Port McNeill – Back to Civilization for a Brief Moment

Port McNeill, located on Vancouver Island’s northeast shore on Queen Charlotte Strait, is a gateway to the remote spaces of the Broughton Archipelago. An old base camp for loggers and named after Captain William Henry McNeill (Hudson Bay Company), Port McNeill was settled back in 1936.

We were in need of many things… phone service, WIFI, water, groceries, post office, and drug store. Before we could go back out into the wild, we needed to take care of some business. Port McNeill is a very walkable town, we found everything we needed within a short distance of the marina. We stocked up on food at the local grocery store and were surprised that even Port McNeill, on Vancouver Island, has a hard time getting supplies.

Lisa had wanted to buy chicken and couldn’t find any, a worker in the meat department said the chicken only came on certain days of the week, and tomorrow was one. So before we left the next day, we had to run back up to the store just to buy chicken. Some might think this an inconvenience. However, we tend to find this stuff fascinating. We are loving the island life, it is so different from what we are used to.

We ran into Sidney and Roberta, on Gypsy Spirit, and their friend Chris (photo – above and below), who is visiting from Australia. We first met them at Kwatsi Bay Marina on our arrival in the Broughtons. We met for happy hour drinks at a waterside pub where we learned Sidney and Roberta are from Calgary. They are seasoned boaters who enjoy cruising the wilderness of British Columbia as we do. We always enjoyed bumping into these friendly boaters.

Port McNeill lays claim to the World’s Largest Burl.

We got a kick out of the shower facilities. Located quite far from the ramp to the marina, the shower rooms had some fairly heavy-duty security features and DIY suggestions for cleaning, etc. – mop and bucket provided.

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The Proximity of Heriot Bay to Desolation Sound,
Gave Us Another Option for Provisioning

The need to provision mid-way through our month-long stay required a major shopping trip. Unlike our two-week trip to Desolation Sound three years ago. Since we are consuming breakfast, lunch, and dinner – all on the boat every day, we eventually ran out of the supplies that keep our bodies happily fueled.

Provisioning while cruising in Desolation Sound for a longer stay is a little bit of a challenge. The options nearby are limited to Refuge Cove. Although centrally located within Desolation Sound, the products available at Refuge Cove are limited and quite expensive. It’s a fun stop! If you are only staying a week or two in Desolation, you won’t starve. You can catch up on most chores, use wifi, enjoy a freshly baked cinnamon roll, fuel up and restock the propane and water tanks. Just like we would at any marina. But thrifty boaters that we are, after two weeks we were anxious to find an alternative source. We were happy to hear about Heriot Bay.

Heriot Bay is on Quadra Island between Vancouver Island and Discovery Islands

Initially, we thought we’d have to go all the way back to Campbell River to re-stock. Pauline and Ed, sailors on Spirit, tipped us off to this small town with a regular-sized grocery store. It’s a shorter trip than going all the way around the bottom of Quadra Island to Campbell River. To cinch the deal, we had never been to Heriot Bay before – we were curious about what we might find.

We nixed anchoring at Rebecca’s Spit, on a very windy day to stay at the Government Dock, located near Heriot Bay Inn’s docks. Although not free, it was very inexpensive. It’s sort of a first come first docked sort of rule with options for water, power, and free wifi that worked quite well. It took us a couple of trips around the dock to find an open space, and we finally did. On that windy day, it was a little tricky to get into, but with the help of a friendly boater, we made it in without hitting anything. Kudos to Captain Jim!

Lots of fishing boats docked in Heriot Bay. There is quite a community of people coming and going all day and night. The marina office (below) is located at the top of the ramp at the Government Docks. Not much in the way of amenities – no restrooms or showers, but our main goal was to stock up at the grocery store.

To get to the grocery store, we had to walk along this inlet (shown at low tide). The Government Docks are to the left and we had to walk all the way around to the docks on the far right

Heriot Bay Inn is sort of a focal point in this harbor. It has a restaurant, bar, laundromat, marina, and even an RV park on the grounds.

