January 1, 2014 - Gulf Islands, Canada (Part 2)

First of all ---  HAPPY NEW YEAR !

We just completed a wonderful trip through the Gulf Islands of Canada.   This is a fantastic place to cruise, yet we have never visited these islands during the off season.  My biggest observation from 11 days wandering through the Gulf Islands is that they are even less visited during the winter months than the US San Juan Islands.  We saw virtually no boats the entire trip.  By comparison, once we got back into US waters the VHF radio traffic began to increase, and we heard many familiar voices on the radio.  It seems that La Conner (and Shelter Bay in particular) have a disproportionately large number of boater's that use their boats during cold winter weather.  We heard quite a few La Conner friends on the radio today as we motored back though our "home waters" headed for home.  This was quite a contrast to Canada where we heard virtually NO radio traffic, and we saw only a handful of boats on the water in 11 days.  My suggestion?  Go explore the Gulf Islands during the winter when there is NOBODY around!!!

Our kids were somewhat concerned that Santa was not going to be able to find us as we meandered through the Gulf Islands.  We reassured them the he would indeed find us.  But to make sure I left the anchor light on for him on Christmas Eve, where we were anchored alone in Annette Inlet.  And guess what, that bright white light must have led Rudolf directly to our boat, because Santa did make a stop on "Adagio".  I'm amazed that we didn't hear him land!  :-)

I think that Kevin was VERY concerned though, as he got up at 3:00AM to check the tree.  Fortunately, Santa had already been there.  He examined the presents under the tree and even peeked at his stocking, then he immediately woke Cindy up.  They unloaded their stockings and finally after waiting more than two hours, woke Kathy and I up at 5:30, even though we were not ready to get up so early.  Ah Christmas.  How wonderfully exciting !

Presents galore on the new settee lounger.  Christmas Day 2013.

Cindy and Kevin ready to play a new Skylanders game on the Wii.

We spent a few days at the Saltspring Island Marina in Ganges, starting Christmas afternoon.  We went there specifically for the WiFi access.  Kathy had to work Thursday and Friday, and having high-speed WiFi, along with a cellphone, provides her a home office that is technically no different than being at home.  She put in two full days while the kids and I did other stuff....

The kids play Skylanders on the Wii.

Santa brought them a pair of hockey sticks.  A local walking by asked me if I
was getting them warmed up for the big "Boxing Day" hockey game.  I didn't
have the heart to tell him we were Americans and didn't know there was a HUGE
game today.  I just told him "yep, whatever it takes, .... eh?"      :-)

We left Saltspring Marina on Saturday morning.  We were going to leave Friday afternoon, but the wind forecast was for 30 knots overnight.  Not knowing exactly how good the anchorage was at our next destination, we decided to stay put for the night.  Saturday morning we left at sunrise and proceeded to Portland Island.

A float plane landing in front of us as we motor out of Ganges Harbor at sunrise.

Playing one of the many games we received for Christmas.

Kevin eyeing a few Canadian Geese.  Adagio anchored with 3 other boats.
Portland Island Provincial Marine Park.

We ventured to shore a few times while we were here.  The forecast called for light winds (meaning no winds at all, basically) for the next few days.  We awoke to a steady 10 knot breeze, which soon increased to 15 knots.  We decided to leave when it reached a constant 17 knots and motored over to our next destination; Winter Cove.  On our way we saw true wind speeds of 25-27 knots.  That's small craft advisory territory.  And we were seeing this on a day with forecast light winds?  The weather is SO hard to predict around here.

Anchored in Winter Cove, Saturna Island, B.C.

The intense current at Boat Passage, Winter Cove British Columbia.

We decided to leave Winter Cove in the morning, after a nice walk around the fantastic trails at the park the afternoon before.  The winds are light and forecast to remain that way.  One of our favorite places in the Gulf Islands is Tumbo Island / Cabbage Island.  It's always busy in the summer.  Could we have it to ourselves in winter?  We were beginning to think so, based on the lack of other boaters out here.  We motored through the sometimes tricky "Georgeson Passage" but it was a piece of cake at slack current.  Time it for the slack at Active Pass and you will have no problems.  As we approached Tumbo we could see one boat in the anchorage.  Bummer.  Oh wait, that boat seems to be moving, slowly.  He departed about 10 minutes before our arrival.  It was a sailboat, and perhaps he wanted to get out of there before a big "stink pot" like ours arrived?  Doubtful, but you never know....  So, we did indeed end up with the anchorage all to ourselves.  For two entire days!!!  We spent New Year's Eve here.  How perfect.

