Finlayson Arm to Russell Island

Volume XV: Finlayson Arm to Russell Island Wow! Blue sky! Now that the days are predominately gray, chilly and damp (if not downright soaking wet), we sure appreciate the sun when the clouds open up. Dave thought it would be fun to compare our knotmeter readouts, so as we motored down Squally Reach, which wasn't squally as you can see, he throttled up to six knots and we matched it on our GPS. Our knotmeter is at least a knot slow. It needs cleaning and calibrating, but we knew that. We both slowed to a more fuel-efficient speed (diesel is over a dollar per liter here!), and enjoyed a short trip down Finlayson Arm, deeper into Vancouver Island. This inlet leads to a salmon spawning river at Goldstream. We'd read in the cruising guide that it was great fun to row a dinghy into the stream to watch the salmon in shallow water as they came in to lay eggs. Sea lions were cruising the Arm too, gulping down the large, silvery fish. Flocks of gulls screeched and chased one another as they picked up scraps. Finlayson is deep, bereft of protected niches and so doesn't offer much in the way of anchorages. One dinky dent in the mountainside is named Misery Bay. You get the point– no hiding from squally winds there! The area behind a small island (Sawluctus) near the head was listed in our guide as the best spot to drop a hook. We went in and found some bottom at about forty feet, most of it was about seventy. There were dozens of big, opaque butter-yellow jellies with fringed edges and long, threadlike tentacles. Marcia called them Lion's Mane jellyfish. Juniata elected to anchor across from the small marina, so we put down the Delta near them. Through the binocs, we could read a sign, "Environment Protection Area: No Access." Clark rowed over to the marina to ask how one would get to the Goldstream spawning area since dinghies weren't allowed. "Hike up to the highway, then walk about a mile to the Visitor Center," he was told. More hiking? We were pretty much hiked out after Tod Inlet... Maybe we can visit by car someday. Next day also dawned very placid and mild. We needed some supplies, so Marcia called Gerta on her cellphone and Gerta said she could drive us where we needed to go. Rikki-tikki could take the mooring at the Deep Cove villa and she'd be waiting. We weighed anchor and headed north. I went below for a quick shower and washed my hair. As we secured to the buoy, Juniata passed by on the way to Russell Island Marine Park. This photo is looking out from the villa across Satellite Channel, Saanich Inlet, toward Sansum Narrows. With Gerta at the wheel, we made a good day of it– collecting boat parts, groceries, and visitor info like ferry and bus schedules. We treated her to lunch at the fabulous Fish On Fifth in Sidney. Thanks, Gerta! Dave and Marcia were waiting for us, tucked behind little Russell Island, which is at the entrance to Fulford Harbor on Saltspring Island. Russell Island was settled by immigrants from Hawai'i who were brought here to work on the Canadian railway. As we anchored, a very strange-looking catamaran came motoring toward us from the Saltspring shore. Its hulls were bright yellow and lashed together with two spar sections, an outboard mounted between. It was cold-molded construction and of course we asked questions, as they did of us. Turns out this was their first tryout in the water after the launch. Phillipe and Guy hope to offer nature tours under oar power, though they will step a mast once the akas and tramps are in place. We'd love to see the finished boat. They invited us to stop at their place anytime for a visit. We wish them well. The four of us walked the short (and thankfully level) trail around the island, examined the remnants of the settlements and watched the birds. We decided to move on to Wallace Island, a Marine Park in Trincomali Channel on the opposite side of Saltspring Island. When we pulled up the Delta, this very large sunflower star was firmly gripped to the stock and chain. It was tough to pry loose and left numerous sucker feet behind. Sorry, we hope they grow back quickly! At a relaxed pace, we followed Dave and Marcia to Princess Cove, mostly under power. Clark baked a low-carb zucchini nut bread with cranberries. A small breeze picked up in Trincomali and we rolled out the jib for a bit. The late October sun felt good on our faces. Good friends, good weather, great cruising! May the sun brighten your days, Clark & Nina