Canada Day! July 1st

Things really began to crank up in Roche Harbor. They steadily ramp up, evidently to a real crescendo, to the actual 4th of July.

Uncle Rick and Aunt Vicki showed up for cocktails and dinner on the Veranda. We had our outstanding waiter, Evan, again—and another great chow event.

Afterward, nightcaps on the boat, with banter with our new friends on the dock. Brian and Holly Calvin are from Nanaimo. We had many good talks about the practice of medicine, including much good advice from Brian to Ian. Holly (and Brian too) had great book recommendations—notably a book called “Blue Lattitudes”about Captain Cook. Gets me motivated to get back into non-fiction. Good book recommendations from Brian as well. Holly’s father, Barry, had much to do with the modern Nanaimo skyline, and the Planatarium in Vancouver—a really cool guy. I was promised a tour of all that when we make it to Nanaimo on a future trip.

Jim, Connie, Laurie, and Shane were neighbors too. They are based two slips away from us in Anacortes Marina. Shane is going to go to OSU. Good folks. We decided some boat names, particularly power boat names were lame (not all, mind you, as you will see.) But if you call your big power boat “High Maintenance” it seems like an issue.

Also made good friends with Jim and Trish. Jim is an airline pilot for Alaska, and Trish is a General Surgeon. Both very cool folks. Ian had a talk with Trish about medicine as well. She has an inspiring story of putting herself through school as a first-generation college grad, including medical school, with eventual surgery. Good story for Ian to hear.

We watched the flag ceremony again. Then to bed.

This morning, we ran, kayaked, packed up Energy, and departed Roche about 11:30 am. It was windy. Out in San Juan Channel, it was blowing 15 to 20 kts. Ended up with two reefs, and going about 9 kts. Big white caps. Kind of a cluster for a while, but the gallant crew of Exergy got her done. It’s nice to have Ian and Levi to help. After a reach above Jones Island into Deer Harbor, sails down, around Crane Island and into Wasp Passage. Then up Harney Channel, sails up again, and into Rosario.

Rosario has a new dock design, very much nicer and safer than before. We came into our slip with another tail wind, but it all went well and here we are.

Now two days here at Rosario, including the infamous favorite Ray Cascade Lake run, dinner with JoAn Mann, then to Anacortes and back to Vicki’s on the ferry.

Here are the Roche Harbor boat names: