August 2nd through 4th Pruth to Fury to Millbrook

Now that is a load of seaweed!

August 2^nd through 4^th  Pruth to Fury to Millbrook       We slowly continue moving south hoping that the winds will die down and we can jump across to the top of Vancouver Island to round Cape Scott.  Each day we listen to the weather to decide whether to make a run or take our time.  Taking our time means getting a lazy 9:45 start and fishing along the way today.  

We try our luck at Safety Cove, yet another name from when Captain Vancouver trouped around these parts in the 1790’s on his ship Discovery.  We have been told that this is a good place to catch halibut.  There are numerous boats fishing but we try our luck and move on after not catching anything.

A short day today, covering only 21 miles.  This puts us in at Fury Cove on Penrose Island, a Marine Park archipelago of small coves and narrow channels.  Our goal is to anchor out of the building winds and listen again to the weather.  We join a number of boats, all power, doing the same.  We visit again with Richard and his yellow lab “Morgan.”  Richard and Jerry Lee grabbed our lines on the Shearwater breakwater when we came in under tow.  

Kayaker's Cabin Fury Cove

Goof Ball

Before sunset Carl and I dinghy ashore to walk the shell midden beach before it is fully claimed by the rising tide.  We are joined by folks off the largest power boat and become acquainted with their full size poodle “Maggie May” her pompadour silky smooth from her recent swim in a fresh water lake.  Earlier, Morgan, protecting her place in the anchorage barked a long while, alerting the anchorage to the coming of Maggie May before we even saw the tip of her boat.  

As sun sets we listen to weather again and decide that a 0700 coffee watch is in order tomorrow morning.  We can sip coffee safely in our cove and watch the outside water to see if we want to venture out. 

While enjoying our coffee we decide to wait a couple of hours and then try to catch enough wind to sail south before it becomes too much wind to enjoy the sail.  Walt had suggested this the night before based on what we have seen over the past two days which is a slow build to winds that are well below the gale force warning in our area.  

We depart Fury Cove at 0945, pull the head sail at 1015 and enjoy a decent sail for the next three hours.  Along the way we see whales and a commercial fish boat.  We turn a little further off the wind so that we can sail around him, giving him plenty of room to stop and pull his deep set long line.  Carl can see through the binoculars as some fish are pulled off the line and returned to the sea and others are thrown into the hold, most likely salmon.  After we are past the fishing boat the large ferry “Malispina” also changes course, making a 90 degree turn and then another to go around the fishing boat.

As we make the tack to turn into Smith Sound the seas have risen as have the winds.  We are glad to make the final turn towards Millbrook Cove, our anchorage for the night, pulling in the sails but not before quartering and coasting on the 6’ plus breaking waves.  The site and feel of them is at times disconcerting.

Safely anchored yet again we decide to arise at 0400 to listen to the weather.  The computerized woman’s voice tells us once again that there are gale warnings along our 42 mile plot to Cape Scott and the local lighthouse and buoy reports confirm that the seas have finally risen to 2-3 meters.  We head back to bed and stay for a lazy day.

I catch up with Jonathon on his “Passage to Juneau.”  He has just made the tip of Vancouver Island and he too has to put in out of the winds and wait for his 40 plus mile of northern trek across Queen Charlotte Sound and Strait.  I am thoroughly enjoying his well written book that brings to life some of Vancouver and his crew while weaving in Jonathon’s personal life and his solo sail to Alaska.

Treegulls

          

  

Great Blue Heron Old

and Young

       

Odile treats us to another fine homemade stovetop pizza.  We visit with Morgan’s owner who had tried to make the run south today but had to come in off the rough seas.  Carl catches rock sole dinner for us and two giant (released) sea anemones.  Walt and I catch up on reading, writing and photo editing.