We’ve been joined this week by a pair of Toms – Tom Crouch is Mike’s uncle, and Tom Schild is a long-time family friend. Both Toms originally taught 
Mike how to sail on Crab Orchard Lake near Carbondale, IL. Tom Crouch still has a 1969 Sunfish that is in showroom condition, and zipping across the lake aboard Tom Schild’s Hobie 16 was the inspiration for Mike and Angie to pick a Hobie as their first sailboat.
The Toms spent a couple of days enjoying the sights and unseasonably warm weather in Vancouver before coming aboard Madrone. After a quick stop at the fuel dock to grab a little bit of diesel and a lot of water, we headed out of False Creek, across English Bay, and out into the Strait of Georgia.
The forecast was for 10-15 kts of SE wind – perfect for a run across the Strait to Nanaimo. What we actually got was 5-8 kts from the NW, exactly in the opposite direction from the forecast. No matter, as both Toms are experienced sailors and had no problem keeping the boat moving in the light air.
No problem, that is, until the wind completely died. We drifted for an hour or so before starting the engine, motoring through Porlier Pass at slack tide, and heading to a quiet evening anchorage at Princess Cove on Wallace Island. A great first day of the trip, and more to come.
