Treazure Island

We spotted this beautiful little island on our way to Pirates Cove after leaving Telegraph Cove Marina on Thetis Island. There was a couple of boats anchored offshore and we vowed to come back the next day.

As we got closer we thought, "Is this the Caribbean or South Pacific?" And the best part - we had it all to ourselves!

The beautiful white sands are due to crushed oyster shells. There is a oyster lease posted.

Robinson Crusoe never had it this good

We just had to have a picnic!

It was an idyllic afternoon, the type of experience that makes being a boater sublime, where you pinch yourself to see if you wake up.

We walked around the island, had a swim, a skinnydip actually, lounged and laughed and had to leave all to soon. (This spot is a little too open to anchor at night and subject to winds and drag).

Our dog Friday

We will definitely go back next year.

Kalena

Roche Harbour

A great resort on San Juan Island

Wednesday saw us heading south to San Juan Island. Just our little family, away to celebrate John's big five-o. While I wanted to throw a party, my stubborn mate insisted Roche Harbour was where he wanted to be when the big day came. I had to agree Roche is a great destination for something that momentus. It has just about everything a great resort/marina could offer. Fine dining, swimming pool, interesting shops, history, and a spa. Not to mention great docks for walking and oggling the biggest yachts this side of Palm Beach. Yes, turning fifty there could be fun. I booked us in at the spa for a couples massage and at McMillins for dinner. Neither disappointed!

Lunch on the dock

The Afterglow Spa is a must do while here. The facilities are first class with offerings to suit everyone. Denise pressed and rubbed until I felt like a bowl of spaghetti. Justin worked on John's shoulder until he said it felt a quarter of it's age. Why don't I do this more often, kept running through my head, as I was kneeded and lotioned into bliss. Meanwhile, Laura was having eyebrow shaping and a manicure. The shower facilities are super, overhead rain showers and a steam room. Last year I had a wildflower whirlpool bath but decided not to this year.

Refreshed and pampered, dinner awaited. The prime rib at MacMillins is superb, salt encrusted and roasted, worth reaching 50 for alone. We had a great dinner, crab bisque, dungeness stuffed scallops, calamari, a dry and peppery red, front row view over the harbour. Highly enjoyable, highly recommended.

Daisy loves it here


This is a dog friendly resort

Bubbles are always amazing

There are lots of things to do while here...

Great shopping in a couple of clothing boutiques, great boat decorating items and housewares in a couple of upscale store. The market is fully stocked with a big selection of grocery items plus a great line of Roche Harbour sauces, marinades, and dressings. We've tried several and they are great, particularly the chop marinade.

Walk thru the pretty forest to The Mausoleum, we went in the evening and though it was a little creepy it was quite amazing nonetheless. Up past the swimming pool there is a superb open air sculpture garden, beautiful art displayed in a large field, there are some amazing pieces that you must see.

The sunset ceremony is not to be missed, announcements are made, particularly birthdays, flags are lowered accompanied to national anthems, and then sometimes staff will dive into the water. It is quite moving actually.

Dock walking - what can I say about this? Big beautiful yacht after yacht, it would be hard to pick one and say it is the best. Fun just to walk with beverage in hand and look at them and talk to other people doing the same.

Great breakfasts and burgers at the restaurant on the dock. a nice craft market next to the docks has some great handmade jewellry items and art work, usually open every morning.

Beautiful formal gardens with an ever changing show of seasonal flowers.

Roche Harbour is a must see destination for boaters, it has something for everyone, with first class facilities.

Kalena

BC Day part three

With beautiful weather forecast we decided to head over to Pender Island after Patti and Phil left us at Crescent Beach Marina. We headed home, picked up Laura, Daisy, Shelby (Laura's best friend) and all our stuff and headed back to the marina. Turn around time - one and half hours - we were back on board and heading out again. It impressed me anyway.

The wind was up a little bit but not enough to stop us. Poet's Cove on Pender Island our usual destination was fully booked. We missed a slip by about half an hour they said and were very good about calling us back. Laura was disappointed as she had really wanted to take Shelby there. Poets is a wonderful resort with first class facilities, the pool areas are great with gorgeous views over Bedwell harbour and the Customs Dock.

I had phoned Otter Bay Marina as well and they were able to accomodate us. We pulled into the Marina about 7pm on the Sunday. They had us come to the main dock into quite a tight and awkward spot. John handled Treazure brilliantly, backed her up and in on one try. Relief, there was lots of people sitting on their boats watching, and we were the show.




What at first looked like a not so great slip turned out to be delightful. Practically everyone who walked by that weekend stopped to talk, it was absolutely the friendliest marina we have ever been to. Perhaps we were in a social mood as well anyway it was great. Wolfie is a very nice man and runs the marina ship shape, the boys who work the dock are good humoured and professional. Boat people are just really really nice!