Anchored alone at Tumbo Island.  This is one of our favorite places.

Cindy crosses the bridge that we made.  She made it.  Kevin made it too.
It sunk under Steve's weight and he ended up with some soggy boots!

Making a beach fire on Tumbo Island.

If you make a nice beach fire, you better take advantage of it.  BBQ hot-dogs.
Yummy!  Ah, this is a nice life.....

Cindy takes the oars on our way back to the boat.

We have another nice beach fire the next day (New Year's Eve day).  This fire
produces some excellent S'mores.  Nice!

We pulled the anchor New Years morning and headed home.  We had breakfast while underway.  We've had really decent weather for this trip:  We postponed our departure because it snowed and was very windy.  We had a few sprinkles on a couple of days.  We had one afternoon of strong wind while in a marina.  Other than that it was flat calm, often with broken clouds and sunshine.  I guess it was too good to be true?

Here comes the wall of fog.  Two more miles and we will be in it.
That tall landmass is Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island.  Matia Island in
the foreground.

Interesting foggy navigation.  It wasn't very thick most of the time.  We had
about 1 mile visibility most of the time, which is easy to deal with.  The fog is very
disorienting when all land disappears.  Without GPS and radar  it would be very easy to get lost!

So, we are now home.  It was a great trip.  It was the first Christmas we have spent on the boat.  We have spent many New Years Eve's out on the water, and one Thanksgiving, but never Christmas.

Oh, the boat ran flawlessly.  We spent about 24 hours under power motoring through the islands.  During our 11 days out we consumed about 160 gallons of water.  That's about 14.5 gallons per day, or 3.6 gallons per person per day.  With our total capacity of 450 gallons of water, we carry enough water to last the 4 of us more than 1 month!  Amazing, considering the 3.6 gallons per day per person includes all of the water used for drinking, flushing toilets, washing dishes, washing hands and faces, shampooing, etc.  Compare that to the US average water consumption of roughly 100 gallons per person, per DAY.  We use less water per person per day than some home toilets use in a single flush!  Our diesel furnace worked hard to keep us nice and toasty.  Some nights were in the low 30's, so it was a chilly trip.

Reflecting back on this trip I think one of the best moments came yesterday when I asked the kids if they wanted to stay out another two weeks.  The answer was a RESOUNDING "YES!".  We are so happy that our children appreciate all that boating has to offer   It warms my heart to know that they appreciate their time with Kathy and I, with each other, and that they also appreciate the beauty of nature.  This is what it is all about.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

December 26, 2013 - Gulf Islands, Canada (Part 1)

Merry Christmas from Canada!

We are spending the holidays exploring the Canadian Gulf Islands.  Now, we've spent years roaming these waters during the crowded summer months, but never during the middle of winter.  We are hoping to visit a new place or two, locations that are generally so crowded during the busy cruising season that we have always passed right by them.

We had planned to leave on Friday December 20 at about noon when school got out, but several inches of snow closed school for the day and the wind kicked up to about 30 knots.  Cindy and Kevin wanted to play in the snow at home and were not too interested in being couped up inside the boat missing the white fun.  So, we decided to stay at home Friday and leave Saturday morning instead.

We hit the fuel dock on our way out and chatted with Tony (now working part-time at the fuel dock since his retirement as an on-air personality on THE prominent AM talk radio station in Seattle) about our destinations.  One place we hope to visit is Wallace Island.  Tony has been there before and mentioned that he left a memento in the the cruisers cabin. 

It was cold outside as we motored a long day from La Conner to the customs clearance station at Bedwell Harbor on South Pender Island, BC.  After we cleared customs we had time to drop anchor nearby and settle in before dark.

Anchored in Bedwell Harbor, BC 

Kathy out for a row in the light rain just before dark.

Kevin and Cindy both enjoy reading, anytime, anywhere!

We got up early Sunday morning to do some motoring in the dark before sunrise.  It's always good to practice before you have to do it in an emergency.  We learned that our new exterior lighting needs a little tweaking, and also that a few interior lighting issues exist that make forward visibility less than perfect.

Motoring out of Bedwell Harbor in the dark.

