Mile 855: Kagawong

A quiet leisurely morning was had by all.  The bay was calm when we first woke, but a brisk breeze eventually started over the island and tugged at our mooring lines.  At one point in the morning, a thick fog engulfed the island.  Our view of everything beyond our little cove disappeared.

During breakfast, I had this feeling that I'm sure all sailors get once and a while, that things felt wrong.  I looked out the companion way, and could no longer see land!  I hopped up into the cockpit, and saw that our stern lines to shore were slack and in the water.  We were a safe distance from the shore swinging from our anchor.  I pull in our stern lines, wondering if they had chafed through, but they hadn't, they had somehow slipped off the rock on shore.  Anyway ... there are always lessons to be learned.

Linda an I rowed over to the Western gap.  A patch of smooth, polished rocks with a small passage through it.  We called out to a motor boat entering the gap, asking how deep he was reading.  He reply'd "28 feet", so it's something we could have used as /in/out entrance if the conditions were right.

We went ashore again to explore and collect our blueberries.  Breakfast pancakes for tomorrow!  We took a final look at the blasting site.  Apparently, some time ago, there was a plan afoot to quary the islands.  They started the process, and small section of shore is riddled with bore holes and a section has been blasted to rubble.

When we finally cast off, it was early afternoon, and the breeze was building.  After breaking around the shelter of the Benjamin's, we got a blast of 20+ knots of wind.  Today, we were heading to Kagawong, a harbour not too far away, but even still, the winds kept picking up until we had to furl everything and power along by motor.  We wind speed peaked out at 36 knots.  It was a rough we ride with the wind on the beam.

There's not much on the charts about Kagawong, but the Ports book did have a paragraph indicating that there was mooring available.  Sure enough, there was a small marina, with protected dockage, ice, and ice cream!

Once tied down and secured, and after our very generous servings of ice cream, we wandered into town.  passing a few little stores, stopping in at the old Mill (now an art studio/store).  We continued on toward the Bridal Veil falls.  A pretty spot with a very nice waking path back along the river, back to the Mill at the base of the bay.

Chris