Stories of Aeolus- Our Gulf 32 Pilothouse: Friday Harbor to Quadra Island: 3 days, 23 hours travel time, 140 miles

This past weekend I took Aeolus north to Quadra Island in preparation for our return there for two weeks in the Discovery Islands and Desolation Sound starting this coming weekend. It was a perfect solo voyage, with benign winds and helpful currents right up until Cape Mudge.

Sunsets over the Salish Sea

Here is how I moved along:

7/26 7pm departure Friday Harbor, 9pm arrival Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island.
7/27 6:50 am departure Prevost Harbor, arrival at Bedwell Harbor, South Pender Island, at 7:50. Departed Bedwell and 12:45 arrival Herring Bay, Ruxton Island to await slacker water at Dodd Narrows. 5:30 pm arrival at Taylor Bay, Gabriola Island. Winds to 20 knots SE pushing me along.
7/28 7:15 am departure from Taylor Bay. 3pm arrival in Henry Bay at the northern end of Denman Island. Winds to 10 knots SE.

This fool was trying to sail through Dodd Narrows, and was a hazard to all around.

7/29 6am departure Henry Bay. Raised 150' of chain by hand. Approached Cape Mudge at about 10:30 am with a building flood against me that peaked at 12 noon at 9 knots off the Cape.


In Taylor Bay, I hoisted the anchor riding sail in anticipation of strong winds

What happened next was the only real drama of the trip and is what made this trip so satisfying. I knew there was no way to avoid hitting Cape Mudge at near max flood. It is just the way it all worked out. And I had a flight to catch out of Campbell River back to Seattle and work on Monday.

Following is an excerpt from the boat journal that tells the story in some detail. It will mainly interest those who themselves travel this area, or are planning a voyage north:

"1:40 pm and waiting for the 2pm ferry off Quadra to Campbell River. Feel exultant. Nothing like a good solid adventure with a meaningful dose of adrenaline to reset the ol' consciousness to "Yippee!". It's turned quite warm, sweltering really. Must be 75! Qcove is really a working harbor, as the guides say. Mainly fishing boats. Scenic and nice.

I did good time leaving Comox Bar and did 6-7 knots all the way up the coast with no discernible wind and nearly flat seas. When I got to within 1.5 miles of Cape Mudge, at about 10:30, the flood had built to the point of meaning business. I actually hit it like a wall, which is usually how it is in these extreme tidal races in the NW. The water hasn't stopped going one way when the moon and the sun tell it to go another. Aeolus did 7 knots right up until she did 5 and then 4. Then I got into the teeth of it and watched my SOG go down like a rock off a cliff-4,3,2,1-----.5. Yes, I slowed to .5 knots SOG. Things looked dreary and I knew my only hope was to turn my big 32' sailboat into a kayak and find an eddy close to shore. Trouble is, kayaks draw 3" and don't care if they run aground. Aeolus draws 5+ feet and gets really upset if she touches earth. And 16,000 lbs doesn't like to stop abruptly, which is what happens if you hit rocks. Masts and things keep moving forward like they hadn't yet found a chair to sit down.

I was able to ferry angle over toward Cape Mudge doing my .5 knots and lord almighty I found the eddy I needed. And it was pumping. My concern went from getting blown backward for the next 2-3 hours and missing my flight, to getting flooded headlong right onto some rocks somewhere. NO wonder Cape Mudge is a graveyard for ships. And this with no wind to stir up ugly seas.

Fortunately Aeolus is a stout and kindly vessel, and does not get tossed too easily. I was able to tuck into that eddy enough to hit 7-8 knots, and stay in about 30' of water about 150' from shore. I did this right up to and slightly around Cape Mudge before that little eddy was wiped away by the massive volume of frenetically flooding water. Back to 6-5-4-3-2-1. I hovered around 1 knot for a very long time. Tick. Tock. I watched my ranges in the trees and was heartened by the fact that I WAS making forward progress. After all, .6 knots on a GPS can be in any direction!

I had to steer with acute skill, all the while keeping a very close watch on my precise movement over ground. With the engine already at 2300 rpm's, she didn't have anymore push I was willing to give...About an hour went by like this. Slower than walking. Slower, even, than crawling. And the whole time I was on full alert, full focus, attuned to any change in the hum of the diesel...

There is the slightest indentation along the shore of Quadra Island that faces Campbell River and I hoped I would rediscover an eddy there if I could ever get past Cape Mudge. Slowly but surely, my SOG rose back above 1.5 and then 2. Then I saw 3 and soon 6! I rounded the point into Quathiaski Cove after slowing back down to do so, and found my place to raft and bring this trip to an end.

The exultation I felt once tied off is quite impossible to render in this, or any language. Poetry could tickle at it, give you a glimpse, but still leave you guessing. Oh, we think we know what is being told, but it is a poor facsimile. Some alchemic combination of relief, joy, satisfaction, pride, clarity, accomplishment and peace.

That is how this voyage ended. With that feeling."