Well, we are home now and I think I have done as much laundry as I possibly want to do in one week!!  So I will catch you up on our journey.

 

After leaving Greenway Sound Marina, we left for Shawl Bay Marina to join with Merlin (Susan, Rod and Katie).  This was a typical marina in that they cram you in which is what the 3 boats did.  Luckily there is usually help on the docks and of course, since we are usually the last in, we get help from our friends!  It is almost worth being slower.  The next morning this marina has a pancake breakfast for all of their guests.  We left Shawl Bay for Waddington Bay.  The 3 boats anchored.  This was an absolutely fantastic place.  I think when we come back to the Broughtons that this is a must stop.  The kayakers kayaked and Larry and I took a dinghy ride.

 

The next day Merlin left to meet other friends.  Puffin and LaMouette anchored at Village Island.  This is where the last of the potlatches were held way back.  When Larry and I were here several years ago, many of the houses were still standing but now only 2 still stand.  I have just finished reading Totem Poles and Tea by one of the school teachers of long ago.  What a life these people had.  Tuberculosis being a common occurrance.  It was also overgrown with blackberry bushes and the like.  Steve pointed out a ball of snakes!!!!!!!which I greatfully avoided!!!

 

We left Village Island for Potts Lagoon.  We had been the only 3 boats here on our way up but tonight there are 5 or 6.  From here we went thru Whirlpool and Greenway Rapids to Blind Channel Resort.  Here we reprovisioned and had a nice dinner in the gourmet restaurant that is usually not open when we are here.  The next morning we motored to Dent Rapids and killed some time to get thru them at the right time.  We went throught Dent, Guillard and Yaculta Rapids and on to Von Donop Inlet where we spent another delightful night.  Von Donop is another of our favorite anchorages.

 

We crossed over the water to Heriot Bay Marina where we met up with Merlin again. One of the boats on the dock was "Art Sea".  It turned out to belong to Sue Coleman a world renown watercolorist.  Needless to say, I was totally in awe of her.  We have one of her prints on LaMouette. We reprovisioned at the great grocery store they have here and then had dinner at the restaurant.  The food was awesome!  On the 23 we went to Rebecca Spit and walked the Spit collecting who knows what.

 

On the 24, 25, and 26 we were a Comox on the Vancouver Island side.  We are waiting out weather before heading to Nanaimo.  This is a working harbor and we were able to partake fish from the vendors.  Steve bought salmon and Larry bought prawns.  We love these working docks.  We hung out a Nanaimo before heading through Dodds Narrows and on to Montague Marine Park.  Traveling in August is very different for us as most anchorages and marinas are crowded.  From Montague we went to Beaumont Marine Park where we met up with Merlin again.

 

After clearing customs Puffin and LaMouette headed off to Garrison Bay on San Juan Island where we will participate in Squalicum Yacht Clubs annual cruise.

 

So after covering almost 23 hundred miles on LaMouette over a 17 week period there are lots of thoughts about this journey.  What a journey it was.  We are very glad that we did it and we had an incredible time.  The whales, icebergs, bears and scenery were amazing but in actuality the people we meet along the way made this trip fantastic.  It was proven time and time again that boaters are boaters and that the size of your boat did not matter.  In spite of a couple of glitches, LaMouette proved to be smallish but handled each situation well.  I am not sure that we would do this trip again in a 30 foot sailboat.  There is big water up there!  The things I missed most on this trip was, and not necessarily in order, the washer dryer, the dish washer, looooooong free showers, Fred Meyers and of course all of you---our friends and family.

 

So where are we going next, you may ask.  Well, LaMouette is coming out of the water tomorrow for cleaning, waxing, etc.  I think we would like to spend much more time exploring the Broughtons, like a month or so in early summer.