Yep, finally boarded by the Coast Guard. Just a matter of time, really. More about this in a bit.

Instead of departing Tacoma on Saturday morning, we stuck around to wait for a little bit better weather. Since the Daffodil Boat Parade was Sunday, we decided to throw a little party and watch the boats with Sierra, good friends Tracey and Steve, and neighbor Laura.

Didn’t get photos of decorated boats but boy, was the Tacoma yacht basin packed for a couple of days leading to the event!

We left home after the parade and stayed the night at our dock. First stop…Port of Sidney B.C. We are out for the days leading up to the annual American Tug rendezvous in La Conner.

Right in the middle of Haro Strait, and just inside the U.S. border, I was watching a Coast Guard vessel through the binoculars. It seemed to be assisting a small boat up ahead. When it finished, it headed our way. It kept coming toward us and I mentioned to Nick that we may be about to be boarded. Sure enough, it came up alongside. It was a small U.S. Coast Guard boat with a Canadian Customs officer aboard. I was at the helm so Nick opened the door to see what they were on about. It was difficult to hear but basically, “permission to board for a routine safety check.”

They asked us to maintain our speed, came right alongside, threw out some fenders, and walked on board. Fortunately, the water was calm.

The whole process took no more than ten minutes. The two officers (one USCG, one Canadian Customs) were polite and helpful. They asked us a few routine questions and asked to see a few things including bilge areas, registration documentation, life jackets, and fire extinguishers. Pretty straightforward; not as detailed as the annual check we’ll have next week at the rendezvous. The Canadian guy was super friendly, asking where we would visit and stating that Ganges is one of his favorite places. (Oh, these Canadians!)

We “passed” and they were on their way.

We arrived at Port Sidney, walked around town and proceeded with more boat tasks. Talked a bit with our neighbors who run the Shearwater Marina in Bella Bella each summer. They’ve lived on their sailboat for 36 years!

A note about the Port Sidney Marina. We were surprised when we radioed in for a slip that they did not have any of our preferred “bow in, starboard tie” slips available. This seemed odd at this time of year, on a Monday. When we checked in, we learned they have reduced transient moorage slips from 80 to 40. That seems like a big deal for a popular spot like this. They may also have raised their rates. It cost us $202 for two nights, which is high. We were thinking about a third night – but probably not.

Photos don’t do justice to the flower-covered hillside on Spieden Island: