Sunday - 25 August 2014Anchored Echo Bay, Sucia Island
As we started the cruise on a Sunday, worshiping with the Straight of Georgia, it was only fitting that our cruise concluded on a Sunday, too.
L. and J. awoke to a glassy calm morning. Hmm... if we didn't have to get back to the land of work and commitments we'd have stayed and waited (whistled?) for a wind.
By the time we were raising anchor a gentle breeze was starting to fill in, so it looked like motor-sailing once again. We sure did a lot this cruise.
J.'s Soap Box (welcome to skip if want to):
Electric Autopilots are handy things to have, especially short-handed, but they don't have much of a brain. The auto-pilot's brain just says "On Course" or "Off Course Turn to Starboard" or "Off Course Turn to Port." It cannot look around to see where other boats are, nor can it see if it is steering the boat (and crew) into danger. And when hooked up to a chart plotter with way-points, it sure can make some sudden changes of course.
The near misses we had on this cruise didn't come from power boats, but from sailboats ... on auto-pilot. In one case, the couple was busy talking while motoring through a narrow pass with other boats and oblivious that there might have been someone (us) trying to sail out!
At least today's sailboat - on auto-pilot - had a helmsman (there were three men aboard, two below) standing by in case he needed to over-ride the auto-pilot to avoid us (Thank You!), but when past us, and having reached the way-point, the auto-pilot turned so sharply I was ready to see a person fly through the air and land in the sea!
End of Soap Box ...
Even if there was not much wind, it sure was a beautiful day!The kids remained sacked out and/or reading below, enjoying the lazy-day. Once again, they demonstrated the advantages of traveling with/in your own home.
L. and J. got to wondering, "At this rate, will there be any coffee left for E.?" The Log Records:
"Wahahahaha!" Evil Laughter fills the cockpit!
Nice weather and relaxation mean there is some time to monkey around and be silly!
By 0942 the log reads:
What do you know? There was coffee left for E. What a lucky guy! and just enough for I. to have 1/2 cup, too.
Finally by 1130 the breeze filled in enough to cut the engine - J. wanted some quite - pure sail time. And a following breeze sure was nice.
The wind was cooperative enough to bend around Birch Point and continuing following us.
This was great, as it allowed us to sail past the Semiahmoo Resort ...
and enter Drayton Harbor.
After entering the Harbor, we sailed past the marina entrance to drop our sails and turned on our trusty SABB engine, preparing to enter our slip. We docked with the only hitch being those of the dock lines around their respective cleats.
About fifteen minutes later, a rain squall blew through giving a remarkable rainbow. What a way to end our cruise.
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