Category: Cruising Caro Babbo

Where Caro Babbo sails

Cooking in Meyer’s Chuck

6-AUG-2017, Meyer’s Chuck, AK – I get asked often about what we eat aboard, about what we eat and what we cook when we’re ashore.

We don’t use prepared foods, including bread, and on board we have no refrigeration – though we occasionally buy ice. The ice allows us to have fresh meat and fish until it melts. (It is worth mentioning that even fresh meat and fish will keep for a few days without refrigeration – Remember the Ben Franklin quote about guests and fish, both stink after three days.)

I’m working on a ‘‘simplest’’ bread video for our friend Heath, which I’ll post on YouTube in a day or two. I also outlined a 13-part cooking show, which I abandoned as too much like work. Perhaps I’ll dust it off.

At Jennifer’s urging I’ve started to keep a food journal so that we can go back to things that I’ve cooked that we both liked.

Continue reading “Cooking in Meyer’s Chuck”

We tear out a cleat, anchor in tight quarters and see bears.

5-AUG-2017, Frosty Bay, AK – We ripped the aft starboard cleat out of the boat today, then glued it back it in at a little two-boat dock in Frosty Bay.

Continue reading “We tear out a cleat, anchor in tight quarters and see bears.”

In Petersburg

2-AUG-2107 , Petersburg, AK – Quick status. Full posts from Wrangle when we get there this afternoon.

We arrived in Petersburg, AK yesterday. It was sunny ALL DAY and is sunny this morning. This, we believe is the first time we have had two sunny days in a row on the trip. We also suspect that yesterday was the first full sunny day of the trip. Continue reading “In Petersburg”

Mac comes back to life, 12-Volt Adapter dies, Depth Sounder Packs up

22-JUL-2017 Echo Cove, AK – Electronics on a boat oftentimes act differently than ashore.

We’ll be in Auke Bay, which is part of Juneau, tomorrow so I can pick up the shipping container to send my Mac back to Apple for repair – except that I am writing this on my Mac. Continue reading “Mac comes back to life, 12-Volt Adapter dies, Depth Sounder Packs up”

The First Thing Breaks: John’s Laptop

13-JUL-2017, Juneau, AK – My laptop died a hard death this morning… no response to pressing the power key, the power supply doesn’t light when attached.

$500 at apple to repair… $395, and a bunch of charges. The final amount should be mid four-hundreds.

Last night Derek from our marina joined us for dinner. He’s crew on the boat, Serenity (which shows on AIS as Talos).

Arriving in Juneau yesterday afternoon, we found we knew the crews of six other boats. Some from this year, and a few from last year. Continue reading “The First Thing Breaks: John’s Laptop”

On Alzheimer’s and lentils

This post was written and dated 9-JUL, but is only being posted on 23-JUL

9-JUL-2017, Cleveland Pass – I don’t suffer from depression, but Jennifer can and is.

Yesterday we sailed up from Stedman Cove in Rocky Pass. Our friend Heath anchored near us and came by for dinner. I need to teach Heath to make bread. It will change his life.

Our friend Ray Penson, last year, mentioned that he basically lived on Stag-brand chili. I thought of this as an interesting curiosity. Then, Heath talked of buying $400 worth of Amy’s organic chili to live on. He also buys organic canned condensed soups that he uses as a sauce on quinoa this year, previously rice. But he no longer enjoys rice. Continue reading “On Alzheimer’s and lentils”

On Cats

This post was written on 5-JUL but was posted on 23-JUL

5-JUL-2017, Sakar Cove – Jennifer and I have lived with cats at various times in our relationship, generally when a cat in the extended family needs tending.

For more than a year, we lived with the unfortunately named ‘‘Friendly,’’ a female orange part Maine Coon whose destiny was a pack of Coyotes. The deal between Jennifer and me is that all maintenance of the cat is Jennifer’s responsibility: Litter box, food, water, medical care, etc. Except for the weeks and months that Jennifer is away. Continue reading “On Cats”

Hydaburg, Klowack and Craig; Stretch and Elise.

3-JUL-2017, Craig, AK – We’ve met people who spend each fourth of July in a different Alaska town. Each town has its own character and make up.

Craig, where we are today, Monday, the morning of the third of July is home to many young familes with children. We met them yesterday at a children’s fishing competition at the marina. This town of 1300 or so showed up with any dozens of children under ten years old fishing a remarkable number of Halibut from beneath the docks… by remarkable I mean dozens and dozens in a one hour period. Continue reading “Hydaburg, Klowack and Craig; Stretch and Elise.”

Punchbowl, AK – This year versus Last

It’s difficult not to compare that second time one does something with the first.

Jennifer and I find ourselves doing that often these last couple of days.

We compare our calendar and where we were last year against where we are this year. The comparison is a false one: so much was different.

We feel like we’ve sat at anchor for days this year doing nothing, while last year at this time we‘d sat at anchor waiting for parts, and then sat a t a dock waiting for parts. Jennifer and I spent weeks apart last year as Jennifer flew to Owen’s graduation and I flew to say good bye to my dying friend JoAnn.

Yesterday, we were in Punchbowl, two day’s sail from Ketchikan, though we took three days, stopping in a small cove we knew a few hours south of Ketchikan that contained a mooring buoy. And then staying at a further cove, with a Park Service cabin and buoy. Continue reading “Punchbowl, AK – This year versus Last”