Day 5 - Nanaimo & Newcastle Harbor

Monday,  July 18, 2011.

Left beautiful Montague Harbor at 0740 under cloudy skies and calm waters – breezes are light and variable.  We time leaving Montague Harbor to meet the slack current at Dodd Narrows about 22 nm away.  That's just about three hours away for the MV Independence at normal cruising speed of about 6.5 knots.

GPS Way Points

Our first GPS way point is just north of Walker Rock in Trincomali Passage.  Then once we pass Walker Rock to our port, we continue up Trincomali Passage to our next GPS way point at Read Island just opposite of Porlier Pass to the north.  On this route we will pass closely to the Galiano Island shore which is steep to with sandstone cliffs.  From the Read Island GPS way point we will make for Round Island which is about 1.5 nm SE of Dodd Narrows.  Once we make Round Island we will get a good idea of all the traffic that we will have to contend with at busy Dodd Narrows.  Everything is running good and we made each way point as expected without any time delays to meet the slack at Dodd Narrows.  As it was we would be going through Dodd Narrows about 30 minutes before slack, so we would be fighting some current.  It's curious we've been traveling up the coast and through Dodd Narrows for over 20 years and only within the last few years have we encountered the odd custom of calling "Securitay" on the VHF radio announcing your passage through Dodd Narrows.  Most boaters call "Securitay" but don't actually listen if another boat is going through the narrows.  This year, a large yacht was going through northbound, called "Securitay" and announced their intention of going northbound through Dodd Narrows.  Next thing you hear on the radio is an angry skipper yell into the radio "What are you doing? I've got Securitay.  You can't be in here.  I've got Securitay." as another boat was traveling southbound through the narrows.  "Securitay" does not guarantee you or secure you rights, it is simply stating that other boats need to pay attention.  The southbound boat stopped, turned around, apologized on the radio, and re-entered the narrows a few minutes later.  In actuality the southbound boat had the right of way since he was traveling with the current and the northbound boat was traveling against the current. In all actuality Dodd Narrows is wide enough for two boats.  I simply laughed at the exchange.  We motored through Dodd Narrows at 1140 without calling "Securitay.".  I upped the speed to 1850 RPM to fight the bit of current and cruised right on through without any issue. 

Boats moored in Newcastle Harbor, Nanaimo.

Once north of Dodd Narrows we were now in Northumberland Channel cruising with several other boats towards Jack Point and Nanaimo.  I kept the RPM at 1850 because I could see that the 1245 BC Ferry from Duke Point to Tsawwassen was just getting ready to leave.  We just beat the BC Ferry at Duke Pt as we motored to Nanaimo.  We motored into Nanaimo Harbor and noticed that there weren't too many boats anchored in Newcastle Harbor.  Last winter they just placed a bunch of brand new mooring buoys in Newcastle Harbor - most are for boats less than 30' with only about 15 buoys for boats less than 40' but bigger than 30'.  We chose not to take a buoy and dropped the hook in 27’ of water at near low tide at around 1248.  I noticed that not too many of the new mooring buoys were being used as most boats were still anchoring. And of course the collection of permanently moored boats has not decreased too much. The anchorage is not too crowded with visiting boats.

Hank & Rocky at Newcastle Island

We took the dogs to the beach, walked them about, played Frisbee and generally wore them out.  This was because we were going to leave them in the boat while we headed to town.  We hoped that tired dogs would not be as mischievous as un-tired dogs - we were correct. We went to the Chandlery to get stove fuel, then Thrifty Foods, the BC Liquor Store, and to London Drugs.  We were now fully restocked with victuals for the next portion of our trip.  We came back, unloaded and then I went to get ice and spare Zipper fuel just in case.  I slipped and fell at the fuel dock. No problem just my ego was hurt.  It turned out to be a beautiful evening.  We’re enjoying a light dinner of drinks, snacks, and samosas.  The wind dropped and it is perfectly calm out.  I'm now listening to the VHF weather radio to plan our trip across the Georgia Strait.  It sounds like tomorrow is going to be a great day for crossing the Strait - light NW winds 5 to 15 knots.

Stats: Ending engine hours: 6121.5, elapsed engine hours: 5.5, 27.9 nm, average speed 5.5 kts., 5:05 hrs motoring.

Day 4 - Into Canada and Montague Harbor

Sunday, July 17, 2011.

After a very calm and peaceful night, we left Prevost Harbor under partly cloudy skies for Bedwell Harbor to check in to Canada Customs.  We motored out of Prevost Harbor under slow bell being careful to avoid the many crab pot buoys located at the west end of bay.  I have never seen so many crab pots here before.  Poor crabs just didn't stand a chance.  

