Around the corner

So, we're in Port McNeill, feeling lucky to have a spot in the boat basin with all the traffic... it's a far different place than the sleepy, windy little town we passed through last year. The floats are abuzz with cruising boats and cruisers, and the harbourmaster is working double time trying to fit in those who are late ducking out of the straits.

Mandy is working (yes... it's that sort of honeymoon) and the combination of having to be quiet while she records and the fact she has all our cushions and bedding spread about to air out leaves may able to do very little other than enjoy the brief Internet connection. Not that there is an awful lot to do; we broke a sail slug on the mainsail yesterday and I have to dig out the spares to replace that, and the oil is about due to be changed but our reliance on and use of the engine will drop dramatically from here on so I am not anxious to get on with that. There's something to be said for not messing with things that are working, as I found two days ago after trying to replace a balky zinc on the engine.

The zinc is screwed into an elbow in the cooling system which is in turn screwed into the engine block. Try as I might, I can't get the zinc to budge without the whole elbow unscrewing itself. It's such an awkward shape and there is such effort involved that I can't apply counter-force in a reasonable amount. I worked at it for forty-five minutes, disconnecting the hoses from the elbow and really whaling at it, but was defeated.

The next day, we sailed a bit, then started the engine when the channel got narrow and we had to make time. Mandy was at the helm; I went below when I smelled something funny, then noticed that steam was boiling out of the engine compartment. I yelled for Mandy to kill the engine and pulled the cover off to see that one of the hoses I had removed the night before had worked off the elbow again, and was chugging water back all over the engine and into the drip pan. Fortunately we caught it quickly; the water never overflowed into the bilge and the engine didn't overheat. Two minutes with a hose clamp and screwdriver and we were back in business. But it illustrates what can go wrong with well-meaning maintenance. I may run another five or ten hours on this batch of oil if it will get me further south (closer to civilization) before I have to change it.

Today is the cruise ship conga line up Johnstone Strait, and predictably, they came with fog. But it was light, the radar was in a good mood, and the current was with us. We ran past a pod of orcas rummaging around for breakfast as the fog burned off and imagined they were quite unimpressed with our tiny little boat after watching all the big liners go past.

I feel much more relaxed here this year than last. Last year this was the last bastion of civilization before jumping off into the wildest part of our trip, and it's much the same this year. But this time around, we're almost to where we are going instead of only half-way there. This year, our destination is right around the corner from here.

The forecast is good but even if it weren't I wouldn't mind, because we can slow down now, take our time and enjoy the scenery. The long slog up the trench is done. I'm not a big fan of the Goletas Channel, our last passage before rounding Cape Scott, but it seems a small thing to bear. I don't imagine it will have sprouted more hospitable anchorages since last year, but maybe it won't be foggy and rainy this time around.