The summer cruise: Vancouver island
Date: July 23, 2015
Time Start: 10:40 a.m.
Time Finish: 5:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Laura Cove, Desolation Sound
Cruise To: April Point, Quadra Island
Engine Hours Start: 231
Engine Hours Finish: 238
Weather/Sea Conditions: Clear and sunny morning, calm, partly cloudy and building, 70 degrees
It's time to move on today and leave the lovely world of Laura Cove. Our friends on Stella Maris are loading their kayaks and dinghy, too, and getting ready to leave. We hope to see these lovely people again somewhere. We have enjoyed their company. As we leave, we reflect on how uncrowded the anchorages are here in the trio of Melanie and Laura Coves and Prideaux Haven. We'll be back! The "heart" of Desolation Sound has captured our hearts!
Time Start: 10:40 a.m.
Time Finish: 5:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Laura Cove, Desolation Sound
Cruise To: April Point, Quadra Island
Engine Hours Start: 231
Engine Hours Finish: 238
Weather/Sea Conditions: Clear and sunny morning, calm, partly cloudy and building, 70 degrees
It's time to move on today and leave the lovely world of Laura Cove. Our friends on Stella Maris are loading their kayaks and dinghy, too, and getting ready to leave. We hope to see these lovely people again somewhere. We have enjoyed their company. As we leave, we reflect on how uncrowded the anchorages are here in the trio of Melanie and Laura Coves and Prideaux Haven. We'll be back! The "heart" of Desolation Sound has captured our hearts!
We stay close to shore, making our way toward nearby Tenedos, ducking behind Otter Island in a lovely passage. The entrance to Tenedos is breathtaking with high rock bluffs. The anchorages are wide open! Such a beautiful place, we will keep it on our list for next time. We have a more distant destination today as we need to be in Campbell River tomorrow morning. We have an actual appointment after weeks of nothing on our schedule! Boo!
We get our final views of the mountains of Desolation Sound. Our souls have been so nourished by these waters and surrounding shore, and we are sad to leave. We keep looking behind us, hanging onto the view for as long as possible. Ahead are the hazy mountains of Vancouver Island. A few sailboats add interest as we cruise along.
We have decided that April Point on Quadra Island will be our anchorage tonight as it is just a short distance from Campbell River, and we want to put off going to an urban setting as long as possible. One more night on the hook! There are a lot of small fishing boats just off Cape Mudge, where shallow water extends out for a couple of miles. It is calm today, but can often be extremely turbulent here. We are lucky today.
We head around Cape Mudge. The mountains of Vancouver Island are gray shadows ahead of us, and we see Campbell River along the shore. Are we ready for the transition back to civilization tomorrow??? Not sure!!! Those mountains of Desolation Sound are still calling to us. We pass the lighthouse for the cape and then tuck into the small inlet behind the April Point Lodge and Marina.
We are the only boat at anchor until a small sailboat joins us. The marina is quiet. It's a monochromatic evening, and we get a bit of rain.
Date: July 24, 2015
Time Start: 10:15 a.m.
Time Finish: 11:05 a.m.
Cruise From: April Point
Cruise To: Campbell River, Coast Marina
Engine Hours Start: 238
Engine Hours Finish: 239
Weather/Sea Conditions: Gray, cool, windy (gusts to 35 knots!), low 60's
It's very gray morning and calm at April Point as we wait for the flood tide to ease before making the short crossing to Campbell River. NORTH STAR is scheduled for a routine oil change with Altech Marine. Water is a lot different once we are in Discovery Passage. Seaplanes and a tug and barge cross our path. And, we get plenty salty in the rip!
Time Start: 10:15 a.m.
Time Finish: 11:05 a.m.
Cruise From: April Point
Cruise To: Campbell River, Coast Marina
Engine Hours Start: 238
Engine Hours Finish: 239
Weather/Sea Conditions: Gray, cool, windy (gusts to 35 knots!), low 60's
It's very gray morning and calm at April Point as we wait for the flood tide to ease before making the short crossing to Campbell River. NORTH STAR is scheduled for a routine oil change with Altech Marine. Water is a lot different once we are in Discovery Passage. Seaplanes and a tug and barge cross our path. And, we get plenty salty in the rip!
We fuel up at Discovery Harbour and then pull into Coast Marina where the dock attendant meets us and assists with our lines. It's a blustery day! All of the buildings along the dock are on floats, and we are right next to the ferry terminal. Cars line up to wait for the boat on the road just above the marina. (We have been here before, two years ago when I broke several bones in my foot while at Gorge Harbour, and we came to Campbell River for an emergency visit to the hospital. The Coast Guard met us here then and had an ambulance ready and waiting for me. The Coast Guard is still based in this marina.)
It doesn't take long for Altech to do the simple maintenance task of changing our oil and filters, we need to have this done as a part of our maintenance schedule based on engine hours. They tell us we are good to go. Hungry, we head to the dockside Dick's for some fresh halibut fish and chips. It's a popular place, especially for people waiting for the ferry.
