The Rainbow Promise

After our visit at Boat Harbour, we departed Dodd Narrows for passage at slack water; boats at the Narrows were lined up, slowly making their way through the narrow opening in single file. An uneventful passage and we were through the “gate,” approaching the city of Nanaimo.

Docks at Newcastle Island, Nanaimo in the background

Our first night was spent at Newcastle Island Marine Park, Java’s favorite place to romp and play among the daisies. The island has recently taken on the Native name of Saysutshun.

Our mini-dachshund is approaching 17 years and nearing her end of life; perhaps this will be her last romp on this lovely island, which offers hiking trails, camp sites, and wonderful views. Her spirit is still strong and will carry with us always.

The second night was spent at the Nanaimo Yacht Club docks. As members of a reciprocal yacht club in Anacortes, we made use of the reciprocal program, which provides space for visiting yacht club members. The yacht club docks are farther out of town than those of the city docks, but downtown is easily accessed by bicycle.

Red's Bakery, a new bakery in Nanaimo

We spent the day taking care of errands, including grocery shopping, haircuts, and catching up on other chores. Leonard of course found the bakery in town, Red’s Bakery, which opened in 2017.

Waterfront Park in Nanaimo, Newcastle Island and Protection Island in the distance

With grocery bags tied to our handlebars, we bicycled back to our boat, passing the lovely waterfront parks of Nanaimo.

It was a quiet evening back at the boat, with time to enjoy the picnic table on the dock for happy hour. The sky soon filled with a red glow and a beautiful rainbow appeared over the harbour.

It is said that a rainbow is the promise of another day. Perhaps Java will be around for a while longer.

Boat Harbour Marina, a Hidden Gem

After a couple of pleasant nights on the hook in Clam Bay, we made our way towards Dodd Narrows, stopping at Boat Harbour to investigate this unique marina, which now offers transient moorage for the general boating public. Boat Harbour Marina is a hidden gem and is just beginning to be discovered by cruisers. In early 2018, all new docks at this privately-run marina had been completed for permanent tenants, along with added space for transient guest moorage.

Boat Harbour Marina, located just south of Dodd Narrows, is well protected

Guest stays are by reservation, 48-hours in advance, with a minimum stay of two-nights during the weekends; side-tie space can accommodate boats up to 100 feet. While the marina website indicates that they monitor VHF Channel 66A; it is best to contact the marina by phone (250) 802-9963 as the wharfinger is often busy helping guests with their lines, working on projects, or out feeding the sheep. If the docks are full, you can tie-up at one of the four guest mooring buoys. Due to shallow depths and the private water lot, boaters should note the no-anchor zone, marked by a line of spar buoys.

The Marina property has hiking trails and offers group adventures

The marina property includes hiking trails, fields, and farm animals. Guests may walk the trails and groups can arrange for customized adventures, including lakeside picnics, hosted BBQs, wine tours, and even a cooking class. Visitors may want to plan a trip to the small community of Cedar on Yellow Point, where the popular English-style pub, Crow & Gate, draws patrons from around the world. You can also take in the Cedar Farmer’s Market with over 70 vendors held on Sundays at the Woodbank School. On July 1, Canada Day, Boat Harbour Marina puts on a pig, beef, and lamb BBQ, be sure to call for reservations.

Actor John Wayne used this boat shed when he visited Boat Harbour

Both Cedar and Boat Harbour are rich in history. The village of Cedar, two and a half miles from

Boat Harbour, is where the infamous Brother XII (Edward Arthur Wilson) first established his religious cult, later known as the Aquarian Foundation, and named the farming district, Cedar by the Sea. As a former sea captain, Edward often brought his tugboat to Boat Harbour. Boat Harbour takes its name from the boat sheds and wooden boat construction that once took place here.

Joe, the wharfinger, is often busy working on projects in the work shop

One of the boat sheds still remains and was re-established as a work shop in the 1970’s. It is said that movie actor John Wayne visited Boat Harbour and often used that very boat shed.

Joe, the wharfinger, loves sharing the history of Boat Harbour and is a delightful person of Croatian descent. Joe toured us around the property and showed us the new building under construction, which will house restrooms, showers, and a laundry for the 2020 cruising season. A gazebo for group gatherings is in the planning stages and will be another nice addition. Next time you plan to pass through Dodd Narrows, don’t skip by this scenic location with its delightful marina.

The Finer Things

Ladysmith's Old Town Bakery is a popular stop

You may be wondering if Leonard finally got his pastries at Ladysmith; we visited the bakery in the morning before our departure, and yes, he was successful. There was still a line of waiting patrons, but the line was shorter than the day before and we were able to collect a basket of goodies to last us for a few days; “all is well with the world.”

