Sidney to Conover Cove to Ganges – 20171223 to 20171226

Debbie and I decided to slip away this Christmas for a quiet and romantic Christmas aboard Treylya.  We were really looking forward to our break away from the rat race and enjoying some alone time.

We left our itinerary open as it’s been a cold, wet couple of weeks and we weren’t sure how the weather was gonna be.  As luck would have it we were greeted to a beautiful sunny morning on Saturday and we headed out to the boat with our supplies.

We stopped for fuel at the marina and motored out of the harbour past the various boats at anchor.  Some of these boats look to be in pretty rough shape and I assume people just leave them anchored here for free.

Peaceful Morning / Google Photos

We were going to make it a quick trip and head to Genoa Bay for a night but since the weather was so nice we decided to head toward Ganges.  The winds picked up when we were out in the main passage but it was a very cold north wind so we decided not to raise the sails…  Yes, I’m a bit of a coward when it comes to the cold.  Sailing is not much fun in sub freezing temperatures when the wind is biting into your bones.  We enjoyed a slow chug along Prevost Island and the wind subsided so we caught some rays on the deck.

Happy smiles / Google Photos
Enjoying a Beautiful Day on the Water / Google Photos

It was such a beautiful day that we decided to continue north to Wallace Island.  I have a Phantom 4 Pro drone that I haven’t been able to fly when we’re out in harbours like Montague or Ganges because we are too close to areas where sea planes take off and land.  Due to the strict rules I haven’t had the chance to do much flying since I’ve come to BC so we planned to head to Wallace which is not in restricted airspace.  Wallace Island is the little island just at the top center on the following (way too red) map:

Restricted Airspace in the Southern Gulf Islands

We pulled into Conover Cove and to our delight we had the whole place to ourselves.  What a perfect way to spend a few days during the holidays.

Docked at Conover Cove / Google Photos

After getting Treylya tied up we went for a walk to stretch our legs and explore this little marine park.  Wallace Island Marine Park is a beautiful little marine park with a rich history.  There is quite a bit of information about it’s history on the web so I won’t go into it here.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/wallace/

The trees were straight and tall and the little island had quite a bit of character.

Walk in the Forest / Google Photos

We came back just as the sun was setting so we spent a few minutes marvelling at the beauty and peacefulness as the sun drifted below the horizon.

Peaceful Sunset / Google Photos
In Harmony with Nature / Google Photos

We retired back on board Treylya and spent the evening talking, cooking, drinking and laughing.  Ah, life’s good…

The next day we went for a little walk to explore the island.  There is a little collection of old houses and huts near the dock, one of them full of signs with names of boats that have stopped there.  It was fun reading the different signs and exploring around.

Visitor Shack / Google Photos

We hiked to Princess Cove, another little cove where we stayed back when we first got Treylya.  Deb packed a little lunch and we stopped to eat at a little lookout facing the water.  The silence was broken by a motor boat which slowly steamed past us and disappeared out of sight.

Trail Lunch / Google Photos

We finished our trail lunch and hiked back to Treylya, stopping at an old rusty truck which was sitting in a field.  Apparently this truck was own by David Conover who purchased the island after the Second World War.

Needs a Tuneup / Google Photos

We walked back to Treylya and found that we were not alone any longer.  That boat that steamed past us had stopped here for the night so we had company at the dock.

We relaxed, and ate and drank the night away.  I wasn’t completely happy with the way the stove was burning so before bed, and after a few too many whiskey’s I decided to give the stove a tap with a wrench to try to clear some crud in the lines and increase the oil flow.  This worked for me in the past so in my wisdom I figured it would work again…

We woke up around 4am in the pitch black with the stove gone out and it was freezing…  As long as we stayed snuggled under the sleeping bag it was tolerable but barely…  I couldn’t do anything about it in the dark so decided to roll over and fall back to sleep.  After a fitful few hours rest the sun came up so we scrambled out of bed, put our warm cloths on and I set out to see what the problem was.  Turns out either the wrench I used was a little too big, the force I used was a little too excessive, or a combination of both but I had broken a little screw that keeps the gas flowing.  Groan…  I straightened out things and fired her back up and she ran perfect.  Those Dickinson’s are great little stoves…

Christmas Gift from Sis / Google Photos

It was Christmas morning so we opened a few gifts and I spent the rest of the morning flying drone and relaxing.

