Vancouver Island Circumnavigation Journal
Gary & Dayna
La Soirée – 2018 Sun Odyssey 419
Departure & An Unexpected Whale Encounter
We left Chinook on Thursday the 18th for the Jeanneau Rendezvous with a plan to visit Langley that night.
Under power, while transiting Elliott Bay, we crossed the shipping lane (at 90 degrees, of course) and headed about ¼ mile south of West Point. As we turned to parallel the east side of the lane, I noticed an unusual tide rip that seemed out of place. As I looked for other signs of current, a humpback whale suddenly surfaced about two boat lengths off our starboard beam.
Dayna, alerted by my excitement, turned just in time to see it surface again a little farther away. It continued south, slapping its fin on the water as if it were laughing at us—whale humor.
The Jeanneau Rendezvous
We arrived at the Rendezvous on the 19th and had a great time. We caught up with the usual owners, the Marine Servicenter staff, and industry partners. It was great spending time talking with Danny and his fiancée, while Dan tried his best to convince Dayna that we needed a Sun Odyssey 440 (thanks, Dan!).
I spent time talking with the sailmakers about sail configurations and attended several seminars. As always, it was a great and useful event, and the food was excellent.
Outstanding Support from Marine Servicenter
While preparing for departure, I experienced a bad override on the electric halyard winch. It broke the prefeeder, stripper, and cleat jaws on top of the winch.
Danny immediately stepped up and offered to ship replacement parts to our next destination without so much as a stutter. We arranged for one of our crew members to fly the parts to Port McNeill by seaplane.
Thank you, Danny and Marine Servicenter, for the outstanding support!
Orcas & Other Sightings
We departed under power on the 21st, and our wildlife encounters continued almost immediately. We spotted a pod of orcas transiting the east entrance to Guemes Channel, then later another pod off Turn Point, north of Stuart Island.
We also passed another “freak of nature”—Zuckerberg’s superyacht Launchpad and its support vessel Wingman anchored off Stuart Island. Unfortunately, they didn’t invite us aboard.
We managed a little sailing in Boundary Pass but ultimately lost ground to the tide.
Making Miles North
After clearing customs at Pender Harbour and spending the night at anchor, we shifted our focus to covering distance.
With light northerly winds, we fired up the Yanmar, engaged the autopilot, and settled into 40–50 mile days. Stops included Mark Bay on Newcastle Island, Tribune Bay on Hornby Island, Campbell River Coast Marina, and eventually Port Neville.
Passing through Seymour Narrows proved uneventful. We entered on the ebb about two hours before slack water and enjoyed a three-knot push. Surprisingly, favorable currents and back eddies continued for nearly four hours beyond the Narrows.
I have to say this boat is exceptionally comfortable under power with plenty of horsepower for handling wind and waves. We burned fuel like a trawler—not really—just 1.2 gallons per hour.
We arrived at Lagoon Cove Marina on the 27th, looking forward to a few relaxing days in the Broughton Islands.
Weather Changes the Plan
Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas.
As soon as we finished tying up, the rain and wind arrived with a vengeance, apparently trying to make up for a dry summer. We still attended the marina’s evening dock party, which became a memorable gathering of about twenty people squeezed into a tool shed on the pier while rain poured through the roof.
Our potluck dishes covered the workbench beneath an oversized—and surprisingly stylish—tablecloth. The marina’s fresh shrimp were outstanding: large, fresh, and delicious.
Changing Course
The dock talk centered on the forecast, with winds expected to reach 35–40 knots. Radio chatter revealed other cruisers searching for protected anchorages.
We also had two flights scheduled into Port McNeill for a crew exchange before continuing down Vancouver Island’s west coast, but the weather threatened both plans.
We decided to arrive early in Port McNeill and make the best of it. Unfortunately, the marina was full and turning away boats without reservations.
Instead, we diverted to the Malcolm Island Lions Port Authority Marina. It turned out to be an excellent alternative, complete with complimentary bicycles for the two-kilometer ride into town.
The ride into town was great fun.
The ride back… less so.
Pedaling into 20-knot gusts and driving rain definitely became part of the adventure.
Looking Ahead
Today marks Day 10 of our six-week circumnavigation of Vancouver Island.
TTFN,
Gary & Dayna Miller
La Soirée
2018 Sun Odyssey 419
