First Passages

Marina Mazatlán

First passages for any season of cruising can be a bit “over the top” because you may have lost your sea legs in the four or five months since you left the boat for the summer. This year we added to the issue by having a small party the night before leaving port by way of inviting Steve and Kristin from Nautilus and Michael from Sea Venture over for dinner. It turns out that everyone thought they should bring wine and for the most part we had way too much of it! Leaving port with a bit of a hang over is a tradition for some but not so much for us. Definitely a habit to be avoided. One of the things that I enjoy is a send off where someone pops over to see us off and hands us our dock lines. It saves me hopping aboard Faith from the dock… the boat has a pretty good freeboard so “hopping” aboard can mean quite a leap; that might just be a leap of Faith. Anyway, Ken and Linde from Rosebud handed us lines and we backed out of the slip and into a new adventure!!

Abby enjoying the boat NOT moving

This year, of course, we have the new boat dog, Abby. She gradually gained her sea legs but the real test will be the next time we are going somewhere. Will she vote to get off the boat? Anyway, it took awhile but she did very well on our three day passage from San Carlos to Mazatlán. By the third day she was frisky again and liked being in the cockpit part of the time. There is a better post about all this on Sandy’s blog. When we left San Carlos the boat needed cleaning, again, but there just was not enough time to do this, again. Most of the major jobs had been done but that is almost always the case for us. Get done what is safety related and keep the list for the next port! This is such a great life… follow the sun and keep it easy and fun!! There is always work to be done but do not do too much at a time. That was something of the thinking when we left San Carlos.

One dinghy... AZ registration??

We checked the grib files and knew we had a good weather window for a longer passage. The gribs said calm for most of the first day and no wind over 15 knots for the whole trip. As it turned out we may have had a bit of wind around eighteen knots (that’s when the white caps start looking large) but it was from a direction pushing us nicely along at 7 knots then we surfed the boat up to around 9 and 10 knots!! Wheee!!! That’s when you can feel the surge pass under the boat as the wave passes… just before the wave gets amidships there is a definite power up as the boat accelerates trying to keep pace with the wave. We needed only the jib (forward sail) to run the boat. That is a fairly forgiving point of sail so you do not worry about accidentally jibing the boat and causing damage to your rig. As we went along about the end of day two the fog closed in on us with a smack of colder air and we played dodge boat with the shrimp boats keeping our radar on. It cleared for awhile when we hove to for a nicer dinner and bit of sleep so that we would reach Mazatlán in daylight. This we did thus arriving about daybreak meant seeing the jetty at the entrance was much easier. Another passage completed and a new day to see the world in a fresh light!!

Cycles of Renewal

Faith in the dusty work yard

There are cycles to many things that we experience in life. For me, at this point, one repetition is the renewal I feel when the boat goes back into the water. Even though I know it will represent a string of work to make it ready for cruising for a season I look forward to much of that work. It is the real price we pay for living freely on passages and at anchor during the best season in Mexico… and, maybe later, further afield.

On the way to the boat ramp

When we put the boat to bed for the summer there is a part of me that does not want to leave. Someday perhaps we will stay for the summer and see what that would be like. The main word is probably HOT; that seems like the obvious part. It also seems to me that we would experience another side of cruising. I suspect that the fishing gets better and better along with the heat. I know that the Dorado start running wildly after the beginning of June so that might be a big plus for staying through the summer. Another thing that I suspect is that there would less of a shock in keeping the boat up on a steady basis than all the getting ready that goes on for the first few weeks we are back to the boat. The downside might be that we would not have those trinkets to bring back from the States and install to make life a little better each season. Yes, I have to admit that the new stuff we bring with us makes life aboard just bit nicer each year. The LED lights are using less energy. The new composting toilet should be a good thing. Re-bedding the stanchions will make rain more comfortable below deck. Retrieving and replacing the halyard that broke at the end of last season is a requirement but one that has a nice new line to handle. Getting the remote VHF radio back in line will be safer. Putting the wheels on the dinghy will make beach landings safer. The new motor that my brother loaned us will make things safer as well because it has an automatic shut off for those same beach landings. The new (yet to be named) dinghy is a vast improvement over the old and melting dinghy (Elvis). The new LED navigation lights are making us more visible at night. The smallest improvement is install a fresh O-ring on the propane feed line much safer than the “bodged” incorrectly sized one I had to use at the end of last season because I could not find one the correct size. Renewing the bottom paint and retouching the top bright work will make things nicer. It appears too that we are in need of a fresh Stereo because the old one does not play any more. This list goes on and on; you are seeing perhaps 10% of the total.


Splash!!

As I mentioned at the start there is always a lot of work at the beginning of the season… as there is in a constant stream while cruising. It is easier to see the total effect when you face it all at once upon returning to the boat. That is what makes the cycle so visible. Coming home to the boat after dirt cruising is always interesting. Just so you know too, I have already started the list for when we come back to the RV after this season of cruising is finished.

