Sunday 8/5/2012 - Nanaimo to Pender Harbor
The weather forecast was correct. The winds were 20-25 knots which created horrible chop on the water. We thought we would give it a try with the hopes the winds would calm down later. Our biggest worry with these conditions was towing the dinghy.
We had originally plotted a course straight from Nanaimo to Pender Harbour. However, the conditions were not ideal and we decided to follow a tip from the cruising guide. It suggested that if the winds were strong from the North to stay close to land on the eastern coast, and then cross the Strait of Georgia from Schooner Cove to Pender. We hugged the coast and found it more comfortable, so we pressed on towards Schooner Cove. We arrived at Schooner Cove around noon, and with so much daylight, we decided to turn east towards Pender Harbor. If the winds died down in a little while, great, if not, then we could turn around and stay at Schooner cove and wait for better weather to cross the strait. Around 1pm, just like weather forecast said, the winds died down a bit and the chop was not as bad. We continued on to Pender Harbor and arrived there before sundown.
We could have anchored in Pender Harbor, but decided to tie up and get some water and groceries before the long motor up Jervis Inlet and Princess Louisa Inlet. In these inlets there are no marinas, anchorages or fuel. Using the cruising guide we found a marina, Madeira Park, but they had no boat slips available. However, the float plane slip was available that night and we could tie up to that. It turned out to be a perfect spot with a grocery store a short walk from the marina. We learned that not all water is potable in Pender Harbor. You have to ask the folks at the marina. This marina turned out to have potable water, so we filled up our water tanks.
After our trip to the grocery store and a delicious dinner, we started planning our trip to Princess Louisa Inlet. Princess Louisa Inlet is almost at the end of Jervis Inlet, and is accessed through Malibu Rapids, which can only be crossed near or during slack. Malibu Rapids doesn't have its own tide station, so we followed the guide book's suggestion and used Point Atkinson tide table, with an offset of 36 minutes for Malibu Rapids. Slack low water at Point Atkinson the next day was at 1300, so we should try to arrive before 1336. This meant we had to leave Pender Harbor at 0500.
