Day 47: Penultimate Blog update - Jul.y 28-Friday

Forgive me for the title; i't isn't often one gets to use the word
"penultimate" correctly!

We made it to Sooke from Port Renfrew, total of 40 miles.We were up at
5:30 and had a late getaway of 07:00. The skipper didn't sleep much
after about 03:00 and will be a grumpy puppy again.

Once again, we only finally got enough wind to sail about 2 hours out of
Sooke; we were about 3 miles from Sherringham point and I got onto the
weather report; the lighthouse here was reporting 15 knots of wind yet
we had less than 10!!... we are cursed!!

About 1 hour out of Port Renfrew and the swells diminished and by the
time we were near Sherringham they had disappeared all together. We are
definitely now in civilization: many boats, after lunch there were at
least 6 whale watching boats racing out of the straights, homes built up
all along the coast,etc. The transition is fast; Bamfield feels very
much out of the way and one day later we are in the thick of things.

Today was cool on the water; so much so that for the second day in a row
and for the third time on the whole trip, i've resorted to wearing socks!

Negotiating the entrance to Sooke is a challenge; more so that Walter's
Cove was. There are 2 sets of range markers ( a range marker is 2 marks
that you keep aligned ahead of you so that you know you are on the
proper route); you follow the first set in, which take you close to a
point and when you see the second set you need to make an immediate left
turn. Once we were in, the harbour has a narrow channel despite the
appearance of lots of water. There are new buoys in place that were not
shown on our chart which gave us some momentary grief. We landed at the
marina, not the public dock thinking a shower would be a nice treat. The
wharfinger told us that everything has been torn out while they are
building.... you guessed it.... more time share condo's. they are
everywhere in B.C.!! We went for a walk to "downtown" Sooke, found no
where to eat other than Buffy's Bar. We had a surprisingly good steak
with mashed potatoes and came back to the boat.( and a beer). The wind
is coming up and it was a chilly walk back to the marina.

I also bought a Times Colonist; a number of the stories in the paper had
more meaning given where we have been on this trip.

Number one was the story of a fishing boat that capsized in the Bearing
sea; local B.C. women survived because another crew member gave her his
floation device; he died. This happened during the winter lows that kept
sweeping past the north coast last week.

Number two was the story of an Native chief who died yesterday when his
cedar canoe capsized near Sequim Wash. during the native canoe festival
they have; he was from Gold River but had been raised at Friendly Cove.
Recall that I met a carver/paddler in Zebbalos who was leaving the next
day in a similar canoe to paddle down to this festival.

Number Three is the announcement by the B.C. minister of environment
(Barry Penner) that the government is looking for private companies to
build lodges in some designated B.C. provincial parks. He is quoted as
saying "... The population is getting older and not everyone who stays
in a park wants to sleep on the ground in a tent anymore ". Isn't
that the most asinine thing you have heard????? This is similar to the
same shite that Alberta got into with the development of
Kananskis,etc... the idea that everyone should have access to
everything, regardless of ability is just not right. They are planning
to build lodges at Cape Scott and Assiniboine parks!!... Assiniboine
already has a lodge just outside its border; why do they need
another??? Putting in a lodge in these remote spots will kill the
attraction of them in the first place..yikes, don't get me going on
this. If you feel that this is a dumb idea then please send an email or
letter to the minister.
The skeptic in me wonders who is promoting this and who gets to choose
who is the lucky person that gets the concession to build in these
spots. What happens if they are not successful? Does the government take
them over? Do they just abandon it and let it go to rack and ruin??.....
Other parks marked for similar treatment are Mount Robson, Wells Gray,
Silver Star, Golden Ears and others. Please take the time to send a
letter/email. You can find his coordinates from B.C. government web site.

I recall a few blogs ago saying I didn't miss the paper; I should have
bought a crossword book instead of the paper to get a crossword
puzzle.......

Dock position tonight is N48 21.97/W123 43.68

Tomorrow is another longish day of similar mileage and we are back at
Canoe Cove; not sure if I have a slip since I forgot to call Canoe Cove
and confirm when we would be back so that they could stop renting out
slip!!...