Weekend Chebacco Rendezvous

Wayward Lass and Bluster

Sidney Spit Marine Park, BC

August 23-25, 2003

On August 23, Lisa and I along with our two boys Jacob and Samuel (ages eight and six respectively) of Chebacco Bluster spent a wonderful three day cruise in the company of Chebacco enthusiast Jamie Orr and his wife Maureen aboard Wayward Lass.

We met at the public launch ramp in the town of Sidney, BC, located on the southern end of Vancouver Island. This involved an easy ferry crossing from the mainland for us and short drive for Jamie and Maureen.

This was the first overnight cruise for the Bluster crew so there was a fair bit of good-natured confusion but in due course we launched and were off. Loaded down with camping kit, food, water, etc., Bluster carried it all without trouble.

Wayward Lass and Bluster motored together (no wind) across Sidney Channel then deep into the protected bay of Sidney Spit Marine Park. We rafted up to enjoy a cockpit picnic and a toast to our cruise. After lunch we sailed out of the bay to explore some of the surrounding islands for the afternoon. Later, back in the bay, we unloaded our kit. Lisa and the children slept ashore in the tent. The boat-in-only camping area (once a homestead) is a lovely grassy spot with overgrown hay fields and climbing trees. Our kids immediately met other kids and disappeared for exploration and adventures. Jacob asked why we had never come here before. I slept aboard Bluster, anchored just off the drying shallows. Jamie and Maureen slept aboard Wayward Lass using Jamie’s ingenious boom tent.

The next morning we sailed out of the bay for a six-mile (or so) voyage to Portland Island (Princess Margaret Marine Park). We enjoyed some fair winds and the pleasant company of Jamie and Maureen. It is a novelty for us to be able to sail quietly along with another boat, close enough to converse. This is especially interesting in identical boats. Jamie’s experience and experimentation gave him a slight speed advantage so I made a point of keeping Wayward Lass in our wind shadow. We anchored for lunch at Portland Island then Bluster headed back to Sidney Spit (Jacob and Sam were busting to get back to the campground and there new friends there). Wayward Lass arrived back later in the afternoon. With the kids playing and the wives reading on beach Jamie and I took Bluster out for a short sail before the wind died and we motored back.

The final morning revealed precious little water under our keels (we knew we were pushing our luck anchoring so far into the bay). We quickly broke camp and I borrowed Jamie’s tender ‘Creamsicle’ to ferry our kit out to Bluster, now anchored in deeper water. Lisa and Jacob walked the two miles to the end of the Spit while Sam and I brought Bluster out of the Bay to retrieve them. But as they say, the sea can be unforgiving at times….we promptly ran aground on the mud bottom. Between paddling and hopping out to push Sam and I eventually found a channel and freedom from the bay. Wayward Lass, employing similar style and technique also managed to win the race against the tide. The virtues of a Chebacco’s shallow draft, light displacement and keel-protected motor were very appreciated.

We motor sailed back across Sidney Channel to the ramp where we soon had our boats back on dry land, strapped down and ready to drive back to our respective homes.

Many thanks to Jamie and Maureen for their company, guidance and patience.

A very memorable trip.

Randy Wheating

Port Moody, BC

Canada