Dodd Narrows

Well it was an interesting afternoon. Everyone took turns napping and taking the helm. Late in the afternoon as we approached Dodd Narrows, an aptly named place through which the current runs incredibly fast except for a few minutes at slack tide, Greg debated long and hard about whether we should attempt it. Consulting tide charts, it seemed slack tide would be at 6:15, and we arrived there exactly at 6:00 p.m. To our surprise, the current was still running hard, and Greg went through another round of debates about whether to go for it or wait until tomorrow. Noting that we were still making progress against the current, he decided to shoot it, and nervously steered hard as the current tried to turn us sideways and into the rocks on the west side of the narrow opening. It felt pretty nerve-racking for 4-5 minutes, then we cleared the tightest point of the rocks and shot through clear. We were all pleased, especially Greg! Another hour into the Nanaimo Harbor where we anchored for the night, had dinner, and sat talking in the salon. We all expect to sleep well tonight! Unfortunately tomorrow’s weather forecast calls for winds in the Georgia Straits that are higher than we’d like, so we may be in for