Al has us up at 0500 hrs this morning. He was anxious to get headed north again. I was sure it would be foggy, since it’s been foggy in the morning for the past two days. But, I was wrong. By 0600 hrs we were underway.

Sea conditions looked good as we headed for West Point Lighthouse. I got this shot of Mt. Rainier as the sun was just starting to rise.

They’re reporting 11 knots of wind at Smith Island, so Al decided to take the protected route up through Deception Pass. Slack isn’t until 1402 hrs, so we’ll anchor this side of the Pass and have lunch if we get there early.

We had great traveling all the way up. However, as Deception Pass came into view, it was obscured by a big fog bank.( I knew that fog was going to get me). So, we anchored and had lunch. The wind had built to 20 knots, gusting to 30, and the fog was not dissipating. So, Al reluctantly decided we’d wait for the next slack at 2000 hrs, hoping to get as far as Hunter Bay before anchoring for the night.

When Al called on the VHF for a report on fog and sea conditions between Deception and Lopez Island, the Coast Guard responded. They said they had 200 yards of visibility, and flat seas. So, we waited some more. Then, around 1445 hrs, the fog suddenly lifted, so we decided go for it.

The current was really running through the Pass, slewing us this way and that, and the swells were huge as a result of the current being in the opposite direction of the wind, which was blowing about 15 to 20 knots. But, we soldiered on. Pretty soon the swells dissipated as we got further from the Pass, and the winds just kept dropping, until we had about 5 to 10 knots. We’d made the right decision. I put in a course for Montague Harbour, figuring we should make it well before dark, or at least, before dark, dark.

Crabbing season is in full swing in Canada. There’s a minefield of traps everywhere in Plumper Sound. And, of course the sun was so low it was shining right in our eyes, making it almost impossible to see them. When not dodging traps we were dodging B.C. Ferries, making it a Class A obstacle course. The Spirit of B.C. ferry seemed determined to run us down, so Al called him on the radio to ascertain his intentions. “Right. Passing red to red”, he responded. I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but luckily Al understood that “red to red” meant port to port.

We arrived at Montague at 2030 hrs, with plenty of sunlight left. It looked like lots of people got a headstart on the weekend. The anchorage was full of boats.