“Falling” Around South Van Isle - Part 9

We departed Ship Point marina by eleven AM and proceeded outbound, following the marked lanes for vessels 65ft or less.  A mile and a half later, our private harbor tour was over.  Beautiful as it is, Victoria is home to a busy shipping port, as well as a very busy water airport.  New to the area, or not, you will need to stay vigilant regarding the traffic rules. (pictured: the ever present harbor patrol, off our starboard quarter).  We exited the harbor, hoisted the main and set the autopilot for home, approximately 20 nautical miles, due South.
Outside the harbor, the conditions can vary from dead calm to rough and windy.  Drake Passage, the stretch of water that connects South America to Antarctica, is known for having some of the most brutal winds and biggest waves on Earth, earning it the nickname “Drake Shake” when the waters are rough, and “Drake Lake” when they are calm.  I think the names “Strait Shake” and “Strait Lake” are fitting for the water that connects Victoria to Port Angeles, albeit, on a much, much smaller scale, of course.  If you’ve crossed the Strait of Juan de Fuca during gale force winds with an opposing current, you’ve probably experienced the “Strait Shake”, type 2 fun for some, type 3 for others.
On the last leg of our trip, we were definitely on the “Strait Lake”, flat seas and no wind.  For the next three hours, we enjoyed the placid ride home under power, tidying up the galley, organizing the salon or just relaxing on the foredeck.  After passing the Pilot boat, Ediz Hook buoy, the CG station, the Landing, Terminal 1 and finally our beer-can start mark/Boat Haven’s entrance buoy, the sails were packed and the mooring lines prepped to make our final landing of the trip.  We look forward to Falling around Van Isle again.