Winter Cove to Glenthorne Passage via Breezy Beach, Saturna Island

It was a calm night, most welcomed after the big, but brief, blow of yesterday evening. The two large phalanxes of Canadian Geese were swimming in formation around Winter Cove. It seemed nothing more than a practice drill in learning to follow the leader and fly in a “V” formation. I never did see them take to the air.

The Canadian Geese patrol Winter Cove

Bob's self portrait in the "barbie"

Karen was cocooned in her blanket and reading on the settee, so it was almost 1PM before we hoisted anchor and bid Winter Cove adieu.

Karen lifts part of Winter Cove with the anchor

The entrance is guarded by the Minx Reefs. The entrance is well marked and charted, nevertheless a wooden sailing vessel managed to find the reef one night. Unable to make a salvage, the hull remains as a reminder to all mariners. To read more about the event, follow this link.

http://beautifulbritishcolumbia.blogspot.com/2007/07/ppp.html

The wreck on Minx Reef

Karen has always wanted to visit Saturna Island. I had just read in one of the local nautical magazines about the Saturna Island Winery and the fact that they have a dock at Breezy Bay that visitors can use. To add to the attraction, they have a bistro at the winery. Decision made. Let’s go find that dock.

The dock was a nice one, shared with the neighbors who own lots along the water. There was no one there – so plenty of room for Arctic Star.

Arctic Star on the dock at Saturna

It’s almost a mile walk from the dock to the winery. The vines were almost yellow in their new growth. The setting was idyllic with vines in the foreground and Plumper Sound stretching out in the distance. It’s a young winery, with the first planting starting in 2000.

The view to the sound across the vines

The vines of Saturna

As luck would have it, the chef was new this year. And he was a gem, serving up some of the best offerings we’ve ever had in the Gulf Islands. Karen enjoyed a pulled Andulsian pork sandwich and I devoured a Shepherd’s Pie made with lamb. Neither of those descriptions, do the food justice. As I said, it ranks among the best.

The bistro and gift shop

From Breezy Bay we traveled to Glenthorne Passage, one of the anchorages we visited when we first came to this area in 2005. In fact we dropped anchor about 250 yards from where we had done so three years ago. While we love new places and seek them out with a passion, it is also nice to snuggle into familiar waters where the bottom and the effect of the winds and tides are predictable with confidence. There were only two other boats there – a real surprise.

Satellite Cove to Winter Cove via Bedwell Harbour and Hope Bay

Getting a lazy start to our day, we departed Satellite Cove at 9:30AM, destination Bedwell Harbour to clear Canadian Customs.

This was one of the "resident" boats at Winter Cove, I never thought cement was the best idea for a boat hull

Bedwell Harbour is also the location of Poet's Cove Resort. About five years ago, some major investors transformed this location to a premier resort. We took advantage of the wine store to stock up since we are limited on the amount of alcohol we can bring in from the U.S.

We also were able to get a high speed internet connection so we spent about two hours checking on work, family, and other things in the ether.

The staff from Poet's Cove Resort meet their new guests

Normally you are supposed to only stay on the customs dock for only so long as it takes to clear, but given that only one other boat came to clear, we did not feel we were denying anyone else access to the friendly and efficient Canadian Customs service.

From Bedwell it was off to Hope Bay. It started to get overcast and a bit windy with light showers. There was no place on the docks at Hope Bay so we continued to our final anchorage in Winter Cove. We were greeted by only two other boats. A working fishing boat killing time until it was time to go catch some fish and a small sailboat. Apparently this cove is very popular in the summer and when the annual lamb roast occurs on Canada Day, the cove is set upon by hundreds of boats. We saw a picture where there were dinghies four and five-deep at the pier. I cannot imagine waking across three or four other dinghies for dinner. Certainly if you were the first in, you're the last to leave.

It was a rainy day, but later in the afternoon a strong gust front passed and we had wind gusts to 31 knots. Fortunately the passage of the front was quick and the cove settled down and we had a peaceful night.

