This great blue heron looks like he/she’s out for a stroll.
Actually, he/she’s on the hunt for lunch.
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Category: On The Water
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Fast and Warm
Our summer weather has been pretty spotty, but today the sun was out and there was some heat in it.
With a South wind blowing into Howe Sound Madsu was feeling sprightly, doing 5.5 knots to weather with her 100% jib and full main.
Can’t really get enough of this. There’s a short video here.
This is a still from the GoPro HD camera I had strapped to the pushpit.
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Caledonia Yawl
This lovely Caledonia Yawl is doing an effortless 5 kn to weather on a sunny day in Howe Sound. The skipper looks plenty relaxed.
With a reef in Madsu’s main and the 100% jib up, the Yawl was outpacing us.
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Long Weekend Warms Up
We finally got some warm weather – and a lovely day for a day sail in Howe Sound. The wind was a bit flukey by the time we got down to the dock, but we had a lovely low key afternoon sail.
You can see there’s still lots of snow in the local mountains.
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Quick Overnighter
Had a lovely sail to Keats Island from Horseshoe Bay – a short overnighter mid-week. This shot is mid-afternoon at Plumper Cove.
After I rounded the top of Bowen Isalnd, the wind in Howe Sound was about 14 knots on the nose and I tried a different sail combination – my 60% jib with a full main. Normally I’d have the 100% jib up with a reef in the main in this wind, but I wanted to see how well the smaller jib performs.
I was surprise to find the boat a lot flatter – even with the full main. Beating all the way up, Madsu was never heeled more than 15 degrees and we were doing a respectable 5 knots average SMG.
When North Sails cut this jib for me, they kept it fairly full low down, but the luff only goes about 2/3rd of the way up the forestay – so I does make sense that I’m getting less heel even with the full main.
I like this combination a lot, keeping the main full means more power through the chop. I do think with the 100% jib and a reef in the main I might have a bit more speed, but also a lot more heeling and not as much punch through the waves – or at least that’s my theory.
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Low Tide
We’ve some some really low tides this weekend – .4 metres on today (Saturday) at the afternoon low.
This rusted out pile is usually well covered with water – today it’s clearly covered in starfish.
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Yacht Meduse in North Vancouver
Madsu is spending the winter under wraps on a trailer next to my house, so I have to satisfy myself cruising the waterfront looking at passing boats.
Meduse used to be owned by Paul Allen – though I don’t know whether that’s still the case. She’s looking pretty parked here at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver – maybe here for the Olympics ?
If she is here for the Olympics, it was brilliant strategy to pick North Vancouver instead of Coal Harbour or False Creek. Already on the North Shore, there are no bridges to cross to get to Cypress Mountain or Whistler for ski and snowboard events. And just steps from the seabus to downtown Vancouver. Smart.
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Howe Sound Cloud
Light to no wind in Howe Sound this afternoon. But a lovely day with loads of interesting clouds to watch while going nowhere in particular.
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Pam Rocks
I’ve been land-locked the last couple of weeks with a (boring) illness. I’m finally getting back on my feet.
Spent the day today with Sea Dragon Charters, a charter dive boat, shooting pictures for their website. Grabbed this shot while the divers spent a little time checking out Pam Rocks in Howe Sound.