Further Afield - Part I

Not long after David and I purchased Ge'Mara we decided that we needed to plan a 3 - 4 day trip in the spring that we could work towards.  It feels like we have a handle on the boat now but back then it was all so new to us - crossing the strait, navigating tidal passes threading through shoals and islands in unfamiliar waters...  We knew we'd need a specific trip to work towards, lest we get lazy and keep sailing in the same familiar local waters.

The excuse we needed came in the form of the 2013 Hunter Rendezvous.  We've learned that boat owners have their own little "conferences" on the water that are generally known as a rendezvous.  These are specific to a type of boat, in our case Hunter.  It's an excuse for boat owners to get with their own kind and compare notes on similar craft.  It's also an excuse for the manufacturer (who is generally the sponsor) to show off their latest models and sleuth out potential upgrade candidates.  In the end it's an equal measure of eating,  drinking, congenial conversation and sharing of information.

Our event was being held in Telegraph Harbour on Thetis Island, a more picturesque place you'll never find.  We departed Vancouver on Friday May 31 under clearing skies - the first after a week of cloud and significant rain.  It was a beautiful crossing, if not a bit mellow.  There was a gentle 5kt breeze blowing that kept just enough wind in Ge'Mara's sails to justify not starting the engine.  As exciting as it is to be healed over and flying across the water, there is something to be said for placid, drama free sailing in light winds.

We plotted a course from the Pt. Grey bellbuoy to Porlier Pass at the North end of Galiano Island.  Having made the crossing, this would be our next challenge.  The tides in BC waters are quite pronounced and in the Gulf Islands there are only so many navigable passes between the Georgia Strait and inside the islands.  These passes concentrate the tidal waters and during full flood or ebb can be tricky if not downright hazardous.  When traveling in a sailboat it's important to check the tide and current tables to ensure you are transiting the pass during slack tide, or at least before the ebb/flood becomes unmanageable.  In the end, Porlier Pass was a non-event - thankfully.  We went through near the slack so there was almost no noticeable current.  All we had to do was keep an eye on our chart so as to avoid the rocks and shallow areas which are for the most part all on the North side of the pass.  Another irrational fear bites the dust.

Porlier Pass at slack tide - no big deal

Once through Porlier it we motored quietly to the south, threading our way through small islands en route to the south end of Thetis Island.  It was now dinner time and the calm waters and picture perfect views in every direction lulled us into long spells of contemplative silence.

The reverie was broken by a sudden lurch and loud bang.  As we were rounding the marker at the south end of Thetis at what we thought was a respectable distance our keel hit a rock.  David and I looked at each other with wide eyes.  The depth sounder was now reading only 5ft of water but we didn't need that data to realize our folly.  All around us the bottom was clearly visible and rocks reached up at us menacingly.  Ge'Mara draws 6ft. under her keel.  For a long moment we cringed and braced as I steered the boat further away from the marker, waiting for the inevitable crunch of our next contact.  Thank God, we made it back to deeper water without further incident.  Once we were safely away from the shallow area David went below to inspect the bilges for signs of water.  Nothing was evident and once we calmed down we realized that we probably just grazed the top of the rock.  In the case of a direct hit it's not the iron keel that will give, it's the hull where the keel is bolted.

We learned some valuable lessons from this.  First, being on the correct side of a buoy does not guarantee your safety.  Without the benefit of local knowledge, extra vigilance and a wide margin of error is prudent.  Second, we did not have the depth alarm on our sounder turned on - something we immediately rectified.  Jittery from this experience, we motored hyper-cautiously into the very shallow Telegraph Harbour and called the marina on the radio.

The entrance to Telegraph Harbour - very shallow

We were among the last to arrive at the rendezvous and the marina was packed.  At first it looked like we were going to need to a "Mediterranean tie", which involves dropping your anchor, backing towards the dock and tying up at the stern.  This is a method of accommodating a large number of boats in a small space.  Neither of us had done this before.  Fortunately they found a more traditional space for us elsewhere and before long we were tied up and lounging in the cockpit with a much needed beer, chatting with the other boat owners.  More about those guys in part II