Category: By John

Resting and Reflecting in Hot Springs Cove

Hot Spring Cove, Vancouver Island, BC, 18-SEP-2018 – Two days ago, we regained cellular service after a two week absence. The first Messenger text to come through was a single, ‘‘Where are you? The pain is unbearable.’’ from a close, family friend.

This year we have an Iridium GO with us. It has allowed us to be in contact with world via e-mail, voice and text. It has been invaluable.

I did my best to make sure that everyone dear to us knew how to easily contact us. In the case of my Dad, who suffered a blood clot, this worked as planned

Continue reading “Resting and Reflecting in Hot Springs Cove”

Dixie Cove

Dixie Cove, BC, Canada, 13-sep-2018 — My apologies for not posting.

After waiting out weather for four days we’ve stated noodling south on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Tomorrow afternoon we’ll get Zeballa, the first place on the road network in a while. They’ll have fuel.

Since that low passed through with forty-knot winds, the weather has been settled and calm. Fall is starting and the weather is transitioning to winter storms. The next five days are still calm settled weather, which is as far off as we can reliably see. Continue reading “Dixie Cove”

Waiting for weather on the Pacific Coast

Bunsby Islands southeast of Brooks Peninsula, 7-Sep-2018 — The random play on the tablet seems to have a penchant for 1960’s seminal bands: The Byrds, the Yardbirds to name two.

We’re in a cove nestled away from the Pacific, which won’t be very pacific for the next few days. Today is not too bad, twenty knots most of the day, but a low is moving in. The barometer will drop from 1018 to 996 in a bunch of hours at some point in the next couple, three days and 40 knot winds are scheduled to come ashore. Continue reading “Waiting for weather on the Pacific Coast”

Waiting for the results of Emergency Surgery

Millbrook Cove (north end of Vancouver Island) BC, Canada, 2-SEP-2018 – Waiting for results of emergency surgery is no easier on a sailboat in the middle of nowhere than it is anywhere else.

The difference on this trip is the Iridium Go, which has changed our lives for the better and taught me what a real love-hate relationship is about. How I hate the UI on that product.

But, it allowed a text message from my brother Ken to reach me: ‘‘Dad is in for emergency surgery. Blood Clot in left leg, also one in kidney. Can’t do anything about kidney. Its a tricky surgery.’’
Continue reading “Waiting for the results of Emergency Surgery”

Racor

Khutze Inlet, 27-AUG-2018 – While Jennifer sleeps, I research and fret over what to do about he junk that has accumulated in the bowl of our Racor fuel filter.

Kutze Inlet is a beautiful, big place, surrounded by mountains, with snow-cover peaks glimpsed around closer mounts. The water is flat and two water falls provide a constant aural accompaniment to the sights. Continue reading “Racor”

People, the RCMP and us

Lowe Inlet, Nettle Basin, BC, Canada, 24-AUG-2018 – Yesterday we stopped at a preserved cannery. Yes, there is an irony there.

The cannery is in Inverness Passage, a short drive from Prince Rupert, or about 15 miles by boat, if you don’t go over the shoals, which we do not.

It was another in the series of days of predicted northerly winds that do not show up. It is also the land of the mystifying currents.

We moored the day before at Cow Bay marina, which is the most expensive marina we stay in in our entire travels. It is the only marina that charges by the slip length, rather than the boat length, though we have been comped power. It also has a Canadian customs phone, which makes things easy.

When calling on the phone, the Canadians want you to be on a certified dock. You can’t just call in, as we do with the Americans. At Cow Bay is Robin, the manager whom we’ve gotten to know over the past two years. We’ve also seen him at the Seattle boat show.

This year we’ve also gotten to know Mango. Continue reading “People, the RCMP and us”

Fog turning to smoke

Nakat Harbor Baidarka Arm, AK, 21-Aug-2018 — A quick post. We’ll be in Prince Rupert this evening, but I’ll be doing a oil change and may not have time to do a full post.

Leaving Ketchikan was a real leaving. We have friends there now. When asked the question, ”Will we see you next year?” We could only answer, ”We don’t know. We may be sailing to Hawaii next year.”

The traveling south has all been under power. The predicted north winds have not shown up. Yesterday we might have been able to beat southward, but we had a current to catch.

This morning the weather forecast is for fog turning to smoke in many places. We’re told there are 600 fires burning in BC. Yes, we enter Canada this afternoon and the pacific time zone.

The weather report again says sailing conditions.

Oh, yes. We’ve been anchoring in small coves and finding the depths in some places are not as expected. Jennifer did research last night. Many of the soundings were last conducted between 1870 and 1939.

We’re doing well and heading south. The next decision: east side of west side of Vancouver Island.

Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Quick note: Wind, Waves, A whale pops up to say hello

Coffman Cove, AK, 17-Aug-2018 — We’re back after abandoning an attempted crossing of Clarence Strait headed towards Meyer’s Chuck.

The NOAA weather forecast was for wind increasing to 20 knots by mid-day. At 7am, when the current switched to ebbing south, our direction, we motored out, keeping clear of a whale feeding in harbor, to be across before the wind had picked up.

Once out, we found the wind was already blowing.

Continue reading “Quick note: Wind, Waves, A whale pops up to say hello”

Kelp, kelp, kelp, Monte Carlo and Decisions

Sumner Strait, Heading east against the current, 16-AUG-2018 — I never come below when we’re underway. My days are spent in the cockpit watching the world go by, when we’re under power, or sailing, when there is wind. Fixing the autohelm for long periods doesn’t work on the inside passage, the straits are too narrow, and the water has too many floating obstacles.

Yesterday, we spent the morning in Lord’s Pocket. Jennifer has a new kelp-of-Alaska book, which she bought at the ranger station in Glacier Bay, that she wanted to identify kelp with. We launched our Portland Pudgy dinghy, Hilary Hoffmann, from the deck. We’ve been thinking, and I have been writing, about the changes in our perspective as we become practiced and the adventure turns into everyday life. Continue reading “Kelp, kelp, kelp, Monte Carlo and Decisions”