Wind Tunnel

Wednesday Aug 20^th – 9:45am.  As we pulled anchor from James Bay and made our way east through Navy Channel the wind started to kick up.  Our destination is Bennett Bay right on the edge of the Strait of Georgia.  To get there we had to navigate some unfamiliar waters and Georgenson Passage was my biggest concern.  It’s a narrow passage maybe ½ mile long that looks a little tricky.  As we approached the current really started flowing and we were whipped through the passage much faster than I really wanted.  It was really fun and really stressful all at the same time.

We read that Bennett Bay had an awesome beach so that was the purpose of this trip.  11:07am the wind still whipping we anchored in the bay with only one other sailboat traveling 11.2nm.

Skylar was eager to get the kayak down and paddle in the wind waves.  He had a blast – waves splashing and wind pushing him through the water.  Somehow he convinced Ava to ride along with him.  Julie and I were surprised she agreed, but she got in the front of the kayak taking the brunt of the spray.  She used her hood as a shield and squealed with excitement every time the spray hit her in the face.

We made the decision to stay the night in the bay even though the wind was still blowing but we had to re-anchor after the current changed and we swung too close to the sailboat next to us.  Later we read that the wind can tunnel through this area while its calm just outside.  We dinghied to the beach for a while (not as good as all the hype) then to Mayne Island Inn for dinner.

With the stress of the anchor possibly slipping and the water slapping up against the hull, it was not a restful night sleep!