Kwatsi Bay Ambrosia

To our surprise and delight, we are in a wilderness that gives up seafood but offers nothing in the way of everyday provisions. Although we've visited docks four times in the past week, there has been no opportunity to acquire anything like groceries or bread. At one there was fuel, which we didn't need, and water, which is always useful. But you can always find fish hooks, line, sinkers, and crab traps. And everyone seems to know the art of fishing.

Our approach has been to learn the basics first and subsist on whatever food we have until skills in eating from the sea are acquired. Fishing is for the future. Yes, at times - like now when big fish are jumping clear out of the water all around the boat - this seems a little silly. But for the moment we'll endure the envy of watching fellow cruisers row out to their traps to get fresh crab for their breakfast omelettes or artfully fillet a bright red wild coho 18 inches long to throw on the barbecue.

Our first priority has been learning to sail. The Juan do Fuca Strait that Aurora calls home have winds that instill fear and trembling in most of the sailors we've met this month. We know we have the whole winter ahead to get even better at making them work for us.

Next we need to hone our skills in diesel engines and marie electronics. Up here you have narrow straits, crazy williwaws blowing down steep slopes, and tidal current rushing through rocky passages to create deadly whirlpools. So motoring is important. And you want to relax at anchor so you need to your amps, watts, solar panels and inverters all balanced and happy.

But back to food. We're completely out of fresh fruits. As for fresh veggies, three carrots and four stalks of celery plus the onion and three new Yukon Gold potatoes we dug up at Shoal Bay and are saving for a special occasion. We could just as easily have thrown ten pound bags of onions and potatoes into the hold but we thought, hey, we'll just patronize local businesses. We've got three packages of frozen chicken and beef but since we're at anchor and there is so little to keep cold, I've turned off the fridge until tomorrow when we motor out of this small bay. As for canned veggies, fruits, tuna, ham and rice, pasta, and quinoa, we've got lots.

Okay here's the recipe.

1 can of peaches
1 can of pears
1 can of crushed pineapple
10 dried apricots
6 oz candied ginger, uncrystalized, from Trader Joe's.
Handful Gulalai's raw energy mix - sunflower & pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews and raisins.

Drain half of the juice from the three cans of fruit. Mix everything in a bowl that can be sealed. Let sit for six hours. Ummmmmm. Delicious.