Today we crossed back over the Straight of Georgia.  On our way north, the crossing had been glassy calm without any wind at all.  This morning we woke to blustery weather and scattered showers.  Once out in the straight we hit 3-4 ft seas.  Everyone did great in the choppy seas, and it added a little excitement to the day.

As we cruised we saw common murres, loons, grebes and a sealion!  The sealion had just caught a large fish and we got to watch as it surfaced and thrashed the fish around before eating it.  Cruising into the busy port at Nanaimo kept us on our toes as seaplanes landed and took off all around us.

The blustery, wet weather made us grateful for the past week of sunshine we’ve had.  After we were all tied up to the docks in Nanaimo, the weather improved and we had a bright, crisp fall day.  After multiple nights at anchor, it felt good to be at a dock and be able to explore the city easily.  Everyone headed out to stretch their legs, buy a latte, peruse the local art shops and gift stores, and see some of the historic downtown of Nanaimo.

A group of us ended up at the Old City Station Pub for happy hour.  Other crews took the opportunity to eat out in town or cook up some of their provisions.  We had a nice evening on board, happy for our warm, comfortable boats, and glad for the opportunity to spend time with one another.