Urban Oarsman sails, rows and tows on the 2022 Barefoot Raid

Urban Oarsman sails, rows and tows on the 2022 Barefoot Raid

The 2022 Barefoot Raid started at Rebecca Spit, went around Cortes Island and returned.

Gwragedd Annwn on the 2022 Barefoot Raid.
“Myst” on the beach at the Hollyburn Sailing Club. Myst is a 15′ by 4’5″ Iain Oughtred design. Canadian flag, Hollyburn Sailing Club pennant and Wooden Boat Society pennant.

Myst is an Iain Oughtred designed “Elf” faering that I built for the raid. I started the raid in Myst and finished it in Gwragedd Annwn.

A Barefoot Raid is a small boat sailing adventure. Most of the raid skippers race, so sailing “bare”, (not having any extra weight in the boat) is an advantage. Meals are provided and you can put your stuff onto one of the mother ships, sailing your boat “bare”. Your stuff consists of your own plates, cutlery and camping gear. There are three meals a day. Breakfast, Lunch and Supper. This was the 2022 Barefoot Raid. I am sailing with Dan and Heather because they have been on the raid and sailed the coast before. Going with an experienced crew is always a good idea.

Sailing Day One:

Thursday June 23rd, 2022.         HSC to Plumber Cove.  I Left Hollyburn Sailing Club, aiming for Plumber Cove, ending up at Snug Cove.  10:30am, I left HSC in Myst.  Ian Magrath launched his Wayfarer, “Waif”, from the club ramp.  Ian has the oldest wooden Wayfarer in Canada.  Ian, a professional boatbuilder (Great Northern Craft), has rebuilt the boat. 

Ian sailing his Wayfarer.

He took the Wayfarer on a shake-down cruise, joining us for the sail to Plumber Cove and then returning to HSC on Friday.  Dan, Heather and I planned to continue up to Secret Cove on route to the Barefoot Raid. They launched their Mirror 16 “Mirror Mirror” from the public ramp where it is more sheltered and less wavy.  Winds were light but the seas were very rough and unsettled.  The current was against us.  Myst is not sailing as fast as I hoped. I have not kept pace with the other two boas. Dan, Heather and Ian had to wait for me quite a lot on the sail to Plumper Cove. 

Porpoise in Caulfeild Cove (upper left in photo).

They waited two maybe two and a half hours overall for me.  I rowed to meet them outside of Caulfeild Cove.  Because of the light wind conditions, we decided to go for Sung Cove instead of Plumper Cove.  Winds are light from West and the waves keep knocking Myst’s speed down. 

Atkinson in the distance, headed for Snug Cove.

Rounded Point Atkinson. Winds were light, seas have calmed. I made for Whyte Cliff, mostly by oar. I sailed when the winds allowed.  A West to North-West drift started up half way across.  I updated Pat, my emergency contact, with the change in plans. I will update her with any change in my  itinerary.

Snug Cove in the distance. No wind, my sail is down to reduce windage, I am rowing.

Dan and Heather waited for me off of Whyte Islet and then sailed for Snug Cove. I had the realization that a row-sailing boat is not as fast as a pure sailboat.  Heather booked spots at the marina for all of us.  I arrived at Snug Cove and tied-up, took down my sailing rig that evening. 

Snug Cove, on the dock. (Myst, Waif and Mirror-Mirror.)

  We got some supper ashore.  Doc Morgan’s full, Bowen Island Pub full, every place full.  “The Crew” ended up at Barcelona Tapas & Wine Bar and ate there. 

Myst at the dock, unloaded.

We returned to boats nineish.  I set up my tent on the dock, as Myst is too small for the tent to fit into. I could sleep on the floor boards, but there is a chance of rain for tonight. 

Sailing Day Two:

Friday June 24th, 2022.      Sung Cove back to HSC.  I have come to the conclusion that Myst is too slow compared to Mirror-Mirror (Dan and Heather’s boat).  It is not fair to them that they have to wait so often and for so long for me.  Gwragedd Annwn is a faster sailor. I will return in Myst to HSC, change boats and trailer Gwragedd Annwn up to Lund and meet Dan and Heather there. 

No wind in Snug Cove this morning.

Plans made, Dan and Heather row out of Snug Cove and head up coast. They actually motored most of the way up to Secret Cove, the next stop on our cruise.

Ian heads out, I will be right behind him.

Ian and I set sail for HSC.  Today the sailing is better, as there is some breeze in Howe Sound.

Heading for Atkinson, sailing the tide line with a quiet inflow wind.

Myst was on a close reach to Atkinson and then downwind to HSC.  Myst is much happier going downwind.  Ian was only thirty minutes or so ahead of me when we arrived at HSC.  I trailered Myst home and got Gwragedd Annwn ready for the raid.

Preparing Gwragedd Annwn. She is on her launching dolly.

