Summer Breezes Return

    I woke to the gentle rocking of a summer morning. The sun shown brightly through the companionway. I went out to take a look around and I realized why I had needed to come here. There were three seals each about 100 feet away in opposite directions, forming a triangle that I was in the middle of. An eagle soared overhead and moss-filled rocky beaches surrounded me. The eagle screeched hello. I was at home here. Did I ever doubt coming here? 

It was 10am, I slept for nearly 12 hours. I wonder when checkout time is… I made coffee, bailed all the saltwater and rain out of the dinghy and went for a row. When I returned to the boat, I decided to hang everything I could out to dry and try and track down that leak. In a couple of weeks, I am going to have my friends Aldo and Reed visiting. They are both 6 feet tall and need somewhere to sleep, even if it rains. I pulled the hardware off from inside the cabin and didn’t find anything. I went outside and completely took out the window then re-caulked the entire thing inside and out. Then I noticed the wood on that side was in need of varnishing. 

I remember when I got the boat it had all sorts of leaks when it rained. And it rains a lot around here. What made the most difference then was when I re-varnished the wood. When it gets exposed and wet, the wood acts like a sponge and sends the water right in. So I sanded and varnished. 

I brought up the stern anchor and brought the port side to the sun to help the varnish dry. The deck looked great. The rain washed all the salt and dirt away. The cabin however was still in a shambles. I decided to clean for a bit before I headed out. I set sail at about 3pm and said bye to my little bay. It was the perfect haven to ride out a southeastern gale. The sun was blazing and the wind was light but steady from the north in the middle of Malaspina today. I was having a grand time all alone tacking north to a destination I did not know.

The only other soul out there was a catamaran that was approaching me from the distance (I put my clothes on). As he got closer it seemed he was heading right for me. It was an odd looking boat, bright yellow with two heart shaped portholes on the front and a huge mainsail. It looked so fast. As it got closer I could read "Solar Heat" in big red letters. "Definitely a racing boat." I thought. 

Then he just pulled up along side be and there was this old man. "Good day!" he said. "Where ya from? I live over here in Stillwater now. I got tired of playing with rocks on Saltspring Island." 

"So, you’re a minor then." I said having noticed all the mining operations on this side of Texada Island. He shook his head no. "A mason?" I asked. He said, "A jeweler." We both laughed. "She sure looks like a fast boat." He answered, "Sure she’s old, but she can run rings around anything in these parts. Sleeps four, can cook on deck if you need to." 

He asked where I was from and where I was going. I asked him if he knew of any good anchorages close by. He suggested little Stuart Bay by the town of Vananda, "They got a pub there up on the hill. Don’t go up to Blubber Bay (which is where I was planning on going), they’re loading gravel right now and it’ll be bangin’ and clangin’ all hours."

I thanked him. He waved, trimmed his jib and left me like I was standing still.

So here I am in little Sturt Bay by the town of Vananda. I didn’t make it to the pub. I managed to cook dinner and clean the pop out of the V-berth. While I was at it, I fixed the little hole in the cushions that Debbie always has to sleep on. I am meeting her in the town of Campbell River on Thursday. I am looking forward to sharing some of these experiences with her.
I have a long day tomorrow to get up to Lund. Who knows what direction the wind will be coming from? We’ll just have to see.

Frank

Previous Entry  |  Story Index  |  Next Entry