portland and russell islands
Date: September 14, 2018
Time Start: 2:05 p.m.
Time Finish: 3:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Sidney Spit, Sidney Island
Cruise To: Princess Bay, Portland Island
Engine Hours Start: 916
Engine Hours Finish: 917
Weather/sea conditions: Light clouds, calm in a.m., windy afternoon, low 60's
We wait until mid afternoon to leave Sidney Spit, enjoying dock time and more walks ashore, this time with a picnic lunch.
Time Start: 2:05 p.m.
Time Finish: 3:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Sidney Spit, Sidney Island
Cruise To: Princess Bay, Portland Island
Engine Hours Start: 916
Engine Hours Finish: 917
Weather/sea conditions: Light clouds, calm in a.m., windy afternoon, low 60's
We wait until mid afternoon to leave Sidney Spit, enjoying dock time and more walks ashore, this time with a picnic lunch.
By afternoon, the winds are rocking the boats on the dock once again, and we are ready to move on. "Wee Venture" with John and Suzanne will stay here another night, on their way to Victoria to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Congratulations!
The wind pushing NORTH STAR against the dock makes leaving a challenge, but Captain Dan comes up with a solution, and off we go. Thrusters are a huge help in situations like this!
The wind pushing NORTH STAR against the dock makes leaving a challenge, but Captain Dan comes up with a solution, and off we go. Thrusters are a huge help in situations like this!
Our anchor gets dropped in Princess Bay next to Portland Island, a new spot for us. We have stayed in Royal Cove here in the past. A float in the bay provides moorage for a host boat, this time a sailboat from Maple Bay. There is a dinghy dock for access to shore and the many beaches and miles of trails on the island, as well as to historical sites. B.C. ferries (big ones!) pass offshore, but we seem to be protected from their wakes. One other boat is currently at anchor, along with a commercial fish buying vessel.
Date: September 15, 2018
Time Start: 1:50 p.m.
Time Finish: 2:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Princess Bay, Portland Island
Cruise To: Russell Island
Engine Hours Start: 917
Engine Hours Finish: 918
Weather/sea conditions: Calm, gray morning with drizzle, partial clearing in afternoon, 50's
It's a gray, drizzly day until afternoon when we get some clearing. "Ocean Ranger", the fish buying vessel, returns to collect more product from fishermen - sea cucumbers, geoducks, fish? - we can only guess what the cargo will be.
Time Start: 1:50 p.m.
Time Finish: 2:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Princess Bay, Portland Island
Cruise To: Russell Island
Engine Hours Start: 917
Engine Hours Finish: 918
Weather/sea conditions: Calm, gray morning with drizzle, partial clearing in afternoon, 50's
It's a gray, drizzly day until afternoon when we get some clearing. "Ocean Ranger", the fish buying vessel, returns to collect more product from fishermen - sea cucumbers, geoducks, fish? - we can only guess what the cargo will be.
We decide to visit nearby Russell Island, a short distance away. Anchor dropped near the island, we are just two miles from Fulford Harbour on Saltspring Island. This is part of the Gulf Islands Park Reserve. We go ashore for a visit to the old homestead and orchard, with the remains of the home of a Hawaiian family from 1902 to 1936. Family members still visit the site and share its history, as do signboards along the trails.
Maria Mahoi was the matriarch of the family. Remnants of her garden and apple orchard still thrive. It is easy to picture a family living here, gathering on the porches, enjoying the beach, gathering clams and other seafood. And what an orchard! The trees are loaded with fruit, and it is available for picking, six apples per visitor.
This is a place with historical clam gardens! There is a lot of white shell debris on the beaches, along with shell middens, indicating a rich history of the gathering of these bivalves. Even today the beach in front of the home is rich with life.
From the homestead, the trail loops through the forest and along the shoreline of Russell Island, going up bluffs and along beaches.
It is amazing to see how many settlements by Hawaiians occurred along this stretch of islands! And yes, we can imagine a luau here on this lovely island!
Wearing his hat that reads "We'll take you there" across the back, Dan rows us along the shoreline of Russell Island. The water is clear, letting the light of the shell debris on the bottom reflect to the surface. We give our visit to Russell Island a big thumbs up!
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