Summer Boat Trip ~ August 7 to 17, 2026
Friday, August 7
On Friday morning, we left the home dock and motored to our planned objective of Dodd Narrows. We planned to end the day at Newcastle Island off Nanaimo. Dodd Narrows is about 3 hours from home and Nanaimo is about an hour after that (at 6.5 to 7 knots).
Dodd Narrows is a narrow restriction between Vancouver Island and Mudge Island. It is truly a “gate” in that the water is only slack four times a day in between high and low tides. It isn’t as remarkable as Skookumchuck Rapids but it sees a lot more boat traffic. The current can reach 9+ knots here compared to 17+ at Skookumchuck. Dodd Narrows is wide enough for two boats to pass but it’s only 80 meters wide at the narrowest point so its a bit tight. Baywolf is a small boat and takes up just over 2 of those meters! Even though the narrows are fairly short, you can’t see the other side. Commercial traffic always announces their transit and some of them are towing small log booms that effectively fill the channel. You have to be listening on the radio and paying attention. Recreational boats are NOT required to announce their passage and the coast guard came on channel 16 and reiterated this for us as every boat began to do their “Securite” call. Further, we were informed that if there was some actual need for a call, such as towing a disabled vessel for example, we should use the lowest power setting on their radio.
Back to the trip! We left home early enough that we would have a 3 hour or more wait for slack water at Dodd Narrows. We killed some of that time checking out Tent Island on our way there. There is a beautiful little anchorage on the West side that could hold two boats very easily and 3 or 4 with some careful anchor placement. It’s very exposed to West winds but I think it could be a nice spot to spend a night or two in the off season. Tent Island is owned by First Nations and is part of the reserve land that is Penelakut Island. BC Parks used to lease Tent Island as a Marine Park but that lease ran out. Camping and visitation was closed in 2020 (at the time of the pandemic) and now requires permission from the band. There is no issue with anchoring that I’m aware of.
We carried on and passed Penelakut Island which is interlocked with Thetis Island. When we were clear of Thetis, we had a decision to make. What to do with the 3 hour wait? Having never visited in the past, we decided to check out Pirates Cove which is a Provincial Park with a private marina and protected anchorage on the East side of De Courcy Island. We transited Ruxton Passage to get to that side and entered the extremely protected anchorage. There were very few boat there (3 or 4 stern tied boats and about 4 or 5 swinging on anchor) but judging by the sheer number of stern tie chains, we guessed that this could be an extremely crowded anchorage. We decided that based on our trip ethos, “chill, relax, no pressure”, we should take advantage of the situation and we stern tied Baywolf before getting into the serious pursuit of downtime!
One note of importance relates to the sheer volume and aggression of the damn mosquitoes here! Rowing to shore to pass the stern tie line through the chain yeilded more than a dozen bites! Crazy. Baywolf has enough supplies onboard to deal with nearly any need, except mosquitoes! Bug spray will be added!
Saturday, August 8
After a quiet night watching otters and a huge heron, we woke to sun and flat calm conditions. We needed to leave at noon in order to catch the slack at Dodd Narrows.
We joined a Congo line of 10 or more boats and went through Dodd Narrows just before slack water. On arrival at Newcastle Island, we found a number of open mooring balls (yay!). After choosing one we liked, we tied up and used the bar code on the mooring ball to pay for two nights. The water was warm enough for a swim and the Nanaimo Blues Festival was just across the water from us. It was great to enjoy live blues right on the boat!
Our first order of business that afternoon was the unpleasant task of trouble shooting the black water system. The overboard discharge stopped working and with a serious shortage of marine pump out stations, we had little option but to fix this problem “on the go”. The first step was tracing the plumbing and creating a diagram to work from. Holly (being smaller and more flexible) jumped down into the engine compartment where the plumbing and macerator pump is located and we began the process of elimination (accidental pun happily shared!). By disconnecting various hoses and fittings, we were able to verify there were no blockages. Still not working but knowledge gained.
