Taking Sally to shore in Prideaux Haven.
The weather continues to be beautiful, but a change is on the way. The barometer is slowly falling and the extended forecast is for southeasterlies on Thursday. At this point, they’re only calling for 10 – 15 knots, but it’s a sure sign of what’s to come. On the bright side, the heater worked much more efficiently this morning and without gurgling!
We’re trying to fit all of the pieces of a puzzle together as we plan to make our way south – a stop in Westview to discuss the windlass with the guys at Vandercamp’s, a stop into Pender Harbour to see our friends, Gary and Tani, along with taking in a new anchorage or two along the way before we slip into Nanaimo, down through the Gulf Islands and across the border where we hope to see our friends, the Emmens, and the crew from Sarita. And as much as we want to do these things, we equally do NOT want to leave Desolation Sound. But at the same time, we do NOT want to get stuck here for weeks waiting out bad weather, so we’ll be leaving in the morning.
David did some work in the engine room this afternoon in preparation while I went out for one last paddle in the kayak. When looking a few things over, he discovered the gasket on the top end of the motor will need to be replaced and oil is starting to seep out and cook onto the block. It’s a major job and will cost thousands to repair. Not good news, especially when you add it to the growing list of things we need to fix after this season: the cockpit clears (the zippers are breaking under the strain), the windlass, the headliner (which is falling down from all of the moisture), along with a hundred other jobs. At this point, it’s difficult not to feel as if the boat is falling apart around us but there’ll be plenty of time to worry about that later. For now, it’s time to concentrate on the passages we have in front of us and to say goodbye to Desolation Sound.
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