Just after we got out of Prevost Harbor proper we called the Canada Customs line to gain entry into Canada.  I learned from last year that to enter Canada using the CanPass telephone system you need to call at a minimum of 30 minutes prior to your arrival.  I answered the requisite questions on the phone - no guns or mace, no large amounts of cash, no gifts or products to stay in Canada, how much tobacco and alcohol we had and more.  Finally after all the questions we got our clearance #20111980292.  The Customs Officer wanted to know exactly when we would be in Bedwell and I told him 0915.  He reinforced to me that I had to be there at 0915.  Hmm, I wondered what was that about?  Crossing Haro Strait was easy.  To make the appointed time for customs, I slowed the boat way down to almost an idle as we rode a good current into Bedwell Harbor.  I was doing 1250 RPM and making well over 5 knots.  I finally took the boat out of gear to tie up the Zipper along the port side so we could easily tie up at the customs dock.  We were in no hurry.  There were no other boats at the customs float.  We tied up at exactly 0915 and there was no customs officer there to greet us.  The customs dock was very quiet and it was unusual that there were no other boats.  Still a bit concerned about the Custom Officer's mention of me having to be there at 0915 had me venturing up the dock to call the Canada Customs from the Customs outstation.  They said if there’s no agent there we were free to leave.  Not seeing any Customs Agent, we left Bedwell at 0928 and continued on. We were now officially in Canada and I hoisted the Canadian flag on the port spreader.

To save time, we motored through Pender Canal which separates the North and South Pender Islands.  This is a bit of a navigational/boating challenge which I enjoy.  The alternative is to exit Bedwell and go west up Swanson Channel.  By going via Pender Canal you'll save about 5 nautical miles which is almost an hour of cruising time for me.  On the Bedwell side the channel is well marked with red and green buoys.  The tide was rising and the current was flooding from the north going through the canal at about 2 or 3 knots.  A smaller runabout came through the canal heading south giving me a look like, "you're gonna take that through there?"  Just before the bridge is the shallowest portion of the canal which we motored through with well over 8' of water below us - we were at about half tide.  I was glad the current was flowing against us which provided me much more control than if we were going with it.  Going under the bridge we had about 5-6 feet on each side separating us from the bridge pilings.  If you go at slow bell it really is no problem, although it is a bit scary seeing all those barnacles and mussels on the bridge pilings and imagining your boat scraping on them.  Once past the bridge you are into Shark Cove and then into Port Browning.  We traveled down Port Browning enjoying a bit of a late breakfast and into Plumper Sound making sure to keep the rocks at the end of Razor Point well to our port side.

We traveled up Plumper Sound, past Fane Island on our port and Conconi Reef to our starboard and into the busy marine intersection of Swanson Channel to the south, Trincomali Channel to the west, and Active Pass to the north.  I payed particular attention to the marine radio listening for the BC Ferries announcing their passage to and from Active Pass by Enterprise Reef.  Once past this busy intersection the course to Montague Harbor is easy.  We passed around Phillimore Point on Galiano Island keeping it to our starboard as we entered the channel between Julia Island and Galiano Island and the entrance to Montague Harbor.  As we traveled the weather became cloudy and cool and the threat of rain increased.  At Montague Harbor  we got a mooring buoy at 1157.  They now cost $12 per night versus $10 per night last year.  It was a short cruising day.

We had a lazy afternoon.  In past years we would take the Zipper the 7 or so nautical miles into Ganges.  However this year we had all the groceries and supplies we needed so no Zipper trip was needed.  Later in the day it sprinkled a few drops of rain as expected.  I stayed on the boat while Kim took the dogs for a walk on the Pt. Grey trail.  For dinner I made an Italian Sausage sauce with diced tomatoes, capers, a bit of bell pepper, and onions.  It was a real treat.  The day ended with a spectacular sunset.

Sunset from beautiful Montague Harbor on Galiano Island.

Stats: Ending engjne hours: 6116.0, elapsed engine hours: 3.9, 18.3 nm, average speed 5.1 kts., 3:33 hrs motoring

Day 3 - Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island

Saturday, July 16, 2011
Woke rain and fog, and no wind.  It was so quiet that you could hear water drops hitting the deck as they collected enough mass to make a drip.  A nearby eagle was making a racket which would temporarily break the silence.  You could see Kiket Island which we were anchored nearby, but you could not see Hope Island which was about a half mile south.  Everything was enveloped in fog and silence.

Deception Pass looking W.

