The weather window I've been so impatiently waiting for, while I've been getting on with repairs after the recent storm, seems to be arriving on Sunday.
The ebb tide starts around 4pm so, by leaving then, the tide should help us to get through Race Passage with possibly some good but light wind before the wind dies totally and the tide turns to flood - against us.
It's likely that we'll be becalmed, or nearly so, for a day or so, but if we can exit the Strait sometime Monday morning the winds will be better by Tuesday onward - so we'll be able to get S.
Fingers tightly crossed - please pray to the wind gods for us - for a good passage S. It might be slow but at least it looks as though there'll be no storms on our path...
Randy Diamond, of RVYC, kindly spent today taking me to do various errands - collected new drogue bag (for 'overflow'), did some minor provisioning in Sidney's Save-On Foods (Store Manager Justin was very kind in donating towards the cost), topped up a propane tank, visited an excellent local bakery - and Randy even took time out to take me up to a magnificent 360 degree viewpoint at the top of Mount Douglas Park which we were passing by. It's a prominent 225 m (738 ft) high hill outside Victoria - national reserve and forested area - looking over the Juan de Fuca Strait towards Puget Sound, to San Juan Island across Haro Strait, over to Sidney and Saltspring Island, and over the entire Victoria city and harbour area.
Saw Nick of 'Prince of Whales', who will be towing "Nereida" out to Ogden Pt again, to confirm details - they do a great job! (Thanks for your help.)
Busy tonight with organising the boat and catching up on emails and phone calls to friends.
Plenty more boat organising to do but the most urgent jobs have already been done.