Preparations Day One:

Saturday June 25th, 2022.  Prepare Gwragedd Annwn. Dan and Heather have insisted that I have a motor, so, I install a motor mount onto Gwragedd Annwn’s transom for my little Seagull.

Preparing Gwragedd Annwn. She is on her road trailer.

Preparations Day Two:

Sunday June 26th, 2022.    Continued to prepare Gwragedd Annwn.

On the Langdale ferryboat.

Trailering on Day Three:

Monday June 27th, 2022.   Trailered up to Lund.  Gwragedd Annwn is ready to go.  I have put up and taken down her sailing rig several times in the backyard and everything is set.  I am all packed and headed out to Horseshoe Bay for the ferry to Langdale.  I cannot get a reservation and will have to chance it.  Horseshoe Bay at 6:50am.  7:12am buy ticket.  7:19am, parked on the upper deck.  10:00am, board the ferry to Langdale.  10:12am, the ferry left for Langdale.

Everything is strapped in for the trip. A shame that the motor mount covers part of her name.

  I drove up the Sunshine Coast to Earl’s Cove. 

Arrive at Earl’s Cove.

12:23pm, arrived at Earl’s Cove.  My Starboard leeboard has come loose and dragged on the road, taking off about 3/4” from the tip.  Sigh! Repairs for the Errata sheet. 

An on-the-road modification of the Starboard leeboard.

The stopper knot securing the line in the leeboard has slipped out of the retaining hole in the leeboard.  I retied and resecured the leeboards.  1:00pm, boarded the ferry, 1:10pm, the ferry sailed.  There is not much wind on the sailing. 

Saltery Bay.

The ferry docked on the other side. I drove to Lund, buying gas on the way. 

The Still Water water tower, marked on chart 4 of 5, #3311, Pender Harbour to Grief Point, from the land side.

I arrived in Lund around 3pm.  Dan and Heather have arrived maybe ten minutes before me…great timing. 

Rigging Gwragedd Annwn for launch. I step the mast and get the oars ready.

I rigged and launched Gwragedd Annwn.  Four dollars in and four dollars out. 

Launching bargoon. I pay the Harbour Master in shower Loonies.

Best launching bargoon on the coast.  Parking, however, is another story.  $200.00 for two weeks. There is no overnight street parking in Lund.

Getting Gwragedd Annwn organized. Hoist the sail, attach the lazy jacks and stow the main. You can see my forward storage box. It is open to the area under the forward deck. Everything in it will stay dry. My swag tent is in the big white roll. The red and green bags hold my “supplies for the day”…Water, snack bars, Phone, binoculars, camera, sunglasses, etc.

Heather rowed her to my spot on the dock while I drove the FJ and trailer to Lund Parking, the parking lot up the hill. 

Gwragedd Annwn in her spot. Lots to do as the sun sets.

Dan, Heather and I went to the Lund Hotel to have supper.  The hotel is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.  Rats!  So are all of the restaurants.  We grabed a bite to eat (I get a premade sandwich) at the Stock Pile, the market in Lund.  I started getting ready for bed by nine.  Should be more wind tomorrow, predicted to be SE 10 to 20 knots.

For night one, I did not rig the tarp or the sail. ran out of time in the dark. I pitched the tent on the deck boards.

Sitting Day:

Tuesday June 28th, 2022.  Lund to Gorge Harbour. Sunny morning. Rocky night.  Must have been windy in Thulin Passage off of Lund.  Mooring lines creaked all night.  Swag tent worked great!  The neck pillow that I brought is not quite enough.  I am missing my pillow. I put my toiletries bag under the foam mattress as a substitute pillow.  I was warm enough with the sleeping bag as a duvet.  Woke up early then cat-napped until 8:30am.  Winds picked up around 9:30am/10:00am, so we are waiting out the winds in Lund. We are staying in Lund today.  The wind is much stronger than predicted. Better safe than sorry. 

Dining at the Stock Pile.

Almost nothing is open in Lund on Mondays and Tuesdays except the Stock Pile store, open 7am to 7pm.  They have a deli with sandwiches. We explored Lund Harbour.

Western Tanager? Almost as colourful as Dan was/is.

We are sitting at Nancy’s having coffee, (that we brought with us as Nancy’s is closed) looking at the wind on the water.  There is a colourful orangy bird. Hard to get a photo of.

Wind and whitecaps beginning off of Lund.

I rigged a tarp on Gwragedd Annwn.  The tarp covers the main deck area from the mast to the transom.  It creates an ten foot by five foot dry area on the deck to pitch my tent.

Tarp rigged before the rain.

Beginning at 6pm, there are spits of rain then RAIN!

Early evening rain.

With the tarp, I am dry making my bed and no rain is falling onto the tent.  The tarp is a little noisy in the rain but it is doing what it should, keeping the rain off of me while I pitch the tent and the tent itself. The swag tent entrance is from the top of the tent.

