Tolly Cruise to Port of Sidney

Friday May 30 came and somehow, Holly and I had the boat ready and loaded with supplies. We pushed off the home dock around 9:00am. It was a great run with an ebb tide helping push us along at 9+ knots. The trip was uneventful (no whale sightings!) and we arrived at our assigned slip at Port of Sidney around noon.

We walked the docks and met some other Tollycraft owners before joining the group for Docktales (a version of cocktail hour!) and a Potluck dinner. We were a little late because little Jim visited us to talk about replacing all of the canvas covers and biminis that have long ago worn out. Holly's amazing cauliflower salad was a hit with the group.

The event was attended by 10 boats but there was a total of 15 members/couples and a number of boat dogs too. Some local people came by car instead of moving their boats from nearby marinas. Several boats came across from Vancouver and one from Puget Sound. Tolly's from 26' (Baywolf) all the way up to 48' (22 feet longer than Baywolf!) were present. More than 30 people made it an interesting challenge remembering names and faces!

The evening was cool and it rained. We were happy for the recently installed Propex heater.

The next morning, one of the crew joined a group of Tolly owners and their dogs for a stroll along along Sidneys seaside walk in the drizzle. The other crew member was up with fresh coffee brewed by the time the walk was over (thanks Holly!). The day contiued with a lunch at Small Gods Brewing in Sidney (amazing sandwiches and some good beers) and a BBQ for dinner. In the afternoon, we were happy to welcome Greg on board for coffee and a long overdue chat. The rain was on and off but it happily stopped for our BBQ on the docks!

Small Gods Brewing

On Sunday morning, Ian and Gracie (son and grand daughter) visited for a breakfast of sausage/eggs and all the trimmings! We look forward to having the two of them on board sometime. At noon, we departed Port of Sidney for a lovely cruise in the afternoon sun. We motored close to the shore and had a good look at all of the interesting nooks and crannies along the north shore of Saanich Inlet and Finlayson Arm.

Baywolf had the honor of carrying Gayles ashes to a place where she had grown up at the bottom of Finlayson Arm (just off Sawlucktas Island on the Malahat side). She was a client and friend of Holly for 10 years and a recent friend of mine.

We anchored in the mud at the very bottom of the inlet in 15 feet of water (low tide). We were entertained by a family of otters (7 or 8 of them), seals (including baby seals) and a couple of cruising sea lions. The water was teaming with minows and we had eagles and vultures overhead. The swallows were like jet fighters on their feeding missions. All of this sounds very peaceful and full of natures finest. Know that we were across from Goldstream Marina and the Malahat. The bikes, trucks and general traffic made for an interesting balance!

Monday morning was peaceful and we spent most of it up on the flybridge watching the wildlife. This was followed by a slow cruise home and after a quick stop at Maple Bay Marina's fuel dock, we tied up around 6:00p. This was a different kind of weekend than our typical boat trips with lots of people and tying up to a dock. We enjoyed ourselves and look forward to catching up with new friends with new cruising stories to share.