After Labour Day, Joan and I had the opportunity to visit her brother Don and his wife Patty. He has been inviting us to his floathome on the Fraser River in Ladner for several years and this year sweetened the pot with a chance to take a boating cruise on their 36' Morgan Trawler, Chantilly Lace. The weather was sunny and warm when we arrived and we eagerly anticipated our departure for new waters.Check out all the boating pictures on the Len's Cove Marina Facebook page-here.

Our first day out started with wind blowing 15-20 from the northwest
at Sandheads at the mouth of the south fork. Our plan was to head
north toward Pender Harbour but head seas of 6'-8' would make for a
long day at 7.5 knots so we mostly went west heading for Active Pass
and the shelter of the Gulf Islands. Those who have taken the Boating
Course with CPS will recognize this area from your navigation
excercises. Staying clear of a large freighter, a tug and barge and
several ferries we made the pass after running in seas on our
starboard quarter and taking white water onto the pilot house. We now
enjoyed the calm  waters and the warm sun ending our day at Ganges on
Salt Spring Island. Don was the grill master and we did steaks on the
barbeque for dinner. The next day we checked the tide charts in
anticipation of running Dodd Narrows on our way to Nanimo. We left
about 10:30 and after a smooth run we hit the narrows at slack tide
without incident. The tide through Dodd runs about 6 knots at full
flow so discretion dictates to make the passage as safe as we could.
We found a slip at the Nanimo city marina and did a walk up to the
grocery store for a few supplies. Once again Don reprised his roll as
the Grille Meister for dinner.

On the third day we awoke to a perfect sunny calm day and our goal was
to reach Pender Harbour. Leaving the marina we checked that the US
Navy test and excercise area was not active and made the straight run
across the Strait of Georgia to Pender with ease. As we entered the
harbour we noticed a strange vibration but chalked it up to a piece of
bull kelp wrapped around the propeller. This would later prove to be
more than that. We reversed a couple of times and it seemed to go
away. After dropping the anchor in 60' of water in Garden Bay we did a
dinghy tour of the many cottages and marinas in the area. Later, we
took the dinghy over to a Pub and had the best seafood chowder we had
ever tasted. Don set the location alarm on the GPS so that if we moved
overnight we would be alerted. We sat on the bridge and enjoyed a
glass of wine and watched an awesome sunset through the trees on the
shore.

The fourth day our plan was to run up Aggamemnon Channel and the
fjords to Princess Louisa Inlet. We left under a grey sky with a light
breeze heading up the channel. About five miles out we suddenly lost
all drive, just like the prop fell off. We were in several hundred
feet of water and the steering also was jambed. Experience suggested
that the engine and drive shaft had become disconnected. Inspection of
the engine room confirmed our diagnosis. While we were thinking of
what to do a small trawler came along and offered us a tow. About four
miles ahead we spied a ferry terminal and a logging camp at Earl's
Cove. We tied to a log boom at the camp and set about a search for
parts as three of the coupling bolts had actually sheared off. Don was
able to find a worker who pointed him to their workshop where he found
four old 3/8th inch bolts, nuts and lock washers and a piece of
threaded rod with nuts to draw the couplings back together as the
shaft had slid back so the prop had jambed the rudder. We waited for
the engine to cool and then proceeded to draw the pieces together and
bolt it up. We then fired up the engine and cruised to the nearest
marina to search for proper hardened cap screws, nuts and washers of
the correct size, 7/16ths. About five miles later we arrived at Egmont
in the Sechelt Channel at a small marina, general store etc. Although
they didn't have exactly what we were looking for we managed to find
some 10mm stainless bolts, nuts and lock washers which were closer in
size and we installed them with lock tight which Don had on board. We
used the on shore showers and had burgers on the grille as the weather
closed in for a night of rain.

The fifth day began sunny with a light breeze and we headed inland, our
goal to stay the night at Princess Louisa Inlet park We timed our
departure to hit Malibu Rapids at slack tide. The ten foot tide here
causes a full flow that would render the boat uncontrolable if passage
was attempted then. The tide charts and good planning brought us
through without incident and we cruised up the fjord to the floating
dock anchored at Chatterbox Falls. The scenery here is spectacular
with mile high mountains lining the shore and over two thousand feet
of water under us. Small waterfalls dotted the mountain sides as we
cruised to our overnight docking place. There were about three boats
on each side of the floating dock which was anchored off shore with a
pivoting ramp that allowed shore access. We found space about two
hundred feet out and our sounder register ninety-two feet. We walked
up to view the falls which begins in a glacier on the mountain top and
checked out the covered fire pit and basic toilets. By evening the
dock was full with a mix of sail and power boats from as far away as
California. As with boaters everywhere we formed little groups on the
dock and enjoyed a glass of wine and good company as the sun went
down.

We rose with the sun the next morning and got away early as the tide
had dropped overnight and we rushed at 8.5 knots to run Malibu Rapids
again before the flood began. Once beyond, we slowed the little John
Deer to 1600, max economy speed, and headed back out of the fjords,
past Egmont and Earl's Cove and back to Pender Harbour for another
night on the hook in Garden Bay and another bowl of that awesome
seafood chowder.

Another early departure as the wind was forcast to blow from the north
west at 10-15 and we had an eight hour run south past Howe Sound,
Vancouver, Sandheads and back into the south arm of the Fraser River.
Waves ran 2-3 on our stern so no white water on the deck this time and
we made the shelter of the breakwater ahead of schedule. We stopped at
Steveston for fuel as this was probably Don's last cruise of the
season and he would be beginning his winterizing ritual soon. Although
the boat sits in the river all winter, the current never allows ice to
form and he keeps some heat on inside to stop the thru-hulls from
freezing. The dinner tonight was fresh Chinook Salmon on the grille.
These people know how to eat!!

Our last day was spend doing laundry, reading and preparing for the
fight home. It was a great holiday with spectacular cruising and good
company. Thanks again Don and Patty.

Doug Horsfall