8/6 Cadboro Bay

Trav and I went out in their dinghy mid-morning equipped with three crab traps and the two packages of chicken wings that Erin and Barb had brought back from the store in Victoria before we left.  Sailing lessons from the yacht club were going on again as we passed by, with some racing, and another crew practicing righting their overturned boat.  We continued on and found what looked like a suitable spot where the water was just a bit deeper to set our traps.  That done, we returned to our respective boats to get back to the business of relaxing.

 

We skipped breakfast this morning, so Erin fixed an early lunch or brunch of quesadillas with cheese and some canned smoked salmon.  They were yummy and hit the spot.  The bay here is lined with nice homes, and a common beach extends quite a ways along the back shore.  We enjoyed watching people walking their dogs, and even some younger kids swimming or splashing in the water.

 

Around 1 o'clock we headed back out to check on the traps, and we had quite a few crabs.  Many were undersized or female, but there were 5 or 6 that met the minimum size requirement and found their way into the bucket.  We use wire baskets to hold the bait, and two of the three had a mesh size that allowed the crabs to get at the bait.  We re-baited those traps with the last few remaining chicken legs and returned with our catch.  We decided this would be a good time to go fishing.  Of course our plan was to catch some rockfish or ling cod, but we wanted to at least get something that we could use for crab bait.  After we retrieved our respective fishing poles and tackle, we headed back out to the mouth of the bay and a little beyond, between some islands where there was a little more depth.  It turned out to be just a crab bait expedition, yielding 4 or 5 bait sized fish and one fairly large sculpin, a salt water bullhead.  By then it was time to check the traps again.  We picked up a few more crabs and reset the traps with our new bait.

 

In the meantime, Erin had plans for dinner, and we just subtracted some barbecued sausage from the menu and replaced it with fresh Dungeness crab.  The other dishes were macaroni and cheese, and green beans with onions and bacon bits.  Trav and Barb came over to the Potentate around 6 o'clock, and we cooked the crab then.  Dinner was served up on the bridge, where we had a good view of our surroundings, and where we could make a mess cracking crab without having to worry about it;

 

The wind has picked up quite a bit from yesterday's prolonged sailboat races, with speeds of 10 to 12 mph and occasional gusts to 15.  Only half the speed of the wind when we spent the night here on the way to Victoria, but we both let out a little more chain before nightfall just for good measure.

 

We decided we'd let the last batch of crabs still in the trap soak overnight, so that'll be a morning chore.  We plan on heading over to Roche Harbor to clear customs back into the USA sometime tomorrow.  It's a trip of just 9 or 10 miles, but we'll probably want to leave later in the morning, which will add 20 or 30 minutes cruising time because of the prevailing currents.