Quesnel, BC

Since Dave's arrival in Quesnel I have been enjoying showing him around my city and the surrounding areas. We have visited friends, family and been on a few day hikes to see some of my favourite places. We first hiked to Deserter's Creek, where the creek emerges from an enormous fault in the bedrock. I knew this would interest Dave with his penchant for geology.

Dave and the fault in the bedrock

Pete in the cleft in the rock

The next geologic feature we visited was Quesnel's famous Pinnacles. These are hardened spires of volcanic ash that tower over the valley formed by Baker Creek.

The Pinnacles

No visit to Quesnel would be complete without a visit to Historic Barkerville, a restored ghost town from the late 1800's gold rush. Although officially closed for the season, it was a nice quiet walk through the deserted streets.

Barkerville

   On our return trip to Quesnel, we were extremely lucky to observe a Mountain Caribou licking salt off the roadside. I have never seen one this close in the thirty odd years of living in the area. Dave is here a week and we encounter one! Dave is still complaining about the absence of moose. Maybe next time.

Mountain Caribou

Still not a moose

 We spent Saturday in Prince George where we had lunch with our friend Leanne Ranes and dinner with two of my sisters and their families.

Other than me being sick for a few days with food poisoning, (no, not from Dave's cooking) we have had a great time so far. We are both looking forward to returning to Cygnus at Alameda on the 24th, where we will spend some time installing a new roller furling system and sightseeing in the Bay Area. 
Cheers! Pete.

San Francisco, CA and Quesnel, BC

One week ago (Monday) I left Fort Bragg. The calm seas over the Noyo River bar were an amazing contrast to the violence I witnessed (safely from ashore) at the same location just 2 days earlier. A southerly wind filled in that afternoon complicating my passage of Point Arena with pounding seas and green water over the bow. By about 4 PM I had cleared the point and the seas began to moderate. It is amazing to see how the major headlands affect the wind and seas.

After 1 night drifting at sea to catch a little sleep, I motored past Point Reyes and into Drakes Bay where I anchored for a better sleep before proceeding into San Francisco. Along the way I spotted a few Humpback whales, Pacific White-sided dolphins, and the most amazing pod of porpoises I have ever seen. There were hundreds of them all across the bow and starboard side. A few came up close to the boat to have a close look at me, others were flying through the air (often in pairs). Their activity churned up a huge expanse of the sea.

Point Reyes

The Golden Gate Bridge as I approached under sail.

Alcatraz Island

The new east span of the Oakland Bay Bridge seen from my anchorage at Treasure Island.

Wednesday morning I was ready to go into San Francisco. Off Duxbury Point I had to navigate through one of the largest fishing fleets I have ever seen. There were dozens of commercial trawlers all moving about 2 knots in various directions, along with hundreds of recreational and charter boats – each on a different course at a different speed. Several course changes later I was ready to proceed into Bonita Channel and through the Golden Gate. The wind came up from the west as I passed Point Bonita, so I killed the engine and raised sails. So, for the second time, I had the privilege of transiting the Golden Gate under sail. I can think of no better way to arrive at San Francisco Bay. I anchored that night at Treasure Island with the suspension span of the new Oakland Bay Bridge towering nearly over me.

It is time for a key improvement project I have planned for Cygnus – the installation of a roller furling headsail. So I have obtained moorage for a month at Alameda Marina. My old Genoa (the big headsail) is at Doyle sailmakers (located within the Alameda Marina complex) to be re-worked for roller furling, and the roller furler has arrived. I would begin installation, but…

Arriving in San Francisco Bay and obtaining moorage for a while presented an opportunity for me to travel to Quesnel, BC to see Pete. Saturday I flew from San Francisco to Calgary and on to Quesnel. I am writing this post from Pete’s computer, and I am living ashore (temporarily) for the first time in almost 10 years. Adapting to such oddities as reclining chairs and having to walk more than 3 steps to reach the bathroom is proving quite challenging. In fact walking more than about 10 or 12 steps anywhere without the aid of a dock or dinghy seems really strange.

Today is Canadian Thanksgiving. Pete held his family’s holiday dinner yesterday (freeing today for his children to visit/host their in-laws). All 3 of his children and many of his grandchildren were here. We had a marvelous turkey dinner, and I got to meet a houseful of great people. Everyone had a great time chatting and eating. The day was nearly perfect… just one tiny incident involving a five year old princess a pretty dress and a pile of bear poop.

As any self-respecting swan will fly south for the winter, Pete and I will return to Alameda to install the roller furling system and prepare Cygnus for continuing her flight south. Our plan is to fly to California on Oct 24^th. Once we have the furler working, and complete a few sea trials to learn how to operate it, we will be ready to proceed down the coast of Central and Southern California and on to Mexico.

Fort Bragg, CA

Well I finally passed Cape Mendocino on Wednesday last week. After a  night at Shelter Cove (which isn't really much shelter) I came into the Noyo River and Fort Bragg. A really serious wind was forecast for yesterday, and it did not disappoint. It blew a full gale most of the afternoon. The seas are forecast to lay down by tomorrow, so I plan to head south on the high tide in the morning. With a little fair weather I could make it to San Francisco this week.

Me and the Cape Mendocino buoy.

The green marker buoy entering the Noyo River during the windstorm yesterday

Entry buoy at the Noyo River

Eureka, CA

The weather finally cooperated and I motored out of Newport last Friday. By late afternoon the wind freshened and I was able to sail. This continued for 2 days and nights. I sailed past Cape Blanco about 8 Saturday evening, and right into Crescent City, CA on Sunday afternoon.

