They can almost smell the Maple Syrup

It has been a long ocean passage. In it self an unremarkable journey but we have been very lucky indeed with the weather! I had taken some advice, read lots of books, studied the endless marching of low pressure systems and tried to time the gaps. I looked at historic wind and current charts and looked at the route that Captain Cook took when he did this journey (he did it in the summer!) In the end we were just lucky!

Best was for us to stay south for as long as possible, adding 600 miles to our journey but skirting out of the weather systems, then making a run for it up the coast hoping for a gap between the endless violent winter depressions. On one day, we heard that a 700 foot container ship had lost more than 60 of its containers from the deck in bad weather. We were chugging along just 130 miles to the south of it! It is not really a place for a pretty yacht. I think that it could be compared to putting a girl guide in the middle of an international rugby match.

The thing that always strikes me with travelling by sea is that it is just time, sea and weather. The view is more or less the same through the whole journey. Some days it is rough, some it is calm, sunny or raining but pretty much what you see, is an endless watery horizon. On this journey we have crossed a season as well as an ocean. There has been no tell tail signs of leaves changing and days drawing in, just Bam! It was hot now It's cold and dark and it's winter. The view is still the same though.

The last land we saw was the lush green of Diamond head and the turquoise water peeling in over the reef at Waikiki, palm trees swaying in the warm breeze. Tomorrow it will be raining and we will cruise up the Juan de Fuca straight with snow capped mountains ahead and pine trees shrouded in mist. The contrast is incredible. We are excited to be arriving in Canada and I for one am very relieved that this journey is nearly over.