tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53629674500322163372024-02-22T23:43:32.111-08:00Arcadia I & II LogThe voyages of Arcadia I & II, Nordhavn passagemakers.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-3494524899506372852012-11-11T22:49:00.001-08:002012-11-28T10:23:34.140-08:00Summer 2012 Wyoming, Columbia River and San JuansAt my last posting, <em>Arcadia II</em> was finally out of California after being delivered to Astoria. When it arrived, Will and I were travelling to meet Phyllis and head into the mountans of Wyoming for a grand camping reunion of my branch of the family tree. Phyllis and I, all three of my kids, 6 grandkids, two great-grandkids, along with one daughter-in law and her parents, one granddaugher-in-law, my first wife, 4 really good friends and several dogs all camped in the Gros Ventre mountains, as we have done before. Its not hard to get there, but not many go. Nobody but us came anywhere near our campsite.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5yPUiQJv9s4k6z4kS9j1QSLtVjERDJfVsRgB6nA0exws-GgJpWNb7_K3yawNRVjn4aroEP3COic35WbfdNPvg3TlY3dLCLY7bnrIekd_sk6vBjspdhJBn9sfVmHw_yUhlh_GXv7Odu5F/s1600/IMG_0364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5yPUiQJv9s4k6z4kS9j1QSLtVjERDJfVsRgB6nA0exws-GgJpWNb7_K3yawNRVjn4aroEP3COic35WbfdNPvg3TlY3dLCLY7bnrIekd_sk6vBjspdhJBn9sfVmHw_yUhlh_GXv7Odu5F/s1600/IMG_0364.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Here are Phyl and I, along with all my direct progeny resting after the long climb to what we call the "Shining Place". It has a truly stupendous view of the Gros Ventre, Teton, Absaroka, Wyoming, Salt River and Wind River mountain ranges that always brings a tear to this old man's eyes.<br />
<br />
On July 15th, I finally got to Astoria, and <em>Arcadia II</em>. On the 16th, my brother, Paul, and his friend, Irene , arrived. Her son, a longshorman from Seattle, was working nearby and joined us for a shore dinner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGxDW3LH7Yu7M0dig7-I1cCWb8UgSXpcRr-U75zTXFX2z8jSM5HO-wTIP0G8gxOAV07UgnLP-I4024jAz4sSM7gQVZz1snyaQ37vF7pF86e8Ci0PJ2IDFky0DZgG27zDGhlH5L1HVFtLF/s1600/IMG_0406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGxDW3LH7Yu7M0dig7-I1cCWb8UgSXpcRr-U75zTXFX2z8jSM5HO-wTIP0G8gxOAV07UgnLP-I4024jAz4sSM7gQVZz1snyaQ37vF7pF86e8Ci0PJ2IDFky0DZgG27zDGhlH5L1HVFtLF/s1600/IMG_0406.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On the 17th, we moved over to the fuel dock and topped off the fuel tanks. That put us nicely on an incoming tide and we were ready to head up the Columbia River. This was the very first time, since we bought <em>Arcadia II</em>, that we have actually gotten to use her. Heretofore, she's just been the proverbial "hole in the water", into which much money has been poured. It was a great feeling to be underway under my own command again. We finished that day by tying up to the public dock at Ranier, OR. The float lies parallel to the river current and I'm afraid I made a somewhat less than graceful upstream approach. Fortunately, there wasn't anyone around to see me have to go back around after the bow got away from us. <br />
<br />
Ranier is a nice little town. We assumed that we could find a local supermarket within a short walk, so hadn't done any shopping for the galley before we left Astoria. That proved to be a flawed assumption. After a lot of walking, we found what looked like a supermarket, but proved to be some sort of overstock outlet that had a lot of stuff, but none of what we needed. We did find a nice enough restaurant, so we decided on a shore dinner. More walking led us to a gas station/convenience store in which we found enough for breakfast the next day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI91e5FNEIPW7DVJEjgBenSpL0dDLzxtz5Uc9i9QLoAXdTa6SHf0k7FXP4z6punP6PzJZv694WVbRZqJHW60Clj1UhJgHJEz9hfNvfr-jtAJm85F2UA_7uuCZEP71hCLVV7BR_pC92PCO/s1600/IMG_0407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPI91e5FNEIPW7DVJEjgBenSpL0dDLzxtz5Uc9i9QLoAXdTa6SHf0k7FXP4z6punP6PzJZv694WVbRZqJHW60Clj1UhJgHJEz9hfNvfr-jtAJm85F2UA_7uuCZEP71hCLVV7BR_pC92PCO/s1600/IMG_0407.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
On the 18th, we continued up the Columbia to Portland. The railroad bridge was down. I really didn't know what my air draft was and it looked like it would be a tight fit, but since we were travelling upstream, I approached it slowly while Paul watched the outriggers and antennae. At the last moment, it became obvious to him that the outriggers wouldn't clear the bridge in their stowed position. I backed off and went downstream to deploy the outriggers. The next attempt, he could see that the mast would clear well enough, but the radio antennae might drag a bit. We went on through, without laying them down. No damage was done, but with a lot of noise, we showered the boat with a lot of rust and stuff from the underside of the bridge. We finished the day by tying up at Tomahawk Bay Marina in Portland.<br />
<br />
On the 19th, we continued up the river, on a very nice day, through the very scenic Columbia River Gorge to Bonneville Dam. River flow was high, so the current was strong and there was a good deal of turbulence in the water. The autopilot could barely hold course and progress was slow. When we contacted the lockmaster, he advised us it would be an hour before he could lock us up, and directed us to a float in the channel below the lock. After a nice dinner, the lock opened for us and we went through without incident, heading up to our intended evening stop at Hood River. By the time we got there is was well past dark and there was a heavy rain. We never actually left the boat that evening.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhoMUTjgqRBLkw9hppJBSJy_kZtO6Jdvjdd5W2h7v0eEl1w1KpFe4WLNdbGRXTk5yRoJUH9EWTtblGpEFhIRBIc_LttfmJW4uOiqGf0Qn8Wr0KTN8IFT_qFra7cjK9O3H8REx0J94XRIY/s1600/IMG_0417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhoMUTjgqRBLkw9hppJBSJy_kZtO6Jdvjdd5W2h7v0eEl1w1KpFe4WLNdbGRXTk5yRoJUH9EWTtblGpEFhIRBIc_LttfmJW4uOiqGf0Qn8Wr0KTN8IFT_qFra7cjK9O3H8REx0J94XRIY/s1600/IMG_0417.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
On the 20th, we locked back down through Bonneville Dam, without incident. A few words are in order about the locking process. The Corps of Engineers makes this process go very smoothly for pleasure boaters, which they do not mix with the commercial barge traffic. You simply call ahead to the lockmaster as soon as you are within low power radio range to find out when he will lock pleasure boats through, (You can also use your cell phone. The numbers for all the locks are in the common chart book that everyone uses.) At the appointed time, the lockmaster will direct you to enter the lock and tell you which position in the lock to go to. At each station, there is a bollard in a vertical channel in the lock wall. The bollards rise and fall with the water level in the lock. You just drop a loose loop of your breast line over the bollard and fend off by hand to keep your boat parallel to the lock wall, far enough off that your fenders don't have to drag on it. There is very little turbulence.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQYBbdaloeAk-6vIJ2iV092I5Vqhfh_N6L5zxA84j6e7V0o3qFd5jKVCI1CAvChoJ5ZmB-pMExrPAdmX4vVq3zufSgSteZNoasM6B4IKoLgr-OJ7T7N5hr4dVUhAu29VfkF9tV4S7ajX4/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQYBbdaloeAk-6vIJ2iV092I5Vqhfh_N6L5zxA84j6e7V0o3qFd5jKVCI1CAvChoJ5ZmB-pMExrPAdmX4vVq3zufSgSteZNoasM6B4IKoLgr-OJ7T7N5hr4dVUhAu29VfkF9tV4S7ajX4/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Once clear of Bonneville, we headed back to Tomahawk Bay. Going downstream was much more pleasant than coming up. The current was with us, so it was faster, of course. More important, we moved so much more quickly through the turbulent spots that they had little effect on our course. The autopilot maintained course with ease, making for an altogether enjoyable passage. <br />
<br />
At one point, I had considered going on up river, perhaps as far as Lewiston, Idaho. However, this exploratory jaunt up to Hood River, and the drive-by look at the scenery that Willy and I did earlier, convinced me that such a trip on <em>Arcadia II</em> would be more arduous than fun. Accordinly, I decided to take a more permanent slip in Tomahawk Bay and just cruise the lower river for the time we had left. On the 21st, we rented a car at the nearby Portland airport and drove back to Astoria to get my own car while Paul and Irene could drive one vehicle back before they left for California.<br />
<br />
After Paul and Irene left, I started in on my "to do" list. As we travelled, it was apparent that the main engine alternator was not charging the batteries. I took it ashore to be rebuilt, while I did routine things like changing oil in all the engines, pickling the watermaker and varnishing the gratifyingly small amount of teak this boat has exposed to the weather.<br />
<br />
On the 26th, an old submarine shipmate, Warren Coughlin, and his wife Edye came aboard. We got underway for Government Island that evening. Once again, I blew an upstream tie to the float there and had to go around. This time, of course, there was a whole yacht club there to see it. After meeting a lot of nice folks on the float, we had a nice dinner aboard.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdZQbInBPyv36qxfpUcK-VNdsUnTnfpLcIFsrDhpVW-wLmknERLVmcgkF_xGthLRm0MCfhyrPyJm1GhKwX6vbRFa4Xs3AokTXPhhyZKRDwe7b00lEl-MeWoAP22EHa-ZDhRtS26cDf82r/s1600/IMG_0436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdZQbInBPyv36qxfpUcK-VNdsUnTnfpLcIFsrDhpVW-wLmknERLVmcgkF_xGthLRm0MCfhyrPyJm1GhKwX6vbRFa4Xs3AokTXPhhyZKRDwe7b00lEl-MeWoAP22EHa-ZDhRtS26cDf82r/s1600/IMG_0436.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On the 27th, we shoved off and made the short run up the Columbia River Gorge before we returned to Tomahawk bay.<br />
<br />
I continued getting the boat ready for the next passage until the afternoon of the 29th of July. At that point, I got in my car and drove to Bellingham to make arrangements for a haulout at SeaView North Boatyard. I left my car there and flew home from Bellingham on the 30th.<br />
<br />
I didn't return until August 16th. In my absence, a new Sleep Number bed for the master stateroom had arrived and I installed it. The next day, my stalwart offshore travelling companion, Rudy Prendiz, arrived. On the way back from the airport, we stopped at a supermarket for last minute provisions for the passage up to Bellingham.<br />
<br />
On the 18th, we left Tomahawk Bay and went back to Astoria, fueled up and had a nice shore dinner.<br />
<br />
On the 19th, we timed our departure over the Columbia River bar at high slack and set an offshore course North on a lovely afternoon. <br />
<br />
We rounded Cape Flattery the morning of the 20th of August, after an extraordinarily pleasant passage. That evening, we tied up at Port Angeles and had a lovely shore dinner with another good friend from my Navy years, Gailard Kunkle, and his wife, Carol.<br />
<br />
On the 21st, Rudy and I again got underway, making a leisurely passage through the San Juan Islands to Roche Harbor, on San Juan Island, arriving in time to deploy the dinghy and attend their nightly "Colors"at sundown before a nice shore dinner there.<br />
<br />
The next morning, we moved the boat around San Juan Island to Friday Harbor and spent the day playing shore tourist and shopping for LED navigation light bulbs. On the 23rd, we moved on to Bellingham and tied to SeaView North Shipyard's courtesy dock.<br />
<br />
On the 24th, Rudy Prendiz left and our next door neighbors, Dave and Barb Drummond arrived on the same plane that Rudy took home. We stopped at a grocery store on the way back from thee airport, then departed for the San Juan Islands. We anchored in Blind Bay on Lopez Island that evening.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58JpgdEz6gDMDGFUbooYXNFppyN2a2r1HDOZVr80jWk4PznDaEwZw5iYSWXVEJskHXCEMhpu_0PTSbkvqd4h1do9pwMICL8un7jhYbSZtZmVpfp3ZjOBrVmW0SjJO6Zv6eAWzaLs7cYOp/s1600/Blind+Harbor3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58JpgdEz6gDMDGFUbooYXNFppyN2a2r1HDOZVr80jWk4PznDaEwZw5iYSWXVEJskHXCEMhpu_0PTSbkvqd4h1do9pwMICL8un7jhYbSZtZmVpfp3ZjOBrVmW0SjJO6Zv6eAWzaLs7cYOp/s1600/Blind+Harbor3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On the 25th, after Dave and Barb motored around Blind Bay andd over to Deer Harbor on Orcas Island, we moved back over to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island, again in time for Colors and yet another nice meal ashore. The next day, the 26th, was devoted to sightseeing around the harbor. Dave and Barb took a van tour over to Friday Harbor and back while I stayed aboard and enjoyed quiet time at anchor until they returned. We stowed the dinghy and got underway late that afternoon, arriving back at SeaView North after midnight.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIgyjHDlgt37oL09W4kq2Xu_QyxpaDhc5WWGvKA4Ftyn6JI08RyqZm02pcUElt7MFK62whI_5zP7Hpwbd52pto35OXh-tKMizgOdzOaTQkrJyJeM5VJwo79llNzKDpdMFi9HFSEkPrHI2/s1600/Barb+What's+the+Point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIgyjHDlgt37oL09W4kq2Xu_QyxpaDhc5WWGvKA4Ftyn6JI08RyqZm02pcUElt7MFK62whI_5zP7Hpwbd52pto35OXh-tKMizgOdzOaTQkrJyJeM5VJwo79llNzKDpdMFi9HFSEkPrHI2/s1600/Barb+What's+the+Point.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3zt-nbMz1jyiRpZsmo7IrccTwZMD5GcCj_XL3p_8V8MyVnq3fCWgUqXXSEI62Jt55qbzcm9o6-GBB0GfTynXHzLzj8SDjgSR9iUiqb3QiQyKziKp4QOJGua62g8Wp9hH1MiWFVl3gRsw/s1600/Dave+Dingy+Captain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3zt-nbMz1jyiRpZsmo7IrccTwZMD5GcCj_XL3p_8V8MyVnq3fCWgUqXXSEI62Jt55qbzcm9o6-GBB0GfTynXHzLzj8SDjgSR9iUiqb3QiQyKziKp4QOJGua62g8Wp9hH1MiWFVl3gRsw/s1600/Dave+Dingy+Captain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On the 27th, Dave and Barb left for home and I made final arrangements for the haulout the next day.<br />
<br />
Arcadia II was "on the hard" from the 28th of August until the 14th of September.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkC6M4D-ogVix18CHoBMNyGCaV_ZeqichtcDAWGi1wxo6lT-TjWXuiXp9tKqcVRB173X_zW0ymPzuU0AuuNelGnBQeCuBH0rq-IoYu-94fP5BsiULvd4n1wpqpO8ExYVO-4bL6uOLQACU/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkC6M4D-ogVix18CHoBMNyGCaV_ZeqichtcDAWGi1wxo6lT-TjWXuiXp9tKqcVRB173X_zW0ymPzuU0AuuNelGnBQeCuBH0rq-IoYu-94fP5BsiULvd4n1wpqpO8ExYVO-4bL6uOLQACU/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
During that period we:<br />
<ul>
<li>Pressure washed and recoated the bottom with ablative anti-fouling paint.</li>
<li>Scraped and grit blasted the two keel coolers, then coated them with Propspeed</li>
<li>Removed and sent the main propellor to a shop for comprehensive servicing and polishing.</li>
<li>Replaced the polymer stops in the Gori wing engine propellor and polished it.</li>
<li>Replaced the hose "boot" between the hull shaft log and the packing gland for the main shaft.</li>
<li>Inspected the main and wing shaft cutless bearings</li>
<li>Replaceed the main shaft packing.</li>
<li>Checked the main shaft for runout.</li>
<li>Replaced the main engine rear seal and the entire torque spider between the flywheel and transmission.</li>
<li>Checked main engine valve lash.</li>
<li>Inspected the Naiad fin shaft bearings and replaced the outboard seals.</li>
<li>Replaced the wind instruments masthead sender wheelhouse ST 60 receiver.</li>
<li>Removed, rebuilt and reinstalled the Hurricane Heater.</li>
<li>Replaced all zinc anodes.</li>
<li>Replaced the masthead light with LED.</li>
<li>Replaced spreader lights.</li>
<li>Replaced the anchor windlass motor with a new on. Placed the "McGiver" repaired orginal in spares.</li>
</ul>
We put Arcadia II back in the water on August 14th at 14:00. My good friend John Heller arrived as we were tying to the float. By 17:30, in-water checkout was complete and we got underway for a leisurely trip to Port Angeles, via the San Juan Islands. We anchored in Blind Cove in the dark.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaLiIw-QK9jUhAmDUYvsIBFPgBEZdbofMZ0xREWxEI6m7dQkdICdzZnA9BxkXvUtF4NcrNg77Mbt7Fe7mFHXZTnU50Kap2szONXSN-3lX36MnfegVgrgECwR6FD1lbbY0ifJ2tVrnOPbM/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaLiIw-QK9jUhAmDUYvsIBFPgBEZdbofMZ0xREWxEI6m7dQkdICdzZnA9BxkXvUtF4NcrNg77Mbt7Fe7mFHXZTnU50Kap2szONXSN-3lX36MnfegVgrgECwR6FD1lbbY0ifJ2tVrnOPbM/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On the 15th, we moved on to Roche Harbor, launched the dinghy and went ashore. Dinner at McMillins, as always, was excellent.<br />
<br />
On the 16th, we completed the passage across Juan de Fuca strait and tied up at our pre-arranged slip in the marina by noon. I borrowed Gailard's truck and took John Heller to SeaTac and his plane home that evening. I spent the next day retrieving my car from Bellingham.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5yPUiQJv9s4k6z4kS9j1QSLtVjERDJfVsRgB6nA0exws-GgJpWNb7_K3yawNRVjn4aroEP3COic35WbfdNPvg3TlY3dLCLY7bnrIekd_sk6vBjspdhJBn9sfVmHw_yUhlh_GXv7Odu5F/s1600/IMG_0364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
My intent was to leave <em>Arcadia II</em> in the Port Angeles marina for the winter. I thought I understood the state of Washington's rules witth respect to use taxes. My research was flawed, however. After I got there I learned that boats with only USCG documentation and no State registration or boats owned by a corporation are ineligible for the one year exclusion from Use Tax that I expected to obtain. That would have meant that all the complexity and expense we had faced to prevent being liable for California Use Tax would have been simply replaced by an even higher tariff in Washington if we stayed in that state for longer than two months. <br />
<br />
I stayed in Port Angeles only long enough to finally get the main engine alternator and regulator recommissioned and to replace the fuel booster pump on the Hurricane heater. On the 18th of September, we topped off the fuel tanks and did a short coastal cruise to check everything out.<br />
<br />
On the 22nd of September, Gailard Kunkle and I left Port Angeles and took the boat to Van Isle Marina in Sydney on Vancouver Island. I took the ferry back on the 24th, retrieved my car in Port Angeles and drove back to California. Arcadia II can remain in Canada, without tax for 6 months. <br />
<br />
Sometime before the middle of March, we'll move the boat back to Bellingham and wait until the weather allows us to head up to Alaska. I'm a long way from a commitment, but I'm beginning to explore the possibility of making a West to East transit of the fabled NW Passage across the Arctic. <br />
<br />
The idea would be to be in Kodiak early in July. If the polar ice conditions already look promising at that time, and if weather in the Bering Sea permits, we'd move on around Alaska's north coast, cross through the NW passage above Canada to Greenland, then go down to the St. Lawrence and up to the Great Lakes to Chicago, then take the Chicago and Illinois Rivers to the Mississippi. If all went well, we'd come out on the Gulf of Mexico after hurrican season. After that. . .I dunno, yet.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-83681131633022849172012-08-09T13:28:00.003-07:002012-08-09T13:48:41.375-07:00July 16, 2012 - We are finally free to use Arcadia IIWay back in April, I proudly reported that we'd bought Arcadia II. I haven't posted anything since because, until very recently, we have not been able to use her.<br />
<br />
We bought the boat for use in the Pacific Northwest and don't expect to bring her back to California, thus, we do not have to pay CA Use Tax, (sales tax). However, we had to comply with some very stringent rules to demontrate that we didn't actually "use" the boat in California. <br />
<br />
Immediately after the offshore delivery was consummated, she was brought back to the exact same slip in Alameda that she was in before, and placed in the care and custody of a boat repair service affiliated with the Seller's Broker. She was never moved again until we had done all the things I thought we needed to do to get her ready for an offshore voyage and we had a weather window long enough for a safe voyage North.<br />
<br />
We accomplished a lot in that repair period, including:<br />
<br />
o Replacing all the batteries on the boat with new Lifeline AGMs. This boat has 6 - 4Ds in the house bank, another 4D for the main engine starter and a 2D for the wing and genset starter.<br />
<br />
o Acquisition and installation of a dinghy, that we consider the primary lifeboat. There was none included in the sale. I had it made up in Anaheim, (Achilles RIB, Control Console and 20 HP motor), then bought a trailer and took it up to Alameda. Then I sold the trailer.<br />
<br />
o Acquisition and installation of a life raft. We bought one second-hand that was out of date, then had it serviced. By the way, if you consider the acquistion cost, servicing cost and the cost of driving to and fro, I think we'd have been way better off to buy a new one).<br />
<br />
o Acquisition and installation of adequate personal life jackets, and man overboard recovery equipment to exceed USCG requirements.<br />
<br />
o Servicing the outdated EPIRB, by the manufacturer and acquisition of a new backup PLB.<br />
<br />
o Replacing the outdated and, to me user unfriendly, Raymarine chartplotter with the Nobeltec system that worked well for us in the Pacific Northwest on Arcadia I.<br />
<br />
o Installation of a new AIS, this time the full Class A commercial vessel version. On Arcadia I, we learned that the very ships we wanted to be able to see us, were filtering out the Class B systems commonly used by yachts. We could see them, but they weren't even looking for us.<br />
<br />
o Re-rigging the paravanes. The previous owner reportedly had little trouble with the Naiad hydraulic stablizers and had apparently used the system only to provide a boom to launch the dinghy with and the outriggers to deploy at-anchor flopper stoppers. We upgraded the chains and re-rigged everything so we can use the paravanes and do all of that, as well.<br />
<br />
o Pre-rigging a manual steering system that makes emergency tiller usable. If you read our previous post about losing steering in the Sulu Sea, you'll understand. It's not pretty, but it got Arcadia I safely to port.<br />
<br />
o Installing an oilless compressor and hookah diving rig to enable inspecting the bottom, and clearing nets and traps that may foul the propeller, stabilizers or steering equipment. We needed this rig several times on Arcadia I, and I wouldn't go out without one.<br />
<br />
o Pre-rigging a drogue and sea anchor to enable safely riding through heavy weather. We never actually had to deploy either on Arcadia I. However, when heavy weather and seas are coming from astern it can be really difficult to steer and control the speed of boats like ours. The first "downhill" trip from Puget Sound, I probably would have deployed a drogue if I'd had one aboard. I know another Nordie making that trip that streamed everthing he had for warps and, at one point, actually used a small rerigerator as a drogue to improve his control.<br />
<br />
o Replacing outdated USCG-minimum flares and signaling equipment with those that meet the much higher SOLAS standards .<br />
<br />
o Installation of an XM radio weather monitoring system that shows current weather conditions on the Nobeltec screens.<br />
<br />
o Repair of inoperative anchor windlass motor.<br />
<br />
o Restoring the windshield wipers to operability.<br />
<br />
We also spent a lot of time learning the systems aboard the boat and fixing myriad "irritation" items.<br />
<br />
To make it doubly clear to the California taxing authorites that we did not use the boat until it left the State, we hired a professional delivery service to provide two captains to bring it to Astoria, Oregon. It wasn't until the first of June that they felt they had a wide enough weather window to make it. We pressed the repair service to finish up the last few items on their list. Care and custody of the, (we thought), now-ready for sea <em>Arcadia II</em> was transferred from the repair service to the delivery service on June 2nd. On June 3rd, they got underway with the tide and headed for Astoria.<br />
<br />
When we did the pre-purchase survey, we had the boat hauled. She was pretty heavily encrusted with marine growth, so I had her hull pressure washed and the metal parts scraped clean. Since she'd been for sale for some time, we all thought that the growth we saw was the result of not having been clean for a long period of time. Frankly, it never occurred to me that it would grow back as quickly as it did. <br />
<br />
By the time the delivery captains got to Bodega Bay, however, it was apparent to them that the boat could not make enough speed, without overheating the engine, to get to safe harbor outside California before the weather turned foul again. They pulled into Bodega Bay on June 4th and I flew there to meet them and help troubleshoot the problem(s).<br />
<br />
We went over the engine cooling system with a fine toothed comb and did, indeed, discover that one of the two thermostats on the main engine had failed and wouldn't open. I didn't believe that fully explained the symptoms, so I decided to change the coolant to ally any concern that it might have gelled in the keel cooler, although we had no evidence to suggest that it had. The next day, we found a diver willing to inspect the bottom and discovered the real problem. The propellor and keel cooler, along with all the other metal parts below the water line were even more heavily fouled by barnacles than they had been at the time of the survey haulout. The engine had to work really hard to swing the encrusted prop, the effort returned much less than normal speed, and the keel cooler couldn't transfer the resultant heat away from the engine.<br />
<br />
After we found yet another diver willing to clean off the marine growth, and we had replaced the thermostat and engine coolant, a sea trial demonstrated that the problem was resolved on June 7th. Unfortunately, by then, the weather and sea condtions between Bodega Bay and Astoria had deteriorated badly and onward travel had to wait for another weather window.<br />
<br />
It was two weeks before the weather and sea forecast was favorable enough to start again. The delivery captains came back aboard on June 20th and <em>Arcadia II</em> left the morning of the 21st. The trip to Astoria was without incident. She arrived there on the 24th of June.<br />
<br />
We couldn't be in Astoria to meet <em>Arcadia II</em> when she arrived. By that time, we were at a long-planned family reunion campout in Wyoming. It was July 16th before I actually got there. The plan is to cruise the Columbia River while we get to know the boat a little better before we take her to sea, ourselves. After that, we hope to get some time aboard in the San Juan Islands this fall before the 2012 season ends. Next year, we plan to get back to our beloved SE Alaska.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-78168427569734022342012-04-12T19:04:00.000-07:002012-04-12T19:04:32.096-07:00April 5, 2012 We're back! We now own Arcadia IIOn April 5th, two hired captains took <em><strong>Williwaw</strong> </em>outside San Francisco bay and took pictures of themselves with a change of command handshake showing the GPS picture and the morning newspaper. This act completed our purchase of the Nordhavn 47 we now call <strong><em>Arcadia II</em></strong>. She is a truly lovely little ship that Phyllis and I intend to share many adventures aboard with our family and friends. <br />
<br />
Phyllis and I truly loved the two summers we spent cruising B.C. and Alaska. After we sold Arcadia I we realized that our retirement dream was to have another boat in the Pacific Northwest. We had intended to wait until Phyl could spend more time aboard before we bought another boat, but we started looking at Nordhavn listings, more as dreamers than buyers. However, when we got aboard <strong><em>Williwaw</em></strong>, she felt too "right" to pass up.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E_HZnzgW3PJY55sVQYttER4C0Rp2-Vegl6h8aeGD53lPrEN_CX9GAsryUM6gJzCxKwTU-eW58sBa2C2UKvfTxA95S-5H59gLWu_qmkKZMM2rMtm5PGupddURNmAyvaGClKmYyhxsA2cZ/s1600/646398_-1_20111122092800_1_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E_HZnzgW3PJY55sVQYttER4C0Rp2-Vegl6h8aeGD53lPrEN_CX9GAsryUM6gJzCxKwTU-eW58sBa2C2UKvfTxA95S-5H59gLWu_qmkKZMM2rMtm5PGupddURNmAyvaGClKmYyhxsA2cZ/s640/646398_-1_20111122092800_1_0.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><br />
