It is clear and 59 degrees this morning, and we plan to get underway at 7A. Herb checks the winds and currents, and says "It's a go." Weigh the anchor, Willie.
All goes well and I am always curious to see if we have mud, grasses or a clean anchor as it comes up.
Oh, Wow! I turn to smile at Herb through the windshield. "You won't believe what I see!" A starfish is clinging to the chain just above the anchor.
What to do?
Take a photo!
Herb hands me his phone and I am careful not to drop it in the water as I capture sighting of this creature.
Such a beauty! Now, how do I get her to let go? After safely returning Herb's phone, I reach down and gently wiggle the anchor. It is an even more beautiful sight to see all star points extended as she understands my signal, turns loose, and returns to her habitat.
With the anchor safely stowed, we thread our way through boats anchored nearby and head for the exit of Montague Bay. Float planes are beginning their schedules for the day.
With such an early start, we have only a 'daylight rise' as we begin our cruise, and then the sun again delights us as it rises above the evergreens.
As soon as we are out into the channel, we see the Queen of Cumberland ferry at Village Bay on Mayne Island ahead on our starboard; the Mayne Queen coming out of Navy Channel crosses our bow going to Village Bay.
We continue, and now after delivering her passengers, the Queen of Cumberland crosses back to starboard going to Otter Bay on North Pender.
But wait -- we are not done yet!
The Queen of Nanaimo comes out of Otter Bay, turns our direction toward Village Bay on our port. A fourth comes out of Captain Passage.
All the while, Herb is checking the traffic channel, radar and AIS, and kicks it up to 15 knots to get out of their way.
Looks like Monday morning commuters are heading back to work.
We leave Navy Channel to enter Plumper Sound in flat calm, and reduce speed to an economical 6 knots. We see three dolphins swimming by, but I have the wheel, Herb is cooking his breakfast, so no photos.
For my breakfast Herb hands me the second half of a large, warm cinnamon roll, which I didn't finish yesterday. Yum, Yum!
Gail on That's It texts that they with Moondance and Tradition are crossing the Strait of Georgia, and Whiskey Golf is clear for transit with no torpedo practice. Great News, as they have been delayed in crossing due to weather.
In Plumper Sound we have one last chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery of British Columbia as we cruise by Saturna Island.
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| Murder Point |
Leaving Plumper Sound, we are in Boundary Pass with haze or fog and rippled seas.
Goodbye, BC, and good morning, USA!
The busy shipping channel shows us Kilimanjaro in the distance, but Uranus is going south on our port with a destination of Tokyo. She is cruising at 20 knots and we are predicted to approach in ten minutes. Herb slows to pass to her stern.
It is interesting to me that we are at the south of the Strait of Georgia.
We have a pleasant cruise on to Fidalgo Bay, going inside Sucia and north of Orcas Islands.
Tug Time passes by and waves, but we do not know them -- yet!
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| Tug Time |
Nearing Guemes Island we see small sailboats and a fisherman checking his crab pot for the day's catch.
We are almost to Cap Sante, and coming to the south of Guemes, we look down Guemes Channel to our starboard to see FOG. Thick fog!
Boy are we glad we chose to go on the east side of Guemes Island, rather than the west!
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| Wall of Fog |
Willie of Willie's Tug,
and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
Monday, August 13, 2013
