North to Haida Gwaii
We're off the dock, headed north to Haida Gwaii for another big adventure. This is the fourth such voyage Laura and I have embarked on. The first to SE Alaska in 2024, Sea of Cortez Nov 2024-Mar 2025, and around Vancouver Island in the summer of 2025 (have to catch up and write some posts about that voyage).
We left the dock in Anacortes April 1 where we spent the winter. I'll write more about that experience later. Since then we have spent significant time in Squalicum Harbor (Bellingham) having some much needed repairs done. Some of the big items were replacing a broken hatch and installing a new heater.
We did manage to get 3 short sailing trips in with friends and family in between the work. Even the short outings provides such great memories. The winds in April-May are awesome -- aside from using the motor in and out of harbors, we sailed the entire time. It's taken a while to break mold of "what the sailing season is" as defined by San Juan Sailing where I've had charter boats and taught sailing for so many years (peak season being June-Aug). The storms definitely come in the spring, but as long as one tucks in for those the sailing is super fun. Because there are less people, I often find the wildlife more abundant -- eagles, otters, herons all abound.
The journey to Haida Gwaii can be broken up into three sections.
Getting to Prince Rupert by the end of June where we pick up our friend Marjie and Kasey for two weeks. We will probably do more than the 500 indicated in that route by the time we explore some long inlets along the coast.
From Prince Rupert we will head to Welcome Harbor. We'll stage in Welcome Harbor for a good weather window before crossing the 70 mile Hecate Straight to Haida Gwaii.
Exploring Haida Gwaii. We have a month long permit for the month of July. That’s on 70 miles so lots of slooooowww exploring to do there.
Weather permitting, we will probably leave straight from the south end of Haida Gwaii back to the mainland in early August. That will be its own adventure that we still have to think through.
Leaving this time feels different. We are now part of the 4th Corner Commons community in Bellingham, WA. It is a budding community and we in on the ground floor, participating in its inception, design, and build. We're also engaged in helping to setup the governance for the community using a model called Sociocracy.
Laura and I will admit to a couple surprises on that front. First, what sounds fairly easy and straightforward in concept is more difficult in implementation. Neither one of us were born yesterday so why something being more difficult than at first blush is a surprise beats me, but there you have it.
Post retirement, it fills a service purpose need to be engaged in something bigger than ourselves. Cruising the past couple of years, both of us knew something was missing and that void is being filled.
So what's so different about leaving this time? Technically we don't have a land home yet. Even though we have a site and architectural designs, we haven't officially purchased the land or demolished the existing building, much less started construction. But in working together and getting to know the existing members we have made many new friends, already feel like we have a great community, closer knit than in any place I've lived. So while we don't have a dwelling to come back to , it feels like we have something very important awaiting us when we do get back.
Home is so much more than four walls, or in our case, two bulk heads and a companionway.