We stayed an extra night in the bay because we heard a band would be playing in the bar at Heriot Bay Inn. We need that kind of activity once in a while when boating for long periods. It kind of recharges the batteries.

The last of the provisioning chores was to fuel up at Heriot Bay before we headed back to Desolation Sound for two more weeks. I loved the system they used for the different fuel nozzles, pretty rudimentary, but unique.

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Campbell River is a Good Place to Provision When Cruising Desolation Sound –

Today we headed to Campbell River, located on Vancouver Island. We like to balance our boating time between anchorages and marinas. We do this because we like the social aspect marinas offer with a taste of small-town life and a chance to interact with local boaters. We also need to provide for the next stretch out on the water. Our routine is roughly 65% at anchor and 35% at marinas. Campbell River is one of the larger cities on Vancouver Island and within a reasonable distance from Desolation Sound. If you need a lot of groceries and other necessities, it’s the best place for a grocery run with a Super Store just a short walk up from the marina.

When we checked in at Discovery Harbour we weren’t told their showers or laundry were not working until we tied up and settled in, both of those activities played a major part in our decision to make a marina stop. Lisa eventually worked out a deal where they gave us a free night’s dockage for having to wait to use their dockside facilities unit at the end of the second day.

Chores, maintenance, and repairs never end – especially on a boat.

In the meantime, our head quit working, not a fun task to address. All we can say is we were glad we were at the dock when it happened. Inside the interior of the bowl is a 12V pump assembly where a gear broke. No parts are available in Campbell River, but I was able to locate one in Florida and a few days later we were back up and running.

One of our pastimes when visiting a marina is to walk the docks with a desire to meet and chat with local boaters. This is how we learn where about the area, the wildlife, anchorages, and sometimes a little bit of local history. We also like to look at all the different kinds of boats at the dock, there is a huge variety in the PNW, from vintage cruisers, fishing trawlers, and tugboats to modern-day beauties. There was a lot of every type in the three marinas we visited during our stay in Campbell River.

 The marina is surrounded by a big rock wall, these photos were taken at low tide. The whole marina floats up and down according to tidal flows.

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Past Commodore Dick Craig Made the Burgee Exchange with Us –

If you belong to a yacht club, you most likely know what a burgee exchange is. Most yacht clubs display burgees from other clubs in their clubhouses. The colorful burgees make a room very festive and interesting because you can’t help but wonder where some of them came from. Burgees are usually given to a club by an out-of-town yacht club member who is either boating or just visiting the area. In turn, your own club member could visit another club in another city or state and give them a burgee and acquire one in return. This practice is called a burgee exchange.

We did another burgee exchange just the other day, in Nanaimo BC, Canada. We are currently cruising British Columbia from South Pender Island to the Broughtons. The Nanaimo Yacht Club is an 86-year-old club. We made arrangements, ahead of time, for the exchange with the office manager, Laura, who introduced us to Dick, a past commodore of the club. We did the formal exchange with Dick. Together, Dick and Laura gave us a tour of the club. Dick was very friendly sharing some history of the club and some of his thoughts about boating in the area. This was of special interest to us since we are spending the summer cruising in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Dick had an endless supply of boating stories, we could have stayed all day. Their burgee display was very similar to the way our club has recently mounted them. However, we noted a nice added touch. They mount a small plaque underneath the burgee with the name of the yacht club and location and a big enough type size to read from the standing level below. We have one more burgee with us to exchange. We’ll keep you posted.

More Burgee Exchanges

The last couple of times we have trailered our boat out to the Pacific Northwest to cruise, we brought several burgees with us from our club, Grand Traverse Yacht Club, in Traverse City, MI. In 2013 we did an exchange with two Yacht Clubs in Portland, OR, the Columbia River Yacht Club, and the Portland Yacht Club. More recently during our 2016 cruising season in the PNW, we did an exchange with Skyline Yacht Club of Anacortes, WA, through a friend. We did not visit the club to do the exchange.

