Weighed anchor and left Double Bay about 0645. My chart routing had the track around the south side of a small island named Stubb Island. Where tide rips were shown on the chart. For anyone sailing in the San Juan's and Desolation Sound, encountering tide rips are a community occurrence where the current sweeps around and between islands. I have never been in tide rips like we were in today. I was making absolutely no forward progress and the boat was being thrown around like a cork. Huge whirlpools would pop up seemingly out of nowhere with some where the water would sink in the whirlpool as much as 3 or 4 feet. After not making any headway, and quite possibly going backwards I turned around to go around Stubb Island. I immediately got caught in a rip and it's subsequent whirlpool that shot Fairtide forward at 11 knots. Ultimately I worked my way past Port McNeill and on to Port Hardy, where I arrived at about 1300. Did a bit of provisioning at the local Pick And Save. Then it's relaxing this afternoon and evening before making the 22 NM run to Bull Harbor, the last stop before we're officially on the west side of Vancouver Island.

Karl, bought 2 pounds of fresh, as in still live prawns from a local shrimper, so dinner was feasting on prawns with a glass of wine.