She's a much larger boat than our beloved <strong><em>Arcadia I, </em></strong>providing much more spacious accomodations for our friends. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRKrIpuVnZ8iXSCrsJoU_jfB2CCulGSyfj58YpJEIHrQMd79ASKas7UWkj-vr1iPwmmd9Eu4hyphenhyphenn_yP6w2HRtcmEpMzcicgswDyNOICwRQ8HUvwtqy94TsQkX_lUbx_bXvfPu4kPHX1on_/s1600/646398_-1_20111122092800_13_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLhPU9Im1akf9aOOp4wG2zYbZQwtqNmMHC8hdCx0sUq69-Lr-An5xknwJ9ZXR7zDQvcYwMZOpk-Z6XU_ll8pcuM02wsm9kMI8fqj6T8dR95BIFQ-F-j3oLcQ43a8enw081Sj6l9IETI0K/s1600/646398_-1_20111122092800_3_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLhPU9Im1akf9aOOp4wG2zYbZQwtqNmMHC8hdCx0sUq69-Lr-An5xknwJ9ZXR7zDQvcYwMZOpk-Z6XU_ll8pcuM02wsm9kMI8fqj6T8dR95BIFQ-F-j3oLcQ43a8enw081Sj6l9IETI0K/s400/646398_-1_20111122092800_3_0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As I get older and stiffer, I found that the crawl-around engine room of the Nordhavn 46 was difficult for me to work in. The Nordhavn 47 doesn't have that problem. This is a truly walk-around engine room.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><img border="0" height="266" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRKrIpuVnZ8iXSCrsJoU_jfB2CCulGSyfj58YpJEIHrQMd79ASKas7UWkj-vr1iPwmmd9Eu4hyphenhyphenn_yP6w2HRtcmEpMzcicgswDyNOICwRQ8HUvwtqy94TsQkX_lUbx_bXvfPu4kPHX1on_/s400/646398_-1_20111122092800_13_0.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><em>Arcadia II</em></strong> is now in a slip in Alameda. There are some important, but relatively minor repairs and modifications needed before she's ready for sea. As soon as she's ready, and we get a decent weather window, we plan to take her to Puget Sound. We'll make more postings to this blog as things progress.</div>Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-63152090088161959252011-11-04T18:50:00.000-07:002011-11-04T18:50:54.047-07:00The Final Passage - September 2011My good friend, and seasoned sailor, David Tees joined me on September 6th in Palau. When David agreed to make the next passage, we both thought we were going to make a relatively leisurely cruise to Noumea, New Caledonia, with stops in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. However, when Bruce Harris made an acceptable offer to buy <em>Acadia I,</em> it became necessary to change our destination to Singapore. David graciously agreed to the change.<br />
<br />
We stayed a couple of extra days in Koror to give David a chance to see something of Palau before we took off. It is truly a beautiful place.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite9p48S6dmQc5ZCeNEwVugNdqWjgSyiXN_oTxX_oHdemd0MYfosQvhhN8fC29FPfmaqqDB28Y2y934NnxGqz0TJqGiA0kyKB5h1oIB157Ad9d1Zin-3NT-h6wJipIwYCdGI5FimtwN5UG/s1600/DSCN0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite9p48S6dmQc5ZCeNEwVugNdqWjgSyiXN_oTxX_oHdemd0MYfosQvhhN8fC29FPfmaqqDB28Y2y934NnxGqz0TJqGiA0kyKB5h1oIB157Ad9d1Zin-3NT-h6wJipIwYCdGI5FimtwN5UG/s400/DSCN0135.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We hired one of Neco Marine's boats to cruise around the Rock Islands, doing a bit of snorkeling. David is an active scuba diver that has seen a lot of places. I think he'd tell you that this is one of the best.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzIzzkp5KZ4OkmHCdoiP9CpwUjrNFckki6NXtffLOaNJjbQHekd17Y4n0O7NCjf4Yn7iujfzx1hQQohACtUfAfYIGXx4Pz3jDiUAEnx0pjCh4KZfhtHjGKCwkapQQnCJ3md4z2YIGR-LW/s1600/Rock+Islands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzIzzkp5KZ4OkmHCdoiP9CpwUjrNFckki6NXtffLOaNJjbQHekd17Y4n0O7NCjf4Yn7iujfzx1hQQohACtUfAfYIGXx4Pz3jDiUAEnx0pjCh4KZfhtHjGKCwkapQQnCJ3md4z2YIGR-LW/s400/Rock+Islands.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>One of the sights I took David to see was the Republic of Palau Capitol building.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdThjTdbQmE1D-kHpMUkMOhggzPJqa8XR8SB-9z78n2ul0d-6-dI_KfB2PWfE27fi-V4Jhqfn-Hars2F_vSuhSgWWykkEd4RAbeU1bDQhZVpoPNkyv8-pt62YyGVF09V2hDoqevrit492X/s1600/Palau+Capitol+Buildings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdThjTdbQmE1D-kHpMUkMOhggzPJqa8XR8SB-9z78n2ul0d-6-dI_KfB2PWfE27fi-V4Jhqfn-Hars2F_vSuhSgWWykkEd4RAbeU1bDQhZVpoPNkyv8-pt62YyGVF09V2hDoqevrit492X/s400/Palau+Capitol+Buildings.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
These buildings, as you can see, are truly splendid. They are not quite as big as their US counterparts but close. Paradoxically, these buildings are nearly deserted most of the time because they are located many miles from any sizeable population center. You have to really want to go here. <br />
<br />
There is a delicious irony here that we both appreciated. The total population of the Republic of Palau is only 20,000 people. I used to live in a small town in Wyoming about the same size. Its as if the city government of Rock Springs housed themselves in such an edifice, but located it in the sagebrush desert 30 miles North of town. It would probably have caused the same furor in Palau as it would have in Wyoming, but the Palauans didn't have to pay for it. This wonderment was paid for primarily by US taxpayers!! You may remember that these Islands were part of a US Protectorate after WWII. When the US wanted to stop "protecting" them, leaving them as an independent country, this was part of the cost of disengagement.<br />
<br />
<br />
We topped off our tanks, cleared out of the port and got underway by noon on the 9th of September. The trip between Palau and Surigao Strait in the Phillippines was uneventful in reasonably calm seas. We got there on the 13th. Some of you may note that this is not the shortest route across the Phillippines. We could have saved quite a few miles if we'd stayed South of Mindanao. The problem with that is that we'd have had to pass through the Sulu Archipelago, an area our insurance company identified as having high piracy risk and wouldn't cover us there.<br />
<br />
The Bohol Sea, also known as Leyte Gulf of WWII fame, was a bit rough for most of the day it took to cross it. We entered the Sulu Sea from the East late on the afternoon of the 14th of September and conditions began to improve considerably. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiRYNTuWfXICRqdGN_SVIKd1ykLQ_A5eSvwOhHltkAOktqrWy6Af5QjmCOoNbtj8aaKhkffliikoFYkjQLRrpj14NehOqZnT_vxReUn1iUkcyZ6K4v9Fgid_UqFtxk8YUHA7bwknqMD0L/s1600/DSCN0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiRYNTuWfXICRqdGN_SVIKd1ykLQ_A5eSvwOhHltkAOktqrWy6Af5QjmCOoNbtj8aaKhkffliikoFYkjQLRrpj14NehOqZnT_vxReUn1iUkcyZ6K4v9Fgid_UqFtxk8YUHA7bwknqMD0L/s400/DSCN0154.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
By the afternoon of the 15th, it was a beautiful calm day. . .fortunately.<br />
<br />
In the middle of this otherwise lovely day, we got a "steering response failure" alarm from the autopilot. When we put the autopilot in standby and tried to steer manually, nothing happened. Those of you familiar with <em>Arcadia I</em> know that almost everthing needed for safe passage has redundancy. For steering, there are two autopilots, each with their own pumps, plus the manual wheel. Unfotunately, all three of these devices only pump oil to the <em>one</em> steering ram that's attached to the rudder. This one ram, was held together by 4 threaded stainless steel rods. Note in the picture below that there are <em>no </em>such rods on the ram. All of them had broken at the thread roots where they screwed into the gimbal end, rendering all hydraulic steering mechanisms inoperative!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYk7Zm31LbLjvbZF0I1rTYZlmSGIOL3CW_5X8P4q1CHcWBVVHfh1EAl-ey3PlKHt3DspDmACuUkzKszRGBEfeN-JiFKOoCqmOJB4EndztiacHZuM13AmSEVi5SCNG_TnqcwseVQYmywSg/s1600/DSCN0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYk7Zm31LbLjvbZF0I1rTYZlmSGIOL3CW_5X8P4q1CHcWBVVHfh1EAl-ey3PlKHt3DspDmACuUkzKszRGBEfeN-JiFKOoCqmOJB4EndztiacHZuM13AmSEVi5SCNG_TnqcwseVQYmywSg/s400/DSCN0177.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Not to be daunted, David jumped down into the lazarette and removed the offending ram. It was quickly apparent that we couldn't repair it aboard. Together we dragged out the emergency tiller and, within a few minutes, came up with an elegant steering system using some bungee cords and the storm staysail sheet tackle.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8zL9mP7PK_LDxOdYS3AwKxY6qVZ7DSxiSXMz8dksaEnCdq-Voorl0jAQXlG0moZ5Qh9beDcZqa1ofGuSYeurv51Mp5JjFa3tLhhlBUhz4HBqdjKA2CIyd40Gfu0Glm0Mq2OKDq_v12Qi/s1600/DSCN0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8zL9mP7PK_LDxOdYS3AwKxY6qVZ7DSxiSXMz8dksaEnCdq-Voorl0jAQXlG0moZ5Qh9beDcZqa1ofGuSYeurv51Mp5JjFa3tLhhlBUhz4HBqdjKA2CIyd40Gfu0Glm0Mq2OKDq_v12Qi/s400/DSCN0174.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
We could actually steer from the wheelhouse, sitting in the helm chair, no less. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPyjKB-FzPBOjwFIS9uIhPqp29IeQS4Ht8IubtsPc4U-Clu3jHeT2pGDO0s6uahxEr9pvVpvOmGhLx_XT68la00YOza26lYUGs9Iu9bwPWt13ayf3QGR8WiGiHp6o2UO6lYbp0hn29lI1/s1600/DSCN0180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPyjKB-FzPBOjwFIS9uIhPqp29IeQS4Ht8IubtsPc4U-Clu3jHeT2pGDO0s6uahxEr9pvVpvOmGhLx_XT68la00YOza26lYUGs9Iu9bwPWt13ayf3QGR8WiGiHp6o2UO6lYbp0hn29lI1/s400/DSCN0180.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>We were pretty proud of ourselves, back underway and under control in less than an hour. However, we couldn't steer as straignt a course as the autopilot. Besides, it's hard work and neither of us like that much, anymore. It was a very long way to our next planned port, Miri, Malaysia. Puerto Princesa on Palawan was only 150 miles away, so we set course for there.<br />
<br />
As we entered the bay at Puerto Princesa in the early evening of the 16th, we saw a likely anchorage among some local fishing boats,.dropped the hook and went to bed early.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGOloocTb2eBvFjOHq-XeiEt-HSPVjUo5RVMTyCu8mtIoIWr-n2cvrmxQUF47zMVM2pmz_7GB38Jd-0iLanFWYAMyojhCkuTkEsJyqfaqJTAII1c-KGECDWb9v1W8310UrbpuEB_yhwWI/s1600/DSCN0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGOloocTb2eBvFjOHq-XeiEt-HSPVjUo5RVMTyCu8mtIoIWr-n2cvrmxQUF47zMVM2pmz_7GB38Jd-0iLanFWYAMyojhCkuTkEsJyqfaqJTAII1c-KGECDWb9v1W8310UrbpuEB_yhwWI/s400/DSCN0183.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The next morning we rigged down the dinghy and Dave took me ashore with the steering ram and ship's documents. I caught a trike taxi and set out first to clear into the port. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT08pJx49DIimu_bpFcKkaui5MOYgWcO5Jj6M6HBkZ_SlVqar2UX8uFXeSVdwwgbNLLTO789GnItWbFQcGYIKWcZdRQS6Wkna1WkRfQu3GsLAUxqJbfnElsket0NVmpx16J425X0LerkwR/s1600/DSCN0201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT08pJx49DIimu_bpFcKkaui5MOYgWcO5Jj6M6HBkZ_SlVqar2UX8uFXeSVdwwgbNLLTO789GnItWbFQcGYIKWcZdRQS6Wkna1WkRfQu3GsLAUxqJbfnElsket0NVmpx16J425X0LerkwR/s400/DSCN0201.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
While I was looking for the Port Captain's office, I found myself at the gatehouse of the local Phillippine Coast Guard station. When I explained our situation, the duty team decided that I was a vessel in distress and took it upon themselves to get me back to seaworthy condition. They assigned a seaman to take me to a good machine shop on his motorcycle. The shop had 4 new stainless rods threaded in the time it took me to get a haircut and buy some hydraulic oil. The seaman then loaded me up and set out to take me back to the boat. That turned out be be a bit of a project. I knew what the place we were anchored looked like from seaward, but not the name of it, of course. My description must have sounded like another place he knew, so he took me there but <em>Arcadia I</em> was nowhere to be seen. I had a handheld VHS, but that only resulted in a classic "who's on first" routine between David and me. By the time we figured out where we had to go, it was raining cats and dogs. When the whole comedy was over, the day was shot. Nonetheless, we installed the repaired ram, filled and vented the system and were seaworthy again before we went to bed.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>There's an embarrassing sequel to the steering event. After we got to Singapore, and were cleaning the boat for Bruce Harris' arrival, we discovered, under the spare paravanes. . .you guessed it. There was a brand new, complete and beautifully preserved spare steering ram that I didn't know, or had forgotten was there. The first owner of the boat, Dave Chambers, had done a great job of assuring redundancy. Oh, well. It made an adventure out of an otherwise relatively uneventful trip. I think we enjoyed Palawan more than we would have Borneo, anyway. </em></span><br />
<br />
The next morning, Saturday, we moved <em>Arcadia I</em> farther into the bay to the Abanico Yacht Club that the coast guard said was there. We received an extraordinarily warm welcome and were invited to join them in their weekly, sumptuous, buffet. they also had a good internet connection. That afternoon we went sightseeing in Puerto Princesa. I'd been here before, on <em>Mandy, </em>but hadn't actually gone ashore. This time, we hailed the first trike, that came along and just pointed forward to see what we might.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirWbRjJokVcFp9w-SemB7WlKEqeCuhLooxnDoZhyQkd5f6wTQSL0OsQC-HBq0CyKw_O43pWim_wUR37xT_zfSQWrBwi_wYp-Yd2OpcO2Sy8s5Osa5Zx9kzaOYZbnMmIzB_3VhLoMCiNup/s1600/Trikes+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirWbRjJokVcFp9w-SemB7WlKEqeCuhLooxnDoZhyQkd5f6wTQSL0OsQC-HBq0CyKw_O43pWim_wUR37xT_zfSQWrBwi_wYp-Yd2OpcO2Sy8s5Osa5Zx9kzaOYZbnMmIzB_3VhLoMCiNup/s400/Trikes+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Trikes are the Phillippine equivalent to the tuk-tuks of Indonesia and Thailand. They are a fanciful combination of a 100cc motorcycle married to a big sidecar. They are everywhere. You just hail the first empty one that comes along for cheap transportation to wherever you want to go.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNKCUtdgmPulcU5ogxC3AJYtKQqTOOHI9yfJ78pI7mFtQsnTzv6VStmtrN9V3E2bzefZLioKn2Q5jzv7iCzbIB7fRqllq4m60cYDBadKmmxInsk4_bXDdAn4yTEC4MwEOmIyKpqU9EPbc/s1600/Palawan+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNKCUtdgmPulcU5ogxC3AJYtKQqTOOHI9yfJ78pI7mFtQsnTzv6VStmtrN9V3E2bzefZLioKn2Q5jzv7iCzbIB7fRqllq4m60cYDBadKmmxInsk4_bXDdAn4yTEC4MwEOmIyKpqU9EPbc/s400/Palawan+street.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Palawan is a delightful place! There was pork in every restaurant, lots of churches and we saw no mosques. As Americans, we were probably safer here than many places in California. While we were out, we met a trike driver we could communicate with, so we hired him as our guide for the next day. We asked him to book a van to take us across the island. <br />
<br />
The next morning, we got in the van, and set out. Great scenery on winding, but generally good, roads.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqpSak7weR1dyxrGh27YiAop-it18Z0TgzOx9v_iCRQBpfw78CYMu_NPo2U1hUtlzVqh3C2YgEeX5KLG6b1tU9KPcqa6aWnslUb8OK3DlGiQ8gN-h_YIN_RYKIPRejJgj_EXUQZskSoOW/s1600/Palawan+Overlook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqpSak7weR1dyxrGh27YiAop-it18Z0TgzOx9v_iCRQBpfw78CYMu_NPo2U1hUtlzVqh3C2YgEeX5KLG6b1tU9KPcqa6aWnslUb8OK3DlGiQ8gN-h_YIN_RYKIPRejJgj_EXUQZskSoOW/s400/Palawan+Overlook.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We stopped to take a tour of the "Underground River". Pretty impressive. There were a lot of other tourists, but the whole thing was managed well enough that it felt like a personalized tour. The underground cavern was, indeed, impressive.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjY_PWuLQrlzfRhVwytQ2SQi-bNOvzgKDK_DRkbu1xVH1uFFfbi3kQ7a0yY0zYNwbIsE3LnjxjYOJuyL7GamWyApsVSv2anKqM9W4QuWBIy_3UR9Sg7jrMGTFKUqOvSKDlKhsfustRNCA/s1600/DSCN0227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjY_PWuLQrlzfRhVwytQ2SQi-bNOvzgKDK_DRkbu1xVH1uFFfbi3kQ7a0yY0zYNwbIsE3LnjxjYOJuyL7GamWyApsVSv2anKqM9W4QuWBIy_3UR9Sg7jrMGTFKUqOvSKDlKhsfustRNCA/s400/DSCN0227.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We somewhat reluctantly left Puerto Princesa early on September 20th. Seas were lively enough that we set the paravanes in the water. Weather Bob was watching the storm that later became the first of three typhoons to hit Luzon. He advised that it was tracking too far North to have any significant impact on our passage onward to Singapore. Since we were then almost 10º North lattitude and Singapore is at 1º15' North our exposure to tropical storms would diminish rapidly as we travelled.. We passed from the Sulu Sea into the South China Sea at Cape Melville on September 21st. Bob indicated that the tropical storm was intensifying but would remain too far North to be of concern. He did warn us that the South China Sea weather was unsettled enough that we could expect some local squalls.<br />
<br />
Weather Bob's prediction proved to be all too true. The squalls were, indeed, localized. None lasted more than an hour or so. However, there was rarely more than a few hours between them. Many of these squalls were pretty violent, with heavy rain and winds up to 65 knots. Because of the breaks between them, the seas never got organized or built to any great height. Nonetheless, the ride was pretty miserable from Cape Melville until just before we got to Singapore.<br />
<br />
We timed our arrival at Horsburgh Lighthouse, on the East end of Singapore Strait, for first light on September 28th. This is the start of the vessel separation scheme that is sort of a super beltway for large ships coming and going from Singapore. Vessels less than 20 meters in length, like us, have no rights within it. Thus, we needed to cross over to the North side of the separation scheme to get into the normal fairway where other vessels weren't specifically empowered to run us down. For an 8 knot boat, this is a hair rasing experience. There were literally dozens of ships in each lane. All travelling at about 16 knots, with only a small space between them. It took us more than an hour to find an opening wide enough to make it across the Westbound lanes and another hour to find another to get the rest of the way across!<br />
<br />
Once on the inside of the traffic separation scheme, the number of ships coming, going, or at anchor is unbelievable. The Ch 16 radio traffic is completely undsciplined and non stop. We finally shut off the AIS because it was a huge distraction, providing almost no useful information. Apparently no one bothers to shift their AIS to report "at anchor", so we couldn't filter the anchored ships from the real threats. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjg-r1DgF_PFPc7kyBKDMML-x4wo8fuKDxFM2fIeyP2iYU_M2j4Sgg3qhX6meFvWH1Ls0RQeoRWoX1ZcvUZh8YKovuhGq2fnWBkK1deH60bQcUxt-iUQJwHfubmlkOUm-hY68MC9be5xnD/s1600/DSCN0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjg-r1DgF_PFPc7kyBKDMML-x4wo8fuKDxFM2fIeyP2iYU_M2j4Sgg3qhX6meFvWH1Ls0RQeoRWoX1ZcvUZh8YKovuhGq2fnWBkK1deH60bQcUxt-iUQJwHfubmlkOUm-hY68MC9be5xnD/s400/DSCN0237.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> As you can see, radar has the same problem.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_x5_nc-wjuDRNWn_wt5W_0jxP1qL176NaYlQtYrHaey7gmoKGoU5bO2YlJG2G-Fl2Zik6ToCQFcc6zXVg8f-SegRzjuv41mlDn2DQDzvlUOkZhfq00ZN9_xCVYMVEtCPlOsSOf5fBEfl/s1600/DSCN0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_x5_nc-wjuDRNWn_wt5W_0jxP1qL176NaYlQtYrHaey7gmoKGoU5bO2YlJG2G-Fl2Zik6ToCQFcc6zXVg8f-SegRzjuv41mlDn2DQDzvlUOkZhfq00ZN9_xCVYMVEtCPlOsSOf5fBEfl/s400/DSCN0240.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Daunting as it was, I wouldn't have missed the opportunity to circle around Singapore. It is truly the crossroads for the world's shipping traffic. We didn't actually count the number of ships we saw, underway, docked and at anchor, but it was thousands. I'll never be intimidated by Long Beach/LA again.<br />
<br />
We finally wound our way into the Johor Strait and got to Raffles Marina at 3:45 PM. We had called ahead to the marina on VHF 77, and a Customs & Immigration guy met us in the marina office at 4:00 PM and we were cleared in by 4:30 PM. You gotta love Singapore for efficiency.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGHcutSY3cApBtRXcvG_f3WnfRZ0ydKY2lqNJpB-JJ3zcweElv8bkyXAf-ynlctLsLYU5LALR4yqC_2_bPJzT2V805WPuZdwDvEIhQ0U1cF7X7Oo9MEiPQbejQ5QeDk2mi6av_utc2359/s1600/DSCN0251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGHcutSY3cApBtRXcvG_f3WnfRZ0ydKY2lqNJpB-JJ3zcweElv8bkyXAf-ynlctLsLYU5LALR4yqC_2_bPJzT2V805WPuZdwDvEIhQ0U1cF7X7Oo9MEiPQbejQ5QeDk2mi6av_utc2359/s400/DSCN0251.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We spent the next couple of days resting up, and playing tourist around Singapore. It was David's first time in this truly fascinating city. It's not like any other place that I know. If you expect to see much of the old, exotic SE Asia, you'll be disappointed. It's a very modern, landscaped and manicured city. Public trnsportation works like no where else in the world that I've been. There are no slums, just an overwhelming number of high rise apartment buildings. The business districts are showcases for high rise architecture that boggle the mind. Having said all that, neither Dave nor I took any pictures of the city. You'll just have to google it to see.<br />
<br />
Between sightseeing trips, we undertook to clean up the boat. I hired a great crew of 4 boat boys to do the outside, while David and I put the inside in order. David left for home after 3 days and I got out the dustrags, vacuum cleaner and carpet scrubber to get <em>Arcadia I</em> ready to meet the buyer. <br />
<br />
On the 6th his surveyor arrived, a great husband and wife team, just in time to help me move her onto the slings for a quick haulout. The hull was in excellent condition, with only a pressure wash needed to get rid of the little bit of slime on the botom and moss at the waterline. The buyer was concerned about osmosis and hull blisters, so the surveyor tapped about with vigor, finding nothing. We changed the zincs on the bow thruster and were back in the water within an hour. After a short sea trial, we tied back up to our slip.<br />
<br />
The next day, the surveyors looked into everything and asked a lot of questions. I thought they were remarkably thorough. While they seemed to miss nothing, they also made it clear that they understood that we'd just completed a long passage and they had expected to find even more issues than they did. <br />
<br />
The following day Bruce Harris arrived. I gave him a quick tour of the boat, then left him with the surveyors to be debriefed by them. I came back after a couple of hours. Bruce stood up and said "the surveyors love your boat, we've got a deal". We shook hands and the deal was done. Jeff Merrill, PAE's brokerage agent from Dana Point, flew to Singapore to participate in the final negotiations. He arrived a couple of hours later, in time to buy dinner.<br />
<br />
The next day, Monday, October 9th, Jeff and I had a great time taking Bruce on a familiarization cruise in Johor Straits. He was a quick study on boat handling, but was drinking from a fire hose when it came to learning the various systems aboard. Bruce had to leave that evening, but Jeff and I had both booked our returned flights on Wednesday. We spent our time writing operating procedures for Bruce when he came back to take Arcadia I to her new home.<br />
<br />
Epilogue<br />
<br />
So, he bittersweet moment that we've always known must come has arrived. This passage, from Palau to Singapore, will be the last one I''ll take aboard <em>Arcadia I,</em> at least the last one as her owner. We've treasured the opportunity to share our experience aboard with so many good friends and our family. <br />
<br />
We've all loved this stout little ship that carried us in such comfort and safety on so many adventures. We know that she is ready to carry her new owner, Bruce Harris, on many more. We hope he enjoys her as much as we did.<br />
<br />
After we left Singapore, the transaction completed without a hitch. Before the end of October Bruce and his crew arrived in Singapore for the passage to <em>Arcadia I's </em>new home port. They reportedly had a fine passage and look none the worse for wear after they got there. That's Bruce on the right.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BYJBRNVnFNANMlA83yeZMeFmAt3wkjSInA_jcGuvQk19KBAOk2Q1eAMUGSubf0TNTMzOYOSzotR2gpg3RX28sXyGkKW6gYNFlKbMw3lNkcbMslKhWVGP5hecqhXysEiq3gBkFGKE1Eoz/s1600/Langkawi+crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BYJBRNVnFNANMlA83yeZMeFmAt3wkjSInA_jcGuvQk19KBAOk2Q1eAMUGSubf0TNTMzOYOSzotR2gpg3RX28sXyGkKW6gYNFlKbMw3lNkcbMslKhWVGP5hecqhXysEiq3gBkFGKE1Eoz/s400/Langkawi+crew.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Here she is in her new home port, Langkawi, Malaysia.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98MDOq33ZyfoCSinhGSMgKwrkIFlJyZ9D7qXK8McTqxqD6dchIW1-FDlbAEJ9DxIQHZAiTWhudGHt7DFdAG7Ptj-CFiryjgbdL3ucRt9yMBkHLnsw0nH-wfbNoObLvetBDIzWuDuNPOmt/s1600/Arcadia+Langkawi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98MDOq33ZyfoCSinhGSMgKwrkIFlJyZ9D7qXK8McTqxqD6dchIW1-FDlbAEJ9DxIQHZAiTWhudGHt7DFdAG7Ptj-CFiryjgbdL3ucRt9yMBkHLnsw0nH-wfbNoObLvetBDIzWuDuNPOmt/s400/Arcadia+Langkawi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Finis.<br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em><br />
</em>Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-62677691503045348262011-08-21T16:39:00.000-07:002011-08-21T21:15:18.617-07:00Ensenada to Palau May to July 2011<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">To recap the period since the last update: </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We completed our passage from Ensenada to Palau without <em>any </em>significant problems with the boat and with no particularly daunting winds or seas. We made three stops, at Honolulu, Majuro and Pohnpei before reaching Palau. We didn't find the hoped-for steady "trade wind" conditions until we were almost to the Marshall Islands. However, after the first two days, the wind and seas were almost always abeam or abaft it. Seas were pretty "lumpy" and confused for the first two days from Mexico and again for the first couple of days after Hawaii. However, they didn't exceed 6 ft, or so, for any appreciable length of time over the whole passage.</div><br />
A trans-Pacific passage is a significant project for any mariner. We all know that even with a really seaworthy vessel and the most meticulous preparation and planning, God, and the fearsome forces of His creation, sometimes challenges seamanship. I'd like to believe, and certainly hope, that I'm prepared to meet such challenges when they arise. However, I feel mightily blessed to have faced no such conditions on this whole passage. For all of you that have supported me with your prayers, I thank you!<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Ensenada to Hawaii </span></strong><br />
<br />
We completed the formalities to clear the port in Ensenda mid-day on the 4th of May. After refueling and clearing our account at Marina Coral, Dean Philpott and I got underway for Honolulu by 19:30. By 21:30 we had cleared Todos Santos Island and were on a rhumb line course for Diamond Head. We never had any reason to change that course until we got there, 2,300 miles and 15 days later. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uiEwdw0jC0gjI2rPJKI_fqgt4QZqAVO75w72V7878FtRQElGYFcf2hSMFF-w9qTakZ89iI-a8LUTPwnpKXq52Xuynvnp3oh-MawxrSsXope7bo6oIB23kek0eTa-IaQaLdBEDaVROcqo/s1600/Whole+Route+on+Screen.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uiEwdw0jC0gjI2rPJKI_fqgt4QZqAVO75w72V7878FtRQElGYFcf2hSMFF-w9qTakZ89iI-a8LUTPwnpKXq52Xuynvnp3oh-MawxrSsXope7bo6oIB23kek0eTa-IaQaLdBEDaVROcqo/s400/Whole+Route+on+Screen.bmp" width="400" /></a><br />
By starting from Ensenada, we were far enough South to avoid most of the effects of the gale force conditions that prevailed at Pt. Conception that day. Nonetheless, things were a bit "lumpy" for the first couple of days. The hoped for Northeasterly trade winds, that can provide a nice 15 kt wind and current on the starboard quarter on this trip, never materialized. The wind and seas stayed pretty much on our starboard beam the whole way. <br />
<br />
As you might expect, we didn't take a lot of pictures of the scenery. After the first 24 hours, we never even saw another vessel until we were within a day of Oahu. The sunrises and sunsets were often spectactular, though.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSCuHJlO9BghgsuT4F-bkubpZSdOHTtRCmA8QJ5MxKfwAcSH-HtPn3muK6RFIBKJGBxjT1Zm43XpQhYj7H5VfTbgm_G7Qewds_LY_JmOaVzZQ5_uBmG4rjpr_wXiFJs12Y0sjScwcVgEs/s1600/DSC03565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSCuHJlO9BghgsuT4F-bkubpZSdOHTtRCmA8QJ5MxKfwAcSH-HtPn3muK6RFIBKJGBxjT1Zm43XpQhYj7H5VfTbgm_G7Qewds_LY_JmOaVzZQ5_uBmG4rjpr_wXiFJs12Y0sjScwcVgEs/s400/DSC03565.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
During most days, we trolled fishing gear. Every few days, we'd be rewarded with some fresh fish. Here's a wallet-size mahi mahi that Dean caught. It was devoured almost before it stopped wiggling. Yum!.<br />
<img border="0" height="266" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmasv9us1FIx3sYlfgSy8HajjE6GrtStlgt6gTzYv6YV7RsAVkzZjIfkWqEradZWdF1gAh7bb3ORAjJo2Wij_lefLHHpmslfkVxsMQHmLfE0RX0Wz7v8wJvBaZUlZne3Tffar24YQ69Fs/s400/Wallet+sized+Dorado.bmp" width="400" /><br />
