Day 29-july 10

So, for those of you who are paying attention I forgot to count the
layover day at Dixie Cove, so yesterday's update was really Day 28 not
Day 27 and therefore today, Monday July 10 is day 29.

Sounds like some of the conversations we have on board trying to figure
out what day of the week it is.....

Last night it sounded like kids having a bath outside the boat; it was
hundreds of small fish catching mosquitoes... the rest of the bugs ended
up in the boat!!

Today was a short, pleasant motor into Zebbalos, 14 miles. The sun was
out finally with no wind. We arrived just before noon. The weather seems
to be ready to deteriate again tomorrow but we will be inside of Nootka
Island so should not get the brunt of it.

We immediately went on a walk-about and sorted out where food, beer and
restaurants and a pub were, along with the Inn that has Internet access;
so hopefully when I get there I'll be able to upload enough photo's to
bore all of you.

The town has been around for a bout 20 years, going through boom and
bust with gold mining, logging,etc. We found out at the hotel ( that
coincidently has the pub) that they provide showers on a donation to the
fire department basis. The inn down the road has internet access. We had
a beer ( tasted wonderful after a 3 day dry spell) and burgers; which
tasted great if only because they were not cooked on the boat! Ralph was
able to get onto a first name basis with a lady who agreed to cut his
hair; Stewart and I offered to do it for less, but for some reason he
insisted on letting Monica cut his hair. When Stewart and i got back to
the boat after our tour of the town (Ralph gave up after lunch and
returned to the boat..but he did walk for a bit!!) we found that Ralph
had already left; we are speculating that he is going to have a shower
to get ready for his hair cut /date!!

Ralph was scoping out real estate options for a summer retreat up here;
seriously it is a beautiful spot, the town is quite charming with a pub,
store, museum, and about 200 permanent residents. We are moored at the
public wharf, right beside the fish/ice plant which should ensure we
have enough noise for the evening. We are moored next to a fishing boat
that smells of fish. The lady in the pub warned us that if they were
processing dog fish it would get really smelly; apparently dog fish
urinate through their skin and they can be very smelly!...wonderful thought.

Plan for the rest of the day is for showers and another "store bought
meal" that we don't have to cook! Tommorow we head for Tahsis and will
end up circumnavigating Nootka Island by going to Friendly Cove the day
after that.

On the way to this hotel to use the internet, I saw a man at the native
carved canoe that I had taken a photo of and stopped to speak with him;
it took him 6 months to carve from a single log by hand; they are going
out in it tommorrow to paddle down to Washington! I told him to be
careful as it is going to be windy; he said it handles well as long as
they stay bow to waves!..yikes.
I don't have photo with me today so i'll put it on web site later.

Over and out from Zebbalos