It was a bit of serendipity that I had the opportunity to return to Aleydabeth...Danielle wanted to return, Mike wanted to attend a Victoria wedding, Jenny wanted to run to Tofino with us, Calgary was cold and rainy, Nora had broken her ankle, my grandsons were not in Calgary....and so on Thursday I met Danielle at the ferry and we drove together to Tofino.
We met Gwyneth and Aleydabeth at the government dock in Tofino and got reacquainted over a pub lunch, where poor Jenny locked her keys in the car and awaited rescue by BCAA. After a highway robbery night in a local motel (worth $35 and charged $195!) Tony and I provisioned and Lyle got a part for his alternator welded at a local machine shop. Tofino is sooo touristy....a pretty spot but expensive. We took a short motor to Adventure Cove and anchored. The cove is full of history...a recent archaeological discovery defines this cove as the place where fur trader Robert Gray and his ship and crew of the "Columbia" wintered and built a small schooner called Adventure. They also built a fort called Defiance and burned a first nations village of over 200 residents in 1792. He would later head to Oregon where the Columbia river would be named for his boat.
We dinghied ashore and found sketchy evidence of a clearing where some old toppled cedar giants were obviously cleared. A brass plaque marks the cove. After a steak dinner and a relaxing evening we left the cove early in the morning in a receding tide. The bonamine was working so well I was able to cook an eggs and bacon kind of breakfast as we were under way, and clean up the cabin....Wow!
We rejoined Gwyneth in the outer harbour of Tofino where we saw humpback whales. The day was foggy and grey to start then turned to mist, then rain, then wind and some large swells. I was a little uneasy, and if I went below it would take me 20-30 minutes to regain my "sea legs"....(the message is don't go below in rough seas!). Tony cheerily let me know that this was the worst weather day they had experienced so far!!! But there I was with nothing between me and Japan. Lark on the ocean....who would have guessed! We travelled for about three hours to Ucluelet.
Tony's presence on Aleydabeth is a wonderful and welcome thing. He is a soft spoken, knowledgeable, smart and learned man who has seen much of the world and willingly shares his adventure stories. He is a good complement to Lyle and his presence has removed my anguish over "crewing". I have a lot less concern with a second knowledgeable sailor abord. Lyle and he have long technical discussions and seem to enjoy each other's company and give each other lots of space. What a gift!
Danielle and I walked the shops of Ucluelet. It is a pretty town and much less commercial than Tofino. Another great day, and a wonderful dinner aboard. Time to find a pillow.
We met Gwyneth and Aleydabeth at the government dock in Tofino and got reacquainted over a pub lunch, where poor Jenny locked her keys in the car and awaited rescue by BCAA. After a highway robbery night in a local motel (worth $35 and charged $195!) Tony and I provisioned and Lyle got a part for his alternator welded at a local machine shop. Tofino is sooo touristy....a pretty spot but expensive. We took a short motor to Adventure Cove and anchored. The cove is full of history...a recent archaeological discovery defines this cove as the place where fur trader Robert Gray and his ship and crew of the "Columbia" wintered and built a small schooner called Adventure. They also built a fort called Defiance and burned a first nations village of over 200 residents in 1792. He would later head to Oregon where the Columbia river would be named for his boat.
We dinghied ashore and found sketchy evidence of a clearing where some old toppled cedar giants were obviously cleared. A brass plaque marks the cove. After a steak dinner and a relaxing evening we left the cove early in the morning in a receding tide. The bonamine was working so well I was able to cook an eggs and bacon kind of breakfast as we were under way, and clean up the cabin....Wow!
We rejoined Gwyneth in the outer harbour of Tofino where we saw humpback whales. The day was foggy and grey to start then turned to mist, then rain, then wind and some large swells. I was a little uneasy, and if I went below it would take me 20-30 minutes to regain my "sea legs"....(the message is don't go below in rough seas!). Tony cheerily let me know that this was the worst weather day they had experienced so far!!! But there I was with nothing between me and Japan. Lark on the ocean....who would have guessed! We travelled for about three hours to Ucluelet.
Tony's presence on Aleydabeth is a wonderful and welcome thing. He is a soft spoken, knowledgeable, smart and learned man who has seen much of the world and willingly shares his adventure stories. He is a good complement to Lyle and his presence has removed my anguish over "crewing". I have a lot less concern with a second knowledgeable sailor abord. Lyle and he have long technical discussions and seem to enjoy each other's company and give each other lots of space. What a gift!
Danielle and I walked the shops of Ucluelet. It is a pretty town and much less commercial than Tofino. Another great day, and a wonderful dinner aboard. Time to find a pillow.