Crews on both our boats were busy with some last minute morning chores before heading out later today. Erin and Barb walked to the Thrifty Mart for a few last minute items, including a couple packages of chicken wings to use as crab bait. Trav baked some fresh banana bread and filled his water tank. We really had a lazy morning, and planned to leave sometime between 12:30 and 1:00 pm, the checkout time.
The sailboat moored behind the Potentate left about 12:30, making our departure easier, but as luck would have it, a large cruiser came in and moored at the opposite side dock in the fairway behind the Bar-T-Na. It had a wide enough beam that it was definitely questionable whether the Bar-T-Na could pass between it and the trawler moored even with it on Trav's side. After some discussion with the crew of the new arrival, we checked with the dock crew, who told us that the trawler was scheduled to leave today also. The only problem was that it was now checkout time, and no one was on board. We were in no hurry, and eventually the trawler crew showed up and pulled away from the dock.
As we headed out of the Inner Harbour, traffic was busy as usual. There was a seaplane that had just landed coming in, and one taxiing away from the dock behind us. Also ahead of us was the trawler that had left just before us, and coming in was a "fast ferry" from Port Angeles. The traffic patterns are very well defined in this area. Seaplanes and vessels longer than 65 feet stay to the north side of the channel while we smaller vessels follow the southern shore. A series of yellow buoys mark the pathway for smaller vessels, and are to be kept closely to port no matter which direction you're traveling. It's just like the yellow line down the center of a highway.
All vessels from the Inner Harbour out to Shoal Point are restricted to 5 knots, except, of course, seaplanes that are in the process of taking off or landing. With both engines in gear and at dead slow, we were proceeding at 5.3 knots, but matching the speed of the trawler in front of us. Just beyond Laurel Point was a patrol boat stationed in front of the houseboats. He pulled out and followed us all the way past Shoal Point before veering off towards another boat that was throwing a bigger wake. We maintained our course and speed, which at 5.3 knots produces very little wake.
As we approached the breakwater we had a stunning view out across the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Mountains blended in with the sky in a variety of pastel colors. Once clear of the breakwater, we turned to port to follow the shoreline and were presented with another outstanding view, this time of Mount Baker in the distance, fronted by the San Juan Islands.
We continued on past the Victoria suburbs of Beacon Hill and Ross Bay, views we hadn't seen on our way in due to the fog. Our first glimpses of this coastline was from the double decker tour bus we took a few days ago. We continued on through Enterprise Channel between the main island and the Trial Islands, and thanks to our later departure, we were met with mostly slack water here, perhaps even a little push. We rounded Gonzales Point and turned north, our view now that of the Victoria Golf Club course, another panorama that had been obscured by the fog, but revealed to us on the bus tour.
We soon passed Oak Bay and found our way into Cadboro Bay, where we set anchor after a journey of 9 nautical miles, in pretty much the same area as the night we took refuge from the wind. The seas and winds this time were calm and light, and we had sunshine, blue sky and a front row seat to some small sailboat races. Later in the evening, two people in a small inflatable came out and set several buoys, two of them fairly close to our anchored boats. They turned out to be markers for yet another sailboat race, one that was extended for some time due to winds so light they no longer registered on our anemometer.
We barbecued some buffalo patties and had hamburgers for dinner, while over on the Bar-T-Na they dined on salad and chicken breast. We made plans via radio to explore the bay via dinghy in the morning and set our crab traps. We may do some fishing around the outer islands as well, and will spend another night here before heading for the USA.
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