Our outboard dinghy engine still needs fixing so we set
course for Shearwater on Denny Island, one of the last places on the BC coast
that has a settlement, a marina and a mechanic – of course, that comprises most
of the town.
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| Wolf Failing to Yield Right-of-Way |
On our cruise there, we traverse the narrow but charming Gunboat Passage, so skinny
and twisty that getting the boat
through is like threading a needle with boxing gloves on. It is lined with small islands for miles and miles.
At the tail end of our passage we notice
unusual traffic in the channel , a wolf is
swimming directly in front of our boat, crossing from the island on our left to the
island on our right. We stop, as he clearly has no intention of yielding to us even
though we have the
right of way. He slowly crosses over to the shore, where he clamors out of the water, over the rocks and onto the
stony beach. He shakes
off the water so vigorously I can almost feel the droplets landing on me. After taking a moment to catch his breath –he
seemed a bit out of shape with all that panting – he turned, looked straight at us and
then walked into the woods and out of sight.
He never even thanked us for allowing him wide berth in the channel.
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| Wet Wolf |
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| Big Beaked Edgar |
Once we are safely docked at Shearwater, no sooner are we on land than we’re buzzed by Edgar,
the eagle. He flew so close and low we felt
the wind whip around us from the flapping of his wings.
The locals had named him and assured us he had no interest in Zippy, but
every time we left the boat during our stay there, Edgar stood watch, beak poised for things I don’t even want to think
about.
On Monday morning Kevin the mechanic quickly fixes our
outboard motor. We now have all systems
working. Our water maker has performed
flawlessly, taking saltwater and desalinating it into water so pure we can
drink it. We are ready to forge onward.
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| Harbor at Shearwater |
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| Evening in Shearwater |
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