We escaped the charms of the big city this morning, motoring out of Ucluelet in a drizzly fog and coolish weather that had Melissa and me wondering where our summer had gone. I like Ucluelet; it is an easily walked little town and has a lively working waterfront. Melissa and I did our part to stimulate the economy with a parting gift of payment for 300 litres of fuel.
For our first foray into the Broken Group, I had wanted to anchor again at Benson Island and that is where we are this evening. Five years ago, we anchored here and thoroughly explored the island. I remember looking out over the west facing cliffs to an ocean that has not seen land for thousands of miles. If you want to feel small, look out over a great ocean.

This island is part of the native people’s origin story; it is where the Day Chief drew out the first man and woman from the thigh of an old man. There is a beautiful wood statue in a grassy meadow that has been erected since we last visited. It doesn’t take long to know that the old stories are true. The edge of a wild ocean is like a Baptist revival tent; if you didn’t believe when you went in, you surely will when you leave.

This place is now some part of our own story. As we walked through the woods, Melissa remembered how, five years ago, we came upon a buck that stood higher up on a slope looking down on us. “Just like in Bambi.” she said. She was hoping for a similar encounter and, sure enough, we walked upon that old buck’s son. He looked fat and healthy. Too healthy, apparently, to get up from his bed of moss. He just lay there, working his cud as he considered the ridiculous creatures before him.

The weather seems to have returned to a more typical Northwest summer here. We are both missing the warmer weather and sunshine, Melissa especially. Ever the Polly Anna, the weather makes me appreciate our cozy boat. We are both making lists of things to fix and improve but in truth, we are very comfortable and have all that we need.

Today we did our part for the local economy in Ucluelet, and we’ll get to telling you about that, but first let’s talk about checking into Canada from a boat. Because this is where the story begins. We didn’t even plan to come to Ucluelet. Why? Because we have a Nexus pass. Let’s talk about that first.

The Nexus Pass is a special card that allegedly allows you to go across the U.S/Canada border without hassle. At least, that’s what it’s supposed to do. You apply, pay a $50 fee for the card (each), wait for an application number, then schedule an in-person interview at Boeing Field or another location that may or may not be convenient to you. We waited several months for our interviews to avoid driving to Blaine.

Really cool garden art in Ucluelet.

The interview is really pretty easy since they already know everything about you down to the size of your hair follicles before you even appear. Basically they probably just want to make sure you are not a robot or an obvious drug mule. So then you get your approval and the card comes in the mail. You call and activate your card as though it’s actually going to make things dead easy. But why would anyone believe that?

We left Seiku in the morning about 8:00 and motored all the live long day. It was pretty calm on the rolling Pacific and we had many miles to travel with no safe place to anchor. We either had to motor or we would be facing an overnight passage. We figured we would check in by phone, get our number, then anchor at the south end of Barkley Sound. Having already visited Ucluelet 5 years ago on Moonrise, we didn’t feel the need to go there again. It’s a nice enough area, but we thought we’d stop there later. Such naiveté.

Mike phoned the Nexus number when we got to Trevor Channel at the south end of the sound. The customs man wanted to know when we would get to Ucluelet. Um, never? Mike thought fast. He said we’d be there in a couple of hours. This was not an adequate answer for the gentleman on the phone. He instructed us to travel to Uclulet and call from there. We would be given a number and then we were to wait 15 minutes. If no one came to the boat to clear us in, we could go. Confused, but not wanting to thwart big authority and thereby call attention to ourselves because we feel a goodly amount of protestant guilt about things even when we aren’t doing anything wrong and are leery of possible punishment, we motored onward to Ucluelet.

Fog rolling into Ucluelet from the sea. This is from our anchorage.

In Ucluelet we found there was no room at the dock. Sure, we could possibly squeeze in between two very large and very metal fishing boats, but why should we? Tired and cranky is no way to try that kind of docking maneuver. The rest of the dock was full of other boats that appeared to be staying the night. I idled Galapagos in the bay and Mike called customs.

Mike explained the predicament to the much more helpful and reasonable woman who answered the phone. She asked all the usual questions about what we were bringing into Canada and if we had any illegal aliens on our boat. She gave us our clearance number and we were good to go. But Mike wanted to know exactly why having this Nexus card was beneficial to us when checking into Canada? Here is what she said and I will tell you right now I am not making this up. I could never make this shit up because it is not even logical in my own free thinking mind. When you call in, you must tell them exactly what time you will be in Ucluelet, the only check in port on the west coast of Vancouver Island. (Never mind that we are a sailboat and don’t know exactly when we will actually get there. Just make up anything, apparently.) Give them an exact ETA, even if it’s wrong. They will then give you your clearance number. You’d think that would be the end of it, but it isn’t. Once you get your clearance number you then GO TO UCLUELET and dock at the customs dock. You wait 15 minutes and if nobody comes to check you in, which they won’t, then you leave and go on your merry way.

Squeezed in between fishing boats on the public dock the following day.

Again, totally not making up anything here. For those who don’t live here or travel these parts, many check in places in Canada are unmanned. There is a phone at the customs dock which you use to call customs. You answer your questions, they give you your clearance number, and you post the number in the window on your boat. Done. The whole thing generally only takes a few minutes and we have never had a bad check-in experience coming to Canada. We were somehow convinced that having a Nexus card would shortcut this activity but apparently all it really does is allow you to call from your boat, which you can do anyhow. You still have to show up at an unmanned dock, wait 15 minutes, then go wherever. One has to wonder if Customs has some kind of deal with the economies of the local areas where these docks are located because sure as the world, our being in Ucluelet led to our spending money in Ucluelet. At least they had free water at the dock.

Look who came to visit while we were anchored in Ucluelet.

So we anchored in 20 feet of dead calm water near the head of the bay and had an excellent night’s sleep. In the morning we awoke to a lovely black bear bumbling around the shore about 20 yards from our stern. That was worth the trip, just those 5 minutes of bear watching. We had our breakfast then motored over to the public dock where all of the exact same boats were still tied up. Mike maneuvered Galapagos like a boss, we slipped in between the monstrous steel boats, and tied up. I only lost 2 years of my life to anxiety during that docking, rather than the usual 5, so things are looking up.

Expensive, but worth it. About 32$ Canadian for us to both have fish and chips and a drink. Yep.

It was a pleasure to get in a good long, brisk walk around town. If you get to Ucluelet, please have some cash ready to spend at the fish and chips food truck between town and the marina. It’s pricey, but worth every penny. Sorry Scotland, this fish and chips beats the hell out of yours. Mike got a 2 piece and I got a 1 piece, and our bill came to about 32$ American. I told you it was pricey. And for a good cup of coffee and a locally made dessert cookie of something figgy with oats, big enough for two, try the Cap’n Hook coffee place down by the marina. They also sell fishing supplies, an interesting combination. Mike got a fishing license, we bought beer, and minor groceries. We’ve done our part.

Beating out of the strait of Juan deFuca is probably not an experience where the word “fun” would typically be applied. Still yesterday’s hard won 48 miles from Dungeness Spit to Clallam bay were not without their charm. 

The west wind has continued to be strong, which allowed us to move smartly all day, albeit never quite in the direction we truly wish to go. We have been getting more comfortable with Galapagos’ sail plan and I am really learning the value of the jib and jigger arrangement in a breeze. 

After a long day we thought we would try anchoring at Pillar point for the night but the wind and swells were not going to allow us any peace. So we motored seven miles further to Clallam Bay for a rolly night’s sleep. This morning finds us with little wind and fog. Just another of the strait’s charming attributes. 

Wind or no, we will make Barkley Sound today.