Blog

It's that time again!!

The summer is here and so is the Victoria Sailing Co-op Photo contest! The boats are seemingly pretty active and of course the mighty Penelope is back in service and better than ever. This is a message and incentive to practice your photography skills on the water and for a chance to win some sailing gear, and other prizes! (This poster is still in the works, as I'm hoping to confirm some additional sponsors for the contest in the next couple weeks hopefully, so I'll only post it here for now. Mustang prizes are a-go though). 

The contest is open June 21st to September 21st, voting will be open to all co-op members and sponsors, and winners will be announced at a social after this at some point, to be determined. 

It is encouraged that co-op members post/share photos as they like over the summer, but when it comes closer time to vote for best photos, please clarify which two photos you would like to have as formal submissions for the contest. Please note that by submitting photos officially for the contest, you also consent to their use by the Victoria Sailing Co-op for advertising. 

Other Rules: Photos must be taken FROM a co-op boat or HAVE a co-op boat in the shot; even though two photos are acceptable from each member, a member is only entitled to one prize. 

Happy sailing!! ⛵ 📷

at Westport Marina started Saturday, August 24; finished Saturday, September 28.

A month-long haul-out! This happened because after Penelope returned from one of her summer cruises on August 19, a leak was noticed where the propeller shaft exits the boat. Not nice!! On August 24 we got Penelope to Westport Marina in Sidney. Part of the way Penelope was towed by Ben with his boat "Sully", otherwise Penelope sailed.

It turned out that Penelope's "shaft log", a sleeve that goes around the propeller shaft, was very worn. Also, we noticed that the strut holding the propeller shaft outside the boat was bent and developing some cracks. So, a new shaft log and a new strut were ordered... but the delivery took weeks. 

In the meantime the boat was sanded and polished and re-painted, battery and charger changed (they had been damaged due to the leak). Lots of people worked on the boat. The shaft log and strut replacement were done (getting the old strut off also meant taking the fuel tank out to get at the bolts).

Saturday September 28 was the time for putting Penelope back into the water; we left the boat in Sidney for two days - just in case...! - but nothing terrible happened. Penelope motored back to Oak Bay (motored, since there was no wind) on September 30.

Barry had done the actual shaft log and strut replacement and the re-alignment of the engine (since the strut is now straight and not bent, the engine needed to be shifted a bit), and he did the final alignment on October 7 after the boat had been back in the water for some days.

Except for the constant need to tidy and clean up, Penelope should be a better boat now, and all set to go! 

10-Year Anniversary Celebration

Mix&Mingle at Spinnaker's Brewpub

Friday, September 20, 2024, 6:30-9:30 pm

A fun affair with 28 co-op members present. Food, pool, lots of talking and having a good time.

Summer cruises

Penelope and Rhumb Runner both went out for some week-long cruises.

Early season cruise

Penelope and Rhumb Runner went out together May 18/19/20.

AGM 2024

This AGM was held Thursday, May 2, 2024

starting 6:30pm at 709/711 Douglas Street, Victoria. Previous AGMs had been held in late June, but we decided that early May was a better time.

Our 2023 Saturday Boat Work Parties and Co-op Sails: 

We decided to not have regular Saturday work parties anymore. Instead, the boat captains send emails (or Discord messages) when they need to have something done on a boat.

Monthly co-op sails have been continuing.

Fall Co-op Social

We met Tuesday, November 21 at 7:30 at The Fernwood Inn, 1302 Gladstone Ave, Victoria, BC

for a fun get-together.

Rhumb Runner Haulout, October 2023

RR was cleaned and the bottom painted.

Co-op AGM - June 20, 2023

When: Tuesday, June 20 at 6:30pm

Where: 709/711 Douglas Street (in the Crystal Gardens building; entrance next to the main entrance to Crystal Gardens).

What: The Victoria Sailing Co-op's Annual General Meeting was held on Tuesday, June 20 at 6:30 pm. The SOP were updated.

Penelope replaces Felix

A whole group of co-op members was busy for weeks, looking at many boats that might be a good replacement for Felix. We finally settled on "Penelope", a 1981 Hunter 30, and bought this boat in early August 2022. 

Insurance changes

One (!) day before our annual insurance was to be renewed on May 6, the insurance company notified us that they would not offer insurance for co-ops in the future. But they did offer a 3-month extension so that we would have some time to find new insurance. Luckily Felix's accident happened after we accepted the extension!

It took a while to find new insurance; we also had to wait until the claim for Felix was settled. In July we arranged insurance with HUB, effective in August. The premium was much higher than before, partly due to the claim and partly due to a general, all-around increase in insurance costs. 

Our 2022 Saturday Boat Work Parties and Co-op Sails (after most work parties): 

none in Jan, #81 Feb 19, #82 Mar 19, #83 Apr 16 #84 May 28, #85 June 18, #86 July 16, #87 Aug 20, #88 Sep 17, #89 Oct 15

Phoebe Haul-out June 14-17, 2022

Phoebe's bottom was scraped and re-painted, and the red part polished.

AGM on June 7, 2022

We held another online AGM. We talked about finances and the budget, got up-to-date about Felix and the search for a new boat, approved changes to the fees and to the SOP, and elected a 6th director.

No more Felix!!

Felix had LOTS of work done in 2022, mostly by Colin but also by Jeff, Ryan, Richard and others. Felix got a new dodger, new interior lighting, new starting procedure (leading to one start of the engine without opening the cooling water seacock – luckily the engine survived – this is a really high-quality, sturdy engine!!). Colin and Emily went cruising for over a week in March – very brave! A linked cruise was planned for the summer, but then….

On May 14 Felix ran aground just outside the marina, getting stuck on Robson Reef for a while, and a leak developed. A week or so later (on May 25) Felix was transported to Sidney and lifted out of the water, and it was found that damage repair would cost $25,000 plus! Felix was a write-off. Very sad; it really makes you want to cry for this nice boat, and when you consider the amount of work that was done during the last year up to almost the day of the accident… sigh.

Our insurance company paid the full insured $20,000 in mid-June. Colin bought Felix from the insurance company for salvage, and he was able to re-purpose various pieces, such as the boom and the traveller.

Eight March Days on Felix

(Story by Colin)

To celebrate the arrival of spring, I planned an eight-day outing on Felix around the Southern Gulf Islands. Four days would be spent with my Emily, and four with a friend from 

the mainland. After rushing to get the whole boat scrubbed down inside and out, and packing it up to the top with everything from extra blankets, rain gear, frozen pancake batter, to flashlights, cameras, and lots of hot chocolate... we were off on March 18th.

Our departure was calm - glassy, almost - meaning there was no way we could sail all the way to Portland Island as planned, so we opted to motor to D'Arcy. D'Arcy, as we know from the past, is an excellent anchorage that you will never have to share... so long as the weather was settled. Fortunately for us, the weather was textbook "settled." After anchoring near the campground on D'Arcy, we went ashore to putter around, listen to the grunts of the harbour seals, and look for sea life. Back onboard, we cozied up under several kilograms of blankets. 

Our first morning onboard was cold, but not intolerable. Coffee and hot chocolate didn't hurt. The wind came up just long enough for us to quietly sneak clockwise around the South end of the island, getting a few glimpses of a humpback feeding along the shoreline. The wind soon died, and we motored along up Sidney Channel. As we had neglected a cutting board, and not wanting to further damage Felix's gorgeous interior, we raised the sails as the wind came up to head for Sidney. After an hour at the dock, we were back on our way. As Emily was feeling the chill of the rainy weather, I was on a solo watch up around Coal Island - including getting the sails up. After an hour of good sailing, we lost the wind again, motoring north of Pym Island. As the sun got low in the sky, we got the sails back up on a perfect tack up to Royal Cove. Our first stern-tie was an immediate success, though a manual sounding showed less than 75cm under the rudder at maximum low.

