Poets Cove, Victoria, Sidney Spit, James Bay

            After looking after local chores and concerns and after preparations and provisioning, we set sail approximately 09:30 hrs, Thursday August 8 2013 for a stop at Poets Cove at Bedwell Harbour (South Pender) before heading the following morning for Victoria.  This was our first transit through Active Pass.  We entered Active Pass at approximately 11:45 hrs with a 1.5 kt ebb favouring our transit southbound.  The ferries, Spirit of Vancouver Island and the Spirit of British Columbia, were also transiting Active Pass (in opposite directions) while we were there.  The AIS is particularly useful as it shows SOG and distance-speed vectors indicating possible collisions concerns during transit.  We established contact with the ferries over Channel 16 to notify them of our intended course in case they had concerns.  We had a leisurely cruise down Swanson Channel along “Pender Bluffs”.  There was a lot of “Rec guys” fishing for pink salmon along the way.  We arrived at Poets Cove approximately 13:30 hrs with a course length of 33 nm. 

The 'Spirit of Vancouver Island' transiting Active Pass

View of Poets Cove from the foredeck

Pam enjoying happy hour in the cockpit at Poets Cove

            The following morning at about 08:45 hrs, we departed Poets Cove Marina with a strong ebb-tide push of about 3 kts.  “Speed over ground” (SOG) was over 10 kts for much of the ride to Victoria.  It was a lovely day, with calm seas and warm weather.  We saw a flotilla of whale boats that had spotted Killer Whales off Discovery Island.  What a gong show! I’m not very impressed with the so-called Eco Tourism Industry when it behaves that way.  This sort of activity has to be disruptive to the whales.  As for ourselves, we always maintain a respectable distance of about 4-500 metres, unless the whales for some reason come our way.  We often stumble upon whales.  They seem to come out of nowhere sometimes.  We arrived in Victoria approximately 12:50 hrs and tied up right in front of the Empress Hotel.  Jenny got to poop on the lawns of both the Empress and the Legislative Buildings—something that you or I would have been hauled off to jail for doing!  Of course, I picked up after her!  I phoned up my friends Bill and Martha Gazey and we had a lovely visit on the boat and brought in take-out from “Red Fish, Blue Fish” which BTW, is the finest fish and chips I’ve had anywhere, including England. Mind you, plaice and chips in Portree Scotland was also well up there!  The next day we bought wandered about Victoria and had dinner????

Looking west towards Sidney on the approach to pass Sidney Spit

Victoria Harbour: Pam enjoying a 'wrap' in the cockpit, the Legislative Building in the background

 

View towards the Empress Hotel, Victoria Harbour

           We left at 09:15 Sunday August 11 to spend a couple of nights at Sidney Spit.  It was cloudy with some drizzle.  I wanted to test the poles and paravanes after experimenting with them at the dock in Victoria.  They performed nicely, and it turned out they were particularly useful off Trial Islands where a NW wind kicked up a swell against a strong ebb tide.  Phoenix Hunter rode the water like a marble on a table.  The weather and wave state improved after rounding Ten Mile Pt. (Baynes Channel) and I retrieved the paravanes.  I discovered one cannot raise the poles when the boat is underway!  Anyways, disaster averted and we headed pretty much against the tide to Sidney Spit, arriving about 13:00 hrs. 

The poles and paravanes deployed off Victoria Harbour

Pam and Jenny enjoying the sights while tied to the mooring bouy at Sidney Spit

Jim on the foredeck at Sidney Spit

            We spent a couple of nights at Sidney Spit, tying up to one of the mooring bouys.  The weather was nice and why leave when you are in such a lovely spot?  This is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, the locations of which dot many of the Gulf Islands.   There were some very nice walks ashore, including a visit to the site of the former Sidney Tile and Brick Factory.  There are tons of bricks and some derelict equipment at the site.  The spit itself was too awkward for Pam to walk with her bad ankle but the rest of the area was lovely.  We caught one legal-sized crab but let it go for someone else to catch later.

            On Tuesday August 13, we moved off for a bit of a cruise about, and went down Saanich Inlet, almost opposite to IOS (DFO’s Institute of Oceanography), before we contacted our friends Kathy and Carolyn as we knew they were in the area.  We agreed to meet up with them in James Bay, Prevost Island. We went ahead the night of the 13^th and they came by the following day.  While waiting for them we went for a cruise about by dinghy, exploring Selby Cove and Annette Inlet on the NW side of Prevost Island.  These definitely look like nice spots to anchor and there is some good shoreline in Annette Inlet for Jenny to explore.  Kathy and Carolyn came by Wednesday August 14 and we had a nice visit with drinky-poos and appys, catching up on various boating and retirement plans.