A couple of things we liked at the yacht club. The plaques under the burgees and the Vessel Sign Out Sheet to outgoing boats. Certainly a safety check for members.

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Ladysmith – Our Next Stop While Cruising in and Out of the Gulf Islands –

We pulled anchor at 7:15 a.m. and departed Princess Cove for Ladysmith. The village of Ladysmith is on Vancouver Island and has a long rich lumber history, with active mills, log booms, transport ships, and tug boats. We had one of those calm early morning days where the water was glassy smooth, complimented by a mostly clear sky so we decided to take advantage of the great conditions, cruise at 6 MPH, and soak in the morning….slow motion.

We were delighted with the almost new docks, washrooms, showers, laundry room, and onsite cafe at Ladysmith Maritime Society Marina so we decided to stay two days. With a town to explore and eager to stretch our legs, we ventured up the hill into town to investigate. We needed to pick up some groceries and have lunch. Back at the boat, the docks were filling up fast with a group of boats arriving for a mini-rendezvous from Nanaimo Yacht Club. Later in the day Patrick and Gail, a couple we met three years ago in Ganges at a Ranger Tug event, came by for a visit. It’s always good to see people we’ve met while boating and it always seems like it was only a week or so ago since we last met.

On our second day in Ladysmith, our walk took us to Transfer Beach Park. This time south of town along the water. During the walk, we encountered our closet eagle sighting. The eagle seemed uninterested in our close proximity probably because of the three black birds dive-bombing him, he eventually flew off, with the three birds in pursuit. Our walk eventually took us back up to downtown and First Street. Here, turn of 20th-century buildings fills several blocks of their main street. Down to the grocery store one last time. We thought we had to make two trips because we are walking and carrying our purchase when we found out on our second visit that the grocery offers customers rides to and from the marina… a nice perk for the cruising community.

We were surprised, Ladysmith also has an electric car charging station downtown. I think Jim was trying to find a way to recharge himself before the walk back to the boat from the grocery store.

We think we’ve seen this boat, Ibis (above) in Key West on one of our trips there.

Departing from Ladysmith late morning, almost noon, we spotted Season Survivor (above), a large log transport vessel, dramatically listing to port. It appeared to us that the boat had run aground or maybe was sinking. How could we not have heard this buzz of news around the marina that morning at least? This appeared to be BIG news. Right after spotting the ship, we had to idle over as close as we could get to investigate. As we got closer we noticed several tug boats, but there didn’t seem to be any big hurry or concern and there was no radio chatter. After a few minutes, we decided to move closer to see if we could figure out what had happened and how the listing ship would be righted with logs salvaged. Later that day, Lisa discovered a photo, while reading a Ladysmith publication we had picked up in town, of a listing log ship with a caption describing how the ships are purposefully listed this way in order to off-load the logs to be put in log booms. Standard procedure. Foolish of us to jump to conclusions!

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Cowichan Bay is a Colorful Fishing Community – 

While taking a day tour in a rental car from Victoria, a few months ago, we stumbled upon the small village of Cowichan Bay. We didn’t stop but made a mental note that this would be a place we’d like to return to by boat when we returned in June. Fast forward four months and we made true to our promise. We had glassy waters and a nice clear blue sky for our 14-mile, 6.5 MPH slow-motion cruise to Cowichan Bay, the start to a picture-perfect day.

Later we docked at Cowichan Bay Fisherman’s Wharf, amongst the fishing fleet and old boats, we felt right at home. We remembered the little town on shore from our road trip, so we were anxious to get off the boat to explore. Before we could get out of the marina though we had to climb the marina “gangplank.” At the time of our arrival, it was low tide, 13 feet or so down from that day’s high. The ramp was very steep, more like a ladder than a ramp. The ramp is attached to a pier that’s used by the fishing boats to raise their days catch up onto trucks to be hauled to local and regional seafood businesses. It was interesting at the end of the day, to watch boat, after boat, arrive to unload their haul. I asked Mark, the harbor master if any vehicles had ever gone off of the tall pier, as there is only a short railroad tie used for a wheel stopper. He informed me once a few years ago, but it may have been on purpose. Sounds like a story there.

