July 27, 2020. Cadboro Bay to Port Sidney Marina. 15.7 NM
It was another full day, which is sliding into a sad evening on the boat, as Sara packs and prepares to leave once again. We haven’t really had a minute all day to think much about it, but the reality of heading off solo once again is setting in.
It was a gorgeous morning in Cadboro Bay. The packed beach, drunken paddleboarders and sailing camps were all gone, and all that was left was the half dozen boats swinging at anchor in the rising sun. The bay was calm and still, and the only activity we could see was a fellow out rowing “Crimson”, the bright red Whitehall rowing skiff that was pictured in my last post.
Still morning leaving Cadboro Bay
We were up reasonably early, as we wanted to catch the northward current to push us towards Sidney. Also, we had a lunch date that we didn’t want to miss! The anchor was off the bottom and we were moving by 0800. Soul Star pulled out of the bay right behind us, but Bare Necessity decided to stay and spend another day in Cadboro Bay.
It was an uneventful motor northward. Other than some tidal surge as we came through Baynes Channel the water was calm, and the wind didn’t top 4 knots all the way. Most of the time, it was 2 or less. In fact, it was so calm that we both took the opportunity to have a shower and get cleaned up as we slid along.As we turned into Port Sidney Marina, we hailed Soul Star on the VHF, and wished them well on the rest of their journey north back to Nanaimo.
Barely a breath of wind on the motor north
We managed to get on the dock at Port Sidney without difficulty, even though we had to switch our dock assignment at the last minute, to accommodate the port side tie we were expecting. Eventually, they decided to put us on the T-head of the dock with the biggest mega yachts in the marina, so we felt a bit dwarfed, but it was an easy landing.
We tied the boat up, and within a few minutes, my parents arrived at the marina, having come down from Nanaimo for a visit. We had a delightful lunch at the Surly Mermaid, just at the entrance to the marina. I had fish tacos, while everyone else had some kind of salad (which seemed like a bit of a waste of a lunch out, to me. To each his own, though!). After lunch, we walked along the waterfront in Sidney, before saying goodbye to my parents. I’ll see them again before long when I get back to Nanaimo.
Exploring the Sidney waterfront with Mom and Dad
The afternoon was for work. Sara kindly did a bunch of laundry for me, and we got all the linens on the boat cleaned. I logged in to the hospital, and caught up on work there. Then, we went shopping, getting the boat provisioned for the rest of the trip, and stocking up on a few items we’ve used up in the last 6 weeks. We tried hard to buy a new dish strainer for the sink, but struck out on finding something the right size.
Working in the lounge at the Port Sidney Marina
We walked the groceries back down to the boat, then headed into town once again for dinner. We had a lovely Thai meal at a restaurant called “Thai Corner”. It was delicious and quick, which is exactly what we were looking for – we were pretty hungry by that point. We shared prawn Pad Thai, eggplant and chicken, coconut rice, and fried banana and ice cream for dessert.
Now, back on the boat, we’re getting the final touches in place for both of us to take off tomorrow – Sara on the bus, and me on the last leg of this Vancouver Island circumnavigation. Once again, it will be hard to see her go, but I’m excited to be back in familiar water for the first time since we left Nanaimo. In fact, this is the marina where I first met Monashee III, and the waters we sailed in today were the same as the first time I took her out on a test sail when I was getting her surveyed. It certainly will be easier to be in places I have at least seen before. And, I’ve single-handed here as well, in Monashee II, so there will be a comfort level that wasn’t there the last time I cast off the lines on my own.
Soundtrack: Extra Ordinary, by Better than Ezra
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