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0700 hrs: the last of the day's sunshine disappears off towards
the east.
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Even in an easterly, these docks are well sheltered. But the easterly
is of course, the precursor of unsettled weather.
After taking these shots, Uncle Al went back to his couch to take another
couple of hours' worth of nap off his hangover.
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After a quick breakfast in our lovely guest cabin, it's down to
the boats to stow all our gear. The sky is already overcast and the easterly
is building - which is a good thing since we have a good haul planned for
today: Little Current for lunch and supplies, then Boat Cove on the NW
corner of Great La Cloche Island.
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Even on Blue Mist, a Mark 1, there is hardly room to put
your feet early in the cruise before supplies are consumed. And it's probably
worse today than yesterday since the two Dicks have decided to lighten
the bow compartment so that more stuff sits in the cockpit.
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Rain may be in the air but Ed is happy and ready to roll...
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... as is a still slightly under the weather Uncle Al.
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A pleasant broad reach out of McGregor Bay but the winds have built
up enough on this cool morning that the W4105 crew put on their wet gear
just before they enter Frazer Bay. Just past Dinner Point on Little La
Cloche Island, the Rocket Ship suddenly scrapes bottom while travelling
at hull speed and a seemingly ample distance off shore. Ed fishes out his
walkie talkie that he had bought for the cruise and attempts to warn Dick
T. who is carrying its counterpart. But even half a mile seems too much
distance for this fine piece of high tech craftsmanship... In any case,
Blue
Mist did not touch bottom and there was no damage to the Rocket.
A run at hull speed with a few strategically timed gybes in puffs of
increasing strength (> 15 knots) found us at the Little Current swing bridge
at about 1250 hrs. As the bridge opens on the hour, we had only 10 minutes
to wait for the opening. Talk about passage planning!
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The Double Dicks come rolling in...
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... and heave to as they too, wait for the bridge.
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But a healthy west-going current which is not little at all, soon
forces us to sheet in to put some water between us and the bridge.
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Voilà! The pont she opens (well, he opens, actually, but
does that sound as poetic?) and the W's are through in a flash!
Note the current eddies showing on the water.
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First things first: a quick walk to the beer store on the SE edge
of town, fish & chips as a snack for Dick T. and a freshly bought beer
for all of us at a picnic table at the fish & chips place as the rain
begins to fall. Dick T. cheers us up by bringing in some doughnuts and
cookies from the place next door that had the washroom facilities shared
by the fish & chippery.
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Note the low water level which made the climb out of and into the
W's more adventurous.
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A walk through the rain along the scenic waterfront soon brought
us to our lunch stop at the Anchor Inn. By the time we had finished
a leisurely lunch and added a few supplies, the rain had stopped
and we were ready, in about 8 - 12 knots of easterly, to mosey on over
to...
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... Boat Cove, a destination that had escaped us in the '97 and
'99 cruises... and would escape us again this time. It started innocently
enough with a nice, leisurely run across the shallows off Maltas and Patten
Islands and a lovely beam reach up the Wabuno Channel. However, as we rounded
the so imaginatively named Northwest Point, we found no sign of any entrance
to Boat Cove. Upon investigating more closely, Dick H. reported that, what
with the low water level, the opening to Boat Cove was about six inches
wide - somewhat less than the six feet required by the slimmest of Wayfarers.
And a good thing too, since we later discovered that the water level went
up and down, seemingly at random by a good foot and a half from hour to
hour in that area! We might have gotten in but not out again! Dick H. suggested
that we investigate Bell Cove and Sturgeon Cove as alternative overnight
stops. As we beat into an east wind that seemed to shift just when we were
tacking, Ed and Uncle Al had their only moments of tension of the entire
cruise, especially when Al thought that a sheltered anchoring spot behind
a rocky little islet south of Neptune Island at the west end of Bell Cove
was good enough but Ed wanted to go on and investigate Sturgeon Cove. In
any case, it became a moot point since Dick & Dick had already sailed
on into Sturgeon Cove without waiting for our report which produced another
failed attempt at walkie talkie communication. As we came to within shouting
distance of Blue Mist at the mouth of Sturgeon Cove, our walkie
talkie finally leapt into action for its one and only successful connection
as Dick Tyrrell guided us into the spot they had chosen for the night,
on the west side of Sturgeon Cove.
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Much of the shore looked just like this but amazingly enough, the
guys found spots for two two-man tents which were not level even with a
few rocks removed, but for Ed, even this was better than sleeping aboard!
Culinarily speaking, this was soup and pizza night courtesy of Dick Harrington
(above).
Considering that sunset was around 2200 hrs, this was a late supper. But
it was worth the wait: not only were all three tents up (Uncle Al to sleep
aboard) and ready to protect us from undue "buggery", but also the food
was delicious. Thanks, Dick!
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Blue Mist disguised as a clothes line while the beer bag
cools our refreshments. The rock at left was Ed's and my front door step
to the Rocket and also showed changes in water level quite well.
At some times it was almost completely submerged while at others it was
mostly out of the water.
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Dick T. supervises the fire which is to be our rustic pizza oven.
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Dick had brought a couple of personal pizzas for each of us plus
wide variety of toppings.
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The plan was to wrap the prepared pizzas in foil coated with olive
oil and put them on the grill as demonstrated by Dick T. above. Dick H.
went one better than that by putting his creations right into the hot coals.
While the smell reminded Uncle Al of a summer job he spent operating an
apartment building incinerator as a janitor...
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... the end result was quite tasty although the toppings tended
to stay with the foil rather than the pizza!
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Chef Dick samples his creation with a lovely fire (and a limitless
canopy of stars) to add to the wonderful ambience.
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