danger. But that was when I was young and my trusty outboard started on the still waters, past the sentries of sea-
and foolish. Perhaps I have more the first pull. Those who know of my otters, and into the wild but protected
patience now. adventures will be surprised at the anchorage of Columbia Cove. I would
For the rest of the afternoon and promotion of my old clackity-bang- have the beauty of it all to myself, too.
into the evening the rogue squalls and machine to the rank of “trusty”, but it As I anchored and put away the boat
I sparred. When the wind was down is true-ever since finding the guru of I considered the success of my voyage.
the genoa was just right. As a squall old Mercurys in Anacortes. Shariyat had performed flawlessly with
puffed at me I slacked the mainsheet There is nothing more satisfying no breakdowns and proved the worth
to ease the main’s drive and luffed up than a perfect landfall after a voyage of the many modifications I had made
just a touch so Shariyat would stay on at sea. I could imagine I was back in to take her to sea. I had been the limiting
her feet and still drive ahead. I couldn’t the South Pacific as before me lay lush factor but this had been a difficult
teach Fred to do this so I had all the fun green covered crags and mountains voyage to undertake, not being a long
myself. After a few minutes the wind rising steeply right out of the ocean, enough passage to really get my sea-
would subside and I could trim for highlighted by small bright puffy legs and settle down to a sea-routine,
speed once again. This was sailing at clouds. I was especially happy because and being close inshore with the
its best! By early evening I could see it was pristine, the way it would have concerns of traffic and sea-room. But
land, the Brooks Peninsula. Earlier that looked forever past without the ugly most important of all the ocean world
day I had decided to make my landfall scars of clearcutting that hurts my soul had lost none of its enchanting allure
there as I had heard that Checleset Bay, and I know awaits me on my return I had kept as such a precious memory
in its lee was beautiful and interesting trip down the coast. But here it was over the last decade. This I knew had
country. Now, being so late in the just the way it would have looked to hooked me once again.
season, I didn’t want to tempt the Captain Cook and the others of his I thought I would take a short
sea-gods with two roundings of Cape era. As I had not seen another sign of nap before launching the dinghy and
Cook, otherwise know as the “Cape our modern times since the sea-bouy, I exploring my new world before dark
of Storms”. There was never a chance could easily imagine that some unseen but I never woke up and slept for 15
of getting in before dark so I planned time-machine would have me soon hours. For the next three days it blew
to approach within 10-12 miles and see the fires and canoes of natives, gales and storms with horizontal rain.
heave-to till morning. friendly or otherwise along the shore. The elements had been kind to me!
The plan for my last night out The seas soon lay quiet in the lee of 48° N
seemed reasonable but it was based Brooks Peninsula as I glided through
on the assumption that the ship traffic
would stay away from Cape Cook. I
saw I was wrong as I watched ship after
ship pass inshore of the South Brooks
Ocean Bouy about 20 miles offshore. I
now figured I could “hide” just outside
of the bouy with the good chance the
ships would look for its strong radar
return and then see me too as they
passed and used it as a reference for
their turn around Brooks. I called in
my intentions to Tofino Traffic to make
sure. “Safe” now behind my guardian
bouy, I hove-to under bright starlight
and actually got a few one hour sleep
periods in, despite the anticipation
of my landfall in the morning. I was
grateful again that the wind held just
strong enough to make overnight
heaving-to successful.
What a surprise I had in the
morning. There was the bouy just a mile
away and it was a beautifully clear day!
I could see what looked like the entire
coast of Vancouver Island with only a
few clumps of fog along the coast. The
only thing to mar the otherwise perfect
morning was the lack of wind, which
never did return that day. Fortunately
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48° No r t h , Ju N e 2009 Pa g e 51
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