We finally got into town to shop all the stores, we walked down to view the waterfront occasionally, where there was an opening to a dock here and there. It was nice to get a different perspective of the harbour. Everything was very colorful, highlighted by a very low tide which left many boats high and dry along shore sitting on top of a green slimy muck.

Returning to Kismet, we settled in for an entertaining and educational evening watching the fishing boats return, unload the day’s catch (prawns that day), and restock their boats for the next day’s run. They then docked and washed their boats and tended to various repairs. By the time they finished, it was almost dark, 10:15 p.m. The next morning I heard engines fire up at about 6 am. and they were off again for another 16-hour day. I truly believe professional fishing people are some of the hardest workers around.

From this view (above), you can see how steep the ramp was.

I was a little taken aback by all the locks on the shower rooms. Well into my shower some grade school kids were acting up and banging on the walls in the adjoining rooms, screaming, It sounded like they were fighting, but I imagine they were just bored, waiting for their ride after their ride on a whaleboat. I was happy about the extra locks though.

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Our Summer Cruising Season Will Take Us to the Broughton Islands – 

Have you ever been somewhere before that you’ve loved so much you cannot wait to return? Have you ever wondered why it took you so long to discover it? In our early summer cruising adventures, we never dreamed territory such as the Pacific Northwest, San Juan, and Gulf Islands, Princess Louisa Inlet, Chatterbox Falls, and Desolation Sound existed. We’ve returned this year to cruise some of our favorite summer cruising stops from 2013, then we’ll continue further north to explore the Broughton Islands, a territory rich with wildlife and natural wonders.

Our trip will start in Anacortes, Washington where we’ll provision and prepare for our three-month-long adventure north to British Columbia. We’ll spend two weeks in Canada’s Gulf Islands exploring places we have not been to before. The first stop will be Sucia Island in the San Juan Islands as we stage to cross over to Canada to Poets Cove for the Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Cruise Event. When we leave there we’ll be stopping in little ports along the way on Pender, Salt Springs, and Vancouver Islands. From there we’ll cruise east to Canada’s mainland to make the trip up Jervis Inlet to Chatterbox Falls before heading north to Desolation Sound to spend a month soaking up some of the remote island nature in some of Canada’s most pristine, natural beauty. From Desolation Sound we’ll head through the island waterway as far as the Broughtons to explore. We always love a new adventure and we’ve been told, by others we know who have cruised these waters, that the Broughtons will not disappoint. After the Broughtons, we’ll turn south and cruise back to the San Juan Islands after crossing the border to the US at the end of August in time to celebrate Labor Day and attend the yearly Ranger Tug/Cutwater Rendezvous in Roche Harbor.

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It Was Hard Saying “Goodbye Victoria” – 

Near the end of our stay in Victoria, we walked downtown with friends Mark and Jodi, on Ranger Tug Irish Mist, for dinner and a nighttime walk. The lights in Victoria at night are spectacular, especially the Parliament building outlined with white lights. It’s a small harbor, but there is a lot happening in that beautiful space, especially at night. Lights from small boats in the downtown marina, old pedestal-style streetlamps, and people walking everywhere. This is a people town with a romantic air to it. I have to say that staying in Victoria’s Inner Harbour was really quite different than most other cities we have docked at.

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Why Would You Want a Pink Dinghy? –

We love the marina life in Victoria, BC. Not long after we arrived at Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel & Marina, we noticed that we rarely saw the other boaters wintering at this marina in their small boats, but when we got a really nice, warm, sunny day, everybody was outside on the docks either visiting or working on boat projects. On one of those days, I met Paul, a sailor who was on the dock with a table saw making a dodger for his sailboat. I was admiring his old wooden pink dinghy (photo below) and remarked that I didn’t think I’d ever seen a pink dinghy before. Apparently, his thinking is that most dinghy robbers are men and no man would want a pink wood dinghy. I like your thinking, Paul!

