July 4 - Port Harvey Marina Resort

Today we set out early for Port Harvey to take advantage of a strong ebb current which would push us to our destination.  At 6 a.m. Rob and I went ashore with Blue.  A large black bear down the beach, gave us the once over but otherwise ignored us.  We were a little nervous and so I stayed in the dinghy, ready to start up and take off quickly if need be (with Rob and Blue, of course). On shore, Rob encouraged Blue to make it snappy.   Another fix (the autopilot this time) and we were on our way.  The trip to Port Harvey was easy and fast and we saw lots of dolphins breaching as we approached the harbour.  

The morning fog as we set out for Port Harvey
The white speck in the distance is Eileen and Bill's boat

The dinghy is towing beautifully now

In the midst of all this beauty, a cutblock blights the landscape

Are we there yet?

The Port Harvey Marine Resort rises on the horizon

At Port Harvey we received a warm reception and a caution that grizzly bears have been on the property in the last few days.  As it turned out, we had other problems...  On arriving at the dock, our house batteries should have been fully charged and they were not and so we again decided to turn on the generator (fixed yesterday, or so we thought…).  It would not start.  Rob spent the next three hours sweating in a hot engine room, trying to figure out why some of the batteries are dead and none will take a charge.  An aggravating way to spend the better part of the day and we still don’t know what the problem is.  A neighbour on a boat docked nearby has offered to take a look in the morning and we are also now booked to see a marine electrician at Port McNeil in two days.  The kindness of strangers in these remote environs is really something.   Tonight, we went to a Fourth of July dinner hosted by the marina owners.  No Americans to celebrate the holiday but it was a very nice evening.   So, we go to bed wondering what is wrong with our boat and what it will take to fix it.  Ever the optimist, I point out that it can’t be that serious – the boat still drives.  And as Bill points out, it still floats too!