Blog

August 14th – 18th

Raised anchor at around 9am to make slack tide at 9:45am at Malibu Rapids, timed it well and had an easy 1-2 knot ebb current going out through the pass on our way to Powell River.

Powell River is a logging town with the Catalyst Paper Mill to the north of the marina, the area next to the mill is the historic area of Powell river.   There are plenty of places to provision with grocery stores and HW stores available but they are up some steep hills so expect to get some good exercise.

• 

As we where leaving we started to start noticing the smoke from the BC forest fires that get worse over the next 2-3 weeks and ended up driving us back south from the Broughtons to get out of it later in the trip.  

• 

 Powell River Marina is around 56nm miles away so at our roughly 9 knot speed we made it to Powell River West View Harbor marina at around 3 pm.   The dock crew at Westview do a great job in packing the boats in so if you have a side tie to the dock expect boats to side tie up to you during your stay.

• 

• 

• 

Dont miss the Willingdon Beach Trail if you visit Powell River.  The trail runs along the water and is very cool with old logging equipment set up for viewing along the trail.  We walked out of the marina heading North along the water through the Willingdon Beach Campground to the trail.

• 

 We followed the trail all the way down to Historic Downtown Powell River and the Catalyst Paper Mill.  We returned back south to the marina on Marine Avenue above the trail taking in the view of the old houses for the mill managers/employees up the hill. 

• 

The logging equipment is very cool and all is custom made for very specific tasks.  The designs for these things are pretty complicated and must have taken years of refinement for a lot of it.  For example the Pole Wheel Cart design uses logs for rails to run the cart on. 

• 

• 

• 

The steam donkey was dis-assembled by a volunteer crew and flown out by helicopter to the current location where it was re-assembled.   At the north end of the trail the you run in too the Catalyst Paper Mill which is surrounded by the original Old Town Powell River buildings supporting the paper mill. 

• 

Dwight Hall is the original hall for the mill with kitchens and entertaining facilities.

• 

• 

• 

On the way over to Marine ave we ran in to the Patricia Theatre so we just had to get a picture of Patricia in front of it.

• 

One the way back we headed south on Marine Ave above the trail tp take a look at the pretty houses built for the upper echelon mill employees.

• 

• 

That evening we had dinner under the grape vines at Snickers up the hill and south of the marina.  Very good food and great atmosphere!

August 10^th

Departed Nanaimo and stopped overnight at Garden Bay/Pender Harbor to get the first 30nm in for our destination of Chatter Box Falls.

Saw a couple humpbacks close by on the way (two sets of two) which was so cool. Arrived late afternoon and picked John Henry Resort and Marina in Hospitality bay for our overnight.  John Henry turnes out to be a real nice small marina with nice staff and well stocked store with all the essentials, food, beeer and Liqour.  At the free public dock nest to us we noticed a really nice restored fishing boat the Merry Chase, well done!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Walked a bit from marina and found a sign for the Pub Path, sounded like our kind of trail so followed it to Garden Pub on edge of Garden bay. Had some beers and wings then walked back. Chilled and had dinner.

• 

• 

• 

• 

August 4^th-6^Th

Took dogs into do their business, stowed crab pots, hoisted dinghy and headed for Port Sidney. Have two nights at marina. Gary and Marcia fly in August 5^th and staying to August 13^th when they will fly out of chatterbox falls.  Port Sidney Marina is top end with brand a couple brand new multi-million dollar Flemings boats for sale at the dock on the way in.

August 5th

One night in Sidney. Smallish town but all the amenities, great waterfront walk with sculptures and green grass. Short walk to close grocer or ride to further out groceries. We rode bikes and found an auto shop where Alex bought some filters for outboard. Stopped at hardware store and got some things needed and found a women barber who cut Alex’s hair. She was from Jamaica but had been inBC many years.

• 

• 

• 

Also bought some general groceries on the bikes (Cranberry for Alex, some booze) but planned to do another shopping journey close to marina after Marcia and Gary Arrive.

Marica and Gary arrived late around 8:30 pm and made it to the boat with out us. SO good to see them. They had brought as requested 1) trash compactor bags and 2) oatmeal. Apparently oatmeal always sets off the airline sercurity guys to get looked at… so they had to open bag and then they would say “oh its oatmeal…that always happens”.  They were tired form traveling so we all hit the hay so we could get an early start the next morning.

July 29^th To 30^th Butchart Gardens

The Day before Jeanette and Albert fly out of Sidney we Cruised from Montague Harbor to Brentwood Bay Anglers Anchorage Marina which is near Butchart Gardens and Sidney airport.

 It was super hot so we were not inclined to go to gardens during the mid day heat. This also allowed us to see the gardens in the day and then at night when the lights come which transforms the park in to a flower/light show.  onPatty took dogs for short walks in Ravine park next to marina and then jogged with holly up the hill. Found the middle school and some short cut trails then back to marina. Early evening after a vege taco dinner we went to Butchart gardens by taking dinghy over to the Butchart Gardens Cove dock.  The cove is where the Butcharts kept their yacht in the boat house which still there in the cove.  Cool that one can enter via back door of gardens at the dock they use for electric boat tours.

We arrived at the dock an hour or so before sunset so we got to check out the Rose  and Japanese Sunken  in day light and then the Sunken Garden at night once the lights came on.

• 

• 

• 

Saw a bit of a ballet at the pavilion but mostly checked out the gardens.

Alex and I road the carosuel with old carved animals which are restored from former wheels.  Patty of course had to ride the Orca!

• 

• 

The Sunken Garden is in the pit where the Butchart mine was for the coke to go in the Portland cement he produced at the site.

The sun starting setting once we started down to the Sunken Garden Fountain where you could start seeing the lights embedded in the fountain..

Sunken Garden

• 

• 

• 

• 

The next day Albert and Jeanette left early for the air port and Patty and I took the dinghy over to Tod Inlet for a hike at Gowlland Tod Provencial Park.  It was hot so we did not go far on the hike but the anchorage had quite a few boats and there was a nice dock for dinghy’s with a rock beach.

That night we dinghied over to Brentwood bay resort and marina Pub and had dinner which was pricey and pretty good. We liked the sushi, flat bread bruschetta was just ok and halibut fish and chips..good halibut (one large piece for 24 bucks ?, and mediocre chips/fries). Back to boat with plans to shove off the next AM after getting some groceries.

July 30^th

Jeanette and Al got picked up around 7:30 by taxi to Sindey Airport to head back to San Jose. Patty cleaned shower, bathroom, did sheets and towels and Alex blogged. We had decided to stay another day to chill which was nice. We took dinghy down past the gardens to a “nature float”. Took a walk and dogs swam. Did not take long walk on Todd trail as it was too hot. Back to boat, napping for alex and I finished laundry