We spent the next day wandering the trails on Portland Island - we had not only the anchorage, but the entire island to ourselves. Surprisingly, Parks Canada had removed the dock at Princess Bay, and yet Royal Cove was all ours. A day of sunny weather, reading, hiking, and puttering around in the dinghy ended with greying skies as we cooked spaghetti and got ready for bed. About this time, a mysterious trickle of fresh water was beginning to appear in the bilge.

On our final day of part one, we headed over to Wallace and anchored, going ashore for two hours to explore the island. I'd been ashore here before with Parks Canada, but it was nice having yet another island to ourselves. This would become a trend everywhere. Motoring back to Sidney was slow and noisy, docking in the early evening. After four days, the three dollars for a shower at Port Sidney no longer seems unreasonable. We walked up to Fish on Fifth to order, and walked down to the waterfront to enjoy the sunset's colours while eating the disappointingly small cod and massive salmon.

The following morning, Emily had to head back to work, but I would be staying on. However, when checking the bilge, it wasn't the mysterious trickle of fresh water any more - it was much less pleasant. Without too many details, bleach was used, and we now know how long one should go between pumpouts. On a positive note, we learned how to properly pump out, and again, well worth the money charged. My friend from the mainland showed up around noon, and the wind had picked up. 

We managed to sail all the way from Sidney to James Bay on Prevost Island in about five hours on one tack, with a good run up Trincomali Channel. James Bay was by far the most lackluster anchorage, being shallow and entirely unprotected (even from the southeast, despite what geography would dictate). Luckily the wind died, and we headed ashore. Noticing a lot of splashing, headed up to a small bluff and witnessed quite the mating ritual on behalf of the harbour seals. By midnight we were ready to call the front desk to complain about our rowdy pinniped neighbours who were being rather vocal about their engagements. 

The morning brought unexpected and strong Northerly winds. Opting not to try our luck in the dinghy, we raised anchor and headed for Saturna Island. With the sun out and the wind blowing, we made quick time, averaging about five and a half knots all the way. The wind through Navy Channel was somewhat fickle, always strong but constantly shifting. Near Truetworthy Bight, I looked at the chart, and noticed a discrepancy between official parks maps and the data on Navionics - a part of GINPR at Taylor Point. We needed lunch, so we decided to go for our most challenging but satisfying anchorage of the trip. The wind was southwesterly - not what you would expect as ideal for an unprotected anchorage open to Boundary Pass, but we managed to tuck just out of it. At Taylor point, we discovered an absolutely gorgeous ruined stone house that wouldn't have felt out of place in the Scottish highlands, and surrounding trails through beautiful sandstone boulderfields, leading to incredibly cliffs. 

After a brief stop and some ramen, we were back underway to enjoy getting up-close and personal with Monarch Head. Narvaez Bay, like James Bay, was disappointing, but at least was safe and protected. We were briefly visited by the CBSA and RCMP the next morning for a border check, then headed ashore for a hike to Monarch Head. While the views were spectacular, we were somewhat drained from the underwhelming quality of Narvaez Bay compared to Taylor Point, and hauled up the anchor for Tumbo Island. We timed it right with the tides, and got to Tumbo via the Georgia Strait approach around two in the afternoon. At that point, our thermometer was starting to inch above fifteen degrees, and by the time we were moored on a buoy, it was getting too warm. Cabbage Island was still showing a lot of damage from a recent storm, with none of the campsites serviceable and the sign having been destroyed by driftwood. After rowing across to Tumbo Island - and finding the only suitable seeming spot to land a dinghy - we explored the entirety of that island. I get the sense that Parks Canada has plans for this island. The so-called "private residence" is boarded up and severely neglected. The hike was lovely. Lots of history, and great views of the North Shore mountains. We finally got a proper sunny sunset, and sat back enjoying some celebratory drinks having dipped our toes in the Strait of Georgia.

