border) is on the western end of the island, and is a nice hike from the anchorages.

Last year, we only had time to make it about half way to the lighthouse. The farm at the midpoint of the hike has some breathtaking views. It was clear enough to see the mountains in the distance, and even a couple sailboats in the frame to lend a nautical flare to the landscape. I can imagine the hassles of living here, but I can also understand why people do it. It was also the dustiest hike I'd ever taken, with a thick gray rock dust that got into absolutely everything and stuck. This year, it had rained a little bit the night before, which kept the dust down.

Since we had options for getting to shore this year, we decided to kayak in to the beach rather than row the dinghy in (Laura much prefers paddling over rowing). It's an interesting perspective paddling through a busy anchorage - since we're much closer to the water, the boats look that much bigger. This must be what it's like for the seals we keep seeing. Last year, one followed us all the way in and back out when we rowed from Frog Prints. This year, they were more distracted by all the other boats.

After landing on the beach, we set off on our hike. It's something like 3 miles to the lighthouse, so it was a nice bit of exercise. On the way, we had to stop at the Stuart Island Treasure Chest to see what was new for this year. Laura picked up a new T-shirt, but I just browsed. Luckily there weren't any yellow jackets around the chest this year. If you haven't been to the Stuart Island Treasure Chest yet, I highly recommend it. Perhaps it's a bit touristy, but it's one of those little secrets of the San Juans shared only by locals and boaters.

We ran into quite a few other people this time, both hiking and in the park, but not enough to make it unpleasant. Considering the number of boats in the harbor, I would have expected to be mobbed.

Turn Point Lighthouse was originally built in 1893, and has a commanding view of Canada - everywhere you look. It's a common place for Orca sightings, but we didn't spot any today unfortunately. It's interesting to see the light up close - it is clear that the Coast Guard is enjoying the views as well, since there are no fewer than four different cameras mounted along with the light. Given the number of calls for assistance we always hear on channel 16 when we're up here, it's good to know the USCG is keeping tabs (granted, it's also to watch the boarder - have to make sure the Canadian whales aren't sneaking in without a passport).

The light's been all automated since 1974, although you can imagine the keeper living out here in times past. It must have alternated between incredibly beautiful and incredibly boring - particularly for anyone who was assigned rather than here by choice. The light keeper's house, the fog signal house, and the stable all remain, along with odds and ends from past structures such as the bases of what was most likely some kind of antenna. The place has a very "out of time" feeling about it - you can imagine the keepers passing the time on this grassy point as the merchant ships ply the waters on their way to the seaports of the region.

Next to the point is a huge rock cliff which plunges down to the water. It's very characteristic of the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and foreshadows some of the locations we'll see later in the trip. It's interesting rock though - it looks almost like concrete aggregate - lots of small pebbles in a dense gray substrate that looks like it should erode much more easily than it apparently does.

The variety of environments we see hiking around the San Juans is remarkable. Where else can you go from a shore line, through forest, across fields, and into mountains in just a couple miles? I remember we were on Orcas one time where we had warm, sunny weather down in Eastsound, and yet were met by snow at the top of the mountain. I can't recommend this area enough as a great vacation - especially from the water.

After hiking back to the harbor, we paddled back out to Frog Prints. That evening we watched the first of many seals we'd be seeing this trip. There were at least three of them doing back flips all over the harbor. We weren't sure if they were diving for food, playing around, or just showing off for the crowd, but it was fun to watch nonetheless.

Dinner was excellent. That's one of the nice things about island hopping here at this time of year - local fresh food is almost always within a day or so reach, so we eat really well even with a relatively small fridge (which we haven't mastered figuring out where things freeze and where they don't). Laura was on a real experimental cooking kick this time too - it's amazing what can be done on two burners and an oven.