We decided to head back to Ganges so that it would be a quick trip back to Sidney on the 26th as Deb had to work on the 27th so we needed to be back in Victoria.  Also we wanted to make sure we had shore power for the electric heaters in case the diesel heater crapped out again.

Patch of Blue Over Ganges / Google Photos

After a nice long warm night sleep we packed up and headed for home.  It was a pretty uneventful trip back until we got back to Sidney where we passed a sunken sailboat just outside the marina.  One of those older boats must have sprung a leak and all that was showing was the tip of the mast!  Someone has their work cut out for them in the coming weeks…

Just The Top Of The Mast Above Water / Google Photos

 

Sidney to Ganges – 201711111 to 20171112

Nov 11th weekend was Remembrance Day long weekend so after working all week Deb and I headed out to the boat Friday afternoon.  As per our typical routine we picked up a pizza at the Stonehouse Pub and headed to the boat for a beer and to straightened away.  We woke up early Saturday morning and cast off en route to Ganges.

There were heavy winds forecast but the winds were light Saturday morning so we motored past Swartz Bay, past Portland Island, along Saltspring, around Beaver Point and down Captain Passage towards Ganges.  We motored the whole way due to lack of wind and arrived early in the afternoon.

First Mate / Google Photos

We fuelled up, picked a slip and settled in for the day.  Deb headed up to the market and picked up a few things for dinner and I fired up the Dickinson and dried and heated the cabin.  We enjoyed a relaxing evening and watched the hockey game on the laptop.  The dirty rotten, no good for nothing, stinking San Jose Sharks beat the Canucks 5-0…  Groan…  It was a good game until Vancouver fell apart late in the 3rd.

Warm and Cozy / Google Photos

The forecast was deteriorating and by Sunday morning the forecast was for heavy winds (35-40 knots) on Monday.  We debated staying another night and then leaving the boat at Ganges for the week but ultimately we decided to leave Sunday, cut our long weekend short and get home a day early.

The winds were decent when we motored out of Ganges Harbour so we raised the sails and spent the morning tacking back and forth as we sailed towards home.  The winds dropped off near noon so we furled the jib and motored towards Portland Island.  The rain turned heavy and it was miserable.  Then the wind started to kick up but we didn’t bother putting the sails up as it was a dreary cold day on the water.  We made good time as the tide was ebbing and the current was behind us.

I dropped the main sail when we got behind the shelter of Coal Island and safety out of the wind.  As I was tying the main down I looked up and noticed we were quickly being pulled towards a shoal behind Coal Island.  We were still about 150 feet from the rocks but were being pulled by the fast current so I jumped down and put her in gear and steamed out of danger.  It was a wake up call about how when you let your guard down and loose focus on the big picture you can quickly get in trouble.  If I concentrated on tying the main down for a minute longer we would have ended up on the rocks.

When we got back we tided up and when I plugged in to shore power, smoke started to pour out of the back hatch.  Luckily I was right there so I quickly unplugged and the smoke subsided after a few minutes.  The smoke was coming from the old forced air heater that I thought was disconnected years ago.  There was a smell of burnt electronics and when I inspected the heater I noticed several burnt power wires that got shorted when I put the heater cover back on earlier in the day.  Wow, dodged a bullet there.  That could have been much worst.  It was pouring rain and the wind was starting to pick up so I didn’t want to start troubleshooting the electrical issue in those conditions.  I plugged the extension cord directly into the power bar in the cabin but none of the heaters would start and even the power plugs on the dock seemed to not be working so we called it a day and left our soaking wet cloths in the boat and headed back to Victoria.