From Ladysmith, we crossed Stuart Channel to anchor in Clam Bay on the east side of Thetis Island.

The Cut connects Clam Bay with Telegraph Harbour

We waited for high tide and took the dinghy through “The Cut,” which separates Thetis Island from Penelakut Island; The Cut dries at low tide. When the water rises again, small boats and dinghies can motor between Clam Bay and Telegraph Harbour.

Thetis Island Resort has a lovely deck, good food, and nice views

We visited the two marinas in Telegraph Harbour, which yachts access off of Stuart Channel. Thetis Island Resort is looking very nice with their recent improvements, including a new deck for the pub, new siding, and the replacement of several docks. The pub has live music on most weekends in July and August. The marina also hosts regattas from time to time.

Telegraph Harbour Marina is a popular choice for yacht club rendezvous

Telegraph Harbour Marina, at the end of the harbour, is looking as beautiful as ever and continues to be a popular choice for yacht club rendezvous. They still offer pies and ice cream cones, something we couldn’t pass up of course.

The Pot of Gold coffee stand is a short walk down the road along with the nearby Farm Market, where you can purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and home-made products.

Jaymeson offering to sell his beautiful carvings

Thetis Island is such a special place, it’s the expression of true island life with farms and other self-sustaining home-style businesses.

After motoring back to our anchorage in Clam Bay, we had the pleasure of being visited by a First Nation’s member from Penelakut Island, who approached our boat in his canoe and offered to show us his beautiful carvings, which were for sale. His carvings were all well-done and reasonable priced, certainly less than what you would pay at a store.

The perfect choice for our boat

I was pleased to find a lovely piece for our boat and happy to support his artist talent; it was a special encounter and another one of those finer moments in life.

A Marina in Logging Country?

During our stay at Maple Bay Marina, we learned about the extensive trail system in the forest reserve that leads hikers to the top of Maple Mountain above Maple Bay Marina; and about another trail system that takes hikers to Mount Tzouhalem overlooking Cowichan Bay. Hikers can actually traverse the entire area from Genoa Bay, circling the head of Cowichan Bay, and arrive at Maple Bay Marina. This 12,355-acre (5,000 hectares) forest reserve is managed by forestry staff, who collaborate with parks, trail, and recreation staff to ensure sustainable harvesting, while accommodating recreational uses of the forest reserve. Boaters can ask for trail maps at Maple Bay Marina or at Genoa Bay Marina.

Departing Maple Bay, we motored northward up Stuart Channel destined for the community of Ladysmith. Ladysmith is a prosperous logging town, with several log-booms in the area.

Logs rafted together, ready for the mill

Log-booming area, Ladysmith Harbour

As we neared Ladysmith Harbour, we came upon a barge that had just dumped its load of logs for the tugs to hall to the mill.

Logging barge pumps out ballast water to right itself

To dump their enormous load of logs, the barge tips 30 degrees using water as ballast, the logs slide off into the water, where awaiting tugs raft the logs together. Water is pumped back out of the ballast area to right the barge again.

Logging equipment is found on street corners in Ladysmith

The town of Ladysmith proudly displays its logging heritage in local museums. Painted logging equipment is displayed on the street corners, serving as an outdoor museum and provides a unique character for the town. It was James Dunsmir who started the company town in 1904 for miners to work his Extension mine 12 miles north of town. Many different businesses and services sprang up in Ladysmith to support the industry. By the 1920’s the demand for coal had dwindled; and in 1931, during the Great Depression, the mines closed. In 1935, the Comox Logging and Railroad Company purchased a tract of Douglas Fir forests to the west of Ladysmith and logging began the following year. By the late 1940’s, Ladysmith was the center of major logging operations, which continues today.

Ladysmith Community Marina Welcome Centre

Recreational boaters are attracted to Ladysmith for its scenery, history and the hospitality found at Ladysmith Community Marina.

Ladysmith Community Marina Docks

The docks are well maintained, flower pots adorn the docks, an on-site Oyster Bar Café and fireside lounge are inviting, and a covered party barge is available for rendezvous. The Sea Life Center, with interpretive displays, is adjacent to the café. The Ladysmith Community Marina is run by the Ladysmith Maritime Society; it’s a true community marina run by hundreds of volunteers and is one of the most successful marinas in British Columbia. Who would have thought that such a lovely marina could be found at a logging town? It just goes to show that with the right amenities, activities, and quality facilities, boaters will return each year to enjoy the town and the marina’s “welcome Centre.”