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Victoria’s Inner Harbour Kept Us Busy Walking

Our month docked in Victoria was somewhat cold and rainy, but as spring arrived we found more sunny days with all the greenery producing flowers and fresh scents. We spent most of our time in Victoria’s Inner Harbour walking from downtown along a path that spans the waterfront or through the neighborhood streets. I will never forget our time spent in Victoria, B.C.

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Heading Out on the Southern Vancouver Island Loop –

Never one to turn a blind eye to exploration, while docked in Victoria we decided to rent a car for a day-long road trip. Vancouver Island, at 285 miles long and 62 miles at its widest point, is the largest North American Island in the Pacific Ocean. With a one-day car rental, we only had time to carve out a small bit of real estate for our road excursion. We left Victoria to begin our Southern Vancouver Island Loop west towards Sooke and our first stop, French Beach Provincial Park. There we hiked down through the woods, the tall tree trunks covered in moss resemble a rain forest. From there, we could see across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. Once at the water, we had hopes of seeing whales from the beach, but they still manage to elude us. We continued our trip along the coast stopping at China Beach Provincial Parkland and driving through the back roads of Vancouver Island, getting to see the beauty of the countryside less traveled. Finally, at Port Renfrew, we made a turn inland, through an extensive logging area before winding our way into the quaint town of Lake Cowichan where we stopped for a late lunch at Jakes at the Lake. Best lunch we can remember in a while!

Leaving Lake Cowichan we followed the road through the Cowichan Valley, an agricultural growing paradise, to Duncan. The reason I say this is because Cowichan is an Aboriginal name meaning “warm land,” which in turn is why this valley has Canada’s warmest mean temperatures. After a short drive through Duncan, we continued south through Mill Bay and the Goldstream Provincial Park skirting the water’s edge every chance we could.

Lunch at Jake’s was the best!

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Fishermans Wharf Victoria, BC Has a Colorful History

Within close proximity to Victoria’s Inner Harbour, just a short block away from our marina at Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel, sits Fisherman’s Wharf Victoria. This little live-aboard, float community, is a visual delight with the many houseboats there painted in vibrant colors and creatively decorated. We are visiting Victoria off-season, so the many shops, restaurants, fishing boats, and tour boats, that are based there, were closed. We still enjoyed walking around the docks while checking out the often humorous decor. This diverse and eccentric community has a very colorful history. No transient moorage is available here.

“All float homes have access to potable water and 30 amp power. GVHA provides sewage hookups to prevent the discharge of black water. This is in keeping with federal law and helps preserve the surrounding marine environment. The owners live in their homes, steps from the commercial plaza and popular tourist location. There are no absentee owners and float homes are not rented.” – Greater Victoria Harbour Authority

Read more about Fisherman’s Wharf

A trip to Fishermans Wharf Victoria will transport you to something more akin to the laid-back island lifestyle. While walking the docks, we could help but discuss a desire to try out this kind of lifestyle. We love being on the water and other than being on a boat this might be the next best thing.

Moon shadow, (above) is probably the most interesting and creative houseboat we saw. Lots to look at and photograph on the docks at Fishermans Wharf Victoria.

When we first arrived in Victoria, we asked other boaters where a good fish market was. We were steered to Finest At Sea, located across from Fishermans Wharf Victoria.

Finest At Sea

Our marina is just around the corner, by the harbour walking path, from Fishermans Wharf Victoria.

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Just a Short Walk to the Parliament Building

British Columbia’s Parliament buildings are located just up from Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Located on 12.5 acres the building, built in 1898, is in close proximity to Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel Marina (where Kismet is docked for the month of February). Even though I forgot to take my license, we were still allowed to enter security when we arrived at the Parliament Building for lunch and a tour. Not a lot of activity on that day, and the Legislative Assembly was not in session. On other days there were crowds of peaceful protestors outside when we walked by. Even more beautiful at night the whole building is outlined with strings of white lightbulbs. We were told that during the Christmas holiday, the lights shone green and red.

