I know, I know two posts in one day.. enough already.. but I wanted to sum up the whole wind situation.
When we got up this morning there was debris on our deck. It might not look like much to you but when those branches were landing on our roof at midnight and trees were swirling around our heads… it was well, let us say, interesting.
We walked around our neighbors properties and drove around to SoHo to check on things.. There were lots and lots of branches down, very few limbs and a couple of skinny trees. Nothing too bad. The water was flat calm and it was sunny out. You would never know that last nights entertainment was a minor hurricane.
The winds returned mid day. Our friends who had to, were able to get off island. We had to wait until our son finished his exam to pick him up and that wasn’t going to be until 5ish. We were watching the waters from our living room window pretty carefully. Environment Canada was saying 25 – 35 km (gusting to 45 km) and the white caps were substantial. We (naively) figured our boat could handle it and E was game. I had my heart set on our son continuing his visit for a few days and E didn’t want to disappoint me..
Just before it was time to head across the channel to get our son, this tug boat headed by….
E wasn’t worried.. In fact he was kind of looking forward to challenging the TinMan and seeing how it made out…besides we really wanted a visit with our son.. (we miss our kids)
E headed across around 4:30 and it wasn’t too rough on the east side of the island. It was bumpy but not hairy thru to Ruxton Passage. Once he got past Morris’s and around the point there were huge standing waves, with peaks.. and it became obvious that he was just being stupid.. The driving rain didn’t help.. There was water coming over the top of the boat dripping thru the zippers and he was getting soaked. but it wasn’t just the water. With each post wave slam down it became more and more apparent that his trip was foolish.. It then became a challenge to find a moment to turn around between giant waves…. That done, he bounced back around to PC and fought the wind to get into his berth…
He called me then to tell me his tale and my first response was “you came back without him?” He assured me that having remained on the right side of the ocean was more important than me visiting with one of our kids.. I begrudgingly agreed.. ( sniff sniff)….
There was a large freighter moored outside of PC last night that found itself south of Ruxton this morning. Our son is currently on a wild ferry ride across Georgia Straight. Perhaps what we should learn from our adventures this last 24 hours is that during Environment Canada posted wind warning periods, we should just pour another glass of wine and watch a hockey game. But what I have learned is that once we get a kid over here to visit.. we shouldn’t
let them leave
Off the Grid Islander 
We weren’t so lucky in December 2010. It was windy but the forecast said 25-30 and we had dr’s apts, so we left PC and rounding Morris’s it was looking pretty windy but H said he thought we’d be OK. Then half way across to BH a very dark sky appeared over Cedar by the Sea then a white squall came through – 50 kts gusting upwards from the NW. No way of turning around. We had to keep on going. Waves were 15 ft+. I was thrown off my seat on one big one. Henno’s knuckles were white. Adrenalin and 40 years on the water, Henno got us in to BH. My back was so sore, I could barely walk when we got off the boat. We said never again will we take a chance. There’s nothing more important than your life!
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When we moved here we said we would never risk it… But he wanted to see what the boat could do.. and I wanted to see my son 🙂
haha… He definately made the right choice… Was your trip in the Panache? It’s those gusts that get you… if you can make the trip between gusts….. 🙂
Hope all is well… take care
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We weren’t so lucky in December 2010. It was windy but the forecast said 25-30 and we had dr’s apts, so we left PC and rounding Morris’s it was looking pretty windy but H said he thought we’d be OK. Then half way across to BH a very dark sky appeared over Cedar by the Sea then a white squall came through – 50 kts gusting upwards from the NW. No way of turning around. We had to keep on going. Waves were 15 ft+. I was thrown off my seat on one big one. Henno’s knuckles were white. Adrenalin and 40 years on the water, Henno got us in to BH. My back was so sore, I could barely walk when we got off the boat. We said never again will we take a chance. There’s nothing more important than your life!
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When we moved here we said we would never risk it… But he wanted to see what the boat could do.. and I wanted to see my son 🙂
haha… He definately made the right choice… Was your trip in the Panache? It’s those gusts that get you… if you can make the trip between gusts….. 🙂
Hope all is well… take care
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I’ve seldom found Environment Canada to be wrong, as long as you check their latest forecast. And one shouldn’t forget that the going is at its most rough during the last third of the way across the Channel to B.H.
Did E has his survival suit on? And a cell phone handy?
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He was all prepared ,… Just wanted to test the boat… But when it got air borne thought best to end the test:)
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I’ve seldom found Environment Canada to be wrong, as long as you check their latest forecast. And one shouldn’t forget that the going is at its most rough during the last third of the way across the Channel to B.H.
Did E has his survival suit on? And a cell phone handy?
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He was all prepared ,… Just wanted to test the boat… But when it got air borne thought best to end the test:)
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Glad E returned safely,pretty scary. But, Carty would have tried it too. It must be a guy thing. A glass of wine is the only way to handle this situation. Thanks for checking on our place !
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Glad E returned safely,pretty scary. But, Carty would have tried it too. It must be a guy thing. A glass of wine is the only way to handle this situation. Thanks for checking on our place !
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Glad to hear E didn’t attempt to go any further. Sounds like it was quite the storm. I bet it was the same one we had go through Kauai two days ago. Tornado at sea just off the island.
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Could be. It has been crazy around here lately. Just heavy rain now yhough
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Glad to hear E didn’t attempt to go any further. Sounds like it was quite the storm. I bet it was the same one we had go through Kauai two days ago. Tornado at sea just off the island.
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Could be. It has been crazy around here lately. Just heavy rain now yhough
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