Some would say that sailing in mid November in the Pacific Northwest is crazy; I disagree. Sailing in November in inclement weather can be one of the best times of the year to experience strong and sustained winds. Also, the low pressure ridges coming off of the Pacific Ocean provide some of the best sailing opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. Want a desolated anchorage, entire bays to yourself, no noisy jet skis, and lots of fun time on board? Go past the shoulder season, and a private heaven awaits you!

Heating on board can be an issue during windy conditions, so if you go to Canadian Tire to get the latest and greatest in propane heaters, a good thing to do is assemble the unit in the store first. Lesson learned: we got on board, and the hose fittings for the catalytic heater were not compatible. However, one good thing Giovanni, the captain of Pegasus learned on his last trip to River Marine was that the heater on board is run on diesel fuel, so there was no need to worry about running our electricity down by heating the cabin.

We left Lynn Creek Marina in North Vancouver at 2:00pm and headed up Vancouver Harbour towards the Second Narrows Bridge. My first opportunity to use a VHF radio was to call the Second Narrows Bridge operator to lift the massive train bridge. To my delight the operator said one moment, and voila! the bridge lifted, allowing the 65 foot mast on our Catalina sailboat to easily pass through.

My first ever docking practice occurred at Cates Park Float, Roche Point, Burrard Inlet. Giovanni advised me on how to slow Pegasus down, when to put her into neutral, and when approximately to turn towards the dock. I am an excellent parallel parker in a car, but coming close to a deserted dock with a 36 foot yacht made my hands quiver and my heart skip a beat. I have been to Cates Park many times, particularly for Under the Volcano summer festivals, so it was fun being able to describe the park and area to someone who had never been to this area before.

Because of the time of year, it was already getting close to dark at 4:00pm. Our first overnight anchorage was in Bedwell Bay, which is located in Belcarra Regional Park, Indian Arm. It is located on the east side of the inlet, and is the first protected bay up Indian Arm. Bedwell Bay is an incredibly busy area during the summer, being home to the Vancouver Water Skiing Club. As well, there tend to be a lot of jet ski partners in the area during the summer. Mid November, however, was quiet and we were the only boat anchored in an idyllic setting.

The water was calm, and the mist in Bedwell Bay was our first taste of the wonderful clouds and misty views we were to see for the rest of our trip. And for a special treat, the clouds parted and the sun came out just as it was setting behind the Belcarra Park trees. I went to the cockpit later in the evening, and the sky had cleared and stars were flickering and showing up in the calm water.

Leaving at dawn, we continued our journey up Indian Arm, motoring through the mist. Many seals, or waterdogs as Giovanni refers to them, would pop their heads up and swim alongside Pegasus. Buntzen Power Station, built in the early 20th century, came slowly into view on the eastern shore. This building evokes a spooky feeling, much like the feeling I get when I watch Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. It is an imposing and impressive building, and it was amazing to be able to motor up close and get a good view of classic early 1900s industrial design.

My second docking experience happened at Wigwam Inn, home of the Royal Vancouver Yacht club.

This time, I was able to bring Pegasus much closer to the dock, and at a much slower pace. Chatting about the hydrodynamics of going in reverse made my head spin a little, but it actually made more sense to me when Giovanni was able to give a visual explanation in terms of how the water flows over the stern. I realized quite quickly how much more practice it will take me to feel comfortable putting Pegasus into reverse. Perhaps the next time out, I'll actually learn how to dock her instead of only coming within 10 meters of the dock. Not bad for first and second attempts though! Our next stop was at Granite Falls Marine Park, Iron Bay, Indian Arm which is in the north eastern reaches of the fjord.   Ironically, the first sailing trip I had ever taken on a Contessa 26 ended up at this exact spot, so it was lovely to revisit it on Pegasus. There is a parks float for small dayboats (26' or less) and dinghies. We anchored next to the ruins of an old jetty, just south of the parks float and Granite Falls. The holding in the ground was good, (although I was a bit nervous that we had let out a good 150 feet of anchor), and we had a lovely evening with the falls in the background lulling us to sleep.

Heading back to Vancouver, we decided to anchor at Deep Cove to see if we could pick up an internet signal and stay there for an evening, as Giovanni had work to do. Unfortunately, he was unable to pick up a Rogers portable internet signal, so no connection was made to the 'net. We dinghied to the Deep Cove public wharf and realized that there is a "parking meter" - remember to bring change or a credit card with you in order to pay for your time there. We made the prerequisite stop at Honey Doughnuts and Goodies for one of their maple doughnuts - apart from Lee's Donuts, a family run business on Granville Island with the best doughnuts in the Lower Mainland (in my humble opinion), Honey Doughnuts is where it's at. Our next stop was at LaLa Home Decor, a shop with an eyecatching window display. I had recently purchased a really cool bouncy snowglobe type ball at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art gift shop, and when I brought it home my juggler friend Amanda exclaimed over the ball, and how perfect it would be to juggle with (if only I had three). I was able to get Amanda three of these exact same balls at LaLa's, and am looking forward to gifting her so I can enjoy her juggling some more.

Timing our transit through the Second Narrows taught me a valuable lesson on reading charts. Giovanni decided to go below to clean the cabin, so I took the helm. The GPS chartplotter maps out where you are in relation to a nautical chart; it shows depths, where the land is, points of interest, names of islands and such. After finishing the dishes, Giovanni came to check the chartplotter, and immediately told me to take a 90 degree turn to port, as I was heading towards the wrong side of the channel marker. In fact, I had almost grounded the vessel as we were in approximately 10 feet of water. This was my first real lesson on how the distance from shore is not a good indication of how deep the water is. There are large areas of mud flats all along the north side of the Second Narrows, east of the Second Narrows Bridge. 

A fabulous learning trip for all involved!