This may be a slightly longer post due to subject matter.

We left Tucson on Friday morning in hopes of reaching San Carlos, Sonora by Happy Hour. Our first stop was for gas just before we got to The Line and I ended up getting a receipt for the transaction. This will play a part in this tale and is significant because I often choose not to get a receipt. There is now a stop on our side of The Line where they might explain to you that is illegal to take $10,000 or more in cash to Mexico… it is apparently desired that all transactions of any size be traceable, hence the restriction. We were ushered through the stop and set aside since we were towing the trailer so we did not have to traverse the Maze with the whole rig and we popped across The Line following a large truck and made our way to the first Red light / Green light station on the toll road (Mariposa exit).

Holding the collective breath we Green lighted and slowly began to pull away when a youngish official waved to stop. He had seen the outboard motor in the back of the truck and wanted to chat. This is a problem he explained in Spanish; we needed to pay taxes on the outboard. In crossing many times with outboards in plain view AND having once paid taxes on one that did not accompany a boat I knew that the rule was that a small boat with a motor was exempt but he seemed insistent (We discussed the issue with the young officer but he did not accede to the notion of the dinghy and motor being part of the Temporary Import Permit for Faith, nor did he understand that the two items constituted a unit and were exempt.) so I agreed to make a point of stopping at the Kilometer 21 customs office to see what was correct to do about this problem. At K-21 we got our FM-3’s stamped and made for the Aduana’s, who, in turn, sent us to the Banjercito (bank) window. Our first shot we did not have all the documents in hand so we came back after a visit to the travel trailer with more documents. When the teller looked everything over she decided we were still missing “something” (in Spanish) and sent us with a note back to the Aduana’s window. She said that we did not have the boat trailer title and when I explained that it was small boat and did not have a trailer she said we needed to go back to Nogales, Arizona and have it all inspected by the Conapesca office (the committee for Fishing). She repeated this several times and had no idea where this office might be in Nogales or what the phone number would be. It was a bit before 2:00 in the afternoon so we pointed our rig north again and joined the line at The Line only wait two hours to cross back into the U.S. of A.!!

When we finally got to the border officer he was visibly sorry to tell us that we did need agricultural inspection and we were concerned that the things we had purchased in Tucson would be confiscated. The first (young) officer to approach was clearly of a mind to thoroughly inspect and confiscate food items on the no-no list. An experienced officer joined in to explain that K-21 was the “turn around” and that we had not exceeded the distance required to make necessary a full inspection. The young officer asked if we had any proof that we had only shortly before crossed the line, say, a receipt or some such. Indeed we did!! So we were allowed to proceed. Whew!!

We hauled the trailer all over Nogales asking questions and looking for the supposed Conapesca office. This led to several interesting traffic situations but after an hour and a half we gave up and went looking for an RV park. Ending up in Amado was mildly disappointing until we discovered that RV park was one of the better ones we have stayed in. We determined that we would not take the trailer for the assault on officialdom the next day (Saturday). Entering Nogales, Arizona again we did a perfunctory search for the imaginary office and decided that no such place existed. I took a picture of the motor and dinghy in the back of the truck and we crossed The Line again going south. At the first customs station we Red lighted but the young woman looked at the documents and as soon as I said we were going to the Aduana’s at K-21 she smiled nicely and waved us on. Now at K-21 I went directly to the bank window and passed the documents (which only consisted of the Certificates of Origin for the dinghy and the motor, the TIP for Faith and, just in case, the fishing licenses we picked up in San Diego along with the camera with picture). I handed over the documents and began my explanation. It was clearly grinding to a halt again until I pressed the camera with the picture to the glass of the window and said it was a small boat, “Es en una bolsa, mire” (it’s in a bag, see). The light bulb went on for the teller and scooted off to chat with a supervisor. The supervisor asked that we move to her window (allowing the others in line to get their business done) and we told the story again. She disappeared and I saw her at the Aduana’s (Customs) window talking very animatedly. We waited and when she got back we were told to go to the Customs window. Presenting ourselves there again we turned over our documents and the young lady looked at everything and asked that we drive the boat and motor around through the Declare line at Red light / Green light.

Okay, off we go… pulling into the area an official came over and we pulled into a shaded area at his direction. I went back to the window after awhile because nothing was happening… nobody at the window… hmmm, back to the truck. Another young official came over and I handed the paperwork to her just as the official from the window popped onto the scene. The paperwork was handed over and the gal from the window sought out an elder official. He came over while listening to the explanation and looked into the back of the truck. “Are you going to use the boat and motor for fishing?” He asked. Okay, so we are on track. “Yes, we are using this for fishing some of the time.” I said. “Then quit asking so many questions; you are good to go!” he responded, “Go!” Of course, I am paraphrasing all the conversations in Spanish.