I must have shorted something when I plugged in initially so I called the marina to let them know there was a problem with the power on the dock.  They assured me that they would have someone look into it in the morning so I planned on heading back to the marina in the morning to get things dried out.  Leaving wet cloths in a wet boat this time of year is a no no as it’ll cause mold pretty quickly.

The next morning the winds were high as a powerful system was pushing through.  The winds were over 100km/hr and even the ferries between Vancouver and Victoria were cancelled.  I felt good about the decision to come back yesterday and avoid the winds.  I left Victoria and drove back out to the boat and sure enough the power was back on so I plugged in the heaters, fired up the Dickinson heater and settled back to read and wait out the storm while the cabin dried out.  As I waited the eye of the storm passed over and all the boats in the marina were rocking back and forth in their slips.  The howl of the wind, patter of the rain and the shriek from the occasional strong gust was a little eery but after a few hours the wind started to drop. A few more hours and everything was pretty dry inside the cabin so I headed back to Victoria.  I still have power issue to deal with but can’t take care of it this weekend due to the storm.

Sidney to Ganges – 20171007 to 20171009

Deb arrived after finalizing things in St. John’s and resumed her old job in Victoria.  So nice to be together again…  We wake up together, have breakfast together, walk to work together and walk back home together where we spend the evening together.  It’s a nice change to be spending so much time together.  I’m sure at some point we’re gonna need some space but for now we’re both really enjoying spending all our time together again.

It’s been several months since Deb’s been on the boat so we planned to head out for the Thanksgiving long weekend.  We picked up a few supplies during the week and after work on Friday we headed out to Sidney.  We picked up groceries and a pizza in Sidney and spent the night on the boat so that we could cast off bright and early Saturday morning.  I had a spell of dizziness Friday evening but it passed after an hour or so.  Weird…  Will have to keep an eye out for other symptoms.

We slept in Saturday morning and cast off around 09:30.  The old diesel is working great and we chugged over and picked up some fuel and headed out around Coal Island and into the straight.

We raised the sails once out past Coal Island but the currents were against us and the winds were low so we made slow progress.   The opposing current was noticeable as we neared the passage between Moresby and Portland Island and the slow pace was somewhat painful.  After battling with my inner sailor I reluctantly fired up the motor again and motored thru the pass where we raised the sails again and enjoyed a beautiful sail over towards Saltspring.

Light Winds / Google Photos

The winds died off again when we rounded Beaver Point and we drifted for a while in Captain Passage as we were teased by the winds just ahead of us that were being funnelled up thru Ganges Harbour.  Finally I fired up the diesel again and steamed between Channel Islands over to where the winds were.  The winds were strong over here and we cut the engine again and enjoyed a great sail along Prevost Island towards Saltspring.  The winds were pretty strong and gusty and Treylya heeled over under the strain of the sails.  Deb isn’t used to the feeling of the boat when she’s tipped over and felt a little insecure but after 10 minutes or so she was feeling a little better.

Life's Good / Google Photos
Happy to Have My First Mate Aboard Again / Google Photos
Nice Winds / Google Photos

As we neared Saltspring we dropped the sails, motored on into the harbour and tied up at Ganges Marina. I mixed a drink and we had a quick bite and I started feeling very tired so put my head down for a nap.  At 22:00 I woke up and felt like crap.  Oh no, a few of the guys at work were hacking and coughing during the week so I must have picked up something.  I decided to climb into the sack and sleep it off.

Next morning I felt a little better and we headed out for a walk around Ganges and a coffee.  By mid afternoon I was feeling burning in my chest and knew that something was taking hold.  Crap.  I hate being sick.  Oh well…  Grin and bear it…

The sun was out and the winds had dropped so we relaxed on the boat and enjoyed drinks and reading in the sun.  It was surprisingly warm for early October.