Downtown Victoria is just a hub of activity. Next to the Parliament is the Royal British Columbia Museum and an IMAX theatre. The museum houses British Columbia’s natural and human history as well as the British Columbia Provincial Archives. Never a boring moment when visiting Victoria on Vancouver Island.

The first order of business was lunch at the Parliament Dining Room followed by a tour of the building. We did this once when we visited Washington D.C. by boat, several years ago. Very nice atmosphere and it wasn’t busy at all.

The grounds surrounding Parliament have beautiful gardens and this old Redwood tree in the front.

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First Nation Woodcarver, Nelson is Very Talented – 

Life is interesting. Sometimes things happen for a reason and maybe there is that element of how things were just meant to be… we call it, Kismet. Our son, Ross had a birthday coming up so we were on the lookout for a memorable gift. During our stay in Victoria, we had lots of time to think about this and do the legwork. He and Sarah were expecting their second child shortly after his birthday, a new playmate for their firstborn, Silas. One day, while walking the waterfront, in downtown Victoria we came across Nelson, a First Nation woodcarver. Nelson, with his ever-present smile and pleasant demeanor, sells his carvings in his open-air shop at the base of the inner harbor in front of the Empress Hotel most of the year. We immediately took a liking to Nelson as he explained to us the First Nation meaning behind each of his carvings. On our second stop to visit with Nelson, he introduced us to his carving mentor and friend, who sells his carvings in the same location. Nelson’s friend’s name is Silas, the same name as our Grandson, but not a very common name. Nelson was working on a new carving of a raven ((photo below – bottom right) and after he explained its meaning, we knew this had to be the perfect gift for Ross. We also picked out one for ourselves, a salmon (photo below – top right). The raven carving was unfinished when we decided to buy it, so we discussed the colors we would like and Nelson promised to have it completed in a couple of days.

Nelson described his new carving of the raven holding a pod this way, “A raven is bringing the first man into the world inside of a clamshell.” I mention this as being the perfect gift for our son not only because he’s already a father, but because he is in the process of becoming a father again, bringing his second child into the world. Granted he is not a raven and the delivery method is via his wonderful partner, Sarah, however, the symbolism of the carving seemed to hit home for us, besides all that, how often does one get to give a handmade gift with so much first-hand knowledge of the creator.

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Yes! That is a Palm Tree in Beautiful Downtown Victoria BC

See photo (above)

Downtown Victoria BC sits on the northeast shore of Victoria Harbour along James Bay and the Inner Harbour, just a short walk from our marina, Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel Marina. Our month here in Victoria, British Columbia’s capital city started on the first of February. February is not really cruising weather per se, but more of an opportunity for us to explore and absorb our surroundings, interact with friendly Canadians and acquire another perspective on life on the other side of our northern border. While we are not really out on the water actively cruising, we are walking a lot and getting a feel for what it’s like to live downtown in this amazing city. We walked–we shopped–we ate. We walked–we shopped–we ate. As you can see in the photos – We mostly walked, shopped, and ate.

We typically take our boat to Florida for the winter months, but this year, because we are hovering around the west coast in our boat, waiting for the birth of our second grandchild this spring, we mapped out what we think is a very creative cruising schedule for winter, spring and summer adventures (we will post a brief outline of our planned route soon). The temps in this part of Canada are very mild, more like a Mediterranean climate, hence the presence of palm trees (see photo above).

The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority Marina (above) sits in the heart of Victoria BC harbour. The Wharf Street Marina is home to all-sized boats from little trawlers and sailboats to huge yachts.

The Empress Hotel Victoria (above and below) is being remodeled this winter inside and out. It’s hard to tell from the photo below, except for the scaffolding, but they had the whole front of the hotel covered with a cloth on the outside with an image of the hotel printed onto it.

Victoria’s Chinatown is the oldest of its kind in Canada and the second oldest in North America, San Francisco’s being the oldest. Miners from California played a part in its formation way back in 1858. We enjoyed finding the famously narrow Fan Tan Alley and noodle shops.

