Day 7 - Squirrel Cove

Wednesday, July 20, 2011.

An off day – no motoring as we decided to stay put anchored in Squirrel Cove.  We had a lazy morning, sleeping in, enjoying a croissant, some coffee, light conversation, some reading, and generally doing nothing.  We were on holiday.  The weather was quite nice, even some sun for the morning and early afternoon.  

I took the dogs to “Dog Poo Is.” where I think Rocky got tangled with some hornets.  He's a pup and very curious.  He came scurrying back with his tail between his legs and would periodically stop and roll around on the ground only to get up and quickly scurry on.  I noticed a bunch of black things on him, but I wasn't going to get near him since I didn't want to get stung.  He flew into the Zipper without waiting for me to call him into the boat.  If Hank, the older dog could talk, I think he would have been laughing and saying, "See I told you not to sniff that."  Although Rocky was having a crisis Hank continued to take his time enjoying terra firma. Rocky meanwhile was looking quite anxious with that look, "C'mon, hurry up, do your business Hank.  I want to get the heck out of here and back to my mom."  I thoroughly checked Rocky out and judged he was okay, but you could tell he wanted to get the heck off of "Dog Poo Island."

Zipper tied up for the walk to Von Donop.

At 1430 we decided to go for a walk/hike on the trail to Von Donop Inlet – that was fun.  For so many of the years that we've enjoyed Squirrel Cove I have never taken the time to do this walk.  The tides were very conducive to letting us tie up the Zipper to the beach for a long walk.  First of all, the afternoon tide was very high and the ebb was only about 3' less than the high.  This meant that I could tie up the Zipper to shore without having to worry about the boat being high and dry.  The first part of the trail is very steep up a ridge and then down where it joins another trail to Squirrel Cove.  The trail is well marked with flagging so it would be hard to get lost.  However it's not an easy trail in that its filled with rocks, roots, and uneven ground - so you've got to be sure-footed.  Once the trail meets up with the Squirrel Cove - Von Donop trail it was more well worn and smooth making for easy walking.  The trail winds through deep second growth cedar and fir forests occasionally mixed with patches of alders and maples.  It sprinkled a bit while we were walking although it was quite warm and comfortable.  I was surprised that the bugs - horseflies and mosquitoes - weren't that bad considering the warm, moist weather.  We made it to the beach at Von Donop Inlet and had a snack.  The anchorage at Von Donop looked similar to Squirrel Cove - not too crowded and very quiet.  After a short while we started our hike back to Squirrel Cove - "the north gravel beach."  Don't get confused if you decided to hike this trail with Squirrel Cove the village.  The dogs loved the walk and probably walked twice the distance we did by running up the trail, then back to us, and then back up the trail.  The whole time the looks on their faces was, "Would you guys hurry up?"  All in all our hike took about two hours and we never met anyone else on the trail.  It seemed that we had the whole place to ourselves.

Hank & Rocky on the trail to Von Donop Inlet.

Shortly after we got back the weather really changed to some rain and lots of wind from the SE.  Just as the weather radio had forecast.  I listened to the weather stations and "ooof, was there SE wind."  Grief Point recorded SE winds of 18 knots with gusts.  I was really glad we decided to make the trip up yesterday and not today.  It would have been a very uncomfortable slog of a trip.  Fortunately I anchored in Squirrel Cove where I was in the lee of Dog Poo Island and so it wasn't too bad.  The wind was about 10-15 knots and the waters in the cove were only rippled.  We were tired from our hike and so while it was stormy outside we relaxed inside.  I took time to plan what we were going to do and where were we going to go for the next few days.  The weather radio said the weather was improving after this front moved through tonight.  I had decided that this trip was going to be a greater exploration of Desolation Sound.  For too many years we simply motored right through this archipelago on our way farther north.  Time to discover new places in Desolation Sound.

Because of the weather outside, we decided we wanted something warm and comforting.  We had some left over grilled curry chicken from yesterday's supper, so I decided to make a Filipino curry.  A Filipino curry is a creamy curry that has some fish sauce mixed in with your coconut curry sauce along with carrots, celery and potatoes.  The boat was filled with wonderful aromas as dinner cooked, tonight's supper was delicious, the dogs were dead tired from their walk, and so it made for a very peaceful and enjoyable evening.  My daily whiskey ration was particularly enjoying this evening.  I was in paradise.

Day 6 - Crossing the Monster to Squirrel Cove

Tuesday, July 19, 2011.

After listening to the 0400 weather radio for "Georgia Strait - waters north of Nanaimo" it sounded like a perfect day to tackle "the monster."  Light winds, Area Whiskey Golf cleared for transit, and all the weather stations - Entrance Island, Ballenas Island, Sisters Island, Merry Island, Chrome Island, Grief Point, and Sentry Shoal - all reported light winds.  That is winds less than 10 knots.  There were no waves and no swell, just what I and the crew want for a crossing.  However, the forecast for Wednesday was for strong SE (15-20 knots) winds.  The plan was to travel to Jedediah Island today, anchor for the night, and then finish the Georgia Strait trip on Wednesday.  This helps break up the long cruise, but now I think we're going to do the whole "monster enchilada" in one day - Nanaimo to Squirrel Cove.  I do not want to slog through heavy seas while today the seas are calm.  Therefore I went to the beach to give the dogs a long walk - it was going to be a long day for them.

We raised the anchor at 0700 and left Newcastle Harbor to cross "the monster."  We quietly motored up Newcastle Channel that separates Nanaimo from Newcastle Island, then into Departure Bay, around Horswell Rock, and to the Clarke Rock GPS way point.  The Strait is very calm - like a big lake.  Again, Area Whiskey Golf is open for transit so we made a straight line for the  Upwood Pt GPS way point by Texada Island.  This is a long, boring stretch of open water.  The crew went back to bed and I now I had whole world to myself.  Only a couple of other boats were making the peaceful crossing this morning with us.  We were widely separated so I didn't even notice their wakes.  The minutes became hours and soon we approached Upwood Point on Texada Island; wow what a calm and boring crossing of water.  I can still remember the other years where crossing this stretch of water was not so peaceful - green water over the bow, pounding through 3 - 4' waves - ugh.  I set course for the next GPS way point just off of Anderson Bay on Texada.  We passed three boats that were heading south and I still spotted a few boats way off in the distance boats heading north.  Again, just a ripple of light winds here and there was all I faced.  I walked around the boat checking things here and there just trying to stay alert.  After the Anderson Bay GPS way point I made for the NE Point GPS way point.  Again about another 3 hours away.  The tide had turned and now we were getting some push up Malaspina Strait.  I was surprised at how few boats that were out.  Normally this stretch of water is busy with pleasure boaters heading for points north, today I noticed only one or two boats way off in the distance.  Even the chatter on the VHF radio channel 16 was unusually quiet.

Hurtaldo Pt. Lund and the Copeland Is. in the distance.

As we approached NE Point GPS way point on Texada Island I let the crew take over the helm while I laid down for a nap.  It wasn't that I was really tired from doing things, I was just bored.  The weather was very good with partly cloudy skies and no wind.  I slept for about an hour or so when I heard waves softly pounding against the hull.  As we approached the Grief Point GPS way point there were some waves and about a 10 knot NW breeze coming down through Algerine Passage.  These seas didn't last long because as soon as we were in the lee of Harwood Island the seas were back to being rippled.  We momentarily thought about stopping in Powell River - we've never been there before.  We've stayed at the marina by Grief Point - and it looked relatively empty.  It was about 1400, the cruising was so very easy and the thought of being tied up in a marina versus being at the hook in Squirrel Cove just didn't sound appealing so we moved on.  The crew asked for an ETA for Squirrel Cove and I reported 1900 or there about.

As we motored on the sunny skies started to disappear and the clouds got thicker and thicker and the threat of rain grew.  The weather radio still forecasted 15-20 knot SE winds for Wednesday so that's what all the cloudiness was about - a small weather front was approaching.  The boat traffic was still very light compared to other years when approaching Savary Island and Lund I would see dozens of boats traveling north and south.  Lund looked somewhat busy as did the various small anchorages in the Copeland Islands.  Bliss Landing had a few boats, but to me it still just didn't appear as busy as years past.  Most of the boats were flying the Canadian flag not the US flag.  What US boats were out were much larger yachts than the MV Independence.  And, another note - when I did see boats cruising they weren't traveling at the speeds they normally were of 15 knots or more, rather most were cruising slowly at 10 knots or less.  All I could figure is that the down economy was having an effect on boating.

As always coming around Sarah Point and getting your first view of the Liberty Cap and the mountains above Desolation Sound is always a pleasure and it signifies that "you've made it - you've successfully crossed the monster."  Additionally, I knew we were approaching Desolation Sound because the depth sounder water temperature was climbing from about 50 F near Nanaimo to almost 70 F here.  A 20 F degree difference!  We made it to Squirrel Cove at 1845 and dropped the hook in 22.5’ of water at 1902. 

We moved after initially setting the anchor because we got too close to another boat.  The boats anchored in Squirrel Cove were all spaced very oddly and inefficiently - at least I thought so.  There’s not too many boats here; only about 20 or so.  We’re anchored in the far N corner of the cove – a new spot for us.  We grilled a spicy curry chicken for dinner and had Indian style potatoes with peas and carrots.  It was cloudy and it didn't rain but the air temperature was very comfortable for short sleeves and shorts.  I enjoyed my daily whiskey ration sitting out on the deck that evening and getting re-acquainted with my old friend Squirrel Cove. It sure was good to be back.

Stats: Ending engine hours: 6134.2, elapsed engine hours: 12.7, 72.3 nm, average speed 6.0 kts, 12:02 hrs. motoring.

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.