The wind is howling in Discovery Channel today, with gusts of 35 knots. Even in the marina we are getting lots of turbulence. Dan gets out the snubber lines to ease pressure on the dock lines. Then, we put on our windbreakers and head out on foot to see the scenic waterfront of Campbell River, following pedestrian walkways. We visit the collection of totem poles, Fisherman's Marina with its working tugs and fleet of fishing boats, walk past the little aquarium and Marine Discovery Center.
The wind is howling in Discovery Channel today, with gusts of 35 knots. Even in the marina we are getting lots of turbulence. Dan gets out the snubber lines to ease pressure on the dock lines. Then, we put on our windbreakers and head out on foot to see the scenic waterfront of Campbell River, following pedestrian walkways. We visit the collection of totem poles, Fisherman's Marina with its working tugs and fleet of fishing boats, walk past the little aquarium and Marine Discovery Center.
In spite of the howling winds, we venture out on the long public fishing pier with its numerous benches, chairs, and holes in rails to hold fishing rods. We have it mostly all to ourselves, no one cares about fishing in today's blustery conditions. Only one guy imagines he is fishing today. Guess who!
Time to head the other direction. We retrace our steps and then go in search of a drug store and supermarket. Unfortunately, the shopping center across from the marina has mostly empty storefronts. We walk to Discovery Harbour where there is a better shopping center.
We have a group of kids on our dock having the greatest of times catching fish, finding starfish and jellyfish, and totally enjoying the marine world. The group is a family from Alberta (land locked!) here for a family reunion. Their host relatives have found the perfect spot to excite the visiting cousins!
There are hot showers above the marina office. I am rocking already after weeks on the boat, and the shower is rocking too since the building is on a float! No need for an amusement park ride.
Evening is calm as the sun sets, so different from our afternoon of 35 knot winds. A lovely time of day.
Date: July 25, 2015
Campbell River layover day
Weather: Calm, partly cloudy with increasing clouds, rainy afternoon, 60's
Our day begins with a surprise dockside visit from our Laura Cove sailboat ("We go") friends Anna and John with their three cute kids. They are heading home today, putting their boat on a trailer and heading to Nanaimo to catch the ferry to the mainland.
Campbell River layover day
Weather: Calm, partly cloudy with increasing clouds, rainy afternoon, 60's
Our day begins with a surprise dockside visit from our Laura Cove sailboat ("We go") friends Anna and John with their three cute kids. They are heading home today, putting their boat on a trailer and heading to Nanaimo to catch the ferry to the mainland.
For us, it is a boat chore morning. NORTH STAR gets an exterior washing, the fridge gets defrosted and cleaned, and the laundry is toted across the street to the laundromat. We get a kick out of the sign that the whale charter business next to us has placed beside our boat. Looks like we might be in business!
We discover there is an art festival downtown today, just a couple of blocks from us. A main street is pedestrian only with booths set up along the way for participating artists. We are especially impressed with Wayne Bell, a First Nation tribal chief, who uses harvested cedar bark for his creations. His work mimics how natives used to create their artifacts before European tools were introduced.
Spirit Square is a large outdoor amphitheater next to the Campbell River Art Museum. Today it is tented and bands are performing. I like the water fountain in the square, a fire hydrant with spigots for people to drink.
Dan heads to the store for a few grocery items and gets caught in the rain. We go out for some Thai food. The ferries come and go. The Coast Guard is on the dock today. A happy seal swims around the boat. A month of garbage and recycling finally gets unloaded from NORTH STAR! (Most destinations we have been to have no way of handling garbage, and often it is difficult to get water as well. We store the garbage in our rooftop rocket box and carry jugs of spare water under the V berth.) We have had a mellow layover day.
Date: July 26, 2015
Time Start: 7:00 a.m.
Time Finish: 3:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Campbell River, Coast Marina
Cruise To: Henry Bay, Denman Island
Engine Hours Start: 239
Engine Hours Finish: 246
Weather/Sea Conditions: Gray, calm morning, afternoon winds, rain shower, 60's, nice evening
It's a morning for cloud lovers as we head south out of Campbell River on calm water. We had a good rain last night, and water is dripping off of our rails. NORTH STAR is clean, fuel and water are filled, oil and filters are changed, laundry is done, and plenty of food is aboard. We are ready to enjoy several days along Vancouver Island and in the Gulf Islands.
Time Start: 7:00 a.m.
Time Finish: 3:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Campbell River, Coast Marina
Cruise To: Henry Bay, Denman Island
Engine Hours Start: 239
Engine Hours Finish: 246
Weather/Sea Conditions: Gray, calm morning, afternoon winds, rain shower, 60's, nice evening
It's a morning for cloud lovers as we head south out of Campbell River on calm water. We had a good rain last night, and water is dripping off of our rails. NORTH STAR is clean, fuel and water are filled, oil and filters are changed, laundry is done, and plenty of food is aboard. We are ready to enjoy several days along Vancouver Island and in the Gulf Islands.