Sunday, August 9
Today was a hike day. We took the dingy to the public dock and circumnavigated Newcastle Island on foot! We logged 11.5 km and satisfied our step count for the day! We came upon a large otter on the trail and a deer! It’s a beautiful hike with lots to see.
When we got back to the boat, we did a few more tests on the blackwater system and determined that the problem was the impeller in the macerator pump. Harbour Chandler would open the next day at 9:00am and we planned our day around getting fuel, buying a new pump, a repair kit and a few supplies and getting to Dodd Narrows for slack water at 3:00pm.
Monday, August 10
We slipped our mooring and motored over to the fuel dock. Afterwards, we were able to tie the boat to the same dock where the fuel dock is located ($15 for 3 hours) and headed on foot to get the stuff we needed! When we got back, we took advantage of Trollers Fish and Chips on the floating dock beside us before leaving for Dodd Narrows.
The entrance to Dodd Narrows offered some entertainment in the form of an impatient boater trying to go through before slack. He was in a 36 or 38 foot trawler and after a considerable attempt, turned around to wait a little longer! We passed shortly after this to thumbs up and waves from bystanders on the banks!
We motored to Clam Bay between Thetis and Penelakut Islands and got down to the icky task of replacing the macerator! Mission accomplished and happily behind us, we returned to our regular scheduled programing of dinner, cards, an episode of Hanna and bed! There were at least 12 boats in the bay which is more than we’ve seen there before. It is a protected anchorage and the holding is good.
Tuesday, August 11
Today, we had another “gate” to deal with. Active pass is best transited at slack water. It’s a very busy pass that is used by commercial and recreational boats and it’s BC Ferries main route between Vancouver and the Island. We arrived close to slack water and waited for the Southbound ferry to exit the pass before heading in. About 15 minutes later, we were in the Straits of Georgia, on the East side of the Gulf Islands and headed South to Tumbo Island. This is always a FOMO (fear of missing out) situation! Are we going to find an open mooring when we get there? If not, what is plan B? We encountered a sailboat obviously headed to the same destination. I admit to pushing the red lever forward a bit and we did indeed get there first!
No worries for either of us as there were at least 4 open moorings (out of a total of 10). We tied up and settled in. This is definitely one of our most favourite places to be. We blew up the new floaties, had a swim and did a good job of enjoying ourselves.
Wednesday, August 12
What a difference a few hours makes! We went to bed on a calm sea with not a ripple to disturb our rest. But at 5:30 am, I was on deck checking the mooring line and adding a safety line. The boat was being thrown around like a leaf. The galley drawers were opening by themselves, the door to the head was doing the same. Anything moveable was self-relocating to a position closer to the center of the earth. By 8:30am, only two of us remained at Tumbo. The rest had left for calmer anchorages. The wind was only 15 knots but it was from the Northeast. The shape of the anchorage funnels that wind and its waves into the narrow and shallow bay which can make it pretty bumpy. In the picture below, the white caps have decreased by 50%.
On the water, we have a variety of tools at our disposal. We use the regular weather channel, the VHF weather channels, a subscription to an app called Windy, tide charts and app, regular charts and electronic ones too. Sometimes we look outside and hold up a wet finger as well! We decided that by 2:00pm, the seas would lie down and we could get back to relaxing! We planned an off boat day, hiking on Tumbo and by the time we got back, the bumpy stuff should be over.
And it was! We logged 7.5 km and had a lunch at the south end of the Island, surrounded by sandstone cliffs that have been sculpted by wind and waves into the strangest and most intricate shapes.
Tonight was steak night. We BBQ’ed two small ribeye steaks and enjoyed them with a mountain of mushrooms, onions and a side salad. IPA and red wine suited this dish perfectly and, after crib and Hanna, we climbed into the vee berth, happy and content with the world.