Before this trip, I'd only seen pictures of short-billed spearfish on posters showing billfish in fishing tackle stores. Here's one in the flesh. We normally release any billfish we catch, but his one was too badly injured to survive, so we vacuum packed and froze it. I've eaten marlin and haven't been impressed. However, this spearfish was delicious. The taste and texture reminded me of Wahoo. (Lest you think it really is a wahoo, this fish had a mouth like a marlin. . . no teeth.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5AAPou2qHH6UCW9CzkF6aiblM9yj6T3y4T2YECfTSrXhtSyvYudYOvTYtjt-8DKKkq6PTzvmePhfpHTdB0z1HhYVBVbgO8vvgFi_-z21dPrV_j17llTmui2OpuYDMHMXsQltHl4VwNsi/s1600/Spearfish.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5AAPou2qHH6UCW9CzkF6aiblM9yj6T3y4T2YECfTSrXhtSyvYudYOvTYtjt-8DKKkq6PTzvmePhfpHTdB0z1HhYVBVbgO8vvgFi_-z21dPrV_j17llTmui2OpuYDMHMXsQltHl4VwNsi/s400/Spearfish.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>It doesn't take much to entertain me on a long voyage. Here I am roasting coffee from green beans during a calm period. Dean didn't care much for the result. I guess there's no accounting for some people's taste, (nor smell, for that matter.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kjn1IiSQIUiMGKa0kDiXPKvOdDJMF7InVVFhZQvPXS16l3hNnVCArg1kAQdMeUgZzSCBiC680YiMs-EozqAlMyncb-SVjshOsGpVHn9eK8GDdSgpEYF_lLu0SegWWezGDcIgquc4c47H/s1600/Roasting+Coffee.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kjn1IiSQIUiMGKa0kDiXPKvOdDJMF7InVVFhZQvPXS16l3hNnVCArg1kAQdMeUgZzSCBiC680YiMs-EozqAlMyncb-SVjshOsGpVHn9eK8GDdSgpEYF_lLu0SegWWezGDcIgquc4c47H/s400/Roasting+Coffee.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Waikiki was, of course, a welcome sight. We rounded Diamond head just after sunrise May 19th. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkRWhjHKSeof4TMWuTdLspG-6nHOVUhzMpqYnaBo9JF3x6G0ib9da7te7vGgx7IFN1lFbq-ws0y1CKeln5qi_xxbczbVvLy5ONCAWbcdJmNg8H12FoJN0ue5h4oiUmlK1zC9CsJJTZSH2/s1600/Honolulu.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkRWhjHKSeof4TMWuTdLspG-6nHOVUhzMpqYnaBo9JF3x6G0ib9da7te7vGgx7IFN1lFbq-ws0y1CKeln5qi_xxbczbVvLy5ONCAWbcdJmNg8H12FoJN0ue5h4oiUmlK1zC9CsJJTZSH2/s400/Honolulu.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We started calling for a slip as soon as we had cell coverage but were unable to reach some of the more promising marinas. We decided to pull into Ala Wai fuel dock, more in hope of advice than from a dedsire to immediately fuel up. As we pulled into Ala Wai boat basin, the boat on the first dock in front of us was <em>Shaka, </em>a Nordhavn 57 owned by our friends Johann and Laurie<em>. </em>Regular followers of this blog may remember that we cruised down the Inside Passage with them last summer. Small world!<br />
<br />
We took a chance that the Waikiki Yacht club would forgive the transgression and tied up to an open spot on the end tie directly behind Shaka and went to the office. They not only forgave us, they let us stay. Great location! Right across the street from Ala Moana shopping center and adjacent to Waikiki beach. <br />
<br />
Because our last port of call was Mexico, we called Homeland Security. They had an inspection team aboard within a couple of hours and we were officially back in the country. This leg of the trip was finally over! <br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><span style="font-size: large;">Hawaii to Majuro</span><br />
<br />
The day afer our arrival in Honolulu, Phyl flew over from home. We'd each been on Oahu in the late '60s, but hadn't had an opportunity to play tourist there since. We spent the short time we had on a a driving tour of the island, revisiting old haunts, enjoying sights we'd enjoyed so long ago.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfR32WzulUeGxD7XihV1D1zgNaSBXbEHg_9zof0UnS-0_gjrn2J6UVbkC9nZWBPK0OUEDf07TAwOv8nfmlPjf7ca1fUQUmE4gaRfwujFLojIyg0mJKYVx_NugpU8bZFhJ1G8ZEqXhkOLs/s1600/DSC03566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfR32WzulUeGxD7XihV1D1zgNaSBXbEHg_9zof0UnS-0_gjrn2J6UVbkC9nZWBPK0OUEDf07TAwOv8nfmlPjf7ca1fUQUmE4gaRfwujFLojIyg0mJKYVx_NugpU8bZFhJ1G8ZEqXhkOLs/s400/DSC03566.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Scott Johnston joined us as Phyl left for the mainland. For a couple of days, Scott, Dean and I mixed sightseeing with peparations for the next leg.<br />
<br />
Early on the 26th we moved over to a dock in the Kewalo basin where we met a truckload of fuel I'd bought the day before, (a lot cheaper than buying from the fuel dock). We took on 867 gallons to bring our total onboard fuel inventory up to a total of 1100 gallons in preparation for our passage to Majuro. <br />
<br />
By the way, data gained on this trip indicate that the recoverable fuel capacity of the permanent tanks is actually 940 gallons, a greater value than I reported in my last posting.<br />
<br />
After moving back to our slip, we completed formalities to clear the USA, (necessary get our "Zarpe" required for entry into the Marshall Islands), and picked up the last of our provisions in preparation of departure that evening. <em>Shaka </em>and her crew, shown below with Laurie who'll join them there, left that evening for Tahiti, a few hours ahead of us.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47K4Jl4YSeTTGsGZT8y3PyETEixbe9Ekd3F5MSqUBBPeH61cgDFwk_uBQYAMN8MiISlgZA_3CGaRL6RoZsA9FCBXn3gzF_Gl1CtEYaNzf-uHyNmWkeOd0-pH4pd_P1FGpT6swpf8OWa8s/s1600/DSC03576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47K4Jl4YSeTTGsGZT8y3PyETEixbe9Ekd3F5MSqUBBPeH61cgDFwk_uBQYAMN8MiISlgZA_3CGaRL6RoZsA9FCBXn3gzF_Gl1CtEYaNzf-uHyNmWkeOd0-pH4pd_P1FGpT6swpf8OWa8s/s400/DSC03576.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Dean took the car to the airport and flew off to his daughter's high school graduation. Scott Johnston and I cleared our account at the Waikiki Yacht Club, with heartfelt thanks for their hospitality, and got underway by 20:30 on Thursday the 26th of May.<br />
<br />
Only a small deviation in the straight rhumb line course to Majuro was necessary to avoid passing closer to Johnston Atoll than is allowed. We didn't have any interest in landing there, anyway. This particular atoll was an air base during WWII and later. It is now a "wildlife refuge", although it is better known as the place that the USA destroyed it's chemical and biologicial weapons inventory.<br />
<br />
Things got a bit lumpy almost as soon as we heft Honolulu. The seas weren't particulary high, just confused enough to keep us in constant, irregular, motion. This condition lasted until we were well West of the whole island chain. After that, we kept the paravane stabilizers stowed nearly all the daylight hours. At night, without the horizon to provide a reference to the eyes, any rolling motion seems to be amplified. Most of the way on this leg, we put the paravanes in the water during the night.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZwbK4Yca54YYJ0-pth-UzG-5r39Er5PWMa72yXuzhCp0-Ij9ch6R-8aoXZ-wcxqQ6m8x3WxAmeeTnmNqOa4QXQoX_R8XaCHg7ZyRwVLSezI5-IXhaWNOGIUoL8w45ao6T-gPqV_10WDD/s1600/DSCN1792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZwbK4Yca54YYJ0-pth-UzG-5r39Er5PWMa72yXuzhCp0-Ij9ch6R-8aoXZ-wcxqQ6m8x3WxAmeeTnmNqOa4QXQoX_R8XaCHg7ZyRwVLSezI5-IXhaWNOGIUoL8w45ao6T-gPqV_10WDD/s400/DSCN1792.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Fishing was spotty, we'd go a couple of days without a hit, then we'd get several. Scott did all the catching, and cooking. I just cleaned it and help eat it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFG-TjewT3-U6CHwXnLax2Fx3nCcaQfn5FZ7i2C0hQQS3j3SJDzcd2QCFPoEjr-ei5TgBzDstSNNjcafD2DCVTomzJ9XeZzD92lSipKUa7br9FeISMNEhyphenhyphenWQGpH1pFE1Y11jrH6C4-U0_P/s1600/DSCN1813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFG-TjewT3-U6CHwXnLax2Fx3nCcaQfn5FZ7i2C0hQQS3j3SJDzcd2QCFPoEjr-ei5TgBzDstSNNjcafD2DCVTomzJ9XeZzD92lSipKUa7br9FeISMNEhyphenhyphenWQGpH1pFE1Y11jrH6C4-U0_P/s400/DSCN1813.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Scott actually caught quite a few fish on this passage, including a couple of striped marlins, another spearfish, and a respectable black marlin that I estimated to be in the 300 lb range, all of which we released. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RWIbKa_cadJ21N1_ecRrY4Y6BUOwBa7RWcW44xUj6mJv0GfF_muN_0XJuAfUu6XBQB34LMD3lK6L3b76jfpWa1cuuvfIkrj5SZ58lftZldziJjvc9GqNjou6xM_UPkRchKfIMcJtIl1p/s1600/IMG_1575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RWIbKa_cadJ21N1_ecRrY4Y6BUOwBa7RWcW44xUj6mJv0GfF_muN_0XJuAfUu6XBQB34LMD3lK6L3b76jfpWa1cuuvfIkrj5SZ58lftZldziJjvc9GqNjou6xM_UPkRchKfIMcJtIl1p/s400/IMG_1575.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>If you're wondering why there are no more pictures of these fish, please imagine how it is with only two of us aboard. With him on the rod and me managing the boat to keep him from either getting spooled or tangled in the paravane rigging. Then, when he finally gets the fish alongside, he's still got to hold the rod tip up, while I'm wrestling with the fish to get the hooks out and complete the release. There just aren't enough hands free to take pictures. Here's a wahoo he caught, though. We ate it promptly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNM1VpKUd-jOGJcDN93UZiCD1hRG1WQKMg47KHoW7IfVAO-kkwhTumJWQlnCS6tqLSSrVY53wquw7kKmp792XvIJXZwAsjDflpjgQ7JBMVXHAm4-A1Cf6zscRaYbdX0AtAALT7Zbn5UxK/s1600/DSCN1815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNM1VpKUd-jOGJcDN93UZiCD1hRG1WQKMg47KHoW7IfVAO-kkwhTumJWQlnCS6tqLSSrVY53wquw7kKmp792XvIJXZwAsjDflpjgQ7JBMVXHAm4-A1Cf6zscRaYbdX0AtAALT7Zbn5UxK/s400/DSCN1815.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We arrived at the entrance to the Majuro reef passage at daybreak on Friday June 10th. After 10 days without seeing a single boat or ship, we were pleased to see a very large long range purse seiner going across the reef just ahead of us.<br />
<br />
As we approached the port, we called for the Port Captain on the VHF radio. As one of the cruiser's guidebooks had led us to expect, no one answered. We picked an empty mooring ball next to several good-sized private boats and tied up. <br />
<br />
One of the founders of the local yacht club, a group of cruisers that apparently stopped here several years ago and just never left, came alongside in his dinghy. He gave is a lot of good information about how to complete the entry formalities. He also told us where to get fuel and the location of moorings inside the reef but at other islands more scenic than here. <br />
<br />
Three taxi rides later, we were cleared into the port, encountering only very pleasant people at each of the agencies we had to check in with.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw1wRwhHonUozH2YQajmtM-VzIsTQyhlaLfijurp4h4p42Yhkisp7N5FCVRod5vOL0Sq70VuPN9oTvrb8jgsyaurz4XbjehkAqL-UXfjj9qkY0wsbtIWoBy5XdcZh8dFJMEdCR4VcEV_9/s1600/DSCN1824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCw1wRwhHonUozH2YQajmtM-VzIsTQyhlaLfijurp4h4p42Yhkisp7N5FCVRod5vOL0Sq70VuPN9oTvrb8jgsyaurz4XbjehkAqL-UXfjj9qkY0wsbtIWoBy5XdcZh8dFJMEdCR4VcEV_9/s400/DSCN1824.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Majuro atoll isn't exactly a scenic tourist destination. The harbor is filled with Chinese factory ships and very large long range tuna trawlers. The shoreline near the anchorage is littered with derelict vessels in some state of scrapping.<br />
<br />
The crowded town consists of one main road that crosses and connects three islands. There are a few places where islands widen out enough to accomodate parallel roads, filled with a third-world mix of houses. However, such a description doesn't do justice to all the very nice people we met This the commercial center for this part of the Pacific. As a practical matter, we found everything we needed while we were there.<br />
<br />
On Friday night, we moved <em>Arcadia I</em> to an anchorage a few miles away at another island around the reef, Enemanet. The moorings were apparently installed by the Yacht Club with funds provided by some sort of US Government grant. Ashore was a very nice little beach park that local folks reach by water taxi. To make it even more interesting, for divers at least, there is a small ship, an airplane and a helicopter that have been sunk in the mooring area. Scott found them all as he snorkeled over to the beach to check out the local talent.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqN_fMAV4hexQMAiFSPof4nZRKcJry_20Mu4aa-Ozp3n2QaEeRvFlrv6tylKiJsaGa-pWu0x8iDdB_DbY6rveiAbTIlLMqQ7eyA_SFKZy-JOtIKH1O6d_fejAxJIFmRifUM9NMC2ZvbQc4/s1600/DSCN1826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqN_fMAV4hexQMAiFSPof4nZRKcJry_20Mu4aa-Ozp3n2QaEeRvFlrv6tylKiJsaGa-pWu0x8iDdB_DbY6rveiAbTIlLMqQ7eyA_SFKZy-JOtIKH1O6d_fejAxJIFmRifUM9NMC2ZvbQc4/s400/DSCN1826.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Scott Patulski arrived late Sunday night, rounding out the crew for the trip to Pohnpei.<br />
<br />
On Monday, after checking two other sources, we found a fuel broker that would deliver a truckload of fuel to the commercial dock for $4.77/gal. At the appointed 4 pm, we tied up to the dock, paid our $4.00 bunkering fee to the Port Authority and started fueling through an enormous nozzle, the only one they had. It tooks us nearly 4 hours, using only gravity, to trickle about 700 gallons of fuel into our tanks. I say about because we actually topped all the tanks before we'd emptied the truck and the truck didn't have a meter, (nor any intent to refund the value of the fuel we didn't take).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Majuro to Pohnpei</strong></span><br />
<br />
The next day, we picked up some last minute provisions and cleared out of the port, 4 taxi rides this time. We got underway about 16:00, Tuesday the 14th of June, but a sudden, fierce, afternoon squall kicked up inside the reef as we started toward the passage out. We didn't want to navigate through the reef in gale force wind and blinding rain, so we decided to stop again at the Enemanet mooring, where we had spent the previous weekend, and wait out the blow. By the time we got tied up and made dinner, the weather had abated and we decided to go for it. <br />
<br />
The passage through the reef was a bit like a Cecil B DeMille rendition of the parting of the seas, with breakers on either side of us as we passed through. We didn't want to have the paravanes out as we crossed the reef, so we negotiated it taking 30º rolls until we were well clear of the reef. Even after we passed through, it remained pretty lumpy while we ran alongside of the reef for several miles until we'd cleared the northernmost islands of the atoll, About half way along, there was a wreck visible on the reef. That skipper obviously thought these islands were not part of the Majuro atoll. He made his turn too early and ran up on the reef he'd just passed through, an altogether too easy mistake to make. <br />
<br />
Once we cleared the Majuro atoll, the trip to Pohnpei, about 780 nm, was essentially uneventful, with generally improving weather and sea conditions. We kept the paravanes in the water during the whole passage in consideration of Scott Patulski's recently installed artificial knee. Since the wind was astern and only 8-10 kts, we had too little apparent wind to provide enough ventilation for comfort, so we ran the generator most of the time, as well. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug6IKi6RMEA2hw_dpTUnJ7agAioQu8SUkKJ36zCUBr_l3uU9PduYdVjBSkK58S34ZWzKeTfe3TupxZD9ge5LL2PR_7pbxH3tKslqceFUhJPvbOPjUK0uB57VCYLeGCWAigXTVUw4qQUig/s1600/DSCN1831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug6IKi6RMEA2hw_dpTUnJ7agAioQu8SUkKJ36zCUBr_l3uU9PduYdVjBSkK58S34ZWzKeTfe3TupxZD9ge5LL2PR_7pbxH3tKslqceFUhJPvbOPjUK0uB57VCYLeGCWAigXTVUw4qQUig/s400/DSCN1831.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We made landfall at Pohnpei on the morning of June 20th. Passage through the reef was uneventful. We tried to raise the Port Captain, but got no answer. Thinking this would be like Majuro, we started to head for the yacht anchorage when we were hailed by the Port Authorities and directed to tie alongside the government dock. That was about 07:00. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6C0oJKZL0HlHD9_hHxgbk0x5RVH2J0oE6v4MVlegJW3AlDnCH5dIlS_UlxE2Woputvtpb2MN4dqdKBnhB1bNM-f23bvvjon-N-RO8jVmvmK1x_VekUwNm_XXk8euQtLgdKFBWDnunM0gP/s1600/DSCN1835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6C0oJKZL0HlHD9_hHxgbk0x5RVH2J0oE6v4MVlegJW3AlDnCH5dIlS_UlxE2Woputvtpb2MN4dqdKBnhB1bNM-f23bvvjon-N-RO8jVmvmK1x_VekUwNm_XXk8euQtLgdKFBWDnunM0gP/s400/DSCN1835.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Customs represntatives came aboard shortly and were miffed that we hadn't obtained advance clearance. I showed them the print I'd made of the FSM website, that said we could either do it in advance or apply immediately upon arrival. They acknowledged that it could be done that way, but that "it would take time". It did! Immigration, Port Police and Health officials came and went before noon, but at 15:00 Customs still hadn't reappeared. Scott Johnston, used one of the Police phones to call to remind them we were still awaiting their clearance. We finally cleared the government dock at 16:00 and moved to the yacht anchorage area.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FcV_8sC3ck-Ar1C6QKhhlra5ykflMH6c4Vp9q32QNC7xyuB6uZFb3favszwECkF1lkq7XxEZXvUOV2ALszssf_61C2lDH01QAaRT8_WYGoIOjrRcBWIU1keZbGrIA1g20kkCF_Ma3zTn/s1600/DSCN1843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FcV_8sC3ck-Ar1C6QKhhlra5ykflMH6c4Vp9q32QNC7xyuB6uZFb3favszwECkF1lkq7XxEZXvUOV2ALszssf_61C2lDH01QAaRT8_WYGoIOjrRcBWIU1keZbGrIA1g20kkCF_Ma3zTn/s400/DSCN1843.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
On the way in, it had became apparent to us that the passage from the government dock to the anchorage was, to say the least, tricky. (I had actually contacted a coral head with <em>Arcadia I</em>'s keel, albeit lightly, just before we turned back to the government dock).<br />
<br />
During our long wait, one of the local yachtsmen pulled alongside with a Marshallese that he introduced simply as "Robinson", who offered to guide us to the moorings when we got our clearance. I don't know what Robinson's cue was, but he magically appeared in his dingly at exactly the right time and we followed him to a mooring float. For the rest of our stay, whenever we needed Robinson, he simply appeared.<br />
<br />
Pohnpei is a lush and scenic tropical island, the largest in the Federated States of Micronesia. The first evening, we took a quick taxi tour around the town of Kolonia and had a nice shore dinner in a restaurant with a marvelous view. The nest morning, we rented a car. With Robinson as tour guide, we went to all the places that tourists go, (not many of which were in evidence, by the way).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2CUYE-NewxfUY86P2vnOdjdd8UOcQ6BIL3gvCR9hpN8jrinxJhVhA_A__nR6vo-H5807ZmSKW_4Wogx4bJCDfsXztb1ucXW8dOB034Li-g6YWyK9UgMtuKm1kKs_QfjQhbPx5QemcQo0/s1600/DSCN1848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2CUYE-NewxfUY86P2vnOdjdd8UOcQ6BIL3gvCR9hpN8jrinxJhVhA_A__nR6vo-H5807ZmSKW_4Wogx4bJCDfsXztb1ucXW8dOB034Li-g6YWyK9UgMtuKm1kKs_QfjQhbPx5QemcQo0/s400/DSCN1848.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The most memorable sight was the ruins of the ancient city of Nan Madol. It's one of those mysteries of the islands that has largely defied explanation. I could fill this blog sheet with what I've read about it, but you can read for yourself by googling "Nan Madol". The most succinct description I found is on Wikipedia at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nan_Madol">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nan_Madol</a>. We got there by driving half way around the island, paying $3 dollars apiece at the local chief's house, driving another mile or so, paying another $3 apiece at a private home, then walking about a mile on a rustic trail back through the mangroves. After paying the last tariff, we had the place completely to ourselves. That's Robinson and me, after wading across one of the many shallow channels within the sizeable complex that make up the ruins of a once sizeable city.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkoopvrP5NwXD9UPYP1sxR8j2SDBcL5qE6fg2LgTEaBCGq1VP397MupDzW4zO9VyiZnf8E6Gpq0etssca5zUU3m2bTp1_-RCqyGWy3u5DXRbfuGL4FHKM8GAr9jyu0pivRX1mkMGbTGvi/s1600/DSCN1860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkoopvrP5NwXD9UPYP1sxR8j2SDBcL5qE6fg2LgTEaBCGq1VP397MupDzW4zO9VyiZnf8E6Gpq0etssca5zUU3m2bTp1_-RCqyGWy3u5DXRbfuGL4FHKM8GAr9jyu0pivRX1mkMGbTGvi/s400/DSCN1860.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Nan Madol's structures were built from the large hexagonal basalt stones behind Scott J and I. They obviously didn't come from anywhere close this location. We did see some "Devil's Tower" type geological features on the island that could have been their source, but they were a long way off, across pretty forbidding terrain. Local legend has it that they were "flown" here from someplace else on the island by magic. Science and archaeology reportedly haven't provided any better explanation.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcGJ8Ke_otxrL50X_QIpnKf7hJqyfVmXXupmWwaVqTb9tV9yl9sKqBaVymlIV1lSkUrsU0r9WP8lQXjfneqfTAEsUQSFXeL5awBHblf-tisF53h2poXDTftKZK7SsD8YfDvFWqkE_ghVd/s1600/DSCN1872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcGJ8Ke_otxrL50X_QIpnKf7hJqyfVmXXupmWwaVqTb9tV9yl9sKqBaVymlIV1lSkUrsU0r9WP8lQXjfneqfTAEsUQSFXeL5awBHblf-tisF53h2poXDTftKZK7SsD8YfDvFWqkE_ghVd/s400/DSCN1872.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Pohnpei was a brief stop for us. Scott Patulski is flying from Pohnpei to meet his wife, Kristine. The two of them are going to rendezvous and meet us in Palau with Phyllis on the 1st of July. <br />
<br />
While were clearing in, we'd made an appointment for outward clearance for Scott Johnston and I to take the boat onward to Palau.<br />
At 12:30 on June 21st, the appointed time, we pulled up at the government dock. Before I could get back from the Port Captain's office, the Customs inspector was aboard. Immigration came aboard after only a short delay to stamp our passports. We were clear and underway by 16:30.<br />
<br />
The leg from Pohnpei to Palau was completed under almost ideal conditions. We never once put the paravanes in the water, as the little bit of swell was from astern. We wanted to arrive the morning of July 1, and we left Pohnpei with 867 gallons of fuel, so we kept our speed up to about 7 kts. We did have to run the generator much of the time, as there was seldom enough apparent wind to ventilate the boat enough for comfortable sleep.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hMJpCzRgxFmLT9jUa5P1HTpT7AJnb3DH6aFZY9nf_e3RThIdfFrvxGMpntqBl8HrkT2DdzogWJAxbB-SW4quQpSrgeCuxkPVZiZVOm7DK-DNgeBwOpsEEuFdaEjBVK6rb1ldUj3Zj28z/s1600/DSCN1883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hMJpCzRgxFmLT9jUa5P1HTpT7AJnb3DH6aFZY9nf_e3RThIdfFrvxGMpntqBl8HrkT2DdzogWJAxbB-SW4quQpSrgeCuxkPVZiZVOm7DK-DNgeBwOpsEEuFdaEjBVK6rb1ldUj3Zj28z/s400/DSCN1883.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Scott did keep us in fresh fish most of the way. Here's one of several wahoo that he caught. <br />
<img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0WVpH0qw0YSfgleW2i-ZN_oXXjIwcQdAqZ6OOTeJIBS3F4Gy0qiCJe0EVtY-YUr9InpW8wtcN-mJyI-2W2YaHTTobpPtkVQe4-YnBWipRjyHqe1B4sPEut9t-joYhXidcma_6bG2IazS/s400/DSCN1885.JPG" width="400" /><br />
As you can see, we also were treated to some glorious sunsets.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkICaI35_T3nmrEgzjmIBd5Ilkkf9gUHuFq9qT0099FUVIklMkao9n61NG1gwjl_hJRW7pQyYXD3rJfNYMsswgVIXc2en6rxtL59VkIU5WvZCnyvzSzdaWNWp2sYFm2smHJHmzPK3ELPG/s1600/DSCN1894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkICaI35_T3nmrEgzjmIBd5Ilkkf9gUHuFq9qT0099FUVIklMkao9n61NG1gwjl_hJRW7pQyYXD3rJfNYMsswgVIXc2en6rxtL59VkIU5WvZCnyvzSzdaWNWp2sYFm2smHJHmzPK3ELPG/s400/DSCN1894.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0WVpH0qw0YSfgleW2i-ZN_oXXjIwcQdAqZ6OOTeJIBS3F4Gy0qiCJe0EVtY-YUr9InpW8wtcN-mJyI-2W2YaHTTobpPtkVQe4-YnBWipRjyHqe1B4sPEut9t-joYhXidcma_6bG2IazS/s1600/DSCN1885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
We made landfall at Palau at daylight on July 1st, completing the 1400 nm crossing in 9 very pleasant days. We were just off the government dock when we were hailed by Chippper Tellei, NECO Marine's Manager, who had all the arrangments made for entry formalities into Palau.<br />
<br />
When the formalities were completed, we moved the short distance over to the NECO Marina and our dock there. On arrivall there, we had an opportunity to share some time with my friend Shallum Etpison before he left, that night, for a month-long family vacation. Followers of the blog may remember that I was a member of the crew that brought his Grand Banks Europa, <em>Mandy,</em> from Singapore to here about a year ago. It was my exposure to his extraordinary hospitality, and the wonders of Palau on that trip, that led to it being the destination for this transoceanic adventure on <em>Arcadia I</em>.<br />
<br />
Phyllis, along with Scott and Kris Patulski arrived the same day we did. Scott Johnston kept his residence on the boat for the next 10 days. The Patulskis and Phyl and I moved ashore into resort accomodations for the next week During the first week, we simply played tourist in this lovely archipelago. We made several delightful snorkel and surface sightseeing trips on NECOs boats. This picture is taken at the "Milky Way". It's sort of a rite of passage for tourists to stop here, cover themselves with white diatoms off the bottom and have a group picture taken, looking like ghosts. I think it serves the same purpose as donning silly hats for a New Year's Eve party.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYCTyQuexmvzHUZnvU3hv6gdltb9iygQwmAHgWU9k7my1Uab2PYFkOutJ2IkUmSM5W3S-O5nyF1arKk6Ckt85H8gG9cSE0bsLHP_xqb9Uri_dCaW50r_aEVeluWmD9ayDRszUHIaE4ZNu/s1600/DSCN1919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYCTyQuexmvzHUZnvU3hv6gdltb9iygQwmAHgWU9k7my1Uab2PYFkOutJ2IkUmSM5W3S-O5nyF1arKk6Ckt85H8gG9cSE0bsLHP_xqb9Uri_dCaW50r_aEVeluWmD9ayDRszUHIaE4ZNu/s400/DSCN1919.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The undewater scenery is truly extraordinary here, but if you google "Dive Palau" and select "Images", you can see a ton of pictures taken by far better-equipped and more talented underwater photographers than we are. What we can tell you is that you have to really go there to believe it.<br />
<br />
For me, the most memorable, and sobering, excursion was to the Peliliu battlfield. This was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of WWII. Peleliu island is about only about 14 square miles of terrain; during the three months of fighting, the casualty rate worked out at just under 1,000 men killed per square mile of island. Close to 1,800 American servicemen died; of the 11,000 Japanese soldiers defending the island, only 202 were captured alive. The recent HBO miniseries <em>The Pacific</em> gives a fascinating and realistic depiction of how it was, from the perspective of a marine private named Eugene Sledge.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl2Mg8lzOE8C9gSaIPBZ2lygLK3NsRuaohEoUGAOEx9iQW6PPjCLR_TPpaFlkqkQg0u2ihb6OuJWnzn7R5RNNQr_LmWlDs2k_jRd2VVtVgjWNHasbzdIgMDwCE30gzMhmsNiyBBCin3Fc/s1600/DSCN1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl2Mg8lzOE8C9gSaIPBZ2lygLK3NsRuaohEoUGAOEx9iQW6PPjCLR_TPpaFlkqkQg0u2ihb6OuJWnzn7R5RNNQr_LmWlDs2k_jRd2VVtVgjWNHasbzdIgMDwCE30gzMhmsNiyBBCin3Fc/s400/DSCN1980.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After a wonderful two week vacation in Palau I flew home with Phyllis for some much needed time with family and our businesses.<br />
<br />
The next adventure is not far off, though. As I write this, I've been home for a while, gathering charts and parts for the next adventure. My friend and long-time business associate, David Tees, has agreed to share his extensive sailing experience and join me on the passage from Palau to Noumea, with intermediate stops in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. I plan to leave here on the 28th of August. David will join me a week later and we'll set off. Good wishes and prayers are always appreicated. <br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Addendum</span></strong><br />
<br />
For those off you that might want to know about fuel consumption and other mundane details of the passaget:<br />
<ul><li>We had the paravane stabilizers in the water:</li>
<ul><li>about 2/3 of the time between Mexico and Majuro and;</li>
<li> all of the time between Majuro and Pohnpei;</li>
<li>not at all after Pohnpei </li>
</ul><li>We ran the generator to only to cool off the boat when it rained and we had to close up the deck hatches and doors, or, if the "apparent" wind was too light to provide good enough ventilation for comfortable sleep even with them open. We made water and did the laundry when the generator was running for air conditioning. We didn't keep a good log of generator hours from the start or while in port, but the total "underway" generator run time for the whole passage was about 200 hours. We approximate our average generator fuel consumption at 1/2 gallon/hour.</li>
<li>We refueled twice, once in Hawaii and again in Majuro. We reached every port with substantially more fuel than the deck fuel tanks held when filled. Thus, the passage could have been accomplished without them. However: they didn't cause any noticeable change in vessel stability; they didn't cost very much to install; and they provided the option to make a weather-related detour if it had been necessary. I'm glad we had them.</li>
