We left Hinson Island and Hamilton Harbour under grey skies, with 15 knots of wind from the SE and dressed in our foulies!  Evidently, Eric had watched us disappear into a thunder storm, but fortunately the storm passed unnoticed behind us, although we both later admitted that we had noticed a single flash, we were too preoccupied on navigating the channels and steering to be concerned as to the cause of it.  As we left Hamilton Bay and turned into the South Channel, we fully expected the small freighter which was following us to carry on out to sea, but it turned behind us and passed by.  This was a tremendous bonus to us as visibility was reduced by the weather conditions, so his passage confirmed the navigation markers we were looking for and as he was much faster than us we were able to take a bearing on him and confirm our course to the next set of distant channel buoys marking The Narrows and entry point into St George Harbour.  With the wind on our beam and 20 knots of wind I was glad to be at the helm in my foulies.  As we got closer to St George Harbour and turned into the wind, the seas coming around the top of the island were pretty big but under engine and sail we slowly bashed our way up the channel.  As we approached the narrow cut in the rock,  Noel 's tension got the better of him and he disappeared down the companion way asking if he had time to go to the head!  I seem to remember such a thing happening at a tight bend on our way up the river to Chateaulain! He reappeared just as we emerged the other side of the cut and in the safety of the harbour! 

We have tucked Whisper in a narrow passage between Smith Island and St Davids where we are protected from the wind.  After the seas we came through this morning, it is unbelievable to be lying so still with the wind whistling high over our heads. We have been invited to dinner tonight with a marine biology friend and colleague of Noel's from way back.  His house is just up the lane from a small public dock which we can see about 20 metres away, so this is an ideal place for us to spend a quiet night.