We can barely see a line of small dark specks on the far horizon. It is the armada of Ranger Tugs making the crossing from Comox to Gorge Harbour on the annual factory sponsored cruise. We have been with them twice in the past and are doing our own cruise this year, and it is a super one! We are well into week six now.
We are cruising along at our usual six to seven knots. Dan tells me he is going to speed things up for a bit. As he does, I tell him that the engine sound just isn't like normal. It sounds like it is revving and then slowing down like it is choking, and doing this in a repetitive fashion. We smell smoke, the kind that comes from burning oil. We see a cloud of dark smoke in the stern. We stop immediately, and Dan checks the engine temperatures. They are all O.K. He also checks the oil level, which seems high. Knowing that our support team at Ranger Tugs is in the neighborhood, Dan calls Kenny, who can't offer any advice. He then calls Altech, the mechanics who did our oil change, as we suspect the problem might stem from their work. It is a Sunday, and someone does answer their phone. They connect us with Markus, the supervisor of the mechanic who did our oil and filter change. He happens to live in Comox, the nearest port, and says he will meet us at the marina there to assess our problem. So, we very slowly make our way into Comox. (While we are underway, Andrew from Ranger Tugs calls to check on us, what a great service team we have there! He, too, is puzzled by our problem. We'll report back to him after we meet with the Altech mechanic.)
Markus arrives, we take NORTH STAR out on the bay, and he diagnoses the problem as something the factory should correct under our warranty. He says the engine has a defective design, and also that it needs more ventilation. He suggests that we use some shoes to prop open the cover to the engine compartment to give the engine more air when underway. He has us run the engine at 4000 RPMs several times, and there is no additional smoke. However, there is a lot of splashed oil in the engine compartment and in the bilge that need to be dealt with.
We really aren't satisfied with the diagnosis, feeling that the problem is directly linked to the oil change. (Dan will continue to deal with this for several more days.) For now, we continue on our way, and keep our speed and RPM's low. As we leave Comox, we are calmed by the sight of the schools of sailboats out on the bay. We count over 70 boats in one of the "schools". It looks like there are three large groupings of boats with instructors. The boats are lovely to watch.
Markus arrives, we take NORTH STAR out on the bay, and he diagnoses the problem as something the factory should correct under our warranty. He says the engine has a defective design, and also that it needs more ventilation. He suggests that we use some shoes to prop open the cover to the engine compartment to give the engine more air when underway. He has us run the engine at 4000 RPMs several times, and there is no additional smoke. However, there is a lot of splashed oil in the engine compartment and in the bilge that need to be dealt with.
We really aren't satisfied with the diagnosis, feeling that the problem is directly linked to the oil change. (Dan will continue to deal with this for several more days.) For now, we continue on our way, and keep our speed and RPM's low. As we leave Comox, we are calmed by the sight of the schools of sailboats out on the bay. We count over 70 boats in one of the "schools". It looks like there are three large groupings of boats with instructors. The boats are lovely to watch.
We cross to Henry Bay at the north end of nearby Denman Island and drop our anchor. A southwesterly wind is blowing and brings some dark skies to Vancouver Island, while the sun still shines on us.
Henry Bay is a part of Sandy Island Marine Park, a lovely spot. The spit reaches halfway to Comox at low tide! There are hiking trails and wilderness campsites on the shore. A few rain showers reach us. Then it is shore time. The spit has great beaches, sand and shells, driftwood, big patches of green Salicornia (pickleweed).
Dan discovers shell midden sites, thick layers of shells indicating heavy historical usage of the bounty on these beaches. There are plenty of shells on the beach today, too.
We meet a couple from Richmond B.C. having happy hour on the beach. They have friends who own Ranger Tugs and Cutwaters. They recommend that we go to Clam Bay on our way south, as well as the town of Chemainus to see a theater production.
Back on NORTH STAR, we can't resist the warmth of the evening sun and calm water. Yes, it is swim time! It's a bit chilly, but feels oh so good. And are we ever surrounded by a beautiful world here! Beauty outside of Desolation Sound exists! We have a great dinner tonight, grilled sockeye with spinach salads, making up for some of our "camp food" nights. Dan cleans up some of the oil spatters in the engine compartment. The sun ducks behind the heavy clouds over the mountains on Vancouver Island. We love our front row seats for sunsets on the water!
Back on NORTH STAR, we can't resist the warmth of the evening sun and calm water. Yes, it is swim time! It's a bit chilly, but feels oh so good. And are we ever surrounded by a beautiful world here! Beauty outside of Desolation Sound exists! We have a great dinner tonight, grilled sockeye with spinach salads, making up for some of our "camp food" nights. Dan cleans up some of the oil spatters in the engine compartment. The sun ducks behind the heavy clouds over the mountains on Vancouver Island. We love our front row seats for sunsets on the water!