At 0840 I started the engine and raised the anchor which completely woke up our world around us to the sound of the diesel and the chain rattling coming aboard - silence was gone.  It was time to continue our trip.  Slack at Deception Pass wasn't for another couple of hours and an ebb current would be running strong so I took my time.  I treat the tidal rapids at Deception Pass with considerable respect.  During this time I turned on the radar and adjusted it for maximum sensitivity since it looked like crossing Rosario Strait would require it.  We motored under slow bell to Hoypus Point just northeast of Cornet Bay and then resumed cruising speed.  We ran with a good ebb current - about 3 knots - through Deception Pass and out into foggy Rosario Strait.  The Strait was very foggy with 1/4 mile visibility or less, so we had to use the radar and GPS to navigate across.  I set a course for Lopez Pass put the radar on 2 mile and proceeded.  The current in Rosario Strait was running at 2+ knots to the south, so I didn't have to worry about getting pushed into Bird Rocks.  At first nothing appeared on the radar but as we worked our way across the Strait the "blips" of other boats began to appear on the radar screen.  Visibility was 1/4 mile or less.  Fortunately the seas were calm, except for an occasional ripple here and there.  We met a couple of boats who to me seemed lost.  I would turn to avoid them, but they would correspondingly turn to present a collision course with me.  Perhaps they thought I was a buoy?  It made for some tension and it was frustrating.  One boat appeared out of the fog from the south, headed right at my port beam and blew his horn at me.  He quickly came to a dead stop when he saw me.  What he didn't realize was that I had him on radar and I had the right of way.  I could tell he was startled and angry.  Another boat, some time later, materialized out of the fog and after he saw us turned a different direction and once again disappeared into the fog.  The thick fog stayed with us all the way until the entrance to Lopez Pass - which we found via the GPS and radar.  Once past Lopez Pass and into Lopez Sound the fog lifted and was probably behind us. I was glad to be done with that.

Up Lopez Sound we cruised going past the narrow end of Spencer Spit and making way towards Upright Head where we had late breakfast.  From Upright Head we crossed over to enter Harney Channel which was full with many cruising boats and a ferry too to make it interesting.  We navigated through narrow Pole Pass and into President Channel.  We turned to port going down San Juan Channel with Jones Island to the north of us.  We gazed at Deer Harbor which seemed crowded with many boats.  We considered stopping at Jones Island - there were mooring buoys available, but went on to our planned anchorage at Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island.  We turned to cruise past Flattop Island to our starboard, and along the Johns Island, Stuart Island, and Satellite Island shores to our port.  Until we came to Johns and Stuart Islands we were enjoying good following currents which eased us along at well over 6 knots, but then we hit a stiff flood which slowed us down to less than 5 knots. The clouds were lifting and starting make for a nice day as we rounded Satellite Island and into Prevost Harbor.  The farther we ventured into Prevost Harbor we saw more and more boats - Prevost Harbor was full of boats - boats at anchor, boats at the state park dock, and boats moored at the funky mooring ropes.  As we motored in to the bay, lo and behold we saw that a mooring buoy was open and so we took it.  We tied up at 1430.

After tying up and getting things settled, we decided to stretch our legs and hike to the Stuart Island school.  Instead of taking the "official" trail to the county road - which leads you down a steep staircase to the beach over at Reid Harbor and then back up the hill to the school - we took the "illegal trail" which crosses private land to the school.  This route is considerably shorter and much less tiring - not as much up and down. The dogs loved running through the woods, salal and grasses. I saw my first large ravens of the trip as they flew through the trees.  I very much enjoy all the various calls they make.

After the hike we returned to the boat to grill some fancy Wisconsin gourmet brats and coleslaw.  A quick rain shower moved through followed by some sun - it made for a beautiful and scenic evening.  As I sat down and wrote the day's log I realized we are now a full day ahead of schedule.

Evening after a rain shower in Prevost Harbor, Stuart Is.

Stats: Ending engine hours: 6112.1, elapsed engine hours: 6.5, 34.3 nm, average speed 5.8 knots, 5:56 hrs. motoring

Day 2 - Hope Is.

Friday, July 15, 2011.

The morning started off rough for Rocky our Blue Heeler pup falling in to the briny again.  He mis-timed his jump from the Zipper and I had to fish him out. He gets so excited to get from the Zipper back to the MV Independence.  I'm sure the cold water was a huge shock to him.  The older dog I think just seems to laugh and say "that's what you get for being a pup, you'll learn to jump off when Dad says okay."  I was mad at Rocky because I don't like to fish anything out of the water except for fish, crab, and prawns.

After that bit of excitement we left Eagle Island at 0700 to continue our trip north.  We rode a healthy ebb current through the Tacoma Narrows where I had to turn the radar on because of some light fog.  Didn’t really need the radar but it helped just in case there was something big or small out and about and I wanted to make sure I saw it.  By the time we got north of the Narrows Bridge the fog was gone and the skies were all clearing - at least for now.

About Pt. Defiance I had to abandon the helm to the crew while I completely rebuilt the aft head pump assembly.  I thought I had checked everything but neglected to check the head.  The marine head is kind of a crucial thing especially when you plan on being out on a boat for three weeks.  I worked the plunger only to recognize it was seized and when I pushed hard, it went, but then I could hear things rattling about inside the pump - not good.  Fortunately I or any of the crew hadn't used the head, so there was no "yucky stuff" to deal with.  Luckily I had a Jabsco head rebuild kit, otherwise we would have been toast.  I finished the head rebuild just about as we exited the north end of Colvos Passage.  Repairing a head wasn't what I wanted to do but at least it works great.  As a boater you realize there's more to boating than navigation, motors, and boats - sometimes you have to be a plumber too.  

