Day 402 One last soak.

By the time we got up this morning, five of the ten boats from the previous night were gone. The infamous "fishing" boat of yesterdays post that rafted up to our friends on Astarte left at 0200!! Yeah, that's right---2:00AM!!! Just started up their engines and their high power lights and took off. The rest left early in the morning. I helped Astarte get off the dock as the wind was pushing them into it. He did a great job maneuvering his boat out since he was very close to two other boats behind him. Once he left, the other two boats--the ones that came into the dock shortly after us left also. They had rafted up the previous night and when the outside boat(steel) left, (he had already taken his fenders off his boat(the big rubber balls that kept the boats apart) he scraped all along the side of the other mans boat. Steel versus fiberglass--guess who looses? With a thud(as he hit him) and a screech he powered out. He screamed back that he was sorry and hoped everything was all right--"are you alright?" . I guess that is another reason for insurance companies. That left just one other boat anchored out in the bay. Tracy and I decided we would go up for one last soak in the hot springs. A bath first and then the "hot" tub room. Later, into the outside tub that's a bit cooler. Then back into the "hot" tub for one last soak. It was beautiful sitting in a beautiful surroundings just soaking.

Once back to Zephyr, we made hasty tracks to be away by 1000 so we could make the ebb tide at the North end of Gribbell Island so we could gain some speed on our way to Hartley Bay. The tide was going out and we wanted to catch it. Once over the North side of the island, we rolled out the Genoa sail to catch the winds coming down the Verney Passage. Of course as soon as we did, within 40 minutes, the winds died. In came the sail and back with motoring.

As we passed the end of Verney Passage at the South end of Hawkesbury Island, I checked for an internet connection and phone service. Yep, I could get on line. I checked my emails and downloaded some for reading later. I called Boat US to get coverage for Alaska. Every time we leave an area, it costs more. Getting coverage up to Bella Bella was an additional $104. To get coverage from Bella Bella to Glacier Bay, Alaska was an additional $138--and that is only for a one month coverage!!! When I called about getting coverage to Alaska back on May 23, I was told to call back as the gentleman could only give me coverage to Bella Bella. This was the first time I could get phone service since then. When I called in today, the lady asked me if I had filled out the application for insurance for Alaska? Say what? What application? Apparently, there is a form application that is normally filled out to get coverage when you take your boat to Alaska. I was told to simply call in for a "rider" on my policy. She said she would have to check and get back with me in a few minutes. I, of course, stopped getting phone service soon after she hung up!! Isn't it always that way? When you need it, it looses service.

I knew that there was cell service at Hartley Bay and we had passed South of Promise Island that protects Hartley Bay and that was why we had lost the phone service. So we rounded the South tip of the island and headed up the Coghlan Anchorage just South of Hartley. Nope, no phone service. So we went all the way up the channel to Hartley Bay just to check to see if there were any spots left at their docks. We called the office on VHF radio and asked. Their response--"Come in and look". Boy, now that is great service!! I checked and my phone would work outside the harbor, so I called the insurance folks back knowing that there was no way the previous agent could have called me. The gentleman I got just checked the policy and told me that all he needed was more money and I would be covered. Sounds like just about any old insurance company doesn't it? There were no forms to be filled out, just give us money. I could get a policy for a week or a month. We went with the month(til July 5) so now we have coverage just in case anything happens.

We slowly motored into Hartley Bay to check for space and quickly decided against it. Too crowded, plus our friends on Astarte called us on VHF and told us it was too hot and they were considering leaving. We invited them to join us back down at Coghlan Anchorage(52 23.922N 129 17.201W) and turned Zephyr around and headed back down the channel. It was only about a mile so no big deal. Shortly after we dropped our anchor, Astarte came down and joined us. We had a nice breeze to keep ourselves cool. I even opened the dorade vents(big wind scoops on deck) to send cooler air below decks. With the engine just turned off, it was hot down there. There are just three of us on this side of the anchorage so it's anything but crowded.

We settled in and I went below and checked the engine oil, transmission fluid, the water in the cooling system and the hydraulic steering fluid. I check all of them EVERY day before we ever start up the engine. Heck, some time I forget that I checked them since I do it so often and will check them again later. It's just part of being on the water. There are times that you might be anchored in an inlet that may not see another person for weeks and the last thing you want to do is start an engine that doesn't have oil in it or a transmission that has lost all its fluid. Hey, paranoia is my friend!!!

After dinner(chicken curry!!!!YUM), I started repairing some of our dock lines. One line was so thick that Tracy has always had problems getting it through the fittings and around the cleat. I "retired" it and stowed it away for use during the next hurricane that we are in and pulled out another line from our locker. A quick "whipping" of the end of the line and that one was ready. When you cut line, it will either unwrap itself if it's three strand nylon, or the ends will fray if it's a braided line. To properly take care of the ends of line, you wrap or "whip" smaller string--normally waxed thread around the ends of the lines preferably before you cut the line to size. This way, the line will stay the way it is supposed to and not fall apart. Some people color code their dock lines for each area where it is to be used---forward, midship, or stern. Some just label the whipped area with F, M, or S. Tracy wanted one line shortened so I had to "whip" two places on it and cut between the "whippings".

The kids were out roaming the deck and chasing bugs and just laying out in the cooler air trying to relax this evening. Showshoe was in his "club house"--under the dingy again. He loves it under there. He's always in the shade under there and the breeze flows right through. The other two just sit in the shade and stare out over the water. They no longer seem to fear the engine. As a matter of fact, they have all started coming up into the cockpit while we are out and even Shadow--our 17 year old kitty wanders around the deck as we are moving along. A big improvement for him since he didn't even come up on deck till about a month ago.

Well, tomorrow we are off for Grenville Channel. The tide turns at 0750 so we will have to be ready to enter at that time so that the current will help us on our way instead of fighting us. We'll up anchor by 0700 to be there on time. The channel is just down South of where we are tonight. We are closing in of Prince Rupert. Everyday brings us closer. I was smart(Tracy told me to do it) and called the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club and made reservations for Sunday and Monday night. This time of year, they start getting busy and we wanted to make sure we had a space set aside for us. I talked(emailed) Southeast Marine down in Oregon and they are forwarding a part to me there so we will be waiting for it. A great couple of guys. They sold us our DuoGen and or AIS system and have been there for us to help in any way they can. They even offered to come down and help us install the DuoGen on our way up to Port Townsend. All we had to do was pull into the Columbia River and tie up. If you have been following our passage since last year, you will remember that our way up the coast from Newport was in 35 knot winds and 20 foot seas. The river entrances all along the coast we closed. I learned how to install it my self many months later but still with some instructions from them.

Well, it's off to bed as morning will be coming soon.