Alaska Trip Day 7

5/22/11

Ganges, Saltspring Island, B.C.

Miles motored:  28

Miles sailed:  0

We've been out a week and I think things are starting to gel.  Tor and I talked about the first week being hell, but it turned out to be hard in so many other ways than we were expecting.  I was thinking that the biggest problem would be sleep for the boys but that turned out to not be too terrible.  Ah well, we are starting to figure things out which is fantastic.

Papa didn't want to get up this morning, Lars wasn't very cooperative

I took the first shift running the boat and weighed anchor and motored us out of Echo bay and towards Bedwell Harbor on South Pender Island so we could check into Canada…we made it out of the country!

When we got to Bedwell Harbor the customs officials actually boarded our boat and searched it, that’s never happened before…but I guess it was bound to happen since we were the only boat there and they looked a little bored.  We technically brought too much alcohol with us and potatoes which aren’t allowed, but they let us slide.  We had to promise to not throw the uncooked potato peels overboard.  I would guess that after a dunking in salt water that any eyes in the potato peels wouldn’t grow, but I will definitely follow their instructions!

After Bedwell Harbor we headed to Ganges.  It’s Victoria Day weekend in Canada and it’s a three day weekend for the folks here so things were PACKED in Ganges, but we ended up getting a spot at the dock, which was good because we wanted to run some errands in town.  Tor and I spent a couple of great days in Ganges the first summer we launched the boat and it’s fun to be back.  There is a store here that has EVERYTHING and we were able to get the things we needed.  We keep needing to buy things to childproof the boat.  On the list were clips so we could rig some sort of gate across the opening to the head (bathroom) because the door is a pain to close and the boys keep trying to eat the toilet...disgusting!  We also needed some hand sanitizer since we change SO many diapers.

On the way to Ganges!

While walking around we had to get ice cream cones and it really helped us fit in with the holiday atmosphere in Ganges.  It's a neat little town.

After we got the boys to bed I went grocery shopping for ice and perishables and then went to listen to the live music at the Treehouse cafe, they are having a Bob Dylan fest and mostly I just enjoyed watching people.  When we were here in 2006 we ended up staying an extra night since someone on the dock told us a musician was coming to play at the Treehouse Cafe that we really should stick around and see.  We stayed and were so glad we did.  The musician was Harry Manx, he's quite famous in Canada and it turns out we LOVE his music.  Every time I put the CD on that I bought that night I remember a really fun time.

I found an unsecured wi-fi connection and am sitting outside the Laundromat posting.  Woot!  The plan is to head to Nanaimo tomorrow.  In order to get to Dodd Narrows on the way to Nanaimo at slack water we need to leave Ganges at about 9:30.  That means we've got to head up to the Laundromat as soon as they open so we can, guess what, wash diapers!


ETA: pictures!