Two of our new "Night Lights".  they are bright, but it takes a lot of candlepower
to illuminate the water to any level of usefulness.  We aren't there yet.

Sunday was a pretty short day of motoring heading to Wallace Island.  This is a place that we poke our bow into every summer, but it is always packed full of boats so we have never opted to spend any time there.  Well, things are quite different during the winter.  We were able to actually get right on the dock which makes shore access so much easier than when you anchor out and have to dinghy to shore.

At the dock - Wallace Island Provincial Marine Park.

Cindy "exploring" the rocky shoreline of Wallace Island

The old cruisers cabin.  Decorated with thousands of items from previous
boating visitors to this wonderful island.

The beautiful north end of Wallace Island

We ended up spending a few days here.  This is a nice island with a good trail system that goes from one end of the island to the other.  We walked most of the trails and very much enjoyed our time here.  Oh, we found Tony's memento which he left here years ago, when they were here with Gary and Ellie on Tangywasser (also from Shelter Bay, and friends of ours).

Tony (aka Big T?) left his mark here 6 years prior to our visit.

The north end of wonderful Wallace Island.

There are a lot of interesting stops during a hike along the main trail.

Kevin gets ready to test the home-made slingshot.  Perfect slingshot stick
courtesy of the Wallace Island trail.

We departed Wallace Island around noon on Christmas Eve day.  We are headed to Annette Inlet, which has been a mandatory stop for us every summer.  We really enjoy this bay in the summer.  It is well protected from all weather.  It is not very crowded.  It is fun to kayak, and it's also a great place to turn the kids loose on the sailboat, or the kayaks.  We also swim here during the warmer summer conditions.  This time we had the entire bay all to ourselves!  Wow, this would never happen during the summer.

We left the anchor light on so that Santa could find out boat.  We hung our stockings over the "fireplace" with care, and then watched a movie together on our new lounger.  The settee in the salon can now convert to a bed, or a great place to lounge and watch a movie.

Zappa takes a Christmas nap.

Putting our presents "under" the tree.  Christmas Eve.

The stockings hung above the "fireplace"

No, our kitty Zappa was not one of the Christmas presents.
Try to tell him that though  :-)

Getting ready to watch a movie on the new salon lounger.
Christmas Eve.  Will Santa find us.....?

December 3, 2013 - boat project updates

It's been a while since I posted anything about the progress being made on the boat over the past months.  We got to enjoy our new Naiad stabilizers this summer, but I must report that it was a VERY calm summer with virtually no wind, and therefore no waves to really test them out.  In our limited experience so far with them, we feel that they are going to be a great addition; they really do eliminate almost all of the side-to-side roll in rough water.

First I'll show you the galley.  In the galley, we have replaced the old energy hungry home refrigerator with two modern 12 volt marine units.  These use less than 1/10th the energy consumed by the home unit, and we can turn one off when we don't have large capacity needs, further improving the energy consumption.

Two marine refrigerators have replaced an old home refer.
New "raised dot" high-traction floor.  Spill proof and durable.

New convection microwave and gas cooktop.  No need to start the generator to
cook something on the stove.  Also, nice new tile backsplash to complete the update.

New wood wall to enclose the refer and provide a
natural end to the counter top.

New tile back splash and the new cooktop and microwave.

In the salon we have created a new "U-shaped" settee, and we are just now completing a new bookshelf with storage cabinets underneath.  First the settee.  This is where we will be spending a great deal of time.  We eat here, play games here, do homework, work on projects and do crafts here.  We also watch movies here, and just hang out with other boating friends.  It's our living room, dining room, movie room, school house, and our play room (rec room?).  The table top is temporary and will be replaced with something more durable than particle board.  It can be lowered and a cushion placed on top so it becomes a spare bed, or a great place to lounge and watch a movie.

Here is our new settee.  This space had two chairs and a table in it when we
bought the boat.  This is a much better use of space, at least for us.

 On the other side of the salon we have taken a completely non-utilized space and created a 7' long bookshelf, as well as 7' of storage cabinets underneath.  This was very much needed, as books and magazines completely obliterated our counter tops.  We have regained our counter top space.  A side benefit is that there is less to worry about flying about when the water gets rough, because the items in the bookshelf are not going anywhere thanks to the "sea rail".

