Log - 7/27/2001 to 8/06/2001
Campbell River to Princess Louisa Inlet

Alan 7/27/2001
We motored around the southern tip of Quadra Island on to civilization - Campbell River the northern Vancouver Island boating headquarters. Crossing over some shoals I noticed several areas of water disturbed ahead. Moving toward the first disturbance I saw that it was caused by several evilly circling dorsal fins. Pulling closer, I could see the familiar finned torpedo shapes of sharks everywhere. I would have feared for the safety of all northwest swimmers and boaters if the largest of these menaces been more than 30 inches long. As it was, these dogfish just look silly swimming in circles.
At Campbell River we entered a long rock breakwater and tied up at the Discovery Marina. This mega-boating shelter is the largest, most expensive and crowded place we have stayed. The density of motorboats and trash crammed behind the breakwater was amazing.
In Campbell River the presence of power, water, and stores elicited the now standard flurry of activity: wash the boat, do laundry, plug in the heater, look for a used book store, buy provisions, find internet access and update the SquizFloats web site. After two days of this civilization nonsense I was glad to bug out of the marina, cross the Discovery Passage, and slip into quiet Quathiaski Cove on Quadra Island.
Ah, it is good to be back on island time, where the only concern is spilling your beverage when an unexpected wake from a passing cruise ship or ferry rocks the boat as you nap. At sunset Katherine, I, and two sea lions watch in simple amusement when hundreds of little 2"-4" fish all decide to start leaping several inches out of the water.
Squiz is fat and lazy; she is so unathletic she cannot even jump up onto our bed (except when she is really freaked out). We have Squiz on a diet, but she just seems to be getting much too slothful for a one-year old cat. So, while Katherine finishes waxing the cockpit I decide to broaden her world and begin training Squiz how to jump. Using settee cushions I create some steps to make it easier for her to jump up onto the bed and put her food dish up on the bed. Even though Squiz is hungry, she refuses to exert herself. I put the food on the cushions and she condescends to strain her way up a whole foot to the top of the cushions to eat, but that is about it. We grilled some fresh sockeye salmon for diner and Katherine snuck a little piece into Squiz's dish on the bed - eventually that is enough enticement for the little bugger to jump a whole foot and a half for the top to the cushions to the bed to gobble down her rare prize. At this rate I have decided to lower my expectations - I am targeting the 2008 Special Olympics for entering Squiz in waddling competition.

Alan 7/30/2001
We had a wonderful beam and broad reach sail as we headed SW across the Strait of Georgia toward Jervis inlet.
Although I do not write much about it, the cruising life is not without stresses. Most of these are interpersonal in nature - and are triggered by our different responses to problems and different levels of confidence about overcoming the obstacles.

Alan 7/31/2001
In the evening we tie up to a government wharf in Saltrey Bay, next to a big honking ferry dock. At 2 AM Squiz decides to try out her new jumping skills. Flinging herself up onto the bed her left front paw grabs the sheets and her left hand claws imbed themselves into my scalp as her bulk dangles from the quarterberth. Howling in agony, I spring up and pull the beasts talons free of my head. I now understand the ceremony in "A Man Called Horse".

Alan 8/01/2001
We motored and did some spinnaker sailing up the long and lovely Jervis inlet, a 50 miles arm of water reaching NNE into the British Columbia coast. After waiting for the tidal currents to subside we pass through the narrow Malibu Rapids into stunning Princess Louisa Inlet. Immense granite cliffs that reach into the clouds surround this deep narrow fijord. This is definitely the most gorgeous place we have cruised. My prose or photography cannot provide an adequate portrayal of the beauty of Princess Louisa Inlet.
Although photos cannot capture the beauty of this area, it certainly would help if I had not accidentally left my panorama stitching software behind.

Alan 8/2-4/2001
Even though we are in paradise, mountian clouds and rainy weather have got up mostly caged up ion the boat. After starting to leave the sun peeked out and seduced us into stayed another day. Katherine made a special treat for diner - Beef Wellington, yum. Saturday we get up at 5 AM and head down Jervis Inlet, hopfully toward sun in the Gulf Islands.

