The first stop today was Hand Island. I’d stopped there
before and explored a bit. The sand-and-shell beaches are perfect for relaxing
with a book (or Kindle), and we did just that for several hours.
Then we headed for Jacques-Jarvis Lagoon. Two sailboats were
anchored and rafted together and the 40-foot powerboat Santara was anchored. Again, thanks to shallow draft, no problem. I
anchored in 10-feet of water (4-feet at low tide).
The sun was shining and the weather was warm, so I decided
I’d clean the bottom of the boat. I have no antifouling bottom paint, and I
figured there might be some growth after almost two months in the water. I
didn’t have a dive mask with me, but I figured one of the other boats would
have one, since they’re inboard powered and might need to dive to clear lines
or kelp from a prop.
I’d met Nancy and Alf on Santara
in the Pinkertons and in Ucluelet, so I paddled over and asked if they had
a mask. Sure enough, they did. They also had lots of prawns, which they generously
shared.
Back on the boat, I warmed up for a bit then dove in. Brrr!
Much colder than my last swim at West Whitepine Cove.
After a couple of minutes I was used to the water
temperature and dove under for a look. Growth actually wasn’t bad. Quite a few
small barnacles, but hardly any green stuff. The deck brush was useless on the
barnacles, so I broke out my American Express card. It worked perfectly!
Normally when someone says they did a boat project with their credit card they
mean they paid someone else to do it…not this time! (Aside…AMEX is lousy for
international travel since they charge a 2.7% foreign exchange fee. Plenty of
other banks offer cards with no annual fee and no foreign exchange fee. They
can save a lot of money when travelling.)
Half an hour later I crawled out of the water. I didn’t
realize how cold I was until I got back in the boat. After a warm (not hot) sun
shower, a cup of hot tea, and an hour in the sun, I finally warmed back up.
 |
| Warming up in the sun...the kayaks are great for lounging. (Yes, I am wearing a lifejacket...a fanny pack inflatable.) |
One other lesson learned…if you ever fall into cold water,
control your breathing fast! It’s easy to take really short, panicked,
breathes. Slow down, think logically, breathe deeply. Then figure out how to
get out of the water.
Nancy and Alf invited us over for drinks, which morphed into
dinner. Alf is a retired vet from Vancouver and he and Nancy have been boating
in Barkley Sound longer than I’ve been alive. Nice people (most cruisers are)
with a wealth of knowledge.
6.3 nm today
1039.0 nm total
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