The tarp is up and I am not getting rained on.

The only problem with the tarp is that it does not go over the gunnels, so all of the rain that lands on the tarp still ends up in the bilge. I will have to pump it out from time to time. For supper, I tried the tuna can salad stuff from TV (Rio Mare “Insalatissime”).  Surprisingly good…could have eaten two of them.  I am going to store my spare oars on the Starboard side so I can get the floor/deck boards in and out more easily.  When the rain stops I am going to double tie the fenders so they lie horizontal and not vertically.

Sailing Day Three:

Wednesday June 29th, 2022.        Lund to Gorge Harbour.  Had a good sleep, rain a little noisy on the tarp, but the tent stayed dry.  I did too.

Coffee and cinnamon buns at Nancy’s.

Up early for coffee and cinnamon buns at Nancy’s.  I have brought my New York mug.

Pretty flat as we leave.

Left Lund under light wind conditions around 9:00am.  Set course for Gorge Harbour. 

Gorge Harbour bound.

The winds strengthened as we left, so Gwragedd Annwn sailed along up to 5.7 knots at timeseasily keeping up to Dan and Heather.

Nice sail!

By 11:30am, the winds are dying and we are ghosting onwards towards Gorge Harbour. 

Wind fading fast.

By 1:00pm, the wind has died completely.  Dan, Heather and I started our Seagulls and motored along Hernando Island until the wind picked up.

Seagulling through the doldrums.

Around 2pm, the wind picked up, so, we stop motoring and ghost on.

Passing the marker buoy Q20 under sail.

I sailed past the marker buoy on the South-West tip of Cortes Island on route to Gorge Harbour.

Dan and Heather on a spinnaker run.

Winds are light and fading as we ghosted along until the wind finally died.

A tow is kindly offered and taken.

This time, my Seagull will not run so Dan and Heather give me a tow into Gorge Harbour.  We arrived a little after 5:00pm. 

Getting the boats ready for the night. I have discovered a problem, the wind vane at the top of my mast hits my lug spar on certain points of sail, rendering it useless for wind direction…another one for the errata list.

We are set-up for the night. 

Gwragedd Annwn with Swag Tent. I have put reflective tape on the tent poles. The flags on the stern will be my best wind direction indicators for the rest of the trip.

The moorage is expensive. $40.00. This is a very pretty resort.  I started the Seagull at the dock, she ran well.  I do not know why she ran now and would not run earlier. I left it on the mount for the row out tomorrow.  There is a great restaurant here, and we got reservations for 8:00pm.  I had probably the best lamb shank ever. 

We clean-up pretty good.

Dan and Heather had shrimp Caesar salads. I had the lamb shank. 

Sailing Day Four:

Thursday June 30th, 2022. Gorge Harbour to Heriot Bay.  Get up and have coffee and a breakfast sandwich at the food truck at the resort. 

We paddle/row away from the dock.

We left the dock around 9:00am, rowing (riding?) the tide out of Gorge Harbour. 

Human (?) figure petroglyph

As we leave, I see and photograph petroglyphs at the harbour entrance (West side). 

Four groups of petrographs on the cliff face…The orange marks.

Leaving the harbour, it turned out to be enough wind to sail.  I rigged a “tiller-tamer”, a rope going across the aft cockpit, twice around the tiller.  Worked Great!!!  I can now take my hands off of the tiller for minutes at a time.  I also re-orientated the deck/floor boards for more comfortable seating. 

Sailing through Uganda Passage. Around Shark Spit.

Slow sail through Uganda Passage.  Shark Spit is the sand bar ahead of me.

Sailing through Uganda.

Took the Seagull off of the motor mount and put it onto the transom, now completely out of the water.  Sailed, my speed 1 to 1½ knots or so. 

Ferry from Heriot Bay to Cortes Island.

Slow sail to Rebecca Spit, I did not motor. 

The Tachek passes me going back to Heriot Bay.

I alternate between sailing and row-sailing. Row-sailing is where you leave your sails up because there is a slight wind pushing you in the right direction. Wind resistance can be quite a factor when you are rowing. If the slight wind is not in your favor, you take all of you sail(s) down, mast too, to reduce your windage. 

Best of my whale photos.

I see humpback whales and take photos of them without much success.  Sailed past Rebecca Spit on route to Heriot Bay, arriving at the Heriot Bay Inn Marina around quarter to five. 

On the dock at the Heriot Bay Inn.

Tied up to the dock.  Ate supper in the Heriot Bay Inn, had a mushroom burger with Caesar salad.  Met fourteen or so Barefoot Raiders at the Inn.  Got to know them. Great people.

Local wildlife.

We will all gather at Rebecca Spit tomorrow. 

No need for the tarp tonight.

Made up my bed at 9:00pm. 

