This year we cruised from Tacoma (the Tacoma Narrows Marina) to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, British Columbia and Greenway Sound on Broughton Island for a total round-trip distance of 862 nautical miles (992 land miles) and took 1134 photos. Memorable stops included Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Blind Channel on West Thurlow Island, Lagoon Cove on East Craycroft Island, Alert Bay, Shawl Bay at the entrance to Kingcome Inlet, Greenway Sound on Broughton Island, Maple Bay Marina on Vancouver Island, and Cornet Bay Washington State Marine Park near Deception Pass. Overnight anchorages included Douglas Bay in Forward Harbour, Octopus Islands near Quadra Island, and Matilpi on Havannah Channel. Other stops were at Big Bay, Kwatsi Bay, Schooner Cove, and Roche Harbor. In total, we stayed at 19 different places (some twice). The boat ran flawlessly all the way.

There were only two difficulties along the way. The first was the high winds on Johnstone Strait. Our first attempt at Johnstone Strait was from Forward Harbour. There were about 15 boats in Forward Harbour awaiting the Strait. We got through Sunderland Channel with only a two to three foot chop, which the Cruise-A-Home handles without difficulty, but after rounding Gunner Point, the waves from Johnstone Strait came crashing over the bow and against the windshields. This left about 4-inches of standing water on the forward deck which, fortunately, ran off before the next big wave hit. This was just too rough so we turned back to Forward Harbour.

After another night in Forward Harbour the winds on Johnstone Strait were now predicted up to 40 knots, so instead of waiting here who knows how much longer, we decided to return to calmer inside passages around Big Bay. Returning through Chancellor Channel and Cordero Channel were no problem. The next stops were in Big Bay, Octopus Islands, and Blind Channel again. In Big Bay we saw a group of kyakers camping there, and again saw them camping in Octopus Islands. The next attempt at Johnstone Strait was from Blind Channel, out through Mayne Passage. The winds were light and the passage was without problem.

Our second difficulty was when we refueled in Maple Bay Marina. The fuel dock attendent presented us with the diesel fuel hose instead of gasoline. This resulted in adding 117 liters of diesel into 282 liters of gasoline already in the tank. The whole tank had to be pumped out. Fortunately they did so at their expense, taking about five hours. The delay, however, was not so bad since we had intended to stay the night anyway. They gave us a complementary nights moorage as consolation.

On the way to Schooner Cove from Lasqueti Island, we saw a large pod of porpoise swimming north in the Strait of Georgia. Every day we were favored with seeing eagles and also seals. However, this was the first year that we did not see a bear or two.