Day 368 Pirates Cove

Tracy was up REAL early yesterday--we're talking 6am!! so she cleaned up the boat since we were still on shore power and then we got an early start for Pirates Cove.  

As is the norm for us, there was no wind so we fired up the engine and took off.  Out of the harbour and into Stuart Channel trying to avoid all the "deadheads"(floating logs) that litter the waters up here.  Around the North tip of Thetis Island and across(missing several reefs) past the South end of Pylades Island.  Up past Ruxton Island to De Courcy Island and into Pirates Cove(49 05.826N  123 43794W).  

Now getting into Pirates Cove is interesting.  They give you about a 20 foot entrance path.  You have to go between a big concrete marker and a floating buoy all the while watching the depth gauge.  It gets a bit shallow for my tastes.  I wouldn't want to come in here at low tide.  As it was, once anchored, when we hit low tide, there was only three feet under our keel.

There you can see(click on the photo) the marker and the red buoy.  Not a big span of water to pass through.  The depth came up to about 6 feet as we entered but got deeper the farther in the harbour we went.  We finally dropped anchor and settled in.  

After lunch, we launched Puff and rowed ashore for a hike around the small section of the island that is not privately owned.  As is our norm, we got off the "beaten path" and took a much less traveled way around the islet out to where the stone marker is.   While out at the point(see the photo with me in it) I found a "fanny pack" on the ground with stuff in it.  Not sure how long it had been there but someone left their phone in it.  I turned it on and called their "home" listing and left a message that I had found it and to call me back.  Once back to Zephyr I checked the "contacts" and saw "daddy" and called him.  

Apparently, they live in Vancouver and wanted to know if we would be passing through there.  I explained that we were on a sailboat heading North but would be in Nanaimo in a few days and could mail it back to them.  We'll be setting that up once we arrive there.

On the hike, we came across this tree with rocks coming out of the trunk.  Mother Nature is having fun again I guess.  Not a lot of soil on these islands so the trees have to grab at something to stay rooted.  It's interesting to see all the different rock formations and the carving that has taken place over the centuries that island have been here.  Each island seems to have it's own personality.  Rarely have we felt two alike on our trip so far.

One thing we have found strange is the Canadian's way of emptying the holding tanks on boats.  In the USA, unless you are way off shore, it is against the law.  Not so up here.  As long as you are not in a harbour, you can empty your tanks any time you please.

By reading the Public Notice, even not discharging in the harbour is "voluntary"!  Go figure.  I'm not sure I'd want to swim in any harbour that has allowed people to discharge their sewage tanks into.  It sort of goes against what I have always thought of Canada with it's pristine waters.  I guess they aren't so pristine after all.  Heaven help you if you tried it in the USA and someone found out about it.

Well, all the nice beautiful weather is ending according to the weather folks.  Rain is in the forecast for the next five days so we will see what happens.  The part we have been waiting for in on it's way to Nanaimo.  I think the folks at Shakespeare shipped it UPS express as it left yesterday and is already here in BC.  I'm just waiting to see if UPS will deliver to a Post Office.  Anyone have any experience with that out there?  Once I can confirm via tracking info that it has arrived(plus called the post office) we will make haste for Nanaimo.   Hit Costco, the grocery stores, West Marine or something like them and get out of town ASAP.  We have lots of water to cover and want to get going.

Have a great weekend everyone.