Alan 8/4-6/2001
Now that we are out of the mountains and can receive radio signals we discover that a nasty low pressure system is headed toward the north end of Vancouver island. So we decide to pull into sheltered Pender Harbour (that is Canadian for "Harbor") for a couple days. Then, we will head SW across the Strait of Georgia to Naniamo, to perform some vessel maintenance and upload the new web site pages.

Katherine 8/01/2001
Chatterbox falls - two long days to get here & we're staying put for a while because this is the most beautiful place we have visited so far.
From Campbell River we had a brief sail followed by long motoring to blind bay, to find a crowded but pretty anchorage. Our bay bottom did not cooperate with our CQR so we proceeded to Saltery Bay and moored at the dubious public dock (next to a ferry terminal). Around dusk a sailboat asked to raft with us and we obliged.
The next morning we headed up Jervis Inlet to Princess Louisa and enjoyed the most spectacular scenery so far. We were able to fly our spinnaker for an hour or so. During the trip I prepared Beef Wellington for a future celebration. Most people stay in the inlet a day or two, but we're thinking 3-5 days. Hopefully Alan's pictures will capture some of its beauty.

In the short time we've been here, s/v Squiz has attracted a fair amount of attention and questions, so we've been obliging and I've been promoting our web site. It seems we stir up a lot of excitement from people who've had the same dream, but have not been able to make the break. People expect that we are wealthy and are surprised to learn we chose to sell everything and sail.

I'd like to expound more on feelings and philosophy, but I feel like going out and putzing with the boat and glancing up at 4000 + ft granite walls for a stretch.

P.S. Sandy Schill, we won't be attending your wedding as we feel the strong urge to linger in this amazing fjord, but we send happy, content vibes your way and wish you & Ron health, happiness, and following breezes.

Katherine 8/03/2001
After a solid day and a half of rain here at Chatterbox falls, we have begun to lose or gumption in waiting the weather out. Our original plan for holding out for glorious photography is all but washed away. The condensation in the boat is almost as bad as the downpour outside. Our bimini was meant for shade purposes only, so our small cockpit is still drenched. There is not a lot of advantage to leaving as we'll be motoring through the stuff and we won't be at a place to plug in when we get out of Jervis Inlet anyhow.
When I take a brief walk, I see someone with a portable generator and remember ours. I ask if the generator could run our heater and Alan said probably on the low position only. I think that's enough to keep the condensation down, so I say let's stay. As the morning passes though, I find out that there other generator limitations that (that I had not figured out and Alan had not told me about) making its use problematic. An argument ensues and of course there is no where to go to cool down. After Alan makes his last statement about not being able to read my mind, I do feel somewhat like a heel We decide to depart to seek out a drier climate. As we leave it stops raining, we see patches of blue, and I remember we have 10 fans on the boat, so just before getting to Malabu Rapids we turn around and head for some mooring balls at McDonald Island. We have an hour or so of sun, just long enough to open some hatches, dry some foul weather gear, and do some general tidying up. It starts raining again, but with the boat aired a bit and dry foul weather gear, I'm good for at least one more day. Seeing the sun and the snowfields and being out reminded me why we were here, so I can be patient. I hope it pays off and we get some great pictures.

Katherine 8/06/2001
We left Princess Louisa Inlet on the 4th at 5:30 AM and had an enjoyable, long motor back. It would have been a fabulous downwind sail, if we had been going in the opposite direction. We tucked into Pender Harbor and tied up at the public dock to "wait out a gale"- actually a low pressure system off the NW tip of Vancouver Island. The only weather we experienced was more rain. Pender Harbor is home to "billions and billions" of jellyfish. Interesting to watch, but I wouldn't go swimming. Our second night in Pender Harbor we had wonderful company with the owner of another Tayana 37 - George & Kathie from "Grace". They've down a lot of improvements to their boat, I figure that in 2 years they'll have all the annoying idiosyncrasies worked out or replaced. We hope to see George and Kathie someplace warm in the future.
We are now back to Naniamo to perform some boat work; we expect to be here a few days.

During all this rain, I've begun toying with the SSB/Ham. Usually the time of day or the weather or the cliffs has not been ideal for reception , but I've picked up the Pacific Seafarer's net and a few others. I'm getting the inspiration to start studying, so I can chat as well. As the coast trip gets nearer, we've been spending more time interpreting (or trying to interpret) the weather faxes.