Shakedown Cruise
August 11th
Weather was good; supplies, provisions, parts and equipment onboard; communication (mails both e and snail) engine checks made a trip to the fuel dock to top off the fuel tanks. Then "The Ringleader" was ready for her next leg of the cruise to Tuna Cove which is 46 1/4 nautical miles northwest of Campbell River.
The first challenge is to make through Seymour Narrows at high slack tide. Seymour narrows is where in the early 1950's the largest non- nuclear explosion on earth happened when Ripple Rock was tunneled to from shore then up to the rock, loaded with explosives, then blown up, to reduce the navigation hazard it caused being in the middle of Seymour Narrows, where many boats and ships went down due to the vast quantities of water having to pass through twice a day during the tidal exchanges. Causing tidal whirlpools and rips with a current sometimes exceeding 10-12 knots. Seymour Narrows is 7 3/4 nautical miles from Discovery Marina, about 1 hr at 8kts.
This was done in perfect timing, and the ebb tide then helped carry "The Ringleader" towards it's destination. After Seymour Narrows it was north to Chatham Point turn to port into Johnston Straights that leads to Queen Charlotte Straights and then the Pacific Ocean. Along the way in Race passage a pod of Orcas, or Killer Whales, cruised by close as if checking out "The Ringleader", then proceeded in the direction that "The Ringleader" had come from in search of food or other Orcas.
Tuna Cove was found the anchor was lowered then backed down on and set into the bottom secured for the evening and night.
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