Telegraph Harbour to Vesuvius Bay then to Princess Bay

We awoke to a sunny start to the day in Telegraph Harbour. As we have internet access, the first order of business is to check email, the stock market and some blogs I follow. Not much going on so we prepare to cast off from this always welcoming spot. 

 

View from the head of the ramp tp the Telegraph Harbour Marina 

Our destination is Vesuvius Bay. A locale we have never visited. It’s on Salt Spring Island, across the channel from Crofton on Vancouver Island. Karen calls Crofton  “the blight” because of the rather large paper mill that spews forth lots of industrial “smoke” into the otherwise pristine views. Vesuvius has ferry service every hour, so it’s a popular destination for the non-mariner wanting to visit Salt Spring Island. 

 

The welcome sign at Vesuvius Bay 

Beyond the fact that we have never been there, we wanted to check out the Village Store, but most importantly the Seaside Restaurant for their famous Halibut and Chips. Their reputation is well deserved. We enjoyed some of the best Fish & Chips ever while overlooking a small bay. 

 

Arctic Star dock on the outside of the Vesuvius Bay dock 

Along the way we visited the shop of Mark and Jacqueline Meredith. He is a retired PR/Ad guy who now creates pottery. And she is a very talented watercolor artist. She is one of the best artists we have found that truly captures the look and feel of this area. We spent a lot of time “talking shop” with Mark and our plan is to meet up with him again on Saturday at the Ganges market so we can meet his wife. 

 

Karen talks to Mark 

The wind picked up but the sunshine remained as we crossed the short distance to Princess Bay on Wallace Island. We visited this popular spot in 2005. When we arrived, we thought ourselves lucky, as there was no one else in the Bay. By the time we launched the dinghy and traversed to the park dock, a couple of powerboats arrived and proceeded to stern tie and raft up. Their dance of the stern tie was nothing if not entertaining. We watched for 25 minutes as they fought the wind and current to make fast their boats. It was a good lesson in learning to work with the wind and current rather than fighting it. Mother Nature always wins out, so it’s best to enlist her aid whenever possible. (Karen’s Note: These guys were hysterical. Dropping anchor while at full speed, dropping anchor on one side of the bay, trying to stern tie, running out of anchor rode while backing up – quite amusing.) 

Our destination on the land was to visit one of the Conover houses where people leave plaques commemorating their visit. We had done so in 2005 and wanted to see if we could find our plaque. Alas, we could not, although that was not unexpected. There is a steady exchange of old and new driftwood plaques every year. 

 

The cabin with all the signs 

 

The inside of the "sign cabin" 

So after a few more pictures of Conover Cove, Wallace Island and the like, we headed back to Princess Bay. Even more boats had arrived. This is a very popular spot and apparently in summer it’s rammed, jammed and packed.  

Due to our early arrival, we nestled at the head of the bay away from the crowd so we’re anticipating a quiet night. 

 

Sunset in Princess Bay 

While I was taking some sunset photos, two Canadian Geese and their four goslings came up and started asking for food. Even though we knew better, we figured the imprinting was already done, so we indulged them in a small snack. 

While the little ones and Mom had their treat, Dad watched over them and chased off the sea gulls that were looking to join in the evening festivities. Needless to say, they were turned away, at every attempt, by the watchful patriarch. 

 

Those pesky Seagulls at sunset