Historic Ladysmith has lots of shops to choose from; the Old Town Bakery is a favorite

A set of stairs leads up the hillside into town, where visitors find a variety of shops including a great bakery. We found a line out the door at Ladysmith’s “Old Town Bakery.” Too bad, Leonard will have to try again in the morning for more fresh baked goods.

Test Day

Moored for the night at Genoa Bay Marina

After visiting Russell Island, we motored to Genoa Bay Marina on Vancouver Island for the night’s stay. We received a friendly welcome and enjoyed our time there. In the morning Leonard made our departure look easy, as he skillfully backed out between two long docks with boats on both sides. Headed for the adorable village of Cowichan, located across Cowichan Bay, we arrived at Fishermen’s Wharf and was assigned to a temporary space for our short two-hour visit for research.

People lineup for treats at True Grain Bakery

Like most visitors, we couldn’t resist all the favorite treats in town found at the Udder Guy Ice Cream shop and pastries at True Grain Bakery. When departing the Wharf, our plan was to back out and spin the boat around. We were in a U-shaped area, with a pier closing off part of the remaining top side of the open U. With boats all around us, Leonard maneuvered the boat to spin 180 degrees, putting the starboard engine in reverse and the port engine in forward.

Got d' Fever is off the photo to the right of the red fishing boat

While backing toward a large fishing vessel, Leonard attempted to put the starboard “morse control” (shifter) in neutral, but the morse control refused to disengage (he couldn’t get it out of gear) so we kept backing. I was outside the helm station handling lines, and could tell by the stricken expression on his face that something mechanical had failed. His quick survey of the controls revealed that a part of the morse control had fallen apart –– two screws had fallen out of the control, leaving him with no way to disengage the starboard engine. The only option was to shut down the starboard engine and run on the port engine only to exit the harbor.

Morse Marine Engine Control

After motoring out of the harbor into open water, we made repairs to the morse control. Leonard crawled under the helm station to push the metal plates up into position, while I put in the screws. Perhaps the screws had loosened after years of use and vibration. These little screws nearly caused a major problem but Leonard passed the test.
With the metal plate and these little screws back in place and tightened, the starboard morse control was working again; Leonard’s heart rate was back in place too.

Another tight fit at Maple Bay Marina

We continued to Maple Bay, our next destination for the night, squeezing into another challenging moorage space. We didn’t mind because the space had a front row seat next to the floatplane departure and arrival float.

Changing Times and Places

From Port Browning, we motored up Plumper Sound to Lyall Harbour on Saturna Island in search of more updates for the Waggoner Cruising Guide. We continue to be surprised by the number of changes we find each year while out cruising.

Dock at Lyall Harbour Public Wharf

In the case of Lyall Harbour, we discovered that the fuel pumps at the dock have been removed; however, limited amounts of gas and diesel are available upland near the pub. Boaters can fill-up the 15-gallon jerry cans located on site, and use them back at the boat to replenish their fuel tank. In other news, the Saturna Store has closed and so has the Wild Thyme Café in the double-decker bus up the road.

Great Views from the Lighthouse Pub at Lyall Harbour

The good news is that the Lighthouse Pub is still thriving and is a popular island venue with grand views of Plumper Sound. The adjacent bicycle rental shop is a great way to explore the island and is conveniently located near the wharf.

Glamping with a View; unzip and the front door is revealed

The latest news at Lyall Harbour are the “glamping tents” – luxury camping inside a walled tent with a real front door and nice beds. The campground is located a short distance from the wharf, with tents tucked along the hillside among the trees, offering great views of the harbour below. There’s even a nice shower for guests of the campground; boaters staying at the dock may also use the shower. “Glamping facilities” and B&B’s are becoming increasingly popular among cruisers with smaller boats and extra people onboard looking for a weekend getaway.

Departing Lyall Harbour, we crossed Swanson Channel to visit Russell Island, a National Park Reserve. This small island is situated off the southeast end of Salt Spring Island and is a special treasure. Russell Island was settled by Hawaiians as early as 1886. During the fur trade, the Hudson Bay Company hired hundreds of Hawaiians as laborers. After their contract expired, many Hawaiians decided not to move back to their homeland.

Trail on Russell Island to the Fisher Homestead

In the early 1900’s Maria Mahoi and her husband George Fisher raised their family on Russell Island. Maria inherited the island from her Hawaiian father and First Nations mother.

The early 1900's Fisher Homestead

The house in which Maria and George lived, still stands on the island surrounded by old apple and cherry trees and specimens of a once lovely garden. The Fishers harvested what they could from the land and sea, and traded and sold what they didn’t need.

