May 25th - "Shiver Me Timbers" I HIT A ROCK !

From Chemainus we headed north through Dodd Narrows at low slack and anchored for the night at Newcastle Island. In the morning we purchased some fuel at the Nanaimo fuel dock and then headed north.

They say about hitting a rock: “There are those that have, those that will and those that lie.” Here is my confession: "It is the most horrible of feelings when the keel grinds its way along that submerged lump of grief! Especially when my eyes were fixed on the chart plotter to assure myself that there was plenty of water to pass by the infamous Oregon and Passage Rocks. We entered the narrow cut between Nanaimo and Newcastle Island. I was at the wheel and Lou was sitting next to me watching the chart plotter as we carefully proceeded. Even though we have been through there many times we were exercising great caution. When we approached the markers I made the choice to pass between the markers just above the cursor in the photograph above to reach the deeper water. We felt the keel hit and I instantly threw the engine in neutral. The coffee in the cup I was holding shot out in a stream and Lou lunged forward cutting his finger on his own fingernail as he grabbed the chart plotter. I reverted back to my Irish Catholic beginnings which I thought was long since forgotten yelling: "Holy Mary, Mother of God what in the hell was that!" We floated backwards and I turned the wheel over to Lou and we continued to safe water. The image of 2.7 knots on the speed indicator when we hit is burned in my memory. After exiting the channel Lou went below to check under the floor boards. He checked the keel bolts and the bilge to make sure we were not taking on water.

As it turned out it was exactly at low slack tide because I could hear the calls on the marine radio from boats transiting Dodd Narrows. It was one of the lowest MINUS TIDES of the year!