Wednesday, July 17, Point Roberts, U.S.

     On Monday we motored and sailed from False Creek (which winds its way right into  downtown Vancouver), south to  Point Roberts, six hours away when traveling with the current. We averaged about 6 knots over ground. It was another sunny day but as we motored out of English Bay the wind became stronger and the waves became bigger. Pretty soon the waves were breaking over the bow. We passed a big red buoy with a bell on it ringing its warning and I thought of Gordon Bok, the Maine singer/songwriter referring to “gong buoys”. I also thought of rocks, fire engines, sandy shoals, and the shipwreck stories I’d read to my kids before bedtime when they were young. I began to wonder how big the waves could get, the sun was shining after all. Well Mike told me later that the forecast had been for “strong winds”, which means larger waves, maybe 3 or 4 feet, forming whitecaps everywhere with spray, around 25 - 30 knot winds. The wind was stronger and the waves were bigger than anything we’d traveled through so far in our two weeks of sailing. We were glad knowing the current was pushing us south. I definitely felt uncomfortable rocking and rolling through those waves. I know from my reading of sailing accounts that one could eventually get used to such turbulence. (But how long does it take to get used to it?) As we motored out of the bay beyond boat traffic I began to wonder how the boat would do in that wind with the sails up. At one point I asked Mike if we’d put up the sails. He said he wasn’t so sure how the boat would be in that wind. After a few minutes he suggested we start with the stay sail (our smallest sail). So we unwound the stay sail without turning off the engine. The boat did fine and maybe a half hour later the wind seemed less forceful so we felt confident enough to raise the mainsail. The boat was still “thrashing” like a beast in pain but not quite as much as before. Mike asked me if I wanted to try getting the main up. I was scared but excited to try Keke’s method for raising the sail in strong winds. There are many holds on a sailboat for just such a situation and I made sure I was always holding on to something while getting that sail up. Keke’s method worked and Mike and I felt triumphant as the boat moved smoothly through the rough water, engine off, just the comforting sound of the wind in the sails and and water wooshing by. The boat actually moved better with the wind and waves under sail than with the engine.

      I felt like we had gotten through the worst of the high winds and waves. I’d been down below decks several times for different reasons during these strong winds. Things we had not put away, a newspaper. some maps,  were on the floor. I could hear the pots and pans banging around in their cabinet. The boat was rocking so fiercely I had to hold onto the handholds along the walls or fall over. After the first time below I knew I’d be sick if I didn’t get back on the deck fast! It was so disorienting the way our little “RV on the water” felt  like it and myself were experiencing a long term earthquake! I didn’t eat a thing for lunch! I had zero appetite, and it was all I could do to grab some crackers and cheese for Mike to eat while steering the boat.

      Later in the day around 4:30 the wind was almost nothing. We took down the sail and motored into Point Roberts Marina around 5:45. The U.S. customs guy was very nice. He was learning Spanish. When he saw we were from New Mexico he decided to practice. When Mike answered him in Spanish and started asking him where he’d learned his Spanish, he had to tell us that he didn’t really know that much. He had very good pronunciation though. We thought he was fluent. He just glanced at our passports and handed them back to us. What a relief! I was tired and not looking forward to a fussy customs official.

     The Marina people had already gone home so we had to call the security guard. He turned out to be a very kind elderly gentleman. We were dreading having to go into our reserved slip because there was a strong current and wind beginning to blow into the marina. It was as if he read our thoughts and told us it would be fine to stay at the customs dock for the night, they wouldn’t be expecting anyone else that evening. There was even water and electricity on the customs dock! Just dinner had to be prepared. Mike surprised me by suggesting we just go over to the restaurant and eat. So that’s what we did. My appetite was back. I was famished. Our waitress was vey sweet and young and when we asked for a scoop of ice cream, she brought us three! I slept oh so contentedly that night.