Sailing Day Five:

July 1st, 2022.         Heriot Bay to Rebecca Spit…“The Gathering”.  RABBITS!  Calm night, slept pretty well.  Cold, used the bag liner, but, stupidly, left my blue fleece & toque outside of the tent, in the forward storage box.  At least they are dry. Had oatmeal for breakfast.  We are going to Rebecca Spit after lunch.  We will camp/anchor at the Spit tonight. 

Tied up at Rebecca Spit. (Mirror-Mirror, Southwester, Gwragedd Annwn and Poor Man’s Rock in the right distance.)

Arrived at Rebecca Spit, near boat launch at 3:30pm. 

Ellie Mae arrives at the boat launch, with Matthew and Rowland.

Ellie Mae Launches.

Francois with his Chesapeake Light Craft Southwester Dory. He also has two beach rollers, using them for floatation in the same way as I was in Myst.
Eric in Stimpy, a Bolger Chebacco.

Eight raid boats plus Dan & Heather and me, equal ten boats on the water plus two support boats. 

Poor Man’s Rock, Julie May and Dick Smiley. The Hobie and Crazy Janey are in the right background.

“Poor Man’s Rock”, a landing craft style and “Julie May”, an ex-fishboat.  This is “The Gathering ”. There are still boats on the hard, there for the night, that will launch in the morning.

Kitchen on the beach. The nice thing about the Trangia stove is that it simmers really well. No scorching.

Cooked supper on the beach using Pat’s Trangia stove. Chicken and noodles. Not bad!

Anchoring for the night.

Rowed into the sunset and set anchor for the night.

Sailing Day Six:

July 2nd, 2022.         Rebecca Spit to Lake Bay on Read Island. 

From left to right, Stimpy, Julie May, Poor Man’s Rock, Dick Smiley, Nissie and Ellie Mae leave for Lake Bay.

Sailed away from Rebecca Spit and headed towards Read Island.  Light winds again. 

Ellie Mae sails away from Rebecca Spit.

Ellie Mae sailing in light airs.

What will be come familiar, getting a tow and the stern of Julie May.

Had to be towed half of the way or so…Seagull quit.  I will have to figure out why it is not running.  Mothership “Julie May” towed me to Lake Bay on Read Island (at the Read Island Provincial Park).  They came back for me when I dropped my sail and started rowing.  (the dropped sail was a sure sign!) 

The wind picks up for the sail from Lake Bay on Read Island to Carrington Bay on Cortes Island.

On the sail from Lake Bay to Carrington Bay, I arrived only fifteen minutes behind Dan and Heather, just behind “Nisse” and ahead of “Katie Mae”, a yawl owned by Matthew, a friend (client) of Ian Magrath’s. 

Nisse (blue sails) catches up and Katie Mae falls behind.

Katie Mae is a classic canoe yawl, 21’, built in 1995 at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, with lines inspired by the Drascombe Peters-boat. I was well ahead of four boats, putting Gwragedd Annwn in the middle of the single-hull fleet.  Well ahead of the Bolger Chebacco, the Wave Runner Trimaran, the Southwester from Chesapeake Light Craft and the pretty Gartside clinker.  Wow!  Very Happy and a leeboard sail. 

The entrance to the tidal lagoon at Carrington Bay.

The tide is not high enough for me to row into the lagoon.

The fleet gathers around Poor Man’s Rock. Nesse, Dick Smiley, McDuff, a Hobie 18, Ellie Mae, Julie May and the Gartside boat.

We are all anchoring for the night, some of the raiders will “bush camp” on shore.

Some raiders go visiting by swimming!

Settled in for the night.

Deck boards in place, ready to pitch the tent. No tarp tonight.

The plan for tomorrow is: Von Donop Inlet (Háthayim) for lunch and them Penn Islands for the night.  I have always wanted to explore the tidal area of Von Donop, located in the South East part of the top of the inlet.

Sailing Day Seven:

July 3rd, 2022                Carrington Bay to Penn Island, ending up at Squirrel Cove.

Fleet getting ready for the race to Penn Island. (Mirror-Mirror, Southwester, Crazy Janey, Nesse, Nacra.)

 Change of plans, we sailed a nice broad reach to Penn Island. 

Dick Smiley under sail and oars, with the oars doing most of the work.

Not much wind heading out of Carrington.

Best whale picture of the lot.

Sailed up the middle channel to top of Cortes.  Saw humpback whales.  Tried to take photos.

As we approach Read Island, the wind drops and we start getting a little rain. Ellie Mae and Stimpy ahead.

Poor Man’s Rock is the lunch stop, anchored near Bullock Bluff. 

Sigh! towed again.

At least it is not raining!

Dan and Heather have their oars out to catch ALL of the wind, what little there is. Spoke too soon about the rain.

Dan and Heather refuse the tow…they are “racing”.

Julie May towed me about half of the way up the channel to where Poor Man’s Rock was anchored. 

Kilian and Megan in Sylvia are racing too. No tow for them.