Looking toward the head of Selby Cove

Looking toward the head of Annette Cove

Carolyn and Kathy preparing to leave James Bay

            Kathy and Carolyn left for another anchorage Thursday morning and with the weather turning with stronger winds forecast for Friday and we decided as well to leave James Bay and head back to Steveston, arriving later that afternoon.

Systems

            The previous owner (PO) had done a great deal of work on Phoenix Hunter.  As mentioned, the teak planks had been removed from the side and fore decks.  The screw holes that were revealed were filled with epoxy, an awl grip surface was then applied and a non-skid surface applied to the deck.  The PO then cut out the 2 old black-iron fuel tanks and replaced them with 4 aluminum tanks with an increased capacity of 760 US gallons (2880 litres).  With the installation of a fuel polishing system, fuel can be transferred between the fuel tanks as it is filtered.  The engine room was painted, re-lighted, and new sound insulation and a Reverso oil change system installed.  He installed a combination UV and filtering system for the fresh water.  Also installed were a new generator, new toilets, new DC fridge and freezer units, new oven, new black-water plumbing, and 2 new zones for the Webasto Hydronic heating system.  The heating system also provides for force air directed on the wheelhouse windows. Last but certainly not least is a new helm console in the wheelhouse with the electronics completely rewired.  Here is the show-and-tell.

Ford Lehmann 2725E 135 HP naturally aspirated with Borg Warner model 10-17-014, 2.91:1 gear ratio transmission.  This is a common power plant in KK 42's of this vintage.  It is raw water-cooled with wet exhaust. 

Aft (left of photo) and Forward (right of photo) fuel tanks on the port-side.  The large blue, large diameter fuel lines are for fuel polishing sytem (in and out) the smaller diameter lines are for the return fuel from the main engine.  The "Reverso" oil change system makes short work of changing the oil in the main engine and transmission.  On the far right of the image and mounted on the tank is a Balmar Digital Duo charge and a Balmar Max Charge MC-612 multi stage marine regulator.

Sight tube for the port, forward fuel tank.  

Manifold for the fuel polishing/fuel transfer system.

Top left:  large filter element for the fuel polishing system, Top right: fuel polishing control and pump.  Bottom:  Dual Racor 900 fuel filters with selector valve.

Wiring board for the DC electrical system.

Newly installed raised console for wheelhouse helm.  Left to right: Raymarine depth sounder. Top  Maretron Panel, Bottom Furuno GPS, Computer monitor with video display for aft-camera on mast, screen for Furuno 48' radar. Dash, Left to right: Keyboard, key-start, wiper control Auto pilot, mouse, jog steering, toggle for bow thruster, throttle.

Wiring under the helm.  Bottom Left: Paxcom Marine computer. Pump for autopilot steering, Top and centre: Simrad autopilot control. Box with 3 black hoses is the heating system for the wheelhouse windows. Middle left is a white tank for hydronic heating system coolant".

First Trip: Clam Bay and James Bay

On the way to Clam Bay

The Sandheads Lightstation used to be staffed with personnel

       It was time to ”Just go Boating”!  We were both nervous starting our first trip together on the boat.  Murray had accompanied me on the first trip and I was somewhat nervous going out on my own.  I wasn’t worried about the navigation or boat handling at all.  But the vessel systems were new and daunting to me.  What if something should go wrong?  Secondly Pam gets anxious if I’m nervous.  She’s not the reassuring type.  Anyways, the weather was hot and conditions favourable so we decided to do a one week trip to the Gulf Island in the Strait of Georgia BC.  We left Steveston mid-morning on Wednesday, July 17.  The crossing was uneventful. 1-2’ chop.  Jenny wasn’t too sure about it but she settled down.  There isn’t a lot of room in Porlier Pass and the flood tide sets towards Virago Rock so we gave that lots of room.  After some discussion, we found a nice spot to drop the anchor.  

Route to Clam Bay via Porlier Pass

Porlier Pass

Clam Bay

Jenny  a 7 year old mix is the “DIC” AKA Dog-in-Charge!  And she is in charge!  She had never been on a boat before, and we introduced her to the experience slowly.  We got her aboard at the dock and let her explore the boat.  She really enjoys the foredeck with the high vantage point over the water and surrounding area.  There’s lots going on around the moorage to keep a dog interested—cats, ducks, seagulls, swans, people, boats.  It was a couple of weeks before I fired up the engine, which caught her off guard.  She is now resigned to lengthy trips on the boat.  She’d rather be ashore and doing something different, but when we are travelling, she lays on the pilothouse floor.  Occasionally, Pam will bring her outside on the leash when the weather is calm and the sun is out.  However, she feels she really needs to be on-deck when we are docking or anchoring.  It’s pointless to try and keep her inside the boat when the engine RPMs drop down and Pam is on deck.

