Secret Cove with Curtis

Day One

Curtis and I had a plan last summer to launch at  Secret Cove Marina and spend some time cruising around and possibly taking in Jedediah Island.  However luck was just not with us on this trip.  We planned to head out on Saturday, August 24th but it was a really rainy weekend so we pushed it of until the Tuesday.  I arrived at the very tight ramp marina before Curtis and outside Secret Cove the wind was blowing like crazy and even the local water taxis were not leaving the dock.  After Curtis arrived we weighed up the options and decided to launch our boats and we booked a slip in the marina so we could get a quick start in the morning.   The ramp at Secret Cove Marina is really designed for power boats with really no properly area to park and set up a trailer sailboat.  We almost set up our mast in the parking lot above the marina but one of the cranky locals warned us of an all invisible and unsigned low power line on the lower road.  Eventually we got boats launched and our slips secured.  Spent some of the afternoon motoring around the very crowded Secret Cove and exporing some of the arms then back to our slips for the night.

Day Two

After breakfast we motored out of the Cove into much calmer seas and sailed arounds a bit before heading to Buccaneer Bay Marine Park where we anchored in the shallows for a walk about and a bite of lunch. After this we sailed in light winds down Welcome Passage then poked around Frenchman Cove.  I motored and Curtis mostly sailed back to Smuggler's Cove where I bumped into an old workmate Mandy and her husband Colin anchored there.  Curtis and I had the furtherest corner of the Cove to ourselves fore the night.

Day Three

After our delayed start and looming long weekend with busy boat ramps and  ferries and all we decided to cut our cruise shore and head home at end of today.  We sailed back to Buccaneer Bay before exploring the coast north of Secret Cove in fickle winds befdore heading back to the ramp.   Our less than great luck followed us when I was maneuvering slowly into a head wind between the rock wall and a line of giant raised outboards to get to the ramp. The wind caught Fib's Bow and slammed us into a gnarly outboard before I could correct resulting in a nasty battle wound on the hull and a ding on the pram bow.   Curtis and I proceeded to recover and secure our boats in the tight marina under the watchful eyes of the crabby marina owners.  Won't be going back there again soon.

Always interesting and an experience to check out new areas with good friends!

Oar Stowage

 I have a pair of two piece, fibreglass, Sawyer oar for auxiliary propulsion (along with a telescopic paddle, 2.3 hp Honda motor, sail).  I am not super keen on sailing but better than paddling and I was able to sustain a 1-1.5 knots.  The oars themselves are awkward to stow either in two part of deployed mode.  In deployed mode I usually leave the oars in the oarlocks and stick the blade end out over the stern where they sometimes tangle with the mainsheet.  

If I bring them along I usually break the oars down and tuck them under the coamings on the seat tops but in this mode they do stick out and interfere with sitting.  

Consequently I usually don't bring them along.  Earlier this year I did a three night trip with Jean-Francois to test out the new cockpit tent.  too much hassle to bring the oars so they stayed in the garage.  As luck would have it I had motor troubles and little wind so I was thinking the oars may have come in handy.  Made it home ok.  

I heard some guys cut away a little of the plywood framing under the coamings to allow the oars to fit further back.  I did this with a hole saw and used two bungie toggles on each to hold the oars securely.  Presto!  

The oars are out of the way but come along on every trip so they are there if needed!

Motor

I purchased a new Honda 2.3 hp outboard more for Fib when she was new.  The motor ran flawlessly.  I know that these little four strokes are very sensitive to fuel with tiny jets and all that.  

Fuel should be fresh, ethanol free and clean. 

I only used fresh Chevron premium ethanol free gas that I filtered through a coffee filter.  at the end of a voyage I would always run the motor with the carb valve closed until it died to empty the carb of any fuel.  The screw drain on the carb I managed to strip so could no longer drain carb that way.

I was meticulous about this.  Until last summer at the end of our Desolation Sound cruise.  I think in the hecticness of recovering our boats at the windy ramp I forgot to drain the carb.  Probably thinking no big deal as I would be out again sailing soon.  Nope.  As things went we were busy with travels and home thing so the motor sat in the garage.  I did think to drain the tank but not the carb.  Old fuel in the carb will 'varnish' and cause havoc with these small things.

Forward to this June when Jean-Francois and I were heading out I had a difficult time starting the motor.  Even after a season of sitting it normally fired right up with one or two pulls.  It ran roughly and stalled frequently.  In the end I needed to run it with the choke half out to run at all.  Definitely dirty carb symptoms.  

Looked at some YouTube vidsof doing the work myself but in the end I delivered it to the Honda shop in Burnaby (where motor was purchased) for the work as well as doing the oil changes.

Fairly hefty price tag but happy with the work and motor run like new again.   

It seems that during the last year all gas companies have been mandated to include ethanol in the gasoline.   The only way it seems I can get ethanol free gas is to purchase the high quality, super stable four cycle fuel off the shelf.  I found some at my local Home Hardware at $26 for 3.25 litres which is ok for the small amount I use and the peace of mind.