Getting Lots of Fluids / Google Photos

Deb started feeling dizzy Sunday evening.  Yikes…  Looks like we both are gonna suffer this one.

I’m not sure if it was the drinks, the sun or the cold but by the time the sun had gone down I was feeling woozy and fell asleep after dinner and slept from 19:00 until the next morning.

Sunset at Ganges / Google Photos

We cast off again on Monday and Deb spent most of her time below deck curled up on the couch reading.  I felt a little better and was able to manage the lookout for logs as we motored home under the steering of the autopilot.

It was nice to get back and after we straightened away the boat we headed to Victoria, took some meds and turned in early.  The cold wasn’t really bad but hung on for the next few weeks.  Deb experienced the same symptoms as me a few days behind mine.  Oh well, what doesn’t kill ya will make ya stronger I suppose…

 

Sidney to Montague – 20170922 to 20170924

The forecast for the weekend was looking nice so I headed out to the boat on Friday, provisioned and settled in for a relaxing evening. Saturday morning was warm with calm winds so I cast off around 11am and motored north. I was planning to go to Ganges for the night but decided to head to Montague since I had everything on board that I needed for a night at anchor.

I motored out into the harbour, thru the passage on the inside (west side) of Coal Island and past Swartz Bay toward Portland Island. The current was against me but luckily it was a light current and didn’t have much of an impact on the speed.  I passed a few fellas salmon fishing and we had a chat, they weren’t getting much action but we agreed that it was a nice day on the water.

The wind was from the SE and when I rounded Beaver Point it was behind me. I decided to raise the sails when I passed the Channel Islands and got to enjoy a nice sail down Captain Passage to Selby Point, Prevost Island. I fired up the motor and crossed Trincomali Channel to Montague Harbour.

Downwind Sailing / Google Photos

Although the weather is still beautiful there are not many boats on the go this time of year.  There were loads of open mooring buoys and I tied up to a buoy just past 15:00. The temperature was warm and I was beat so I cracked a beer and relaxed to rebuild my energy.

Montague Harbour in the Fall / Google Photos

After a few minutes I was ready to set up the BBQ and get preparations started on dinner. I hooked up the BBQ and went to fire it up but no flame. Hmmm… After a few minutes of trouble shooting it turned out that my 12 lb propane tank wasn’t outputting any propane even though I just had it filled. Perhaps it’s defective. I disconnected it and connected the BBQ to the main propane tank and it worked fine. Oh well, I’ll have to take that one in and get someone to take a look at it.

I had a nice BBQ and relaxed for the evening with a few tunes. It was a clear night and the sky was full of stars. It’s amazing how lit up the sky is when you are not around any lights. Very nice…

I woke up Sunday morning, had breakfast, untied from the buoy and set out by 10am. It was a great sail when I got out into Trincomali Channel and the wind was blowing nicely when I got into Captain Passage. There’s no nicer feeling than that of Treylya leaned over under strain from a good wind, to feel the power of the boat as it cuts thru the waves and of the sound of waves splashing against her hull. Man, I love it…

Great Day Sailing / Google Photos
Feeling Good on This Sunny Day / Google Photos

The wind stayed pretty consistent until I got back near Sidney and I motored back into my berth.  Another great day on the water.  Gotta love it.  I spent the next few hours cleaning, tidying up and straightening away.

Sidney to Winter Cove – 20170910 to 20170912

I was fortunate enough to land one of the jobs I interviewed for over the past few weeks.  It’s with a great company downtown Victoria who are developing tools for the construction industry utilizing several very kewl, cutting edge technologies such as Augmented Reality, Drone Photogrammetry, 3D rendering, LiDAR, etc…  Needless to say I’m very excited…

I figured I’d get one last sail in since the weather was looking good for the next week for so.  It’s probably the last kick at the can to do some hiking in shorts and sandals until next spring so I slept on the boat Saturday night and cast off Sunday morning.  There wasn’t much wind so I motored out around Coal Island and figured I’d head over to Ganges.  After steaming along for a bit I had a change of mind…  I go to Montague and Ganges quite regularly so I figured I’d change things up and head over towards the Straight of Georgia.

Light Winds / Google Photos
Not a Sailing Day / Google Photos

After passing Morsby Island I figured I’d put up the sails as there appeared to be a little bit of wind out in Boundary Pass just to the south of Pender Island.  I sailed for an hour or so and then the wind died out so I fired up the motor and headed toward Winter Cove, Saturna Island.

The great thing about cruising this time of year is that the crowds are gone and I arrived at Winter Cove to find only a few other boats.  What a haven of peace and tranquility!  No screaming kids, no shouting adults, no barking dogs, very few motor boats zipping around, and no large motor yachts pumping exhaust and fumes into the clean air.  Just a few ducks and sea otters swimming around, a few walruses and seals, and some song birds.  I love it here…

Anchor's Set…
Beer O'Clock… / Google Photos

This place is a little piece of heaven.  I dropped the anchor away from the other boats in about 20 feet of water and settled in for the afternoon with a BBQ.  I decide to paint the little nicks and cracks in the deck so I set out with a brush and small can of paint and within a couple of hours had all the small dings and imperfections covered up.

Evening View / Google Photos
Fire's In… Steak's on the BBQ / Google Photos

Next morning was beautiful and calm so I decided to jump in the dingy and head to shore for a hike.  The hike (nature walk) around the Winter Cove Marine Park is peaceful and quiet.  The underbrush is lush and green and the air is still.  When you break out to Georgia Straight you are at the tip of Saturna Island where there is a narrow passage, called Boat Passage, between Saturna and Samuel Island and the water floods and ebbs swiftly thru there, changing direction a few times a day in rhythm with the tides…

Secluded Anchorage / Google Photos
Morning Stroll / Google Photos
Boat Passage / Google Photos
Southerly View / Google Photos
Old Forest…
Spirits Live Here… / Google Photos
Old and Young / Google Photos
Lush and Green / Google Photos
Nature's Beauty / Google Photos
Seaside / Google Photos
Treylya Sits Alone / Google Photos

After the nature walk I relaxed on the beach for a bit and rowed back to Treylya to settle in for the evening. I had a BBQ, put Jack Johnson on the radio, cracked a beer and settled in for a picturesque evening. The sun went down and a beautiful sunset ensued… Life’s good…

Beauty Evening at Winter Cove / Google Photos
Beautiful Sunset / Google Photos

I’m due to start work Wednesday morning so on Tuesday mid morning I raised the anchor and headed out into Plumper Sound. The winds were coming up from the south so I raised the sails and tacked back and forth as I made my south and around the south end of South Pender Island. There was a nice breeze so I got to enjoy an hour of sailing before the wind died again and I was forced to fire up the motor. It was a beauty day on the water.

Quick Sail / Google Photos
Almost back to Home Port / Google Photos

Sidney to Montague – 20170901 to 20170904

I was back in Victoria for a few days of interviews and decided to get out sailing again.  Things are going well on the job front and it looks like I’ll be working sooner rather than later so gotta take advantage of this nice weather while I still can.

I slept on the boat Thursday night and cast off Friday morning.  It was a beautiful morning but the winds were light so I pretty much motored most of the way to Montague.

Beautiful day on the water / Google Photos
Peaceful hot day / Google Photos

It was HOT…  and there wasn’t much wind so I was sweating by the time I got tied up to the mooring buoy.  It’s not hard work but just moving around in the heat is enough to cause the sweat to start dripping.

