Newcastle Island, bei Nanaimo

Heute ankere ich vor Newcastle Island, gegenüber von Nanaimo. Mutti, Papa, Heidi und Zita sollten den Ort hoffentlich wieder erkennen. Der Dinghydock Pub hat auch offen und ich freue mich schon auf ein kaltes Bier!

Montague Harbour

I am back on the boat and back in Montague Harbour. Very quiet and a good opportunity to do some boat work.

Sunny evening and golf

We have had a few cool days with rain, but this afternoon the sun came out and Sheila and I walked to our local pitch and putt and played a round of golf together. This was a first for us and we rather enjoyed it! Tomorrow we celebrate being married for 36 years.

Vancouver

I returned to Vancouver for a few days, for some meetings and to be duly impressed with Sheila´s renovation efforts in our flat. We now have very nice wooden floor in the hallway, a new fireplace and flooring for the living room to follow. The weather has turned wet and cold again too, but it is still fine enough for a walk on the beach.

Montague Harbour

Yesterday I spent a sunny day on the golf course and early this morning I motored 8 miles to Montague Harbour. This was the first marine park in British Columbia, and Sheila and I first visited it in 1981. It still is one of our favourite places in the area. The weather today is hot (22 deg Celsius) and sunny. I spent most of the day on the water, with the paddle board and the kayak. Tonight I want to try out a new restaurant close by. Sheila is in Vancouver, so I will have to give her a detailed report when I see her on Thursday.

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Otters, golf and more

This morning in Winter Cove started out with a slight disagreement between an otter and me. He or she thought lying on my dinghy and munching crab was fine, I thought it was too messy. I won the argument, but still had to clean up the mess. I then went for a walk around Winter Cove and later moved on to Otter Bay (yes, more otters there, but I hope they prefer the dock over my dinghy) where I will spend two days. This afternoon was bright and sunny and I played a round of golf at a course close by. The lake in the picture now holds one of my golf balls, but I still have a few left. Sheila also had her first golf lesson in Vancouver today, so hopefully soon we will be able to play together.

Winter Cove, Saturna Island

Sheila flew back to Vancouver this morning and I came to Winter Cove. This is a very popular anchorage, but today I am alone in here. There is a small park around the bay with nice walks.

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In Ganges again

Yesterday was a fun day: First we took a walk in the woods, then went into Brentwood Bay and had dinner with friends who live close by. Saanich Inlet is also a good place to catch prawns, and today I had one (yes 1!) in my trap. Fortunately Sheila was getting a massage when I went out and collected the trap, so I quickly cooked my prawn and ate it, very good, but not filling. Tonight we came into Ganges to go out to one of our favorite restaurants here, the Piccolo House. I assume it will end up being a bigger meal than lunch (see picture).

 

Butchart Gardens

Last evening another boat in Tod Inlet turned out to be friends from our time on a floathome in Westbay Marina. It was great swapping stories about things we have been up to in the decade since we last saw each other.

Sheila and I had lunch in Butchart Gardens today and strolled around for a couple of hours. Very colorful and cute, including plants shaped like animals.

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Tod Inlet and Butchart Gardens

Today I went into Saanich Inlet and am now anchored in Tod Inlet. Sheila plans to come back to the boat tomorrow and we want to visit the Butchart Gardens. The woods around the inlet are part of a park and there are a few nice walks.

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