And Willie Said: Gorge Harbour on Cortes Island

Crossing the Strait of Georgia yesterday was a reminder of how much we are all a family. Today as we leave Pender Harbour we see again that we are family -- who could raft so many boats into the space without being friendly!

We watch as each boat peels off to the staging area in the bay.

Cast On

My Precious

Rum Tum Tugger

Sand Dollar

Gathering

Tradition

Sybil Jean

Michael Ann I

Jorge

Jorge and Marcus

We are now underway and get a new member of our Shiraz Trader group, Zephyr. We temporarily lose Andrew of Shiraz Trader, as he stays behind to help diagnose a fuel filter problem for My Precious.

Others with us are Day Dreamer III, Peregrino, Circle T, Moon Dance, Tradition, Cast On, Bud's Tug, Celtic Sun and Barbara Ann.

One member of our group calls on 68 to ask the location of Willie's Tug, but when Herb tells her she just passed us, she laughs and says she was looking for Jake on a boat!

We hear on the radio That's It's group is getting together. Quite often we hear a leader call out speed, RPMs and oil pressure. Members of the group respond with their stats. Making sure everyone is OK.

The wind picks up a little around Powell River, but Malaspina Strait is wide, paralleling the Strait of Georgia, and congested water is not a problem. We slow to go behind a BC Ferry just before Harwood Island.

Our route takes us between Hernando and Cortes, west around Sutil Point, then north by Marina Island and into the gorge to Gorge Harbour. I love the bell buoy.

I see a tiny bit of snow on some mountain peaks.

And now the gorge...........

the beautiful gorge.

We switch now to Channel 66A to call the harbormaster for a slip assignment. They can take five at a time, so we get in single file for a count. It is a smooth docking with plenty of dock-hands and Ranger Tug owners assisting.

The visiting begins as we see where everyone is.

Marcus and Jorge

My flower arrangement in the cockpit is still surviving -- somewhat........

Lincoln brings a pre-appetizer appetizer -- Marmie has cooked his Lingcod with some tasty vegetables. Thank you, Lincoln!

Happy Hour is by the beach, and Jake cannot resist -- especially when someone throws a stick for him. Kate, Sara and Sherri get a sprinkling of water when he returns to shore with his stick to shake.

The weather is hot, hot today, so I am not unhappy to get wet.