We are very close to the Summer solstice so the days are pleasantly long. We have daylight until almost 10PM. What is surprising is you can start to see the warm glow of the rising sun starting around 3AM. Very spooky.

Active Cove to Satellite Cove

Last night the stars were out, but by morning we were greeted with the customary overcast skies. Although open to some wind, affected by currents and open to swells from passing large ships, Active Cove was very pleasant. We lifted anchor and made our way across to Satellite Cove on Stuart Island. As the sun came out, the wind picked up and opposed the current so we traveled in a bit of disturbed seas that were handled well by Arctic Star.

Karen was expecting to see more cruisers in Prevost Harbor, but I think the count was only four when we arrived. And our planned anchorage in Satellite Cove was empty. We dropped anchor in the middle of the cove and got a firm set of the anchor right away.

Then it was time to launch the dinghy and travel over to the county dock. This gave us access to the county road which leads to the Turn Point Light House. A visit to the lighthouse has been on the list for a few years, but the walk from Reid Harbor, the adjacent and more popular anchorage, starts with a hike up 127 steps. From there it is a three mile hike. Our plan, starting at the county dock, is only a 1.5 mile walk.

The county road would be considered somewhat rustic for vehicles, but for walking it was luxurious. Dry, wide and relatively smooth, it made for a pleasant hike.

"The" county road

Along the way we spotted a Cessna 172, with many ominous DANGER AIRCRAFT NO TRESPASSING signs. Of course, being pilots, we were intrigued. Turns out some of the residents have carved out a grass strip through the trees.

Airport carved out among the trees

One of the locals having lunch

The walk to the lighthouse is populated by deer, abandoned cars, a herd of dairy cattle, homes of some of the forty residents of the island and beautiful views overlooking Turn Point. In fact, we found one overlook we liked so well we noted its latitude and longitude so we may return with a picnic lunch in the future.

Lunch spot

The walk is flanked by a stately forest

The lighthouse is active although unmanned and automated. The original lighthouse caretaker’s house, barn and other structures have been restored and it was fun to peek in the windows. The views from the front porch must have been a fair exchange for the isolation of the assignment.

Karen hangs on to the lighthouse

The lighthouse caretaker's house

The view from the front porch of the caretaker's house

Blacktail deer grazing on the front "lawn"

Karen takes a break of the front porch before we head back

With most of the walk back being downhill, the time passed quickly. Along the way we crossed the path of a herd of wild goats. They were more skittish than the native deer. Karen then tried to call the dairy cows over to see her, but her MOO seemed unconvincing to the bovines that were more interested in munching the green stuff and attending to their calves.

"We are not amused"

Back on the boat it was time for me to make my traditional pot of chili. We pack it in multiple containers and it becomes our “easy” microwave meal when more elaborate culinary undertakings are not of interest.

Small duck at sunset

After our hike and kitchen work, we both collapsed into bed not long after sunset.

Bellingham to Active Cove, Patos Island, USA

As expected, we awoke to cloudy skies and rain showers. Those rain showers that only start when you leave the boat and promptly stop when you back inside. The first mission of the day was to return the rental car. Chara, from our charter company, Northwest Explorations arrived promptly at the designed time. That was 8AM, which meant Karen was still asleep. I felt guilty that Chara was being so kind as to follow me to the airport and give me a ride back to the marina on her “day off”.  My guilt was mitigated when she told me there were two of us utilizing her taxi service. Our departure from Bellingham was uneventful; always nice when you’re on a new boat. Although very similar to Discovery, which we have spent the last two seasons chartering, our boat this year, Arctic Star is nonetheless different. It’s a much newer version of a Grand Banks 46. Having spent the first part of its life “down south” things like an air conditioner and tinted windows signal there will be a transition period for this boat to the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Some of the transition has begun with the installation of diesel hot water heat. A must have in these climes.

I think the biggest change for this boat will be going from private ownership to life in a charter fleet. The owner did a shakedown cruise and some items have been addressed and some deferred and some yet undiscovered. Coming from Discovery, which has many years in a charter fleet and had evolved into the consummate charter vessel, Arctic Star still has some metamorphosis to do.

