Water maker – Caro Babbo

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”

Smooth Sailing – Docking most nights

This trip is very different than last year’s in many ways.

Until today, we’ve had great sailing – today is very calm despite initial forecasts of 25 to 35 knot winds.

Yesterday we sailed from Nanaimo to Ford’s Cove on Hornby Island. We ran before the wind almost the entire way, averaging something over 6 knots. We’re practiced now. We don’t feel unwarranted risk when do things, and we don’t second guess our decisions. Continue reading “Smooth Sailing – Docking most nights”

Conover Cove – a status.

We’re quietly docked in Conover Cove. The cove is known for its impossibility of getting a spot on the dock, but we have a place as we did when we were here last September. The difference this time is that the dock did not fill up – It’s May and the weather is not pleasant – Cool and raining.

Continue reading “Conover Cove – a status.”

We’re on our way, Hilary and Taylors Stove Redux

My apologies for not posting in sometime. It has all been heads down while we raced to get away.

We finally left Port Townsend this past Friday about 2pm.

The Port Townsend house is rented, the lower shrouds are installed, the rig tuned and new burners installed. Continue reading “We’re on our way, Hilary and Taylors Stove Redux”

Five weeks on the hard in Port Townsend’s Boat Haven

Rather than the write book that is the five weeks in Port Townsend’s Boat Haven, here is a gallery of pictures. Much of what was done wasn’t photographed, so I guess the book is on the way.

Caro Babbo is due to go back into the water tomorrow – we’re on standby. And then to be sailed back to Lake union on the weekend. There is no mass transit in Jefferson County on Sundays, so we’ll be in Seattle until Monday.

There is still much work to be done: replacing coolant hoses, installed new fuel filter, replacing heater fan, to name three. Continue reading “Five weeks on the hard in Port Townsend’s Boat Haven”

There are no sailing seasons in the PNW, but there is sure a lot to buy before springtime arrives.

I don’t like to think of sailing as seasonal. Being seasonal is what I think of as differentiating east coast sailors from west coast sailor – 3000 miles, notwithstanding. We keep Caro Babbo in the water 12-months a year and enjoy winter sailing.

This year and last we decamped to Phoenix to work on a house there, making sailing seasonal, even if that was not our intent. Three months prepping a house, only to return to Seattle to spend months prepping the boat, delineates boating seasons as much as I would rather have sailed continuously. Continue reading “There are no sailing seasons in the PNW, but there is sure a lot to buy before springtime arrives.”

2017 Seattle Boat Show – Water Maker and Sailmaker

The boat show was very different for me this year. It was Hilary and me alone. I went to learn about water makers, to see my sail maker, and to meet with Jesús and Zoë, who are friends from the newspaper industry who are planning on calling it quits and move onto a trawler.

Hilary and I are staying full time in the Port Townsend house. It has been very cold (to my PNW/South-of-the-Mason-Dixon-Line self): Highs in the low forties, lows around freezing. It is also 2-1/2 hours from Port Townsend to Seattle. Continue reading “2017 Seattle Boat Show – Water Maker and Sailmaker”

We’re back in the PNW

We’re back in the Pacific Northwest. Well, at the moment, ‘we’ refers to Hilary and me.

Hilary, Jennifer and I spent from October 5th through January 7th in Phoenix working on a house Jennifer owns. It was a time to get fit as Jennifer and I worked 6 to 7 days a week from sun up until we needed to stop.

I got in shape by moving approximately 25 tons of gravel with a wheelbarrow and a shovel. It feels good to carry muscle again. The trick is how to keep it; I don’t belong to a gym anymore.

Continue reading “We’re back in the PNW”