Memorial Day Princess Louisa Cruise

[Alyssa Jean]

After Malibu Rapids about a mile on the port side is McDonald Island. It has several places to anchor, then it is another mile or so to the Falls. As I remember it anyway. When you are approaching slack tide is when a lot of boats are leaving so look for a space then. Go through before slack tide and you stand the best chance of dock space. Some have left and the ones coming havent quite arrived yet.

 

[starcrafttom]

Pat if you don't have a inflatable by wednesday call me and you can use my kayak blow up for the weekend. just call me and I will leave it where you can get to it, butyou have to pet the dog.

 

[Ron on Meander]

Pat,

I am surprised to hear the dock was full! Wonder what we'll find...talked to Inflatable

Last weekend was our Victoria Day long weekend. It is usually considered the start of the "summer" cruising and camping season up here. That may have been the reason for a crowd at the dock. I can't say for sure cause I've only been to PL in October never in the warmer months.
Have a good cruise.
Ron

 

[johnf]

Getting really excited for your trip and I'm not even going!! Hope you all have a wonderful and safe trip to PL.

We'll be driving to Montana to visit family. Wish we were going but looking forward to seeing family. Will get to PL this summer if even if I have to get a tow truck to tow me!!!

Best Wishes,

John

 

[Pat Anderson]

Inflatable Boatworks tells us we will have our GK Alaska Series by 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, just in time for the drive north to Birch Bay this evening! In the water and on our way by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning!

Pat if you don't have a inflatable by wednesday call me and you can use my kayak blow up for the weekend. just call me and I will leave it where you can get to it, butyou have to pet the dog.

 

[Pat Anderson]

Thanks John! Sorry you guys could not make it. I will take my trusty camera and try to take a lot of photos, maybe post the "Cruising Adventure* of Daydream" (with apologies to Jim and Joan).

*Unfortunately, to be "Adventures" it takes more than one, and not being retired, that is kind of hard to do at Wild Blue's pace.

Getting really excited for your trip and I'm not even going!! Hope you all have a wonderful and safe trip to PL.

We'll be driving to Montana to visit family. Wish we were going but looking forward to seeing family. Will get to PL this summer if even if I have to get a tow truck to tow me!!!

Best Wishes,

John

 

[El and Bill]

Have a great trip -- looking forward to your posts and pictures!

 

[Pat Anderson]

Will probably not be doing any posting along the way...but will try to do a complete report fairly shortly after returning!

Have a great trip -- looking forward to your posts and pictures!

 

[johnf]

Sniff, Sniff...gosh gee...sure wish we were going!

Will be there in spirit with you on the journey. Since you posted your itinerary I can daydream while driving to Montana where you are at a given time.

Love to drive but sure wish were behind a wheel on the water instead. Have a great trip and we all will look forward to your pics!

John :smiled

 

[Pat Anderson]

5:30 a.m., at Birch Bay. Half an hour from AIS for short trip to Blaine Boat Ramp. The Gary King Alaska Series did not arrive - so we go with a $44.95 Sevylor from GI Joe's. Boat is loaded, food, beverages, water, gas, 96 lbs of Austin's homework that he will not touch for 4 days. Crew is still sawing logs, about time to roust them, we want to catch the flat water!

 

[El and Bill]

Great price on your dinghy -- they are good craft -- we run white water rivers in them (leaving for the upper Colorado for a run in our Sevylors in a few days) -- sure lucky not to have had that other whatchamacallit delivered -- now you don't have to worry about where to hang the dinghy engine -- just take those little easily-stored oars and have a great time paddling quietly around the bay up there by the Chatterbox.
Enjoy your trip. We hope to be up that way before long, visiting with you guys and hearing the tales.

 

[Pat Anderson]

OK, with apologies to Wild Blue, the "Cruising Adventure of Daydream," Friday, May 25, 2007, through Monday, May 28, 2007! Not being retired, that is how we have to do it!

The destination was Princess Louisa Inlet, at the end of Jervis Inlet, some 115 NM from Blaine, WA, where we launch. Princess Louisa is about cliffs and waterfalls, here is what has to be the main attraction, Chatterbox Falls, on a bit of a gray and misty day - does not hurt the experience one bit! I only wish I could attach sound!

This cruise, like last summer's Alaska cruise, started from the boat launch at the Blaine Harbor Marina.



On the trip up the water was sloppy but we had following seas, at least we were not banging head-on into the waves. About 20 miles out from Smuggler Cove, the engine started stalling out at higher RPMs, made it to Secret Cove, where John, the owner of Buccaneer Marina, replaced the fuel filter. Side bar - the fuel filter, we assumed, got regularly replaced at each 100 hour service. This one looked like it had never been replaced. Into Smuggler Cove, got anchored up, and to shore for Baxter duty! Like they say, there are two kinds of boaters - those who cruise with a dog and those who don't! It definitely forces you to get off the boat and explore - he has to sniff until he finds exactly the right spot!



We weighed anchor in time to depart Smuggler Cove shortly after 6:00 a.m., planning to arrive at Malibu Rapids at slack - maybe we need not have worried, but why tempt fate? Breakfast on the way, cereal, milk and bananas sure taste better on board, and not much smells better than the aroma of coffee! Wild Blue always has blue skies (and dolphins!), we had gray skies, but it is still pretty impressive heading up Jervis Inlet!

We got tied up, there were only six other boats there, lots of room for more. Lunch on the dock, and a toast!

And over to the falls for the obligatory "prove we were there" pix! Austin I think really enjoyed this, and as predicted, he did not touch his 96 pounds of homework he brought along! And I was actually happier to be there than I seem to appear here!


The next day, a leisurely breakfast on board at the dock, real hot food, corned beef hash and fried eggs, since we only had to get to Malibu Rapids by 10:30 a.m. to catch another slack. Then back down Jervis Inlet at trawler speed, fueled at Egmont (yikes, $5.80 a gallon!!), and down to Garden Bay at Pender Harbour. We had some debate about where to go, Patty thought Buccaneer Bay on Thormanby Island might be a good place to anchor, but it just looked too unprotected, so Garden Bay it was. There is a nice little provincial park there which was just right for Baxter duty!

Out of Garden Bay in the a.m., smooth water back to Point Roberts to clear customs, over to Blaine to retrieve, on to Birch Bay to flush the engines and wash off the salt plus sundowners on the deck and dinner, and finally the drive back to Fall City - the last day was a long one! Did we enjoy it? Absolutely! Would we do it again? Not so sure about that one...these long distances (245 NM total) in a short time frame, and the price of fuel, may cause us to reassess plans a bit, at least when we are on a timetable that precludes us from cruising at trawler speeds most of the time. But this was a great trip!

 

[C-Change]

Pat:

Sounds like a great cruise! Great pictures. Hopefully Stacy and I are -in- for next year.

Dave from King Marine is coming out to the boat tomorrow to measure for the new camperback. Hope we get a chance to catch up with you and Patty before Bellingham.

Jan & Stacy
C-Change

 

[El and Bill]

Your pictures are great! So glad the trip went well and thanks for sharing with all of us.

 

[sportner]

Pat, Looks like you had a wonderful trip and quality time with the family in your boat. Enjoyed your photos and narative, thankyou.

 

[Pat Anderson]

I have edited the main post a number of times, you might want to go back and see what was added later in the day!

 

[Ron on Meander]

Pat, Patty and Austin
Glad you had a good trip. Sorry I couldn't get away to join you for part of it.

Patty thought Buccaneer Bay on Thormanby Island might be a good place to anchor, but it just looked too unprotected, so Garden Bay it was. There is a nice little provincial park there which was just right for Baxter duty

Actually its too bad you didn't choose Buccaneer Bay. With the current big tide changes Bucaneer bay has some incredible beaches to walk on. Baxter would have loved it. At low tide you can go for about 3 miles of beach walk. If you get to the bottom of the bay you can tuck in behind the headland a bit and get pretty good protection. Also with a C-Dory there is a spot near the entrance behind one of the small island that give good protection if you use a stern tie

Ron