Sorry guys. We were met by Michael at the Saturna dock. Arrived amid wind and snow blowing, Michael waving and ready to receive our lines at 12:10. We snugged in on the inside of the dock in 12 feet of water. A rock wall is about 15 feet off our port side.
After getting the boat secured and the generator going Michael was invited aboard for a medicinal greeting, pastrami sandwich, weather discussion, and general sharing of “Are you guys out of your minds?”
Once suitably revived we walked up the road to Michael’s for showers, a glass of wine and a visit. Michael has a beautiful place covered in white snow. A comfortable inviting warm wood stove, a lazy cat and cute little dog that greeted us all and cussed Michael for being gone so long and not letting him out sooner.
First order of business was hot showers. Michael was then coxed into sharing his adventures and secrets of cruising the inside Passage and multiple trips around Vancouver Island. These have been multiple months long cruises that explored popular sites and some hidden gems which only he and a cruising friend explored. They would arrive at an interesting inlet only after sitting and waiting for enough water to show up could they sneak across the entrance.
We returned to Mahalo in-time to stow our gear and head to the pub to await the arrival of the ferry and a beer. The ferry is the link between the island and the outside world. Folks hater at the pub to greet friends and neighbors much like towns awaited the arrival of a stage coach. The ferry arrived bringing Michael’s lovely Admiral Bev and his truck (which Bev had informed Michael “if you want it off the ferry you need to come down and drive it off”) back from the mainland. We sipped local Race Rock pints (mmmm), onion rings while watching visibility drop from the acceptable 1-3 miles of our morning cruise down to 100 meters and snow blowing horizontally. What’s the phrase “
It ain’t a fit night out for man or beast!”
Here’s Les and I ready to explore the pub. Mahalo and the next door rock cliff. Taken before the snow decided to really come down.
Once we were warm, had a beverage and gathered in the Pub, our waitress snapped this image of the merry band.
Looking just over Les’s right shoulder you can make out the edge of the ferry dock in the snow. The dock is less than 100 yards from the porch railing.
After brews and dinner Ward suggested that we needed more accuracy in our cruise title.
Suggesting:
Les and John’s EXTREME 2019 Winter Cruise.
We will take this under advisement.
We’ll be reaccessing the rest of our schedule in the AM as we await to see what type of conditions the weather gods decide to throw at us.
I did learn from Les that the Viking sailors raided and plundered the Irish Coast. Perhaps we are related, brothers from different Great great great great Grand mothers.
Oh and Stu. The ferry captains have been very friendly. Giving us a vhf shout before meeting us in a between island Passage or wide berth down channels. It is a wonder what you may have done to get their rath. They seem like wonderful marine ambassadors to the Mahalo crew.