Toy destroyed in minutes!  Death was certain!

"This is nice!"  A comfortable dog!

On land she goes for at least 3 walks a day:  The morning walk is a short one after her breakfast and prior to morning coffee.  The afternoon walk is usually an hour or so.  The evening walk around 8-8:30 pm is prior to the evening cookie.  We accommodate all of these on the boat and when anchored, it involves use of the skiff.  At first Jenny, viewed the skiff with fear.  However, once she learned it included a walk and a nice look around, she anxiously awaited every opportunity to get on the skiff.  We had to be careful to ensure she only got on when the skiff was ready for her. All in all Jenny has adapted well to the boat and is quite comfortable going to her stateroom when we are in the saloon.

Where are we going next?

We spent 4 days on anchor in Clam Bay.  Not particularly adventuresome, but we found that the “tank full” warning light for our waste tank came on after 2 days.  Hmmm!  After much review of the situation, which included determining if water was coming in via the sea-cocks (it wasn't), we came to the conclusion that the Tecma toilets were using a lot of water.  We revised our usage such that “liquid only” was flushed via the forward head and directly to sea.   Twice we had to move away from anchorages to pump out.

            We took Jenny on the skiff for walks on to Penelakut Spit.  A lovely beach to wade along. This is on Penelakut First Nation Land, so we were respectful of their space and quiet.  Our skiff is a FRP 11' Seaskiff  by Sterling. We cannot always bring it up onto the beach so we use a stern anchor on a long bunee cord called an "Anchor Buddy".  I use this in several situations. Jenny is either lifted off or jumps off.  I set a bow line to shore and then throw out the stern anchor in deeper water, taking tides into account.  I then pull the skiff back to shore, jump off and the bungee pulls the skiff back to deeper water.  This works very well and means we don't have to drag it along the rocks.

Penelakut Spit

We decided to move to the south on Sunday July 21 and took a leisurely run down Tricomali Channel to James Bay on Prevost Island.  TWe debated long and hard about which anchorage to use on Prevost: James Bay, Selby Cove or Annette Inlet. We chose James Bay.  Further exploration by dinghy indicated that all spots are nice.  We will try Annette Inlet at a later date.  

Clam Bay to James Bay Prevost Island.

James Bay was a beautiful spot.  There was a bit of wake from passing vessels but there were only 2 other vessels on anchor there during our first trip.  James Bay on Prevost Island is part of the Gulf Island National Park of Parks Canada and there is an old orchard with apple trees on shore.  It's a lovely walk to Peile Point amongst the arbutus and oak trees.

Phoenix Hunter in James Bay

We went back to Steveston on Tuesday July 23, via Active Pass.  Active Pass has a lot more traffic, particularly ferries, but it is wider.  We monitor both Channel 11 (Victoria Traffic) and Channel 16 when we transit Active Pass.  All larger vessels are visible on AIS on our plotter (Coastal Explorer).  

So where the heck is Steveston?

Looking west down Moncton Street.
Nikka Fishing has reinvigorated itself to serve the recreational boating and fishing Community

              So where the heck is Steveston?  Steveston BC is AKA Storybrook Mass. where they film "Once-Upon-a-Time".  They also filmed a lot of "McIvor" there.  Steveston BC was the centre of the sockeye salmon fishery on the Fraser River.  It came into prominence in the 1880’s and saw some boom and bust times over the past century.  I first came to Steveston in the mid-1970’s, first when I was an Aquarist with the Vancouver Public Aquarium and then later in the 1970’s as a field technician and then a biologist with the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission and then the Pacific Salmon Commission.  The fishery for Fraser River sockeye reached a recent historical high with the very large quadrennial return of 1990-1993.  The run had been rebuilding during the 1980’s.  Since 1993, the run has decline and was the subject of several inquiries, including the recent judicial inquiry by Honourable Bruce Cohen.  However there was a record return in 2010.  That’s another and very long story, too long to tell here.

Tie-up at the foot of 4th Ave. looking east.

Looking west down Moncton Street

As the name says...

The venerable Net-shed Cafe, sadly no longer in business.

