We listened to VHF radio weather this morning and it seemed like a good day to move on instead of waiting a few more days. The weather at Addenbrook light house was winds less than 5 and seas 1 foot chop. With Addenbrook just a few miles from us, we decided to take off.
We left a bit earlier than we should have at 0945. Low tide wasn't till 1130 and we paid for it. By the time we got to Fitz Hugh Sound(about 4 miles), even though the wind was with us, the tide wasn't and the water was quite stirred up and made the first part of the trip quite rollie. We rocked back and forth for quite a while. Once the tide changed and started flooding, it got better but unfortunately, the rains came. And boy did they come. It poured and reduced visibility to less than a mile. Tracy fired up the radar so we could see what was out there. It's the first time we've used it since we left Port Townsend.
About 20 minutes after she started it a small blip was coming at us. We watched it as it got closer and suddenly a commercial fishing boat came out of the rain on our port side. I told Tracy to turn on the running lights and the "steaming" light on the mast(shines a white light to tell other boaters that we are under power not sail). About 15 seconds after we turned on ours, the fishing boat turned on his.
About 30 minutes later, Tracy saw a big blip on the radar screen. I told her I didn't think big ships used that channel. Boy was I wrong. Out of the rain came the Holland America cruise liner Ziederdam. She was marching right down the center of the sound. I was a bit surprised she didn't radio us that she was coming. Luckily, we were far enough to her port side that we were well away from her. Well, maybe a half mile if that. Once she passed us, her wake came at us like a freight train. I took it at a 90 degree angle and it still threw water up and over the bow. We went up a good 4 feet before we came crashing down. Poor Blue was not impressed.
It continued to rain the rest of the way into Codville Lagoon(52 03.675N 127 50.244W). We passed through a narrow channel and into a very nice(still rainy) lagoon with an island right in the center of it. We went around the island and dropped the anchor in the far East cove right between two larger cruiser boats. A third came in shortly after us and dropped his anchor to our starboard and in front of us. And the rains continued.
Many years ago, Tracy had given me a set of Gill foul weather gear for Christmas and it works great. Even while it was pouring, the only place on me getting wet was a small section of my face where my eyes looked out from the hood and face covering. I was bone dry. The last boat to come in didn't have foul weather gear and I'm sure they got soaked. Once we were anchored, of course the rain and wind stopped and the Sun came out.
While on deck later, we saw the boat next to us was "Aye Aye Sir". We've been following them for the past 3+ weeks. Ever since Nanaimo, they have cropped up at some of the anchorages we have been in. Russ(the captain)stopped by and invited us over for cake and ice cream this evening. Everyone in the harbor was invited. We lowered Puff and Dragon and headed over about 1900. They have a beautiful boat--Ocean Alexander. It's been around for a while but is in beautiful condition with lots of great things on board. The galley was incredible and the master stateroom was huge.
We'd made another 24.5 miles today on the trip North. Each day gets us closer. We traveled almost 760 miles since we left Port Townsend on April 4th and I don't have a clue as to how far we still have to go to make it to Alaska. Everyone that was at the party tonight is planning on making to Alaska and I'm sure we will see each of them again.
Depending on the weather tomorrow, we will either stay here another day or two or take off for Bella Bella and some more supplies, fuel and water. Maybe even the internet so you can read what we have been doing since we past Cape Caution.
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