The sail back to Port Sidney was rough but fast - averaging over 6.4kts, with reading reaching up above 6.9kts at times. While it was grey and cool, it was a fantastic day of sailing with the strong southeasterly wind. We snuck between Domville and Brethour Island, finally poking through Byers Passage for no reason other than that it was there to poke through. Mooring at the marina, I said goodbye to my crew of one and reboarded to relax and have some good alone time with Netflix and some unhealthy food choices from Fairway Market after another all-too-appreciated shower.

The return to Oak Bay had Ben van Drimmelen, Greg Rooney and Anghus Ainslie join me... along with about a hundred other yachts, as we had inadvertently set off at the same time as an international race of some sort. Needless to say that we weren't passing anyone despite pushing six knots almost the whole way back. The wind was shifting around until we left Sidney Channel, were we set out on a starboard under heavy and consistent winds. We lost wind around Baynes Channel, necessitating motoring.

All in all, it won't be my last longer cruise, though I will definitely be getting some more warm clothing for sailing. Luckily we missed the spring snow by about a week.

A new boat for the co-op!

We bought "Rhumb Runner", a 7.6 m Kelt, on February 24, 2022.

Our 2021 Saturday Boat Work Parties and Co-op Sails (after each work party): 

Jan to May cancelled, #74 June 19, #75 July 17, #76 Aug 21, #77 Sep 18, #78 Oct 16, #79 Nov 20, #80 Dec 18

More communication

Lots of co-op messages are now sent via Discord!

Felix Haul-out: May 31 to June 2, at Westport Marina in Sidney.

Bottom repainted, hull cleaned and waxed and polished, PSS seal (where the drive shaft exits the boat towards the propeller) adjusted, dodger inspected.

Our 2020 Saturday Boat Work Parties and Co-op Sails (after each work party): 

#69 Jan 18, #70 Feb 15, March to July cancelled, #71 Aug 15, #72 Sep 19, #73 Oct 17, Nov and Dec cancelled

A trip with Felix Aug 29-Sep 1, 2020

(story by Guillaume):

It was late August and another hot summer was starting to wind down on Vancouver Island. Once again, our trusty Felix and his acolyte, Pigledy the dinghy were requested to isolate in the Gulf Islands for a couple of days. With the current and under minimal wind, we left Oak Bay Marina around noon that day.  A gentle breeze greeted us as we got into the straight of Haro and carried us over to Pender Island where we decided we were going to spend our first night. Dinner in Bedwell Harbour was peaceful, and the clear skies of the day set the stage for a postcard sunset. 

Clouds rolled in overnight but the sun took back the center stage when it was time for us to leave our cozy cove around noon the next day. Once again a calm wind brought us to our second island, Sidney and made for a very relaxing sail.  Our sunset dinner by the Spit was equally memorable as the previous one with Mount Baker thundering in the distance.

The next morning was our last day at sea, so we tried to make the most of it by exploring Sidney Island a little while waiting for the tide to turn in our favour. We walked to the end of the spit which is almost 2 km long and ventured through the park area afterward. Biodiversity was  abundant everywhere we went, from crabs to otters and tall lush trees despite the lack of rain for the past several weeks. 

We started heading back towards our home port late that afternoon and arrived just before sunset.  

Thank you again Felix for another great sail.

Sailing Course for co-op members... was planned but cancelled due to COVID.

AGM was held online on June 23, 2020 (Jim McLauchlan's birthday!). 

General Meeting was held online on April 21, 2020 - a general meeting with just one topic... how to get by this year?? 

General Meeting was held on March 12, 2020 (our last in-person event for quite a while). 

Our 2019 Saturday Boat Work Parties and Co-op Sails (after each work party):

#57: Jan 19, #58 Feb 16, #59 Mar 16, #60 Apr 20, #61 May 18, #62 June 15, #63 July 20, #64 Aug 17, #65 Sep 21, #66 Oct 19, #67 Nov 16, #68 Dec 21

AGM 2019:

This was held on June 26. We have 5 instead of 4 directors now. We talked about recent repairs on Felix, finances, the budget, maintenance and improvements for Phoebe, possible "casual" racing and possiblechanges to our SOP.

