Tuesday July 22 Weigh
anchor and plot a course to Troup Passage and looking for a new bay to explore
and we locate one on the chart. It’s a no name bay that the writers of
EXPLORING THE NORTH COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA have called DISCOVERY COVE. It is a land locked bowl with a narrow
entrance.
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| There is the Odd Lump in Troup Narrows |
We venture in with caution as there is sometimes a
bump on the bottom that is not marked on the chart. Before we get there we have
to navigate Troup Narrows and it is a bit tricky. Pen and I double check our navigation through
a couple of times before committing to the twists and turns. What makes us a
bit uncomfortable is that we did not calculate for a push on the butt from the
tidal current that would glide OA right up on to a rock. There would be no
martinis on the bow at last sun as it would be under water. We would now need
long straws and wet suits.
There are two
Grand Banks vessels in our newly discovered Discovery Bay and we select a
corner out of their view to assure them their private space. The depth sounder
is confused as there is a number of thermal layers in the water under are keel
including the dark creek tea water that comes into the bay that makes the water
black. We look at the chart and surmise that we are in about at 40 ft. at low water,
I release the anchor and chain and it’s on its merry way into the briny black.
In ONE
SPLIT SECOND THE CHAIN HAS JUMPED THE GYPSY, and GOES screaming out at furious
rate. There is no way to stop it from ripping out; IT is a thousand pounds of
raging bull. I grab the stainless locking bar and try to hold it from streaming
off to one side over the teak work and the soft flesh of the bull works. Penny
is there yelling (what can I do?) DON’T DO ANYTHING, JUST LET RUN. IT RAGED ON
colour depth marker after colour depth marker, streaming past BLUE, GREEN,
YELLOW, RED AND
BRIGHT PINK
RIGHT TO THE BITTER END.
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| Bad Anchor Winch |
For
a moment I could not remember IF the bitter end was fastened nor NOT and would
it stand the sudden stop????????????????????????
Curompth and
all was silent.
I composed myself, returned the chain to proper
receiver on the gypsy and pulled it all in but 100ft and as it had pounded into
the goo at the bottom of the bay, every inch had to be washed down. That night
I lay awake trying to think what I had done different this time.
It had
threatened to do this before but I had been diligent and kept the heavy chain
in its place on a slow decent to the bottom. I will have to make a safety guide
or be very diligent before I lose an arm or fingers or a thousand pounds of
expensive anchor gear.
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| Sunset in Discovery Bay, Troup Passage |
We are off for a pleasant Gunk. A Mega Yacht anchors in the bay nearby and
see its gleaming white hull gets last sun. I wonder for moment if he/she has
problems like ours???????Of course he /she does, it’s a boat. They are just insulated
from our prying eyes and of course they have people.
You have to wonder is it Sandra Bullock, Tiger
Woods, President Clinton or whoever are on this glistening floating palace and the
crew dancing about for your every whim.
Then it dawns on me that what we have is the silence and the enjoyment
of just our company.
