Ganges

We left Victoria at about 7:00 for our trip to Ganges. Again the skies were crystal blue and the water calm. We sailed a bit of the way, but the winds were not cooperating so down came the sails, and on with the motor. As we approached Ganges we used the VHF to call the marina for a slip assignment. Unfortunately the marina was not responding so we tied up at an empty slip and Jim went to talk to the marina office staff. The reason they weren't responding-wrong channel listed on their website! The teenage dock hands were extremely helpful and pleasant. If we thought it was hot in Victoria, it was even hotter in Ganges (probably 100 degrees). After securing the boat in the slip. we found a great outdoor restaurant that served ice cold beer. Bob and Betty explored the local hardware store built in 1889. It appears to be the central shopping mart for locals. "Hardware store" is misleading, as you can purchase everything from china to fans. That evening we realized a fan and a cockpit umbrella had become necessities of life. Considering the temperature was a 103 degrees, there were no fans available. However they did say there would be a shipment of fans at 10:30 the next morning. Bob and Betty were there at 9:30 and found that the fans had been delivered early. Betty stood guard over 2 fans while Bob called Jim to see which style would be best for the boat. They bought the fan and Jim and Joy later purchased an umbrella for the cockpit. These two purchases provided for a pleasant afternoon on the boat. Ganges Marina has a swimming pool that also helped cool us off. We dined both nights at a great restaurant with delicious meals and tasty drinks(Hawaiian martinis, lime margaritas). The dessert weren't bad either! Ganges is a delightful community on Saltspring Island and other than it being hot, particularly the first day, our stay was really great! News about our stay in Nanaimo in our next blog.