World Oceans Week 2019:

June 2 to 9 was World Oceans Week, with World Oceans Day on Saturday June 8, 2019.

Here is a link to the main website: https://www.worldoceansday.org

There were lots of events worldwide. 

This links to an e-newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/b4c8df5073bd/events-news-and-views-for-the-ocean-mind...

Co-op General Meeting: 

on Saturday, May 18, 2019

This was a short General Meeting were we decided to remove some of the boat booking restrictions and to clarify/adjust our rules regarding guests on the boats.

Celebration of Life for Jim McLauchlan:

on Saturday, May 4, 2019

Jim McLauchlan, Chief Instructor of the "Oak Bay Sailing School", Mentor and Friend of the Victoria Sailing Co-op, and Victoria Harbour Ferry Captain, had died on May 7, 2018. In the morning of May 4, 2019, five Harbour Ferries and "Felix", one of Jim's favourite boats,  motored out of the harbour for the scattering of ashes. In the afternoon people gathered at “The Bent Mast" for food and songs and stories and fun memories. It was a great event.

Co-op General Meeting on Tuesday, March 19, 2019: 

- a time to talk, meet, make some plans (what co-op sailing trips? Swiftsure planning update? any other events? who will be attending the sailing course? who would like to go cruising in the summer? …. as far as people know this at the early time in the year), and to renew memberships.

Our 2018 Saturday Boat Work Parties and Co-op Sails (after each work party):

#45: Jan 20, #46 Feb 17, #47 Mar 17, #48 Apr 21, #49 May 19, #50 June 16, #51 July 21, #52 August 18, #53 Sep. 15, #54 Oct. 20, #55 Nov. 17, #56 Dec.15.

Christmas Party December 8, 2018

Another fun event, although only sparsely attended. We had a "new" room - up on the 12th floor with views of Victoria, very nice!

On Friday, October 19, 2018 we had a meeting about ownership of "Felix".

We passed several motions, and one was to introduce an overnight fee. To make keeping track of this easier we decided to make this a fee when boats are reserved ahead for a full day.

More importantly, though, the co-op is now ready to accept loans from all members - with interest!! Please contact Doug Prescott if you can help out in this way. (BTW these loans will be used for the sole purpose of paying for Felix.)

Our Sep. 9  Co-op Day sail did not have the right weather, or the right date..... only two of us showed up.                     

Felix went on a trip:

(story by Uschi)

Aug 26 to Sep 2 2018: Uschi, Barry and our daughter Helen went sailing.... to Sidney Spit, then Genoa Bay, Clam Bay (north of Thetis Island), Conover Bay, Divers Bay, Bedwell Harbour, Sidney Spit and then back to Oak Bay. It was a week where the smoke diminished to "hardly noticeable", and the temperature dropped a bit. But we still went swimming, and I slept outside a few times. Helen went back home a few days early, and we dropped her off at Otter Bay. Otter Bay has a really nice marina, and it is a great place to switch boat crews since it is close to the ferry terminal. 

Co-op trip to Maple Bay:

June 29-July 2  2018. This was a one-boat trip with only two people! (It was nice, though, and we renewed our friendship with VanIsle Sailing Co-op.) And we tried out Piggeldy's motor.

This year's AGM was on Thursday, June 21, 2018.

World Oceans Day was on Friday, June 8, 2018

We had planned a sail in the afternoon but it was pouring rain and unpleasant. So we just sat on Felix and enjoyed life in the harbour.  :-))

More info about World Oceans Day:

http://www.worldoceansday.org

Swiftsure Race on May 26, 2018

Felix participated in the Inshore Classic and did very well!! (Report by Roland)

Yesterday, May 26,  Max, Doug, Chris Lentz, Michael Clavelle and Graham and I raced the 75th Swiftsure Inshore Cruising Non Flying sails race. It was my second race, my first being last Wednesday, and my first as skipper. Chris & Doug also had some racing experience.

