Thursday July 17, 2014

Black Bear Near Ivory Lighthouse

Thursday July 17 today the turtles are off and running.  Its early and we go through narrow Reid Passage on our way south.  We stop to take some pictures of a black bear on the island just north of Ivory Island Light House.  This junction is where Milbank meets Seaforth and the ocean swells run just big enough to let us know how small "Oceanaire" is.

 

The weather forecast is for 5 days of rain, and we are not sure of a destination today.  I zoom out on the Nobletec chart plotter and am looking for a bay to anchor near to Shearwater. We will get data service from Telus and 'my sweetness' can bring the Blog up to date.

Wigham Cove looks good and is close aboard with lots of room here.  

Never have been in this bay but EXPLORING THE NORTH COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA is the bible that you do not strike north without and  it recommends this  as a safe protected bay with a codicil saying the bottom is like "GOOSE SHIT"!  We like goose shit it's good holding but a little messy when you pull your anchor in.

There is a good pee island and we settle down for a quiet evening.  In motors briskly a motor yacht with another ADMIRAL at the bow directing, with great authority, the placement of the anchor.  I do a double take and it’s the old “Andiamo” that belongs to Sandy and Lloyd Simpson from BYC.

Lloyd & Sandy at Wigham

THEY are REAL GO NORTH BOATERS, the boat name has changed to TANGUERA” (something to with Tangoing) and so has the boat. THEY ARE ENTHUSIASTIC TANGO DANCERS and I believe that they are exceptional at it.   (It is a way beyond me). Lloyd is a gifted craftsman and it shows in the quality of the work.

Boating sometimes is a close sport with tense moments. My Admiral and I often have some stout English words to each other in tight quarters. That is what Lloyd and I were talking about on the back deck , and traveling north.  I am sure now we are not a unique couple. 

Lloyd’s dad is over one hundred years old and just moved into a senior’s home recently.  He has a mind like a steel trap and walks 5 miles every day.  He is an honorary member of Burrard Yacht Club. He still maintains the family boat with his other son.

Lloyd and Sandy on this trip anchored in a bay close by here and they spotted some tawny colored wolves. One an old male and a young female hunting. The female would swim out to an island and check it out for deer and the male would wait for the kill on the beach after it had been chased off the island into the water. He knows it was an ole male wolf as he jumped into his kayak and followed it along the beach.  We have not seen wolves this trip.

We hear “Shaman” and “Raven Sprit” calling Shearwater for moorage. They will be dining tonight for sure. We will sit out here in Wigham Bay enjoying our happy hour, a good dinner and the pitter patter of rain on our roof.

We also hear that “Shaman” and “Raven Spirit” had a bit bumpy stretch on their trip.  I am not into bumpy any more. Where they ventured, you have to read the weather and be veryyyyyy patient and move only when you are assured of a smooth passage and have more than a little luck (not to have a rough ride). We on OA, most of the time, leave one day too soon but you just don’t know. We were given an invitation to tag along but so glad that we didn't.  As Mr. Coward i(me) at the helm, I have enough trouble just figuring out which way were we’re going.