Fall Sailing

Well, since we returned from our circumnavigation- we’ve been cruising around and enjoying the solitude of fall sailing. We spent a few days in Todd Inlet to wait our some weather then we started to make our way back up north to check out Desolation Sound in the fall.

We stopped for a few days at Smuggler Cove on the Sunshine coast then motorsailed up past Sarah and Mary Point and onto Squirrel Cove.

We had the whole Bay to ourselves and had some beautiful sunny days. We were able to still have some fresh water baths in the local rivers/waterfalls. Brrr! We visited the Squirrel Cove Store and noticed some changes…..for one thing…no more showers here. The laundry is still open with most of the machines still working, they still have the toilet on one side open but they have decommissioned the showers. The store it self still has a bit of everything that a cruiser could want or need and we were able to get diesel and propane here. (they had run out of gasoline…so beware that the supply might not meet the demand).

Next stop was Prideaux Haven….last time we were here it was packed with sailing and power boats, now we were the only ones here. So we anchored right in the middle of Melanie Cove and launched the dinghy to go exploring.

Next stop here was Grace Harbour…and again…we were alone. It’s so weird to not see anyone here when the weather is still so beautiful and mostly mild.

We then started our way back down the Island and even had a stop over at Tribune Bay on Hornby Island. The winds were mostly behaving so we were able to sail most of the time. Once we anchored we headed off to the little store up from the beach and got there with 10 mins to spare before it closed. I grabbed needed provisions and we had a great laugh back at the boat when I pulled out things that I didn’t remember buying. But not to worry- Nanaimo was next on our list so we would be able to do a full provision there.

I’ve been baking bread, cookies, brownies and even a pie…thanks to our galley bible…The Boat Galley by Carolyn Shearlock and Jan Irons. Best go to for the boat with recipes, substitutions and general information for provisioning in foreign ports. I highly recommend the book to any sailors.

Another great upgrade to the boat was our new diesel heater, a Dickinson ‘Alaska’ model. It keeps our boat warm on those cool mornings and evenings. Now as November approaches we have been able to keep the boat at a toasty 18-21 degrees and the humidity down under 65%. The condensation is still a daily chore to wipe up but the heater sure keeps it down to just beading instead of full on dripping. Another thing I’d highly recommend for fall/winter sailing here in Southwest BC.

We waited out 7 days of wind in Pirates Cove and saw sailboats come in to take refuge, then leave the next day to brave the winds. Dave even had to go assist a small sailboat that wasn’t aware of the tricky entrance  to the cove….like the long reef that lays in wait across the entrance. Dave was able to get his boat off the rocks and safely anchored in the cove…and told him how to get out the next day.

We rode out a whopper of a storm in Montague Harbour. We met up with Dave and Beth on Wait-a-bit (neighbors form MapleBay Marina). The strait had 40 knot winds and in Montague we had up to 25 knots ripping through. We were happily safe on a mooring ball but the boats on the otherside of the bay….not so lucky. Two sailboats ended up on the beach, and a motorboat flipped upside down on his mooring ball.

We are now down to only 5 days until we head into Victoria and take our spot at the dock for the winter. So far, we have been surprised how much we have enjoyed fall sailing and met a few other hardy sailors along the way. We are looking forward to being at a dock where we can plug in, have laundry nearby, walking distance to all amenities, and be able to visit with friends and family.

In the meantime, we’ll be tucked in here on Pender Island at either Port Browning or Poets Cove and as far as the ‘Windy’ app. tells us….we have one more wind storm to ride out then it should be fairly mild for our trip into Victoria.

So, if anyone has a chance to go Fall sailing…do it! We are glad we did. Cheers!

#svdakota #dakotadventures #theboatgalley #fallsailing