Well that was a hell of a ride! After a calm night at Ruxton (thank you!) we left late in the morning for Dodd’s Narrows and Newcastle Island, beyond. There’s a strong wind warning for Georgeia Strait. Forecast is for 25 Kts from the Northeast. It was every bit of that and then some. The wind was fairly strong as we approached the narrows and once in the grasp of the current we careened into the Gale force Northerly and the resulting haystacks. It was almost like Olympic white water kayaking only in a 10,000 lb sloop.

Screaming past the shore, scant feet from the sandstone cliffs, we emerged from the narrows into the fury of Northumberland Passage. I’m pretty sure Gordon Lightfoot sang of it in his hit song about the sad fate of a fairweather sailor. Or something like that.

It’s the roughest sea I’ve sailed Trouper 2 through. Waves must have been 5 or 6 feet and the spray shot up on each side of Trouper 2’s foredeck to a height of 20 feet! It was exhilarating to say the least. Sadly no pictures as I held on for dear life.

Apparently Barnucka didn’t experience the same Carpe Diem, exhilaration in the face of Nature’s fury, that I did. He spent the crossing worrying if his engine mount was going to give way. So by the time we got to the dinghy dock pub he was surly.  After a few drinks and a perfectly acceptable dinner of fish and chips we went our separate ways for some mutual personal time.

We met up on shore at 1900 for a walk about and then retired for the evening to our separate boats. I’m just about to watch a movie. Tomorrow we’re going to Nanaimo on the ferry to grub up. I’ll likely buy some shirts as I forgot to bring any.

Thursday August 19, 2021

Apparently there are no shirts at any of the pubs in Nanaimo. And they were all sold out at the Dinghy Dock, so I’m still wearing the same two shirts I brought with me. Anyhow, we went into Nanaimo, had brunch at separate restaurants, then met up at the Harbour Park Mall & Casino. I dropped $20 on the slots before buying groceries and heading back to T2.

Barnucka caught a later ferry back to Newcastle and he stopped by for a beverage before carrying on to his boat.

Newcastle Island

Click for chart view