Lyn's Log, 8th April 2008
Sidney, British Columbia, Part 2

Sidney, BC.
N48º39', W123º24'
16,718 miles.

We do feel at home in Sidney, a pretty and prosperous town north of Victoria. On a sunny afternoon in April it feels warm enough not to need a jacket, but there is still a chill in the wind and at night the temperature drops dramatically. We are feeling the cold more on the boat than we did in England because the sea temperature is so much colder, and Sentinel is only insulated above the water line. A hot water bottle is very welcome at night.

Its a gentler tempo of life. Daffodils and tulips are in bloom all down the spotlessly clean high street, people nod to one another as they pass ("How're you doing?" "Mustn't grumble!"). Cars pull up to let pedestrians cross the streets, and we have never heard a horn. The supermarkets stock crumpets, Oxford marmalade and tripe. No sullen youths hanging around aimlessly in groups, by six o'clock everyone has gone home for tea and the town is empty. We had a really fun evening at the Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club’s “British Pub Night”, eating bangers and mash with mushy peas, quaffing Pale Ale (wine for me) and singing lots of wartime favourites round the old piano. We also enjoyed going to the local dramatic society’s production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s "Patience". In all, it's little England just the way we've always imagined it!

As the wheels move slowly sorting out a specialist who can monitor Andrew's health here, probably in Vancouver as there is not one in Sidney or Victoria, Andrew has made some repairs to the boat, and I have made a new spray hood. Tony took us and our propane bottles with him to a garage and we got both our American and an old European bottle filled. We are booked into Port Sidney Marina until 15th April, and then hope we can move back to Anacortes in the USA before sailing into Vancouver. The US Bank decided to close our US bank account whilst in England as a result of new money-laundering laws prohibiting non-residents from holding a US account, and sent us a cheque for the balance in US dollars. So we need to visit their branch in Anacortes to cash the cheque. It will be inconvenient to lose this account, even though it had caused us nothing but trouble since opening, as there is increasing reluctance in the USA to accept a foreign credit card for some purchases.