Gorge Harbor is completely remodeled with new docks swimming pool and beautiful landscaping.

We had not been here for about 15 years and that was the day before Cheryl broke her hip on Sea Jay 1. We will have dinner here tonight in their restaurant and report on all the fixins. We anchored out in the middle of the putting great faith in our new anchor

Nanaimo /Denman Island / Henry Bay

Left Bedwell Harbor for Nanaimo where we picked up our 5 dozen bottles of home made wine we had ordered last year. We decided to keep it in boxes rather than pack all those bottles. After several tastings we decided it was good wine. Had a nice dinner and lunch at the Coast Hotel served both times by Ann Marie who gave Cheryl several tips on where to get a Kentucky Derby hat for the Tea to be held in Echo Bay. Cheryl found a whole , (hat dress & neckless) outfit in the mall. Next evening we went to a Italian restaurant with the Stewarts and Colliers and their grandson Sean. Got our fishing licenses, stocked up on fresh fruit and purchased a salmon to hang on the wall that I have been looking at for two years. We left Nanaimo and cruised to Denman Island in calm waters and very nice sunshine. Anchoring at Denmon Island was very nice and it allowed Cheryl and I to test the newly installed folding Swim step ladder on the Seadoo. I took it to a shallow area & slid off the machine in to the ice water with Cheryl close by in the F 16 (just in case)and deployed the ladder while bobbing in the water in my Mustang suit the ladder came down nicely and climbed back on the machine with out a hitch. Hooray! now I can fall of and get back the Seadoo even in 50 degree water. Today we cruised to Gorge Harbor on Cortez Island.

We made a crack of noon departure from Hope Island to hit slack current at Deception Pass and docked at Roche Harbor RHYC overflow outstation.

Roche is truly magic for us and we enjoyed a great dinner on the outside deck with Doug and Gail.

Next morning we topped up tanks and made the short trip to Bedwell Harbor passing through Johns pass and the scenic teepee camp for kids.

Checking in with Canadian Customs by phone with our NEXUS pass and then on to Bedwell where we were searched by Customs for 1.5 hours even after we were cleared by phone.

That afternoon we took the F16 with Doug and gail to Port Browning marina for lunch. It is a nice setting with fairly good grub. The marina is decaying but they are making a real effort to get it into better condition.

This morning we left Bedwell Harbor and made an easy trip through Dodd narrows to Nanaimo where we will stock up with provisions for our venture further north

SEa Jay goes north first day

Our first day was a nice easy cruise with the goal of anchoring at Bedwell Harbor going through Deception Pass. We arrived at Deception Pass at slack tide at about 12:30 hours and just as we passed under the bridge we heard a distress call from a friend that had run aground near La Conner in the Swinomish Channel.

After they had talked to the Coast Guard I called them on the radio and we agreed that we would go back through Deception Pass and anchor our boat at the south side of Hope Island & from there I could reach them fairly quickly in our F16 shore boat. We made it back to Hope Island in 20 minutes running at 20 KTS and I was on the scene soon after that. The boat was listing to port only 9 degrees with the current ebbing hard. But this boat is not just an ordinary boat it is 58 feet long constructed of steel and weighing in at 85 tons... so the current had little affect on her. I stayed with them until they floated off the mud at about 6:30. Lucky there was no damage as the shaft and propeller is protected by a full keel design.

We spent the night at anchor at Hope Island and today we went through Deception Pass at 12:30 hours the same as the day before. Our destination today was Roche Harbor Resort where we met up with Doug and Gail Stewart for a kick ass dinner on the deck overlooking the marina.

Tomorrow we will head to Bedwell Harbor to clear Canadian Customs.

2010 SeaJay goes North

Hello all:

We are almost ready to make our 2010 trip north.

This year we plan to press further North nearly to Prince Rupert.

We plan to leave on June 15 if out shore boat is completed as we are having a rubber teak deck installed for better traction in the boat and a most pleasing addition to the All Carbon Fiber F16,