Jim had to wait for me for a long time since this store, Chintz & Company (above) was a shopper’s delight. Luckily they had a chair for him to sit in and in the end, when I was finally finished, we found our way to an old Irish pub so he could have a cold beer. That sure put a smile on his face.

After dinner, downtown at Cenote, a unique and urban type restaurant in Victoria, BC, friends Mark and Jodi, on Irish Mist (above), helped us rearrange some letters on the board. We were remembering our Ranger Tugs/Cutwater 2015 North Channel Rendezvous last summer and our buddy boat, Roam (not present).

We walked–we shopped–we ate. We walked–we shopped–we ate. As you can see in the photos – We mostly walked, shopped, and ate.

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Moondragon – Thirty-one People Onboard for Mexican Night!

The winter party was just down the dock from us on Moondragon, an old Chinese Junk boat (circa 1970). Boaters have the best parties! Never so true as last night with this group of boaters in Victoria, BC. Even though we have only been here two weeks, we felt like part of the family here at Coast Harbourside Marina. Thanks to hosts Dennis and Lynda for a fun night (many margaritas) and to the Jolly Mon Band for the fabulous music and sing-a-longs. Can you spot Jim Favors?

It was just a little tight on the boat with 31 partiers, most sat around the huge table in junk’s big saloon.

Friend and fellow Ranger Tugs owner, Mark, on Irish Mist, (below-left) showed up in full gear, with wig and sunglasses, helping us all feel like we were somewhere quite warmer than chilly, rainy Victoria, British Columbia. As you can see the party soon took a turn towards more of a “Pass the Wig and Sunglasses” party. Even one of the dogs got to sport the wig for a minute while the other dog quietly slept in the corner of the Moondragon, we think he just wanted everyone to go home.

The Jolly Mon Band played well into the morning. They belted out some great oldies and lead us through some fun sing-a-longs. Norm’s (guitarist-below) boat, Jolly Mon is docked across from us in the harbor.

Yup! There he is. Quite the look for Mr. Favors. Would you agree?

Our friend, Jodi, on Irish Mist (above-center).

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Looking Forward to a Month-Long Stay at Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel Marina

We choose Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel Marina (above) for a month-long stay because it is in downtown Victoria, British Columbia. From the marina, it is a 5-minute walk to the legendary Empress Hotel, Parliament, the legislative seat for British Columbia, and all of downtown Victoria. Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel Marina was recommended by fellow Ranger Tug owners Mark and Jodie, on Irish Mist, they are from Ontario Canada. They gave us the idea to spend a month on our boat in this marina in Victoria. We were also lured to Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel & Marina because they have an indoor/outdoor pool, hot tub, fresh towels every day for showering, and lots of free ice… what’s not to like. There is not a lot of cruising going on in the winter months in the Pacific Northwest, but interestingly enough a majority of boats remain in the water year-round because of the mild winters. At Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel Marina all of the slips are full. Most boats here are occupied by full-time liveaboards who spend the summers cruising the PNW – as we plan to do this spring and summer.

One of the benefits of a trailerable boat is being able to drag it across the country to cruise and visit far-off destinations. We’ve returned to the Pacific Northwest because it’s some of the best cruising in the world. We specifically picked Victoria because we’ve never been here in our boat. Victoria sits at the southern end of the approx. 360-mile-long Vancouver Island. No, it’s not like the warm and sunny weather one would typically enjoy when cruising in Florida during February but with a daytime average temperature of 50º and in the 40º area overnight, it is very doable even in a small boat like ours. If you like to cruise to explore areas you are unaccustomed to and have access to this area, Victoria has a lot to offer.

A 30% or so exchange rate advantage of the US vs Canadian dollar makes this destination big savings for the pocketbook. The other day we were comparing the cost savings, with Mark and Jodi, of staying a month in a marina in Victoria versus Florida. For those interested in what the dockage costs are at Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel Marina, we paid $580 Canadian for the month of February. That amount includes taxes, electricity, and water. When you factor in the 30% exchange rate advantage, our dockage equated to $406.00 (dollars) or $14.00 (dollars) per day. A great value considering all the amenities, (pool, hot tub, wifi, ice, and fresh towels) and our close proximity to downtown Victoria.