Dripping With Sweating Just Sitting in the Sun / Google Photos

I relaxed for the afternoon and had a BBQ in the evening. It was very warm even after the sun went down which made for a beautiful evening sitting on deck watching the moon and stars come up. The moon looks almost full which makes for higher tides. Amazing how everything in life works together in a massive system. For every action there’s a reaction. Thoughts of the vastness of the universe, the enormity of life and my place in it faded to the sound of Bob Marley on the radio as I drifted into a deep slumber…

Next morning the sun came up revealing a peaceful morning with light winds.  I sat on the deck and enjoyed the start of the day while sipping a coffee.  Life’s good…

Great Start to the Morning / Google Photos

It was another hot day and I braved the heat and rowed across the harbour to the Marina to stock up on ice. Between the heat of the day and the drinks in the evenings my ice rations were running low and although I wasn’t looking forward to rowing across the harbour in 32C heat, I was really not looking forward to having a warm beer this afternoon and a drink with no ice this evening. Funny where motivation comes from sometimes… 😉

Great End to the Afternoon / Google Photos

I relaxed for most of the rest of the afternoon and enjoyed a beautiful sunset and a break from the heat as the sun went down.

Love the Colours at Sunset / Google Photos

The next day was another hot one without a cloud in sight. I went for a short hike midday and relaxed on the boat in the heat for the remainder of the day.

Another Hot Day in the Gulf Islands / Google Photos

Finally on the 4th day it was time to head back to Victoria. I have a couple of condos to look at over the next few days and negotiate a job offer. The winds were decent which made for some good sailing on the way home.

Easy Sailing in the Sun / Google Photos

I felt very lucky to be spending the day on the water which helped cool things down a bit. It was still very warm and I enjoyed a long, relaxing day sailing.

Life's Good on the Water / Google Photos
Another Hot Day in the Sun / Google Photos

I arrived back at home port around 15:30, cleaned up and headed back in to Victoria. Doesn’t get much better than this…

Sidney to Ganges – 20170826 to 20170829

I spent a few days in Vancouver for a couple of job interviews and hung out with my buddies Wayne and Joe. Wayne and I decided to take off for the weekend and do a bit of sailing. We caught the ferry from Vancouver to Sidney, picked up a few groceries and cast off enroute to Ganges.  It was a decent sail and we made pretty good time.

Chef's in the Galley / Google Photos

We radioed in, got our slip assignment and tied up at Ganges Marina in the early afternoon. It was a warm few days and we enjoyed eating and drinking aboard Treylya. Wayne loves it in the galley… He’s affectionately known as the “cabin bitch” and faithfully upholds his duties…  “Hey Cabin Bitch mix me a drink.”  “Hey Cabin Bitch get me a snack.”  “Hey Cabin Bitch furl the jib.”  “Hey Cabin Bitch weigh the anchor.”  …the typical response is “Ay’ Captain”…  I tried it once with Deb and the requests weren’t as well received…  🙂

Ganges Marina / Google Photos

It was a hot few days and we consumed vast amounts of margaritas and strolled around Ganges. The market is winding down this time of year but there was still lots to see. The water front is beautiful with lots of sights and sounds.

Stroll Around Ganges / Google Photos
Ganges Public Walkway / Google Photos
Afternoon Stroll / Google Photos

We checked out the local craft shops and were impressed by some of the local wooden furniture. Very impressive how artistic some people are.

Local Wooden Kitchen Sinks / Google Photos
Local Wooden Tables / Google Photos

The lazy days slipped by and on Sunday a few friends showed up so we enjoyed drinks aboard Hounds Hollow as the evening deepened into night.

Enjoying a Cool Drink on a Hot Day / Google Photos

The next day Wayne caught the ferry back to Vancouver and I hung out with James, Sue and the dogs. We spent a few days eating and drinking under the heat of the sun. Life’s good… James ordered a round of shots of Jameson Whiskey and Pickle Juice – apparently if you shoot one right after another it tastes like a cheeseburger. I ended up taking a pause between the shot of whiskey and shot of pickle juice and the effect was lost on me. I’ll have to give it another try during the next visit… Thanks James…

Seaside Lunch with Friends / Google Photos
Hot day at Ganges / Google Photos
Even the Bathrooms Have a Nice View / Google Photos