<li>The distance travelled was 5,156 nm (Great circle course distance, although we navigated by rhumb line. </li>
<li>Our average speed over the bottom was 6.04 kts. </li>
<li>We burned a total of 1,791 gallons of fuel for an average fuel consumption of 2.88 nm/gallon.</li>
</ul>Some have asked, "why a rhumb lines and not a great circle courses"? The simple answer is that there isn't much difference between the two when travelling on a predominately easterly or westerly course. Without getting into the spherical geometry of the question, suffice it to say that the mileage saved by a great circle route is caused by the convergence of longitude meridians as latitude changes. There is significant value in navigating a great circle route between, say, Dutch Harbor and Hawaii because there is a large N-S component of the course. However, between Ensenada and Honolulu the course is so nearly due West that the difference between a rhumb line and great circle is only a few nautical miles. Between each of the other ports of call, the difference in latitude was even less significant. <br />
<br />
Since we've had <em>Arcadia </em>I we've experienced more than a few malfunctions with chartplotters and autopilots. I like to have both my chartplotters to be set on exactly the same course, with the inactive chartplotter "shadowing" the active one exactly with only a few feet of cross track error difference between them.. This allows the helmsan to instantly switch control of the autopilot to the standby chartplotter, without a "bump" in course, if the active one misbehaved. Since each of the chartplotters calculates the intermediate way points on a great circle route slightly differently, the cross track error between the two chartplotter courses on a great circle route is too great to allow this. Lest I be beset upon by a blizzard of emails or comments about this, let me tell you that I do know how to accomplish the same thing by several other means. This was the <em>simplest</em> approach.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmasv9us1FIx3sYlfgSy8HajjE6GrtStlgt6gTzYv6YV7RsAVkzZjIfkWqEradZWdF1gAh7bb3ORAjJo2Wij_lefLHHpmslfkVxsMQHmLfE0RX0Wz7v8wJvBaZUlZne3Tffar24YQ69Fs/s1600/Wallet+sized+Dorado.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-86655160044576485862011-05-03T22:11:00.000-07:002011-08-21T21:20:49.972-07:003 April 2011 - Ready To Go AgainAfter months of good time ashore with family and friends, and a lot of preparation, it's time to go "adventuring" again. <em>Arcadia I</em> is sitting at Marina Coral in Ensenada with full fuel tanks, an extra 180 gallons of deck fuel and her Former Owner, Dean Phillpott, aboard as crew. All systems are in a "go" state, spare parts and provisions are loaded and "Weather Bob" has given us a pretty good forecast for departure tomorrow. Next Port of Call is Honolulu!<br />
<br />
Since bringing her home <em>Arcadia I</em> has had a bit of an overhaul. We:<br />
<ul><li>finally found someone that could solve the "freeze up" problem with the Nobeltec chartplotter.</li>
<li>replaced the old secondary autopilot with a new one, demoting the old primary to secondary, </li>
<li>replaced the no longer supported NorthStar chartplotter with a new Furuno.</li>
<li>reconfigured the navigation system such that either chartplotter can drive either autopilot</li>
<li>recommissioned the single side band radio,</li>
<li>installed a new dedicated monitor for the FLIR,</li>
<li>replaced all the standing rigging for the paravane stabilizers,</li>
<li>replaced all the seawater hoses throughout the whole boat, </li>
<li>installed a complete set of new AGM batteries,</li>
<li>replaced all the navigation lights with new LED versions,</li>
<li>replaced the venerable refrigerator,</li>
<li>replaced the washing machine, (original one operated once the day we bought her, but never again),</li>
<li>stripped the lousy varnish that we put on the teak in La Paz and oiled it instead,</li>
<li>repaired a lot of minor gel coat chips,</li>
<li>rigged up a carefully thought out sea anchor system that we hope to only use for crew training,</li>
<li>replaced the old cone-type drogue with a more stable one from Para-Tech,</li>
<li>hauled her and had her surveyed so we could get insurance for our upcoming travels. (We got a remarkably "clean" survey report),</li>
<li>went through the whole DC electrical system, finding explanations to several mysteries and eliminating several "gremlins",</li>
</ul>The most visible, and esential creature-comfort item was to install a real helm chair in the wheelhouse. When I got home, I was practically crippled by leg cramps. The cause of which, at least partially was sitting at that accursed board seat that serves as the helm chair on Nordhavn 46s. The new chair does dominate the wheelhouse, but the changes we made to the "peanut gallery" table makes it a liveable. I'm sitting in it as I write this and loving it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFij5SsvOnT3Dq5QKXfk5UYEu9H85g_hXPjl-1i6XeZZU8Gbg_gae_BQCOC4YoawDS_cWxS6kgvz_Wz_lglI-TIU1E1JE25SOEua2D6oqNcU7UvakxmTIpCbRAG1W_m5gUO_EXv9T5PXe/s1600/DSC03560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFij5SsvOnT3Dq5QKXfk5UYEu9H85g_hXPjl-1i6XeZZU8Gbg_gae_BQCOC4YoawDS_cWxS6kgvz_Wz_lglI-TIU1E1JE25SOEua2D6oqNcU7UvakxmTIpCbRAG1W_m5gUO_EXv9T5PXe/s400/DSC03560.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">While Nordhavn represented the fuel tank capacity for the 46 as a nominal 1000 gallons, the reality of the ones with 4 black iron tanks is different than that. Frankly, I don't think you could put 1,000 gallons into the tanks if they were completely dry. Then, because of the shape of the tanks and the location of the fittings, there's a considerable amount of fuel that is simply unrecoverable by normal means. I the case of <em>Arcadia I</em>, our total useful fuel is about 860 gallons from the main tanks. We could probably get to Hawaii with that much, but we'd have to go very slowly and might not have much fuel reserve to dodge a storm. Several Nordhavn 46 owners have addressed this problem in various ways. The one we chose takes advantage of the fact that this boat has a port list of ~2 degrees when it the installed fuel tanks are full, and it has an outside passageway along the starboard side that is pretty low on the boat. I considered having a custom bladder made to fill up that space, but finally decided on two readily available and relatively inexpensive, baffled aluminum tanks that fit in the back of standard pickup trucks and hold about 90 gallons each. With a little imagination and a lot of improvisation, we came up with ways to secure them solidly in all three dimensions. This brings our useful fuel capacity to slightly more than the advertised value and the full load list is now ~2 1/2 degrees to starboard. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nxCQfJyWD_UoD43tRvPsaNbmF-EaPQev1oF26giu7K6yrS6rjnU3lWnI-hmhxx8bU24Ci-IYY_LWhCN7bsnaAq0IiFF3ozyR6W3cKDc_aEEuJjQSLp2Lqm4_TkHQ_58XM8TWPTDhD7ia/s1600/DSC03556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7nxCQfJyWD_UoD43tRvPsaNbmF-EaPQev1oF26giu7K6yrS6rjnU3lWnI-hmhxx8bU24Ci-IYY_LWhCN7bsnaAq0IiFF3ozyR6W3cKDc_aEEuJjQSLp2Lqm4_TkHQ_58XM8TWPTDhD7ia/s400/DSC03556.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>As you can see, we've been getting ready for this trip for several months. In addition to the work on the boat I worked on myself by enrolling in a 5 week course that led to my passing the USCG Captain's examination. I've still got to document my sea time and pee in a bottle before I get my license, but the examination is done. I've got a year to do the rest, if I want to hang the certificate on the wall. Frankly, I don't think I'd ever want to do this for hire, so I really don't need the license. I was just getting prepared for my own satisfaction and the safety of the friends and family that accompany me on my adventures.<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">I needed to wait until an important operating contract for Sterling Energy was completely executed, (operating contract for the cogeneration plant at John Wayne Airport). That happened today. The good news is that we got the contract. The bad news is my highly valued shipmate and fellow adventurer, Mike O'leary is going to be the Plant Manager and probably won't have much time to go on seagoing adventures with me.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">On the way down here, I was re-commissiong the water maker in the clean ocean. (We don't use it in Alaska because we don't really need it and because the filters plug quickly with plankton and krill.) When I tried to start it, it wouldn't rinse down to spec. water. My good friend Mike O'leary jumped on the problem and secured the necessary parts to fix the probable cause of the problem. While he was doing that, I was working on it in the now much cooler, and more comfortable, engine room. I got it working today, making good water at rated capacity. Nonetheless, we don't quite trust the existing membranes, so Phyllis is going to bring them down, along with some other stuff that arrived after we left for Ensenada.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">So, Dean and I are sitting here with <em>Arcadia </em>I ready for sea. All the restraints against the next adventure are cleared up. All that remains between us and departure for Hawaii is to get our "Zarpe" releasing us from Mexico and a quick round trip to the border to share a kiss with the love of my life and to exchange some materials. We expect to shove off tomorrow evening, (May 4), after the thermal winds die down a bit. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">Transit time to Hawaii should be between 14 and 18 days. Dean has ot go home from there to be at his daughter's high school graduation. Scott Johnston, a classmate in the USCG Captain's course, will join me for the trip to the Marshall Islands, and possibly beyond. My good friend Scott Patulski plans to join us for the trip from Majuro to Palau. We plan to stay there for a while, (I fell in love with it last year when we delivered Shallum and Mandy Etpison's boat there last year). Plans after that are a bit less concrete. We're leaning toward going on to the South Pacific Islands and on to New Zealand for their summer. Alternatively, we've considered heading over to Singapore for the winter, then making our way up the Asian coast and back to Alaska next summer. We may decide to do either or neither of those. Sometimes, it is well to remember that indecision is the key to flexibility. </div>Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-19242303988907617352010-10-06T11:44:00.000-07:002010-10-06T11:44:11.402-07:0020 Sept 2010 - Bringing Arcadia I Home at lastThis belated posting represents the end of the "Extended Sea Trial" we've been on since we first took ownership of <em>Arcadia I</em> in Skagway in late June of last year. After well over 10,000 nautical miles under the keel, we've finally brought her to her new home port at Dana Point. We'll stay home and pay attention to family and business for a while, but the next adventure won't be too far in the future.<br />
<br />
To recap the travels described in earlier postings. We spent the summer of 2009 in SE Alaska. From there, after a short period on the hard in Bellingham, we took on her own bottom from SE Alaska to Huatulco, Mexico by the end of 2009. In 2010, we continued South to El Salvador and Panama, then turned back North to La Paz, Mexico where we had booked a ride for <em>Arcadia I</em> on a Dockwise yacht transport ship from there to Nanaimo, BC. (Thus avoiding the long and predictably unpleasant ride, "uphill", to Puget Sound). We then made a relatively leisure trip back up the inside passage along the BC coast, back to SE Alaska, where we enjoyed the remainder of the summer season. As we made the last posting, Phyllis had joined Willy and me in Ketchikan, and we were preparing to start down the inside passage toward home.<br />
<br />
On Thursday, August 12th, we got underway from Ketchikan at 4 am in hopes of clearing Canadian Customs and Immigration that afternoon. We entered Canadian waters by 10 am and were tied up to the Customs dock in Prince Rupert by 3:30. Checkin formalities were conducted by telephone interview from a phone mounted on the dock, at the end of which we were given a "report number" and were free to go. It was late enough that we decided to try to find a slip in Prince Rupert for the night, but both marinas were completely full. We went looking for a protected anchorage nearby. We notice Phillps Cove on the charts. It looked ideal, although none of our guide books mentioned it. We went in through a looping channel to find a good holding bottom in 3 fathoms and no one else there.<br />
<br />
We slept in a bit and got underway the next morning by about 10 am and made a short day of it. Along the way, Shaka made radio contact with us. She had cleared Customs early that morning and was a couple of hours behind us. I'd read the Douglass cruising guide description and wanted to anchor in Baker Inlet that afternoon, but it has a narrow entrance with very rapid tidal currents. We entered at near slack conditions without incident, but Shaka behind us would have missed the tide window. We agreed to make radio contact with them as soon as we re-entered Grenville Sound the next morning. Baker inlet was, indeed a beautiful place to stop. We could have happily spent a week there.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSE7nZrHs1I0KEUflf5NzYG35zKccYMnx5b7k4nZwHwIQb46OCA3rdy4QMKGLw806DyEyi6zeQKEj7J80ME2jflRad_tK7h8fw6TZcfYpCPCo_V6Ehq3Tm5JX8tNNpEA0uJVWglkWxUi3/s1600/DSC03354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSE7nZrHs1I0KEUflf5NzYG35zKccYMnx5b7k4nZwHwIQb46OCA3rdy4QMKGLw806DyEyi6zeQKEj7J80ME2jflRad_tK7h8fw6TZcfYpCPCo_V6Ehq3Tm5JX8tNNpEA0uJVWglkWxUi3/s400/DSC03354.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The next morning we were faced with pea soup fog and had to literally creep the winding course back to the entrance to Grenville Sound, with Phyl standing lookout on the bow. Fortunately, the fog lifted right at that point and, although we'd missed slack tide flow, we were able to shoot through with a 3-4 knot current and be on our way without incident.<br />
<br />
We raised <em>Shaka</em> (Nordhavn 57) on VHF, finding her also getting underway a couple of miles behind. We had met Johann and Laurie in Ketchikan after a long email correspondence and several missed connections and looked forward to travelling together down the inside passage.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4PANPYApc5aWja23CU4uuPRBsWrpwGzqeO-tRgfOIBE1dDbR__BfUQXpwsCw7PB27l9Eh2JhY7Bpl36aE8EFaDgVW5jKnR0QTyY4r48uCjuRIJD0wFjA6YkS_t8OebLNN_a7MYUBKo4B/s1600/DSC03362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4PANPYApc5aWja23CU4uuPRBsWrpwGzqeO-tRgfOIBE1dDbR__BfUQXpwsCw7PB27l9Eh2JhY7Bpl36aE8EFaDgVW5jKnR0QTyY4r48uCjuRIJD0wFjA6YkS_t8OebLNN_a7MYUBKo4B/s400/DSC03362.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>As we finished talking with <em>Shaka,</em> we were hailed by Craig Hougen on <em>Explorer II </em>several hours ahead of us. We hadn't actually met Craig in person before. However, last year we had made preliminary plans to buddy boat with him from Bellingham to Ensenada that ultimately didn't materialize. It was a pleasant surprise to encounter them going down the inside passage at the same time we were. <br />
<br />
Craig has a beautiful Malahide 60, (one of the real pioneers of the "trawler" passagemakers trend we all enjoy). You can take a look at his website at <a href="http://www.mvexplorer.ca/Explorer_Blog/Welcome.html">http://www.mvexplorer.ca/Explorer_Blog/Welcome.html</a>. <em>Explorer I </em>was on course into the Broughtons at that point, and we'd made plans to go to Butedale so we didn't connect then. However, we made plans to rendezvous when our paths again crossed between Port Hardy and Campbell..<br />
<br />
That morning, Saturday the 14th of August, on Craig's recommendation, we made a short detour into Howe Inlet. We'd hoped to see the bears that Craig reported seeing earlier, but they had left with the tide. The tide flow at Varney Falls was impressive, nonetheless. As testament to the tides along the inside passage coves, these falls can be traversed in a dinghy at high tide.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfJNn9LRaVJAFTLIbzCvtINxg0aFdBqsD4nr8D2fjCLYuGG68oV2_cQpO0HR74w7uzofBnSuTBk4quFBOAxOkpY0JR3pUq775KTj6gyfURyUQkLRk7MNmkZ3zQx9ynwm-g484CbGafz0a/s1600/DSC03368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfJNn9LRaVJAFTLIbzCvtINxg0aFdBqsD4nr8D2fjCLYuGG68oV2_cQpO0HR74w7uzofBnSuTBk4quFBOAxOkpY0JR3pUq775KTj6gyfURyUQkLRk7MNmkZ3zQx9ynwm-g484CbGafz0a/s400/DSC03368.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We then continued to Butedale where we tied alongside the old cannery ruins, (sorry, no pictures there unless Johann took some and sends them to me. If so, I'll post them later). We enjoyed a lovely meal aboard <em>Shaka</em> with Johann and Laurie.<br />
<br />
Sunday morning, we got underway early and made a fairly short day of the trip to Fancy Cove in time to enjoy the colorful sunset that resulted from forest fires inland.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1Vs3nHb67jLVM_ZYb-GOg0dyy4181Ewd8gcCtlMhrxu0f2cLFdVXGvMn-2aAhxURfTjdk7KsVC54qtzWhLSpK3kaSEyjXBxIS8jTVOZM7Txd8ec302yPEjk5-1iMgqaHpZ9XhcfO47jl/s1600/DSC03371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1Vs3nHb67jLVM_ZYb-GOg0dyy4181Ewd8gcCtlMhrxu0f2cLFdVXGvMn-2aAhxURfTjdk7KsVC54qtzWhLSpK3kaSEyjXBxIS8jTVOZM7Txd8ec302yPEjk5-1iMgqaHpZ9XhcfO47jl/s400/DSC03371.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
On Monday, the 16th, we again left early in the morning, to make the open ocean run across Queen Charlotte Strait. The morning started out beautifully, but degenerated into gale force winds by late afternoon. We were more than ready to tie up when we got to the Quarterdeck Marina in Port Hardy.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, the 17th, we made a long day of it travelling down Discovery Passage, to rendezvous that evening behind Chain Islands, just above Seymour Narrows, in time for a lovely dinner aboard <em>Explorer II. </em>Craig Hougen and his friend Mark Tanner were gracious hosts, indeed.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday morning, we got underway at 05:30 to time our run down Seymour Narrows with slack tide flow. The last time we went this way, with Ron Fawcett, we did it at near full flow and passed through them at 18 knots. This time, it was a non-event. As soon as we cleared the narrows, entering Georgia Strait, the wind kicked up to 15-20 knots. Our little flotilla, <em>Shaka, Explorer II,</em> and <em>Arcadia I,</em> breasted lumpy seas for the rest of the day. We got to Nanaimo, and all three boats were able to tie up next to one another at the Cameron Island float in time for a very nice shore dinner at my favorite restaurant there, the nearby Acme Seafood and Chop house, (best clam chowder on the planet). Johann and Laurie were staying a few days in Nanaimo, so we bid them farewell, for now. We hope to see them in Southern California later this fall.<br />
<br />
The next morning, Thursday the 19th of September, we followed <em>Explorer II</em> through Dodd Narrows for a protected passage through the Bay/San Juan Islands. This is another very narrow passage with tide flows strong enough to make it impassable by slow boats except at slack tide.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXmgoNP5T2lQTFa94sC4ZxGuxOsvihHfG2zWb78bpNdE98Qu9_Wb8KeF43a0m0oDnyWYvcU6RrfZqtvUbzPXf8LmawIpGxkbl8voYMaxd4Vs4-5gbH2-l4nqGZ-OAt8Qnqfnr9x7VLvFd/s1600/DSC03423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXmgoNP5T2lQTFa94sC4ZxGuxOsvihHfG2zWb78bpNdE98Qu9_Wb8KeF43a0m0oDnyWYvcU6RrfZqtvUbzPXf8LmawIpGxkbl8voYMaxd4Vs4-5gbH2-l4nqGZ-OAt8Qnqfnr9x7VLvFd/s400/DSC03423.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We cruised leisurely down through the islands on a sunny day in almost perfect conditions. It's easy to see why so many people consider the Bay, (Canadian), and San Juan, (American), Islands the best cruising in North America. We made it to Roche Harbor in time to clear US Customs, (represented by a particularly unpleasant woman), anchor the boats and have an extraordinarily lovely dinner ashore in this delightful place.<br />
<br />
The next morning, Friday the 20th, we got underway early and made the short trip over to Bellingham. We'd made arrangments to haul out at SeaView North Boatyard early the following week and they were kind enough to allow us free mooring on their adjacent floats. We were tied up by noon. We cleaned up the boat a bit, rented a car, stopped to say goodbye to Craig and Mark and left the boat for a weekend ashore with friends before Phyl and Willy had to catch their flight home on Sunday afternoon.<br />
<br />
We didn't actually haul the boat until Tuesday the 24th. What we found was scary, indeed! <br />
<br />
I knew there had been contact with the bottom in the first cove we anchored in after we crossed into Alaska in early July. It felt like a minor scrape on the bottom of the keel. No big bumps or lurches. We checked the bilge for any indication of leaks, of course, but after our much more traumatic experience in Panama the whole incident seemed minor and was soon out of mind. I wouldn't have been surprised to find some small scrapes on the keel but what we actually found was that the Nobeltec transducer and its fairing were completely gone! Here's what it should have looked like. It was the big one with the teardrop fairing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdpmDSzJo6e0whT6xsgv-sQ7BN7rh4ihFeG7Pj9pXelnlzMifgDg8k1wAmtf5Z2bON52AtdSWkVhy-lHX2KvHDRbcEfEiRwH2LwpmHs3sXSrPS14dTKUGYTQseAv_JQaAiF1vBXxxDWPZ/s1600/DSC02717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdpmDSzJo6e0whT6xsgv-sQ7BN7rh4ihFeG7Pj9pXelnlzMifgDg8k1wAmtf5Z2bON52AtdSWkVhy-lHX2KvHDRbcEfEiRwH2LwpmHs3sXSrPS14dTKUGYTQseAv_JQaAiF1vBXxxDWPZ/s400/DSC02717.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The previous owner of Arcadia I installed this transducer with the Nobeltec navigation system. For reasons never resolved, it never worked for him, or for us. This transducer protruded 5" below the hull. The fairing was made of insubstantial blue plastic, the trailing edge of which we found broken off last year. All in all, I was happy enough to be rid of it. Thus, this was an incident without any serious consequences. The trandsucer didn't work anyway and no seawater entered the boat as a result of its removal. The Nobeltec transducer hole was plugged and glassed over. The Furuno transducer, (the round one next to it), was replaced with one that is almost flush with the hull, thus eliminating one more protruding device to catch seaweed or fishing lines or, heaven forbid, be broken off.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">However, what made the whole thing chilling to contemplate was the discovery later that we could simply pull the transducer stem inside with with only a slight twist and a gentle tug by hand, leaving a 2" hole through the hull under the bed in the master stateroom! All that had held the transucer stem in place for almost three months, (without leaking a drop), was the thin coat of caulking that had ben applied to it when it was installed. While we have wooden plugs located at every hull fitting, a 2" hole three feet below the waterline would have certainly caused serious water damage and might well have sunk the boat in the time it would have taken us to identify the location of the flooding source. I learned several important lessons from this that I want to pass on to my boating friends.</div><ul><li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Even in Alaska, the GPS charts aren't perfect. While the GPS showed me clearing known rocks as I entered that cove, I cut the corner when I had plenty of room to give them a wider berth.</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">All hull fittings should be as near flush with the hull as possible. Think very carefully before you decide you need that "gee whiz" device that protrudes from the hull. A 60,000 lb boat has enormous inertia. If you contact the bottom or a substantial submerged object with them, such protrusions will be removed and you may not even feel it. </div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">ANY contact with the bottom calls for immediate inspection of ALL hull fittings from inside the hull and an underwater inspection as soon as possible. Like most prudent boaters, we already had a map of all the hull fittings. If we had pulled the mattress up to look at the 5 hull penetrations under it we'd have seen that the transducer shaft was leaning unnaturally forward. If I had dived the boat, I would have noticed that there were only a few shards of the tranducer fairing remaining.</div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">God continues to bless us and to forgive my transgresssions.</div></li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My brother, Paul, joined me in Bellingham on Friday the 27th of August to help get the boat ready to go on South. While the yard folks worked on the outside of the hull, we did all the normal oil changing and minor repairs inside through the weekend. On Monday, we reprovisioned the boat while the yard crew was doing some minor cosmetic work topside. Weather Bob warned that Tuesday was going to bring some foul weather, but that we had a pretty good window that should last long enough to get to Crescent Bay if we started out as soon as it moved inland.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On Tuesday, August 31st, we were back in the water by noon on a very windy and rainy day. We stayed on the yard's wet dock until about 4 pm, when we moved over to the fuel dock to top off our tanks. By about 5:30 the weather seemed to abate a bit, so we got underway. We deployed the paravanes immediately and moved tentatively out of Bellingham Bay toward Puget Sound. Wind was at near gale force, but without a long fetch the seas were not too bad. By midnight as we cleared Rosario Strait and entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the wind had abated, but were plowing through good sized head seas.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">By 10 am on Wednesday, we were passing Cape Flattery with a pretty good ride, considering the weather that had just passed. We went far enough to set a rhumb line course directly South to Crescent City, hoping to avoid crab pots and fishing activity. By midnight, we put Grey's Harbor abeam.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">By 06:00 am on Thursday, we put the Columbia River abeam. This was an alternate port, if Weather Bob had indicated we shouldn't try to make it to Crescent City we would have gone in here. Instead, he told us that we needed to be in port by Saturday morning. We opted to make all deliberate haste toward Crescent city. That afternoon, conditions were good enough to stow the paravanes and gain a bit of speed for a few hours.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On Friday, September 3rd, we passed Coos Bay, Oregon by 6:00 am, experiencing a pretty nice ride. By about 5 pm, the wind and seas were picking up a bit, just as Weather Bob had forecast. However, we were able to leave the paravanes stowed as we turned into Crescent City. We were tied to the Crescent City floats by 9:30 that evening.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Paul and I spent Saturday morning doing minor cleanup and maintenance and the afternoon exploring the marina. Weather Bob told us to expect to stay here at least until Tuesday, so we rented a car on Sunday and set out to explore the redwood country for a couple of days. Mike O'leary flew up that afternoon to join us for the trip on South. We had a great time exploring the redwoods and the coast south to Trinidad, CA on Monday the 6th. Just as predicted, there were gale force winds from the North all day.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkYkOM-7SGpIRNC40566v7QEJ7zgpEPEaJUWBflfssH4LEn3oexTmXnIWIOMO8h-8iRV2A8vmj0PwYcZzVvGTos9AlyOhyaaF4RFOrx9NUGsVRGFIg4W7J0hnUSaiCKt6H7AL9Z3OTPW5/s1600/DSC03455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkYkOM-7SGpIRNC40566v7QEJ7zgpEPEaJUWBflfssH4LEn3oexTmXnIWIOMO8h-8iRV2A8vmj0PwYcZzVvGTos9AlyOhyaaF4RFOrx9NUGsVRGFIg4W7J0hnUSaiCKt6H7AL9Z3OTPW5/s640/DSC03455.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just as Bob forecast, the weather broke on Tuesday, the 7th. We turned in the car and got underway before noon, with the paravanes stowed. Paul caught a nice albacore that afternoon as we made our way south. That evening he made a nice dinner of some of it.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPh_smXw5R5TYzyJe1QC6H6WOSRPaI8_7YW-jTy1vvIgZNLcykPdq_oqHb1d2530FjmG4J33b2fMd6PqHU7-hhRzDthHtq_aFHBrYN5C1MwCq8NieLhfyAtmk72v-eHSaDuVrjzBC9qVw/s1600/CIMG3676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPh_smXw5R5TYzyJe1QC6H6WOSRPaI8_7YW-jTy1vvIgZNLcykPdq_oqHb1d2530FjmG4J33b2fMd6PqHU7-hhRzDthHtq_aFHBrYN5C1MwCq8NieLhfyAtmk72v-eHSaDuVrjzBC9qVw/s400/CIMG3676.