Excuse the mess, the kids were decorating for Christmas last time out.
The surround sound receiver and satellite TV receiver are built into
the cabinet in the corner..  New outlets and switches on the aft wall.

One section of the new bookshelf and storage cabinet.  This was just a
solid wall before with a big empty cavity behind it.  We gained a LOT of
usable storage with this change.  Cabinet doors not yet made for the cabinets.

The stairway that leads to the sleeping quarters and both heads (bathrooms) previously had carpet on it.  If you've ever been on a boat with carpeted stairs you know that they can be dangerous.  Never wear socks on a boat with carpeted stairs!  One big wave while negotiating the steps can lead to a dangerous fall.  Each of us has had at least one "slip and slide" event on these steps.  So, the carpet had to go.  We replaced the carpet with the same "raised dot" flooring we used in the galley, and under the settee, but in a different color.  I have seen this exact flooring on multi-million $$$ yachts, so I figured it was a "safe choice" for our boat.

The steep winding stairs that lead below.  Now
much safer with the high-traction raised-dot flooring.

New wood faces for each step, and the new raised
dot flooring.  Very high traction, and it will last for
decades, unlike carpet.

Once you get down those stairs you find both sleeping quarters, which we have completely rearranged to meet our needs.  In the master stateroom, we now have a true walk-around queen bed.  This is quite a luxury on a boat.

A walk-around queen bed.  No crawling over your spouse just
to get into, or out of bed.  Plus it's much easier to make the bed.

On the other side of the room we have created a bunk bed that converts to a couch.  The upper bunk folds down and becomes the back of the couch.  It will be great when we have guests, since we can accommodate quite few more overnight guests than we could when we bought the boat.

The bunk bed that converts to a couch.  Right now it's become
a storage unit for excess remodeling supplies!  New carpet.

In the forward stateroom, the V-berth, we have completely changed the sleeping arrangements.  When we bought the boat it could sleep two people, on the same level.  We gutted this room, insulated the side walls, and rebuilt it in a totally new and unique configuration.  I have to say, I've never seen a V-berth like this before.  It will now sleep four people, comfortably.  We also picked up some extra storage space in new cubbies, which will be great for the kids to store their "stuff".  This is our kids room, and they love it!

New 3-level V-berth.  This is a unique room, and
it will sleep 4 people.  With two people it seems huge.
Also new carpet.

The "cave".  Our kids love this space. It is like a little fort, and it has a great
storage cubby for their things too.

View from the upper bunk.  The large bed on the right is big enough for
two adults, if needed.  

On the outside of the boat the radar mast has been reinstalled after being quite extensively modified.  We added two more mounts, one for a second radar, and the other for a satellite dish.  We also moved the forward navigation light to the mast, as well as a new weather station sensor.  The anchor light is up top.  We have installed a new hi-tech H.I.D. remote control search light to replace the old HUGE (and not very bright) unit that was mounted on the front of the flybridge.  There are also a few deck lights mounted on the mast.  All of the mast lighting is of the brand new modern LED variety.

The radar mast, and some new antennas on the side
of the flybridge.  New red and green navigation lights
on the side of the flybridge (LED of course).

Radar mast from the rear.  

Radar mast from the front.  Lots of new equipment has been installed here.

And finally out back, we have a new swimstep (larger than the old one) and we have mounted our rowing/sailing dinghy here.  We also have two swim ladders installed under the swimstep that disappear when not in use.  One of them can be deployed with the dinghy in its cradle, making it much quicker to get someone back onboard should they unintentionally fall overboard..  The swimstep is fiberglass and will be maintenance free.  The swimstep mounted dinghy that can be deployed very quickly in an emergency if needed.  The big dinghy up top has been repositioned to free up a lot more open space on the boat deck.

Larger swimstep.  Dinghy quickly deployed in an emergency.

I still have a long list of projects, from watermaker installation, anchor stabilizers built and installed, solar panels, new boat deck railings, a teak TV enclosure, new corian countertops and sinks in the both heads.  I want to move the house battery bank in the engine room, as well as install better engine room lighting and more storage shelves for spare parts.  I also plan to install a new high output alternator on the starboard engine and reconfigure the overall charging system.  Oh, and I'd like to remodel the pilothouse dash to accommodate all of our new electronics and engine gauges.  The projects never end, but, it is a boat after all.

I'll update this again in a few months after more has been done.

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!