Of course, at the lunch stop the wind picked up, so, I decided to skip lunch and sailed on. 

Too good to last, as the wind dies in Lewis Channel, the rain really picks up.

Sailed SE down Lewis Channel in the rain, making at times 4+ knots. 

She’s a look’n pretty wet down channel.

Picked up by the “Grim Sweeper” Julie May about three-quarters of the way to Squirrel Cove. The wind died and the heavens opened up.  Dan and Heather, Kilian and Megan, who are “racing” preferred rowing to a towing.

Julie May is towing a fleet of soggy raiders.

Glad that I had the waterproof pants on. 

Six of us getting towed in the rain to Squirrel Cove. Andy is doing a “thank you for the tow” dance on his deck. Kilian and Megan in Sylvia, are in the distance rowing. (Nesse, Southwester, Katie Mae, Crazy Janey, McDuff and Gwragedd Annwn.)

Ate supper on Poor Man’s Rock and then moored to the Squirrel Cove Gov’t dock.  $12.00!  Put the tarp up in the rain-It works!  I have a 10’ by 5’ dry area on deck to pitch the tent!  Pitched the tent on deck, put my wet clothes on top of the swag tent to dry.  Worked!  I slept warm and dry while Gwragedd Annwn is rafted up to Stimpy, a Bolger Chebacco.  A nice boat originally built in Vernon.  I was a little damp, but, dried out in the tent. Developed a real appreciation for boats with cabins. 

Sailing Day Eight:

July 4th, 2022           Squirrel Cove Rain Day. Wake up @6:30am.  Broke down tent under the tarp.  It worked again!  Rolled up the tent in the dry. 

Under the tarp, dry.

Probably three inches of water in the bilge.  This is the problem with not having the edges of the tarp go out over the gunnels.  Pumped Gwragedd Annwn out.  Went to breakfast and lunch on Poor Man’s Rock, anchored at the head of the cove, ferried there by Julie May.  Poor Man’s Rock has rigged a tarp that covers the foredeck of the landing craft.  We stayed in Squirrel Cove because it rained hard all day. There is a tidal lagoon at the head of the cove.  In the early afternoon, I got Quill to take Alan (Wave Runner trimaran Crazy Janey) Eric (Chebacco Stimpy) and me back to the Squirrel Cove Gov’t dock.  Pumped out Gwragedd Annwn again…probably six inches of water in her this time.  It has really rained all day.  Went up the dock to the store and looked around. I am going to anchor further up Squirrel Cove tonight.  Closer to Poor Man’s Rock and Julie May, when the rain stops!  Chatting with Alan and Eric on Stimpy as I write.  Rain stoped about sixish.

The entrance to the tidal lagoon at Squirrel Cove at a lower tide.

I pulled up my rudder and then I rowed up to the head of the cove and then into the tidal lagoon. I rowed backwards so I could see the rocks in the channel into the tidal lagoon. 

Rain has stopped, tide is high. Entering the lagoon.

Gwragedd Annwn is not the only boat going into the lagoon.

I row around the lagoon counter-clockwise.

I rowed around the lagoon for fun. 

Have cell service so I phoned and updated Pat. 

Himmmm, how to get out against the inflow current? I could just wait…

Rowing out is a little difficult as the tide is coming into the lagoon faster than I can row.  The incoming current is so strong that I had to have help to get out. 

Getting out with a little help from the raiders.

The barefoot raiders long-line me out by taking my bow line and pulling me out of the lagoon. 

The R2AK steak knife.

While aboard Poor Man’s Rock, I get to see the infamous “R2AK steak knife”.

Dan and Heather in the Mirror 16 and Alan in his wave runner trimaran “Crazy Janey”.

After supper on Poor Man’s Rock, I anchored near Dan & Heather and Andy on the NE side of the upper cove.  There will be a drop of 7.2′ tonight. Need to anchor in at least 8′ of water.

Always a convenient out-house near by.

I am a little cold, so I put my Viking toque on. 

Great anchoring job.

Anchored in about 10′ of water last night.

Sailing Day Nine:

July 5th, 2022          Squirrel Cove to Mary Point to Spilsbury Point to Manson’s Landing.  Poor Man’s Rock was now anchored near the Gov’t dock. 

Breakfast on Poor Man’s Rock. (Sylvia, Julie May’s dinghy, Southwester, Mirror-Mirror.)

Rowed back to (forty-five minutes) Squirrel Cove Gov’t dock for breakfast after breakfast there was a rowing race to Mary Point. 

The start, they are off in no-wind conditions. (Crazy Janey, Mirror-Mirror, Dick Smiley, Sylvia, Nesse, Hobie 18.)

I am a “cruiser” and not a “racer” on this raid, so I left a little early and took photos of the racers as they passed. 

The oarsmen in Dick Smiley pull ahead of the paddlers in the Hobie.