After a few days it was time to head back to Sidney again. I have a couple of interviews set up in Victoria this week and need to get back and cleaned up. The return trip was one of the nicer days on the water. The winds were a beautiful 15-18 knots but it was on the nose so I had to tack back and forth as I beat into the wind. I got an early start and had the full day in front of me so I just sat back and enjoyed the great sailing…

Canadian Sailor / Google Photos
Perfect Winds / Google Photos
Returning to Home Port / Google Photos

Sidney to Montague – 20170818 to 20170819

I arrived back in BC from a relaxing summer in Newfoundland.  Great to be back again.  Treylya was looking in fine shape for being left unattended for a couple of months and it was nice to be back on board.  It was evident that she could use a little scrub so I got out the bucket and brush and after a few hours she was looking great again.

Decent Winds / Google Photos

I slept on board and decided to take her out for an overnight voyage to get reacquainted… I enjoyed a decent sail to Montague and all systems were working well.  So nice to be out in the warm, fresh air and on the water again.

Relaxing at Montague / Google Photos

The next day was a hot one so I headed out for a stroll around the park in the morning. It’s summertime and boating is in full swing so I bypassed the beach as it was fairly crowded (Yuk)… I hiked for a few hours and came back to Treylya in the blistering heat and climbed on board for some relaxing.

Surfing the Sunset / Google Photos

It was another beautiful sunset and I was lucky enough to have coverage so I spent the evening eating, drinking and surfing. Perfect ending to a good day. It seems that cellular coverage is getting better at Montague these days. Bell must have put up another tower on Saltspring or Galiano because I pretty much now get coverage wherever I am at Montague. Gotta love that…

Next day I woke up, had a shake and a coffee and started beating it back to Sidney. There wasn’t much wind so I pretty much motored the whole way. Once back at home port I cleaned up and jumped in the truck and headed to Vancouver. I got a few meetings lined up in Vancouver next week so I wanted to get over and get a good rest.

Gander River – July 2017

I spent most of July in Newfoundland Salmon fishing.  It was a magical time filled with family and friends and doing the thing I’ve loved since being a boy…  fly fishing…

I met Bill in Appleton near noon and he had the boat loaded and ready to go.  With much anticipation we pushed off and slid under the train trestle as we headed down river.  It was a beautiful trip down The Gander River and we took our time as we took in the sights, sounds and smells.  We finally made it to 4th Pond and made our way to Tony’s cabin to put the gear away.  We had a quick bite to eat and headed to Petries for a flick.  It was still early in the season so we didn’t have high expectations but it was just nice to be on the river.

There was a large beaver house at Petries and while we were walking on the shore we noticed a large tree that was mostly cut thru…  I guess the beaver is waiting for the wind to knock it down.  Funny that a beaver would cut down such a large tree but I guess Mr. Beaver has his plans for that one…  No luck at Petries so we headed over to Back Angle for a flick.  Still no luck so we headed back for the night dreaming of the big ones that didn’t want our fly.

Next morning we got up and headed up to Petries again.  A small run of salmon came thru around 11am and we managed a few hook ups!  It was fun and we felt much better to have the monkey off our backs.  We noticed that the tree had toppled during the night.  It fell directly towards the river and was lying partially in the river.  That beaver sure knew what he was doing…

My cousin, Tony, and his partner, Gloria, came down to visit us for a night.  They have a beautiful spot here on The Gander River and were thinking of renting it out during the summer, along with their other rental properties, but since Uncle Bill loves the river so much, have decided to let Bill use it as much as he wants to this summer.  What a gift!

