A good day to cruise.

Hello from Nanaimo, British Columbia! I did not have a chance to take any interesting photos today so I will post one I took last night in Prevost Harbor after my last post. I have never anchored overnight where it was as calm as it was last night. Absolutely like glass all night.

As beautiful as it was this morning, it didn't get off to a very good start. I had pulled the anchor and was almost to the mouth of the bay when I realized I had not hoisted my Canadian courtesy flag. I would be in Canada within 30 minutes so I bailed out of the rear cabin, opening the sliding door but not the overhead hatch. I climbed up on the roof of the rear cabin and as I was attaching the flag I realized I needed some tape so back in I went on a dead run. Do you see where this is going yet? I thought I had all the square corners worn off the boat and me, but NOOOOO! On the way back out, I headbutted the hatch at almost full power. My ears started ringing louder than they usually do, my teeth made a sound like my dentist just made another payment on his Mercedes and I almost took a nap. But I didn't have time for one. I grabbed my head to sooth it a little but before I could get back on top of the cabin, the blood soaked through my hat and started running down my face and dripping off the end of my nose. Remember, I'm still adrift. I went back inside and grabbed a paper towel, folded it about 5 or 6 times, stuck it where most of the blood was coming from, pulled my hat down tight and headed for Canada. If I wasn't otherwise occupied, I would have taken a photo. Maybe you have seen the guy who does the ads for that famous bear spray. The one that got mauled by the grizzly. I did at least find the Neosporin so now my head looks like a bird pecked a hole in it and then crapped on it.

The rest of the day went much better. I made Canadian Customs just after 0800hrs. and headed north. I missed the slack tide at Dodd Narrows (tidal rapids) by 1 1/2 hours but I ran against the current anyway. About one knot more current and it wouldn't have happened.

I am fully stocked up on Canadian groceries and Canadian money and am now sitting at the dock on Newcastle Island across from Nanaimo where the weather is beautiful.

It looks like there might be favorable conditions for a crossing tomorrow. The currents will ease beginning about 1000hrs. so hopefully, I will be crossing the Strait of Georgia in the morning.