Pacific NW

Expeditions

Today goes down in “Silent Partner” history as one of her finest sails. It was A+, world-class sailing! We awoke, tapped the barometer, and listened to the 0400 forecast over the radio. Winds S, to 30 knots, then weakening. Our course was E by NE. Under a full moon and still at anchor, we hoisted the main and secured a reef. On our way out of the cove we picked up our crab trap, which revealed two fine specimens! Perfect for dinner. Justin put them into a bucket and they began fighting each other, but soon mellowed out. It proved to be a clear morning. “Silent Partner” rose to the swell and punched through the waves like a champion! The wind freshened and it blew a sweet and a pleasant gale. With a bone in her teeth, “Silent Partner” tore through the water leaving a twin-tailed wake of hissing foam. My god, but it was excellent sailing the whole way! Sea-spray curled over the deck and blew off to leeward over the bows, one of my favorite things to watch. Occasionally a wave thumped the hull, and thick globules of Hecate Strait waters slapped the deck and my back. At the turn of the tide the seas steeped and began to break, with an ugly 6 foot chop on top of the swell. But we reefed down even more and flew right along at 7.5 knots and greater. In all, our crossing to the mainland was one continuous 70 mile tack. I am so proud of the way “Silent Partner” handled in those seas. We made landfall in the uncharted Estevan Islands complex, and encountered steep tide rips where the Inside Passage pours into the sea. The full moon makes for strong tides! We passed by a pod of real killer whales this time–about 6 ot them–and one large gray whale. Justin killed and cooked the crabs for dinner, and here we sit in Geodetic Cove. A family of river otters plays by a small waterfall and we’re ready for another peaceful night at anchor. Amen.