Unfortunately we did not have the trailer with us at the time!! In any case, we had paid at the RV park to stay until Monday morning so we headed north again. It took only THREE hours to get back in Arizona this time. This system is more broken than I can understand. It is not because there are so many people crossing the border at any particular time. I will save this rant for another time. When Monday came we loaded up and pointed south again. Same drill on the U.S. side and then we Green lighted at the first Customs station. We pulled through the RV lane at K-21 the young fellow assigned to us came over, glanced in the bed of the truck, and asked to gain access to the trailer. He looked at the chaos and made a retreat for the door, wishing us a good trip.

Voom, we are through all of the hassle zone and I have learned not to try so hard to do things in some perfect way… and asking too many questions. What I had wanted was a piece of paper saying that it was okay to bring the motor into the country, what I got was a verbal,

“Okay”! Good enough for cruisers.

The Season Begins (Again)

Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum has cool stuff

Well, well, well… Here we are, ready to jump across the southern border again. This is the third season and I, for one, am intrigued by what we will find this time! We have included plans for a different experience in several ways this season. First, we will have Sandy’s (and by inference, mine as well) grandson joining us in or around Puerto Vallarta. That is likely to be too much fun in so many ways. This would be the first person younger than 20 years of age to stay on the boat with us! We have also planned a stop in Topolobampo for a detour into Copper Canyon via train. Naturally, there will be a variety of people popping in and out as we move around in Mexico so I am certain that there will be adventures derived from that alone.

Some items of curiosity are: Will we have hassles about anything that we are bringing over the line? Is there a real issue (as we have heard recently) with rock throwers in Hermosillo? Is the highway still in good shape? Have we remembered everything we need for projects once we get there? Will the composting marine head fit and work as we have envisioned? There are just too many things swinging in the wind for us to be sure right now. There is sooo much work to do when we get there. Only time and effort will tell if we have planned well enough. With the new dog aboard there will be challenges there as well, I am just sure of it.

I did find out this afternoon that Abby (the dog) is a Democrat. I had finished up my ballot to send it back to Washington before we leave tomorrow and she must have suspected that I might have put in one or two votes for Republicans (she will likely vote a straight ticket) so she ate the envelope while I was out on a last minute gathering of list items. I know that sounds suspiciously like, “the dog ate my homework,” BUT since I rarely vote a “straight” ticket she may discerned my direction and decided immediate action was required. In any event, the mauled ballot was patched up and will be sent off to be recorded.

We understand, too, that raccoons are invading the docks at Marina Real in San Carlos. They have become quite brazen apparently and have boarded boats in search of food or shelter. That’s a giant, “Yikes!!!” if I think too hard about it. I mean, I can see waking up to the face of a raccoon string at me from the hatch over our bunk and hoping I can close the hatch before Sandy wakes up!!! Too much of a problem!! I have, in the past, seen them (raccoons) in the garbage cans in San Carlos Marina devastating the refuse. They are quite nasty if they feel threatened. Anyway, this is something to ponder as we drive south. The possible images are terrifying!!

Infrastructure

Sorry, there are just no pictures adequate to add to this post...

As a non-political statement I have found that the roads in California have been allowed to deteriorate substantially. What I mean here is that our twice a year contact with I-5 going to or from Mexico and Washington state has a bouncy component in the middle of California. The infrastructure has been let fly by the governing mob of the state under the cry of, “Budget Crisis” which, I am sure, is in an acute state of fiscal reality in most states these days.

The road bed on much of I-5 has been beaten senseless by the too many vehicles traversing the long north/south corridor. There has been little or no repair in long stretches of the road and neglect is the main component of its current state. There are some perfectly pleasant sections but they are incredibly brief. It seems that there will be some serious prices to pay to fix the problem at some as yet undermined time in the future. While I am not at all clear on how the funding mechanism works in terms of federal versus state amounts but it seems that Some Money is surely available… just not now for that purpose.

If this road is in this condition (barely functional in places) it begs the question, “What other designated infrastructure is in so deep a trouble?” What has become of the funding for schools? Why has the crisis of the moment been extended for so long? Are dams and bridges in as much trouble? There is serious money in the government of California and from observation of the workings of the taxman in that state (one in which I would never choose to live with the possible exception of San Diego) there is a very active taxing authority there as well. If the legislative and executive branches do not solve these problems there is very little need for them. On a state level they exist to cooperatively deal with these infrastructure matters. If they cannot execute that responsibility then why have them around? For all the wrangling I have seen on TV as we travel down the state in this election cycle it is clear only that the politicos exist in some fairly rarified air and have just as clearly lost touch with clarity of thought. “Magical Thinking” is all I can think of to describe this idiocy of blame and stupidity. Pointing fingers at each other has absolutely no place in this debate.

The commercial interests of the state will suffer from the lack of infrastructure. The public at large is suffering from the under maintained roads. The number of trucks plying the roadway tells you that without decent roads the costs of maintaining the trucks will increase and we will all pay for that in the marketplace. The underlying fabric of our national life is displayed in these ways and it should make you concerned for the future. This problem is NOT a matter of politics; it is a matter of loss of focus. It is a matter of a system going toward irrelevancy. It is a matter of an unsustainable system being picked apart by idiots.

Kiva = Microfinance; Next...

As those watching this space for any time know I decided awhile ago to support Kiva and the micro-finance movement. Well, here is one of the founders of Kiva talking about an extension of that movement that may have the power of the original in a better way. Yes, the economy may suck at the moment but this idea has the power to do for the economy what the, now non-lending, banks fail to do when they are too large for regular people. You see, at this point anyway, I have far more than the average loans in the Kiva system but I see that more is needed here (in the U.S.A.) to promote the businesses that are trying hard to go forward in adverse conditions. It will still take "BIG" ideas to create new businesses but it can be done if the traditional bank is not in the picture.

I do not know what the future holds but I can applaud the good idea when I see it. This is a little over 18 minutes in length so you have to stick with it to get the point.

Ok, A Bit Off on Tangent

A bit off of the usual path; We found a dog on-line but when we got to the shelter it was clear that this was not the right dog for us... However we did find a pup that was exactly the right one at the same place. We had been secretly looking for quite awhile.




We decided to call her Abby... no special reason, it just seems to fit!! What can I say? When the right dog comes along you are powerless.



No doubt this will change the adventure at times but that's okay by me. I mean, it was resisted for as long as I could hold out!

Southerly Direction

Haystack Rock at Pacific City

We have started the trek south again and are making a whopping 60 or so miles per day! Well, we have our reasons, I suppose. First stop was Seaside, Oregon because there are friends there. The RV park was a pleasant place and we stayed for three days, checking in with Rod and Debo to have dinner and then shop a bit. Then on to Pacific City, Oregon where we found a great RV park across the street from the beach and the Pelican Brew Pub. Here is where we were surprised by the food served as much as enjoying the excellent beer. That was a two day stop. From there we landed in Florence, Oregon to visit family and ended up staying two days as well. From here we are going to Sutherlin, Oregon to visit more family. Then there will be a stop at Crater Lake followed by Ashland. Then the days will get a little longer as we get to the Redwoods and Sonoma Valley. After all the small distances we need to get much further south and expect to be in San Diego before the 22nd of October. That should put some hustle in the bustle!!

Just trees at Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park, Oregon

The thing that I have discovered about these short days is that I am much less exhausted when setting up or tearing down camp each time. It is a lot easier on me to be going through the motions when I am not tired from driving all day and a leisurely time while stationary makes for a simpler pack up as well. If we stay someplace for a couple of days it usually means we get comfortable but do not get too spread out! When we roost for more than three days we start setting things up more completely and it takes a bunch longer to put it all away again.

Our pattern this summer has been leaps of no more than 350 miles per day which normally is a full day since we do not get up to higher speeds most of the time. It is an art to travel at these slower speeds but it is very rewarding. It used to be that I was all about the destination and 600 mile days were not out of the question. Now, however, we can stop for the least excuse and read plaques or take pictures at will. If we do not quite make it as far as we thought we would there is almost always an RV park wherever we find ourselves. Oh well, it makes for a great day to be less concerned with how far we need to go.

Crater Lake

What we are shooting for now, in the longer run that is, is to get to San Carlos before the end of the month. It will take a good effort to have the boat ready to go before the end of November if we get there by late October. I am hoping for a two week “get ready” this season but that is probably just wishful thinking on my part. After all I have to finish finishing the galley floor (a re-varnish job), install the new composting head, run lines everywhere, reinstall the BBQ (after a thorough cleaning), varnish the board that we attach the extra fuel cans to, install the new bow light, install the dinghy wheels on the new dinghy, fix some of the interior lights, put the dodger and bimini back on and, oh, whatever else I am not thinking of right now. There is always a bunch to do getting ready for the season again. We still have things (like the dinghy wheels and water filters) to purchase in San Diego not to mention the fishing licenses and… what am I forgetting? It will take us some time to have everything put together but who can say how fast it will come together? Last season I incorrectly thought that it would be two or three days to install the new windlass but, did I mention it took the better part of a week to finish that job? So, who knows how long all this will take!?!?

For now I am organizing the list and getting mentally prepared to go back to work!!

Just to add a picture...

Hurricane Ridge in panorama... it was a good deal cooler at 5000 feet of elevation and we could see across the Straights of Juan de Fuca to Canada and east to Glacier Peak. Spectacular views everywhere.

Boats, Boats, Boats

Yes, that's a Cal 20 Sailboat as a tender to the Trawler

Now that we are back in Vancouver (and, as I learned... that would be the Original Vancouver) I need to catch up a bit. We attended the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival for two days last week and then caught another ferry to Whidbey Island for a day. Of course, because we had a sunny day finally, we went to Hurricane Ridge above Port Angeles as well but missed out on a sailing trip into the San Juan Islands due to wanting to calm our travels a little!! The drive down from there the following day was anti-climactic in a way. We are now back in the RV Park where we spend our otherwise down time. It is now getting close to the time when we will turn further south and go to Mexico... that means there is lots to do to get ready.

