Sunday, August 4, 2013

Friday, 20July2012: Reed Harbor to Bedwell Harbor, South Pender Island, BC

Weather:  Sunny and warm.  Winds:  Variable.  Seas:  <1ft.

Another 'sail when we could, motor when we had to' day.  Had some winds leaving Reed and managed to get near the center of Boundary Pass and then motored.  As we approached South Pender, a NNE wind popped up and we beat towards the entrance of Bedwell.  At the entrance, winds died and we motored to the custom's dock.

RT had motored the entire way and handed me the phone at the custom's office for check in.  Waited on hold for about 20min then checked into Canada.  Poet's Cove Marina is co-located with the custom's dock making this area a bit of a zoo.  Which boats are in line for customs and which are attempting to get to the marina?  Patience.

After clearing, motored out of the marina and took a provincial park mooring buoy...another first for us.  Rafting is not allowed on these buoys.  Fortunately, I was able to observe RT's mooring technique and being a good mimic, getting on the buoy was painless, monkeying with the harness is another story.

All my reading of trimaran anchoring and mooring buoys indicated the 'superiority' of the wide harness technique available to multihulls.  That is, hooking the harness to the boat at the widest possible point, the outboard end of the akas.  Did so, but also looped a mooring line through the buoy attached to the vaka as a back up.  We were secure.  What I don't like about the wide harness is there is so much line and this line can dip into the water and under the boat.  Doesn't happen with sufficient wind to hold the boat off the buoy, but in calmer conditions it does.  Still working on it...I hate reinventing the wheel.

During the afternoon, a S wind picked up and I sailed the dinghy around the harbor.  Great fun, but I learned I needed to sit in the bottom of the boat, just too tippy.  Later, after the wind died down, rowed Kelly to Poet's Cove for a little retail therapy.  Along the way, a British lady from another boat popped up and asked "Is this your tender?"  Yes.  "Brilliant!  I saw you sailing it around earlier.  Brilliant!"

Lesson Learned:  Getting on a mooring buoy.

Lesson Learned:  Anchor/mooring ball harness needs work.

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