25 Aug 19

As forecast, the wind got up in the night and we had to listen to the anchor snubber griping all night long; the NW wind was blowing at exactly 90 degrees to the heading of the boat, so it was less than optimal. The dawn broke clear and cool and windy. We debated simply staying at Pirate’s Cove, but it was only NW 10-15, so, with Ladysmith beckoning, we decided to push on. With the wind behind us, it was a pleasant broad reach to down-wind sleigh ride. Ladysmith Maritime Society and Community Marina was full so we headed on up the inlet, thinking we would stop in Ladysmith Marina. But, as we went past the Fisherman’s Wharf, I noticed an empty spot on the end of their visitor’s dock, so we just pulled in there at 13:45. It is first-come, first-served, so we were good. After we settled in, we walked up into town and were happy to find an “Arts on the Avenue” fair going on, with 3 or 4 blocks of downtown closed to traffic. We did not buy anything, other than 500 ml of Ginger Shrub (old style, fruit flavored drink, with a bit of carbonation and preserved with vinegar - very tasty). We stopped in for a pint and a glass of wine at the Fox and Hounds pub and then walked over to the Spice Hut to pick up a take-out Indian meal. When we got back to the boat, there was enough food for both of us for about 3 days; good value. The Admiral spent a fair bit of time during the day texting and talking to various siblings getting the dope on brother Luke’s issues. It was a beautiful, clear sunset, and we sat in the cockpit watching the sun set over Vancouver Island. This place is officially south of the 49th parallel, and rightfully should be part of the USA; shame on the politicians that allowed Canada to retain the southern portion of Vancouver Island, not to mention the Gulf Islands. On the other hand, I’m glad this place has not been so polluted by American-style consumerism and is still close at hand and governed by a friendly population. Sigh.

48-59.967’N, 123-48.843’W; Log = 10.8, Sum (2019) = 926.7 N-m