                BC Packers was the main concern in Steveston up until the early 1990’s. Imperial Plant, Phoenix Plant, Paramount Plant and a couple of other fish packing and canning operations were in full swing when I first started working.  Also, there were (and still is) several large commercial fishing vessel tie-ups in along the water front.  I have a lot of friends still in the industry and I felt most comfortable having my boat there.  First, it’s a freshwater tie-up.  Second I have friends to help me with various problems that might come up.  So what happened to BC Packers?  Well, there was much more money in real estate than in fish packing and canning and the Weston Family sold the land and much of the waterfront into the real estate market.  Its full of expensive homes, condos, town-homes and trendy boutiques, restaurants and shops now.  They have some historical sites under preservation, including the Gulf of Georgia Cannery and the Britannia Shipyards.  We tie-up right beside the Britannia Shipyards.  It’s a very picturesque site right beside the more industrial current fishing vessel tie-up.

Looking SW from our moorage towards the Britannia Shipyards historical site

Looking SW from our moorage.  The land in the distance "Steveston Island" was created by dredging the main Fraser River channel and the "Cannery Channel

Gillnetter passing up Cannery Channel

Up on the Hard. Rudder repair and other work.

                   After bringing Phoenix Hunter home to Steveston BC, we went away to visit Jessica and the grand children in Calgary and then Pam’s sister Sandra and brother-in-law Shane in Calgary and finally Pam’s parents Ray and Pauline, sister Sharon and nephew Carter in Cranbrook.  On our return, I had arranged with Murray to haul out the vessel and put her on the hard next to Murray’s shop.  As I mentioned in an earlier post the surveyor had identified a conspicuous crack on the faring around the post where the rudder shaft passes through the hull.   The cause or extent of the damage would be unknown until we could pull the rudder.  The shipyard would not block the vessel at a height so we could remove the rudder, so we had to lift the vessel to remove the rudder, shaft and bronze bushing/bearings.  This revealed that the FRP rudder shaft tube had been shattered inside.  The rudder skeg/shoe must have been hit with a considerable force for this damage to have occurred!

                Murray’s approach was to dismantle the stuffing box and grind off the faring and the fiberglass tube that passes through the hull.  KK42’s have a cored hull, but fortunately, the hull is not cored but solid at this location.  We managed to locate a source for fiberglass pipe that with the required ID to accommodate the bronze bearing for the rudder shaft.  I was happy to acquire a one foot section for $25 even though it was a 2 hour drive to and from the other size of Surrey to get it. Evidently this pipe is used in the oil services and pulp mill industries.  Murray used a hole saw to cut a wider hole to accommodate the tube, as the tube was a wider OD than the original pipe.  We borrowed a length of stainless shaft from a machinist across the yard with the same diameter as the rudder shaft, ascertained that it was true and then lined up the fiberglass tube with bearings in place and right through the steering ram.  This was wedged in place, the alignment verified and then carefully epoxied into place.  Once this had set Murray glassed the tube to the hull, inside and out, fashioned a new fairing out of epoxy putty (epoxy thickened with plastic fluffy stuff).  The fairing was then strengthened with more fiberglass.  Pictures are worth a thousand words, although I neglected to take photos earlier in the process!

Hole through the hull, surfaces cleaned and alignment shaft in place in preparation for FRP tube to be put in place.

View Underside

Murray carefully epoxying the FRP tube into position

Glassing the tube in place

Rudder Tube glassed in place awaiting the faring.

Glassing around the faring

Epoxy Barrier coat

Stuffing Box in place.  Gelcoat over the fiberglass work.

Rudder installed

Black Bottom coat.

Phoenix Hunter on the hard outside Murray's shop, July 2013

                The next procedure was to verify whether the rudder shaft had been bent.  Murray identified that it was indeed out of true by about 3/8” across the length of the shaft.  To make a long story short, we used a hydraulic jack to press the shaft back to true.  This procedure went back and forth for about 2 hours before we were satisfied.  Murray and I have a joke between us:  During one of my weaker moments in the process I phoned VM Dafoe to see if they would be able to straighten it.  They work on propeller shafts but no, they do not straighten rudder shafts!  Murray joked, “Murray Brown if you can’t do it I’ll find someone who can.”  Actually I said nothing of the sort!  But Murray was able to get it straight to our mutual satisfaction.  The boat was lifted again to put the rudder back into place with the rudder shoe affixed to the skeg.

                Murray also built a propane locker insert for inside the fly-bridge seat.  This was vented to flow overboard as per safety requirements. I cut-polished and waxed the hull (phew!) and we replaced the rigging for the stabilizer poles as well as the forestay.  We didn’t replace the stainless cable rigging for the mast as this structure is well stabilized by the substantial aluminum structure for the stabilizer poles.  After several weeks of buggering around, Phoenix Hunter was gently lowered back into the water and run back to her berth. I spent the next few days experimenting with sanding and refinishing the trim around the boat deck:  two coats of Cetol natural teak and two coats of Cetol high gloss.  I was very happy with the results. There's lots of bright work to do in 2014, but at least I have a plan and methods to proceed with the work.