We motored to the start at Clover Point. We had a poor start, mainly because I hung too far back from the start line. We headed upwind to the first mark, one tack and we were around and then a long downwind run past trial island. We made good time downwind, closing some of the gap to the other boats, but it wasn't enough.  We headed up Mayor Channel to the finish at RVYC, finishing just over 1 minute ahead of a Catalina 27 named Paradise and 5 minutes behind another Catalina named Journey.

It was a good event, next year lets get both boats in the race. And maybe go downtown as well for the festivities. 

I highly recommend racing to the other coop members, it really makes you work on your sail trimming. If anybody wants to race, show up at RVYC at 5:30 and hang out by the docks, you'll usually get on a boat.

Results: http://www.swiftsure.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Preliminary-Results-for-Swiftsure-Inshore-Classic-2018-Sailwave.pdf

Pedder Bay

We went to Pedder Bay on May 19 and back to Oak Bay on May 21.

General Meeting on Saturday, May 19

At the Oak Bay Marina Coffee Shop we held a short General Meeting. The only topic at this meeting was a special resolution to change our SOP:

Resolution:

To change Section 6, #3 of our SOP from 

"Co-op boats may not to be used for organized racing.”

to

"Co-op boats may not to be used for organized racing without prior written approval of the directors.”

The resolution was approved by all present.

Day Sail.... on May 6.

General Meeting

was held on Monday, March 5, 2018 at 7 pm, at Unit D, 830 Pembroke St., Victoria.

Our 2017 Saturday Boat Work Parties and Co-op Sails (after each work party):

work party # 33: January 21, #34 Feb 18, #35 Mar 18, #36 Apr 15, #37 May 20, #38 June 17, #39 July 15, #40 Aug 19, #41 Sep 17 (Felix only, with sailing on the days before and after), #42 Oct 21, #43 Nov. 18 (went out sailing in both boats), #44 Dec. 16 

Our Christmas Party was on Friday, December 15, 2017, with lots of good food and drinks, a sailing slideshow, and Presents for the Boats - they got flashlights, pillowcases, an iPad, new flares, material for another reefing line....

Pub Night  on Sunday November 19th at the Bent Mast in James Bay, 512 Simcoe St, Victoria

This was a fun evening! Matthew Parsons joined us for a beer, some pub food and a chat. He is planning a solo trip around the world after initially buying a boat just to live on it. You can read his blog here <http://www.gudgeonblog.ca/about/> . We are looking forward to dropping in and having a tour of his boat.

Felix Haul-out 2017   postscript

A week later Guillaume got a power washer and cleaned Felix's decks. Felix loooked GREAT after that!

Felix Haul-out 2017   

- a 6-day affair -               (posted by Uschi)

On Saturday September 16 Felix sailed from Oak Bay to Sidney, with Doug Prescott as the skipper, and was left at North Saanich Marina overnight. 

The next morning, September 17, Felix came out of the water. 9 of us worked on the boat, and one supplied beer!

The boat bottom looked quite good; after the power washing (done by the Westport people) there was no growth anywhere, except a bit on the propeller (beginning barnacles?).

Work done:

• sanded the bottom (except where the boat supports were)
• painted the bottom blue (except where the boat supports were)
• scrubbed and sanded the propeller
• dealt with rain and set up tarps to prevent water dripping onto the new paint
• put 2 new Zn anodes on the propeller shaft
• tried to clean the white hull part above the waterline: a big challenge – we tried with different cleaners and even rented a buffer, but without much success

In the early evening 4 of us had dinner at the Stonehouse Pub.

Next day, Monday September 18, we had the boat supports moved in the morning, and Doug and Uschi returned to cleaning the while hull, this time with a different cleaner (something meant to clean and wax at the same time). It still did not work perfectly - it looks like next time we have to use yet a different cleaner - one that apparently WILL take all the stains off, but it will also remove all the wax. However we certainly treated and polished the entire white part of the hull, and while it still is not snowy white, a lot of small marks did disappear. - We then applied the second coat of paint.

