hot tubs and high winds

you would think sailors wish for wind - and it's true, but only to an extent!

for all of you who wished us fair winds, it must have added up, because we had more than we could handle! for the last couple days, the wind increased to an intensity that held us at bay, holed up in gorge harbour.

as far as staying put goes, the gorge was a great place to be, for many reasons. the bottom is nice, thick, sludgy mud, so our anchor held well and true through some serious (like awake-all-night) winds. it's spacious and well-populated, which is beneficial for safety as well as interest. aaaaaaand there's a hot tub there.

loading up for a trip to the hot tub

our first day there, we buzzed over to the dock. if you've never been to Gorge Harbour Marina, it is such a beautiful place! deceivingly natural rock walls line the beach, with modest bridges crossing over tumbling streams that pour down the rocky shore into the sea. the head of the wharf blends into a path winding through manicured lawns and humble-but-quaint buildings covering the property over. just beyond a blissful pond we were pleased to discover a playground - and the fabled hot tub! this was an excellent choice for a first stop.

a short foray on the playground and a mini (in distance) game of horseshoes led us to hot tub time. the pool deck is spacious, and ringed with a glass railing looking down over the harbour. we had the joyous pleasure of soaking in the hot tub while looking out over the water to see Rafiki riding at anchor. i couldn't help but think this may have been more appreciated after a few weeks at sea. still, the weather has been so cold that it did us good to have a soak, even if hot showers are still a very recent memory.

a second session at the hot tub for dad and the kids left me space to bake up a warming batch of delicious pumpkin muffins.

good thing the hot tub was relaxing, because our second night at anchor surely was not! the winds blew loud and strong the whole night through, and driving rain pounded the deck hard enough to wake sid from his slumber. i kept repeating to myself, "if anything happens, we can turn on the motor and head for the dock".... but it didn't stop every little noise from jolting me awake.

the morning winds were still strong, so we decided to stay another day in the gorge. more hot tubbing, more rain. in the afternoon the wind did die down, but we opted to stay put one more night and have an early departure. the evening waters were calm - nay, glassy - an unbelievable contrast to the night before. that is to say, we slept well.

a gorge we didn't know could exist...

aaron and i awoke at/near first light to get a jump on the calm morning. the harbour was filled with sleepy fog, reflective of the cozy relief felt by the harbours inhabitants. we raised the anchor, trying not to wake the kids (have you ever tried to raise an anchor quietly? it's a farce), but of course sid, bring the spry creature he is, awoke at the first chink of the chain. yet he stayed in bed - more to avoid the chill than at our urging to go back to sleep - as we puttered out of the harbour.

the fog seemed to abruptly blend from thick to thin while simultaneously seeming to do nothing at all. the fog-crisp circle of the sun (yes, the sun!) was reflected neatly in the calm water, creating a binary illusion only for us early risers. we passed back out the entrance, the sunlight tipping the bluffs, and left our first dreamy anchorage behind.