We have now had 5 hops along the Pacific Coast, and we have made our way about halfway down the west coast of Vancouver Island. The sailing conditions for each hop have been a little different and we are learning more and more about sailing our boat in downwind ocean conditions. We have had more experience and are more confident with upwind sail configurations and tactics. Downwind sailing has been surprisingly tricky! We hear stories of sailors gliding westward around the globe, a downwind romp, seemingly without a care in the world. I would say our first few forays into this have ranged from a 3 to a 10 on a “pleasure boating scale”. Downwind sailing is quite complex with more sail configuration options, dealing with a large aluminum pole to keep the genoa held out to the side, rigging a preventer to avoid an accidental jibe, utilizing sails to diminish the boat’s tendency to roll side to side with the steady western swell on our beam, and getting used to using tethers to keep us safely onboard while going forward on the boat.
Rounding Cape Scott: We were ready for bear! Well…what we experienced was a little underwhelming. No wind, low swell…we had to motor all the way around. The good news was that we had plenty of opportunity to enjoy the dramatic scenery, notice the wildlife and take plenty of photos. A sea lion and a flock of surf scoters waved goodbye as we left the anchorage, and we were accompanied on the day’s journey by amazingly relaxed sea otters floating supine in the swell and the occasional whale spout. Given the reputation this cape has for rough conditions, we didn’t complain too much about the calm day and were grateful to be safely around it and pull into the first protected west coast anchorage of Sea Otter Cove. Pleasure boating score: 6/10.
Sea Otter Cove to Quatsino Sound: We had a steady 15 knots wind, just enough to push us along under genoa sail alone. It was a stress-free sail configuration without use of the main, but we had our first glimpse of impact of the swell…and this swell was not that big at 1-2 meters. We made steady forward progress, but endured quite a side-to-side roll that was rather uncomfortable. Hmm…that’s going to take some getting used to. Definitely nice to sail rather than motor. Pleasure boating score: 5/10
Rounding of Brooks Pennisula: This was another major hurdle. The Brooks Penninsula is a piece of land that juts out of the coast like a big nose and it has a bad reputation for strong winds and unfriendly waves that are the product of conjoining currents, strong winds, and the steep land outcropping. We picked our weather window carefully for this one, avoiding the strongest of the typical NW winds and spent a lot of time talking through how we would manage the two 90 degree turns we would need to make to round this peninsula. In the end, this turned into the most awesome sail. With 20-25 knots of wind the boat was happy and we were in a comfortable groove. Our pre-planning paid off and we felt good about how we managed the boat along the way. “This is what sailing dreams are made of!!” Brett proclaimed! Pleasure boating score: 10/10.
Columbia Cove (South of Brooks Peninsula) to Bunsby Islands: July 4th and we were proudly flying the stars and stripes. The wind was light, but the Brooks Penninsula, now northwest of us, blocked the swell—almost like being on the inside passage, but with a vast ocean view. We put out a handkerchief sized portion of the genoa to pull us forward at an angler friendly 2 knots. Brett put out the fishing pole and reeled in salmon dinner. Pleasure boating score: 9/10.
Kyqquot Sound to Esperanza Inlet: Winds were lighter than forecast, and the swell was up from prior day’s higher winds. Tried a variety of sail configurations to maximize speed and minimize rolling, with mediocre success. Lots of maneuvering around on the rocking boat, lots of banging and clanging. The good news—we did not feel seasick at all! We have more work to do to optimize comfort, safety, and sailing performance for downwind in 8-12 knots. Pleasure boating score: 3/10.
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