HOT SPRINGS

I awoke this morning feeling sore, my ribs were reminding me they weren’t happy at being banged up.    My immediate aim was to get the hot springs and have a soak.  I parked Truce alongside the park float and headed up the track for a two kilometre walk to the springs.

The walk was along a wooden boardwalk through the forest, many of the planks on the boardwalk are carved with various yacht names.  Seems a bit of a pointless exercise to me but it makes for interesting reading as you walk along.

The springs are all open air, no tubs.  There are hot water cascades and pools along a small stream.  The stream goes down to the sea and the pools at the end have a mixture of hot and cold seawater.  I found a nice small hot pool and wallowed, hoping the hot water would do therapeutic wonders for my bruised ribs.

No long after the day trippers started turning up, they are delivered by float plane and jet boat from Tofino.   A couple of chattering Hippos took a liking to my pool and eased themselves in.  I decided that my time was up and returned to the boat, feeling warm but still sore.

The gale warning is still in force and offshore the winds are still blowing hard from the northwest.  I took the inside route up Sydney Inlet, around the top of Flores Island, through Hayden Passage and down to Bawden Bay for the night.  Quite an easy relaxed day in bright sunshine.

I am not sure where I am heading tomorrow, I could stop at Tofino and have a look around or sail further to Barkley Sound.  Probably best to let the weather decide in the morning.  Total voyage distance 942.9 miles.