A summer chair left on the front porch

A bag of clams sold for a dollar, which was a lot of money at that time. Many Hawaiian, First Nations, and European visitors stopped at Russell Island to visit Maria and George.

Today, boaters can anchor on the north side of the island and take the dinghy to the dinghy dock to access the island. A trail leads to the Fisher homestead. We found an old bicycle leaning against the house, a summer chair on the front porch, and a Hawaiian wood carving on the back porch; perhaps these items were left behind upon Maria’s death in 1936.

As we walked around the property, it was easy to imagine all the activity that once took place here and imagine the happy faces of their 13 children.

There are some steep drop-offs along the shore trail

Other trails on the island include a loop around the shoreline with splendid views; it's a special island indeed.

Port Browning Surprises and Island Hospitality

Departing Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, we made our way across Haro Strait into Canadian waters and cleared customs in Sidney on Vancouver Island. After clearing customs, we headed for Port Browning on North Pender Island to check out the reported dock improvements and discovered some surprises and creative island hospitality.

The Driftwood Centre just up the road from Port Browning Marina

We needed to replenish the galley with fruits and vegetables so we walked the short half-mile trek to Driftwood Centre to pick up groceries at the well-stocked Tru-Value Foods and to buy baked goods from the Vanilla Leaf Bakery. The baked goods and artisan breads, by the way, are excellent. When paying for our groceries, we learned that the store will give you a ride back to the marina with purchases of 25 dollars or more.

We opted to walk back to the marina with our bags in-hand and paused at a bench near the entrance to Driftwood Centre; cars coming by kept stopping to ask if we wanted a ride.

The "Car Stop" at Driftwood Centre; note the cute poem

We soon realized we were standing next to a sign that read “Car Stop” with a cute poem that explained everything. These “car stops” are found all around North and South Pender Islands, where willing locals stop to offer those on foot a ride. You don’t have to accept the ride of course; but according to the poem, locals consider it a gift. For boaters, these “car stops” open up new possibilities to explore the islands. You can pick up an Island map at most Pender marinas; the green dots on the map show where all of the “car stops” are located.

Island hospitality seems to extend to dogs as well. We found an outdoor complimentary dog wash facility at Driftwood Centre.

You enter through a cute gate into a gazebo-style structure, where a large stainless tub and hi-tech facet awaits. There is even a nice ramp up to the tub for the larger dogs that are harder to lift; now that’s what I call creative island service.

Other surprises included the grand-old Victorian home just up the paved road from Port Browning Marina, the Nosy Point B&B is a nice overnight option for those who may want to find their land legs again. Or if you would like to take in a movie with friends and locals, you can now do that at Port Browning Marina. Bridgeman’s Bistro, which serves food and drink on Saturdays and Sundays, becomes The Kraken Theatre on weekdays, showing classic movies; see thekrakentheatre.com for the latest schedule. A dinner before the movie can be had at the adjacent Port Browning Pub, which is open daily year-round and is a local favorite.

The Sea Star Vineyards winery hosts tastings and special events

For more island fun, you won’t want to miss the award-winning Sea Star Vineyards winery located 1.4 miles (2.25 km) northeast of Port Browning Marina on Harbour Hill Dr. off of Razor Point Road (yes, there are “car stops” along the way). The winery is open for tastings from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through June, and open Thursday through Monday during the months of July and August. The “Island Time” food truck is on the winery premises to offer snacks and lunch items in the licensed picnic area. During the peak cruising season, the marina provides transportation to the winery for a nominal fee. Situated in a park-like setting, the winery hosts special events like art exhibits, plays, and music concerts. On the way to the winery, you will pass the Twin Island Cider company at the corner of Razor Point Road and Lupin Road, another worthwhile stop; cider tastings are available on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4 p.m. in the off season, and open Wednesday through Sunday during the summer months.

The new main dock at Port Browning Marina

Boaters may be asking “but what about the docks at Port Browning Marina?” Yes, we found surprises there too. The main dock has been replaced along with a few finger piers; there are plans to replace the rest of the fingers in late 2019.

The wave attenuator in front of Port Browning Marina

Boaters will also find a 300-foot concrete wave attenuator has been added near the entrance to the marina, immediately west of red buoy U52, which marks shoaling and rocks. When entering the marina, boaters should favor the wave attenuator side of the channel. New power stations have been installed and plumbing put in for water at the docks; water, however, is not yet available.

Marina Office and the Port Browning Pub

With all of the ongoing improvements at Port Browning Marina and the many delightful activities in the area, Port Browning is fast becoming a major boating destination.