Look, our dock neighbors are from Onekama, Michigan. It’s a small world.

There are some very unusual boats here at the marina (above).

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Destination – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

We left Anacortes, with Skyline Marina in our wake (above), mid-morning for the cruise to Vancouver Island with a final destination of Victoria, British Columbia. We had planned to leave either on Sunday or Monday, depending on which day the weather looked best. We would have waited longer if needed. We don’t like nasty weather cruising and by that, I mean mostly high wind and waves.

When Sunday arrived, Jim thought Monday looked like the best day, so we waited the extra day. As it turns out it was perfect. It was a little lumpy the first hour or so, but then smoothed out nicely as you can see from the photos below. All in all, it took about 4 hours to reach our home for the month of February, Victoria.

Vancouver Island is now in sight of Kismet’s bow (above).

The Olympic mountains, a massive and majestic mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula, lined our portside view during our cruise to Victoria.

The water drops were on the windshield from earlier in our cruise. Fairly calm at this point. as you can see below.

The closer we got to the entrance to Victoria Harbour, the more debris we found floating in the water. It was slack tide, so the debris was easy enough to see, but it was at times hard to totally avoid the mess, so we inched our way through it with four eyes at all times scouring the path ahead of us. We were amazed at the size of some of the logs we encountered.

Now the harbor opened up to us as we made our way to the Customs Dock.

Checking in at Customs was a breeze. Jim got off the boat after we tied off to use the phone provided on the dock to register with customs. However the phone was not working, so he used ours. We were at the customs dock for less than 10 minutes.

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Multiple Bear Sightings in Chemainus!

Always on the lookout for something new to experience, we decided to visit Chemainus on our return trip south, through the Gulf Islands, on our way back to the U.S. The name, Chemainus, originates from the native shaman and prophet “Tsa-meeun-is,” which stands for Broken Chest. The legend goes that the man survived a massive wound to his chest and then became a powerful leader, his people took his name to identify their community, Chemainus First Nation. Later founded as a logging town, in 1858, the town is now famous for 39 beautiful painted murals that grace the downtown buildings depicting the town’s history. Apparently, the murals helped rejuvenate the town in the early 1980s when the larger sawmill was replaced by a smaller, more efficient version.

We had to dodge a lot of logs along this stretch (above and below), probably because of the sawmill in Chemainus.

After a beautiful cruise from Nanaimo, we tied up at the little marina and walked into town; it was just a short walk up the hill from the marina. What we found was a small town alive with people strolling, shopping, eating and socializing. We couldn’t help but notice the famous painted murals on building after building depicting the towns’ logging, milling, and mining history. We found them to be very tastefully done and educational.

Walking down the street a guy stopped us and asked if we are from Traverse City, Michigan. Kind of surprised, as I often forget when I wear my Traverse City T-shirt, I asked if he was also from Traverse City. The fellow said no, not at all, but I see you have a t-shirt on, and “Traverse City” is written across the front. Long story short, he tells us his wife grew up in Traverse City, and they still have family there and go back frequently to visit. I guess that 6 degrees of separation theory must be on the mark, considering that as far as we were from home we were still not that far from meeting someone with similar family, friends or acquaintances. It is a small world!

We walked through town once to get the lay of the land, all the while scoping out a place to land for lunch, in the end, we decided on Pho Triple 7 Restaurant and had one of the best Vietnamese lunches ever.

Although we did finally see a bear, at Hardy Island, just before our cruise up Jervis Inlet, we thought we’d see more during our Cruise to Desolation Sound and Chatterbox Falls. Well, guess these multiple bear sightings in Chemainus will have to do.

Just before we left the dock the next morning we were surprised by all the debris around our boat, again we think this is a result of the sawmill nearby.

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