Everything, including the stuffing box, is working very well on Itsuro now, so we are enjoying a relaxed pace with our southbound journey. We are ahead of schedule for our return, so we feel free to explore new ports as we progress.
We decide to visit the Finnish settlement of Sointula on Malcolm Island. We had planned to stay in Sointula for just one night. However, a gale warning kept us there a little longer. We enjoyed ourselves so much here, that we ended up staying several days.
Kyra was treated like a "rock star" in Campbell River and other Canadian towns. In Sointula, she was treated like a goddess. Sointula is a wonderful "low-key" place, in which dogs do not have to be leashed, and every shop has free petting and doggie biscuits. The harbor master also keeps a couple of pretty lavendar beach cruisers for rides into town and around the island. Tonie took advantage of the bike, while Shawn and Kyra jogged to the end of the island to meet some llamas living at a lodge.
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The top of the harbor ramp in Sointula |
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The haulout in Sointula. |
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A ghost from Tonie's Bakea past. |
One misty morning, as we were sipping tea aboard Itsuro, Tonie looked up and saw a very familiar boat from her past, being towed into the harbor at Sointula. At first glance, Tonie thought this could be Bakea, the Benford 30 she lived on when she was a teenager. Bakea was the first hull of six Benford 30s built by Mantra Marine in Seattle. It turns out that this boat is hull #2, named Runaway Girl.
This coincidence is just too amazing. We dash out of our boat, and make our way to the dock, where Runaway Girl is tied up by her new owner, Tyson. We learn from Tyson that Runaway Girl had been sitting in neglect for the last 15 years at a dock in nearby Alert Bay. The last owner finally relented, and allowed Tyson to purchase the boat, which had he just done while we were there. Tyson had been researching the Benford 30 for quite sometime, and he shared some articles with us that included pictures of Tonie's parents back in the 1970s, when they had the boat built. This is the second Benford 30 we've seen during our travels, but it's really uncanny to find someone with pictures from Tonie's past life in such an out-of-the-way place. We wish Tyson all the best with his endeavors in bringing Runaway Girl back to life.
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Runaway Girl's classic Benford 30 stern: The boat has the same hull color and superstructure wood construction as Bakea. |
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Tonie enjoyed her bike ride along Malcolm Island. Shawn and Kyra jogged along for a total of 12 miles, round-trip. This is a lodge at the end of the road. Notice the llamas in the background. |
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Leaving Sointula after a wonderful stay. |