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We continued South in good weather conditions, Wednesday and Thurdsay deploying the paravanes only at night when moderate seas seem bigger without a visible horizon. On Friday the 10th, we put Pt. Conception abeam by noon, with a noticeable improvement in wind and sea condition right after that.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The early morning hours of Saturday the 11th of September were spent nervously threading our way through heavy ship traffic at the entrances to Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For several days while we were travelling down, my son Zach had been on a quest to find some place near home to tie the boat when we got there. The Nordhavn folks had a slip waiting for us at Dana Point on Monday, so he rented a temporary slip for us in Newport Beach until then. At 6:00 am I called Phyllis on my cell phone to tell her we expected to be there in about an hour. Phyllis, Willy, Zach and Stephanie met us as we tied up. It's good to be home!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5V-zNLBx12EFDuQYMIMYH6QdK_uKZoE3uq0fROTOgWkynUAZgxJeDHmTK0RTsnZ_ZIsqfi4gH9Ldc4g7hpx_Gmea0lQ82YRwfRrcb3krsTnGA4pnE1K2QmgAmz3TyQBy_kVhQwZ-MHZ4/s1600/CIMG3684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk5V-zNLBx12EFDuQYMIMYH6QdK_uKZoE3uq0fROTOgWkynUAZgxJeDHmTK0RTsnZ_ZIsqfi4gH9Ldc4g7hpx_Gmea0lQ82YRwfRrcb3krsTnGA4pnE1K2QmgAmz3TyQBy_kVhQwZ-MHZ4/s400/CIMG3684.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNH2OnY6y6VZPknaPTNgfHbGZnzZoln6-4LwqNOSE4oz34LqyzgPvG-lOHVwvvNnGxB1uLEXOBPAUeNd0R0ZxTmyC3czxpdo6tCcST0cP-v_WPiZOUnox6DSTQchA_jTlIb-YhOzHja8E/s1600/CIMG3682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNH2OnY6y6VZPknaPTNgfHbGZnzZoln6-4LwqNOSE4oz34LqyzgPvG-lOHVwvvNnGxB1uLEXOBPAUeNd0R0ZxTmyC3czxpdo6tCcST0cP-v_WPiZOUnox6DSTQchA_jTlIb-YhOzHja8E/s400/CIMG3682.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-84342095915131308482010-08-27T10:05:00.000-07:002010-09-28T11:20:28.432-07:0011 August 2010 - Cruising Around Alaska, againWe stayed in Petersburg from the 19th of July, (my last posting), through the 22nd. Once again, we enjoyed the extraordinary hospitality of George and Nancy Murrison. Sam Floyd and Al Locy know them from when they all lived in Sacramento many years ago. Sam and Al have been coming up to Petersburg to fish with George and Nancy every summer for several years. Will and I had the pleasure of fishing with them for two days. As usual, George showed that he knows how to put the boat over halibut.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Will and I left Petersburg, without Sam, on Friday the 23rd of June and headed toward Juneau to rendezvous with Danny and Cathy Long. We stopped early that evening at one of our favorite anchorages, Snug Cove in Gambier Bay. We could have easily gotten to Auke Bay on Saturday but that marina operates on a first-come, first-serve basis and there's little hope of finding a place to tie up late on a summer weekend day. Accordingly, we decided to go only to Taku Harbor where we'd be staged for an early Arrival in Auke Bay. Besides, Will likes to catch the little flounder that hang out under the float there. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLz0hLLkum5tYrUr8zNglk9qahoKUnzccAl1gZpXpZ90NEwjlQDVeRYNipQlkMtdIHHRY-VNWqB2XcwZgYn949MPn64ypT57QjMEY4sVBCIid9kRon68kKzhi1KJSvOSqJc2A6iQcGFdGL/s1600/DSC03273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLz0hLLkum5tYrUr8zNglk9qahoKUnzccAl1gZpXpZ90NEwjlQDVeRYNipQlkMtdIHHRY-VNWqB2XcwZgYn949MPn64ypT57QjMEY4sVBCIid9kRon68kKzhi1KJSvOSqJc2A6iQcGFdGL/s400/DSC03273.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We were tied up at a nice location in Auke Bay by 09:30am on Sunday the 25th. Will and I devoted Monday to laundry and shopping. On Tuesday, my old friend and Navy Shipmate, Warren Coughlin, arrived mid-afternoon. His visit will be short, so we got underway as soon as we got back to the boat so we could get some fishing in before dark. We had some success. Warren caught one nice Coho and an Alaskan true cod as we trolled slowly around Douglas Island. We stopped again that night at Taku Harbor because it's a good stop on the way to Tracy Arm.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtkzNpnO5Z5ajFJbWcS47RTEDFs_QBy8zncmXt6UQ5KEhr9kN04XhqznmEH1_4Td90YhwIdDILcOyLx-eHfsiJqsTlV6tfQjmwRM8XmRZGD0IBng1DmEp5ocVqhhLsHzIhpOfCnlKtqck/s1600/100_1060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtkzNpnO5Z5ajFJbWcS47RTEDFs_QBy8zncmXt6UQ5KEhr9kN04XhqznmEH1_4Td90YhwIdDILcOyLx-eHfsiJqsTlV6tfQjmwRM8XmRZGD0IBng1DmEp5ocVqhhLsHzIhpOfCnlKtqck/s400/100_1060.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We spent the whole of Wednesday going into Tracy Arm. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was, of course, awe-inspiring. I don't think I'll ever tire of taking new people there. We made a long day of it, finally dropping anchor at 9:30 pm in Pleasant Bay a short ways up the Seymour Canal.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqv0SDl0coML69995EjUJmqfHivm3pGFK3iMhqHrVHjlFTdhXOyx0FUTI4R9IJNR4zUwXfJq_t6EaxzqUHK4wXq0cGzz5VV0zOQK56lbB4W5usFdpfQeovO99OGWwBBnGTMyWAh5xijXb1/s1600/DSC03335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqv0SDl0coML69995EjUJmqfHivm3pGFK3iMhqHrVHjlFTdhXOyx0FUTI4R9IJNR4zUwXfJq_t6EaxzqUHK4wXq0cGzz5VV0zOQK56lbB4W5usFdpfQeovO99OGWwBBnGTMyWAh5xijXb1/s400/DSC03335.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPCXtJV5jEVXr4270hEcY8vAx2knPoTbBu8tpnXCGn-eJTOXYeEx5_Fg7F_6l-NcJj8bx9AWxPX_Bu8s3RCZkPSKrV3T7b96ndk_v0RjGj2d4WLXslpjdWssVkzEAHJtRvCMUuCblk78q/s1600/100_1077E.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPCXtJV5jEVXr4270hEcY8vAx2knPoTbBu8tpnXCGn-eJTOXYeEx5_Fg7F_6l-NcJj8bx9AWxPX_Bu8s3RCZkPSKrV3T7b96ndk_v0RjGj2d4WLXslpjdWssVkzEAHJtRvCMUuCblk78q/s400/100_1077E.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Thursday, we headed for another of my favorite places in SE Alaska, Red Bluff Bay. Along the way, we trolled some more, catching 2 undersized king, (chinook), salmon and one small halibut. We released the salmon and ate the halibut, of course. We anchored, as planned, in Red Bluff Bay by about 9:30, just in time to see the panorama.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKktkHWMVI16PV3zX_LEZ52c_BX6IeWz7BbGm0tBSNPAjqkLcocrwoqN0NRXpU8fPu4fYlyLEYNVuv2s-uNQYmsuz-2zKiZ-S-l-lIGMJ6mPZkOsdzEFVCiVioSAtLR8MXo5xvOdmTCk8V/s1600/12A-50550010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKktkHWMVI16PV3zX_LEZ52c_BX6IeWz7BbGm0tBSNPAjqkLcocrwoqN0NRXpU8fPu4fYlyLEYNVuv2s-uNQYmsuz-2zKiZ-S-l-lIGMJ6mPZkOsdzEFVCiVioSAtLR8MXo5xvOdmTCk8V/s400/12A-50550010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Friday, we made our way up to Tenakee Springs. This time, we tied up at the city floats rather than our usual practice of anchoring in Saltery Cove. We tied up adjacent to a particularly friendly group on a beautiful Nautor Swan sailboat. They announced that they had more Dungeness cooked than they could possibly eat. Willy and I, of course, helped them remedy that situation. Warren, as a matter of religious conviction, doesn't eat shellfish, so he had to suffer through eating halibut.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkC4-qF5dHb9v7iH_JjwCgyxb0oUTHbRhb_1LpMDqMw0q4NSjy_vfbnCZEaUDjueA0RrW5wHNj11OByhCINbjBW5T-6SMEiZe4Va9wGjnKKuvD4kDbUKC1z_fCYD1lmWNOTL5MW0Kntg2/s1600/Crab+feast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwkC4-qF5dHb9v7iH_JjwCgyxb0oUTHbRhb_1LpMDqMw0q4NSjy_vfbnCZEaUDjueA0RrW5wHNj11OByhCINbjBW5T-6SMEiZe4Va9wGjnKKuvD4kDbUKC1z_fCYD1lmWNOTL5MW0Kntg2/s400/Crab+feast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
On Saturday, July 31st, Danny and Cathy Long arrived. Warren left ship's company early Sunday morning. As soon as the fuel dock opened on Sunday morning, we topped off and got underway, stopping in Saltery Bay to stage ourselves for transiting Peril Strait the next morning on our way to Sitka..<br />
<br />
Monday morning, we left Saltery Bay early. We arrived at Sergius narrows at near slack conditions and could have gone on to Sitka that evening. However, we weren't in any hurry, so we opted to anchor in Baby Bear Cove early in the afternoon. We deployed the dinghy and cruised around the local coves and even did some unproductive fishing. As much as Cathy wanted to see a bear in Bably Bear Cove, we never did.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasC1easv2Brk6QpUHruJfAKPsM8ozL9b8ssVjLehDdIBfpqWPZy48xFSKTudY-8mr9gB0JN4pynDtASJZGIb8p71tqWsFimXQTGUmVGfvXbzHnQeC11ZrOXbECAaCzgiHF7LznGtal8qm/s1600/baby+bear+cove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasC1easv2Brk6QpUHruJfAKPsM8ozL9b8ssVjLehDdIBfpqWPZy48xFSKTudY-8mr9gB0JN4pynDtASJZGIb8p71tqWsFimXQTGUmVGfvXbzHnQeC11ZrOXbECAaCzgiHF7LznGtal8qm/s400/baby+bear+cove.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Tuesday, we went through the narrows without incident and tied up at Sitka's Eliason Marina in time to make a walking tour of this lovely old city and to have a nice dinner ashore. We spent Wednesday doing a small amount of boat maintenance and wandering around seeing the sights. It's easy to see why so many cruisers think Sitka is the nicest stop they made in SE Alaska.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwhk0WQHZZV9P4VlHqJxoi-fznh_50KqGxGiwobKWeWlH7Cici2rziV-BSPVKJj7te-VP2jKEtlzYumuSCgZBIUyNbTBVdmA8XsmRZD839BR0m7Nbr8zhAHg7kEGpMOSScN5wNK8jxIoX/s1600/Sitka+Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwhk0WQHZZV9P4VlHqJxoi-fznh_50KqGxGiwobKWeWlH7Cici2rziV-BSPVKJj7te-VP2jKEtlzYumuSCgZBIUyNbTBVdmA8XsmRZD839BR0m7Nbr8zhAHg7kEGpMOSScN5wNK8jxIoX/s400/Sitka+Panorama.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We thought about making an outside passage south from Sitka to Ketchikan, but the seas and wind reports made that sound like an uncomfortable trip. Accordingly, we left Sitka early on Thursday morning and made the Peril Strait transit in one long day. Late that evening, we anchored in Schooner Cove off Warm Springs Bay. As soon as people started to leave the public mooring on Friday morning, we moved there and went ashore to enjoy the public warm springs bathouses and see the sites of this unusual little community. We left there before noon and made the passage through Frederick Sound to anchor in Portage Bay by 7 pm. We have often seen a lot of whales in this stretch of water. I'd hoped to show Danny and Cathy a group bubble feeding, but all we saw were a few singles this trip.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zq9UiQQ-3hFP1vChC9NYdMM-UUsDrwxnOU9z1qBLnVKXubMgkybzyfk344GrlSFs983lw6AMHwLrt2RDJSOQx1dGb05-ZCAdW5PFqFjCrtUBrflcdIaTvomsAlsEblTl59UEcjemVeW5/s1600/Whale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zq9UiQQ-3hFP1vChC9NYdMM-UUsDrwxnOU9z1qBLnVKXubMgkybzyfk344GrlSFs983lw6AMHwLrt2RDJSOQx1dGb05-ZCAdW5PFqFjCrtUBrflcdIaTvomsAlsEblTl59UEcjemVeW5/s400/Whale.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
By now, we had about used all of Danny and Cathy's time, so on Saturday the 7th of August, we left Portage Bay after picking up our empty crab pot and made another long day of it. We passed through Petersburg without stopping, transited Wrangell Narrows and finally anchored in Ratz Harbor on Clarence Strait.<br />
<br />
Sunday, the 8th, we took on fuel in Ketchikan, then docked at the city floats at Bar Harbor. Danny and Cathy flew home to Texas very early on Monday morning, once again leaving Willy and me on our own. We had a great day! We walked up to the other marina to meet with Johann and Laurie on Shaka, (Nordhavn 57). We'd been corresponding by email with them for months, but this was the first time our paths had actually crossed. Later, Willy and I walked up Ketchikan Creek to see the king salmon run. Truly imprssive! We also took a tour of the hatchery that the local Indian band operates right there in town. Unfortunately, I cannot find all the pictures I took that day. When I turn them up, I'll edit this post and add any good ones.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, Willy and I reprovisioned the boat, did laundry and straightened things out in preparation for the Admiral's arrival. We had another great dinner at the Back Bay restaurant with Shaka's crew.<br />
<br />
Phyllis arrived Wednesday afternoon, the 11th of August. The resident Social Director, Willy, insisted on showing Mom the salmon run in Ketchikan Creek that afternoon and dinner that evening at the Back Bay Restaurant.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-11296718750500911412010-07-20T23:19:00.000-07:002010-08-23T16:46:08.918-07:0020 July 2010 - Back to AlaskaMy apologies for not staying more current. The farther behind you get in one of thes things, the harder it is to find the time to catch all the way up.<br />
<br />
As noted in previous posting, we loaded Arcadia I aboard Dockwise’ Super Servant III on June 4th. The ship made another stop was in Ensenada, Mexico before proceeding to Nanaimo, BC. It arrived there on June 18th. I drove up from home and was in Nanaimo to see it arrive.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As I came aboard Super Servant III, It was obvious that she had encountered heavy weather along the way. One sailboat that had been loaded stern first had her dodger completely blown out and destroyed. Arcadia I suffered no significant damage, although the dinghy cover had blown off and the dinghy, itself, had considerable salt water aboard. Other boats reported similar minor wind damage. Several rust stains appeared around stainless fittings on Arcadia I, as well. This is apparently attributable to “acid rain” caused by Sulfur oxides in the carrier’s exhaust plume being mixed with rain and salt spray. The stains were easily removed using “On and Off” deck cleaner. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On Saturday, June 19th, unloading from Super Servant III began about 9:00 am. Unloading proceeded smoothly, if a bit slowly, under the direction of the competent Dockwise Load Master. The only incident occurred just after the ship was fully ballasted down and all the boats were afloat. A BC ferry steamed close by at high speed, throwing a large wake into the open cargo deck causing several boats to pitch and rock wildly while in close proximity to one another. We heard a VHF conversation from the sailboat Crème Brule declaring that damage had occurred from a resultant collision. We don’t know the extent of damage, nor do we know if Dockwise took responsibility for the repairs.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dHsXDa935xubL6vKcnWGlXStvn4YmdUBjbkFPOz1qU-8t9f3asJ_K-Xx3t8IbkWB3yIeDODA7f5NGTuVOadNSrRWGHRbMX_9yKfYpmp6E4GDEKOuFSO7iiHlLpRsfxaJQVkeEfObKLhI/s1600/DSC03152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dHsXDa935xubL6vKcnWGlXStvn4YmdUBjbkFPOz1qU-8t9f3asJ_K-Xx3t8IbkWB3yIeDODA7f5NGTuVOadNSrRWGHRbMX_9yKfYpmp6E4GDEKOuFSO7iiHlLpRsfxaJQVkeEfObKLhI/s400/DSC03152.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Unloading was completed by noon. Before Arcadia I actually unloaded, I called Canadian Customs & Immigration by cell phone. I was given my CanPass number by phone, with no boarding or inspection required. None of the other boat owners I talked to had the same experience. Each was apparently required to report to the customs dock for inspection while I was able to move Arcadia I directly to the slip I had reserved earlier at the Nanaimo boat basin.<br />
<br />
On Sunday, June 20th, Phyllis’ brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Alex took the ferry over to Nanaimo. We spent a pleasant evening making a short cruise of their visit, with an overnight stay in nearby Nanoose Bay. We returned to Nanaimo boat basin on Tuesday in time to share some of what I believe to be the world’s best clam chowder, (at the nearby Acme Rib and Seafood House), before Steve and Alex had to leave on the last ferry back to the mainland that evening. The longer I do this, the more I value the time I get to spend aboard with family and friends that I rarely get to see otherwise. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZMqgYe0UzWbbbXjN1vrLwq8jrX7xcvx_cqcOS1sBuNKAdjmCw14AWtoOoVbNM6sLBObBoDnRfjMdMcB8SAc3Ywu3NZA7u2zZhMHYZGWA0cXBO6WXZyAJR6L814gSPRKDN-Bwxl_7Gm_e/s1600/DSC03156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZMqgYe0UzWbbbXjN1vrLwq8jrX7xcvx_cqcOS1sBuNKAdjmCw14AWtoOoVbNM6sLBObBoDnRfjMdMcB8SAc3Ywu3NZA7u2zZhMHYZGWA0cXBO6WXZyAJR6L814gSPRKDN-Bwxl_7Gm_e/s400/DSC03156.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Tuesday, I spent the day doing odd jobs, then had a very pleasant dinner with new friends from Celtic Song, a beautiful Pacific Seacraft sailboat that made the same dockwise shipment from La Paz.<br />
<br />
Wednesday, Arcadia I went on the hard at Stone’s Boatyard. This is the first time I’ve actually seen her out of the water since I fetched her up hard on a rock in the La Perla Islands in Panama. The gouges in the keel are more extensive that I remembered from diving on her. They’re certainly ugly. However, as we ground them out in preparation for repair, it was apparent that not one of them actually penetrated all the layers of fiberglass fiber. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGj31pMlnGg9VB4Lam1txQWInKVNkpDBuHvtoD2M923FdP7Dgwpm7m9DlgxwEuxu3E4spLLUu1kVrdWq82B5NzMC951bzc098ozb6Oet9Kga6ELnXt9KARA_t7xez55loNYc_xw8FhyphenhyphenfU/s1600/DSC03158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGj31pMlnGg9VB4Lam1txQWInKVNkpDBuHvtoD2M923FdP7Dgwpm7m9DlgxwEuxu3E4spLLUu1kVrdWq82B5NzMC951bzc098ozb6Oet9Kga6ELnXt9KARA_t7xez55loNYc_xw8FhyphenhyphenfU/s400/DSC03158.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Nordhavn owner’s all have a great deal of confidence in the quality of their boats. I can attest that this confidence is not misplaced. <em>Arcadia I</em> survived an event that might very well have fractured the hull on many boats. She not only survived, she did it without a leak. We sailed her without any repair from Panama to La Paz. When we did repair it, the cost was less than $500 and it took only a day. Thank you, PAE and Ta Shing shipyard, for all of us Nordhavn owners!!<br />
<br />
During the two day stand on the hard, we did a pressure wash, replaced hull zincs and added a coat of anti-fouling bottom paint. We also, replaced the pillow block that serves as the upper bearing, or gudgeon, for the rudder shaft. (My grandmother, a Midwest farm woman with no known connection to the sea, often used the expression “from rim to gudgeon” to describe something as all-encompassing. Language is a beautiful thing.) <br />
<br />
This particular bearing application, however, isn’t so beautiful. It didn’t last a full year before the seals, intended to keep foreign material out of the bearing race and balls, themselves, disintegrated in the salty environment and fell into the balls in pieces. This caused the bearing to bind, with an increase in steering effort and the autopilot could no longer consistently maintain course. When I changed it in Bellingham, I thought it was a problem that had taken 14 years to develop. Now that I understand that it failed in only a few months, I’m in active pursuit of a better solution.<br />
<br />
Arcadia I was re-launched on schedule Friday afternoon and moved back to the boat basin in time to see my business partner, Dave Morgan, arrive by seaplane nearby. Dave was in Vancouver on business and took the opportunity to hop over for dinner.<br />
<br />
On Saturday, Dave and I left together on the ferry to Tsawwassen and drove to SeaTac and flew home to Southern California. I’m going primarily down to bring our 6-year old, Will up. He’s going to spend the summer on the boat with me.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, June 29th, Will and I converged with Sam Floyd and my brother-in-law, Steve Hellyer all converged at Sea-Tac airport and loaded into the Land Cruiser. Sam, Will and I got on the ferry at Tsawwassen, Steve took the Land Cruiser home to Olympia. He and Alex are going to Southern California later this week and will drive it down and leave it when they fly home at the end of their trip.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguK9c6rOM8IU3YO-xGDYEyQ7Q1l0fznhxb5A2sbpkEEg934jJyLrunUalZCS8kzAULsYix47TKJsFvqHCkgI021C6EhZb-585v4K4XURy_IukP2Q1oFUzUO1fL1cgz1xCj6KoTfgr5WSIE/s1600/DSC03165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguK9c6rOM8IU3YO-xGDYEyQ7Q1l0fznhxb5A2sbpkEEg934jJyLrunUalZCS8kzAULsYix47TKJsFvqHCkgI021C6EhZb-585v4K4XURy_IukP2Q1oFUzUO1fL1cgz1xCj6KoTfgr5WSIE/s400/DSC03165.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
On Wednesday, the 30th, Sam, Willy and I moved Arcadia I back over to Stone’s boatyard to install the new house batteries that arrived in our absence. This is a long needed replacement of these batteries. The earlier ones died last fall, possibly of age, more probably of neglect. (You have to disassemble the master stateroom bed to get to them). I had to replace the two big deep-cycle batteries with a single, relatively inexpensive truck battery, as a temporary measure, because that’s all I could find. <br />
<br />
This actually worked out OK in the tropics, since we ran the generator nearly all the time for air conditioning, we didn’t actually cycle the house batteries., they just floated on the system except when we were servicing the generator or switching to or from shore power. However, now that we’re back in a more temperate climate, we don’t need the air conditioning. It’s not good for the generator it to run it with the remaining low house loads, so we rarely operate it at all. That all means we now must restore the house battery banks to full deep cycle capability, recharging them from the main engine as we travel and giving them a full equalizing charge every few days from shore power whenever we get to marinas. The new batteries restore us to full capability and, since they are now sealed AGM cells, we no longer have to take the master stateroom apart to add water to them. Life is good!<br />
<br />
When we completed the battery replacement, we found ourselves to be mud-bound by the tide and couldn’t leave Stone’s marina for several hours. However, the inconvenience was minor and we moved back to the Nanaimo boat basin without significant incident when the tide turned. As we arrived, we noticed Autumn Wind (N6219), a beautiful example of what I still think of as the sexiest boat on the planet. Bill and Arline had watched us come in and graciously invited me aboard for a short visit when I went over to admire her and say hello.<br />
<br />
Early Thursday morning, we got underway for an overnight stop in Campbell River. Nice little town that I’d been to several times on business. They were having their Canada Day celebration, with a parade and craft fair on the waterfront.<br />
<br />
Friday morning, we continued our trip back North with a relatively short run to Port Neville. This was once an active little country store location. The buildings are still there and the grounds are kept up beautifilly by the family, but it is no longer doing any business. The dock is there, however, and several boats were tied up. They watched while I made a mess of landing in a heavy tide flow with conflicting wind. When I finally got within Sam's limited ability throw lines across, the spectators pulled <em>Arcadia I </em>ignominiously across the huge gap. Willy fished with the other kids, and caught one of the huge starfish in abundance there, along with one codfish.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03DBHs37m16OULeo4cExEAKtNIELA0qM1oq0TQU1MrfFxAVGL2zJuR_RhNrlkn5nJvoGBk6GS7paHu9kuYFBaoNl9-zh2tXJuSGU884sBQuEXSoozByB93THiULBM5KhxadUKGReJTPnb/s1600/DSC03171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03DBHs37m16OULeo4cExEAKtNIELA0qM1oq0TQU1MrfFxAVGL2zJuR_RhNrlkn5nJvoGBk6GS7paHu9kuYFBaoNl9-zh2tXJuSGU884sBQuEXSoozByB93THiULBM5KhxadUKGReJTPnb/s400/DSC03171.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Saturday, we traversed the Havannah Canal and Chatham narrows, anchoring in Cutter Cove. We deployed the dinghy, set the crab pot and observed a very small black bear cub along the shore. Mom wasn’t in evidence, but I’m sure she was close, so we didn’t land ashore. We returned to the boat and will caught one codfish and numerous small flounder.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGbwbVwKigz1_bmIX2LEou1yhh3PoLoxMGocmCcmeWFfalfmBvM7Y_iUwh0a2jabGbjGo_E9_HqHXZAqYQvrWcozrFpVgnUoJKfaYelmqKQVUmIwkErP14Jq_rry9TLfxW2fjhHTy46M3/s1600/DSC03173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGbwbVwKigz1_bmIX2LEou1yhh3PoLoxMGocmCcmeWFfalfmBvM7Y_iUwh0a2jabGbjGo_E9_HqHXZAqYQvrWcozrFpVgnUoJKfaYelmqKQVUmIwkErP14Jq_rry9TLfxW2fjhHTy46M3/s400/DSC03173.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Sunday, the 4th of July, we picked up the crab pot, (6 keeper-sized Dungeness), and got underway. We crossed the Knight Canal, transited Tribune Channel to Penphrase Passage and entered Sullivan Bay. We tied up there just in time for their annual 4th of July celebration and barbeque. This is a friendly little town, all on floats, that makes cruisers feel more than welcome. We enjoyed the barbeque and good company for the evening.<br />
<br />
Monday, the 5th, we moved on to Pt. Hardy. We were tied up to the Quarterdeck Marina float by 3pm, in time to do the laundry ashore and get the grocery shopping done.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, the 6th, we left early. We set the paravanes and moved directly into Queen Charlotte Sound and the first portion of this trip that is exposed to open ocean. Seas were less than 5 feet, but the wind was more than 20 knots. Not a bad ride, although Will experienced a bit of mal de mer. We were across that section by about 1pm and set the hook in Philip cove. After a short lunch break, we decided to move on for another 5 hours, or so, to set down for the night in Fancy Cove. <br />
<br />
On Wednesday, we got underway early and anchored in Bottleneck Inlet by about 3pm. We adjusted the main shaft packing and replaced the circuit breakers on the downriggers in preparation for salmon fishing in the near future.<br />
<br />
On Thursday, on advice from “Weather Bob” we made all deliberate haste toward a weather window across the Dixon Entrance. The Grenville Channel was glass calm until about noon, then freshened to 30kts over the bow by 5 pm. We anchored in Kumeleon Cove at about 9 pm.<br />
<br />
On Friday, we called US Customs in Ketchikan while we were in cell range of Prince Rupert and obtained advance clearance into Alaska. We also called Canadian Customs as directed when we were given our Canpass. They seemed surprised that we’d called them and said no exit call was required. We crossed out of Canadian waters about 2 pm, in choppy seas and 15 kt winds. (The next day brought full gale conditions. Thanks again Weather Bob). We were tied up to the city floats in Ketchikan by 8 pm, in time for an excellent shore dinner in the little Back Bay Cafe, right next to the Dockmasters office.<br />
<br />
We’d covered 534 nautical miles since we left Nanaimo, burning 200 gallons of fuel, giving us a respectable 2.67 nm/gal for the trip.<br />
<br />
We stayed the weekend in Ketchikan, changing the oil in the main and generator. I mis-threaded the filter on the generator when I tried to install it through the hush box access port and created a big oil spill when I restarted it, then spent hours cleaning up the mess. To make matters worse, the venerable, twice repaired, oil transfer pump failed when I tried to replace the spilled oil in the crankcase, and I spilled even more oil when I put it in manually. All in all, the most time consuming and frustrating oil change, yet. <br />
<br />
On Monday, the 12th of July, we got underway for Misty Fiords by about 7 am. We slowed for a short while to troll and quickly brought a nice silver salmon aboard. It made a very nice lunch, indeed, as we toured through the Wilson Arm of Smeaton Bay. By 6:30, we were tied to the forest service mooring ball in the Punchbowl in Rudyerd Bay. It was a beautiful evening in an awe inspiring place. To top off an already perfect day, a large sow grizzly ambled out in front of us, trailing three young cubs behind her. They stayed in sight until dark. It’s days like this that make the long trek up here worthwhile!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5C1Y1MM7KY3nA8G9OLE5hooFF2ZdBOIlP3nHnTDS7-TFm70ZaLMIaEaIekYCb4MIvKyYBMhP4bzpGkI2vGwZM5LGytiEKfJqvQTpTs-xuN6HCE6yc8nrbGhMfVJyV0Y-LkAhZMV7zObs/s1600/DSC03188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5C1Y1MM7KY3nA8G9OLE5hooFF2ZdBOIlP3nHnTDS7-TFm70ZaLMIaEaIekYCb4MIvKyYBMhP4bzpGkI2vGwZM5LGytiEKfJqvQTpTs-xuN6HCE6yc8nrbGhMfVJyV0Y-LkAhZMV7zObs/s400/DSC03188.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, we went the North Arm of Rudyerd Bay, anchoring for a short while for lunch its beautiful head. That afternoon, and well into the evening, we completed the circuit of the Behm Canal to anchor in Helm Bay. The Navy has some sort of undersea sound test range at the very west end of Behm canal. The last time we went through here, there was no activity. However, as we approached this time, we heard their range control officer announce a test in progress, requesting all boats contact him before entering. We made contact and were informed that we should stay along the north shore and that we must slow to an idle whenever the light was flashing on a barge that was then visible. As it turned out, that meant we spent more time at an idle than we did underway. We didn’t get into Helm Bay until 10 pm. In the dark, we couldn’t find the Forest Service float. However, we were able to find a comfortable anchorage with pretty good holding and got a good night’s sleep.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Nj5SghKclSUo0iFBx5aLWsgA602yNAvQIkF6mmkTyRuswTmnjLLtQRVpCR17WOgTgV-i9kMYdnspMcNRa7NkzwgoiKJexdv3YT__bU8Fvsic_G8OZHNKEkMNU95EnN5dIOqbauIBZ_Ma/s1600/DSC03189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Nj5SghKclSUo0iFBx5aLWsgA602yNAvQIkF6mmkTyRuswTmnjLLtQRVpCR17WOgTgV-i9kMYdnspMcNRa7NkzwgoiKJexdv3YT__bU8Fvsic_G8OZHNKEkMNU95EnN5dIOqbauIBZ_Ma/s400/DSC03189.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
On Wednesday the 14th, we got underway early and made our way to Wrangell. I had started feeling a bit ill on Tuesday. By the time we tied up to the float in Wrangell’s new Heritage Harbor at about 5:30, I was done in.<br />
<br />
I was bedridden Thursday, Friday and Saturday with fever and chills, while Sam and Willy explored every nook and cranny of Wrangell. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYmvaXkxDgBr7XNFM7IookqK396Z4lmaLW7fHJVei4tYJAvLNmAJi_bhaUBswZM-Hm406PzJVQIknuS8f_j808CLy32PeAZg4HAOgOENgOYTLLS0wIMbZX5UiUt-dNVsIKQ01urgVb5q1/s1600/DSC03190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYmvaXkxDgBr7XNFM7IookqK396Z4lmaLW7fHJVei4tYJAvLNmAJi_bhaUBswZM-Hm406PzJVQIknuS8f_j808CLy32PeAZg4HAOgOENgOYTLLS0wIMbZX5UiUt-dNVsIKQ01urgVb5q1/s400/DSC03190.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">By Sunday, I was beginning to think I’d live, but still wasn’t up to joining them on the tour Sam booked to Anan to see the bears eat salmon in the river. Before they got back, I felt well enough to take a short walk, though. We all really like this friendly little town.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2WT5sZo0ZOr0EqHW0Q6gJvpd-w9XhXNpypFKPg_OrMlIjQ2vtDLLma1-IQ91uXNiaj-PmuySaXX_tG9JLnQFg0LWxHJIx568bmqdf-Y-PdfhSuZpJLPpsbMR-uMAiTSmrQPON1xD1Sgr/s1600/DSC03206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2WT5sZo0ZOr0EqHW0Q6gJvpd-w9XhXNpypFKPg_OrMlIjQ2vtDLLma1-IQ91uXNiaj-PmuySaXX_tG9JLnQFg0LWxHJIx568bmqdf-Y-PdfhSuZpJLPpsbMR-uMAiTSmrQPON1xD1Sgr/s400/DSC03206.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On Monday, the 19th, I felt recovered enough to make the short trip up the Wrangell Narrows to Petersburg. We were met on arrival by Nancy Murrison, and we had a nice dinner in their home that evening. </div>Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-2517050890325465232010-06-08T15:41:00.000-07:002010-06-08T15:51:57.561-07:004 June 2010 - Loaded onto DockwiseThis posting is in response to a lot of interest in the process of shipping on Dockwise that has been expressed by other cruisers. Arcadia I has been shipped this way four times now, although the first three times were while she was owned by Dave and Sally Chambers whom, incidentally, I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time while we were here in La Paz.<br />
<br />
We loaded about a month later than the schedule originally put forward by Dockwise. We put Arcadia I aboard Super Servant III on the 4th of June. Except for the delay in starting, we couldn't have asked for it to go more smoothly. <br />
<br />
The paperwork for the La Paz loading was accomplished on board Arcadia I on June 2nd. Dockwise' customs agent was quick and efficient, once I got connected with him and the documentation required straightforward. There were no surprise requrest for unexpected documents or additional fees. The paperwork for the Nanaimo unloading came in the form of a .pdf form that I filled in. Since I have a scanner aboard, I attached copies of my passport and the USCG documentation to the .pdf file, (the only documents other than the form itself), sign the form electronically and turn it around. That whole process only took a few minutes.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">All the boats to be loaded were instructed to be alongside the Dockwise ship by 07:00, each with two line handlers aboard. I engaged two local men by referral from the CostaBaja Marina office. Both were experienced boat people and one had loaded boats on Dockwise before. I couldn't have asked for better help.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL27t4YaAouz5F7jPYus-pfseDE9F8xIa952A-NCL7HPexgIGzT9TLxlatNLYVEpeKB_aw0jK-MB_YvM-7Mw5sxC1owEbkyjBQtbyAZ-IVGNaTe6wj96U4Ay63bDAZjUNhcXcSm9cFrBXz/s1600/DSC03123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL27t4YaAouz5F7jPYus-pfseDE9F8xIa952A-NCL7HPexgIGzT9TLxlatNLYVEpeKB_aw0jK-MB_YvM-7Mw5sxC1owEbkyjBQtbyAZ-IVGNaTe6wj96U4Ay63bDAZjUNhcXcSm9cFrBXz/s400/DSC03123.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As we arrived, the ship's deck was still dry, although they had started to ballast down.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UY4cdo_gQn9DHrng8M4V4_NeXnjvjGwm-awOSVdA_ZDIPl6lQSJaACUF-dveuFbewK5vgc9xizZavIE-JZsA2Q_AMwlXdumEiCXOHDOiQpFM-ETd_HFOuQSEgPZbELSftwLhXwoeeNzb/s1600/DSC03125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UY4cdo_gQn9DHrng8M4V4_NeXnjvjGwm-awOSVdA_ZDIPl6lQSJaACUF-dveuFbewK5vgc9xizZavIE-JZsA2Q_AMwlXdumEiCXOHDOiQpFM-ETd_HFOuQSEgPZbELSftwLhXwoeeNzb/s400/DSC03125.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Promptly at 07:00 the Loadmaster came up on Channel 16. He identified the first three boats to load and told them exactly where they would be located aboard and where they should have their fenders and dock lines placed, (bow, stern and two spring lines on only one side in every case I heard). At about 07:30 he called each boat, in turn, reminding them where they were going. As he called each boat to come aboard, he identified the next boat in the sequence, keeping three boats queued up. We were the 5th boat to load. As you can see, the ship arrived with several boats already loaded from earlier ports of call.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQz9aHvqa_SzctJG-TBUDM1UBEcvq1QRXlZz2b-mXRM1tp_P-zB8CvPxC1HU7DH-Iq3DXMNInZyUkdnkyWxfhpeNdoWF8ZHvjDcjOnwTv-USwJePo9FiWVTBi1-4TSBxJ3VxQeSv7S31A/s1600/DSC03130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQz9aHvqa_SzctJG-TBUDM1UBEcvq1QRXlZz2b-mXRM1tp_P-zB8CvPxC1HU7DH-Iq3DXMNInZyUkdnkyWxfhpeNdoWF8ZHvjDcjOnwTv-USwJePo9FiWVTBi1-4TSBxJ3VxQeSv7S31A/s400/DSC03130.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We were directed to tie to the starboard side of a center walkway structure. As we entered the bay, we literally handed the lines to the waiting Dockwise crewmembers. They walked us into position and tied us off. Our fenders had to be relocated somewhat, since there was no flat wall near the water line where we had placed them, but we easily fended off by hand until we could accomplish that. The whole process took only a few minutes.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQcDlw3SnFXH_7XlQFcQsf3qYTHYXNtc9h0Hg6o-G7HkmUVA9eIyg2ogbkR4Tc0YFgie-UpwwjgG9PFtEMdeHHD1XY3_I4KwVnGBmQ0dq7E-r2XHRqv_yLpIdsAR0HgveaGwB-a5I3QEH/s1600/DSC03131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQcDlw3SnFXH_7XlQFcQsf3qYTHYXNtc9h0Hg6o-G7HkmUVA9eIyg2ogbkR4Tc0YFgie-UpwwjgG9PFtEMdeHHD1XY3_I4KwVnGBmQ0dq7E-r2XHRqv_yLpIdsAR0HgveaGwB-a5I3QEH/s400/DSC03131.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The sailing vessel directly in front of us loaded in Ft. Lauderdale. He had stayed on his own boat during the transit from there to La Paz and intended to continue to ride during the remainder of the transit to Nanaimo.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFollVJk0HXhzmreARa9Erislz0Vh_m9jvQ0QOaLyRSYFTRCUYeY7Q-fcQ_UHetGdzpBId1M82Smov0msSYKVcPCnYtfGyBWA0Ci3aj84A_id0VG2tXTtWC9xCS6r81TEnwZPS70ZdmmBk/s1600/DSC03135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFollVJk0HXhzmreARa9Erislz0Vh_m9jvQ0QOaLyRSYFTRCUYeY7Q-fcQ_UHetGdzpBId1M82Smov0msSYKVcPCnYtfGyBWA0Ci3aj84A_id0VG2tXTtWC9xCS6r81TEnwZPS70ZdmmBk/s400/DSC03135.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After tying up, we made our way forward on the center walkway to the ship's office to hand over our keys and sign the manifest. As you can see, they can fit a lot of boats on this ship. You can just make out Arcadia I's pilothouse in this picture, (immediately behind the sailboat with the green sail covers).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAvNn6skKvSrsP_kxJRR9NHu9xvnO0atLMvvz2goOP4kHwiolARW24_SlhS9q5zIUP-sevCFN9CMZRpbxW8xyac57NPdpCCLIlPUTWno_lmlS7BGPhryFSY5UxqtoNykXOrFGuhitGP0U/s1600/DSC03138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAvNn6skKvSrsP_kxJRR9NHu9xvnO0atLMvvz2goOP4kHwiolARW24_SlhS9q5zIUP-sevCFN9CMZRpbxW8xyac57NPdpCCLIlPUTWno_lmlS7BGPhryFSY5UxqtoNykXOrFGuhitGP0U/s400/DSC03138.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My crew and I, along with that of another 6 or 7 boats, were on the launch headed back to CostaBaja by 08:45. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After all the boats are loaded, Dockwise divers set the stands under the boats they've just loaded. At sundown, I drove back to where I could see Super Servant III and she was still flooded down. The next morning, however, she was riding high in the water again, with all the boats on stands just as if they were on the hard in a boat yard. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We've been told that they actually weld these stands to the deck, then place hold down straps to rigidly attach our boats to the ship. We saw 4" nylon straps draped across the boats already aboard. During subsequent loadings, they apparently just loosen them to let the boats rise freely above the stands when they ballast the ship down. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The next posting should be in Nanaimo, where we unload.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div>Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-5896951206512819492010-05-23T15:42:00.000-07:002010-05-23T16:03:51.321-07:0022 May 2010 - Singapore to Palao<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
This posting describes an adventure different than the others in this log, since the passage described was not made on <em>Arcadia I. </em><br />
<br />
While at home awaiting the arrival of the Dockwise carrier that is to ship Arcadia I from La Paz to Nanaimo, I visited our good friends and across the street neighbors, Brian and Dale Bumgardner. They mentioned that their seafaring son, Dustin, was to Captain a crew engaged to deliver a 47' Grand Banks from Singapore to Palao. I said, "Wow! I'd love to make that trip!", of course. At that point, however, Dustin already had his crew list filled and there didn't seem to be any likelihood that I could go. Then, at the last minute, one of his crewmembers had a family emergency and could not go, and I was invited to participate.<br />
<br />
I left LAX just before midnight on May 3rd for the long flight via Hong Kong on my favorite trans-pacific airline, Cathay Pacific. Because we crossed the International Date Line, I arrived in Singapore just after noon on the 5th. Another of the crew, Mark de Castro was aboard the same flight from Hong Kong to Singapore, although I didn't know it until we connected with Dustin at the airport. We went directly to <em>M/Y Mandy</em> at Keppel Marina. The owner, Shallom Etpison, was aboard seeing to final details of preparing the boat for the trip.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent the remainder of the 5th and all of the 6th of May completing a minor worklist and provisioning <em>Mandy. </em>The afternoon of the 6th, we moved her over to the Singapore Yacht Club's customs dock after fueling her at the marina fuel dock. As you might expect in Singapore, customs and immigration clearance was accomplished in a few minutes, exactly at the scheduled time the morning of the 7th. Here's a picture of my crewmates for the voyage just before we left. From left to right, Mark de Castro, Jim Persinger, Dustin Bumgardner.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXP0dkpDEyh246ifzF3Qa5A4N3LXAGa-3QTvQe9thwMm_h72fjAORLPZyRrbzz0FaXfZW82V7F795oc5o66uDRURtbHCLnL_z7u4WFOyz70AfpkVcdsXAL9yj-sGLL5SJcYedLTs10KFWJ/s1600/DSC03017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXP0dkpDEyh246ifzF3Qa5A4N3LXAGa-3QTvQe9thwMm_h72fjAORLPZyRrbzz0FaXfZW82V7F795oc5o66uDRURtbHCLnL_z7u4WFOyz70AfpkVcdsXAL9yj-sGLL5SJcYedLTs10KFWJ/s400/DSC03017.JPG" width="400" /></a>We moved her across the way to fill two 75 liter reserve fuel bladders we'd brought aboard that morning, then got underway with Dustin piloting us through the extremely busy Singapore straits before noon, setting a course around the North side of the island of Borneo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3DA06XHltqZO3cBatAwsasU6yHj-9A0Xw1kabwc-Jb3bBb5F8Tb79K0HY4poCn9RXKq9wM_poijbFXeZIZgJNk4nEeormVm84ltmSkunU6dqqCmXnpmqDMTD7_xhA6orVIpz97ofmy2E/s1600/DSC03022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3DA06XHltqZO3cBatAwsasU6yHj-9A0Xw1kabwc-Jb3bBb5F8Tb79K0HY4poCn9RXKq9wM_poijbFXeZIZgJNk4nEeormVm84ltmSkunU6dqqCmXnpmqDMTD7_xhA6orVIpz97ofmy2E/s400/DSC03022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">South China Sea sunsets, and sunrises, can be spectacular. We took a lot of pictures of them, but they never really capture their grandeur. Here's one with my watch-mate and now good friend, Jim Persinger, in the foreground. Throughout the trip, we piloted <em>Mandy</em> from the flybridge although there is another helm station belowdecks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjml19uL6pEfO9Nl8OCOsGJ-F3b6LOBa99bqHDNVOLBfvXbCjSBHBPWB5QkAlSDML-ztfYqyqKdfqAPSOO0ldngi2-pDbzrnGvWUbMB63tQUTIXY7YUjbN_QPy57G2-b-ulpZluuR9nnYOV/s1600/DSC03031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjml19uL6pEfO9Nl8OCOsGJ-F3b6LOBa99bqHDNVOLBfvXbCjSBHBPWB5QkAlSDML-ztfYqyqKdfqAPSOO0ldngi2-pDbzrnGvWUbMB63tQUTIXY7YUjbN_QPy57G2-b-ulpZluuR9nnYOV/s400/DSC03031.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The transit through the South China Sea was relatively uneventful. Shipping traffic in this area is quite heavy and piracy/hijacking is always a concern. Accordingly, we kept a sharp lookout with two persons on the flybridge throughout. While we were using the electronic chartplotter for routine navigagtion, we had a full set of up to date paper charts on which we tracked our current position.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RRbUSZObxISoY2EZ0_di99PHotuNAtg59adsaMtiVQ_SUQHyolP07NY2TziIRBlJWtdpW4bT5LMMuvdGr3cI3ck4SIIPYGBfeyL9duBr_aB3z1_PAmOXmouHGjfqd7edA-8cwqcxdOqu/s1600/DSC03042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RRbUSZObxISoY2EZ0_di99PHotuNAtg59adsaMtiVQ_SUQHyolP07NY2TziIRBlJWtdpW4bT5LMMuvdGr3cI3ck4SIIPYGBfeyL9duBr_aB3z1_PAmOXmouHGjfqd7edA-8cwqcxdOqu/s400/DSC03042.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Late the evening of the 9th, about 530 nm later, we anchored offshore at Miri in the Malaysian part of Borneo. At daybreak, when we could see well enough, we moved into the very nice Miri Marina adjacent to the "old" river entrance customs house. The first person we saw in the marina was, unexpectedly, an acquaintance of Jim Persinger, who quickly gave us the "lay of the land". It is, indeed, a small world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOX9H-oQisU2ZVWbQt9goRPK0cevXOJSZPXjsoS9Yh5ghvwmt7tqlqKNZolt7kSGH9epFhT7zIBTEsOWYVSEM8jOA26tojo3m6Wrz-XsrQiW0dEDxqgmq4iVGEoqf7Xo4OKorPkC0zYUo/s1600/DSC03044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOX9H-oQisU2ZVWbQt9goRPK0cevXOJSZPXjsoS9Yh5ghvwmt7tqlqKNZolt7kSGH9epFhT7zIBTEsOWYVSEM8jOA26tojo3m6Wrz-XsrQiW0dEDxqgmq4iVGEoqf7Xo4OKorPkC0zYUo/s400/DSC03044.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While Dustin and Mark attended to the entry formalities, I sallied into town for some shopping. Both were completed by noon and we moved Mandy to the fuel dock upstream of the "new" river entrance. As you can see from the picture below, waterfront aesthetics in Miri are pretty consistent with the rest of SE Asia. (The rest of the town was pretty modern, however. The supermarket I found, in the basement of the Imperial Hotel, was actually nicer and better stocked than those in Singapore).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7_q_8_ym0rFD3fR-vx1GjiSOrL0HZ5QJnQj7SoM6rfLml-yHkWOOUQY0Fy5USyprgzsUB83-KfWemzrRgqUXqkQfvsy4xgVBrxXHW6Tj0xS8Khbn25XeoaKxQHcSSc0fSDTBSZkKZfam/s1600/DSC03051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7_q_8_ym0rFD3fR-vx1GjiSOrL0HZ5QJnQj7SoM6rfLml-yHkWOOUQY0Fy5USyprgzsUB83-KfWemzrRgqUXqkQfvsy4xgVBrxXHW6Tj0xS8Khbn25XeoaKxQHcSSc0fSDTBSZkKZfam/s400/DSC03051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After fueling, we again got underway mid-aftenoon for our next refueling stop at Puerto Princesa in the Philippines. We anchored next to this live-aboard dive boat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoAb8ZTBtyJNs4XQfR8J_DVHtSdqO_90cTsK1oFPgbAkzCd07Q6qz51VkMQLYkNj5ErN4CosiO0tYTS3M2r_g-F5ogT3CfrHs-yR8Fw3kFtTXKbD_EgMUjSo_bGuleXSpr_sopLTHmIqo/s1600/DSC03059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoAb8ZTBtyJNs4XQfR8J_DVHtSdqO_90cTsK1oFPgbAkzCd07Q6qz51VkMQLYkNj5ErN4CosiO0tYTS3M2r_g-F5ogT3CfrHs-yR8Fw3kFtTXKbD_EgMUjSo_bGuleXSpr_sopLTHmIqo/s400/DSC03059.JPG" width="400" /></a>As further evidence of the diminshing size of our world, Jim knew the skipper and the boat was a sister vessel to the one on which Dustin is normally Captain in Kona. The crew helped Dustin get through the customs and immigration formalities, (a certain amount of "mordida" was needed to get them completed in a single day without onboard inspection). When that was accomplished, we were allowed to tie up to the commercial dock. I went ashore for a few provisions while the rest of the crew refueled from a truck that came to the dock. The dive boat Captain invited us for a lovely dinner aboard before we left there that evening. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next leg of the trip, between Puerto Princesa and Surigao was the shortest of the voyage. We arrived early in the daylight hours of the 16th and were permitted to tie up to the commercial dock for the day. Formalities were quick and straightforward, but it took several hours to organize fueling from a flatbed truck with two "totes" containing the required 1400 liters of diesel. This gave me some time ashore in this typical Philippine waterfront town.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitivXpOuaAbZ5tCL_GEkOKWCxvCdEmPT6_idsV4ICx00xZMi55-D7HlUSDiKR7Q9aPqx815sxLqoT5Oe0xFTcTQ0sPutP9pSv11Vr23BUHO8oI2c0ozPCyAo-MVTJ7_5SmzeKjvh_fw0Ca/s1600/DSC03070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitivXpOuaAbZ5tCL_GEkOKWCxvCdEmPT6_idsV4ICx00xZMi55-D7HlUSDiKR7Q9aPqx815sxLqoT5Oe0xFTcTQ0sPutP9pSv11Vr23BUHO8oI2c0ozPCyAo-MVTJ7_5SmzeKjvh_fw0Ca/s400/DSC03070.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDhIpTXykjPbbHnkpCMIQqlIoWC27_auAaL4zPlxjXJ8xBhuWEKomv6jrz06i_tWoSI15sWfIFtIaGjQzMaIBTcXru-rcRYomzOOD6KeOZku0bFBaQMR2mdKhcrRl8yf8PcOzM5L7y__L/s1600/DSC03072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDhIpTXykjPbbHnkpCMIQqlIoWC27_auAaL4zPlxjXJ8xBhuWEKomv6jrz06i_tWoSI15sWfIFtIaGjQzMaIBTcXru-rcRYomzOOD6KeOZku0bFBaQMR2mdKhcrRl8yf8PcOzM5L7y__L/s400/DSC03072.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After stocking up on "mystery meat" on a stick and some other provisions we were off, while there was still light enough for the transit through the straits into the Philippine Sea and beyond for our last and longest leg of the voyage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfmAllTB1wbtZSRA7nKfGADbjW4icZv05Sqf0X5wIW-LTkPhu_-nObnzs5i4dZoeyG7NLQx4FaTJb1ALsjcQ2ECKg23EFB4kpZTAqx2LagMTi4iStvou9HctQPYfwOxKfqgE-cpvXEtPE/s1600/DSC03088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfmAllTB1wbtZSRA7nKfGADbjW4icZv05Sqf0X5wIW-LTkPhu_-nObnzs5i4dZoeyG7NLQx4FaTJb1ALsjcQ2ECKg23EFB4kpZTAqx2LagMTi4iStvou9HctQPYfwOxKfqgE-cpvXEtPE/s400/DSC03088.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Three and a half days later, on the 20th of May, we passed through the West Pass across the Palau reef. This picture shows the remains of a boat that missed the pass.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXdtg08sDiDtgRulsvEiLamTQblAUUlmsuR2La7ovCHG2jpFMEmsKmArvih9p82NiekrBA1WEy85vVW43XucFpkov5fmWOtzRnI_jlcdMgcHedPhDPSYXStMYHTQrXHnmFjFYYEN-jClg/s1600/DSC03085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXdtg08sDiDtgRulsvEiLamTQblAUUlmsuR2La7ovCHG2jpFMEmsKmArvih9p82NiekrBA1WEy85vVW43XucFpkov5fmWOtzRnI_jlcdMgcHedPhDPSYXStMYHTQrXHnmFjFYYEN-jClg/s400/DSC03085.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> What a gorgeous place! The pictures fail to capture the splendid luminescence of the water over the reef in contrast to the dark clear blue of the deeper water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5p1Usuddmj4TRzK53JVtEhMolsorhzuXNbgpsRe8NfyTRDTA64uphJ9aRo1sCpe7_9HLME1ra3VlEOcF8i3u5vCX7rBebNV9iZ_oJC8XcOyD7KlKg-uMUW5VUVmo7KMgvOSwGRX-vx8uu/s1600/DSC03087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5p1Usuddmj4TRzK53JVtEhMolsorhzuXNbgpsRe8NfyTRDTA64uphJ9aRo1sCpe7_9HLME1ra3VlEOcF8i3u5vCX7rBebNV9iZ_oJC8XcOyD7KlKg-uMUW5VUVmo7KMgvOSwGRX-vx8uu/s400/DSC03087.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jim was in his home waters, so he piloted us through the reef.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdxd1Gu0KhCPq7YBMSj0NsUtPZEY3oFNvJEIIHTzdjAYHd-Escct1wLj1oeFtgDtTZy3IqRzXixEY9kEWI-3k98oa8-hxzh4WwIF0IlzZi_jIidtyAuztb1sF7pM_5LSASuc0gf7rvPJp/s1600/DSC03099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdxd1Gu0KhCPq7YBMSj0NsUtPZEY3oFNvJEIIHTzdjAYHd-Escct1wLj1oeFtgDtTZy3IqRzXixEY9kEWI-3k98oa8-hxzh4WwIF0IlzZi_jIidtyAuztb1sF7pM_5LSASuc0gf7rvPJp/s400/DSC03099.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At about 1pm, we brought <em>Mandy </em>to her new and permanent home at Neco Marine's dock in Koror, Palau on the 20th of May. We were met by the owners, Shallum and Mandy Etpison, as well as several of their crew at Neco Marine, only one of their extensive business interests on the island. Even though we'd only had <em>Mandy</em> for a couple of weeks, we turned her over feeling as if we were parting with an old friend.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Etpisons proved to be extraordinarily gracious hosts for the day and a half of leisure that we had available before our flights home. They put us up in a delightful apartment above the Neco offices adjacent to the marina, with all our meals and drinks provided by the Drop Off Bar & Grill next door. We were all too tired to do much that afternoon, but the next day Shallum made arrangements for a private tour of the Rock Islands on one of his boats. I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed seeing this beautiful place. It was already on my planned itinerary for next year. Now I can't wait to get there and show it to my friends and family. To my cruising friends, I recommend Palau heartily as a beautiful destination. You will find Neco Marine has friendly and helpful people, a very nice marina and a fuel dock. (680)-488-1294/2206.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoqKQDFGT6l_peFzpsN5EEFCJKbn01cRCT4xnISedKgvBsdyFS_iCtVOunjbGoeW3EVeaB_-ZPYT2pQCDxJBF-ZaMplt6vNRVwOhoqULD6QVfLMCz79X3HySzxrxP4T-uhidswrc8cdAi/s1600/DSC03112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoqKQDFGT6l_peFzpsN5EEFCJKbn01cRCT4xnISedKgvBsdyFS_iCtVOunjbGoeW3EVeaB_-ZPYT2pQCDxJBF-ZaMplt6vNRVwOhoqULD6QVfLMCz79X3HySzxrxP4T-uhidswrc8cdAi/s400/DSC03112.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0viXsCvh4We32iEkoy4m0VJdWZfDIFuxkz-pGepwoyrwAff5iff9T7j0BVhTOxDYh7j-aT5dNEdtlZz1TjWqrzw80Kn5jVNYNg89ZtzUmTW_rfUSdf8ELqPZiqMajBr4BT5BC7YL83e8O/s1600/DSC03117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0viXsCvh4We32iEkoy4m0VJdWZfDIFuxkz-pGepwoyrwAff5iff9T7j0BVhTOxDYh7j-aT5dNEdtlZz1TjWqrzw80Kn5jVNYNg89ZtzUmTW_rfUSdf8ELqPZiqMajBr4BT5BC7YL83e8O/s400/DSC03117.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22arluQA6Ndq0cmjS858APhE3bWpjI5DNk8y37ZluLTL4GflsAh0uIu0JBf8uS45ZBieIzXGDcFmzrjuE9zp5lxdD8_y5kJw5wqQfth1gXmk9zskiBxlLlW47hvdfZVgd4mdNQzy539SX/s1600/DSC03121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22arluQA6Ndq0cmjS858APhE3bWpjI5DNk8y37ZluLTL4GflsAh0uIu0JBf8uS45ZBieIzXGDcFmzrjuE9zp5lxdD8_y5kJw5wqQfth1gXmk9zskiBxlLlW47hvdfZVgd4mdNQzy539SX/s400/DSC03121.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are, literally, hundreds of islands in the archipelago that makes up Palau. Not only is it a beautiful place, but it has an extraordinarily rich history. One of the great battles of WWII was fought on one of the islands, Pelelliu. My poor photography doesn't begin to do justice to what we saw while we were there. Fortunately, owing to the extraordinary talents and efforts of Mandy Etpison, I have three wonderful books, all authored and autographed by her, that richly document the history of the islands and its natural beauty in a manner that I couldn't even imagine, much less attempt. I will always treasure the books, the extraordinary commitment of time and effort they represent. They are a most gracious gift, indeed!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2b_ncYTZUxUciskGrKy-frX8MrATDdbuXbs62Bi8Z-2CFv9xY41l9ByAQTiQVPGKkP3Z4BVTfmug4McqaBLtjhVKGelh7Q25o_wDu0gtSFLOToXAAPfCZSxd84BEd-hENw02DgDSCmU0/s1600/DSC03103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2b_ncYTZUxUciskGrKy-frX8MrATDdbuXbs62Bi8Z-2CFv9xY41l9ByAQTiQVPGKkP3Z4BVTfmug4McqaBLtjhVKGelh7Q25o_wDu0gtSFLOToXAAPfCZSxd84BEd-hENw02DgDSCmU0/s400/DSC03103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a wonderful crew dinner at the beautiful Palau Pacific Resort hosted by Shallum Etpison and his two sons, we reluctantly left this beautiful place in the very wee hours of the 22nd of May. Our flight home made stops in Guam and Honolulu. While we spent almost 24 hours in transit, the International Date Line played its normal tricks. We got to Honolulu before we left Guam and I arrived at LAX only 3 hours after I left Palau.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The entire transit of approximately 1,600 nm through the South China into the Sulu sea and then into the Philppine sea and the open Pacific to Palau was marked only by a few thundershowers and occasional periods of 15-20 kt winds and 2-3 ft seas. In all, weather and sea conditions were as near perfect throughout the voyage as we could have asked for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This Grand Banks is a lovely and gracious boat for coastal cruising. There was never a time during the voyage that we had any reason to question its seaworthiness. <em>Mandy's</em> twin engines are capable of pushing her along at more than 20 kts, however to achieve the necessary 500 nm plus range we needed for this voyage, we had to run at less than 1000 rpm with through the water speeds of approximately 6.5 kts for nearly all of the voyage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, Grand Banks are clearly not designed with comfort in mind during long transits in the open ocean. Even these light winds and seas often caused us to hang on tight to keep from being thrown about when the seas were abeam, (most of the trip). The master stateroom, to which I was assigned, is forward, and during much of the trip it was untenable due to pitching and loud noises as the seas pounded the hull. I did, indeed, miss my stout little Nordhavn with it's large fuel tanks, paravane roll stabilizers and its heavier-built and much quieter hull. I can't wait to take her to Palau next year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-84338997182747508102010-04-15T17:23:00.000-07:002010-04-20T12:31:30.004-07:00April 14, 2010 Panama back to La PazThis posting reflects a change in the cruising pattern for <em>Arcadia I</em>. For the first time since we've owned her, we're heading consistently North! <br />
<br />
After we bought <em>Arcadia I</em> last June, we cruised around SE Alaska for the summer. We truly loved it, and knew that one season there wouldn't be enough for us. We seriously considered leaving <em>Arcadia I</em> there for the winter, so we could just pick up where we left off. However, I'm getting old enough to know that there is only so much time left for me to enjoy these adventures. I simply couldn't bear the thought of leaving the boat idle for 9 whole months.<br />
<br />
We would have liked to bring Arcadia I home for a while, to clean up the "list" while speaking English and close to home, family and tools. However, due to the voracious appetite for taxes exhibited by our home state, we can't do that until we've owned the boat for at least a full year. That means, we'll have to haul her out at least once more before we can bring her home. She's currently back in Marina CostaBaja in La Paz and will remain there until we put her on the Dockwise transporter for shipment to Nanaimo, British Columbia. We could, of course, have taken her on up on her own bottom without any particular concern for safety, but . . . that's a 2,000 nm predictably miserable up-weather trip that I'm happy to skip. I'm sure my friends are too.<br />
<br />
Seasoned voyagers have often told me that it takes at least a year to really learn your boat. We're about 10 months into this and I've learned the wisdom of that homily. A boat like Arcadia I has a lot of systems packed into a very small volume. I'm still pretty quick to learn and have more experience with similar systems than most people that buy complex boats. Nonetheless, after almost 10 months, I'll be the first to admit that there are still many things to learn about this boat and the list of "mysteries" and things to repair, replace or simply inspect is still growing.<br />
<br />
Accordingly, we started an extended sea trial of learning experiences by embarking on a series of long legs, often non-stop for several hundred miles, that ended in Panama as discussed in my last posting. Along the way, I've reinforced my already healthy respect for the sea, improved my seamanship skills and developed enormous confidence in the reliability and seaworthiness of our little ship <em>Arcadia I</em>. <br />
<br />
My best friend, business partner and wife, Phyllis, has patiently indulged me in this "victory lap" that marks the start of my retirement from the business we started together over 20 years ago. Note that I said "my" retirement. Phyllis is still actively managing important aspects of that business with our partners and keeping the home fires burning while I gallivant around on the boat she loves as much as I do. <br />
<br />
I'll also be eternally grateful to the many family members and old friends that have shared their love of adventure to join me. You see their pictures in the blog postings where I show those memorable events and beautful sights that are all the more precious for having someone you care about to shared them with. What you don't see is much that reflects the long hours of lost sleep or boredom that represents the vast majority of time spent on the long transits between destinations. In this blog, you will see, once again, two people to whom I owe a special debt of gratitude, Mike O'leary and Rudy Prendiz. Each of them has made three of those long trips with me. On some of the longer legs, each was my only shipmate. <br />
<br />
As I left off with the last posting, Phyllis and I were together in the Perlas islands in Panama Bay. We stayed there another three days.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBvIJwyDNNATBjYxKBDi3BFU9pfsTDzXMdxiVuVL8zrndxzMVqZe5i3XrDsj1OXn7N8aKNpbpGN47BRPU5ICDfc6lvvHwwVk_4MrlsTAMLk2V_pYEzxKrhazxZLmgvoQEL5WxZW8kwBaP/s1600/DSC02967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBvIJwyDNNATBjYxKBDi3BFU9pfsTDzXMdxiVuVL8zrndxzMVqZe5i3XrDsj1OXn7N8aKNpbpGN47BRPU5ICDfc6lvvHwwVk_4MrlsTAMLk2V_pYEzxKrhazxZLmgvoQEL5WxZW8kwBaP/s400/DSC02967.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Right after I wrote that posting, I had one of those "lessons in humility" that we all get sometimes. I ran the boat aground on a submerged rock! It could easily have been <em>much</em> worse, but no significant damage was done, (Thank you God and PAE). <em>Arcadia I</em> set down squarely on her massive keel, then careened over twice as waves passed under us. She then simply fell off the rock and I was able to back away. When I dived to inspect her below the waterline, there was nothing to show that the incident even happened except for some deep gouges in the first couple of layers of fiberglass on the very bottom of the keel. They weren't serious enough to require repair before the next planned haulout in Puget Sound in May. I wish I could tell you that it was an uncharted rock that I hit, but it wasn't. Old sailors say that there are two kinds of skippers, those that have run aground and those that someday will. While I've joined the ranks of those that have, it's not something I'm very proud of. I will do all I can to keep from hearing the sickening sound of keel against rock ever again. <br />
<br />
On Friday, we pulled into a very protected little anchorage and were promptly met by a man and two young women that wanted to take us in to see their village nearby. We hopped in, and took the ride. Not much of a town, but the folks were friendly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7GHjE_wZUBf6KOLdn5NvsLI6-kSlGOuq03NGM9Ek8mG5fBMx88spjOWnMHFMxx-nGyw1JRX4O6YjyH1VMYDlF11UlKzYLMjMZL7Ia4z3QTeEZzo0YXu9bXRGbQgJb9ASX3pGPsEJL_-8/s1600/DSC02979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7GHjE_wZUBf6KOLdn5NvsLI6-kSlGOuq03NGM9Ek8mG5fBMx88spjOWnMHFMxx-nGyw1JRX4O6YjyH1VMYDlF11UlKzYLMjMZL7Ia4z3QTeEZzo0YXu9bXRGbQgJb9ASX3pGPsEJL_-8/s400/DSC02979.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Saturday. the 12th of March, we returned to anchor just outside Flamenco Yacht Club's breakwater in Panama Bay. No slips inside were available. Phyllis caught her flight home that evening. <br />
<br />
Sunday, I slept in a bit then set out to see if I could get the FloScan fuel meter working for the first time since we've had the boat. I discovered that the forward fuel meter was physically bypasses so fuel didn't even flow through it. Then, I found out why. There is a pulsation dampener that had rusted through which, if still in the circuit, would have disabled the main engine completely. Apparently one of the two previous owner had bypassed the fuel meter and pulsation dampener and simply left it that way. I removed and discarded the pulsation dampener and put the fuel meter back in the circuit. Voila! I have an operable fuel meter. On the following leg, to Huatulco, I determined that the meter calibration was off substantially. However, by applying a correction factor determined on that leg to the readings between there and La Paz, that I was able to predict fuel consumption very closely using an Excel spreadsheet. In fact, the fuel it took to refill in La Paz was within 20 gallons of the Excel prediction. I'd like to get the calibration right, of course, but I feel that I've made a major stride toward intelligent fuel management with what I now have. One more mystery resolved!<br />
<br />
Monday and Tuesday, I did minor maintenance, including changing the oil in the generator and main engine. In this climate, the three air conditioner units on board do a nice job, but it takes all of them. In this condition, anchored without shore power, I had a rare opportunity to check how much fuel the generator uses when fully loaded all day. (8 gallons per day, both days). <br />
<br />
Wednesday, I topped off the fuel tanks. I made the mistake of filling the forward tanks first. The tank vents must have low spots in them, because the after tanks simply wouldn't fill without periodically "burping". By using all my fuel absorbing material, I was able to partially fill the after tanks, but very slowly. Total fuel on board is about 830 gallons. That probably means we'll have to refuel at Huatulco, not something I'd recommend to anyone that cares about their boat. <br />
<br />
Thursday, March 18th, I met Mike O'leary at the airport and we set out to complete the exit formalities. We'd learned a bit about the paper dance when we entered the country, so without too many mis-steps, we had our Zarpe and our passports stamped by 12:30. We were underway by 13:30. The Southbound trip from Balboa to Punta Mala was uncomfortable but "downhill", so not as bad as when we came. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Smh7nInVgXKV5EvoXNwzH6J3qzMGXYTH3zwqK3o8NzLVPHVWkpifudpaoUt3x70JGvG3hnbz8ORYjT492uhTdT5xNpxm-4zgONn0qoMJxjk_S3f0aq9cZJxwe_bX7kvxIKQeRBm6o3Vp/s1600/CIMG3051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Smh7nInVgXKV5EvoXNwzH6J3qzMGXYTH3zwqK3o8NzLVPHVWkpifudpaoUt3x70JGvG3hnbz8ORYjT492uhTdT5xNpxm-4zgONn0qoMJxjk_S3f0aq9cZJxwe_bX7kvxIKQeRBm6o3Vp/s640/CIMG3051.JPG" width="480" wt="true" /></a></div>Friday, we cleared Punta Mala in the wee hours and the seas calmed considerable as we expected. By 16:00 we were approaching Isla Rancherita and caught a nice dorado. We decided to treat ourselves to a quiet dinner at anchor in a beautiful little bay on a tropical island. Weather Bob had encouraged us to make all deliberate haste to catch a series of weather windows, so we only stayed a couple of hours and were underway again by 18:30, travelling in flat seas with a beautiful sunset.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPvUO0Cn-J1lLv3hog9gUdnDKWmyy8srml1jHIb3GCGu7opSQ8cbiwEdHTBhN_DjsD0UJFDCWqAhyphenhyphenNYe7-Hpj6a-ea9satZ0LaZ5OoDlE4Gcd4Ye-Uv4AKFRfWs22ZEkc3T6g6Xh953Kn/s1600/CIMG3059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPvUO0Cn-J1lLv3hog9gUdnDKWmyy8srml1jHIb3GCGu7opSQ8cbiwEdHTBhN_DjsD0UJFDCWqAhyphenhyphenNYe7-Hpj6a-ea9satZ0LaZ5OoDlE4Gcd4Ye-Uv4AKFRfWs22ZEkc3T6g6Xh953Kn/s400/CIMG3059.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a> </div>Saturday, at midnight we were just south of Islas Ladrones. By 06:30, we were in Costa Rican waters. We would have liked to stop in Costa Rica, but the time to clear in and out of the country would mean we'd miss the windows at the Tehuantepec wind slot and across the Gulf of California that Weather Bob was predicting, so we pressed on. <br />
<br />
We started Sunday just off Jaco, Costa Rica. During the day, we checked with Weather Bob and he said we should expect to get to the Papagallo just as the winds started to pick up but before it got very serious and, if we hurried, we could catch a good window for the much more serious Tehuantepec slot. We set the paravanes in the water and pressed on. By midnight, we were in Nicaraguan waters. <br />
<br />
Monday, things materialized exactly as Weather Bob predicted. (We've come to expect that, by the way. His forecasts have been nearly perfect since we started calling him. If you want a professional forecast for a reasonable cost, you should call him at Ocean Marine Navigation, 302-284-3268) We had a little wind, but a generally good ride across the Papagallo. We passed the Golfo Fonseca at midday and entered El Salvador waters. <br />
<br />
Tuesday, we entered Guatemalan waters mid-morning. After Weather Bob confirmed his forecast, we decided to cut across the gulf of Tehuantepec on a direct course to Huatulco, saving more than 50 miles and setting us up for a direct run from Cabo Corrientes to the south end of Baja California. <br />
<br />
Wednesday, the 24th of March, we crossed into Mexican waters. There was a significant swell because the Tehuantepec had been experiencing full gale winds. However by the time we got into the wind slot off Salina Cruz, there was no wind and the swell was smoothly shaped with a long enough period to make a very pleasant ride. About noon, Mike O'leary caught and brought a nice marlin alongside. We released that one and within a couple of hours he did it again, this time it was even larger than the first. Mike grew up in Ireland as a crab and crayfish, (think lobster), fisherman. However, he'd never really done any fishing with a rod and reel. That notwithstanding, I don't know many other fisherman that have brought two striped marlin to boat in as many hours. I was the high point of the trip. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufDagct1zD26n3k5KYrB39IF7-VysF5iBoeNfXBR_GGZHAxVRgPZJgaCbAaRWj3M5v82V8SzYkL7mB9l5hFlaTOBOq2PyHDitEPHP6cddgaPQ8KwURWH1ciZkf7AFS-MfqzASItvoakZL/s1600/DSC03007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufDagct1zD26n3k5KYrB39IF7-VysF5iBoeNfXBR_GGZHAxVRgPZJgaCbAaRWj3M5v82V8SzYkL7mB9l5hFlaTOBOq2PyHDitEPHP6cddgaPQ8KwURWH1ciZkf7AFS-MfqzASItvoakZL/s400/DSC03007.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXfHg2awmqCL9BKi8kpmHzo3cvDNCss0x4K4HPpfYEIf1sTYtFglTbgsFSDBDnSGZxDznXUABct7O4Z_vHxjnha91D0kLtHXwph1a740CzNWzeAlCSF_ece_evCg7LVdM2bU8wrJTqSMb/s1600/CIMG3079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXfHg2awmqCL9BKi8kpmHzo3cvDNCss0x4K4HPpfYEIf1sTYtFglTbgsFSDBDnSGZxDznXUABct7O4Z_vHxjnha91D0kLtHXwph1a740CzNWzeAlCSF_ece_evCg7LVdM2bU8wrJTqSMb/s400/CIMG3079.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Thursday, the 25th of March, we were tied up in Marina Chahue by 09:00. The chartplotter odometer indicates that we've travelled 1004 nm since we left Panama. Rudy Prendiz and Mike's son Cian were on the float waiting for us. The marina folks, on hearing that we were just there to make a crew change, put in a call to the Mexican authorities to expedite the entry formalities. The authorities came through for us. Mike caught a flight home at noon and we were fully cleared into Mexico by 2 pm. We promptly moved over to the Santa Cruz fuel dock to take on fuel. <br />
<br />
This is a lousy fuel dock. Avoid it if you can! There is no float. It's located in a narrow channel with literally dozens of boats and PWCs zooming by without consideration of their wake. The rough pilings are narrow and almost impossible to get a fender placed effectively against. The crew is totally indifferent, destroying one of our dock lines with their macrame knots and rusted-through cleats . We took on 505 gallons of fuel, pretty well filling the tanks, and headed out to sea.<br />
<br />
The weather was pretty nice on Friday, although the seas were, as Mike O'leary would have said, lively. Cian fell prey to mal de mer from the outset. By Saturday, as we passed by Acapulco heading for Punta Corrientes, the seas got a good deal lumpier, as expected. We'd been staying in touch with Weather Bob. He was watching a rare good window develop that would enable us to set a direct course from Punta Corrientes to La Paz, but that meant we had to stick with these conditions. By Sunday, the seas were continuing to build. Weather Bob advised us to pull in to Manzanillo for a few hours, to let the winds abate a bit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHBNxqrlkQiMDsloYmAgFub72b6anCPhwqtMzyee5zr2V8Ea12OWqzoSw-qK8I-T1IfsUrbok7Yo8h_qNgjRjnAQe2IYmurd05KRvuiJM0u2OH0yrC9YA0Seh6q2sJ2U5Ddz_RqmZaNub/s1600/DSCN0303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHBNxqrlkQiMDsloYmAgFub72b6anCPhwqtMzyee5zr2V8Ea12OWqzoSw-qK8I-T1IfsUrbok7Yo8h_qNgjRjnAQe2IYmurd05KRvuiJM0u2OH0yrC9YA0Seh6q2sJ2U5Ddz_RqmZaNub/s400/DSCN0303.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Mid-day Sunday, the 28th, we anchored in Manzanillo Bay. Cian's seasickness hadn't improved and we expected at least another 24 hours of the same before there was any prospect that the seas would lay down. Even then, the bluewater trip from Cabo Corrientes to the lee of Baja California can never be counted on to be smooth. Accordingly, we decided that Cian should fly home from Manzanillo, leaving the rest of the trip to Rudy and me who, so far, are unafflicted.<br />
<br />
After a nice shore lunch, we left Cian at a hotel to await his morning flight.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4gXjsLJxNDEdpYkTAjfOcZAJzjDuYBm1NNzddQCEbiSmmBS162NQZz0YqmCsoA5BMWxjkJbs5XH1yXRsCyOjJ2t5S_JwHULuVB3cGDhXW7ZebVUyGN6pUKFGiNH2CK_HoL-p51Tx-h5u/s1600/DSCN0307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4gXjsLJxNDEdpYkTAjfOcZAJzjDuYBm1NNzddQCEbiSmmBS162NQZz0YqmCsoA5BMWxjkJbs5XH1yXRsCyOjJ2t5S_JwHULuVB3cGDhXW7ZebVUyGN6pUKFGiNH2CK_HoL-p51Tx-h5u/s400/DSCN0307.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div> Rudy and I went back to the boat to find that the generator had broken the vee belt that drives the water pumps. The genset is in a "hush box" in the after starboard corner of the engine room. This belt was in a near to a totally inaccessible position as I could imagine. It took a hard three hours to get the hush box opened, remove a totally unnecessary belt guard and to teach my hands and elbows how to tension that belt. Fortunately, we had a spare belt aboard. After completing that task, we took a nap, leaving Manzanillo Bay at 4 am on Monday the 29th of March.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwR4weuopG3p0mr6D5CeBPeZ6d0af7-N6x2Tm8DWLODEMyNQWlgGSzVf9NyIfnsX4elhCgFsz4EE6AM-WbgfnZffhrfg-O0hxBtvLF3jlJR3kgkc21qlZe9hnqRSks6xltGiLED0k6xIZw/s1600/DSC03003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwR4weuopG3p0mr6D5CeBPeZ6d0af7-N6x2Tm8DWLODEMyNQWlgGSzVf9NyIfnsX4elhCgFsz4EE6AM-WbgfnZffhrfg-O0hxBtvLF3jlJR3kgkc21qlZe9hnqRSks6xltGiLED0k6xIZw/s400/DSC03003.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>We passed Cabo Corrientes about 20 miles offshore at about 8 pm that evening and set a direct course for the East Cape of Baja California. Almost immediately, the winds abated. The swell was still with us, but it began to assume a relatively benign long frequency smooth shape that gave us a very pleasant ride. Weather Bob predicted relatively light winds for two days, but warning that we'd want to get into the lee of Baja as quickly as possible, since the West wind was expected to pick up by Wednesday morning. That is exactly the way it happened.<br />
<br />
Wednesday afternoon, the 31st of March, we realized that we'd have to either stop somewhere or come into La Paz in the middle of the night. We decided to anchor in El Muerte and have a shore dinner. We pulled anchor at about midnight and got on our way again.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaDBpcCxbHueyrw34BXeu96j79aniCAoWECwp-kBJ4YH2EReR0FsS1kobcXIJcp8yARB1Z5v24hAi6eTl9R5VxaHCHU71sulNck3no0wD0EuW5zYbYzSd6AcJpHfhHqBb6TY_fYzOGiwl/s1600/DSCN0310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaDBpcCxbHueyrw34BXeu96j79aniCAoWECwp-kBJ4YH2EReR0FsS1kobcXIJcp8yARB1Z5v24hAi6eTl9R5VxaHCHU71sulNck3no0wD0EuW5zYbYzSd6AcJpHfhHqBb6TY_fYzOGiwl/s400/DSCN0310.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Thursday morning, the 1st of April, we tied up to the fuel dock at Marina CostaBaja. We took on 225 gallons of fuel, or 4.11 nm/gal for 925 miles since Huatulco. We then moved over to our slip. We did laundry and minor maintenance the rest of that day and got the accumulated salt crystals washed off the boat.<br />
<br />
Friday, we changed the oil in the main and generator, "pickled" the watermaker, and did a general cleanup of the boat, since we expect to leave her here for at least a month before we load her onto the Dockwise transport ship.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Q1q0IAVqVsxfQ43uSZa7RFFxopsQtBtNv-RiHGsuqRFgaV-P_WsJksmF-tADJ3eW-9a8OhkF__qw2gms_DdW2CUUe7iJNyc5ubwI4V-s9tXFqInM_u8HSPk_PmMo3JrhtBtQjxs3DUTO/s1600/DSCN0321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Q1q0IAVqVsxfQ43uSZa7RFFxopsQtBtNv-RiHGsuqRFgaV-P_WsJksmF-tADJ3eW-9a8OhkF__qw2gms_DdW2CUUe7iJNyc5ubwI4V-s9tXFqInM_u8HSPk_PmMo3JrhtBtQjxs3DUTO/s400/DSCN0321.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Saturday, April 3, Rudy and I flew home.<br />
<br />
Some salient facts: We've travelled 6,037 miles since we left Bellingham last September and about 10,000 since we acquired Arcadia I. The main engine now has 7,406 hours and the generator has 4,727. I've made an effort to use the wing engine for trolling or just battery charging since I've had the boat. Even so, it has only accumulated 135 hours since it was new.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-41727637210870556702010-04-14T12:39:00.000-07:002010-04-14T12:41:52.185-07:00March 15, 2010 Barilles to PanamaAfter almost 10 months, this cruising thing is beginning to be what I always thought it could be. Phyl and I are aboard Arcadia I, at anchor in a beautiful protected cove off a tropical island in the las Perlas islands off Panama. We’ve been simply enjoying one another’s company for the past few days. Life is good!<br />
<br />
In my last update, Phyl and I were about to leave Arcadia I at Marina Barilles in El Salvador. We did leave together on the 10th of February. When we got home, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my family had taken care of things beautifully in my absence. I had a only a moderate to do list facing me after being gone for yet another month on my adventures. Hallelujah! I’m beginning to enjoy the feeling of being loved and missed, but not desperately needed, while I go off on my own “victory lap”.<br />
<br />
On Sunday evening, the 21st of February, I met with Rudy Prendiz and Keith Bridges, (Both are LAFD crash truck drivers at LAX and long range tuna boat aficionados. They proved to be good company each, and a great crew for the trip.), We left LAX on the American Airlines “Red Eye” to San Salvador, arriving at 0645 on Monday. We were met by Francisco, the Marina Barilles driver that has been so helpful throughout the time we’ve been moored there. We went to the boat immediately and found all in good order. Arthur, another cruiser staying in the marina, came over and charged the batteries every few days while we were gone, (and caught up on his computer work in air conditioned comfort not available on his boat). That afternoon, we fueled up, (240 gallons of fuel for the 340 miles since Huatulco, with the generator running most of the time). We could have easily gotten to Panama without fueling, but I like to keep Arcadia I’s black iron fuel tanks nearly full to prevent corrosion in them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceTuBLvyYSgb5wuhZ84Oqs6oplnHCmq5g47_OEsBVoSsWhieL2EmWsHWM7kNbhyPCZs9vhjaEusVMvcwy7w8Ms_gNMjZR_0OGBbiUV75ykkuGgNbkvq4sZAyPYBC8V5gfJAwsXXiibI_Y/s1600/DSCN0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceTuBLvyYSgb5wuhZ84Oqs6oplnHCmq5g47_OEsBVoSsWhieL2EmWsHWM7kNbhyPCZs9vhjaEusVMvcwy7w8Ms_gNMjZR_0OGBbiUV75ykkuGgNbkvq4sZAyPYBC8V5gfJAwsXXiibI_Y/s400/DSCN0134.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Tuesday the 23rd, we cleared our accounts with the marina, obtained our Zarpe and got our passports stamped. We then loaded the dinghy aboard and followed the “pilot” panga back to sea. We were under way by 1030 and in the open sea before noon. The seas were lively enough to set the paravanes.<br />
<br />
Wednesday we awoke to mill pond conditions off the Gulf of Fonseca, shared by El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. We brought the paravanes in and stowed them on the boat deck to clear the cockpit for fishing. We had two dorado aboard by noon. Keith made a great meal with one of them. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvo9VvLPyOnYIfMGwpv1iz6DMGKvcXZRudbRbNScORvPwKWG6r2XxUtWsNG_UPAaxAAJJNw-gW2OQysS829Pu3gmZg0aLVMJB8YoADiGSpDZd-zg0fPnMEFmxm_2NosZLI0D7vo-m_yvy/s1600/DSCN0140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvo9VvLPyOnYIfMGwpv1iz6DMGKvcXZRudbRbNScORvPwKWG6r2XxUtWsNG_UPAaxAAJJNw-gW2OQysS829Pu3gmZg0aLVMJB8YoADiGSpDZd-zg0fPnMEFmxm_2NosZLI0D7vo-m_yvy/s400/DSCN0140.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>When I tried to start the water maker, it was clear that we’d developed a fine crop of marine growth in the filters while we were in the Barilles estuary. I had neglected to disinfect and pickle the system when I got there. That hadn’t proved a problem for short stays in less redolent waters in the past, but it caught up with me this time. I wasn’t willing to tackle replacing the filters and re-priming the system while underway in tropical waters, (the engine room is ~130ºF). However, we had 250 gallons of freshwater aboard. By only being a little water-thrifty, we got along fine.<br />
<br />
Thursday, the 25th, we continued along he coast of Nicaragua. Weather Bob had given us a good forecast, so we set a course that passed well offshore through the dreaded Papagallo slot off Lake Nicaragua. As with the Tehuantepec, the transit through this area was a non-event in calm seas. This was, again, in marked contrast to the miserable time my brother, Paul, and I had when we passed through here several years ago on the Princess J. We caught and released a sailfish off Cabo Blanco. Later that afternoon, we hooked up to a nice marlin and got him close enough to the boat to get a good look at him before we lost him. About 1730, off Quepos, we brought in a nice Wahoo that Keith and Rudy barbecued for an outstanding meal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmr2awohdgwIH50wiTflP_-wlan7tFqOeJ4XhVbiEkvcXeEImK5aYrM3vqTalA4Mv4OUBLhGR9vY0NxR42xPWBCXUxwxQ3umKDPD1HfjZxB2Hzp_PDK967OIOnVAjELypMq3yEiD3CcuhE/s1600/DSC02907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmr2awohdgwIH50wiTflP_-wlan7tFqOeJ4XhVbiEkvcXeEImK5aYrM3vqTalA4Mv4OUBLhGR9vY0NxR42xPWBCXUxwxQ3umKDPD1HfjZxB2Hzp_PDK967OIOnVAjELypMq3yEiD3CcuhE/s400/DSC02907.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Friday, the 26th, we entered Panama at about 1100. The afternoon was marked by lightning and thunder as we passed through several tropical thunderstorms. At 1700, we anchored in a protected bay off Isla Parida. Keith and I got out the hookah rig and dove the hull in these clear waters. The inspection revealed little fouling but the sacrificial zinc anodes are all about gone. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQGSh1RN7_AhKOKEBTyi6zVf8pqUu6bPjmPIGAGCfj6vc72RcadbHriRpd6JOcahQ-W_9I4mzUsC-xIxtaENpgs8UmK7JJSqBeLcF2i1o13g56yD3sDCPfyYdb1Y3ONGSTAZvLQLuhx8F/s1600/DSCN0185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQGSh1RN7_AhKOKEBTyi6zVf8pqUu6bPjmPIGAGCfj6vc72RcadbHriRpd6JOcahQ-W_9I4mzUsC-xIxtaENpgs8UmK7JJSqBeLcF2i1o13g56yD3sDCPfyYdb1Y3ONGSTAZvLQLuhx8F/s400/DSCN0185.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Saturday morning, after the engine room had cooled down, we replaced the watermaker filters, reprimed the system and started filling the freshwater tanks again. We were underway again before noon. The rest of the day was in beautiful and calm conditions. We passed literally dozens of beautiful islands that I can’t wait to explore on the way back.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5EsVsNWFdCFGAqWUTETPreMSB5hKUD-Z8vR8YyVlFvB9d1W2WH2umjl6dY-f4Kdp8who0Iokpwvc_iiPSyW2zDqm9XLQLUcQTbWCG0hsEBsbdWtv1k2eqgn7VQXDn5CAGgj0n7cUb-Eu/s1600/DSCN0192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5EsVsNWFdCFGAqWUTETPreMSB5hKUD-Z8vR8YyVlFvB9d1W2WH2umjl6dY-f4Kdp8who0Iokpwvc_iiPSyW2zDqm9XLQLUcQTbWCG0hsEBsbdWtv1k2eqgn7VQXDn5CAGgj0n7cUb-Eu/s400/DSCN0192.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Sunday, the 28th, (my 69th birthday), started out with calm seas and a light north wind. We caught two nice yellowfin tuna off Punta Morro del Puercos, along what is often called the Tuna Coast of Panama. About noon, we rounded the aptly named Punta Mala, (translates to “Bad Point”), and the North wind started picking up immediately. By midnight we were heading into a full gale.<br />
<br />
Monday, the 1st of March, the gale continued. The seas, while not very high, were right on our bow at short frequency, making for a very uncomfortable ride until about 0400 when we got into the lee of Islas Bona and Tobago. The seas abated, but the wind did not, for the remainder of our trip into Panama City/Balboa. At 0700 I contacted Flamenco Signal Station, sort of a control tower for the Canal Zone on the Pacific side, and was directed to an anchorage, (Playita), behind a breakwater to the Northwest of Flamenco Island. We were at anchor there by 0830. By about 1030, we had the dinghy launched and headed ashore to complete our entry formalities into Panama. In contrast to our experience in El Salvador, entry into Panama is sort of a game of blind man’s bluff. Our taxi driver, (trying to help I’m sure), made it more complicated than it had to be. I think it all could have been done at the nearby Flamenco Marina, but we trooped around town instead. We got our passports stamped in a hole in the wall immigration office at the Balboa Yacht Club, we got the Port Captain to sign us in at the Container Port, but it was then too late in the day to get our cruising permit for the boat, which would enable us to get our visa to allow us to stay more than 2 days.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, we completed the formalities and obtained our cruising permit and visas. We then went to the Miraflores locks visitor center to watch several “Panamax vessels” (largest size that can go through the locks), as they transited southbound through the locks into the Pacific. It is truly an impressively choreographed ballet. There is a very nice museum at the visitor’s center in which we spent several enjoyable hours, before we headed back to the boat. On the way, we stopped at a large, American-style supermarket to re-provision the boat.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEAO-Avynjnxnck094CEuDrlPuocY3q5v7IxJwcCaGte-bKiq9701gssbSp-rQgXnEndNKAA5nbI52yPfVQXcQVY6b_Hbf7qMMFmPq_Jrgnk8ax195Tyy8JBGvMLcYQhWwcVzkgp2mGgM/s1600/DSCN0217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEAO-Avynjnxnck094CEuDrlPuocY3q5v7IxJwcCaGte-bKiq9701gssbSp-rQgXnEndNKAA5nbI52yPfVQXcQVY6b_Hbf7qMMFmPq_Jrgnk8ax195Tyy8JBGvMLcYQhWwcVzkgp2mGgM/s400/DSCN0217.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Wednesday, Rudy and Keith caught their flight back to LAX and I went off to make arrangements to get hauled out for inspection, pressure washing below the water line and to replace the sacrificial zinc anodes. I moved the boat to a different anchorage location, just outside Flamenco Marina, so I could be more persistent about obtaining a slip for the time Phyllis is going to be here.<br />
<br />
