What a difference a day makes. We woke to clear skies and a calm harbor. Yesterday there were wind surfers and Hobie Cats scurrying around the harbor – this morning there was a guy standing on a surf board with a long paddle propelling himself across the bay.
Because it appeared so calm, we made plans to weigh anchor(s) and head to Victoria, just less than 9 miles away. We noted a fog bank out a ways from shore, and could hear fog horns, but from our position it appeared to be further out in the straits and not affecting the waters near the shore. Alas, that was not to be. By the time we reached Oak Bay, where we'd stopped briefly the afternoon before in the wind storm, we could see that there was fog ahead on our route. We continued on through Mouat Channel as the fog thickened, leaving the visibility at about 1/8 mile. It also closed in behind us as well.
We both had radar, gps and computer aided navigation, and since the waters were calm and we could see beyond the bow of the boat somewhat we pressed on. We could see the buoy marking Mouat Reef, and it was heeled over in the flood current that was coming at us through Enterprise Channel at about 3 knots. At this point, the shore was not visible, although we knew it was there a few hundred yards to starboard. We continued on past Harling Point and on to Clover Point. Our loudhailer has an automated fog horn feature that sounds one blast every minute or so, and we turned that on so we could be heard by any boats in the vicinity. From the radar image, we were the only two boats in the channel. The Bar-T-Na was behind us just visible in the fog, and its blip was on the 1/10th mile circle of our radar.
Further west we could see some additional blips on the radar, and eventually some other boats that corresponded with those blips. In the distance, where the fog had lifted slightly, we could see the Coho, the ferry that runs between Victoria and Port Angeles. It was southbound, and we knew that it had left Victoria. We broke out of the fog as we approached the breakwater that guards the harbor entrance, but it continued to follow us. As we passed the light at the breakwater, we noted the cruise ship Dawn Princess at the terminal just inside the harbour. Trav mentioned over the radio that was the ship they took to Alaska on a cruise some years back. Continuing on, we passed some other industrial sites and a fuel dock. As we passed Shoal Point, we reduced speed to 5 knots and followed the harbor markings and buoys that directed us around the area reserved for seaplanes. The waterway is a busy airport, especially in the summer, and we saw both a twin engine and a single engine Otter taking off in this area as we passed by.
Further into the harbor is Laurel Point, the turning point for entering the inner harbor. We had to stop momentarily as a Victoria Clipper was on its way out. At this point we made radio contact with the harbor facility, and were assigned to a dock for the both of us. We are moored in James Bay at the docks directly across the street from the Empress Hotel. To our right is the Parliament building, a magnificent structure with patina-covered copper domes, and all across the harbor in front of us is a walkway that is a base of operations for many artists and street vendors, as well as musicians, jugglers and other entertainers. A fleet of small harbor ferries operate from the dock directly across from us, providing both tours and hops to other destinations within the greater Victoria harbor basin. To our left are various tourist services such as whale watching and sailing tours, as well as the seaplane terminal. Just behind us to the right is the dock where the ferry Coho comes in from Port Angeles to disgorge its load of passengers and cars, and there's also a customs facility there, where both the Victoria Clipper and Coho passengers utilize.
This is definitely a highlight for all of us to come cruising in here and get a nice front row seat to all the harbor views and activities. We've signed up for 3 days moorage, as the cruising guide mentioned there was a 72 hour limit here in front of the Empress. We will most likely extend our stay by a few days if possible. Although usually packed, the marina is only half full, probably due to economic conditions, specifically fuel prices, hitting the boating community in general. But, without the demand of more boaters coming in, it may bode well for us to stay put longer. If not, we can relocate to another marina just around the corner.
We plan on being tourists and exploring around the town for the next few days. To celebrate our arrival we played a full round of dominos aboard the Bar-T-Na, well into the night.
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