Dent Island

Getting ready to leave Ganges on May 2, Miriam's cousin Dean Sevold seeing us off.

Slack Water at Dodd Narrows was at 1300 today, so we did not leave

Ganges until 0900. Dean Sevold joined us for breakfast before we left. Weather was nearly flat calm, little did we know what was coming.

When we arrived at Dodd, we were still a little early, but there was no trafic and the current was down to a couple of knots, so we went ahead and transited. The day was still young, it was Sunday when the shops would be closed in Nanaimo, and the Straits of Georgia appeared calm, so we continued on to Pender Harbor.

By the time we arrived, the benign forecast had changed to a severe wind alert, so we let out more scope on the anchor. Also in Garden Bay at Pender Harbor was another Selene 55, Rendezvous. Their stern thruster coupling had failed, and we had a spare, so they were able to replace it. The wind gradually built to sustained winds in the mid-thirty knot range, with gusts to 47.2 knots. Spirit sailed around on the anchor over about 100 degrees, but the anchor was well set. Neil and I stayed up to watch over things, and is was 0330 before the front passed and we both got some sleep.

The next morning we listened to the weather forecast, and it seemed OK, with winds at Grief Point only 15 knots, so we left. We should have stayed. Malaspina Strait turned into a washing machine, with the winds building back to the mid-30 knot range and short steep seas. We ended up slowing down to 4-5 knots to keep from slamming too hard.

By the time we got to Grief Point, the weather alerts now called for waterspouts, and sure enough, we saw them on the horizon ahead. We dodged around the line of thundershowers and finaaly started seeing the winds decrease as we entered Thulin Passage.

At 1535, we anchored in Prideaux Haven. Raindancer, a Selene 60 was already anchored. We had been moored adjacent to Raindancer at the Selene Rendezvous the previous week.

At anchor, Prideaux Haven, Desolation Sound

The weather continued to improve, we set the shrimp pots, cleaned as much of the salt off the boat as possible and relaxed.

Noreen baked fresh cinnamon pull-aparts for breakfast.


Ladies Cocktail Cruise

Checking out our inflatable Kayaks.

Neil and Patrick enjoying the sun on the boat deck.

Miriam checking out the hammock chair suspended from the davit

Our spot prawn appetizers were worth the effort.


The weather was so pleasant we decided to stay another day, but today, May 5, we reluctantly departed Prideaux Haven and and cruised easily up to Dent Island Lodge.

Departing Desolation Sound, with spectacular scenery.