{"id":3805,"date":"2016-08-03T19:50:59","date_gmt":"2016-08-04T02:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?p=3805"},"modified":"2016-08-03T19:50:59","modified_gmt":"2016-08-04T02:50:59","slug":"gingerly-winding-south-with-puffins-and-shearwaters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?p=3805","title":{"rendered":"Gingerly winding south \u2013 with Puffins and Shearwaters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We slipped away from our G&#8217;Sung Gwaii tour after completing our visit to the beach site with all its story-filled poles and headed south. The wind forecast was 15-25 kts from the northwest and we generally wanted to go southeast. So we unrolled our genoa jib and pushed it out with a whisker pole so it would catch the wind. Off we ran (to use a sailing term meaning the wind is abaft the beam, i.e.from the rear generally).<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-3805 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?attachment_id=3820'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/WindingGingerlySouth-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/WindingGingerlySouth-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/WindingGingerlySouth-640x640.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5527.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3808\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5527-e1470241465870-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_5527\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/WindingGingerlySouth.jpg\">Here is a link to a higher resolution image.<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>An hour or so later, as we were coming abeam of Cape St. James at the southern tip of Haida Gwaii we turned more toward the southeast and the wind started to build so that the true wind was often above 20 kts. We rolled in some of the jib to reduce the amount of sail and to slow the boat as the boat speed was jutting into the 8-9 kt range. We also got out our stash of candied ginger which is a needed &#8216;medicine&#8217; when stomachs start to quail to the rocking and bouncing that Cat&#8217;s Cradle was subjecting us to. Wave heights seemed to be in the 1-2 m range, with some much larger.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5658.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3814\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5658-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_5658\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>Leslie now had five layers on and was driving the boat up and over and down and around the waves which were quartering us on our aft port side. In this situation, the port hull lifts as the wave arrives and then after the crest passes that hull, the boat makes a quick turn to port as the second hull comes over the crest and then the boat more-or-less resumes it original course. Think of it as Cat&#8217;s Cradle sashaying along. When Leslie saw that she had hit 11.1 kts at one point, she called for more reefing and, as sunset was approaching, we rolled in more jib, proceeding with a little handkerchief up there still pulling us along at 6-7 kts.<a href=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5626.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3813\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5626-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_5626\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Whales visited, birds flew and swam, and a big ship came down on us.\u00a0 It finally turned westward and passed behind us, likely starting toward China.\u00a0 Slowly the sun went down., but the wind remained strong. We noticed that our highest gust so far was 32 kts true (25 kts apparent).<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-3805 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?attachment_id=3816'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5687-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?attachment_id=3819'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5734-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?attachment_id=3812'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5615-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?attachment_id=3811'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5583-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?attachment_id=3810'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5573-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?attachment_id=3809'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5534-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>By sunrise each of us had had several 2-hour watches during which we viewed the stars appearing and the clouds darkening, We noted the wind and boat speed and watched for other vessels (we saw two). The autopilot turned the steering wheel this way and that way in small or large amounts, either quickly or slowly.\u00a0 The GPS noted that, though everything looked the same around us, we surely were progressing back from our two weeks on Haida Gwaii to Vancouver Island and mainland Canada.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5664.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3815\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5664-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_5664\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5714.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3817\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5714-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_5714\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>With dawn came more birds and dolphins and as we approached our goal, we viewed occasional and then rafts of sea otters. About 10 nm from Bull Harbor, the wind dropped to 10 knots.\u00a0 With an adverse current jetting across the Nawhitti Bar, we turned the motor on and dodged the bar by carefully crossing through a huge kelp-infested reef. We tucked into serene Bull Harbor where it took two days of cleaning the boat, resting and reading, and walking the rock- strewn Roller Bay to get ourselves back into travel mode.\u00a0 Here we are at Roller Bay looking back at the horizon over which we had so recently come.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-3805 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?attachment_id=3793'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_5841-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Stats: distance traveled = 174 nm, time = 28 hrs, ave speed 6 kts, ave wind speed ~15-20 kts NW, max wind speed 32 kts true, 25 kts apparent, seas = 1-3 m, engine hours = 3<\/p>\n<p>Here is a map of our path where we experienced Gwaii Haanas \u2013 Place of Beauty \u2013 on Haida Gwaii.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-3805 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/leslieval.com\/?attachment_id=3806'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/gwaiiHannasRouteMap-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/gwaiiHannasRouteMap.jpg\">Here is a link to a higher resolution image.<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We slipped away from our G&#8217;Sung Gwaii tour after completing our visit to the beach site with all its story-filled poles and headed south. The wind forecast was 15-25 kts from the northwest and we generally wanted to go southeast. So we unrolled our genoa jib and pushed it out with a whisker pole so [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pacific-northwest-sailing","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3805"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3834,"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3805\/revisions\/3834"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}