Rowing Gwragedd Annwn, I was able to beat Dan & Heather and one of the cats. 

Edging out the Nacara.

Gwragedd Annwn rowed quite well, even with all of my gear aboard. 

Lunch at Mary Point.

We ate lunch at Mary Point (Cortes Island).  I lent my spare pair of oars and oarlocks to Francois in the Chesapeake Light Craft Southwester Dory. 

Relaxing at Mary Point.

His oars do not work so well.  No leathers or collars, so his oars were very hard for him to control.  His captive oarlocks are fixed in their sockets, so, to remove his oars, he must slide them out of the oarlocks. That is why his oars do not have collars. My oarlocks fitted his sockets. My spares were almost the right length, and although a little heavier than his, really worked for him. We all sailed for Spilsbury Point on Hernando.  FUTILE!  Incoming current canceled most of my efforts. Tacked a dozen times and make little headway.  Light and variable winds made sailing pretty useless. 

Another tow this time to Spilsbury Point on Hernando. The stern of Julie May is becoming a familiar sight.

Finally get towed by Julie May with two others to Spilsbury Point.  Landed at Spilsbury Point.  The beach is public, the foreshore is private. 

Barefoot fleet on the sand at Spilsbury Point. (Gwragedd Annwn, Crazy Janey, Stimpy, Poor Man’s Rock, Mirror-Mirror, The Nacra, the Hobie 18, the Southwester, Dick Smiley, and McDuff.)

After we arrived, the adults on the shore would not let their kids play on the beach near us or our boats…I guess we were a little scary. 

Looking “scary” with Leegion.

The decision is made to go for Manson’s Landing.  No camping at Spilsbury Point. 

Eric and Francois leave ahead of us.

Francois is getting towed by Eric in Stimpy.

Andy being towed. He rowed all the way from Mary Point to Spilsbury and deserves a break.

Andy and I are getting towed by Matthew in Katie May. 

Almost nice to get a tow from someone new.

I got to see a different stern view this tow.

Heading towards Manson’s Landing. I really need to do something about stowing my sail neater.

Had cell service so I updated Pat. 

Those “depth sounder” oars look good on the Southwester.

Nice sandy beach at Manson’s Landing.

Thanks, Katie Mae.

Arrived at Manson’s Landing around eightish. 

Supper on Poor Man’s Rock

Ate supper, then went on a walk-about looking for the outhouse.  Not well marked, but, I found it. Francois had to leave, family emergency.  He has returned my oars and oarlocks.  I will stow them tomorrow.  Anchored for the night at the lagoon entrance.  Set up the tarp in the rain, starting about nine forty-five.  Got the tarp and tent set up OK, then noticed how strong the current was going into the lagoon.  Put out a little more rode to be sure.  Took my water pants, long johns, and socks into the tent with me.  Put my electronic stuff into the tent as well.  Draped jacket over tent…all under the tarp. 

Sailing Day Ten:

July 6th, 2022          Manson’s Landing to Shark Spit.  Slept OK. Start out sleeping on the sleeping bag liner, gradually cooling off and then getting into my sleeping bag.  Woke up around four and put on fleece.  Woke up six thirtyish and cat napped until eight.  Packed everything up.  I rolled my phone up in the swag tent.  Dumb.  Have to unroll and search for the phone.  Find it.  Repack the tent.  I could not find my camera.  I used it to take photos last night.  I did not see it in the tent when looking for my phone.  RATS!  The camera must be in the tent, in Gwragedd Annwn or overboard.  Matthew’s phone has gotten water in the charging port so it is non-functional.  I lent him my paper charts of Cortes.  We are going to Shark Spit, about two hours away by oar.  I rowed one-quarter of the way and sailed three-quarters of the way.  Did not put the leeboards down. 

Gwragedd Annwn going to windward without her leeboards.

Gwragedd Annwn makes distance to windward without them.  Dan and Heather went into Gorge Harbour.  Gwragedd Annwn is the second boat to arrive at Shark Spit. 

Wild flowers at Shark Spit.

I am miffed about the camera and used my cell phone to take some pictures. 

Shark Spit/Marina Island welcome. There is even an outhouse.

The water between Shark Spit (on Marina Island) and Cortes Island is Uganda Passage.

The light marking Uganda Passage.

View from the end of the spit.

View back along the spit. Poor Man’s Rock in the background.

Gwragedd Annwn, on the hard, at the Spit. 

On the hard.

I thought that I would anchor off with a stern/shore line.  Over night the tide rose 8.2′ and dropped 8.5′ for a net drop of .3′ (about eight inches).  I could anchor in pretty shallow water.  Dan and Heather arrived.  I got my anchor lines organized for the evening. 

Anchored for the night. Decided against a shore line…too shallow too close to shore.

Rigged the tarp just in case of rain…those cabin boats have it easy. 

Sunset.

