Day 437 Part 1

We're sitting in Plumper Bay(50 09.480N 125 20.360W) as I write this. We upped anchor at 0520 and were off by 0530 for the 13.2 mile trip arriving at 0740. The day dawned with a bunch of low clouds that turned into fog as we headed South in Discovery Passage toward Plumper.

On came the radar and the AIS. Add in Tracy on watch and on we went. No traffic for quite a while until the current going through Seymour Narrows turned and then it was like a freeway had been cleared. Just before it had turned, the real power vessels came through plowing their way through the reverse current. We stayed on the East side as that is where Pumper is so we wouldn't have to cross traffic. Suddenly, out of the fog, just as we neared Plumper, came this big fishing/tug boat cutting right across our bow from starboard to port. He didn't show up on radar until the last moment. It was like he had come across the channel just to cut right in front of us. There is nothing to our starboard other than channel so he hadn't been at anchor. I don't know where he came from but we were not impressed as he was less than 50 yards away as he crossed.

The fog lifted and then settled numerous times during the short trip. Some times the Sun would come out and then vanish. We even had a rainbow in the fog. You could see the arch of it but no colors. Really weird to see.

Since I had the time, I changed the oil in the engine. Out came the pumper/sucker to draw the oil out of the dip stick hole and out it came. It stopped just short of 5 quarts and would give no more. The pan is supposed to hold 8 quarts so I don't know where the rest was as I probed and probed with the hose to try and find it. The dip stick had read full before I started. I changed the filter and poured in just 5 quarts and started the engine. Up came the pressure and the stick said full. Maybe next time I'll get it all but not this time. At least I'm good for the next 100 hours though I don't like mixing that much dirty oil with the clean oil.

I topped up the transmission fluid as it appeared a bit low and that was that.

Tracy is napping in the cockpit now that the Sun had come out. Who knows, maybe we will have a nice day after all.

We will be off about 1300 for the next part of the trip. Through Seymour Narrows heading South. The last really big hurdle of this trip back to PT.

I'll write more tonight once we figure out where we will be staying.