Catch Up

Well, perhaps just a short post to update you on our recent changes in location.

We left Glenthorne Passage (my favorite spot so far) on Wednesday, bound for Ganges, a port we had visited previously on a charter trip in 2008 (?).

We came onto the breakwater to do some heavy provisioning and take on water.  Two trips to Thrifty Foods pretty well filled our 45-quart Engel freezer, the freezer and fridge compartments on our 'dorm room' unit, and re-stocked our canned goods cupboards.

We pulled off just as the two-hour limit ended, and chose a spot to anchor.  Geez, pretty soft mud!  It took three times to set our 'never fail' anchor!

The next day we left the boat early and headed to TJ Beans for coffee and a bit of breakfast.  We hit many of the tourist shops, and hit the pub for a burger for me, fish and chips for Al, and beer for both.  And then we hit the liquor store.

This might be a good time to whine a little bit about prices we have come across in Canada.  Shopping does exercise our brains a bit, trying to convert kilos to pounds, but meats and dairy seem exorbitant!  A STICK of butter was 2.68, about the price we would pay for a POUND of butter in Friday Harbor.  Cheeses are about double.  Chicken breasts we bought on sale (family pak, buy one get one free) still figured to be $10 a pound.  Steak at the butcher counter was over $18 a pound.  Another reason to become vegetarian, or at least cut back drastically!

Liquor prices are about on par with Friday Harbor.  We had expected that, after the recent law changes in Washington State.  But in Canada, bottles of wine that we had paid $8-10 for in Washington/Oregon are priced at $18-24 -- easily double!  We are definitely cutting back in this area as well.

We had thought we would remain in Ganges until Saturday, giving us time to experience what we've been told is a great farmers market.  But Friday started out sunny, so that Al didn't take a coat when we went to shore for morning coffee.  Clouds gradually accumulated, and the breeze picked up.  Al decided to go back to the boat for a coat, and I visited a bookstore.  We visited the library, and walked a lot more than we had before, finding the other grocery store in Ganges.  As we made our way back to the harbor, I said to Al, 'I'm not sure I WANT to spend another night at anchor in Ganges Harbor.'

Al agreed, so we beat it back to the boat, and pulled anchor.  We wanted to top off our water tank, and buy gas for the dinghy, so we headed to the breakwater.  As we approached, the wharfinger (Americans say harbormaster) came out to wave us off, saying we would have too much difficulty getting OFF the dock with the wind and waves as they were.  But Al is 'THE MAN'!  We used no lines at all at the dock; the wind and waves DID keep us pinned right there.  We decided water was enough and we'd get gas somewhere else.  And Al powered off easily.

And we made it to Montague Harbor on Galiano Island.  This was another stop on that previous charter trip.  (I remember Captain Rick getting his sailor's palm out and repairing a sail, and Sharon SO EXCITED by the sea life revealed at low tide.)

Sunset at Montague Harbor

It has been a calm spot to rest, except for the hike we took last night.  We had heard that he Hummingbird Pub was worth the trip, and that there was a bus that would pick you up at the marina.  Well, the marina told us that the bus doesn't start until 'the May Long Weekend', but if you put out your thumb, someone will give you a ride.  Nope.  Other than the 12% grade out of the harbor, the walk wasn't really that bad, but we were beginning to question if we were heading the right way, when there it was!  The food was GREAT!  And the waitress thought one of the guys would be willing to take us back to the marina, but when Al asked, he said his van was in Vancouver, sorry.  And they didn't see anyone in the place who would be heading our way.  SO, we tromped back again.

When we got back to the boat, we checked google -- 9.6 km total, JUST under 6 miles round trip!  Now we don't feel so bad about the Shepherd's Pie, or chili with garlic bread!

The weather report says the winds are going to blow stink from the northwest tonight, so we are hoping to get into Conover Cove on Wallace Island.  We will ride the tide, leaving about 1PM.