Back at False Creek

Where Next?
Bob Williams
Wed 22 Jul 2015 00:45

Position: 49 16.15 N 123 07.37 W
At anchor False Creek
Wind: South East. F4 moderate breeze
Day's run: 13 nm

I forgot to update the blog for yesterday. Oops!

Where were we? That's right, at anchor on Burrard's Inlet.

Yesterday morning I was awoken at about 5.30 by the anchor drag alarm going off on the GPS. We had not dragged anchor but the wind had shifted into the southeast and Sylph had moved outside the tight swinging circle that I usually programme into the GPS so that, just as had happened, I am alerted to any shift in the weather conditions. Where we were anchored was very close to some shoals, the tide was flooding, and the wind shift meant that if we did drag then we would end up on the shoal. Being on the north side of the inlet meant there was a fair bit of fetch hence the waves while small were causing Sylph to bob around a little. I was not intending to get under way until nine as this was when the tide turned but the wind gradually freshened and as I never like being on a lee shore if I can help it, I decided to get going early. Consequently we got under way at a little after seven.

We pushed against the tide for most of the way out of Vancouver Harbour (motoring this time in accordance with the rules) though by the time we reached the First Narrows it was pretty much slack water. Once clear of the Narrows I set sail on a close reach in a light breeze until we cleared Ferguson Point when, as we cleared its wind shadow, the wind freshened to a moderate south easterly, which meant a reef in the main and a furl in the jib. We sailed close hauled across English Bay at a nice clip to its southern shore just to the east of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club where we tacked and headed for the entrance to False Creek. Fifteen minutes later we were in among several boats anchored and moored off Elsje Point, so I thought it best to hand sail and motor the remaining distance into False Creek.  Here we anchored at a quarter after ten.

Now the focus is on getting Harald’s and my visa applications sorted out.

All is well.