Otter Proofing

I am lucky to have a generous friend who owns a large sailboat and has a private dock within Gibsons Harbour.  He only uses the one side of his dock and said that I was welcome to use the other side which happens to dry out at super low tides.  

Great - it a Scamp.  No problem.

The harbour hosts a population of river otters who like to jump aboard docked boats and poop.  According to another friend a simple deterrent can be enough to put them off.  I now stretch some light plastic fencing across the cockpit when leaving Fib.  

So far, so good.

A Short Cruise Around Home

Day 1 started off a bit of a drizzly morning while Jean-Francois and I worked on installing the new tent.  Fortunately we had the garage to work in.  After lunch we loaded up and drove the ten minutes to Gibsons Marina boat launch where, every though it was a summer Sunday, the weather seemed to keep things pretty quiet there.  We rigged our boats and I returned my trailer to home while Jean-Francois found some street parking and paid our launch ramp fees.

Launched and ready to go!

Boats in the water, ready to go and my normally super reliable Honda 2.3 hp outboard refused to start.  Eventually it did but ran pretty rough and managed to choke out just as we were leaving the breakwater.  Eventually got if running and out of the marina where we were able to raise sails and potter around a bit before tying up at Plumper Cove (where I can see my house so no great expedition yet).  Pleasant evening chatting on the dock and cooking up some dinner.  Then off to bed under my awesome new cockpit tent.

Day 2 was all about fluky light winds and fluky motor which seemed to run best at half choke.  By the end of the day we dropped anchor at Halkett Bay Marine Park.  We were the only ones there which is wild considering it is June and so close to Vancouver.

Nasty clouds over Mt. Elfinstone

Dodging the ferries

Day 3 started early and we ghosted our way out of Halkett Bay under light or non existent winds.   Saw a cool herring ball and a couple of huge sea lions checking it out.  Out in the sound we sailed and paddled until a point where I fired up the Honda and headed homewards while Jean-Francois planned to sail around Keats and overnight at Plumper before hauling out and heading home early the next day.  Just south of Keats I caught a nice breeze and had fun tacking my way into Shoal Channel and eventually tacked right into a slip at Pumpers where I made up a bite of lunch.  After lounging around there awhile I motored back to the marina.  Our friends have a private dock inside the breakwater that they use one side of for their large sailboat and said we were welcome to use the other side as much as we like.  The only issue is that the slip can dry out at super low tides.  No problem with a Scamp.  So nice to be able to leave Fib in water.  I emptied the boat and brought the motor along when Lisa picked me up there.

Where's the wind?

Fib with Gambier Island in the background

Sweet little docking set up.  

Cockpit Tent - A Real One!

I have done several overnight and multi-night trips in my little Scamp and with each one I improve my setup.

I started with a fairly crude boom tent that I was never happy with and always had in mind to make a better fitting and functioning one.  

I priced out the Sunbrella fabric, asked Lisa if she could give me a hand with the sewing and fabricated a couple of three piece supports that would be mounted in the existing and a second set (further aft) oarlock mounts.  The extended boat hook would become the ridge pole.   It was not a bad idea but It just wasn't catching me so I ditched the project.

I had four of these little brackets welded up to allow the tent frame to be mounted into the oar locks

Frames in place and boat hook ridgepole in place

Remembering that Jean-Francois had a great little cockpit tent of his own design and fabrication on our Desolation Sound cruise last year and that he had mentioned that he would like to get into the business of selling these, I reached out.   Jean-Francois was happy to help me out and excited for his first sale.  He had learned tons on his first model and keen to do another one.   We picked out the Sunbrella fabric and trim colours and he went to work.

In late June Jean-Francois drove down from his home in Nelson  to our place and brought his Scamp along for fun.  We spent a morning carefully measuring, installing and photographing the tent installation and because of the standard dimensions of Scamps it fit perfectly.

The tent spread out on the floor with Benny checking quality control (he passed it).

Jean-Francois installing the stainless steel snap mounts

All fitted - Time to try it out!

 

 Desolation Sound Cruise

Day One

August 13th towed Fib from Gibsons to Okeover Inlet via Earls Cove ferry.   Met up with Jean Francois and his Scamp 'Ursa Major' at the ramp.   We were a little apprehensive securing long term trailer parking in the smallish lot but it worked out OK with the help of a very friendly Okeover Harbour person.  Jean Francois and I launched at the concrete ramp where without an attached dock made having two of us made things much smoother.  We tied up to the leeward side of the dock for the outer dock where we would spend the night.  Curtis arrived later in the afternoon when he went through the operation to assemble, launch and load his Windrider trimaran.

