Day 3

Day 3:

Weather forecast continues to extend with gales/near gales at west and
east entrance to Juan de Fuca; this means that IF there is going to be
an opportunity to get out offshore, we will not have enough time to go
anywhere. So, the decision has been made for Plan B; we will go north
in Georgia Straight and get some time with the crew in some larger
( but less than gale) winds.

We left Bedwell by sailing off the mooring buoy, short tacking out of
the channel; we got the genakker up again, only to take it down 20
minutes later when the wind died completely. We drifted and had lunch
while waiting for the wind to build. Fortunately the current was in
our favour and although we were not moving in the water , we were
making way over ground. The plan was to have an 'organic' sail, i.e
not use the motor; destination was Otter Bay to be poised for
tomorrow's slack water in Active Pass to get to Georgia Straight.

We then circumnavigated Prevost Island to get some practice time; it
was a very strange day wind wise; with wind shifts/fading and battling
current, it took us over 2 hours to get from opposite entrance to
Montigue harbour up to Enterprise reef, a mere 2 miles away! At some
points we were tacking 180 degrees and in others tacking and loosing
ground. However, we stuck to the organic theme and didn't succumb to
temptation to start the engine.

After a day epic tacking , we arrived 1 mile from Otter Bay to try
anchoring under sail, only to have wind die completely. In addition
the cold, overcast skies opened up , sun came out , engine came on so
that we could get in for happy hour.

Neil and I rowed in to settle a bet as to whether the Otter bay
condo's would have a leaky wifi I could piggyback onto; turns out the
marina has it [ not advertised] and it reaches out to our
anchorage.... so we didn't have to row in. However, the row in paid
off in finding authentic apple strudel.

Dinner was heating up a Bev-made stew augmented with more rice and
some strudel for dessert; rest have been saved for tomorrow's second
breakfast.