On Tuesday September 19 we finally finished - Uschi had the support pads moved once more and applied the second coat of paint to the areas when the supports had been, plus a third coat to the rudder and the front of the keel. In the afternoon Doug and Barry moved Felix back to North Saanich Marina.

Roland skippered Felix back to Oak Bay on Thursday the 21st.



 

Co-op Sail on September 10, 2017:

(Story by Uschi)

This was meant to be a "fleet sail" with both boats, but we ended up being just 3 people - Uschi, Barry, and Brian M. So we just took Felix, and because there was very little wind we went for a slow, with-the-tides trip towards Esquimalt Lagoon and then back. We motor-sailed part of the way back because we had not realized how late it was.

This was no speedy or exciting sailing, but the weather was summery, we had lovely views, and it was really nice!

Co-op Trip to Maple Bay, Canada Day Long Weekend 2017:

(Story by Uschi)

We went to Maple Bay again and met up with the VanIsle Sailing Co-op from Nanaimo. Since not too many people had signed up (especially for the trip coming back from Maple Bay) we just took Felix, and left Phoebe at Oak Bay.

Starting out on Friday, June 30, were Guillaume, Uschi, Barry and Julie (visiting). We sailed most of the way and only had to motor towards the end of the trip. It was getting quite late, and we had booked a slip at Westport Marina (not Port Sidney, unfortunately), but we stopped at the customs dock of Port Sidney Marina where Guillaume and Julie hopped off. They were able to connect with Bill and Teri, watch the fireworks, and then drive back together to Victoria. Barry and I continued to Westport Marina in the twilight, arrived safely, and took a bit too long before we walked to a look-out point near the marina. This way we managed to watch just the last 15 seconds of the half-hour fireworks. Oh well, better than nothing, and lots of people told us that the fireworks had been great!  

Saturday, July 1, was quite a fun day. Isaak arrived in the morning with a big heavy bag containing a collapsible double kayak. We sailed to Portland Island and anchored in Princess Cove. Isaak, the kayak bag and I rowed ashore in Piggeldy, and Isaak put the kayak together. I went back to Felix, and we took off back to Sidney, picking Bill and Teri up at Port Sidney Marina. It was windy and wavy, and a high-speed sail. The way back to Portland Island was similar, and it was especially fun to pass another sailboat which was motoring.

Isaak had been paddling around the area and then had collapsed the kayak and done some hiking. Bill and Teri rowed ashore to pick him up, but they and Isaak had never met, so they missed each other (we tried to phone them, but first Bill's and then Teri's phone started ringing somewhere on Felix....). It ended up with Bill and Teri going for a walk on the island while Isaak came back to Felix by himself.

Next, Barry rowed over to pick up Teri and Bill, but they had already gotten a ride - they arrived in a dinghy not much bigger than Piggeldy, carrying them and two more adults plus a dog. :-))

We sat around and relaxed with food and coffee before heading back to Westport Marina.

In the evening we heard some kind of beeping from one of the other boats. An alarm re. bilge water, or propane? It took quite a while to find someone who could contact the owners, who reacted with "again...??!!" before coming down to the boat and switching off their faulty alarm.

On Sunday, July 2, it was just Barry and me sailing to Maple Bay. We started a bit late and therefore motored through the little channels by Canoe Cove instead of sailing around Coal Island, but after that it was all sailing with the wind and the tide, gybing x times, sailing through Sansum Narrows at exactly slack water, and arriving at Maple Bay even before the Van Isle boats. We had time to sit and read a bit, and I went for a row and a lovely swim in the sheltered bay just beyond the marina. 

Van Isle arrived with 4 boats and a total of about 15-20 people (some came by car), while we had 1 boat and 4 people (Teri and Bill came by car for the evening). Like last year we had a nice dinner together, played some games and got re-aquainted. It was fun.

