We depart Vancouver (False Creek & English Bay) on Victoria Day and are met with some bouncy water as we transit Burrard Inlet and head North up the Strait of Georgia toward Pender Harbour. The water calms as we enter the inner bays and dock at the first-come, first-serve Hospital Bay Public Wharf. We walk up to town and find the city in party mode for their 81st May Day, which celebrates the arrival of spring and is the Sunshine Coast’s oldest and longest-running event. The festival is grand community gathering with a classic car parade, home-made go carts, stilt walkers and dunk tanks, face painters and beer gardens. As we return to the dock we find fisherman at the Commercial Dock selling live Spot Prawns. Two pounds of prawns end up on the back deck BBQ of Independence II and dinner is in the pot.

The next day we get an early start and cross the Strait of Georgia to Campbell River. An amazingly fast and enjoyable crossing. The boat does so great in short tight chop, getting incredible gas mileage of 1 gallon to 1 mile while averaging 35 MPH.