Jul 3rd

After apple pie for breakfast, we left Effingham Island and headed out of the Broken Group. We decided not to explore the island as it was a windy and cloudy day. The wind was blowing 10-15 knots so we decided to sail downwind and try out our wind vane.

A wind vane is a mechanical self steering system that you use to steer the boat along a particular course of wind, so you don’t have to be at the wheel all the time. It has a fin thing that acts like a sail and a rudder thing to turn the wheel. The beauty about the wind vane is that it is purely mechanical so you don’t have to juice it up with power. We have one that came with the boat that we had remounted but hadn’t used yet. It is a Fleming, from Australia and about 20 years old. Jessica Watson, an Australian girl who recently became the youngest person to sail solo around the world, used a Fleming wind vane to accomplish the feat, albeit a newer version.

Anyway we set the wind vane and hooked it up to the wheel and presto, it didn’t hold the wheel on the course. We adjusted it and tried again, and again and again. No joy! It did not want to move when the wind turned. So we got out the instruction book and found out that you need to adjust your sails just right before you can set it! No weather helm from too much sail being put up! Kudos to Jessica Watson for being able to do it as it’s not easy. We noticed that our vane was a little stiff, a product of being 20 years in storage. So we oiled it a bit and managed to loosen the fin up a little but I think it needs more grease on the rudder thing!

We had a fun afternoon sail and headed to Robbers Passage between Tzartus and Fleming Islands (how appropriate). They are in a group of islands known as the Deer group just east of the Broken Group. There is a small marina run by the Port Alberni Yacht Club that is very pleasant but we decided to be cheap and drop the anchor (free!).

Since it was early afternoon on a sunny day we hopped into the dinghy and landed at the dock. We took a walk through Fleming Island to the other side. There are nice trails through here maintained by the club. We found a nice little beach and some rocks in the setting sun to explore.
Then we headed back to the boat and Jim grilled the salmon on cedars planks. We had anchovies on one, and truffled salt on the other fillet. Jacintha has really been enjoying the salmon dinners we’ve been having! More apple pie for dessert!

Fleming Island

Robbers Passage