Friday, July 16, 2004

Desolation Sound Bound

Friday
The next morning we woke up not particularly early and Kathy made a might fine breakfast. After some serious farting around we cast off the dock and started making our way to the Copeland Islands (Nellie Bly had given us good info about this anchorage). But first we headed to the fuel docks over at Hospital bay for a little diesel and to top off the propane tanks (I had filled up here last year). An hour later we were under way and quickly hoisted sail with a smoking 15 kt breeze from the SW. We were making 7-8 kts over the grand and having a grand time until we finally hit the lee of Texada. Soon the winds died almost completely and even came out of the East when we passed in front of Jervis inlet. So it was to be a motor sail after all. We motored for what seemed like ever, passing by Powell River and Lund until finally we were at the Copelands. Well the wind was still fairly brisk out of the SW up there and we looked around for an anchorage without seeing anything we liked. After farting around there way longer than we probably should have we decided to head over to Grace Harbor. It only took us another hour to Grace and we ended up stern tying deep in the harbor.
Tipple Time in Grace Harbor
Kalliope stern tied in Grace Harbor
Saturday
The next morning Dave and I rowed over to the shore to check out the facilities and to check out the freshwater lake. The facilities where excellent while the lake was slimy with plenty of leaches and snakes. We decided to pass on the freshwater swim.
Later that afternoon we pulled anchor and headed over to Tenedos for a proper swim. We ended up having a nice little 6 kt tail wind and set the Genoa. There was a boat behind us with their spinnaker gaining on us, so of course I had to deploy our spinnaker making a nice 4 kts. That spinnaker is just huge.
Flying the Spinnaker in Desolation Sound
Movements later we were in Tenedos Bay and looking for another stern tie. On the northern shore we managed to find a ring bolted into the rocks. We actually had a bit of wind broadside, so setting the stern tie was a royal bitch. After several tries we managed to get it set okay and settled down for a nice refreshing dip off the side of the boat.
Now when we I tied the boat to the stern I just tied it off so that we could get back to the boat quickly since the wind was blowing us off our stern tie. Later that night Dave and I decided that life would be tons easier if we doubled back the line, so we came up with this incredibly complex plan to retie the line without actually disconnecting any of the lines. This plan was hampered by the fact that it was dark, the iron ring was under water, and we where three sheets to the wind. So Dave goes out to tie the crazy knot and comes back not completely sure what he tied. After simulating the whole event with a piece of scrap rope lying about the cockpit we concluded that we probably had it right; however, we would wait for the tied to lower before we fixed it. Of course the tied wouldn't be low enough until 11 PM that night at which point we would likely be four sheets to the wind. Somehow it all worked out and we ended up with a line doubled back through the eye bolt. Seems unlikely that we made life any easier.
Somewhere in all of the adventure, Dave slips and puts a might nasty scrape on his arm.
Sunday
The next day we hike up to Unwin lake for a nice refreshing swim. Alas, the rope swing and the tree that used to hold the swing up is gone. Gone to that great rope swing heaven in the sky. The lake is still there, and we end up having a nice swim and lounging on the rocks.
Dave and Lisa Hanging out at Unwin Lake
Monday
We got up super early and pulled anchor by 0530 so that we could hit high water slack and enter Roscoe Bay. At low water, the entrance is above water so you have to plan it carefully. As an added bonus it was trying to rain a bit and was quite cool. We arrived an hour later after motoring over to Roscoe a little after high tide. We still had 7' under the keel and did a stern tie in the SE corner of the bay. Dave managed to scrape himself up again on the Oyster beds. He was starting to look a little beat up. That afternoon we hiked to black lake and went for another swim. The water was actually warmer than the air temperature and felt great.

Eight Inch Slug on the Way to Black Lake
That afternoon the front really moved in and we started getting 25-30 kt gusts in the bay. It was quite the drag fest with boats going everywhere. I wasn't real happy with our anchor and we ended weighing anchor. Dave was out in the dingy and almost got flipped by a couple of the more powerful gusts. After 20 minutes of motoring around and trying to anchor out in the center, the wind died down enough so that we could get re-anchored

No comments: