New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

Anchorages in the San Juans are many and varied. Like the boats that take their shelter, everything is a compromise when choosing an anchorage: the nature of the bottom for good anchor grabbing, protection from wind and wake, view, neighbors (hopefully without generators that run at sunset), beach access, insects, communication access are just a few of many considerations.

I'm back briefly at Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island, and will be taking off shortly for Fisherman Bay ("Fish Bay") on Lopez Island. Lopez Islanders call Friday Harbor "Sin City" in contrast to their more pastoral digs where passing drivers wave at each other, bicyclists, and walkers.

 

[sleddog]

Lopez Island's 4th of July Parade was wonderfully small town, with a cast of firetrucks, tractors, kids on bikes, antique cars, and the Lutheran Church drumming up business with a float that said “We're dying to have you join us!” and “Gluten free religion.”

Of course everyone was giving the “Lopez Wave,” which is best described as the middle two fingers extended upwards, and wagged sideways. Only on Lopez.

Walking back from the parade, I ran into hometown friends Toby and Kimberly, who car topped their canoe and bikes from Santa Cruz, are visiting the San Juan Islands by ferry, and staying at waterfront cottages. Looked good to me.

Mid-afternoon I re-anchored at the southern end of Fisherman Bay, upwind of the fleet of 200 visiting vessels in town for the fireworks for which Lopez is famous. By 10:30 pm it was dark enough for the show to begin. Impressive would be an understatement. The themed aeriel display was some of the best I've seen, with
Sweeping Comets, Purple Cycas Blooms, Glittering Silver to Bright Red, Revolving Dragons, Red Sunflower,Crossing Comets, Green Chrysanthemum to Crackling Display, Red Palm, Five Angle Star, Red White and Blue with Artillery, Golden Coconut, Golden Wave to Blue Swimming Chrysanthemum, Glittering Silver to Green to Red with Reports, Purple Crossette, Nishiki Kamuro Niagra Falls, and the Grand Finale.

The echoes of the reports reverberated for miles around the hills and through the forests of Lopez Island.

Four miles across San Juan Channel, Friday Harbor was replying in kind. Hot diggity, Dog Diggity, Boom diggity.

 

[H Spruit]

Lopez Island sounds great!
Here in Santa Cruz we had thick fog, 42 arrests, two stabbings and 425 pounds of illegal fireworks confiscated and uncontrolled illegal fireworks going off in the neighborhoods, and docks until 4:AM.
<H>

 

[sleddog]

Though it's cheap theater watching the lone New Zealand AC 72 catamaran, costing $100 million, race itself in the first Louis Vuitton Cup race, I must say I'm slightly underwhelmed watching 10 crew furiously pump hydraulics as their machine goes 20 knots upwind, and touched 38 knots downwind.

My dear friend Renee goes 5 knots on her well thrashed Santana 20 LIL VIXEN on Lake Tahoe. Renee is new to sailboat racing and covets tiller time, hard to get unless you own your own boat, which she bought for a song and has been fixing up.

Until yesterday, 8 knots was a gleam in Renee's eye. But somebody loaned her a dirt boat (land sailor) on a Nevada dry lake bed, and in a few short minutes she was racing around, averaging GPS speeds in excess of 35 knots, on a machine that is decidedly low tech: no winches, no crew or hydraulic pumps, old dacron sail, well worn tires. And she's going faster than EMIRATES NEW ZEALAND, upwind and down.

These dirt boats even kids can safely sail. And regularly do. Personally, I get a real kick out of watching dirt boats race. And even a bigger thrill going 40 knots into a two wheel drift around the leeward mark. Foiling? We don't need no stinkin' foiling.

Maybe Renee will tell us about her day on the playa, sheeting the main tight, then tighter, as the apparent wind of 50 knots gusts into her smiling eyes. I can only post the pics she sent. Eat your heart out Americas Cup pros.

North America Land Sailing Assoc. (NALSA) maintains a website at http://www.nalsa.org/ Read about sailing at 126 mph.

 

[skatzman]

Proud to chime in here that I was on the Playa Friday last with Renee. It's all like Skip says: low cost, low tech, low rent, high speed, high thrill. An d a special mention to Lester (Moore 24 #29) for maintaining Misfits Flat for landsailing. SDK

 

[Philpott]

Oh how I would love to sail again on Lake Tahoe! When I was young I sailed with friends out of Obexer's on the West Shore. Ten years ago I rented a 22' Catalina from the Tahoe City marina. We motored out into the lake and floated around for awhile (at $60/hour 2 hour minimum) before motoring back in. My understanding is that sailing on Lake Tahoe can be very wonderful, scary or dull. Where does Renee keep Lil Vixen, if I may be so bold? Jackie

 

[Santana20Vixen]

All I have to say is YEEEEEEEEHHHHAAAAAAA WEEEEEEEEEEE, HOLY SMOKES.... I HAVE GOT TO GET ONE OF THESE!!!!!! I don't need no stinking 8knts. This was about the most fun I could imagine doing with a sail. I did not have the control to make the 2 wheel drift around the leeward mark at 35knts. However, I certainly spent a fair bit of time on 2 wheels with the puffy air.... I must say there is a certain "pucker factor" that takes place in those moments and it takes a fair bit to void the instinct to let the sheet run. When you get in the 30knt speeds everything starts bouncing around and you start to pray that it holds together, goes in the direction you want, and does not spin out. Then I learned to slide sideways on demand... it's like a hockey stop on a boat... then I was told it is not a nice thing to do, too much dust, but it was way fun!!! Did I say I HAVE GOT TO GET ME ONE OF THESE?
Renee
Santana20 Vixen
South Lake Tahoe

 

[H Spruit]

Renee;
Dennis Basano has a Manta For Sail!
He can be contacted at "Dennis Michael Bassano Jr." <[email protected]>
or(831) 423-4355
He is president of NALSA
Sincerely,
Howard Spruit

 

[sleddog]

A little excitement last evening as kids playing with fireworks set Cap Sante Head, overlooking Cap Sante Marina, in Anacortes, on fire. It's steep terrain, I could see the flames on the hillside, about a quarter mile away, and firemen couldn't easily get to the fire.

Eventually several fire boats came into play, letting loose with an almighty deluge that soaked the hill and promptly extinguished things. No structures were damaged, except maybe some bunny dens and squirrel nests.

http://www.goskagit.com/news/local_...1e2-b215-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=image&photo=0

Fair weather continues. I'm off today, northbound, towards Desolation Sound.

 

[sleddog]

WILDFLOWER trucked north yesterday through the Gulf Islands, goin' while the goin' was good. We left Orcas Island at 0830, and were tied up at Newcastle Island, Nanaimo, 12 hours later. 60 miles, including a pit stop at Bedwell Harbor to clear into Canada. That phone call took all of a minute.

Shortly after Bedwell we passed two 19' whaleboats rowing and sailing north. They were lugsail rigged, ketches, with six crew and three pairs of oars. I pulled alongside to chat, and found they were crews from University of British Columbia at Vancouver. These crews would pull ashore and camp enroute. Pretty cool. I took a couple of photos.

One disadvantage of these waters is the amount of flotsam, mainly timber of all sizes, drifting at random. It requires due diligence. No napping or reading. I had to alter for a 50' tree, and a 15 foot log. Many powerboats in these waters carry extra propellers.

Dodd Narrows is about 50 yards wide. Much of the water in the Gulf Islands passes through here, creating currents to 9 knots. We entered Dodd an hour before slack, and had 4 knots pushing us merrily along.

Newcastle Island is a beautiful park, administered by the local First Nation tribe. Nanaimo, a small city, is about quarter mile across the channel. Crossing the channel is challenging, with a steady flow of float planes landing and taking off. Planes have right of way. Good luck. Everyone seems to get along.

 

[sleddog]

Apparently I am missing some nearby action. My waterfront correspondent, Gary in Anacortes, reports a bit of trouble.

"A brand new 85' Ocean Alexander ($7.5 million) burned & sank in Roche Harbor. The resort was evacuated to the Roche Harbor Airport as the high winds were sending the flames toward the marina. 1600 gals. of fuel on board. The fish scow "Clam Digger" which delivers food to fish pens (Atlantic salmon aka "Frankenfish") at Cypress Is. sank in Guemes Channel after sending a Mayday it was taking on water. 3,000 gals of fuel on board."

"High drama over in Victoria Wed. night also during the strong winds when the 341' ferry M/V COHO departed & took out a float plane dock astern of it Nearby was a $15 million dollar mega yacht that missed being sideswiped. Guests at the hotel immediately behind the totaled float plane dock thought the COHO's stern was going to end up in their lanai.............."

Hmmmm. The otherwise immaculate Grand Banks 36 next door should be happy. His cruise with guests has been interrupted. Everyone left. In came the technician. Out came the clogged head, which was deposited in the dumpster. Out came the crystal encrusted head hoses and plumbing. In they went to the dumpster also.

Out came the technician's shop vac. Into the shop vac went the fouled bilge water. Into the harbor the smelly mess went.

In came the new head. In came the new hoses. Out came the technician's tools.
He's been working on it all day. Wonder what that's gonna cost? Certainly not as much as a new Ocean Alexander or float plane dock in Victoria. All in a day on the waterfront, a moveable feast.

 

[H Spruit]

Because you posted a pic of this boat sunk in its slip I thought you would be interested in this article.

Former Steinbeck boat coming back to Monterey County — in one form or another

By DENNIS TAYLOR
Herald Staff Writer
Posted: 07/12/2013 06:57:14 PM PDT

The Salinas businessman who owns the boat that carried author John Steinbeck, marine biologist Ed "Doc" Ricketts and skipper Tony Berry to the Sea of Cortez in 1940 says he is fully dedicated to restoring the famous vessel to its original glory.

Whether the 72-foot purse seiner can be made seaworthy again is a different question.

Gerry Kehoe said the years have been unkind to the Western Flyer. Built in 1937, it has what could be irreparable damage to her hull, engines, kitchens, cabins and decks — issues that caused the boat to sink twice in recent months, first in October and again in June.

Kehoe said he will consult with experts who will examine the vessel in Port Townsend, Wash., on July 29 before deciding exactly how to proceed with his renovation plan.

Kehoe promises that the boat that helped inspire two of Steinbeck's literary works — "The Sea of Cortez: A Journal of Travel and Research" and "The Log from the Sea of Cortez" — will be meticulously restored for future generations to enjoy, on the water or elsewhere.

"The Western Flyer is a historic and literary American artifact, the largest piece of John Steinbeck memorabilia," Kehoe said. "The reports that we have received so far from experts who have examined her indicate that she is not seaworthy."

One option Kehoe has discussed is making the Western Flyer a tourist attraction inside a boutique hotel he's building in the 50,000-square-foot space at 300 Main St. in Salinas

 

[sleddog]

7/14 Bastile Day

WILDFLOWER successfully crossed the Straits of Georgia, 21 miles, to the mainland side. I had the boat "stacked" for port tack. With one reef, we sailed along nicely closehauled in 14-17 TWS, averaging 5.5-6, passing a Cal-34 close aboard.

After 50 miles and 10 hours, it was time to call it a day. The wind went on the nose, and I dropped anchor in lovely Sturt Bay, on Texada Island. Spent a quiet night, intending to set off for Desolation, 24 miles NW.

The outboard motor had other ideas, and wouldn't run. I fussed for an hour. Then sailed into the Texada Boating Club docks, not knowing what I'd find. It turns out there is a local outboard mechanic here, and he'll be coming down tomorrow.

Depending what he finds, I may be here a while. Which is not a bad thing. Everyone has been exceeding friendly. I've met at least two dozen people. It turns out the designer of the Kismet catamarans and trimarans lives here, and has his own Kismet 34 SKAL, with a wing mast, nearby.

Also arriving was a hi-tech, carbon/foam F24 CR tri, MINDBENDER, enroute to circling Vancouver Island. Just outside Sturt Bay they hit a dead head log at 8 knots, knocking their rudder out of the cassette, and maybe breaking off their daggerboard.

MINDBENDER made it in here on a wing and a prayer. They couldn't steer except with the outboard, and T-boned the dock at 3 knots. Once things were settled, I helped them put things to right. The rudder is fixed, and I loaned Nick my mask and fins. He went swimming, and found there is no damage to the underbody, daggerboard or trunk. They are very thankful. It could have been much worse.

Right behind WILDFLOWER is a giant flowerpot. It looks like we've landed in a garden. To the right in the photo is the tri.

How long we will be here depends on the mechanic's diagnosis tomorrow. It would be foolish to go north of here without an engine: strong currents, narrow channels, and light winds.

And there is much history here to explore here. Rusting mining machines, winches, and parts everywhere, being slowly overgrown by blackberries. Sturt Bay was once a bustling town of 5,000. Whaling was king. Then gold was discovered. Opera house, schools, hotels were built.

It's all history now, detailed in the book "Texada Tapestries." I walked through the center of "town" and only saw three moving cars. It looks like time stood still.

 

[Bob Buell]

Skip..you should upgrade to the "big cat" in the 3rd pic, good for meeting chicks?? What the hell is that anyway??
Will check you out on google map in Sturt Bay...Capt Bob

 

[sleddog]

A fairweather Monday, Texada Boating Club's guest docks emptied this morning. And the locals came out of the woodwork. I think I must have met another dozen boaters, all who live here on Texada Island, one lady who had been born here 60 years ago. Everyone has been exceedingly friendly. A diverse group.

Texada Boat Club is do-it-yourself, and everyone chips in. One member, Sean, was clearing the docks of floating logs that drift in on the high tide at 7 a.m. Toi, from Thailand, came down to trim the flowers in the flowerpots. Jean restocked the free library. Maggie monitors the VHF radio for incoming boats ....

Keith, the island mechanic, showed up. Nice guy, obviously competent and all business. Probable low speed jet clogged, a pin hole. Keith said he'd seen it many times before. All it takes is a little piece of dirt. This clog screws up the choke, and the engine floods with fuel

Keith has taken the carburator with him to his shop in Powell River, across Malaspina Strait, and will be returning tomorrow (Tuesday) on the 4 pm, ferry. If everything is good to go, I should be underway Wednesday morning, which may dove tail with a forecast of SE winds (tail wind).

It being a sunny and warm day, I dove the boat in 68 degree water. Bottom clean and fair.

 

[Sleddog_sis]

Nice to hear about all this, Skip! I like the news of the locals, and of of course the flowerpot nearby you. All is well here. Bowie is watching dragonflies and the occasional hummingbird. Stay safe ~
L'il sis

 

[sleddog]

A quiet night. I was not sure it would be. Two American boats arrived and tied up nearby. The nearest, a Catalina 42 from Monmouth, Oregon, got situated. It's skipper swayed down the dock to his buddy boat, a bottle of whiskey in hand. He'd left his main halyard slapping against the mast in an otherwise peaceful evening. And his VHF radio turned on, loud enough to hear. What sounded like rap music filled the cove. Out of place.

I put in my earplugs, retired to the bunk, and hoped for the best .....

I didn't find out until he left this morning that the turkey had left without paying his moorage bill. His significant other had locked herself in the stateroom, and the loud music and VHF radio were meant to cover up the argument. I guess she never did unlock and come out. He cast off by himself and motored away.

I went for an early row. To sketch the beautiful L. Francis Herreshoff 36' ketch GARGOYLE across the way. What was going to be a short row turned into a multi-hour adventure.

I rowed up the narrow lagoon called Ceasers Cove. Passing GARGOYLE, an Atkins Ingrid, a Tahiti ketch, and a pretty Frers Sr. ketch. At the head of the lagoon was a graded dirt ramp with a red steel sloop hauled out on a primitive railway. This "boatyard" is not KKMI.

Jacques, the owner of Joshua steel design, was eager to bend my ear about all the preventive measures he was taking to prevent electrolysis that had already pitted his hull. Zinc paint, aluminum anodes, pouring oil into the keel. I listened for 30 minutes, and excused myself.

I rowed past a beautiful blue 43 foot cruising sloop. Two Canadian women Sandy and Tina, had welded her up and built this stout looking vessel in the Alberta countyside, far from city politics. It took them 10 years. They set sail on their circumnavigation dream, got 300 miles, and decided ocean sailing wasn't for them. They are now liveaboard residents of Sturt Bay and exploring coastal waters.
http://www.thebigsailboatproject.com/

I rowed on to WINGS OF THE WIND, a Crealock 34 from Anacortes. John hadn't noticed his masthead tri-color was broken loose and about to fall off. I went up the mast and duct taped things back in place. 20 years of UV sun is the lifespan of a plastic running light lens before it cracks.

From the masthead of WINGS I could see a maze of channels and lagoons to the west. We rowed our dinghies to investigate ...traversing several mini reversing rapids. It looked like something out of African Queen. We found an historical scow that was once someone's home. Now abandoned, it needs a bit of work. The perfect "fixer upper."

Back at the boat, Keith the mechanic and I mounted the reconstituted carburetor. No luck. The outboard ran the same as before: not well. We need a new carburetor, which Keith will order tomorrow. How long shipping will take is unknown at this moment.

WILDFLOWER and I are not going anywhere for the near future. Sturt Bay is a good place to be. Clear warm water, friendly locals, and steady change of visiting boats coming and going.

 

[sleddog]

A low pressure trough from the south came through Sturt Bay area last evening, giving a spectacular show. Full double rainbow, lightning, and tequila sunset. The locals said it was the best double rainbow in 50 years ...I take them at their word.

The wind shift from NW to SE provided some excitement in the anchorage. Several boats had their anchors snag on underwater obstructions as they tried to motor off a lee shore. One single-hander proved the mixed wisdom of buoying one's anchor in case of foul. John got his anchor up OK. But ran out of hands, and his anchor buoy line and float drifted aft, narrowly missing fouling the prop.

John is now at the dock. I helped him with his reefing procedures and jib trim technique. He had been told you can only roller furl the jib on one tack. Definitely not true.

I did a walking tour of the town of Van Anda. History is oozing. The director of the museum gave me a one hour personal tour. Mining was king. Gold, silver, copper, limestone. Texada Island remains the biggest producer of limestone on the West Coast.

Sturt Bay (Van Anda town) is about the size of Inverness. One hotel, one small market, the gas station is out of gas. This weekend is a fly-in at the local airport. "The Biggest Little Airshow in British Columbia." Ex-Snowbirds (Canadian Blue Angels) doing stunts in bi-planes. Should be interesting.

WILDFLOWER is here until at least next Tuesday. My mechanic has ordered the replacement carburetor. Even though it is a fairly common part (Tohatsu, Nissan), it has to come from Japan to Vancouver to Powell River to Texada. It is on "express delivery." But it takes four ferry crossings to get from Vancouver to Texada.

 

[sleddog]

For a small harbor, a lot is going on at Sturt Bay: My neighbor, Bill, on the blue Bahama 24 OFFBEAT from Anacortes, is quartermaster on the Washington State ferry ELWHA. He reqularly steers ELWHA from Anacortes to Friday Harbor, and shared the perspective of being on her bridge while doing 17 knots, threading through the San Juan Islands amongst heavy small boat traffic.

Two lovely Bill Garden designed power yachts tied up nearby yesterday afternoon. HERSELF is from Sidney, BC. PUFFIN from Tacoma. I'd seen HERSELF last year, and fell in love with her lines. PUFFIN's mascot, Spencer, is a good size black cat with white markings, and came by WILDFLOWER last evening as he curiously checked out the fleet.

Nearby, Sydney (11) and Hudson (8) from Alberta, are spending July aboard their grandparent's 40' ketch LOUINA. Fishing, hiking, drawing, reading keep the grandkids busy. Yesterday we had rowing practice on WILDFLOWER's dinghy. They caught on right away.

In return, they took me to their favorite swimming hole, a nearby abandoned quarry that is filled with turquoise fresh water. We swam around, jumped off rocks, and kept cool. The Pacific NW is having an abnormally dry and warm year. Seattle/Tacoma airport is on track to break a 53 year old record. No measurable rain in the month of July.

 

[sleddog]

This noon, the Fraser Blues flew overhead, in formation, with smoke trailing. They are in town for tomorrow's fly-in at Texada airport. Evidently there are 60 planes on the field, with people camping in tents and under wings. Tonight is a BBQ and dance. Tomorrow, the pancake breakfast, demonstrations, and the Fraser Blues performing. Imagine the opposite of the Blue Angels. The Fraser Blues are five WWII vintage planes, each of a different bright color (red, blue, green, yellow, and silver). Their air speed looked to be about 120. One of the Fraser Blue pilots is 75. And I don't think the others are much younger.

In conjunction with the Fly-In is a three day "aerospace camp" for kids 11-14. They get cockpit time in a small indoors trainer. Build cool shiny aluminum riveted tool trays. Practice rocketry. Learn about the theory and history of flight. It's all thanks to volunteer work by "Doby" Dobrinski and dedicated parents. I'm guessing about 15-20 kids. Tomorrow at the air show they will be presented with their "wings."

With the wharfinger's permission, I've moved WILDFLOWER out to the end of the dock. Not that I did not like being alongside HERSELF. But on my bow was the hospitality float with tent, and picnic tables. The evening drinking, smoking, and yarning was just too close for peace of mind. Out here it is almost private, quiet, with a cedar forest in the backyard. And the occasional curious harbor seal poking its head up.

Thus far I have not needed to be plugged into electrical power. The solar panels are taking care of business.

I had a shower, with three different temps to choose from: coiled hose water (warm), the bucket (warmer), and the solar shower (hot). Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap. Good to go.

One of my favorite books is called "River Horse" by Wm. Least Heat Moon, author of "Blue Highways." WLHM, who has no boating experience, but loves maps, dreams up the idea to cross the United States, from the Statue of Liberty in the Atlantic, to the Pacific at the mouth of the Columbia River, by boat. No one tries to dissuade him, because no one thought such a voyage possible.

"River Horse" is the story. NIKAWA is the name of his C-Dory 22, which means River Horse in Ogala Sioux.

Least Heat Moon has daily challenges that seem insurmountable. But he is focused. And his Quaker philosophy of "Proceed as the Way Opens" gives him the right temperament to not push against the impossible.

Proceed as the way opens. I think that is a good motto to live by when singlehanded sailing. Alongside tread lightly, do unto others, think small, Earth Island, and share the wealth......

Off to the airshow ......