I swing around to the west side and there is an empty buoy waiting for me. The tide and the wind are against each other and I pick up the buoy and see an immediate problem arising. The buoy is twisting and my line becomes caught under the frame and tire. It takes me 45 minutes of tackling this from several angles After all this, my biceps are exhausted. I change my plans and head up Pickering Passage and seek refuge at Jarrell's Cove where I know it will be calm. By 1730 hrs all the boats are gone and only 2 boats are there for a quiet evening. I am asleep before dark.
Monday, 23 July, The wind is still blowing so I plan to stay put and later in the day a nice sailboat that was at Hope pulls in and docks next to me. Yankee is a Ranger 37 and is 40 years old. She is in Bristol condition and a seasoned veteran of many Vancouver Island Circumnavigations and BC explorations. Humm, just the couple I need to speak with. I feel Like Captain Vancouver meeting Captain Gray and getting the inside scoop on the location to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This time I am confirming my plans for navigating through the Gulf Islands and crossing the Strait of Georgia for my trip to Princess Louisa Inlet next year. Divine orchestrations from afar always providing me with just what I need. Thanks Jim and Marcia, our visit was just perfect. They are interested in the history of the Discovery and the Chatham when the boats departed Puget Sound and headed north to explore and chart the waters of BC. Another of Captain Vancouver's amazing accomplishments.It is fun being with people who are interested and excited about the maritime history of the Salish Sea.
I take Pashmina out to row up the other inlet in Jarrell's cove. It is an interesting inlet and surprisingly deep. I am going up it at low tide and see about a dozen kingfishers, herons and a raccoon on the shore. But, just like Puget discovered, all inlets in the south sound end in mud. I return to see Yankee and Shatoosh enjoying the peaceful end of the dock.
