Back in Sidney

Our apologies to those following our blog as we've been anchored off Galiano Island without access to internet and have fallen behind with posting. After two nice days anchored off Salt Spring Island, we motorsailed the short distance to Montague Harbor off Galiano Island. While leaving Ganges Harbor we spotted "Georgia B", a Halberg Rassey sailboat owned by another couple we met last year. We made several tight laps around their anchored boat calling out to them. After not getting a response, Anne wrote a note and sealed it in a ziplock bag with some rice for weight and tossed it aboard as we passed closely by. The thunk it made hitting the cockpit floor was enought to bring them on deck were we marveled at the good fortune of seeing each other again. After our vist we sailed off to our next anchorage where our friends Doug and Patricia joined us with their Crealock 37 "Arcforce". We spent a relaxing two days there, sharing meals aboard, hiking ashore and paddling our new stand-up-paddle surfboards. Anne was first to take an inadvertant dip in the water when a boat wake caused her to fall off, but quickly squirted back on to her board like a seal in the shows at Sea World. She pronounced the water cold but not frigid (a little too cold for swimming without wet suits). The plan was to leave on Monday but before our departure, we watched a pretty, navy blue-hulled Sabre 44 enter the anchorage and settle-in about 50 yards away. Unfortunately, while reversing to set their anchor, their inflatable dinghy's bow line became fowled in their rotating prop shaft and proceeded to winch the boat almost completely underwater before the engine stalled. Even from a distance, we could clealy see their anguish and disapointment. Anne and I quickly grabbed a sharp knife, jumped into our own dinghy and motored over to offer assistance. We managed to let some of the stuck dinghy's air out in hopes of freeing it and struggled with it for a few minutes while hanging over the side of ours before deciding that it couldn't be accomplished from the surface. The chilly water wasn't inviting but after returning to our boat for a wet suit, mask, snorkel and fins, Mark hopped into the water and made three dives under their boat to cut the snarled lines and set the dinghy free. Fortunately, their dinghy and propellor were undamaged and the problem solved. The help given and received within the cruising community is one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience and we were so happy to have been able to help. Monday night was spent back in the marina and on Tuesday, we flew home to Idaho with a stop in Seattle. Then plan is to return to "Blue Rodeo" in about a week and start north for our trip around Vancouver Island.

More soon,

Mark and Anne