An interesting day on the water. We passed through five rapids in one day, while piloting a motor sailor.
4:50 AM: Up and at it. We have to make it 53-miles and through two rapids before reaching Dent & Yaculta. We need to make an early start. It is not yet light out. We will be catching the flood for 1.5-hours, then bucking the ebb until we get to Dent at slack water, then riding the new flood down to Cortes Island.
4:55 AM: Checked engine and genset. Fired up the furnace. Fired up the engine. No need for the genset today as we are heading out.
5 AM: Depart Port Harvey. It is early and we have enough light to see. Full moon. Water is flat calm.
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| Rainbow over Johnstone Straits |
8 AM: Now bucking the tide, we find good current relief by cruising in the 20-fathom line off the north side of Hardwicke Island and make 8.35-knots.
8:25 AM: Entered Wellborne Channel.
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| Whirlpool Rapids running 5.2-knots |
8:44 AM: Fun begins! Whirlpool Rapids is running max ebb at 8:39 AM, we knew this would be poorly timed. We make it thru at 2.75-knots SOG. We never raised the engine RPM or took any chances here, it is a narrow channel but has always been kind to me.
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| Deer along Cordero Channel |
9:30 AM: Again we are making great time working up the shoreline along the south side of Cordero Channel, staying out of the current in 20-fathoms. Up to 8.7-knots SOG, which is great for an 8-knot boat.
10:15 AM: Moved thru Greene Point Rapids against the ebb at 4-knots SOG.
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| Dent |
12:10 PM: Entered Dent Rapids. Slack is supposed to be 12:42 PM. We saw little current. I have tremendous respect for Dent and try to always base my timing on this point.
12:25 PM: Passed thru Gillard Rapids, between Gillard and Jimmy Judd Islands across from Big Bay.
12:38 PM: Passed thru Yaculta Rapids. Slack is 12:47 PM. Again we saw little current.
3:55 PM: Arrived Cortes Bay, on the southern edge of Cortes Island.
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| Cortes Bay - SYC Outstation |