The clouds broke for sunset.  I pitched my tent and FOUND MY CAMERA!!!  It was in my pants pocket and the pants were under the sleeping bag. 

Sailing Day Eleven:

July 7th, 2022          Shark Spit to Manson’s Landing and return (racing/sailing).  Good night, no rain.  Start packing things up at seven fifteen. 

Packed up for breakfast.

Ready for eight.  The morning leg is a race from Shark Spit to Manson’s Landing and back.

Breakfast aboard Poor Man’s Rock. No rain, no tarp.

I am not a racer, so, I “cruised” to Manson’s Landing and back. 

The racing fleet prepares. It is an “off the beach” start.

Dan and Heather have a had time at the start, their centreboard is jammed in the case in the up position by sand from sitting on the beach.

The start:

I stay out of the way of the serious racers.

Dan and Heather are frantically trying to un-jamb their centreboard.

Dan and Heather spinnaker run.

Issues resolved, they go for a spinnaker run to Manson’s Landing.

The Nacra. In the distance is McDuff, a cold-molded Albacore owned by Suz. Very pretty boat…and fast.

The turn around at Manson’s Landing:

We sail to Manson’s Landing and then back to Shark Spit. (Nacra, Mirror 16, Nisse and Sylvia.)

Downwind I kept up to Dan and Heather.  Upwind not so good.  Overall, I had a great sail.  I have a little shore/rock crap stowaway.  He/she is my second one…I bailed out the first one and will bail this one out too.  Charging my phone…this battery pack/charger seems to have lost some of its charge.  Good thing that it is sunny. 

Relaxing on the Spit between races.

I will have a deckhand for the next leg of the Spit to Landing series…Kiala.  I will have to see how this (having crew) works out.  Having Kiala is great, the wind is quite strong, requiring a bit of hiking out.  This is the fastest sailing on the raid or ever!  Gwragedd Annwn had a gear failure…the Port leeboard mount failed.  There was a big “crack” and the mount separated away from the hull.  Still have the starboard Leeboard.  I will put the repairs onto the “errata list”.  We just sailed a little more conservatively back to the spit. 

The racing fleet at the spit as the thunder cloud approaches.

A big thunder storm approaching us. 

The Thunderhead will not miss us.

It may still miss us, but, it is not looking likely. 

The rain arrives Yes, there is a rainbow over Alan’s Wave Runner.

I had cell service and updated Pat.  She checked the weather for me and said that no rain tonight, a forty percent chance overnight until 10am tomorrow then good weather.  Charging phone with the new toy (the battery pack/charger).  Eighty-eight percent currently. My cell phone battery lasted the entire trip. I turned it off when not in use. 

Enjoying the afternoon sun after the thunder storm. The solar charger charges. Dan is wearing his “muscle” shirt.

I was hoping that the thunder head would miss us.  It did not. 

Afternoon campfire. We are watching the Thunderhead approach.

We have lost Matthew and his son Rowen.  They have left for home.  They are going to Rebecca Spit where their car and trailer is. 

Dramatic sunset.

I put up the tarp, just in case Pat’s weather report does not pan out. 

Sailing Day Twelve:

July 8th, 2022          Shark Spit to Lund.  Good-bye.  Rained last night, the tarp noisy in the NW wind.  Anchor held, I did not move in the night.  Said my good-byes to the raiders.  They are a great bunch of people.  Dan and Heather stayed a little longer, for their good-byes.  I sailed Gwragedd Annwn downwind (no leeboard) at 2½ to 3 knots. 

Busy place, a seaplane lands and heads for the spit.

The wind died.  I began to row/sail, the drift was going my way so I left the sail hoisted.  Dan and Heather were catching up.  Just off of Marina Island they caught up and I accept a tow. 

Towed again.

My Seagull will not run because the motor mount puts it too deep into the water for the exhaust to work.  The lacing on the lug sail worked loose.  I dropped the sail and retied it while being towed.  I have rolled my Tilly hat up in the tent. It is sunny and hot so I am wearing my bandana as a gumby hat now.

Towed with a gumby hat around Q20.

Ghosting the other way…

I think that he is motoring…check out the flag on the mizzen.

The wind picked up for the final sail into Lund. 

Enough wind to sail.

We arrived around three-thirty.  The dock was full, rafting three or more deep.  No room for Gwragedd Annwn. It seemed as if I could make the ferries going home if I leave now. 

Micah from Lund Parking brings the FJ and trailer down to load Gwragedd Annwn onto her trailer.

I loaded up and de-rigged Gwragedd Annwn and made a “Midnight” run for the ferry.  I am lucky,

On the Egmont ferry.

I made the Egmont ferry and ran down the coast and caught the last ferry from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay.  Ian Magrath is also on the ferry.  We had a nice chat about the Raid. We make plans for the next trip.

Great Trip, hope to see you on the 2023 Barefoot Raid!