There were more wooden boats than you could shake a stick at...

So, whirlwind trip(s) in the Northwest now completed we will organize our "other" trip.

All kinds of sailing craft at every turn!!

Trains, Planes & Ferries

High Speed Ferry across the water to Victoria and Return

Hanging out in Comox and cruising by sail boat to some nearby islands had been laid back but filled with walks and explorations. It was time to head south again to Victoria then Port Angeles. We had left the truck in P. A. but the Travel Trailer (Errol) was still in Port Townsend. This meant a full day of driving around when we got back to Port Angeles because once we united the truck and the trailer we still had to come back to Sequim to set up for a stay. But I am getting ahead of myself. Our morning in Comox was slower getting started than it had been the previous few days. Angus had a breakfast cooked up in no time but we were just slow getting moving; this is no complaint at all. Once underway we had time for a walk around a local park with flora and fawna, (yes, I know it’s fauna, but this park had baby deer mingled with the adults and we got VERY close), then the air park...




...after a noodles sort of lunch of Vietnamese food. Yum, is all I can say about that. In any event it was finally time to say good bye, it was hard because we likely will not see Angus and Rolande for a long time since their general plan includes crossing the Pacific (the puddle jump) this coming season. Hugs all-round and we were on the train going back to Victoria. Until that moment I did not realize that this was Sandy’s first time on a train!!

We saw a lot of interior on the way!!

One thing about this train ride was that the whistle is liberally used at the many road crossings and another is that the forest does not allow for much view much of the time. I did not tire of the whistle but I would have liked more of the fantastic view. This is a place where scenery is captivating so what we could see was thoroughly noticed. There must be something about trains on this island because everywhere I saw people waving at us. Everywhere we went the people were more than just friendly… they were positively effusive and helpful. I have seldom been someplace where my “accent” was noticed so much… I do not hear it myself!!! As it happened Jean-Guy was waiting for us at the station and drove us a few blocks (it was truly close) to his home and we had a splendid dinner before retiring. It was extremely fun chatting our way into the evening. Hopping on the ferry going back to the U. S. of A. was slightly more complicated because we were going to have to go through customs/immigration… BUT, it is not nearly as nasty as the stupid way WE (Homeland Security) handle border crossings in Nogales, Arizona. Can we say, “Too much hassle”?? Having waited in line for more than an hour in Nogales it was good to just pop into line and spend a couple of minutes to get through the process. I will leave the idiocy of the current fear-mongering on U.S. radio and TV making life miserable for so many to a later day (this is something where the political middle line has disappeared in the mist of bombastic crap) and full book to follow. Whoopsy!! I digress way too much!! Suffice it that we did reunite truck and Errol and in the fading light settle in for a few hours to get up early the next day for a rapid trip (four hours) back to Vancouver, Washington for a medical check up and return as far as we could toward Sequim!! We made it to Olympia.

B. C. Mania

Shortly after our arrival

There are times when you get to do something that you have long wanted to do. This is one of those sorts of stories. After the Cathlamet Cruiser’s Rally we went to Port Townsend and dropped off the Trailer (perhaps now named Errol) at our friend Sue’s house (that would be Sue of Sophie). Then we headed for Port Angeles and Catherine’s home. Now Catherine is someone that Sandy knew from growing up in P.A. and there are continued family ties there even though Sandy has not seen her for many years. We were fed and put up for the night and then deposited at the ferry dock to make our way to across the channel to Victoria, British Columbia. Catherine could not possibly have been a better hostess!! I have never been on that sized ferry before and as a family run business it was a great experience. After less than an hour crossing we were entering the customs and immigration area on the Canadian side and waving at Angus and Rolande of Periclees waiting to pick us up.

The Great & Colorful

Interesting Signage

We bopped around the downtown area for a few hours and included a shopping fix for us all; though our list of what we were looking for was pretty short it was a pleasant day of wandering. Traffic was interesting as we toured via Rolande’s mini-van after giving up on the shopping. This culminated in a stop for wine, and I have to say here that Canadian wine prices are high, before going to Jean-Guy and Fran’s of Gosling for dinner and a stay for the night. Talk about awesome, this was a fantastic night of fun and chat.The next morning Angus and Rolande took us to Butchart Gardens.

Small arch...

This is a place I had wanted see for a very long time. It lived up to expectations in triplicate!!! If you want a dose of gardening envy or inspiration this IS the place to come to. I know that initially Angus had hopes that we would cruise through this experience in a speedy fashion but he graciously succumbed to our slow pace quickly. Getting the chance to see such a wide variety of flowers arranged in so many ways was incredible. I am given to understand that it does not matter what season you go there (except the dead of winter) there is always a great experience awaiting you. By the time we got to the Hidden Garden, which we saved for last, we were floating on a garden high. There is simply no comparison with any garden I have ever seen before. The temperate climate here is the perfect place to carry out the vision of such a fantastic display.

Tiny portion of organization...

Form here we slowly cruised up the east coast of Vancouver Island visiting several small towns and crossing occasionally back to a relatively untraveled freeway. There were views to be appreciated at every turn and the camera rarely left my hand. What a nice place to live!!! On arriving at the Pericleesian’s home in Comox we had yet another great evening. Maybe later I will get around to incorporating some of this into an entry… suffice it to say that these are some wonderful folks living in an incredible place.

Bearly fun towns...

The next day we got on Evening Breeze with Jim and Donna (another couple we had met while we were in Mexico) and the Periclees crew after a breakfast omelet that included the Chinese from the night before. Evening Breeze is a Morgan 41 like Faith. The deal was for us to spend two or three days aboard cruising the Gulf Islands. Out we went to our first lesson… Jim dropped some prawn traps just outside the anchorage at Hornsby Island (Tribune Bay) and then four of us dinghied into shore for a romp around the path going inland for a bit then back around along the coast to the initial beach. When we got back aboard we retrieved the pots with only about nine prawns (Note: Jim had previously declared that we were not likely to catch much there but it was something to do while we were there). These were designated as breakfast prawn to be dealt with in a couple of days. Off to the better anchorage in Tribune bay and a party that night aboard.

The signs on the side of the Morris car said something about going around the world

In the morning we were treated to breakfast (including some of our left over Chinese food from a day earlier). Great omelet Angus!! Up the anchor came and we ended a bit of sailing with a very tight anchoring job in Codfish Cove at Jedediah Island. When I say, “Tight,” I mean it. We came in next to a rock wall to drop the anchor in about 30 feet of water then slew around to tie a line aft to a tree ashore! There was another boat there as well, in a place with room for not much more than that. Kudos to Jim for knowing how to go about this and still allow for the 15 foot tide!!
This time five of us hopped off the boat for a walk about. Fascinating place and views. It even included a helicopter landing for a picnic while we were there!!

With six people on board we were still comfortable, as we have been many times on Faith too. The meals were really well coordinated and the party atmosphere came from sailors who know how to get along. That is something that I think is one of the best things about the folks we have met while cruising… we tend to be some pretty happy people.
When we left Codfish Cove the wind had come up. Jim negotiated some narrows and we popped out to into the channel with more waves and wind than we had the previous two days. Fortunately Evening Breeze has a full enclosure for the cockpit and we were very comfortable sailing across to what I think was called Blaine Channel to head back to Comox. This was a wonderful time for me as I watched the scenery and had a shot at steering the boat. The hydraulic steering does not give the same feel and feedback as Faith’s cable steering and the full keel was slightly different than I am used to as well. In any case, we had a super time on this sail and enjoyed every minute of the cruise.

A Hobbit Shed in a park

More pictures...

The next thing we had to do was to get back to Victoria so that we could board the ferry for the return to Port Angeles the next day.

Cathlamet's Charms

Somehow at the Marina

Well, here is the catch up for the last few weeks! We left Vancouver, Washington headed for the Sea of Cortez Cruiser’s Rally in Cathlamet, Washington. Just run your finger along the Columbia River as it flows past Portland and you will eventually come across Cathlamet on the Washington side of the river. This was where we stopped two years ago on the last day of this rally on our way south with Faith. It’s a small-ish marina with an RV park attached. That makes it a perfect interface for the water born and dirt born traveler.




At the rally we caught up with friends from cruising these last two years as well as some from much longer ago than that. When we docked there two years ago our friends Ken and Linde (in the tradition of using boat names as last names) of Rosebud caught our lines and they have crossed our path several times since then. It was the case this time as well in a way because they were already there in their motorhome when we arrived. Break out the party gear and get started on a great weekend… not that we can differentiate beween week days and weekends any more! I knew before we got there that John of Pachanga would be there but the surprise was bumping into Ralph of Annabelle Lee and then Stephanie of Ham radio fame!! Steph is someone I have talked to many times on the radio but never met. We have mutual friends and I have actually been in the same place before but never knew it until later. The cruising world is fairly small but this makes it seem even smaller. It was a welcome surprise when Pat and Mike of Somehow showed up at the dock and we caught their lines to invite them over for dinner on Friday night. As we sat around chatting I saw friends Chrees and Keem (Chris & Kim) formerly of Jasmine Isle and invited them to join us. What laughter to be had in the area was at our travel trailer that night!! I will be sore for several days from that and Chrees later said that the sun light was too loud the next day!!
We made lots of new friends as well. There were several people heading south either this year or next attending and we got a jump on finding out who the class of 2010/2011 will include.

Downhill into the second turn!!

So after all of two days of gathering the clans we had a few free moments and took walks into town. Cathlamet was welcoming the Long Boarders competition for that Sunday so we stayed to take pictures of crazy young people screaming down a blocked off street on large skateboards. This included wipeouts at the corners and a jump at the end of the run. These kids (mostly) are fearlessly competing for a $500 first place prize. Or, at least I think it must be fearlessly because they don’t seem to scrub off the speed until the last second as they approach the corners. They have on leather suits and wear gloves with extra padding that they use to brake as needed. Some just break instead of brake and we watched several become disconnected from their boards and crash into the hay bale barricades only to get up quickly, find their board and continue to the finish line. This is a far cry from the time, in High School, that I nailed some metal skates to a two by four and tried to go down the biggest hill on Swan road in the Tucson foothills!! Much more high tech than we had available then.

Looking to brake a little!!

From Cathlamet we headed north to Port Angeles for a transit into Canada!!!

Space; the Final Frontier

While cruising around in the ether this morning I came across this bit. Since I live in a travel trailer for the summer and a boat for the winter (261 sq. ft. for the former and maybe 400 sq. ft. for the latter) this 800 sq. ft. home was an attention getter!!

Pondering Our Movements

This back and forth (NW to Mexico to NW to Mexico, etc.) has been a good way to see parts of the two countries but could be improved upon in the coming year. We have had guests so often that we sometimes are waiting or hurrying to meet some schedule that They have rather than exploring more from our temporary base in a marina or even at anchor. Here I am thinking of when we are in Barra de Navidad specifically. It is a reasonable bus ride from there to, say, Guadalajara and yet we end up with something to DO every day and never quite get on the road. Admittedly this is not a bad thing but we have watched other boats for people that have taken a few days off and bussed to other places from there.

You may now be asking yourself, “Why is he pondering this right now?”

Here is the nutshell version. As we sit in Vancouver, Washington getting things lined up for our return to the boat (in Mexico) we are thinking about the trip south again. What we don’t want to do is to rocket down I-5 missing the great places along the way that we have missed previously because we were on some sort of imagined schedule. Even though we work at NOT having a schedule it still sneaks in from time to time so that we feel pressured to be somewhere by a certain time. We often fall into this trap without fully realizing it until we do not make our perceived goal. That is when we relax again and take things as they come for awhile. Taking a turn off the freeway and wandering for a few days through Napa Valley or stopping for few days at Crater Lake would be on the list this year. Will we make it to both? I do not know at this point. Coming north we HAD to stop in Las Vegas but from here on out we do not have ANY “have to’s” other than adding or subtracting something from our list of places we would like to visit. Our day to day version of our travels is slow anyway. That is, we might put 300 miles on for one day of driving (think 8 to 10 hours) and call it good. On the boat a 100 mile day (24 hours) is fine. Not pushing is part of not planning so having something or some place on the list is not the same as committing to go there. It is more like a, “wouldn’t it be nice to…” and then see if we actually make it there. Typically too we like to stay put in a place that seems like a good place to hang out. If it is not too expensive it is likely we will stop for days to take in the sights.

So, having positioned you for our methods of not planning you can see how hard it really is to commit to having guests or to saying we will be a particular place at a particular time. On the road it is a bit easier only because we do not have to factor in the weather quite so much. On the boat weather is a much contemplated issue. The longer we think about adding a place to the list of where we are going to go the more complicated it seems to get. It might put us on a schedule by virtue of being difficult to get there or because it is inconveniently off the current trajectory. We get that. We know that adding, say, San Diego so we can visit friends AND find boat parts means we do not know how long we need to be there… this, in turn, cascades into the thought that we wanted to get back to the boat by mid/late October, but we need to see if we can work in the side trip to the Redwoods or stopping in Tucson long enough to see friends and family. You may be beginning to see the dynamics at play here.

We have taken to saying to potential guests coming to Mexico that, “You can pick the place OR you can pick the time but you can’t pick both.” It may take a bus ride (or in the case last year, it may take a ferry ride) to catch up to us. On land it is more like, “If we get as far as X by this time we can swing by for a visit.”

This summer I had believed that I could find a small part time temporary job when we got to Vancouver but that turned out to be WAY too much planning. It probably did not help that the unemployment here is something like 10% but the longer we have been here the more it became clear that between Sandy’s planning for side trips to Mount St. Helens and Canada, and of course we HAD to take in the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, not to mention the Sea of Cortez Cruisers Rally in Cathlamet, the less likely it was that I had time to work. It would have been great to add to the cruising kitty a bit but clearly I can’t plan well enough to add that much time away from my real life. It seems far more likely that I would win the lottery than that I would land a job and have time to go to it!

A Little Out of Focus

So, some who know me will say, "Yeah, of course this makes sense to blog about."

Others may reflect on the nature of the universe and ignore this... BUT, I like this bit of video and what it implies about potential of small transportation:

Back to the Green

The plain below the mountain enlarged the lake

Yet another road trip. That’s right we had an open day in our schedule, heaven forbid, and Sandy woke up with the thought that we should get out and about. The item on the short list was to head out to Mount St. Helen. You will recall that thirty years ago it blew up in a spectacular explosion captured for all time on film. This was a place of old growth forest in the Cascade range of mountains that had been developing a curious bulge on the side of the mountain. That bulge eventually grew to a sizable 450 foot bump before all of it first collapsed and then went skyward. As the Ranger said, “Think fifteen… in 15 seconds it collapsed, then in 15 minutes covered 15 miles with its debris, and 15 hours sent a plume 15 miles high eventually going around the globe.”

Good thing it was cool and comfortable

We started north from Vancouver, Washington at about eleven in the morning. Yes, we were slow getting organized. Blundering off of I-5 at exit 21 (Woodland) we meandered along SR-503 gaining altitude slowly at first then more radically further along. It was one of those green drives where the trees grow together overhead. It gets darker and darker and you start to think that you may not see the sun for awhile. That was not the case this day however.

A great deal of change has occurred

We broke into the sunlight at elevation (about 3500’ or so) and the landscape changed radically. The felled trees of a past forest pointedly giving a clear indication of the direction of the blast showed us much of what we find out from the Rangers talk. The enlarged Spirit Lake with its floating debris showed us secrets of pyroclastic flow and the lake’s water that dragged full trees from 800’ above its new level into its new dimensions as it splashed up and then returned to the lake. The sight of the station that was a mere five miles from the source of the bulge brought a shudder to my spine as I thought of the people trying to monitor the mountain in its final seconds before it blew everything away!! The sight of the new plain below the viewpoint where most of the collapsed bulge ended up and created the new blockage for Spirit Lake is a stark reminder of the destruction of the original forest that was there. Now, just 30 years later the floor of that ash-pumice plain is 80% covered with vegetation… but here we are talking just weeds and low brush at most.


The “weeds” are really wildflowers and that too was part of the day. The lupine fix nitrogen so it helped bring life back to the barren remains of the eruption within a year. The snow covered backside of the hills facing away from the blast also held the seeds of future growth for the area. The immense size of the destruction and loss of life was something to contemplate as we wandered around the viewpoint. We did not climb the hill to the north of the viewpoint because we were running out of time if we wanted to get back to Vancouver before dark. We had not had much for lunch, a bag of chips qualifies as lunch in this case, and getting dinner together was on the list. A sub-note to this trip was that if I had a scooter or a sports car of some sort I would love to take parts of this drive again for the curvy roads (lots of those 15 mph turns) and start earlier in the day!!

Small Towns ARE Fun

This is just a short post about what we did in Roseburg (just south of Sutherlin, Oregon) on a very pleasant summer's eve. These were only about 10% of what drove past as we stood on a corner in downtown Roseburg for a half an hour or so. A few pictures are posted at:

The Roseburg Cruise In

Up & Down Yosemite

Getting greener too as we go north!!

This is a tale of following your desire to see things that you have not previously had opportunity to see. When we left Las Vegas we wanted to get as far as Mina, Nevada before leaving US-95 and turning west. It was last year when we passed through Mina and spotted the large-ish motor yacht that seemed to be a restaurant. At the time we had just had lunch in Tonopah so simply took a couple of pictures and moved on down the road. Much later we learned some of the story behind the boat on dirt and wanted to make that stop this year. Well, mission accomplished. It turned out to be less than our anticipation but we can now check it off the list of stops we wanted to make. More about this later, perhaps.

Lake & Mountain

We made it to Hawthorne, Nevada where we found a great RV park for the night and readied for our assault on Yosemite. Now it has to be noted that our truck and trailer are a fairly heavy duo. I mean, we are carrying a lot of stuff north with us. The road leaving Hawthorne rises very quickly toward the pass through the mountains that make up Yosemite. Tioga Pass is said to be 9945 feet above sea level. There was road construction that halted our progress temporarily but did not deter us from continuing up and up and up! We even got through the forest services' fee station without payment since we now have a park pass good for life that we picked up when we were in Sedona going through Oak Creek Canyon (the best $10 we have spent thus far in our travels).

The problem with going up is you have to, eventually, go down. There are a lot of those 6% grade signs along that route and our gears did not handle keeping us slow enough to be in complete control and by half way down our brakes were smoking… oh yeah, really smoking!!! We stopped a few times to let things cool off and pulled off where possible to let others go around our slow progress. Eventually we made it to a lower elevation; ending up in Lodi, California at another great RV park.

It was here that I used the next morning to go off and find out how much damage we had inflicted on the brakes. I found a shop and they popped the truck up on the lift, took off the wheels to peer at the brakes. Sure enough where there is smoke there can be fire. The rotor on one front brake was pretty much toast and even the rear brake pads were in bad shape. Okay, replaced the critical stuff and we got on the road again just after 11:00 that morning. It cost us some to see Yosemite but, I have to say, it was worth it. Yosemite is not a place for towing anything and it was hard to find spots to pull over and take a few pictures. To do this trip over again we would find a place at the lower end of the road to leave the travel trailer and explore with just the truck. All in all it was a great but long day!!