Why am I in Campbell River?

My alternator went on my motor and I had to get in fixed or I would have no power. It was a great day for a sail so I thought Campbell River would be a good place to find a mechanic. I didn't want to retrace my steps so here I am. However, the alternator for my boat could not be repaired and thus one is being flown in from Vancouver. Ouch!This quote from Babs Hoffman seems quite appropriate now - "Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey."

The current here in Discovery Passage is incredible - often over 7 knots and since my boat does about 5 knots, I have to make sure I pick the right times to travel. There are many interesting boats in this very large marina.

Copeland Islands

These island are about an hours sail north of Lund. Most are a marine park with many anchorages though room for only one or two boats in them. It was quite busy with boats looking for spots to anchor or just cruising through. With tidal ranges of 15 ft you have to know depths and tidal times. This also affects your anchor scope and all sort of other things. Twenty-five feet from shore my depth sounder registered 65 feet but I was getting antsy because if my anchor let go, I would be on the rocks quickly. The wind was also blowing me that way. I moved the boat and anchored further away and felt a little better and had no problems. Here are some pictures from my time there

From Lund

I had a nice trip, mostly sailing, to Lund. I am tied up to another boat on the breakwater and have to use my dingy to get ashore. This is a neat little town that exists of a marina, a general store, a couple of funky restaurants and the Lund Hotel. This was the first hotel (built in 1894)north of Vancouver to get a liquor license. There is also a very busy water taxi business supplying the many little island around this region. It might be called Desolation Sound but it sure is not isolated.

The Prawn Fisherman

I got talking to this Prawn Fisherman - 26ish - very fit - working very hard emptying out his boat for the season. Said he had a very successful season but had to cut it short because of boat issues with the diesel engine and refrigeration. The season is 73 days long and once it is over the boats don't work again until the next season. They are single purpose boats. Some refrigerate all of their catch and others keep their catch live. I hear the boats going out between 6 and 7 in the morning and they return around 4 - 6 in the afternoon. Then they unload their catch, clean up the boat, and disappear into the town. Their prawns are mostly all packaged up by the time they hit the docks. A truck appears on the dock and hauls away their catch. The Prawn Fishermen are certainly a hard working and friendly group of coastal workers.

A Musing

I got talking to this elderly guy fishing at the end of the dock. He had caught a little rock cod and says that he sometimes does quite good. I've been thinking about doing some fishing myself, have bought a license, but have never been quite organized with the gear prior to going out. However, I've been reading the book Through Black Spruce written by Joseph Boyden. The character Will talks about not wanting to kill anymore, it was "...the night of not shooting the bear." He had lost his "...his taste for killing..." when previously he had worked as a guide for fisherman and hunters. I might think a bit more about whether I will do some fishing or not.

But even more interesting was his empathy for this old bear - the one he didn't shoot. Will didn't think this old bear would make it throught the next winter as it couldn't see, had no teeth, and probably was not able to get food. Will left him hams and other food. When he talks about how the old bear needs to be treated with kindness, he says "But she is not long for this world. I'd want someone to do the same for me." This has got me thinking about our dog Kato, and the battles he and I have had over the years. I can't believe how nice I've been to him lately, in a way like Will and the old bear. Maybe, just maybe, he has been thinking the same thing about me. (That Greig is looking older these days so I should be a little gentler on him.)

I haven't finished the book but I wonder if the bear still has a role to play in the story.

Arrival at Westview (near Powell River)

Had a terrific sail from Pender Harbour to Westview with a following wind and current. I was going a steady 6 knots all the way. Had another visit from some dolphins but they weren't as close - I could see them but not hear them this time. My docking skills were vastly improved this time as I backed into a spot in front of another boat - without help - and calmly stepped onto the dock. I'll be here for 3 nights getting my laundry done, buying some groceries, putting the boat in order, buying a few boat things, and checking out this rather interesting town. This morning I awoke to my 7AM alarm - my new neighbour,the BC ferry, sounding its horn.

July 6th - The best day and the worst day - so far.

I had a wonderful downwind sail from Secret Cove to Pender Harbour. About 30 minutes into the sail I hear a gurgling sound from behind me. I look and see nothing and think it was just a wave breaking against the boat. I hear it again and again and then I finally see it/them. Dolphins are riding along with me. (No picture again as I was quite busy again) They stayed with me for about 20 minutes and disappeared. Later I got lost even though I had my charts out. I was just going to fast with a current pushing me along and so had to backtrack. Once in Pender Harbour I went to the public dock to spend a couple of evenings. The dock was full so I had to raft up against another boat. Without going into detail here I crashed quite hard into another boat and did some damage to the one beside me. ( my lawyer son says nohet to post to much on the net). Both owners are absent - one in Edmonton and one somewhere near here. I am waiting on that person now. My boat is damage free but I will be spending some money on the other two. I have included some pictures of the damage to one of the boats (is that okay Riley?) and a picture of the marina. It has rained hard all day today and I am sitting in an Internet Cafe posting. Tomorrow I am off to Powell River.