But wait.... there's more!

We had smooth sailing from Desolation Sound all the way into Vancouver..... we only stopped once along the way since the water was so calm and the wind was nill.  A truly lovely moment in boating..... when there is NOTHING going on :)

 The cruise ships were pouring out of an already busy Vancouver Harbour.....

 We arrived in Vancouver at about 7:30 PM and to our surprise, the city was getting ready for their annual fireworks festival!  Sounds great, huh? It was, but getting there was a bit hectic! The marine traffic came from all directions once we were in the harbour, varied shapes and sizes....

 The freighters all stand in a row.....

Yep, in the spot with all of those little green triangles (boats on the chart-plotter) is where we are going!

Just past this.....

And this.....Did I mention the marine traffic came in all shapes and sizes?

In every possible boat available!

But ahhhhhh...... we made it!  Here's one of our favorite spots in Vancouver, Granville Island so park the boat!

 

 

And just as we were pulling into the overly crowded harbour, every conceivable alarm on the boat began to chatter.... even the weather alarms (the weather system had not been working for weeks) went off as we were just trying to maneuver our way in! One of those un-lovely moments in boating when EVERYTHING is happening at once!

And head up to our favorite rooftop restaurant....

It's even better after dark....

Add fireworks!  What an incredible city.

We found the fireworks barge

 The following day we had a great bike ride through Stanley Park, soaking up all of the sights....

And.... just in case!

C Otter standing proud at Quayside Marina with Yaletown all around

This is the channel into Vancouver Harbour,  plugged with hundreds of boats waiting for fireworks

What an amazing month....

We've had an amazing month and we've gotten quite comfortable living on C-Otter..... getting to know our way around beautiful Desolation Sound.  I am truly amazed at the beauty hiding around every little nook and cranny.  I'm also amazed at how many little nooks & crannys there are! It's truly been bliss.

Today, we've begun our trip south, back home. So, here are a few other photos that I just had to include.... Best moments of the past week or so.  It's been awhile since we've had phone service or internet.  Tonight we have both! So I'm playing catch up with the pics.

Meeting up with good friends, miles from home

Just another gorgeous spot.....

Best purple starfish sighting.... Theresa, this one's for you!

Best dinghy ride "home" at dusk, after an amazing dinner with Goodwin's on their boat

Best anchorage that stops traffic in during low tide...yes, that says zero feet at zero tide.  Once you are in, you can't get back out until high tide.  The "draft" on C-Otter is 5'5", so we need at least 8' and that's nerve wracking!

BEST moon rise.... over Toba Inlet the super moon just coming up.  Truly a magical moment.....this photo does not even do it justice

Yes, more kayaking.  We just couldn't get enough

Yes, more kayaking.....

New meaning of me being at the end of my rope:)  What a way to relax!

How do you spell kayaking paradise???

P-R-I-D-E-A-U-X   H-A-V-E-N..... that is how you spell kayaking paradise!  What a spot.  We spent 2 nights on the hook and who did we see again??? It's Jerry & Jenni on our boat's twin, "Forever Young".

Yes, those are oysters.....both sides!

Cocktail hour.... life in the slow lane :)

We paddled to our hearts content and just couldn't get enough. Around every corner was another surprise and another beautiful sight.  The oysters were abundant to say the least!!!

Depth shows 2366' on the way from Prideaux to Toba Inlet....whoa!

The trail map said "moderate climb"

Kyle's "plumbing" to the marina and to their home

Ta da........ beautiful spot!

A hike to the falls on Toba Inlet.... we made it to Toba Wildernest Marina and are spending another wonderful evening. The owners here are terrific.... they've put alot into the grounds, trails, etc.  and live here full time for the past 10 years. How cool is that?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...

As we were leaving beautiful Gorge Harbor a few things come to mind.... First off, that place is flippin gorgeous!!! (no pun intended) We truly enjoyed our stay.

We did find some ambition and took care of a few maintenance items since we had the luxury of shore power, a dock that we were tied to, a spigot of fresh water, etc.

And that would be my next point.  Being a boater, you are FORCED to reduce, reuse and recycle. EVERYTHING that we normally take for granted comes in small doses when you are self contained and it all has to be used minimally.

Batteries on a boat only last for a short amount of time when anchored out, so every switch, plug, power cord, etc. has to be turned off when not needed.  Of course we have a generator on board, but that takes fuel.

Water is a precious commodity as we've always known, but your understanding and appreciation for fresh water is multiplied when it's not so readily available. We do have a water maker on board which sucks up salt water and turns it into fresh water..... it makes 13 gallons of water per hour. The point is, it's easier to use than make, so water is used sparingly.  Showers never run long and the water gets turned on and off as needed..... and yes, flushing is a luxury!

We do have great refrigeration on board and a wonderful (and huge for a boat) freezer.  Again, everything on board must be "managed". Fresh fruits and veggies we've been able to find along the way and even a restaurant now and again.  It somehow makes you more appreciative of food that someone else prepares for you.

Boating is a fabulous lifestyle. What other spot can you get to by boat... no traffic, no crowds with such GORGEOUS weather, meet up with friends miles from home. It really is a test in self reliance also. It is awesome.....nothing really to compare.

New horizons....

Wow!!! Desolation Sound is everything and more than we expected..... the down side is we have a very tough time getting motivated to do much.  We've been walking and kayaking and going for dinghy rides. That's pretty much it. It is so relaxing I had forgotten what true relaxation even was!

Coming round the bend from Lund.... the sight truly is jaw dropping - Welcome to Desolation Sound!

Around every corner there is something even more beautiful to see.  It is a very special spot and the weather is P-E-R-F-E-C-T.  As Theresa would say, it's no temperature.

We have stayed at Squirrel Cove, Manson's Landing and are currently at Gorge Harbor. Each spot unique in it's own way.  Again, it's tough to find motivation to even move to another spot. This place is perfect, why go anywhere???


Since they say a picture is worth a thousand words, here we are.... and to steal the tag line from Granville Brewery, "It's Good To Be Here" :-)

The struggle from here will be internet & cell service.... oh well.

 We met our friends Jenni & Jerry on their boat "Forever Young" in Manson's Landing.

Twins

Jerry, Jenni & Chris

Jasper couldn't figure out which boat was his

Beautiful Gorge Harbor - I could stay here for a long time.....