Sandys counterclockwise circumnavigation Vancouver Island

[journey on]

Sandy,

Torino is for fish farmers and campers, transient boats can go suck a hot rock. We were on the long dock for a couple of days, being elbowed by the fishermen. Uclculet (sp) is a different kettle of fish. Haven't been to Bamfield, so don't know what it's like.

You're close to the end, be careful and wait for good weather. If you get caught, try an Amercian harbour such as Neah Bay.

Not giving suggestions, just ideas. You've had a great trip.

Boris

[colbysmith]

Another nice thing about replacing that MSD with a porta-potti is being able to easily remove it and not have to straddle anything while showering!

[thataway]

The early 25's (Changed sometime in the 2005 era) had the holding tank aft under the splash well--in an approximately 30 gallon tank. The macerator was under a cockpit floor hatch, that always leaked. The macerator's failed, and you were left with a big mess. (Happened to me in BC, and I was able to get the tank pumped in Nanaimo. I was also able to get a new macerator pump there. In the 2006 on boats there was the self contained 9 gallon holding tank in the base of the SeaLand Traveler M28-711 (Maybe owned by Dometic currently??). The water tank was then placed where the head blackwater tank was located. That worked much better with the macerator under the galley counter.

Great documentation of your Trip Sandy. We did it in our Cal 46, just before we sailed down the coast to Panama.

[smckean (Tosca)]

Bob, like you (but not to your extent), originally I was a sailboat guy. I've been on the ocean several times in a sailboat (for example: a San Francisco to Desolation Sound trip in the late 70s). Sailing up the coast 24 hours a day in iffy weather did not bother me in a sailboat with its keel and movement characteristics; but IMHO, C-Dorys ain't meant for the ocean. I get kicked all over the place. However, C-Dorys are so well built and designed, one CAN do it as I am now. I for one just don't feel nearly as secure in a C-Dory on the ocean as I did in a sailboat. (Of course it could be age too....hahahahaha).

P.S. Note: northern latitude ocean is different than more southern latitude ocean .

[journey on]

OK, Sandy's trip is almost over so lets bring this up again.

He has just left Peddar Bay, headed, I suppose, to Vancouver. Non-stop to Peddar from Bamfield, so it's been a long trip.

Congratulations and a trip well done!!!!!!

Boris

[journey on]

Sandy is approaching Anacortes. Prepare for touchdown. What a Trip.

Boris

[smckean (Tosca)]

Sorry I haven't posted sooner....It's taken me awhile to reload all my data from the laptop I used on the trip to my home-based desktop. Done now.
----------------------------------------

I got back home on Tuesday 8/30 about 4pm....exactly 8 weeks from when I left. I had estimated it would take me 8 weeks to do the circumnavigation in the manner I wished (lots of time). If nothing else, I'm a good estimator .

It was quite a trip! I must admit (as I've previously posted) about two weeks ago I started to feel the pull of home. One week ago, basically the only thing I cared about was getting home; and I especially didn't want to miss a weather window and have to wait in port 2, 3, or 4 days as I had to do for the more northern ocean roundings.

I was in Tofino (which I disliked intensely) last Friday and Saturday, and concluded that I had a 2, maybe 3, day window to complete the remaining ocean passages on the west coast of Vancouver Island....so I took it. I just went like a bat out of hell in an effort to get to the southern tip of VI in 2 days. Sunday was from Tofino to Bamfield (southern side of Barkley Sound), then all the way to Pedder Cove (near Victoria) on Monday. Monday was my longest day ever...putting on nearly 120 miles! During the first half of Sunday, the ocean was not so kind, but not too bad; second half of the day was quite reasonable. Monday was a snap except for having to steer while surfing on the fair sized swells (4-5 feet) until I got protection from the Olympic Peninsula. I anchored in Pedder Cove just before Victoria because I didn't want to deal with the complexities of Victoria Harbor. Then on Tuesday, 8 weeks to the day, I hightailed it home on perfectly flat water.

I'd like to thank the support I've gotten from members in this forum. It can get pretty lonely and anxious when alone for 8 weeks on a trip like this; and when I had connectivity (not often), it was a pleasure to sign in to the C-Brats site and "talk to "ya'll". I also got many, many messages via my Garmin Inreach satellite system (text only) from all kinds of people practically daily. I'd like to give a special shout out to Harvey (Hardee) and Gary (Daybreak) for continuously supplying me with wind and wave data via the Garmin link as I did the west coast since I so rarely had either internet or cell to use the Windy or other apps myself. Also honorable mention to Boris (journey on) for being there for me day after day.

P.S. Point of interest.....I slept every nite for the 8 weeks on the boat. I cooked and ate every meal on the boat except for 5 meals at café type places in various marina towns, and I had 1 home-cooked meal the night before I rounded Cape Scott (thanks, Randy and Chris).

[smckean (Tosca)]

Here's the Garmin track of my trip:

[DayBreak]

Sandy, I am so glad to be able to follow along with you on this journey. It was my pleasure to assist using Predict Winds so that you could have the information you needed on wave data. I am a believer in Garmin Inreach! With it, we were able to communicate back and forth via e-mail or cell phone text. Glad you made it home safely and had the experience of a lifetime doing this circumnavigation of VI. Thank you for letting me be a part of this trip. Gary

[Peter & Judy]

Good job on the circumnavigation. I would like to do it myself, with my wife along. But to me it is like eating a whole pie, by the end, no matter how delicious, it gets a bit tedious near the end. I prefer to eat my pie one delicious piece at a time.

[hardee]

Sandy, So glad to see your trip report and know you are back and, by now getting resettled at home --- you own real bed. Really nice of Gary to send those weather forecasts to you. Glad you had the inReach. I am a total believer. (There was an incident just tjis last week where a hiker was injured ion Olympic Nat Park and was taken out by USCG helo after using the inReach SOS function.)

You did a remarkable trip, 8 weeks and only 5(6) meals out. Time to relax and breath a little easier now. Thanks for sharing your journey.

Harvey
SleepyC

[smckean (Tosca)]

Thanks Harvey.

It is indeed great to be home (altho I am still spending a great deal of my time with the boat: flushing the engine; power washing the bottom and topsides; unloading gobs of stuff....you know the drill).

Finally, I've told you privately, but allow me to say it publicly, THANKS Harvey for "being there" for me. By far, you were the person who consistently stayed in touch with me, and encouraged me, from day one to the last day. I'm going to miss those good morning greetings from you nearly every day.
----------------------------------

Other C-Brats note: the beginning of a typical Inreach message from Harvey looked something like this:

"1005 8/15/22 #1 GM Sandy, hope you had a quiet night. Looks like the winds are dying out at Brooks Peninsula"

Note Harvey used a clever time stamp and numbering scheme to accommodate the Inreach limitation of 160 characters, and its annoying habit if sending message components out if order.

[zuunami]

Glad your friends were there for you during your amazing trip, but they weren't the only ones watching and rooting for you

[hardee]

9-4-22 1954 GN Sandy, Thnx 4 the note. Glad you had the IR with U. Makes for more than just watching. Hey, been there, 100 days with almost no outside contact in many places was a long time. I did run into the occasional boat, and on those long stretches and it was always nice to connect -- even if it was to beg, trade or buy fresh drinking water.

You have time now to enjoy the aftermath. Clean at your own pace. restock what you need for overnight not 3 months worth.

Glad I could add a bit of help to your trip.

Harvey
SleepyC

[ssobol]