We continued to ride a good ebb current up central Puget Sound past Seattle.  We called Kingston Cove Marina to see about a slip but found out all the reserved moorage was already booked.  We would have arrived at noon and probably could have found a slip, but it was too early to quit for the day so we chose to move on.  As a result we changed our course for Edmonds to top off the fuel tanks with diesel for the trip.   I got 80 gallons at 6099.3 hours.  I last got fuel at 6060.0 which calculates to be 2.03 gph.  Oooof, fuel cost was an expensive $4.13 per gallon!  I also got 8 gallons of gas for the Zipper.  Fully fueled up, we pulled out of the Port of Edmonds at 1320 to continue our trip north.   

Kiket Island anchorage

As we motored out of Edmonds the discussion was, "where are we going to stay tonight?"  We thought of staying at Langley but we pushed on for Oak Harbor.  I called Oak Harbor Marina to inquire about moorage for the night and the lady on the phone sounded so surprised.  She said, "Don't you know it's Whidbey Island Race Week?!"  I simply said "No" and hung up.  Well there went that thought.  So we pushed on again to anchor by Hope Island.  Around Strawberry Pt it started raining and it continued all the way until we anchored.  When we rounded the west end of Hope Island we saw plenty of boats along the north shore of the island.  Instead I headed to an anchorage up by Skagit and Kiket Island.  I've anchored there plenty of times before and found it to have good bottom holding and be fairly well sheltered from strong westerlies blowing in from the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  We dropped the hook in 28’ of water at just past high tide around 1920.  Whew, what a long day of motoring but at least we were safely anchored and we were ahead of schedule.  Across Kiket Bay, looking south, you could see that about 10 or so boats were anchored over along the north shore of Hope Island. We were anchored here pleasantly swinging at the hook by ourselves; this didn't bother me one bit.

We had a nice green chicken curry for dinner.  The after dinner whiskey ration tasted especially good after the long day motoring.  It rained through the night.

Stats: Ending engine hours: 6105.6, elapsed time: 12.5 hrs., 83.3 nm, average speed 5.7 kts, 11:56 of motoring.

Day 1 - Eagle Is.

Thursday, July 14, 2011
Maritime superstition is that you never start a trip on a Friday.  So, we left on Thursday afternoon.  I had spent days preparing for the trip so the final loading up of the boat was pretty easy. All the victuals (groceries) were loaded, the water tanks topped off, and clothes for the trip were packed.  The engine and all the other systems were fully checked and ready for the summer trip.

Left West Bay Marina at 1629 for our annual summer trip N.  I untied and pushed the boat out of our slip full of anticipation for a good trip.  Kim helped me out of the slip and followed in the Zipper where we set up the towing rig just outside of the marina.  Skies are cloudy with a light breeze from the south.  We had rain earlier in the day but no rain for our first short leg of the trip.  The tide was rising and so we would be fighting the current through Dana Passage but I didn't care - we were leaving.  We made our way up Budd Inlet, rounding Boston Harbor to get our last glimpse of Olympia.  Dana Passage was calm, only the ripples from the current stirred the waters. We only saw one boat out and that was a sailboat going N up Case Inlet near Devils Head, other than that it seemed that we had the whole South Sound to ourselves.  We made our way up Drayton Passage and to our first stop of Eagle Is.  It is said that the local natives used to burn the vegetation on Eagle Is. to grow a good crop of berries.  Now the island is impassable with salal bushes. 

Appraching Eagle Is. from the W.

We made Eagle Is. at just past 1900 and tied up to an open mooring buoy at 1910.  No other boats are here.  The only inhabitants to greet us are the many harbor seals that call this home and a pair of nesting eagles.  The tide just started to turn and is now ebbing.  We may not get to see a sunset but it’ll still be nice.  We’re having a simple soup for dinner since it's kind of cool and dreary out.  Another trawler showed up and took the other mooring buoy about two hours after us.

It is so nice to be on our way.  I finished off the evening with a small tot of whisky to celebrate Day 1 of the trip.

Stats: Ending engine hours: 6093.1, 3.0 hrs elapsed, 14.9 nm, average speed 5.6 kts, 2:41 cruising time

Independence Day Cruise

The MV Independence got its name because it was commissioned on July 4, 1976.  So what better way to celebrate the birthday of our great nation and one great boat than with a short South Sound cruise to McMicken Island.

Plans were to leave on Friday afternoon, but various preparations took too long and we ended up just staying at the dock and leaving the next morning.  Friday evening was gorgeous even though we were at the dock.  I had some nice snacks and a nice glass of spirits and I continued to putter about doing little odd chores here and there.

Saturday morning was beautiful in Olympia.  I had forgotten something so I woke up early and went back home, but I didn't return to the MV Independence without a trip to a lovely French bakery - The Bread Peddler.  Croissants, Chaussons, and Morning rolls would allow for an tasty and enjoyable cruise up Budd Inlet to our destination of McMicken Island.  There wasn't a breath out on the water and we left the dock just about 8 AM.  Very few boats were out and our wake was the only disturbance as we motored up Budd Inlet.  Fresh hot coffee along with the exquisite pastries made for a wonderful morning cruise.  I noticed a few cirrus clouds that resembled "mares tales" and I quietly mumbled the salty saying, "Mares tales make lofty ships carry low sails."  I wondered what the day would bring.

McMicken Island

We tied up to an open mooring buoy.  I expected to anchor but this saved me a bit of hassle.  The weather was warm and we took the dogs to the beach where they swam to fetch the stick I'd throw into the water.  Afterwards I returned to doing a few small chores - sanding around the windlass and anchor pulpit.  Promptly, as if on cue, the wind rose quickly from light and variable to 10-15 knots with gusts of 20 knots.  The winds blew from the WSW from 2:00 PM until late Sunday afternoon.  My saying proved correct.  It was quite enjoyable to swing about at the mooring buoy with the scenery constantly changing.  You could see the wind charge across the anchorage by making dark rippled streaks in the water.  The boat would swing to starboard and when the gust hit, it would quickly swing to port.  The bow line would groan a bit, and halyards from nearby sailboats whistled and rattled.  I was safe, had good food and drink, so I was content to watch natures show.

Friends showed up on Sunday, and we used dinghy diplomacy between our two craft.  A beer, a tot of spiced rum, and snacks on their boat, then dinner on ours.  We hadn't seen our friends in quite some time so I planned a special dinner.  They're not afraid of spices, bold flavors, and exotic dishes.  So I planned an exotic menu of curry marinaded chicken, and an Indian rice dish.  I dug through the boat's larder hoping I had the ingredients to make it happen.  I love making a dish with what you have on hand.  Imagination is a great resource.  After appetizers and drinks on the aft deck (fresh smoked salmon, pickled green beans, cheese and crackers), we focused on dinner.  I grilled the chicken which filled the air with the spices increasing the dinner expectations.  Dinner turned out to be a huge success with everyone raving about the food and moping up every last crumb.  Satiated bellies and a few drinks soon caused everyone to be sleepy.  We watched various fireworks around the bay - large mortars being fired close by at Ballow, and it looked like a war zone farther north up near Treasure and Stretch Islands; everywhere you looked there was some sort of aerial firework.  What a show and it didn't cost me a dime.  We bid our friends adieu for the evening and fell asleep to sounds similar of being at war.

On Independence Day we celebrated with a nice breakfast hash of sausage, spicy red peppers, onions, and eggs along with fresh fruit.  The morning was beautiful and there was no cause for rush or concern.  We visited a bit more with our friends, took a walk on the beach, I read a bit of a book (The Secret Voyage of Francis Drake), and finally late in the afternoon headed back to our home port in Olympia.  It was a fine, relaxing cruise.  What better way to celebrate birthdays but with friends and family.  Happy Birthday MV Independence you are now working on your 35th year happily cruising the waters of the Salish Sea.

Marinade for Chicken Curry
In a large zip lock bag, combine 3 T of olive oil, 1 T of curry powder, 1 t of Tumeric, 1 t of Cayenne Pepper (or Cajun seasoning), 1 t of lemon juice, and 2 T of onion powder, and 2-3 T of fresh, chopped cilantro.  Mix well.  Place chicken in bag, seal and let marinade for about two hours.  Occasionally give the bag a squeeze to ensure marinade is mixed well with chicken.  Remove chicken from marinade (discard unused marinade) and initially grill over high heat then lower the heat to finish cooking the chicken.  Turn the chicken often to avoid burning.  When starting to crisp, chicken is done.


Indian Rice Recipe
Cook 1 C of quick rice and set aside.  Add 1 t of curry powder and 1/2 t of tumeric to rice and mix well.  Saute 1/2 an onion with some olive oil until edges of onions are dark and almost burnt. Saute 1 chopped carrot with some olive oil until just soft.  Take 1/2 can of garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained well) and mash using the back of a spoon with 1 T of olive oil and 1 t of lemon juice to form a paste.  To the rice add the burnt onions, sauteed carrots, garbanzo bean paste, remaining 1/2 can of whole garbanzo beans, 1/4 C of chopped, fresh cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.  You might want to add some yogurt if you have some and a few crushed peanuts on top.  Can be served warm or cold.

Independence Crab Cakes

As I am preparing for this summer's cruise - waxing, varnishing, painting... I started thinking of crab, lots of crab, then of crab cakes.  I love fresh crab and after a good crab feed, the next day I love to make crab cakes.  All these boat chores had me hungry and thinking of fresh, hot, succulent, sweet and spicy, crab cakes.  Not ordinary crab cakes, but the crab cakes I made one summer that were absolutely delicious.  The more I waxed, varnished, and painted, the hunger for crab cakes got stronger and stronger.  I couldn't stand it no more.  After finishing my boat chores for the day, I went to the store, got some crab, and revisited my log book to remember that summer's day over 16 years ago and the wonderful crab cakes we enjoyed.

August 2, 1995  3093.9

Boardwalk at Sullivan Bay Marina in 1995

After a leisurely morning we left Claydon Bay to fish the “Halibut Spot” in Grappler Sound.  No halibut, but we did manage to catch a couple of mid size “bombers.”  Then we were off to Sullivan Bay.  Not a bad place, a decent store and some interesting facilities.  We tried salmon fishing from the dingy – no luck.  We saw a boat hit rocks – that was interesting.  After a beautiful noon, it is now raining in the evening.  In fact, low clouds and light rain – no wind.  We took showers – no time limit – and cooked up the crab.  I made crab/fish cakes  they sure tasted good.  People are catching salmon.  We’ll try salmon fishing tomorrow.

Prior to that summer in 1995, I had the fortune to spend some time on the New England coast for business.  After work I would venture out to local small eateries - lobster pounds and ocean side cafes - enjoying fresh seafood.  While lobster is good, crab is sweeter and more delicate tasting; I fell in love with crab cakes.  I set about trying to understand what made New England crab cakes so delicious.  I asked - whenever I could - to learn more about crab cake seasonings, ingredients, and recipes..  That summer in 1995 while cruising in beautiful British Columbia waters, I believe I made the perfect crab cakes.  I incorporated a lot of the New England flavors that I learned about, but added some of my own twists.  The recipe that follows was entered into the MV Independence log that summer and continues to provide my family and friends with great tasting crab cakes. It's got good spice flavor but doesn't overpower the sweet and delicate crab taste, its got lots of crab - not too much stuffing, and some good crunch.  These crab cakes always get rave reviews - but of course they've got lots of crab.

It's a new summer with new journeys and time for crab. Enjoy.

Independence Crab Cakes

When you got plenty of crab try these crab cakes.  If you don’t have crab you can substitute a good quality white meat bottom fish.  Believe it or not, fish cakes are pretty good too. If you're using fish, lightly poach fish in fresh seawater first.

1 lb. fresh picked crab meat

¼ cup mayonnaise

½ small yellow onion, diced fine

½ T garlic powder

1 T lemon juice

1 t Old Bay seasoning

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T Worcestershire sauce

¾ cup Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs

1 egg

Salt and black pepper to taste

¼ t of Tabasco sauce

2 T olive oil

2 T butter

In a bowl mix crab, mayonnaise, onion, garlic powder, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ cup of bread crumbs.  Add egg, salt & pepper, dash or two of Tabasco sauce, and mix well.  Form patties about 3-4 inches across and about ½ inch or so thick.  Dredge patties through remaining ½ cup of bread crumbs.  Lay patties out on a plate or metal pan.  Cover and chill or set aside for 30 minutes or so to let the flavors develop.

Heat a heavy skillet with equal portions of butter and olive oil and pan fry patties until lightly browned on each side.  Serve with a curry-mayonnaise dip (mix curry powder with mayonnaise to your liking).

Nice Dungeness crabs aboard the MV Independence

Replacing the Packing

Several friends have asked me about replacing the shaft packing, so here's a quick post about it.  It's not hard to do and I figure it is important that you know how in case of an emergency.  I replace the packing each time I haul out whether it needs it or not.  I have replaced the packing on the MV Independence every time I've hauled out for the last 20 years except for once when I had a boatyard do it - and they did it wrong.

On all boats there's a "packing gland" or "stuffing box" where the shaft comes through the hull and into the boat.  There's a great deal of variety on stuffing box designs.  Some have a single large nut, some like the MV Independence have a collar with with two nuts.  Typically flax packing is a square cross-sectioned rope impregnated with greased flax.  The flax packing is wrapped around the propeller shaft and squeezed tight to prevent water from leaking in.

The Independence uses 1/4" flax packing.  There's two types of flax packing - plain and Teflon.  I try to use Teflon flax packing.  It costs a bit more because of the Teflon and supposedly it reduces some wear and tear.  When you remove your old packing you can determine the size.  It is important to use the right size - too big and it will not fit, and too small it will leak.

I've heard of some folks replacing the packing while the boat is in the water, but I don't want to risk it.  I prefer to replace the packing while the boat is out of the water ensuring that you can take your time and do the job right.  For me the job takes about an hour or so.  It's tight cramped work accessing the stuffing box but if you have the tools and the time the job is not too bad.

Here's the steps to replacing the shaft packing:

The stuffing box of the MV Independence

1. Clean the shaft just beyond the collar of any dirt, and smear with just a bit of water proof grease.
2. Undo the stuffing box nut or nuts - there's two on the Independence and slide the packing collar well up the shaft giving you room to work and remove the old packing.
3. Remove the old packing with an old dental pic or a packing removal tool.  Make sure you have removed all the old packing.  I make sure all old packing has been removed by ensuring I hear a metal scratching sound at the end of the stuffing box.
4. Cut your new packing with a very sharp knife to exactly make a ring around your shaft.  There should not be a gap of anything more than 1-2 mm of distance from the ends as it is wrapped around the shaft.  I typically cut four lengths of packing and ensure they are all the same length. Tip: I always cut one extra ring of packing and keep it ready by the stuffing box in case of an emergency.  You can always add a wrap of packing later if needed.
5. Make sure the shaft is clean of any dirt.
6. Smear some packing grease on the flax packing and wrap a single ring around the shaft.  Using a screwdriver gently push the packing into the stuffing box making sure not to twist the packing.  Make a mental note of where the two ends of the packing meet.  You do not want to simply wrap the full length of packing corkscrew style around your shaft.  It will be uneven and wear rapidly and leak.
7. Repeat step #6 above but make sure to not have the gap on subsequent rings of the packing line up.  I generally rotate the packing to ensure the gap on each subsequent ring is rotated a quarter distance from the previous ring.
8. Once all your packing rings are wrapped around the shaft, gently slide the collar down and lightly tap it with a rubber hammer down on the newly replaced packing.  Then start to tighten the screws down on the packing.  I try to ensure an even tightening by one turn on the port nut followed by one turn on the starboard nut and I count each turn until there's some resistance, but not too tight.  Note the number of turns in your log book.

Make sure to tell the boat lift operator that you have replaced the packing.  They will permit you to board the boat just after it gets in the water and before they slide the slings off to see if it is leaking too badly.  If it is leaking more than a drip every 2-3 seconds then gently tighten each nut until the drip slows to one drip or less every 4-5 seconds.  Signal to them it is okay and you are off.  Again, note the number of turns in your log book. 

Once you start the engine and put it in gear continue to monitor the stuffing box for leaks and drips.  Adjust the nut or nuts to tighten to stop any drips.  Note the number of bolt turns in your log book.  This will tell you how well your packing is wearing.  Old wisdom is that a drip every so often is okay.  The dripping water will "cool" the stuffing box.  I don't fully agree.  I have my packing tight so that it does not drip, but at the same time not so tight that it gets hot or even warm.  Occasionally while running I check the stuffing box for drips, tighten as needed and touch it.  The stuffing box on the Independence is cool to the touch and does not drip more than once every 30 seconds to a minute.  About after every 15-20 hours of running I give the stuffing box a check and adjust if necessary.

Hope the above helps.  If you have questions, let me know.

Haul Out

In the slings on the way out

Nothing I believe, makes a boat owner more nervous than hauling out your boat.  Its just not natural to see your boat being lifted out of the water and being placed on blocks.  Boats are meant to be in the water.  However, that being said every 2-3 years a haul out is required if you're a responsible boat owner.  I know of too many boaters who don't regularly haul out, but complain of fuel costs and maintenance issues.

This haul out was a quick one.  Hauled out on Monday, June 20 at 1 PM and was back in the water on June 23 at 4:30 PM.  The primary reason for this haul out was to paint the bottom, buff and wax the hull, re-finish the teak rub rails, re-finish the teak swim step, put new zincs on, and put new shaft packing in.  All these items were successfully accomplished.  I refuse to paint the bottom anymore because of the toxic materials, sanding, and the effort.  If I don't paint the bottom, I can focus on the top sides.  I also figure that I am supporting a local business and putting money back into the boating community.

On & Off works great

When I closely examined the hull out of the water I was aghast.  There were no significant problems, but oh my did it look bad.  There was oxidation, hull stains, dirt, mold, and algae all on the hull giving it a brown-gray and mottled look.  Oh my how was this to come off so I could make it look clean?  I remember from years past about a product called "On And Off."  Of course this stuff is toxic - water, hydrocholric acid, and phosphoric acid.  Ooof this is potent stuff.  As I continued to read the directions it said, "Be sure to use rubber gloves and protective gear."  Duh!  As I poured the stuff into the bucket I could smell the acids and dipping the scouring pad into the liquid it was warm as there was a chemical reaction going on.  In one hand I had the "On And Off" and in the other I had a rag with fresh water rinse and wipe the hull and stop the chemical reaction.  All I can say is, "Wow, this stuff really works."  In a matter of seconds, the discoloration and stains were gone - the hull went from dirty gray to brilliant white.  Unfortunately applying the stuff made you gag because of the acid fumes.  Once the hull was cleaned we buffed it with a power tool and good quality cleaner wax.  We finished it with a coat of hand rubbed high quality wax.

On the ways, nearly done

Another tip I learned was forget the ladder, rent scaffolding on wheels.  Using a scaffold that's about 6' long you can cover a lot of ground very quickly without the tedium of going up and down a ladder.  If you're really bold, you can get a partner to roll you along to your next spot.

Re-launch

We finished late Wednesday and had Thursday just to wrap up any missed items.  I paid the bills - one to the boatyard for the bottom paint, and one to the Port of Olympia for the lift and yard fee.  The Port folks raised the Independence and the boatyard folks painted the missed spots because of the blocks, a few minutes to dry, and we were off to be re-launched.  They put me in the water and I checked to see if there were any leaks because of the new packing job - there were none - and I was away.  Time 4:30 PM exactly.

There was a very brisk wind of 15 knots blowing from the WSW with gusts to 20 or so knots.  We moved nimbly through the water and I was amazed at how responsive the Independence was to the wheel.  Amazing what a clean bottom will do.  Going from the boatyard to our slip was a short 20 minute journey across Budd Inlet.  Getting into our home slip was a bit of a challenge because of the brisk winds but with the help of a neighbor we got in just fine.  Another haul out completed.  However, I still have a lot more work to do before I go cruising.

Short Trip to Hope Island

It's the first nice weekend of the year so we thought we'd make a short trip to Hope Island.  This has been the coldest spring on record and its supposed to be nice and warm. Being that it's going to be the first trip of the year... I thoroughly checked the engine - oil, coolant, raw water strainer, heat exchangers, and more.  I found a bit of caked salt build-up in the main aft heat exchanger.  Not sure where or why this salt build-up occurs.  It's big enough to almost clog the raw water flow into the heat exchanger.  After checking the engine I had to get the dinghy back on to the MV Independence.  This required filling the pontoons, checking for leaks and putting it on the swim step dinghy chocks.  This all checked out okay.  However when I laid down on the dock I glimpsed the Independence rudder covered with barnacles and mussels.  Ugh.  That means if I can see growth, there's more that I cannot see.  I know from experience that there's probably basketball sized "balls" of mussels growing off of the engine intake and other through-hulls.  So I don my dive gear and go clean up the growth.  It's not as bad as I thought on the rudder, prop, and skeg, but it's worse than I thought on the through-hulls - huge basketball sized "balls" of mussels growing on the through-hulls.  They come off easily with little effort.  I think, good I dove to clean this growth off no use giving mussels a free ride at my fuel expense.  I also scraped what I could off of the rudder, skeg, and prop.  I now think we're ready to go.  I wanted to leave at about 11 AM, but now it is after 3 PM and I'm beat.

We pull out of the slip and I'm glad I gave the prop and rudder a good cleaning because I remember I need the steerage to get out of my slip.  I have to make a 180 degree turn.  But it's not that easy to just turn I have to do some "jogging" to get out.  Wind and current will affect my out of the slip "jogging."  There's a slight breeze out of the N about 10 knots or less.  The tide is ebbing and it is a big tide - over a 17' drop between high and low.  There's a minus 2.2 tide today.  The stand (moment between low and high tide) for Olympia is at about 2:15 PM.  It's going to be a whopper of an incoming tide. 

As we get out of West Bay Marina, there's a lot of boats out in the Olympia Harbor.  Everybody is enjoying the first nice weather of the year.  We cruise slowly out as I watch the engine temperature come up.  I check the bilge to see if there are any leaks - I don't see any from my cleaning of the salt from the heat exchanger.  The engine temp rises to its normal mark and I increase the throttle to 1,800 rpm - cruising speed.  We're doing 6+ knots going out of Budd Inlet.  Once past the Olympia Shoal I make for Hunter Point about 6 nm away, due true N.  I can tell we're fighting the incoming flood since we're doing just barely over 6 knots.  Once we get close to Hunter Point we start to ride the incoming flood going to Totten Inlet.  We pass the Squaxin Shoal buoy and we're doing over 9 knots and the Squaxin buoy is almost under water from the current.  I can tell I'm drifting or "crabbing" to the west as I turn to go up Squaxin Passage to where I want to anchor.  When I get in Squaxin Passage with Hope Is directly to the W, I slow to an idle about 750 rpm and notice we're still doing over 5 knots going N.  I turn into the current to find my anchoring spot in about 20' of water about 50' from shore.  I drop the hook and let the current take us as I drop the chain rode.  The anchor sets quickly with a jolt.  I let out about another 10' of chain making the rode about 60' out.  A 3:1 rode should be satisfactory with settled weather.  There's two other sailboats anchored nearby.  I enjoy this spot because if you anchor in the right spot you get a bit of a feel of wilderness - you won't see any houses except for Hunter Pt.

I drop the dinghy to take the dogs to the beach.  I row furiously and still lose ground ending up much farther down the beach to the N than I wanted.  I let the dogs off and then pull the dinghy by its painter along the beach to a point were I can ride the current back to the Independence.  The dogs enjoy the beach, romping about and barking.  Nothing like "terra firma" for dogs.  It's a short beach visit.  The strong flood current catches the dinghy and I miss the Independence by about 20'.  I feel like I'm on a river.  Fortunately I am able to row against the current to tie up to the stern but I am exhausted.  I finally sit down to relax after a full day of activities and enjoy my first cold beer.  Almost immediately from all the day's events I find that I am exhausted and quickly take a short pre-dinner nap. 

View S towards Hunter Pt from anchorage

The cruise to Hope Island took just over an hour.  The evening is warm and enjoyable.  It's what boating is all about.  We enjoy the evening with a drink, a light dinner, and listening to the radio until it just starts to turn dark.

I wake early the next morning to a gorgeous clear morning.  There's thunder heads far to the south.  The morning is muggy.  We enjoy a relaxing morning with another beach visit and taking some time to read a book with a cup of coffee in hand - nothing finer.  We take off to return back home about noon.  We slowly cruise back to our home port slip by 2:00 PM.  I pour myself a shot of spirits after getting everything stowed away and take a quick break to enjoy what was a great quick get away weekend.