We're Here - Officially in the Great White North!

Wayne, passports in hand, festooned in the closest he could get
to a Canadian courtesy flag in Bedwell Harbour, Canada.

Wayne, gave me the a.o.k. to commemorate our official entry into Canada, as only the "master" was allowed off the boat until check-in was complete.  

Once again, we forgot to plan far enough ahead to secure a Canadian courtesy flag* for our boat -- we tried but they were out of stock at West Marine and we didn't pre-order one to be sure there would be one for us. Once again, there was no courtesy flag to be found in Bedwell Harbor, where we checked into Canada. 

*A courtesy flag is the flag of the country your boat is in when that country is not your native country. A courtesy is flown on your boat in addition to the flag of your native country.

"Woot! Sorry, we don't have any courtesy flags," Wayne claimed he was told. "They didn't really say 'Woot,' did they?"  I asked, know Wayne will sometimes not want the facts to get in the way of a good story (which is why I so often quote him as he's a far better storyteller!). "Well, we are in Canada," he replied, coyly dodging a direct answer to my pedantic question.

In  any case, Wayne bought the only thing he could find with a Canadian flag -- two in fact! A headband with double-header maple.

Me, aka "The Galley Wench," posing at Wayne's request in Bedwell Harbour, Canada.

"C'mon, pose Titanic style," Wayne implored, after handing me our double "courtesy flag" headband. It was only fair, given Wayne was willing to mug for the camera with it on, and his willingness to pose for a camera is rare event in itself. 

I don't recall Kate Winslet looking bowlegged because she had to straddle an anchor. Or maybe it just didn't look that way because she wasn't wearing jeans. Then again, Wayne's captained out boats halfway around the world and then some, without sinking. It doesn't make for blockbuster movies, but I'll happily settle for less drama and more travel.

Galley Wench (me) taking a swim in Greenburn Lake, shortly after checking into Canada.
Didn't have a swimsuit, but this is the land of maple leaves, right?

Previously, as we've cruised North into Canada, aka "The Great White North," it's defied normally presumed Northern hemisphere convention. Instead, both the air and the water are warmer. That's largely due to this part of British Columbia's Mediterranean microclimate. 

True to form, we left a chilly fog bank behind us as we sailed out of the San Juans. Entering Poet's Cove, Bedwell Harbor, Pender Island, Canada, we basked in the afternoon sun. So warm it inspired us to take a hike to Greenburn Lake. We found a trail around the lake, and I followed the lead of one of the locals and after heating up on some warm lakeside rocks, went into the lake for a dip.

Even here in British Columbia's Gulf Islands, it is September. We know summer is fleeting. Carpe Diem! Swimsuit or no.

Location Location
We checked into Canada September 10, 2019 at Bedwell Harbor, Pender Island. We are currently at anchor (N48 46.123 W123 16.313) in nearby North Pender Island, in Port Browning, British Columbia.

I will still be posting some photo highlight recaps of our week in the also beautiful (even if a little cooler, temperature-wise) San Juan Islands.