June 8: Day 5: Smuggler Cove

Author: Bethanny Brooks

Tucked into Smuggler’s Cove

We woke to a bit of wind. After a slow coffee, we moved over to Smuggler’s Cove, just a short distance away. With the stern secured to the shoreline, the boat felt like a floating cabin nestled in the trees.

The wind had not amounted to anything so Greg took Artemus ashore for a walk, leaving me with a quiet cabin to sort through photos and jot down notes.

Luckily, I had the mindset to snap some photos after they left the boat and arrived at shore:



Our peaceful routine was punctuated by a bit of reality, though; looking into mainsail replacements for a 38-foot boat, we found that even Canadian lofts quote their prices in US dollars. A standard cruising main runs between $2,000 and $3,500 USD—which translates to over $5,000 CAD once you factor in the exchange rate and taxes. It's a bracing reminder of the costs that come with this lifestyle.

As the afternoon wore on, the off-and-on drizzle settled into a steady, constant rain. I missed my window for a shore walk and was starting to feel a bit of cabin fever setting in. Thankfully, my good friend Iris shared some boat-friendly exercises with me. Spending some time on the cabin sole doing Tai Chi and a few deep squats was just what I needed to shake off the restlessness.

We ended the day cozy in the cockpit, listening to the rain tap against the canvas while enjoying a comforting dinner of stuffed peppers, a crisp Greek salad, and a glass of Enrico Braveheart red wine, compliments of Iris. Simple canned peaches in pear juice for dessert made the perfect, sweet finish to a rainy day.



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