Esperanza Inlet to Tahsis

We left Dixie Cove by 06:30 and headed back out to the Pacific. The forecast was for 10-15 knot NW so we had our fingers crossed. We had the sails up before we cleared Kyuquot Sound and had a rolling 4 knot downwind sail to Esperanza. It was wonderful. I had rigged up a simple preventer for the main and it worked exactly as needed, no banging main and no untoward pressure on the goose-neck. We had originally planned to overnight in Queens Cove but after we got there we saw HOUSES on shore. After an hours rest we decided to head back out to Mary Basin. It looked pretty nice and the brief write-up in the cruising guide looked like it could be worth a visit "… the anchorage is quite scenic, usually deserted, and surrounded by various cruising attractions". A pretty good understatement! The sea caves as you enter into Nuchatlitz Inlet are stunning, especially with the swell breaking on them and the beaches slope perfectly so you can run the dinghy right up. Great walking, great exploring opportunities. There were quite e few sea otters around and there is supposed to be pretty good crabbing as well (we have had sea food 3 nights now so I am off food delivery duty for a few more days. We had a wonderful day Tuesday exploring the shoreline with the dinghy before lunch, walking on the beach and relaxing in the afternoon. Not the warmest of days however and we had the furnace on a lot (again!). Hopefully we will see summer when it starts tomorrow. We left Mary Basin this morning in fog and drizzle. A Beneteau 42 called Kipper Kite left around 6:00 am with the intention of heading out and down to Friendly Cove. We decided that with a forecast of 35 knot SE winds and having to go SE, Tahsis would be a nice place to visit. We hooked up the auto-helm and motored up to Tahsis. The Beneteau appeared a few hours after we left behind us. They passed us in Tahsis Narrows and we caught up with them at Westview Marina where we stopped. They had gone out and run into 30-35 knot winds and a a knot of current against them and decided to turn back and see the inside passage. 4 guys on board, it must have been hard for them to turn around, especially after we stopped by yesterday to say hello in the dinghy and they confidently stated that they were here to sail (a comment made AFTER I told them the weather was forecast for 25-25 knot SE winds). As I said, we stopped at Westview Marina in Tahsis. A great place! The owner has been in Tahsis for 26 years and has been operating the marina for the past 15. They watched the slow slide of Tahsis as the mill progressively shut down and then finally closed for good in 2002. They have made a wonderful transition to a successful seasonal tourist business, open this year from May until likely October. They have very clean facilities, reasonable moorage (0.75 /ft plus GST), fuel, showers, and a Mexican restaurant. We went for dinner tonight and it was quite good. Wireless internet in the restaurant as well as on the licensed patio. It is pounding rain right now and has been off and on since the afternoon so we didn't spend any time sunning on the patio. Oh well, tomorrow is summer!! We are off to Hisinit Inlet tomorrow so hopefully the southerly winds will ease a bit before we leave.

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