Not all mechanical issues have yet surfaced. We discovered that the forward bilge pump wants to run continuously when left to its own devices. The port stabilizers fin is content to do nothing, leaving its brethren on the starboard side to do all the work. While problems like those may sound major to the uninitiated, they are not unexpected on a “real world” shakedown cruise. Other items that seem trivial can have a great impact on life aboard. For example, this boat must have thirty occasional throw pillows; leaving very little room for the crew and their gear. We have exiled most of ne’er-do-well soft stowaways to the forward berth. Since Karen and I are the only crew, that will do for a two week solution. If we have another couple on board we will all be rearranging the pillows constantly looking for a place to sit or sleep.

So it goes in the life of a charter. We’re making a list for the new owners of things that don’t work and things that will make the stay aboard more pleasant for future charters, of which we count ourselves.

Back to our journey. As we progress out of Bellingham Bay the once foreboding clouds retreated giving way to a glorious day of sun. With unexpected but welcomed weather, we leisurely made our way to Patos Island. A small distinctly shaped island near the U.S. and Canadian border. Karen was worried that we would find the only two mooring balls in Active Cove taken, given that it was the beginning of the weekend. While there were two boats in the Cove when we arrived, neither had opted for either of the mooring balls. So we took the one in deeper water given that a minus two foot tide was predicted for today.

Active Cove, panorama view

After hooking up and settling in, we launched the dinghy and went exploring on the island.

Pebble beach at the end of Active Cove

Our goal was to visit the historic lighthouse at the north end of the island. It was an easy hike with wide and flat trails and the last 600 yards on a paved sidewalk, a remnant of the days when the station was manned by the Coast Guard.

Lighthouse on Patos Island

Karen stands at the northern most part of the U.S. in the San Juan islands

Survey marker from the Boundry Commission, the U.S.-Canadian border is just north of here in the water

Dinner was simple and after sunset, around 9:15, we fell into bed for a well deserved rest.

Laura Visits the Ponies

It was a beautiful Saturday. Cool yet sunny, not a drop of rain in sight. I had been searching for interesting things to do with Mom, and I came across the Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines in Pottstown, PA. This non-profit organization, founded in 1888, cares for elderly and abused horses. Knowing that Mom grew up on a ranch in Montana and rode horses to school, Bob and I thought a trip to Ryerss might be entertaining for her.

Mom was in great spirits when we picked her up after lunch. I made her bring along an old pair of shoes, knowing that we might be traipsing in muddy areas. She was so curious about why she had to bring those shoes along. We told her we were going somewhere new that was a surprise. She couldn't wait to learn where we were going!

After a nice drive through the countryside, punctuated by commentary from Laura about how pretty and green everything was, we arrived at Ryerss Farm. There were numerous pastures and many horses were plainly in view. As we drove down the winding lane to the main barn, Mom kept saying "Wow!".

Not really knowing what to expect, we got out of the car and entered the barn. Some of the 80+ horses were in their stalls, awaiting some fancy "footwork" by the farrier.

As soon as the horses saw visitors, they started to stick their heads out looking for treats. Mom had absolutely no fear of the horses, knowing exactly how to "pet" them and what to say. She was certainly in her element.

One of the volunteers spent a lot of time with us, walking us out to a nearby paddock and calling over a bunch of horses, introducing each horse and giving us each one's "backstory".

He gave Mom carrots and apples to feed the horses, so she made a lot of equine friends. She was so excited -- she held my hand the whole time but definitely determined where we went (a polite way of saying she was actually dragging me from place to place, she was so excited) and which horses were to get the most attention. She was amazed the horses were so old and yet in such good shape. Each one received detailed scrutiny and commentary. I wasn't sure how much she'd enjoy this trip, but it was a clear winner.

After about an hour on her feet walking on uneven pasture land, she started to get a little tired, so we decided to leave. The most rewarding thing? She looked at us and said "That made me feel young."  I guess you can't ask for higher praise than that!

Enjoy the photos and be sure to visit the link to Ryerss Farm if you want to learn more about the organization and the residents. http://www.ryerss.com/index.htm