Home Safely

We are home safely and the Retriever is back at Twin Bridges awaiting the next adventure. In total we traveled 592.7 nautical miles in approximately 90 hours over 31 days. Much of the time was spent at displacement speeds of 5 knots or so for optimum fuel economy and comfort. Throughout this the boat suffered no real breakdowns or problems, save for a burnt out anchor light and a loose dinette. Both of these issues were/are easily correctable.

Now, to recap the last several days. From Porteau Cove we went to Squamish, a short run of 12 nautical miles or so. There we met Mom, Charlie, and Ben for a couple of days at Whistler. Peter, Charlie, and I skied on the glacier one day and explored Whistler the other, while Ben spent both days mountain biking. In Whistler we saw three black bears while riding the chair to the glacier and another along a side road.

After Whistler Ben and I headed towards home, with a stop in Snug Cove for two nights. We had to stop the first night for fuel (we arrived after all the fuel docks closed) and unfortunately the next day (Thursday) brought 40 knot winds in the Strait of Georgia. Not good weather for a 22 foot boat! By Friday morning the wind had calmed and we headed for Fishermans Cove to refuel. Unfortunately their fuel dock had been shut down which was a recent change not reflected in the guide books or chartplotter. Thus, we had to turn around and head for Horseshoe Bay where we filled our tanks 3/4 full. We then had a quick and fairly calm 30-some nautical miles across the Strait of Georgia, through Porlier Pass, and into Wallace Island. Wallace Island was much more crowded than it had been when I was there a month earlier but we still found a space on the dock and tied up for the night. By the early evening the dock was full and there were a half dozen boats anchored throughout the bay and more in Princess Cove.

This morning we left Wallace Island a little before 8:00 AM bound for Roche Harbor to clear customs and then on to Twin Bridges. We arrived in Roche around 9:30, quickly cleared in, got some donuts, and moved onto Twin Bridges where we arrived at noon. Surprisingly the growth on the hull was limited to the aft quarters and transom and it did not require much effort to remove. After an hour and a half of scrubbing, vacuuming, and pressure washing the boat was clean and we headed home after a successful maiden voyage.

I'll post an album of photos in the next few days with pictures from the trip.