Skookumchuck

The 'Skookumchuck' scares me! I guess that's a good thing as I'm aware of the dangers and respect the area. As a child, I heard all the horror stories of people drowning, boats overturning, unwary boaters being caught in the whirlpools and huge logs popping up out of the swirling waters. The 'Chuck' isn't a friendly place - but it is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

Kent enjoys taking friends aboard the boat to 'view' the Skookumchuck Rapids up close. He will only go through the rapids on a slack tide, but on a run-out tide he will manoeuver the boat close enough to the roaring current and whirlpools for guests to experience the mighty power of mother nature.

When we were there two weeks ago, there were people camped on one of the islands. I don't know if I'd want to be there so close to the raging water for more than an hour or so - but it's an experience you wouldn't soon forget! My camera is broken so, no pictures right now :( but if you 'google' Skookumchuck Rapids you will find a great deal of information and pictures.

Smugglers Cove

The sun is supposedly coming out - soon!

We're heading for Port Sidney Marina to spend Labour Day weekend with boating friends from the Crescent Beach Yacht Club and it would certainly be nice to finish off the boating season with summer weather. Right now it feels more like November and we're anchored in Smugglers Cove waiting for the wind to go down and the seas to calm enough to make the crossing to Nanaimo, then South to Sidney.

Smugglers Cove is a lovely little anchorage -but with a narrow and rather treacherous opening to navigate. We are totally protected from the wind and have a stern line tied to a boulder on shore, so all should be well for the night.

I'm waiting for the sun to show it's face so we can carry on toward Sidney!

Baby Seal

Last week a young seal died on the beach at Egmont.

Friends pointed him out to me, as he flippered his way up onto the warm rocks with his big black eyes glistening in the sun. We could see an infected gash on his shoulder and it was oozing. He obviously was very, very sick and lay dying in the warm afternoon sun.

We discussed the options and soon realized mother nature would take care of him. It's illegal to harm the seals, even if they are suffering - so we couldn't put him out of his misery. It wasn't realistic to try to help him in any way so we left him.

After he died, our friend had a closer look and discovered what appeared to be a bullet hole on the side opposite the gash. Yes, seal populations are increasing dramatically and they are a nuisance to the fishermen, but shooting a seal then leaving it to die a slow, painful death is extremely cruel.

We pushed his little body into the water, letting it drift away on the tide.