Earls Cove to Saltry Bay ferry

Meeting up with Jean Francois at Okeover Inlet ramp

Fib and Ursa Major tied up for the night at the Okeover government Wharf

Jean Francois chillin away the later afternoon

  

Day Two

After a leisurely start the flotilla left Okeover marina and began a series of long enjoyable tacks northward up the arm.   At the junction we turned into Lancelot Inlet and with the wind dropping made of way to Isabel Bay for a look around before ghosting out way to the mouth of Theodosia Arm.  With a now following wind we negotiated the narrows before enjoying a spirited downwind ride to the head of the arm.  A series of tacks brought us back to the small  bay just north of where the narrows open up into the arm proper.  We found good holding ground in the pretty bay and and called it a day.  I managed to lose a sandal in the muddy bottom but was happy to find it magically released and floating later.   Deep in the night a black bear came crashing around in the bush about the tideline.  Jena Francois, using his spot light caught a peek of it.

A great day of sailing and exploring.  

Upwind beat on Okeover Inlet

Entering Theodosia narrows

Speedy downwind to the head of Theodosia Arm

A good sized jelly

Uris Major about to drop anchor for the night

Curtis setting up camp aboard

Cockpit kitchen setup worked a dream
Pasta with tomatoes' broccoli and parmesan cheese

Enjoying a nice cold lager while the ice holds out

Day Three

Up anchored and sailed our way out of Theodosia Arm with a series of tacks through the narrows and against the flooding tide.  Slow going but we eventually made it back to Lancelot Inlet where the wind died.  Rowing and e-motoring the flotilla made it out to Malaspina  Inlet where we spent the better part of the day sailing around before sailing back to and entering the busy Grace Harbour. After some snooping around we all squeezed into the tiny tidal lagoon at he head of the harbour.  Although shallow and drying we calculated we would be afloat until the next morning.  Did some swimming and shore exploring in the afternoon before retiring to our vessels for the night.  It was oddly and randomly windy in our little lagoon so I used my second anchor to control the swinginess.  

Dawn as seen from my bed

Preparations to get underway

Jean Francois patiently tacking against the tidal current

Ghosting along Lancelot Inlet

Fib at anchor in the shallow Grace Harbour lagoon

Dinner!

Navigation station

Grace Harbour

The lagoon

Curtis racing a powerboat

Day Four

Exited Grace Harbour and headed out of Malaspina Inlet into Desolation sound proper.  I was here about 35 years ago on a kayaking trip with brother-in-law Clint.  Jean Francois had accidentally left some anchoring hardware on beach of our previous anchorage so he left in the predawn to motor back to grad it.  Mission accomplished he rendezvoused with Curtis and I later in the morning. Must busier with boat traffic these days.  We experienced some unsettled waters at the mouth of the inlet before taking up a reach line towards the Curme Islands, our stop for the night.  Spotted some marbled murrelets which was cool.  

Curme Islands presented a challenging anchorage due to the steep rocky sides, tides and relatively exposed positioning.   Incredibly busy with every kayaker tent platform occupied.    We enjoyed very warm water swims.

Cutting it close around one of the islands

Lookin good with solar panels pumping out the electrons!

Our long reach to the Curme Islands

Floatplane 

Ghosting along

Enjoying a swim

Curme Island anchorage

Day Five

Today Curtis and I bid adieu to Jean Francois to begin our return voyage.  Jean Francois planned to spend the better part of the next week solo cruising before picking up his son for another week.   We started out heading towards Tenedos Bay but with the light and fluky winds separated with Curtis making it to Tenedos Bay while I sailed (and motored a bit) to Galley Bay where I dropped anchor and enjoyed my lunch.  Soon after we reunited and made our way back to Malaspina Inlet where we enjoyed a nice run back to Grace Harbour and our cozy lagoon for the night.  Again the winds were up and down.  At one point I decided I was running under far too much sail so I tucked in behind a small island to drop anchor in its lee and reef.

Morning a the Curme Islands

Breakfast

Curtis enjoying his breakfast afloat

Hanging out at Galley Bay

Speedy Curtis arrives

This cruise provided plenty of opportunities to reef sail and shake it out again

About to be overtaken by Curtis (again) in Malaspina Inlet

Day Six

Curtis and I got a nice early start (if fact a little chilly) to motor out of Grace Harbour and hang a left into Okeover towards the government wharf and the ramp.  Happy I still had my reef in from the day before because things got pretty exciting on our run down the inlet.  Hitting what must be Scamp hull  speed at times.  Got a little worried how I would be able to enter the Okeover Harbour with these wind balst us in but was able to again tuck into a little cover on the west shore  to furl the sail and deploy more for that last leg.   Curtis and I found a couple of  empty berths on the dock  where we tied up and began the process of retrieving, unloading and securing or boats for the trip back home.

All in all a most excellent adventure with a great coupe of guys!

Bundle up in the early hours

Curtis exiting Grace Harbour

Pretty good turn of speed for a little 11'11" stubby sailboat!

Our last stop - Okeover Government Wharf

Curtis provided a great track of our route