Thursday, August 13
Peaceful, calm, sunny. We read, typed blog stuff, enjoyed some screen time, watched the comings and goings of boats around us and ate a wonderful lunch. After cleaning up, we headed to shore to do a bit more exploring. We walked to the Northern point of Tumbo and then back to the area that was settled years ago. There are some buildings and fencing, all of which are in a state of collapse. It’s interesting to imagine their lives on this remote Island years ago.
Back on Baywolf, we had a swim, lounged in the floaties and engaged in the arduous pursuit of nothing! The oven, under Holly’s direction, produced excellent lemon pepper wings and nachos with melted cheese for dinner. Ah, the rough life we endure while cruising!
You guessed it; cards, Hanna and bed!
Friday, August 14
Around 5:30am, we became aware of something new. Fighting through the veils of sleep, we both came to realize it was the sound of heavy rain falling on the boat! I went up on the flybridge and got the towels off the line and under cover and Holly closed windows. Two hours later, the sun was shining and the sky was mainly blue, decorated with small clouds. I was sitting at the table with a mug of coffee at hand watching the otters play and planning our route for later this morning. The first mate went back to bed and I was lulled by her gentle purring. It’s interesting the way it puts concentric rings on the coffee in my mug, and in the calm water around the boat!
We are heading to Medicine Beach this morning. It’s located between South and North Pender Islands and we have the opportunity to use the Pender Canal under the bridge between them. It’s another tide dependent gate and slack water there was around 12:30pm. We have a 2 hour run to get there and will be away by 10:00am.
We got away on time and ran through and around Boiling Rapids at the South end of Saturna. Being careful to stay out of the “vessel no-go” area at the Southwest end of Saturna (whale protection), we entered Port Browning. It was low water when we entered the canal and the shallowest depth on the sounder of 5.5 feet. We draw just over 3’ so “no problem”! In a few moments, we passed from Port Browning to Bedwell Harbour. There were fewer boats anchored at Medicine Beach than we had expected and after a second “set” to get positioned exactly where we wanted, we were pinned to the sticky mud for the next three nights.
Ambition and energy running high, we motored the dingy a mile up Bedwell Harbour to Beaumont Marine Park. This is one of the access points to the trail that ascends to the top of Mount Norman. It rises only 350 meters and the total length of the hike was 6.5 km but it’s steep! Climbing up roots, rocks and actual steps, the entire ascent is near vertical!
Back at the boat, feeling accomplished, tired and a bit sore, we settled into relax mode. Holly hand washed a few clothes and prepped dinner (chicken stir fry). I attended to fussing with the dingy, floaties and following instructions (see below).
Here is a little bit about life on a 26’ Tollycraft.
Our main living area which has the galley (kitchen with fridge, stove, oven and sink), the dinette (dining room) and the head (bathroom) is 72 square feet.
The vee berth (bedroom) is a V shape that is 6’ long and 8’ wide. We sleep sideways across the beam of the boat. It is very comfortable and large for a small boat. It has storage beneath it as well as ship stuff (anchor locker with 200’ of chain, forward water tank, bow thruster, solenoids and control wires for anchor and thruster). It is about 30 square feet.
Our main living area is the equivalent to a 100 square foot tiny home! We also have an aft deck or cockpit (patio) which is about 65 square feet. The flybridge (roof top patio!) is another 50 square feet.
It’s remarkable how in-sync you become. Moving about the cabin and completing tasks like cooking, cleaning, eating, and all the things involved in day to day living requires a certain amount of choreography. It only takes a day on board before you stop bumping into each other! Subtle instructions are helpful. An example. “For ___ sake, sit down and stop being helpful” means I should remain in one position to allow more room for Holly. There are others but this is a public forum!
Saturday, August 15
After a calm and windless night, we woke to cooler temps and some smoke haze. The plan for today was to attend the North Pender farmer’s market and enjoy a lunch at the pub at Port Browning marina. We took the dingy to shore and tied it to a sturdy log before beginning our road walk. It was a bit longer than 30 minutes before we reached the general market area as the hills were pretty steep and the traffic was very heavy. It felt like walking along a freeway and we had never experienced a road this busy on any of the Gulf islands before.