Tony is a drone enthusiast and I gave him a demo of the Phantom 4 Pro and flew up behind his cabin and around the river to give him a demo of what it could do.  He flew it for a while and was so excited about how easy it is to fly and the quality of the video that by the end of the day his final words were “Ken, I’m having one of those…”!  Turned out that a couple of weeks later when I saw him and Gloria at the cabin, sure enough he had a brand new Phantom 4 pro which Gloria bought him…  Ha!  He was in his glee…  God love her…

Next day Uncle Maurice came down to join us and we had a great couple of days fishing and chatting.  It was great to spend some quality time in with my two uncles.  This is what it’s all about…

After the weekend was over we headed back up to Appleton and I spent the next few days with Deb’s family in Glenwood.  Debbie’s father and uncles have a long running tradition of camping in tents for a few weeks every summer at Petries.  They’ve been doing this for over 20 years and are well known down the river.  I volunteered to bring the river boat down the river this year for them as the river can be very tricky and they haven’t done it for years.  Deb’s uncle Bill decided to join me for the voyage and we loaded the boat at the lagoon in Glenwood and cast off.  Gene and Joe, Deb’s father and uncle, are going to drive down in vehicle and we’ll meet them down at 4th Pond.

The trip went well as we navigated thru the Salmon Brook Rattles, S-Bend, Little Chute and then Big Chute and I was feeling like I finally had things mastered.  I relaxed a little, exhaled a deep breath and looked around at the beauty of The Mighty Gander River.  We lazily steamed down to Long Rattle and when I got half way down the rattle I notice that I hadn’t been paying attention, was too far down and didn’t turn to cut across the rapids soon enough and a big bar of rocks was looming close.  I turned the boat and went heavy on the throttle and almost cleared the last rock of the rock bar when clunk, splash and I turned around to see the motor cover floating a few feet behind us.  We continued down river and by the time we had turned around and went back to where the motor last was spotted… we noticed it was quickly sinking.  So too did the feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watched it slip below the surface.  Groan.  We were in about 11 feet of black swirling water and there was no sign of the cowling anywhere…  We gave up after 10 minutes of searching and continue on down river, hoodless…

We fished for a while at Petries and I went down to pick up Gene and Joe at the landing.  We enjoyed a few days fishing and relaxing.  The sun was hot and the days were long and we enjoy the company of several friends who would stop in from time to time for a visit.  At one point a group of about 8 of us even tried to set up a tent which we had no luck with (but there were lot’s of laughs – at one point it was upside down, inside out and backwards)…  In the end we left it on the ground in a pile and lovingly referred to it as our “work of art”, thinking it looked much like other works of art in ancient galleries of Rome or Paris.

After a few lazy day of fishing at Petries I was talking to a few friends who were planning on coming down to stay at a friend’s cabin down at the bottom of 4th Pond.  I went down and joined them for a few nights and we did a bit of fishing on 4th Pond Bar.  It was great seeing them again and catching up on things.

After a few days Debbie joined me and we spent the day in the sun fishing and relaxing.  It was nice to spend some time down on the river together where we initially fell in love.  And to top it off…  I got a nice one to bring home for the BBQ.

Newfoundland – June 2017

I spent most of June and July in Newfoundland.  It’s such a beautiful province and the summer is magical.  We spent most of June with family hanging out in St. John’s, and most of July salmon fishing on the Gander River with friends and family.

One weekend in early June we headed out to a friend’s cabin at Rantem Harbour.  Rantem is an old fishing village and is apparently the site where the first trans-Atlantic cable crossed from Europe.

New photo by Ken Geange / Google Photos

Here is some video I took from my Phantom 4 Pro drone.  Such a pretty little spot.

We spent the day on Saturday trout fishing and had a nice fire on the beach that evening.

Another weekend we went out to Glenwood to visit Deb’s family.  I flew my drone around for a bit and we enjoyed good food, laughs and great hospitality.

Ryan came down to visit us mid June so we took another trip out to Rantem and enjoyed another good weekend of fishing and fires on the beach.

New photo by Ken Geange / Google Photos
New photo by Ken Geange / Google Photos
New photo by Ken Geange / Google Photos

Gotta love outport Newfoundland.