Around the Island
The mountains rise directly from the sea in many parts of Vancouver Island
A circumnavigation of Vancouver Island? That sounded like a great idea, so after a few months of planning, my friends Bridget, Jelski, Jonty and I quit our jobs in Auckland, New Zealand, and flew to Canada, where we joined Harry Miller and Sarah White aboard their 1983 Canadian Sailcraft 36, Mamaku. We were fired up about the 800-mile voyage and ready for some adventure.
The first day out from Oak Bay marina in Victoria, British Columbia, saw us covering a lot of ocean, flying through the beautiful Gulf Islands on a mighty spinnaker run. The day was also a great opportunity for us to get used to each other and the boat. To that end, the sleeping quarters in the quarterberth were improved significantly with the removal of a protruding fire extinguisher bracket. We also quickly figured out the optimum sleeping arrangement involved at least one couple camping out on the closest available beach.
After enjoying the beautiful anchorages at Pender, Ruxton