The facilities are great, quite a different feel than Poets Cove, but very relaxed and very well maintained. The party atmosphere on the dock was in full spring and seemed to spread to the girls who put on a very funny show for us on the dock that night, singing and pantomiming all the funny songs they had learned at camp the week before. Hilarious! Even the two seals out on the other side of the breakwater put on a show for us each evening, throwing seagrass and smacking their tails in the water. Are they residents we wondered?







Words you never want your husband to hear the next morning...
Two men stopped to talk right next to us

"Wow, I never knew ole Trixie could drink that much !"
"Yeah, she's a real trooper! " husband replied.

OMG!! I thought we might pee ourselves, we laughed so hard. ( I really hope John would deck any man who might say that about me, no, I really hope I never give anyone cause to say that about me!)




Anyway a great time was had by all, we stayed an extra night and headed back on Tuesday morning. An absolutely fab BC Day Weekend!

Kalena

BC Day part two

Sunday, beautifully hot and sunny. I was excited!
Patti and Phil were coming aboard, they had yet to see Treazure, and I wanted them to see her all gleaming and shiny.

Patti and I met on an airplane too many years ago to tell, we enjoyed some time together in Mexico, came home and somehow the friendship stuck. I love her for many reasons, she is fun and funny, smart, hardworking, says and thinks outrageous things,
and cares deeply. She is a rare person and the dearest friend.
Phil is funny and smart too, they are a great match and I knew the four of us would have a fabulous day.


We met at Crescent Beach Marina at 10am. We left the dock alittle while later, again after consulting the tide tables, and headed out into the channel and Crescent Beach. It was fun to look at Blackie Spit from the water and see where Patti and Phil had been married 4 July's ago in an absolutely beautiful wedding with little Helaina and Erik right in the middle. Phil said I Do to three that day. It was one of the most beautiful weddings ever.


After rounding all the channel markers and negotiating thru the crab pots, we anchored off the White Rock Pier with a good view of the beach. We were hoping to get a view of the SandCastle tournament being held at East Beach, the first in twenty years. Not too many people around at that point.




We sat in the sun and chatted and laughed. We told outrageous jokes that were in stunning bad taste. A marvellous time!

Lunch was served up. Croissants with creamy shrimp and dill, bbq salmon, cheeses, crackers, cold peel and eat prawns, everything was eaten so I'm hoping it was good. Everyone could have been just really hungry though.

The tide went out, we watched our depth and were ok at 7 feet and we held fine. The motor had purred both days and we were happy with it.





The crowds came out and out and out. They filled up the walkways, filled up the sand, and spilled out into the warm water. I don't think White Rock has ever seen so many people.


We were supremely happy to be sitting on our boat and watching.

More talk, more laughter, naps, sunshine, waves lapping. A truly great time!

Love you Patti and Phil

Kalena

BC Day Weekend

This weekend we wanted to incorporate BC's 150th birthday, White Rock Sea Festival, and entertaining on the boat.

We decided to bring Treazure over from Pt Roberts to Crescent Beach Marina. This worked out very well as the marina is close proximity to where we live, and a little bit easier for friends to come and go from. Though John had some reservations because of the shallowness of the channel combined with one of years highest and more importantly lowest tides, we managed fine. Crescent Beach Marina was very accomodating and using our reciprocal arrangement they found us a slip near the gas dock.


On Saturday, we had invited our friends John and Elaine out for an early dinner. After looking at the tide table, we headed out and around to White Rock beach just after 3pm. With perfect weather and a light breeze, we scooted around loads of crab markers and anchored just east of the pier. We had a great view of the people on the pier and the musical grand stand. Flags gave the pier an even more festive air and music drifted out from the band stand.
.



A good Chardonnay accompanied cold prawns and cheese and crackers



For dinner, some pinot noir, steak, grilled asparagus, sweet red and orange peppers.

Interesting conversation flowed, John and Elaine have been to Australia, China, and France in the last year or so, and are both master gardeners and enjoy collecting interesting plants (Thistles are their latest love).





We left before the fireworks started as we doubted being able to see in the dark all the hundreds of crab traps bobbing in the bay.

A grand day with grand friends!

Kalena

sunbathers

We came into this little bay on Prevost Island to check it out as an afternoon anchoring spot. You can see it as you leave the most western end of Active Pass where it opens onto Trincomali ( this is the spot where John and I both agreed we would like to be "sprinkled" ). It is across from Mayne Island and 10 minutes from Montague harbour.

As we were leaving we saw these sunbathing cuties...

They were watchful but content to enjoy the sun and dry their fur.

We were content to watch them.

Remember - If you come across a seal pup on the sand or rock it is best to leave it for 24 hours and come back and check to see if it is still there, Mom is probably out catching dinner, unless of course it is obviously injured or in danger from dogs etc. then it is best to contact the Vancouver Aquarium for info on what to do @ 604 258 -seal or emerg pager 604 735-4777.

Kalena