Contrary to our faded memory from our first visit, the actual farmers market is held at the community hall which is another 2.5km from the shopping area. We finally arrived and checked out each and every vendor’s booth. There was food and live music and it was very well attended. There was only one or two produce vendors but lots of jewelry, wood products, wool, mixed media crafts and others. The rule of the market is that everything must be grown or made on Pender. It was interesting and we came away with some fresh beans and a few other veggies. The blackberry bushes along the path and road provided an appetizer on the way to the pub at Port Browning Marina.
We lucked into a table on the patio and enjoyed pub food and a beer overlooking boats and lots of people and their activities. The resort has glamping tents, a parking area for RVs and an old orchard which has been repurposed for tent camping and has a frisbee golf area. There is a swimming pool, the pub/restaurant and the marina. The marina can accommodate boats up to 80’ and has dock power and water. There is a store for fishing gear, ice, paddle board rentals and coin op showers! We have visited in the past to take advantage of the showers and the pub! There were a great many boats anchored offshore and we were glad we chose to anchor at Medicine Beach. We walked back to the dingy and were pleased with our 11.5km excursion to the farmers market.
We were happy to see our friend’s boat, Disconnect, anchored at Medicine Beach and happily accepted Mark and Wendy’s invitation to dinner. We dingy’ed over with Holly’s cauliflower salad and enjoyed their company, the burgers and corn-on-the-cob. After lots of stories and many more laughs, we made our way back to Baywolf where we settled into our normal evening routine before bed.
Sunday, August 16
At 7:00am, the sky was mainly blue with some smoke haze and it was chilly. Making coffee was enough to take the chill away inside Baywolf and the forecast for the day is for increasing temps to 20 degrees this afternoon.
We enjoyed a slow morning and went to shore where we had a sinfully good breakfast of spinach twists and a vegan sausage roll from the little cafe, Slow Coast Coffee. We headed out for our hike and journeyed 15.5km along roads and trails on North Pender and saw some amazing sights along ocean bays and inland lakes. There was a lot of elevation accumulated (nearly 500m) but it was worth it. We got back to the boat and relaxed in the late afternoon sun with drinks and our books. The 110’ Horizon yacht, H110, joined our anchorage but as we had neglected to bring our cocktail party clothes, we declined the idea of visiting for drinks (also, we weren’t invited!).
Dinner onboard the good ship Baywolf was taco wrapped hamburger pinwheels on the BBQ. Holly discovered a way to extract the juice from our recently picked blackberries using a garlic press and a sieve and we enjoyed blackberry vodka spritzers.
Cleanup followed and then crib (I can’t win a game lately!!!). We watched an episode of Hanna and the day ended with weary legs and happy hearts!
Monday, August 17
Time to go home! Like a well oiled machine, the crew worked in practiced synchronicity to prepare the boat for departure. The dingy motor was stowed as were the lifejackets, the floaties brought on board, the dingy brought into transit position, the anchor snubber removed and the bilge venilated prior to starting the engine. Navigation instruments were turned on as well as the VHF and the new autopilot and then the anchor was raised. Just to back up a little bit, before this was even remotely possible, an entire pot of coffee was consumed and a "last morning of the trip breakfast" was enjoyed with caloric abandon.
We had a 3 hour transit to the fuel dock at Maple Bay marina and then to home dock. The weather was great and with the autopilot doing a great job of piloting automatically, we were along for a relaxing and enjoyable ride. With some tutoring from ChatGPT, I figured out how to build routes for the pilot on-the-go. For the last 2 hours of the trip, I didn't make any course adjustments other than to dodge a log and once to ease the anxiety of a boater in a possibly close crossing situation. This new toy is wonderful! It even did well in a following wake that was big enough to threaten a possible broach. We think his name will be Sherman. He does a great job of steering our little tank.
We got home and hauled 4 loads of stuff up to the house. It's great to be away but also great to come home. We are full of internal and external smiles and if we were cats, we would be purring!
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