I’ve been working in Vancouver for the last several weeks. After several years off sailing, I’m enjoying working (in computers) again. While I expect the novelty may at some point wear off :), I’m enjoying it now.

Issuma is still docked in Victoria, which is 5-7 hours from Vancouver by bus/train/ferry. I plan to move her closer to Vancouver later this month.

Upcoming Presentations:
* Cruising the Coast of Brazil, Thursday Jan 17, 7:30PM, for the Tiddly Cove Yacht Club and the VancouverBoaters Meetup group.
* Cruising the Coast of Brazil, Thursday, Feb 7, 2PM, Vancouver Boat Show
* Sailing the Northwest Passage, Friday, Feb 8, 8PM, Vancouver Boat Show

As it is winter in the northern hemisphere (where I am), and not cold enough for ice pictures, I thought it would be a good time to post some summer pictures :).

These were all taken this summer in the Gulf Islands, a beautiful group of islands along the east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

I’m giving a presentation on my experiences Sailing the Northwest Passage on Thursday Oct 4 at 7PM in Victoria, BC.

Location:  Ground-floor meeting room at Gorge Point Condos, 1083 Tilicum Road, Victoria, BC, Canada, behind/beside Gorge Point Pub.

Time: Doors open 6:30PM, Presentation starts 7:30PM

Admission is $4 at the door.

Please email presentations@issuma.com if you would like to attend.

I’m giving a presentation on Sailing the Northwest Passage next Thursday, Sept 20 for the Tiddly Cove Yacht Club at the Vancouver Maritime Museum. Non-members are welcome, doors open at 7PM, open bar, presentation starts shortly after 8PM. The Maritime Museum entrance is around the back/south side – not the main entrance, and there are parking passes at the desk at the back entry

I’m giving a presentation on Sailing the Northwest Passage next Saturday, June 23 at 1PM, upstairs in the Victorian Courtroom at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, in Victoria, British Columbia.

From Barkley Sound, I had a pleasant sail to near Victoria. Late in the day, the current was starting to turn against me, so I anchored in nearby Becher Bay for the night. I actually anchored four times, as the anchor kept breaking out of the soft mud and kelp that was on the bottom. Trusting to the anchor alarm and decreasing winds, I had a good sleep.

Some thoughtful people who live on Becher Bay saw Issuma anchored, took the above picture, looked Issuma up on the internet and emailed me, which was really nice of them. My cellular internet access was even working for a change so I received their email at anchor.

 

Late in the morning, when the current turned in my favor, I sailed off the anchor, out of the bay, around Race Rocks to Victoria harbor, then motored onto the dock. I had quite light winds to start with, and it took a while to get around Race Rocks. There is a shortcut between Race Rocks and Vancouver Island that I could have taken, but the currents are fast, its not all that wide, I’ve never been here before and the sane thing to do when sailing a schooner singlehanded is to take wide-open, deepwater routes whenever possible.

 

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The Future:
I have had a fantastic time sailing Issuma the last few years. Now I want to do something different, and go back to working (I do computer work for a living). So I don’t expect to be sailing far from here in the near future. I don’t expect to be making frequent blog entries until my next adventure (which has not been decided on), so if you’re interested in following along, you may want use the Subscribe menu at the top of the blog so you will be emailed whenever there is a new entry.

The Broken Group of islands provide a scenic and sheltered route across Barkley Sound.

Barkley Sound is named after Captain Charles Barkley, the first european to sail there in 1787.

After motoring across Barkley Sound thru the Broken Group, I entered the narrow, tree-lined pass into Port Desire and anchored there.

Port Desire is a quiet place (at least on weekdays) filled mostly with cottages and small fishing resorts.

Hot Springs are always nice places to visit. I sailed and motored from Kyoquot Sound to Hot Springs Cove, where I anchored for the night.

Hot Springs Cove is close to Tofino, BC, and I was there on a sunny Saturday, so not alone. The land the hot springs are on was kindly donated and the area is now operated as a Provincial Park.

Most people arrive by boat from Tofino, some arrive by plane.

There is a boardwalk thru the forest to the hot springs.

The boardwalk has many planks engraved with the names of boats and groups that have visited and assisted with maintenance.

After waiting in Quatsino Sound for a few days for a favorable wind, I sailed down the coast into Kyoquot Sound.

 

 

I then motored into a tiny cove called Petroglyph Cove in the cruising guide.The entrance is less than a boatlength wide, so I went really slow.

 

 

I was not at all convinced that these actually are petroglyphs (or pictographs) painted on the rock face from a boat at high tide, but I’m no expert.

 

Pteroglyphs or not, the cove was a really beautiful and peaceful place to anchor and row around.

With a headwind, then a gale in the forecast, I went into Quatsino Sound, on the NW of Vancouver Island, and up into Winter Harbor. Winter Harbor is a very well-sheltered place to anchor or dock. There is a store, Post Office and fishing lodges in this small settlement. I’m spending a few days at anchor here, waiting out for better winds.