Planned Schedule:

June 23rd      Thursday      Leave Hollyburn Sailing Club@ 10am, to Plumper Cove.

June 24th      Friday           Plumber Cove to Secret Cove.

June 25th      Saturday       Secret Cove to Pender Harbour.

June 26th      Sunday         Pender Harbour to Powell River.

June 27th      Monday        Powell River to Lund.

June 28th      Tuesday       Lund to Gorge Harbour.

June 29th      Wednesday   Gorge Harbour to Drew Harbour.

June 30th      Thursday      Drew Harbour to Rebeca Spit.

July 1st          Friday           Rebecca Spit “Gathering Day”.

July 2nd         Saturday       Rebecca Spit to Lake Bay to Carrington Bay.

July 3rd         Sunday         Carrington Bay to Von Donop Inlet to Penn Island.

July 4th          Monday        Penn Island to Teakarne Arm to Squirrel Cove.

July 5th          Tuesday       Squirrel Cove to Kinghorn Island to Cortes Bay.

July 6th          Wednesday   Cortes Bay to Herando Island (North) to Manson’s Landing.

July 7th          Thursday      Manson’s Landing to Gorge Harbour to Shark Spit.

July 8th          Friday           Shark Spit to Open Bay.  Ceremonies in PM.

July 9th          Saturday       Open Bay to Gorge Harbour.

July 10th        Sunday         Gorge Harbour to Lund.

July 11th        Monday        Lund to Powell River.

July 12th        Tuesday       Powell River to Pender Harbour.

July 13th        Wednesday   Pender Harbour to Secret Cove.

July 14th        Thursday      Secret Cove to Plumber Cove.

July 15th        Friday           Plumber Cove to Hollyburn Sailing Club.

Twenty-three days at sea.

Actual:

June 23rd     Thursday      (Myst) Leave Hollyburn Sailing Club@ 10am, to Snug Cove.

June 24th     Friday           (Myst) Snug Cove to Hollyburn Sailing Club (return).

June 25th     Saturday       Prepare Gwragedd Annwn for raid.

June 26th     Sunday         Prepare Gwragedd Annwn for raid.

June 27th     Monday        Trailer Day. Take ferry to Lund, launch Gwragedd Annwn in Lund.

June 28th     Tuesday       Too windy to leave, overnight in Lund.

June 29th     Wednesday   Lund to Gorge Harbour.

June 30th     Thursday      Gorge Harbour to Drew Harbour (Heriot Bay Marina).

July 1st         Friday           Heriot Bay to Rebecca Spit…Gathering day.

July 2nd        Saturday       Rebecca Spit to Lake Bay to Carrington Bay.

July 3rd        Sunday         Carrington Bay to Squirrel Cove Gov’t dock (rainy).

July 4th         Monday        Rainy all day, overnight in Squirrel Cove).

July 5th         Tuesday       Squirrel Cove to Spilsbury Point (Hernando) to Manson’s Landing.

July 6th         Wednesday   Manson’s Landing to Shark Spit.

July 7th         Thursday      Shark Spit to Manson’s Landing and back to Shark Spit.

July 8th         Friday           Shark Spit to Lund take ferry home (last ferry sailing).

Fourteen days at sea.

Errata List:

  • Oars stored in pairs, one pair each side
  • Halyard sheet sheave – got jammed once.
  • Buoyancy tanks – Rationalize, make bigger and make central footwell narrower.
  • Put leeboards inboard, either a daggerboard or a centreboard.
  • Bring six (three each side) fenders
  • Modify outboard bracket so Seagull runs.
  • Fix Rudder – Make sure that it can be fully retracted out of water for rowing.
  • Boom tent – Make one that has good headroom and can close up.
  • Forward storage box – Maybe make into a forward storage area by bringing up the deck to gunnel level.
  • Rationalize forward anchor and towing.
  • Tiller tamer – Trim lines to fit.
  • Port and Starboard Gear bags (lunch bags) – replace with ones that can have the tops closed for rain and a drain hole.
  • Mast wind vane – move so it does not get interfered with by lug spar.
  • Traveler horse – move so sheet does not tangle onto oars.
  • Maybe more belaying pins?
  • Forward chocks for anchoring or towing.
  • Move GPS base two inches away from side of boat so GPS can be seen from any tack.
  • come up with a dedicated tow line system.

Charts: Approaches to Toba Inlet #3541, Desolation Sound and Sutil Channel #3838 and Sunshine Coast Vancouver Harbour to Desolation Sound #3311. I have painted all of my charts with Thompson’s Water Seal. According to the internet, the old stuff works and the new stuff does not. My can of Thompson’s Water Seal dates from the early 90’s. The treatment seems to work.

Food for five days:

Instant oatmeal

Pasta & sauce

Nut bars

Oranges

Tuna salad

Hot Apple cider

Mixed nuts

Tide predictions for locations on the raid: