Homeward Bound

It’s hard to head home. It’s sad to know the trip is coming to an end. As we head south we are going back to old familiar places so there isn’t such the sense of adventure. We usually travel everyday rather than staying at a place for a few days.

But we are usually ready to get home. See the kids and the grandchildren. Be home. See friends. And we have other plans for the summer.

We left Lady Boot Cove with plans to motor in to Kwatsi Bay. One of our favourite little marinas in the Broughton’s. It was sold. And the owner we knew Max had died shortly after he sold it. We were not sure what had become of the docks and the property. So we were going to go in and check it out.

As we were starting to head in a boat was coming out. We contacted them on the radio. They said there were boats anchored up in the bay. But the docks were dilapidated and not useable and the marina was not operational. We decided we didn’t want to go in and see the marina in that state. We would rather remember how it was. And remember Max and Anca and their hospitality. And the only time we’ve seen a Cougar !

Jim wanted to try to fish for more prawns after the bust in Booker Lagoon. There was a bay close to Minstrel Island that we have had very good luck at when it came to prawns.

So we motored down to Tsakanu Bay. It is a very large bay. We’ve stayed at the head of the bay before. We dropped the prawn pots and motored in around the corner to the head of the bay.

It was a busy and windy spot !

And the next morning as we were leaving we pulled the pots. Four pots and 57 prawns ! So again a bit of a bust. Poor Jim! Prawning has been a disappointment.

The next night we stayed at the dock at Minstrel Island.

The wind was coming up in Johnstone Stait over the next couple of days. And the tides were not in our favour. The dreaded – wind against tide !

We were debating whether to leave at 1 AM and have favourable tides or wait until the morning and tough it out. Common sense prevailed and we decided driving all night in the dark was too much for us old folk !

We left early the next morning in daylight. And as it turned out there was very little wind. So although we were beating against an Ebb tide part of the way we didn’t have the wild waves.

We were hoping to go to our other favourite dock – Shoal Bay – for the night. But the dock was full. A bit of a disappointment. We ended up anchored in Bickley Bay. It is just before Shoal Bay. We’ve never been there before and it was a lovely little spot. Very quiet although the wind came up in the evening and it was blowing a gale in there. We left at 6:10 AM to catch the slack water at the Dent Rapids.

Even at almost slack water it can be a bit of a washing machine.

And next stop was Squirrel Cove

It was sunny and hot. Something we haven’t had for 2 months.

Jim changed the some of the sacrificial anodes on the boat – the propeller and bow thrusters. which required swimming under the boat.

Lilly lounged in the sun

I went for a paddle.

And it’s a busy spot ! Something we are not used to either !