We just spent two days in Naniamo B.C. exploring the waterfront. Our marina, Waterfront Suites and Marina, is at the end of a grand esplanade that skirts the waterfront from our marina to the boat basin about a mile and a half away. In the middle is Maffeo Sutton Park. The whole waterfront is clean attractive and well used by the locals. There are hundreds of upscale, (read expensive,) apartments and condos all along the waterfront.

We also took the shuttle boat to Newcastle Island Park and hiked another 2.5 miles there. This island is just across the channel from our marina so we got a nice picture of Abby Normal from the island through the trees.

We are long on time on this end of the morning. We must take ourselves back south through Dodd Narrows later today. This is a tiny slot between Vancouver Island and Mudge Island of the Gulf Islands. This is similar to our Deception Pass between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands. The tidal currents are on the order of 7 or 8 knots and reverse twice daily. The prediction table Tells us to be ready at 3:55 pm this afternoon, so we are napping and reading and writing a blog while we wait for the right time and the right tide. Remember the sailors adage, “Time and tide wait for no man.”

If you go to my website you will get to see several of the photos we have taken here in Naniamo.

We had one more adventure on the way to Ladysmith. Ed and Phil, my old sailing buddies, will identify with this. We painted Abby Normal’s keel paint on a submerged rock not two boat lengths from our slip. Apparently without further complications. We went back to our slip and checked keel bolts and bilges and found no evidence of damage. I got the wind knocked out of me when I fell down the hatchway to the main cabin when the boat literally bounced off the rock. Glen is planning at least a diver inspection when we get back to Brownsville.

Yes, we made our date with Dodd Narrows with an hour to spare.