I took a couple rest days at Crescent City and motored on to Eureka on Wednesday. Eureka has some really nice architecture which I have been enjoying. Today (Friday) I will get out on the ocean once more (if anything is gonna happen it's gonna happen out there). I should pass Cape Mendocino this afternoon. The forecast for the next few days is good, so I am hoping for some good progress to the south.

Newport, Oregon. Still...

Hello again from Newport. The past week and a half have been a time of changes. First the wind got too strong from the NW, then too strong from the S - along with a small craft advisory for steep seas. The latest forecast is pretty good. Tomorrow should bring light southerlies and gentle seas, changing to the W and finally the NW for the next several days. By Monday it may be too strong again, but I hope to make it at least to Crescent City, CA before that.

Pete needed to go back home to Quesnel, BC, so for the present I will be single-handing Cygnus. It is difficult to balance a life with a home, adult children living nearby, and grandchildren with the carefree life of the vagabond sailor, but Pete is finding the way admirably. Once I get the boat south of Cape Mendocino it may be time for me to pay a visit to Quesnel. We hope to enjoy Mexico together for at least parts of the coming winter.

Pete and I rented a car here to get him up to Chilliwack, BC where his car was at. On the way home I stopped to visit James and Becky Peet. Their hospitality was very welcome after the long drive. James also shared some pictures from our going away lunch at Gig Harbor, WA way back on July 1st. So here are the belated pix:

James, me and Pete at Gig Harbor, WA

Me, Becky and Pete at Gig Harbor, WA

Newport Oregon

Hi all.

The following is a rundown of the last five days.

Friday Sept. 4th

Our first day offshore after leaving Effingham Island in the Broken Island Group, was spent motoring as there was little to speak of for wind, and we needed to clear the commercial traffic moving in and out of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. We only had one close encounter with a freighter, but our newly installed AIS system that Dave's brother, Andy so thoughtfully provided, quickly picked up the signal from the vessel and gave us time to take evasive action. Thanks Andy!

That evening was my first time at having to do a watch while motoring. It was truly magical seeing a complete dome of a sky with no obstructions or lights to hinder a spectacular starry vista! Add to that the sparkle of millions of stars created by the phosphorescence in the water. Amazing! Near midnight, Dave came topside and we shut down the iron jenny and we watched the moon rise while we sat and revelled in the strange beauty. We decided to allow Cygnus to drift while we got a few hours of quiet rest, getting up regularly to ensure we weren't about to be swamped by another freighter.

During the night, the wind freshened from the north, and we made steady progress south. today we had tremendous sailing. Our wind switched to the south east, and we beat our way down the Washington coast. There we encountered many commercial fishing boats. In one instance, we had to avoid a whole flotilla of dozens of boats. By evening, Dave's stomach had got the best of him, and we had a simple dinner while the wind became gale force, and the seas were high and confused. It was my turn to take the first watch. I was very apprehensive, since I had never sailed at night, and the wind and seas were still a bit crazy. Strangely, once it was too dark to see the high and confused seas, my apprehension died away, and I had a wonderful sail until Dave relieved me about 2:00 am.

Saturday Sept. 5th

We have made great progress. We only had to run the engine for an hour to charge the batteries since shutting it down on our first day out. Our stomachs are doing better, and we put together normal meals. We expect to make Newport on Sunday if all goes well.

Sunday Sept 6th

. Ok..... All hasn't gone well. Yesterday we had some great sailing, but soon after dark, we encountered a strong southerly blow that wasn't in the forcast. Because of the great weather and light winds, we had all sails up, with only a single reef in the main. Once the winds started, it was too dangerous to go on deck in the dark to reduce sail area, so we hove to. This means we brought the boat to a stop by adjusting the sail and rudder pattern. Unfortunately, since we had all the sails up, we healed over about 30 degrees and the rail was in the water. This made it very uncomfortable and impossible to sleep. Early in the morning, we got underway while the wind blew at almost storm force, and the seas were very high and confused. Dave carried on for a few hours while I got some sleep, and then I took over from Dave, who was in desperate need of some rest. It was a harrowing experience for the land lubber. One that I don't wish to experience again any time soon.

Monday Sept. 7th

After a difficult morning of high seas and winds, we had another sleepless night because of high rolling seas. By this time we were both extremely tired. Dave woke up to the sound of the boat sailing itself south, and decided someone should keep an eye out in case we "bumped into anything". About 3:00 am, I relieved him on watch and spent a pleasant few hours sailing slowly south under reduced sail. In the morning, the sun rose and we spent a beautiful morning with our coffees and breakfast on deck and watched a family of Humpback whales right off our starbord side. What an incredible contrast from 24 hours ago!

Tuesday Sept. 8th

We have arrived in Newport Oregon, in yet another unforcast blow, we were both very sleep deprived, and happy to tie up at a dock. Customs clearance went without a hitch, and we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner and beers at a brew pub in the marina. It's good to feel solid ground under our feet.

Last night we both had the best sleep in five days! Today we spent a nice day enjoying Newport and catching our breath. We expect to be here a day or two more, and weather permitting, we will continue the voyage south.

Cheers! Pete and Dave

Dave soaking in the hot springs

The boardwalk to the hot springs

1000 nautical miles! 

A crab feast.

Lucky creek pools

Lucky creek

Newport Oregon

Sea cave at Effingham Island.