First Mate’s Log July 22nd, Cape Scott around the top

We awoke at 11 pm to do the passage around the top of Vancouver Island. We decided to do this at night, even though it can be somewhat treacherous, because we needed to leave on an ebb tide, and there wasn’t going to be a morning ebb tide for 4-5 days. We needed a morning ebb tide because in the afternoons the winds or too strong. I was excited and anxious, but ready to do it.
My attire for this evening engagement included leggings, ski pants and off shore bib overalls, 2 pairs of wool socks, rubber boots. Above, I wore a skin tight nylon camisole, long sleeve tee shirt, wool sweater, down vest, water resistant coat and off shore jacket. It has a very stylish high collar, but as for accessories I wore a headband, a wool hat, a polypro neck warmer. Quite the cruising fashion statement.
The moon was gorgeous, the stars were out and we haven’t seen the stars much this trip. The water was glassy---for a short time.
There are two general tide times, neap tides and spring tides. Springtides occur at full and new moon, when the moon and sun exert their greatest effects. Neap tides occur at quarter moon and half moon times. Since we crossed during full moon, the tides were at their strongest.
Ken took a nap at 1 am. We were making very good time since we had the ebb pushing us. Ken had laid in a track in the Garmin GPS to pass north of the Cape, so all I had to do was watch for ships (there were none until morning when we saw a guy-enormous cruise vessel heading north) and verify our position. As we approached the Cape, the seas became confused and erratic. This was due to the tremendous multi-directional movement of water and the effects of wind and waves in that area, and that is what makes capes and other points of land dangerous. We were under the influence of the ebb making the turn over the top of the island, the draining ebb coming down from Queen Charlotte Sound, and the 20 or so knots of wind blowing down from the north.
And it was the wind and the waves that did me in. The two gentleman who had sailed up from Seattle followed us and were within visual range the entire trip. I tried to avoid watching their boat buck and heave, and wished they would put a little more sea room between us. Unfortunately, I had not taken any anti-nausea meds and I became very seasick. Seasickness is compounded by being cold, and I was shivering cold within just a few hours.
I called Ken up at 3:30am and he quickly surmised that the seas would be calmer with more distance from the Cape, so he moved us a few degrees to the northwest and things did moderate some. Good thing he came to life as I am practically non-functional when ill. When we finally headed down, south, the swells and wind were on our tail, something we have been waiting for since someone said ‘lets go north’ and we executed this plan!!
One thing I hold onto when I’m cold and upchucking is something my wise father used to say--”This too will pass.” Though exhausted, we motored into Winter Harbour around 10 in the morning. It turned out to be a glorious day, and we lazed in the sun, drifting in and out of sleep, hearing the snorts and sonorous inhalations of the sea otters who dine heartily on shellfish in Quatsino Sound.