June 19, 2022
[ 44 NM, 3 hours ]
We untied from Ganges Harbor and continued our cruising north to Dolphin Beach, an area about 10 nautical miles north of Nanaimo. We traveled the Trincomali Channel and Stuart Channel to the Dodds Narrows. This was a beautiful spot with some 10 knot tide rips! We kicked pretty good through it. Reminded by the cabin door we frequently forget to button down. From the narrows the Northcumberland Channel to Horswell Channel provided little protection. Our cruising speeds stayed slower than usual for sea conditions and an abundance of log avoidance.
Transient moorage is a side tie at the end of their docks and the breakwater leaves a large opening for big waters to roll. I feel like it rocks me to sleep, but it isn’t Dave’s favorite.
Our reservations were made at the Fairwinds Marina in Schooner Cove. What a great facility! It looks like we timed well to visit it, as it had a remodel in the last year. The staff was over the top accommodating. While they didn’t have a marina market open for the season, the bartender at Seascape found us a bucket full of ice and beverages to provision our cooler with. For our boating friends, there is a free laundry facility and two large washrooms with showers. It was a quiet spot to visit, as it looks to be limited on transient moorage. Transient moorage is a side tie at the end of their docks and the breakwater leaves a large opening for big waters to roll. I feel like it rocks me to sleep, but it isn’t Dave’s favorite.
There was a very Chip & Joanna vibe to the eatery, which is always a favorite of mine.
We were a little short on time between our late start and slower than planned cruise speeds. After getting checked with the extremely nice staff, we headed to the upper restaurant for a Father’s Day lunch. Food choices are fun in the way they combine ingredients that aren’t always thought to be together, but also enough choices for the pickier of people. There was a very Chip & Joanna vibe to the eatery, which is always a favorite of mine. Our following day plans were reviewed while over our meal and we realized to make the morning cruise go as planned, we would need to fuel before the fuel dock closed at 4:30 pm. The next day includes the highly recommended trip to Chatterbox Falls in Princess Louisa Inlet.
The last half of our day was scheduled with a tee time at the Fairwinds Golf Course. Beautiful and well maintained. We opted to team up and alternate for our round, and by hole 2 decide to not keep score. It was a no pressure activity and a nice reason to be on land. To Dave’s disappointment, their bar cart wasn’t running for the season yet. The bartender at the course made to-go ice bags filled with cold drinks for us. In a very short time, we have been able to pick out the locals, as they are all super helpful! The course itself is a 1 mile walk from the marina. Up and down on the hills, but nothing too strenuous. There was no close stop for groceries here, so the bartender sundries were helpful.
We are looking forward to getting to Desolation Sound so we can stay put a little longer.
Our time here was brief and made us realize that while two weeks is a lot of time to afford away from life, it is going by fast here. We are looking forward to getting to Desolation Sound so we can stay put a little longer. Our time is divided by 1 week of days that look like 1 nighters so that we can get enough distance north, and return from it, to have a week in the area.
My dad was able to locate us at the marina and reminded me that he had spent many work trips in the area testing torpedoes at Nanaimo. The only time he has played golf was at the course we were at and the marina we stayed in was where he and is coworkers were snuck out of if there were protesters on the military base. I remember us coming as kids to Long Lake to visit him during these trips. My memory is terrible, so it’s good for me to be able to pull some of those things from the mental archives.
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