Sailing to Alaska – Caro Babbo

The Video Version of 2024

Port Townsend, WA 24-OCT-2024 – I belong to a Zoom group that started as fans of James Everson’s sailboat Zingaro.

I spent a few weeks on James’ boat in Aruba and would do a two-minute video every morning detailing what had happened the night before and the view from the boat.

This year, given it was our last time in Alaska and we were covering ground we’d never cover again, I asked the group if they’d like me to make two-minute videos in Caro Babbo. I was quite surprised when they said yes. I made them for a while and stopped. No one seemed interested. I asked a second time after stopping for a few weeks and everyone said yes again so I restarted. In this playlist are 52 videos made on the trip down. They are in chronological order and you’re welcome to watch. They are raw video: no editing of any kind, though I did stop and start recording in some videos.

Summer 2022 prep starts NOW.

30-MAR-2022, Phoenix Arizona, USA – The preparation and crush to prepare for this summer sailing starts. It is no different than last year. The amount of work I expect that will need to be done before Caro Babbo can go in the water is much less than last year. But the number of non-boating tasks and leisure things that we are trying to get done before I fly to Alaska is an order of magnitude larger.

Shape in the Land

Shilikof Strait, 40 nm west of Big Alinchak Bay, AK, 10-Aug-2020 — Jennifer sees things in the geology that I cannot. Generally, she sees how the land was formed, its history and future. The land around us is generally volcanic, shaped by erosion and glaciers, often by earthquakes and continental drift.

Some the land is a puzzle: how did these two type of earth end up next to each other or intermixed?

We’re in a part of the world where currents have never been studied, where coves and inlets have never been charted. There are places further west that few people, beyond those on fishing boats and the dozen or so cruising boats, will ever see.

Continue reading “Shape in the Land”

Sorry to be out of touch.

Decatur, GA 14-JUL-2018 – Everyone, I’m sorry we’ve been out of touch.

We went a few weeks with no internet, except for the Iridium, which does terrible internet. I did not write posts to be posted when we received internet and still haven’t set up the facility to post by email. I don’t feel like a slug, but apparently have been.

It has been a busy time, divided amongst sailing, motoring, and surprisingly, engaging in social activities with people we’ve met before and people we’ve met for the first time. Continue reading “Sorry to be out of touch.”

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”

Some electronic issues

The AIS has been signaling errors. I noticed this yesterday. The light on the unit is moving between red (possibly orange) and green.

We’re seeing the RSSI numbers move from high -90s to -60s on both channels (A and B) but generally it is B that has the problem. We receive oaky, but may be having trouble transmitting.

This could be an antenna problem, or a unit problem. I lean towards the unit because nothing that a I know of physically has changed and the unit has worked well the entire trip so far.
Continue reading “Some electronic issues”

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.”

No Lions, No Tigers, but Bears. Oh My! and Wolves.

5-JUN-2017, K’tzim-a-deem Grizzly Bear Sanctuary – It has been a very different trip this year.

I find myself thinking that the lack of things breaking has decreased the excitement of the trip: There is little adversity to overcome.

Jennifer often points out that we’ve been here before. The continual acknowledgement that this is as far north as we have ever been is also missing.

Things are different. Hilary is a much larger burden and we have no guests to look forward to. Continue reading “No Lions, No Tigers, but Bears. Oh My! and Wolves.”

Small Inlet, Johnstone Strait, Hilary, Two Whales Feeding and things that work

17-MAY-2017, Johnstone Strait – Yesterday morning we had two conflicting weather reports. Environment Canada said wind on the nose up Straits of Georgia and in to Johnstone Strait.

Our GRIB files said four knots the entire day.

The Strait outside Campbell river was flat and calm. As we made our decision to leave all 100 feet of Discovery, who was docked across the finger dock from us, powered up.

The night had been a real windstorm with moments of driving rain. When on an anchor, the boat general points into the wind. The portion of the cockpit in the dodger’s wind shadow stays dry. Continue reading “Small Inlet, Johnstone Strait, Hilary, Two Whales Feeding and things that work”

No Denying that We’re Home: Port Townsend

Yesterday, we sailed from Roche Harbor to MacKay Harbor. The day before from Sidney Spit to Roche Harbor. Today from MacKay Harbor to Port Townsend. There is no denying that we’re home: blue Skies, light winds. Continue reading “No Denying that We’re Home: Port Townsend”