September 7th to September 14 th Dent Island Lodge, Teakerne Arm to Prideuax Haven, Texada Boating Club and Vancouver Quayside Marina
This is the last leg in our 2019 trip to Alaska where we end up at Brent Wood Bay to store the boat for the winter.
September 7th Dent Island to Teakerne arm
Left around 10:30am. Needed to do Gilliard pass and Yaculta rapids: moderate current…we got pushed around a bit, stabilizers seemed to help.
Cloudy day. Saw some white sided dolphins in distance with a whale watch boat following. We went down lewis channel instead of Waddington or Homfrey: I think the latter two may be beautiful cruises due to high mountains. We were thinking prideaux haven but poked into teakerne arm and not crowded so decided to stay over night.
Last year we got smoked out so we decided to stay: partly sunny, anchored right in front of waterfall with stern tie. Did not loop stern tie since such easy access ? Well when we tied it was high tide and when tide went down next am alex had to climb to get so Teaching moment: loop stern tie. Had chill night. Alex deployed Prawn trap: alex caught about 25 prawns which he ate later with hamburgers for dinner.
September 8th Teakerne Arm to Prideuax Haven
Left mid morning, not a far cruise needed. During cruise south calvin called to let me know mom had passed.
Cloudy with some rain. Arrived and checked out Melanie cove which was crowded so we anchored out in main Prideaux haven bay where there were no other boats.
Took a hike to a lake view (alternative is long walk to unwin lake) with dogs which was nice.
Then back to boat and a few others joined us (2 krogens’ anchored nearby Pacific Sapphire and Frances Stroughten) in the bay.
Also, Mom sent a rainbow …. I took as a sign she is at peace. Sad day but also good she was no longer suffering/waiting to die.
September 9th Day two Prideaux
In am we debated staying or going. Picked up prawn trap and nada, alex felt not enough bait. Sun started to peak out and clouds clearing revealing very nice view. We decided to stay (we had cell service as well …spotty but usable at times). Redeployed prawn trap, kayaked to Laura cove and around islands and then walked dogs from Head of Melanie Cove to Laura Cove. Nice walk …lots of log jumping and root dodging.
September 10th Prideaux haven to Texada boating club
Left late as we had to pick up prawn trap (a blank again), pick up kayaks and dinghy! 11:30 departure! Beautiful sunny day with glass like ocean. Decided to skip Lund and Powell river and landed at Texada Boating club (cheap at 75 or 85 cents a foot canadian). Nice dock, no power, good cell, pay for garbage. Nice view of the bay and across malapsina strait to powell river (at night lights were cool).
Texada Boating Club Entrance 
Texada Boating Club
Walked about town, mailed a check writing application to VG and let dogs and us stretch legs. Saw Mary Mary café and a local potter as well as the inn…alas did not spend money at these places but did get a few groceries/vegies at the well stocked Texada Market. Chill night with plan to get up EARLY next day due to high wind forcast and tide/current.
September 11th Texada boating club to Vancouver Quayside Marina
Had a pretty strong wind forecast for the North Side of the Georgia Strait which we need to cross along the North side to get from Texada Island to Vancouver.
Alarm rang at 5:30 am but we ignored ? Set sail around 7:30 am. Mild chop and wind. Wind really picked up 12-2 ish 20 knots when forecast was 15 knots and we had head on seas: steep wind waves with short periods when going by Buccaneer bay and after emerging from the little strait inside the islands at the south end of Texada there: VERY rough and unpleasant for an hour or two. Had to wedge one cabinets, stove crumb tray and sliding rack inside stove to prevent opening up due to pitching. Dogs not happy.
Alex mantra only leave with questionable weather if forecast says its gonna get better got ignored this time…. Wind was to go down to 5 knots at 12pm with original forecast…12pm update said nasty til 2pm UGH. We thought about turning around but pushed through and it did slowly get better and was fine by the time we were going by Keats and Bowen Island (our bail out points if too nasty). It was not bad so we kept on and arrived at Quayside marina around 4pm. Ran into Pacific Sapphire and Frances Stroughten Krogen’s again, shared birth with Pacific Sapphire. They had cruised from Jedediah Marine park on Lasquetti island and said it was a rough and long day. They had just arrived too.
We rinsed boat, walked dogs (discovering nearby dog park YAY) and then walked to dinner. Tried to go to “rodney’s which Hugh and Fionna on Choices had recommended but too long of wait. We ended up at the flying pig and both had good pasta dishes. Plan for two nights here. Expensive at 2.70 a foot plus electric but oh well. Has garbage dump, not good wi fi. Good cell.
False Creek has many taxi boats which for a small fee you can ride to any location on the water along False Creek. The next day we took a water taxi over to Granville Island that has great shops and food markets to have lunch.
Granville Indoor Food Market
We then walked over to the outdoor Art Market at the Allee Railspur Alley.
That night we had dinner at Rodney’s Oyster House and sat at the bar, had a great time with the staff since we where early and not to busy yet. They treat Oyster’s here as a real delicacy taking great care to shuck each one, clean and present it as a work of art. Also they grate fresh horse radish for each one!
We then had a fairly long cruise to Anacortes for a week to attend the Krogen rendevous then headed over to Van Isle Marina near Brentwood Bay to put Water Dog up for the winter.