Next day everyone went back home. Van Isle took off before us since they had to catch the tide change at Dodd Narrows. Bruce came out by bus, and the three of us sailed back just to Sidney. Since it was flooding in the morning we went north for a while (looking for wind, too), and since there was no wind we tried to re-set the autopilot. For that, we had to drive in slow circles - our track, as recorded by Navionics, looks quite funny!!

Eventually we turned south, sailed through the Narrows and all the way (at good speed, too) to the ferry terminals in Sidney where we did some heaving-to and a circle to let a ferry leave before crossing its path. Motoring back through the channels we got to North Saanich Marina at about 6:30 pm and then took the city bus home.

AGM:

Our 4th AGM was on Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at 7 pm

Some of the decisions: Election of 3 directors (Patrick O'Hara, Bill Adair, Uschi Leslie), Revision of SOP, Fee structure change as of April 2018

World Oceans Day Co-op Sail on June 4, 2017:

World Oceans Day was on Thursday, June 8. Since we had already planned another day-long Co-op sail on Sunday, June 4 - we sailed for World Ocean Day on the 4th! It wasn't a day-long sail, since fairly high winds were forecast, but we did go out and enjoy the water.  

Here is some more information:

http://www.worldoceansday.org/below-the-surface/setting-sail-for-world-oceans-day

http://www.sailorsforthesea.org/programs/green-boating-guide

Co-op Trip to Pedder Bay     May 20-22, 2017:

Our work party on May 20 was spent preparing for this trip; we left as planned around 12:30 pm. Barry and Uschi sailed Felix, Dorrie and Chris and Brian sailed Phoebe. Phoebe started ahead by half an hour or so since Uschi and Barry were a bit slow to get ready, and then went for a sandwich at the coffee shop.

The wind was blowing nicely at up to 15 kn, although it insisted on coming right from where we wanted to go. So we did our usual zig-zag course; Phoebe did a really long zig down south, way into the strait, and then was almost able to zag right into Pedder Bay. Felix tacked more often and stayed closer to the shore; we got a good look at the ships moored near Esquimalt Harbour.

Arrival at Pedder Bay Marina was about 6 pm. For Felix to get into the slip we had to make a 180 degree turn pretty much in one spot, with the wind blowing. Barry did this beautifully (and then we relaxed too much and (gently) bumped into the dock). We spent some time sitting and talking; then all three Phoebe sailors went back to Victoria; Uschi and Barry stayed on Felix. Emily came down in the evening.

On Sunday, May 21, we were 4 people to go sailing on Felix: Emily, Bill, Uschi, and Barry. There was little wind, but we sailed around Race Rocks and listened to the sea lions barking away. Great sunshine!

Monday, May 22 (Victoria Day), we returned to Oak Bay - Barry and Uschi on Felix, Dorrie and Brian on Phoebe. We motored several stretches since there was so little wind, but even without the motoring we were moving along quite fast since the tide was with us all the way. Felix's speed over the ground south of Trial Island was 7 kn. Arrival at Oak Bay was about 4 pm, and then we all spent a pleasant time on Felix, chatting and finishing up our food and drinks.

No payment was necessary at Pedder Bay Marina since it belongs to the "Oak Bay Group". It was a lovely trip, and we would have had room for way more people - maybe we did not announce this trip early enough, and/or too many of us already had plans for the long May weekend.

"Fleet Sail" on Sunday, May 7, 2017

We started out at about 10:30 am with 4 of us on Felix and 4 on Phoebe. Felix and Phoebe were creeping slowly with very little wind through Baynes Channel and then towards Cordova  Bay. By the time we had rafted up and prepared for a leisurely lunch (and had a "bathroom" break for Phoebe's sailors), however, the wind had increased to 10 kn or so, and we ended up having lunch on un-rafted boats and then sailing back with good speed. We got back at 4 pm exactly and then spent some time just sitting around, talking, eating all the leftover food and even having some wine. A great way to spend this beautiful sunny day!