Thursday, I made my daily call on Flamenco Marina. No slip available, but they’re beginning to greet me like a customer. The north wind was pretty fierce in the afternoon, so I moved the boat closer to Panama City, where he wind waves were smaller, (most of the bay is less than 50 ft deep, so you can pretty well anchor wherever you like outside the areas reserved for big ships).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXy8gsLnMIJjfBNC-JVMFXTt9tMLxDcyr9kxhm4l1YJogfLN2GkAeXcWMdRvQdRXk9sNvA69vppsX_m2w4yEJ58b8hO2hJTMQgF4IOldujBxDkW5Oht4dGXaV13sGVkjApeaWLDneRF3ic/s1600/DSC02951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXy8gsLnMIJjfBNC-JVMFXTt9tMLxDcyr9kxhm4l1YJogfLN2GkAeXcWMdRvQdRXk9sNvA69vppsX_m2w4yEJ58b8hO2hJTMQgF4IOldujBxDkW5Oht4dGXaV13sGVkjApeaWLDneRF3ic/s400/DSC02951.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Friday, Phyllis is en route from California. I made my “nuisance call” at the marina. This time, they relented and gave me a slip, (that had always been open, as it turns out), that I can use until Monday when we’ll haul Arcadia I onto “the hard”. I took the dinghy back out to Arcadia I and moved her to the slip, getting tied up just in time to leave for the airport to meet Phyl.<br />
<br />
Saturday, Phyllis and I spent the day sightseeing. We went back to the Miraflores visitor center. This time, I got to watch several yachts go through. I’ve been hoping to get a ride through with someone that needs a free line handler, but watching it was almost as good. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXRYBRevrkiO8FepB1NPdwn6lOuwAi4ACcqE08BDN0rdQVHqIK_RHwCaAvglmFbzEDeiwWBuXLNWRHnrh9UUjX2lmpdjQZsjZ3l_4IQyp99YY01sHFsGeCH-38tLPk6zldAxZWfrwVHXy/s1600/DSC02919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXRYBRevrkiO8FepB1NPdwn6lOuwAi4ACcqE08BDN0rdQVHqIK_RHwCaAvglmFbzEDeiwWBuXLNWRHnrh9UUjX2lmpdjQZsjZ3l_4IQyp99YY01sHFsGeCH-38tLPk6zldAxZWfrwVHXy/s400/DSC02919.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTlFDjTXnFXlszRIJQiLkN96ttik3q_E4Zh-yVMJsLP8zmTxnxJfnqOd_n4UpaCvM3pC217DZCAwMcHhmAqXwBtAEdWMaokqQ12iwVy8GIphSwHLrut69pDJimWclfDD82TwnJLUgWUQo/s1600/DSC02916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTlFDjTXnFXlszRIJQiLkN96ttik3q_E4Zh-yVMJsLP8zmTxnxJfnqOd_n4UpaCvM3pC217DZCAwMcHhmAqXwBtAEdWMaokqQ12iwVy8GIphSwHLrut69pDJimWclfDD82TwnJLUgWUQo/s400/DSC02916.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Sunday, March 7th, Phyl and I spent the day on the boat and around the marina, just enjoying being together.<br />
<br />
On Monday, March 8th, we were ready to go on the Travel Lift by the appointed hour of 0830. They slid another boat in ahead of us, so we didn’t actually get into the slings until 1000. By the time we were actually set down on blocks, (still in the slings), it was 1100. We set to work, and had the zincs all replaced within 45 minutes. The yard had charged me to rent their pressure washer but only had one. It apparently had also been rented by the yacht that came in before us. I pleaded with the captain of that yacht to let us have it for an hour, since we only had that long before the tide would drop below that which would allow us to re-launch that day. He was remarkably uncooperative, so I had to make a scene with the boatyard people. We finally got the pressure washer with only 30 minutes time to use it. However, the anti fouling paint I put on in Bellingham has been remarkably effective, so we really only had to spend much time washing slime off the keel cooler, hull fittings and the prop to get a pretty clean bottom. We were back in the water, (with only 6” of water under the keel), and out of the slings by noon. We set a course immediately for the las Perlas islands, reaching a nice anchorage spot South of Isla Pacheca before dark.<br />
<br />
Tuesday morning, we moved to South of Isla Contadora, where we found a good cell phone signal. We stayed there until after noon, catching up on phone calls. We then moved to a beautiful spot, (through what turned out to be some pretty treacherous shoals, that we got through without making contact with), South of Isla Casayeta.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday, the 10th of March, we moved again to another even more beautiful spot just South of Isla Cana. We tried our luck at bottom fishing but had no success. About dinner time a couple came by in a panga, fishing within 100” of us they caught fish. Swallowing our pride, we paid them $5.00 and two beers for two nice pargo. Oh, well. They seemed pleased with the transaction. Maybe we’re supposed to spread the wealth. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkt3QRNZ4Dv9N0ienhmCRNkTHFMi01Wf1-hSSEdc4gd6lkDasvnS7br5UjPKc2gN24NjCafCHh3CdoLQT3M27xGmMHDr9EQp_us207zwWyRblhS-5KnUj_Hoqnh-6HZ-eXiEJRz_Zj1-C/s1600/DSC02969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkt3QRNZ4Dv9N0ienhmCRNkTHFMi01Wf1-hSSEdc4gd6lkDasvnS7br5UjPKc2gN24NjCafCHh3CdoLQT3M27xGmMHDr9EQp_us207zwWyRblhS-5KnUj_Hoqnh-6HZ-eXiEJRz_Zj1-C/s400/DSC02969.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Thursday, we’re still at the Isla Cana anchorage. There’s a nice cool breeze here and it’s calm. We may stay right here until it’s time to start back to Panama City for Phyl’s flight home on Saturday.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-44879138218612088912010-04-14T11:28:00.000-07:002010-04-14T11:31:59.103-07:00February 8, 2010 Huatulco to BarillesIn my last update, Arcadia I was in Marina Chahue at Huatulco, Mexico. Danny Long had already headed home to Texas and my brother, Paul, and I were preparing to fly back to California for the Christmas Holiday. <br />
<br />
Paul and I left as planned on the 21st of December. We all had a wonderful Christmas at home, and I got pretty well caught up on business issues and the home project list. I didn’t return to Huatulco and the boat until the 13th of January. I came alone to get through the ever-present “project list” and to watch the Tehuantepec weather conditions, while checking around with my friends for a perspective crew to go with me through this treacherous stretch of water. (The last time Paul and I went through there, on a sailboat, we experienced hurricane force winds. Statistically, the winds in the Tehuantepec “gap” exceed storm force for more than 130 days per year and January is the peak month for such activity).<br />
<br />
Mike O’leary let me know that he had a time slot between the 22nd of January and the 2nd of February when he could come down. The Tehuantepec wind forecast looked pretty good, at least from the 22nd through the 25th. That was plenty of time to get across the Tehuantepec gap but would be tight to get all the way to Panama. However, we could get to either El Salvador or Costa Rica comfortably. Since I didn’t have commitments for anyone else to come down after Mike left, I knew I might have to leave the boat for some period of time wherever Mike had to leave ship's company. Costa Rica has a reputation for petty crime that makes me nervous when I think about leaving the boat unattended. Accordingly we opted to go only as far as Marina Barrillas in Bahia Jiquilisco, El Salvador.<br />
<br />
I had our Zarpe from the Port Captain in hand so when Mike arrived in Huatulco on Friday, the 22nd. Customs had been aboard for final inspection and had added their stamp. All we needed was our passports stamped by Mexican Immigration to be good to go and they had graciously agreed to send someone to the boat after the last incoming flight at the local airport that evening. <br />
<br />
Mike arrived about 3 pm, we stopped at the local supermercado for some last minute provisions and the Immigration lady showed up at 7:45 pm. We were underway by 8:00. As it turned out, this time, our transit through the dreaded Tehuantepec gap was a non-event. We had some mildly active seas for a few hours before we got there. After that, we literally had “mill pond” conditions, for almost all of a direct route to our anchorage in El Salvador. The winds apparently started to blow again on Tuesday, the 26th, but we were well through it by that time. <br />
<br />
The first morning, I brought a small striped marlin to the boat. (No picture. Mike slept through bringing the engine to idle and me yelling loudly from the cockpit). I had just grabbed him by the bill when the hook shook out, so I just let him go. For the next two days, we hooked up with 5 other marlin and one sail fish, but were unable to bring any aboard. (We would have released them, anyway). We did catch one nice, but small, yellowfin tuna that provided us with several great meals, however. That fishing result, by the way, is consistent with our experience when Paul and I travelled this part of the world. It’s very difficult to get a good hookup on a jig when your travelling along with the rods unattended. You get hit. Sometimes they stay on for a while. But, you lose most of them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHe2lW96q7U47dpLK5RZGFCh-xTlcTHgop5sEN9Q-akHfKlGmLCpEMIEV_RBesQT0t9skL2OZj-wtaHtBcVc9J_VjrlWdSdjGKUMPm3nTpBvFmLH6c_k60bZaxuFSa5Ei_-NsnKcRME88/s1600/CIMG2902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHe2lW96q7U47dpLK5RZGFCh-xTlcTHgop5sEN9Q-akHfKlGmLCpEMIEV_RBesQT0t9skL2OZj-wtaHtBcVc9J_VjrlWdSdjGKUMPm3nTpBvFmLH6c_k60bZaxuFSa5Ei_-NsnKcRME88/s400/CIMG2902.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUd6ctQI5xv5Li-34fYX4_qZuVk0x0Fgq_S9lxmj8LuZN_tC9X_Ccy-R8BOPKNmoNX2GB4y9en7kRg_2rF8jlm-Sc_I2_yjmUm7ArSdjQQeVu0PUfamxeh7OKjqux-mw1VTMM57AuL8NPU/s1600/CIMG2903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUd6ctQI5xv5Li-34fYX4_qZuVk0x0Fgq_S9lxmj8LuZN_tC9X_Ccy-R8BOPKNmoNX2GB4y9en7kRg_2rF8jlm-Sc_I2_yjmUm7ArSdjQQeVu0PUfamxeh7OKjqux-mw1VTMM57AuL8NPU/s400/CIMG2903.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>I have no idea how many dolphins and sea turtles we saw on this trip. Certainly hundreds, maybe even thousands. Nonetheless, I don’t think we’ll ever get tired of their company.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2ZVCn5E_Kxgh1hZ1APgKvbQzjj_5SpdhUZlGPpwmMvFb0k1b71nJa26WObzBonPUWWqw8aCBgKMXowWNam5Ehyr0Z2OTX1mQ07FjpvYQv5racLy2gcDzks2_-u3DkhVG_y1fPQOxCDcx/s1600/CIMG2898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2ZVCn5E_Kxgh1hZ1APgKvbQzjj_5SpdhUZlGPpwmMvFb0k1b71nJa26WObzBonPUWWqw8aCBgKMXowWNam5Ehyr0Z2OTX1mQ07FjpvYQv5racLy2gcDzks2_-u3DkhVG_y1fPQOxCDcx/s400/CIMG2898.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Because we had to time our arrival during the morning hours, we needed to average only 5.5 knots speed over the ground. When we had opposing currents, we ran the engine up to as much as 1700 rpm. When the currents or wind was in our favor, we sometimes ran as slow as 1100 rpm and still made, or exceeded, our target speed. The main engine was just sipping fuel. We didn’t have the paravanes in the water after the first night. Fuel consumption would have been very low, except that, without any appreciable wind, we needed to run the generator or it was too hot below to sleep comfortably. <br />
<br />
As we reached the Guatemala border with Mexico, we were approximately 20 miles offshore early in the morning. Suddenly three pangas, with only one person in each, roared across our bow, heading even further offshore. I waved at them, none waved back. One of them passed pretty close and just glared at me when I waved. You can draw your your own conclusions as to their destination and purpose. As we approached our destination in El Salvador, we were still ahead of schedule, so turned offshore toward the edge of the continental shelf and, we hoped, better fishing. That course change was apparently monitored because it was only a short time later that a large aircraft, (I was asleep, but as Mike described it, it may have been a C130), with USA markings and an AWACS dome buzzed the boat only a few feet above the sea, turned around and buzzed us again presumably taking pictures. 'Tis, indeed, a strange world we live in.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday morning, January 26th we reached our destination. Club Marina Barriles is in an estuary about 8 miles inland. To reach it you must cross a bar that has no buoys or markings. When you get about 1 hour from a published rendezvous point, you hail the club on VHF and ask for a “pilot”. By the time we got to the rendezvous, we could see a bare bones panga with two people aboard. They gestured for us to follow them through a very tricky, narrow, opening with breaking surf on either side. After that, we stayed behind them through the estuary channels, which were more than 20 feet deep, all the way to the mooring area. When we got there, the guys on the pilot panga helped us tie up to a mooring ball, then roared off to the dock. Within a couple of minutes, they were back with: a nice lady that spoke excellent English, a representative of the El Salvador Navy, a customs inspector and an immigration official. They came aboard together. The Navy guy made an inspection while the others reviewed our papers. Within 10 minutes they reloaded onto the panga, asking me to join them, bringing both our passports. I was then escorted about 100 yards ashore to an on-site immigration office where they stamped our passports. The whole experience was painless and took only about 20 minutes from start to finish. I wish every country could do it that thoroughly and quickly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBncea-vUg0b2KHmt6pLeqFUGtkTRn8Jx-96pg_S-iPC8_hAq3r2ijN6V3rGAbEABYKhdYvnbTO1gbG2mUPbVzgh4Sk19m3PJpzd4YuCoScq0BGyNebOA0P96LFGNz5M68rSTtBSsn0RB_/s1600/CIMG2922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBncea-vUg0b2KHmt6pLeqFUGtkTRn8Jx-96pg_S-iPC8_hAq3r2ijN6V3rGAbEABYKhdYvnbTO1gbG2mUPbVzgh4Sk19m3PJpzd4YuCoScq0BGyNebOA0P96LFGNz5M68rSTtBSsn0RB_/s400/CIMG2922.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>The rest of Tuesday, we just got acquainted with the club facilities, and re-acquainted with folks that we’d met in Huatulco that had arrived before us. On Wednesday, we did the normal end of trip maintenance and caught up on email at the club house. On Thursday, we tagged along with the two couples sailing on the Mason 43, <em>Sapphire</em>, as they went to San Salvador to make arrangements for a trip they planned to Antigua in Guatemala. <br />
<br />
On Friday, we joined with Brian and Dianne of the DeFever 40, <em>Stettler</em>, on another trip. This time we visited the El Salvador equivalent of Pompeii. Joya de Ceren is a recently excavated Mayan village that was buried in volcanic ash in pre-columbian times. We also went to San Andres, a more classic Mayan ruin nearby. The most interesting stop of the day was to an El Salvadorean military museum, where we got some insight into the army’s take on the civil war. There reportedly is another museum that does the same thing from the Cuban-sponsored rebel perspective. We haven’t gotten there, yet.<br />
<br />
On Saturday, Mike and I took the dinghy apart in what ultimately proved to be one more unsuccessful attempt to stop the air leakage in the floor and starboard tube that has plagued this boat since we got it. Our next dinghy will not depend upon holding air in anything! Sunday and Monday, we just laid back and enjoyed the pleasant location and did minor work on Arcadia I. We also spent some time on <em>Stettler</em>, trying to improve the performance of their air conditioner, with mixed success. On Tuesday, the marina picked Mike up at 4am to take him to the airport and on to Houston, where he has to rejoin the productive world.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday morning, Phyllis arrived. We’ve truly enjoyed a laid back vacation together here in the marina. We do a little work on the boat each day, but mostly we’ve just enjoyed one another’s company in an uncharacteristically quiet environment for us. On Saturday, Bill and Linda Edwards brought the Nordhavn 40, <em>Wayward Wind</em>, into the marina. On Sunday, Phyl and I had the marina’s driver take us on a tour of the coffee country in the mountains nearby. The picture below was taken by a caldera lake in a volcano nearby. Since it was Super Bowl Sunday, we joined other cruisers in the clubhouse. They watched the game, we visited with them and Bill and I smoked some good cigars. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzN9goaENJuhfyJKzcEpkWsYcPltlweTYbAIGpMRTg5O2iPIbfLYEwlQBV7CovAYs4DUFAC591MHWzioxXU30w6eG64AQ15jJsw_xbJBFPgQZxQPPIMr8qFw9IC7lRDeaPc7uFLoealIR/s1600/DSC02885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzN9goaENJuhfyJKzcEpkWsYcPltlweTYbAIGpMRTg5O2iPIbfLYEwlQBV7CovAYs4DUFAC591MHWzioxXU30w6eG64AQ15jJsw_xbJBFPgQZxQPPIMr8qFw9IC7lRDeaPc7uFLoealIR/s400/DSC02885.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Phyl and I are booked to leave here, together, on a flight Wednesday morning, the 10th of February. I’m booked to return on the 20th. While I’m home, I’ll try to round up some friends that want to make the trip on down to Panama with me. Life is good!Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-54459372946170577962010-04-13T16:38:00.000-07:002010-04-13T16:39:27.859-07:00December 20, 2009 La Paz to HuatulcoDanny Long, my brother Paul and I brought the boat down from La Paz over the past 10 days, in generally excellent weather and sea conditions. To continue the chronology where I left off:<br />
<br />
We had a company Christmas party on Friday, December 5th, and a Partner’s meeting on Monday, the 7th. The next day Danny Long and I flew to La Paz. We were met at the airport by “Zeke the Boat Guy”, who had been working on Arcadia I in our absence. He kindly stopped at a supply store on the way to the marina, where we picked up new batteries for the house bank. We installed them, inspected the work he’d done and settled accounts with Zeke. His crew has stripped, sanded and varnished the exterior woodwork, washed and waxed the topsides and built a fish cleaning station for the cockpit. Before he left, Zeke took us to the “Say-Say-Say”, (CCC Supermercado), where we picked up some provisions for the trip. <br />
<br />
On December 9th, we got up early, replaced one of the fuel filters and stowed the boat for sea. We cleared out of Marina Costa Baja by 10am and headed toward Mazatlan, where my brother, Paul, is to join us on the afternoon of the 11th. As we entered the channel, we noticed one of the Dockwise “float on-float off” transports that we plan to use to ship the boat on to Nanaimo in May. We circled it to get a better look before heading off across the Sea of Cortez. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLIoBEKosA_8ZaPrIXp_dTtlxHNEDVNFrGxRTt0MwmszWTbdDmT7M6VSCmWzikou3mnwGaIRjB2-Dvly6mdTgV7rQPWGlyUHWcK79kujlkRv3DZFFBrOQvMS36i0ZTamiWEe7LOERLCBB/s1600/DSC02797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLIoBEKosA_8ZaPrIXp_dTtlxHNEDVNFrGxRTt0MwmszWTbdDmT7M6VSCmWzikou3mnwGaIRjB2-Dvly6mdTgV7rQPWGlyUHWcK79kujlkRv3DZFFBrOQvMS36i0ZTamiWEe7LOERLCBB/s400/DSC02797.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>We had plenty of time to get there, so we throttled back to 5 knots and took the long way around Isla Cerralvo, which should take us to Mazatlan with minimal shipping traffic to contend with. The 9th and 10th of December were devoted to the transit across the Sea of Cortez in nearly ideal conditions. We left the paravanes out of the water until late the 10th, when the wind started kicking up a bit, giving us some 3 foot seas and 9-10 kt wind on the port beam. Along the way we enjoyed numerous encounters with playful dolphin, as is common in these waters.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83So7jfk5yfbRem5MUr4mNhW_uSQMH8nXU4FFv3TIf_kKh4gyd7r2nEZccCddaVKdSomFNjNN8HHFfoxQvzQvEIHPNSh46KvooSd5L6Se-suLhWI3tLOTlHwqrt9AykBr-YiH4MZYS6KK/s1600/DSC02808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83So7jfk5yfbRem5MUr4mNhW_uSQMH8nXU4FFv3TIf_kKh4gyd7r2nEZccCddaVKdSomFNjNN8HHFfoxQvzQvEIHPNSh46KvooSd5L6Se-suLhWI3tLOTlHwqrt9AykBr-YiH4MZYS6KK/s400/DSC02808.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On the 11th, we were coming in to Marina Mazatlan just at daybreak. As soon as we could see to navigate, we entered the marina and tied up. Brother Paul, arrived that afternoon as planned. We’d already paid for a day in the marina so we stayed around for a shore dinner and went to bed early.<br />
<br />
On the 12th, we left Marina Mazatlan in the dark, at 3:45 am, and got underway for Isla Isabella. Along the way Danny and Paul caught a nice dorado and several bonito. <br />
<br />
We arrived at Isla Isabella before dark, after a beautiful sunset and anchored for dinner and some sleep.<br />
<br />
On Sunday, the 13th of December, we pulled anchor at 5:45 am and set course for San Blas. We set our anchor there in Mantanchen Bay before noon. We rigged the dinghy down and ran up on the beach for a shore lunch, then restowed the dinghy and got underway again by 6 pm.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlurYPHpsj-pkvL9t5molPSdUcUxkYjfqO6VXv2FXWQCJ-FRQghydSFKDPCKWEZ7x3B2HRYRzxSla1jjea0Zzmow-MKkO7GqUcEAXa3C5dsue4q6Hx9ZEFC4Fky2MEPR4trXcPQK7EwmJA/s1600/DSC02829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlurYPHpsj-pkvL9t5molPSdUcUxkYjfqO6VXv2FXWQCJ-FRQghydSFKDPCKWEZ7x3B2HRYRzxSla1jjea0Zzmow-MKkO7GqUcEAXa3C5dsue4q6Hx9ZEFC4Fky2MEPR4trXcPQK7EwmJA/s400/DSC02829.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
On the 14th, we rounded Cabo Corrientes at about 6 am. This is has been described as Mexico’s equivalent to Point Conception since it’s a place where two prevalent currents and weather patterns meet, often creating high winds and rough seas. We were glad we had the paravanes out, but the condition were actually pretty mild. After we got around, the seas calmed markedly, however, and we’ve enjoyed virtually mill pond conditions for the rest of the trip. We pulled into Chamela Bay, thinking we’d go ashore for dinner. However, at 7 pm, we couldn’t find a single palapa restaurant open, so we pulled anchor and went on our way.<br />
<br />
The 15th , we motored along under ideal conditions for the whole day. On the afternoon of the 16th, we pulled in to Zihuatenejo, checked in with the Port Captain and tried, unsuccessfully, to buy fishing licenses for Paul and Danny. After a nice lunch, we picked up some ice for the cooler and got underway again. Late that night we passed by Acapulco without stopping. <br />
<br />
We continued our transit through the 17th, without stopping again, until we got to Bahia Chahue in Huatulco. We found the reality of the Santa Cruz/Chahue bays much different than or cruising guide chart showed. After creeping in around some pretty impressive and intimidating shoals, however, we found the channel lights leading to Marina Chahue. We were tied up in the marina by 9:45 pm on the 18th.<br />
<br />
On the 19th and 20th, we’ve spent the days cleaning up the boat and exploring the nice little town of Cruzecita which is a short taxi ride away. We’ll leave Arcadia I here for the holidays, with all three of us flying home tomorrow afternoon, (21st).<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas to All!!Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-4643454331385358902010-04-13T15:45:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:16:59.207-07:00December 6, 2009 Bellingham to La PazAs I left off with my missives, we had stopped at the CA-OR border to get some respite from lumpy seas. That was September 20th. Since that time, we’ve completed that passage, and another. The boat is now in La Paz. On Tuesday, Danny Long and I will fly down to La Paz and get underway for Mazatlan. We plan to pick up my brother, Paul, there and start south. How far we get, before we all go home for Christmas remains to be seen. To continue the chronology from where I left off:<br />
<br />
On Monday, September 21st, Zach left ship’s company. He’d started the trip with enough time to finish it and still get to the first family reunion with Stephanie’s since they’ve been married. With the delays at Bellingham, Neah Bay and here that was no longer true. We were happy that Rudy Prendiz could join us, keeping the total ship’s company at a comfortable watchstanding level of 4. We got underway as soon as Rudy arrived, back on our way at about 6:30 pm.<br />
<br />
Tuesday, the 22nd we were underway all day. With the paravanes down, the ride was not too uncomfortable, although if you canvassed the crew you’d probably get some disagreement with that statement. Rudy caught a couple of nice albacore.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveLGNqbUh3Numbpsg7oVYzzKKMplx6RainSCjZxw3yJejqGUSx_pkfbz2yjUBJbR0BMYVp5EcHERVJ2-9Jo3hDzN3LU2QdWSJYrKW-oiLzN7NzUGoavj9Rm5QAH0LyLauFpv3Ww0cCwTj/s1600/079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveLGNqbUh3Numbpsg7oVYzzKKMplx6RainSCjZxw3yJejqGUSx_pkfbz2yjUBJbR0BMYVp5EcHERVJ2-9Jo3hDzN3LU2QdWSJYrKW-oiLzN7NzUGoavj9Rm5QAH0LyLauFpv3Ww0cCwTj/s640/079.jpg" width="480" wt="true" /></a></div>Wednesday, the 23rd, we passed the Farallon Islands and San Francisco at about 6:30 am. We were 15-20 miles offshore, so we didn’t catch sight of them. We did see several ships on AIS, lining up on the shipping lanes for the Golden Gate, but had no difficulty avoiding them without the need for radio conversation, or even course correction. On advice from the weather router we moved closer to shore, passing only a couple of miles off the Monterrey peninsula.<br />
<br />
On Thursday the 24th, again on advice of the weather router, we shifted course to pass seaward of San Miguel Island, giving Pt. Concepcion a wide berth. Things stayed pretty lumpy until we gained the lee of the island, shielding us from gale force North winds and attendant seas. The seas were essentially flat from that point onward on this passage.<br />
<br />
Daybreak on Friday the 25th found us approaching Catalina Island on the South, or seaward, side. We tucked in closer to drag our lures across the banks there, but didn’t catch anything. At this point, we started to reduce speed somewhat, with the intention of arriving at Ensenada at daybreak on Saturday. We cruised close in to San Clemente Island, just as the sun was setting. Almost immediately after we cleared San Clemente, we encountered significant fog. We navigated under radar, with our foghorn sounding for the remainder of the trip. We made several course changes to avoid AIS and radar targets during the night.<br />
<br />
The very first things visible to the naked eye on the morning of Saturday the 26th were the red and green lights marking the entrance to Coral Marina in Ensenada. I’d manually entered that way point from one of my cruising guides. The chartplotter was showing us aground at that point, but the waypoint proved to be spot on. Phyllis and Will arrived just as we did. Tom Burns, Ray Hofmann and Rudy Prendiz left ship’s company and took a shuttle provided by the Marina to meet my brother, Paul, in San Diego and home from there. I went to town to attend to the Mexican arrival formalities. Unfortunately, Dave and Sally Chambers, the first owners of Arcadia 1, had opened a temporary importation permit on the boat several years ago and had not cleared if when they sold the boat to Dean Philpott. The Mexican customs people needed to close the first one before they could open the first. I got progressively more confusing instructions as to how to do that, all of which required a notarized signature on a document from the Chambers. Since I couldn’t complete the process, we cleaned up the boat and went home on Sunday afternoon. Bad decision! We were crossing the border on Sunday evening, which had us in mostly stop, with very little go, for 2 ½ hours.<br />
<br />
On the 1st of October, I returned to Ensenada armed with a notarized letter from the Chambers empowering me to act on their behalf for any matters relating to Arcadia 1. The whole thing seemed totally redundant to me, and to them, since they don’t own the boat any more and we do. Nonetheless, I’ve learned the folly of getting into battles of wits with unarmed bureaucrats, so we jumped thru the hoop. I had to go to the Mexican DMV and file a “loss” report explaining that the sticker had been destroyed. They gave me a copy of the report, after about 3 hours, which I took back to Customs at the port. After 2 ½ hours watching a very nice customs man practice his duo-digital typing skills, he gave me a cancellation document to take to the adjacent bank window, where it was typed all over again with about the same keyboard skills. I paid for that, and walked the 12 feet back to the Customs window, where he stamped it, then typed out the new Temporary Importation Permit, (known to boaters in Mexico as the TIP). I took this new document back to the bank where it was again re-typed and paid for. Finally, I took the TIP back to the Customs window, he stamped it and the whole process was finally complete. I am now authorized to take the boat anywhere in Mexico for 10 years without doing this again. Hallelujah! I went back home that night, totally exhausted and hadn’t accomplished any work on the boat.<br />
<br />
I came back down to the marina on the 9th and 10th of October to get some work done. I got some minor cleanup done and rebuilt the forward head. UGH.<br />
<br />
The boat was left in the Coral Marina, watched by some friends we’d made on neighboring slips, until the 25th when Phyllis brought me, my neighbor Brian Bumgardner and Mike and Cian O’leary down to get ready, then start down for La Paz. We changed the oil in the main engine, (now at 6540 hours total). Re-provisioned and gave everything a good washdown.<br />
<br />
On Monday, the 26th, we completed provisioning and refueled with 605 gallons, (the first fuel since Bellingham). Phyllis left for home, and we got underway at 3 pm. The weather router told us to expect near gale force winds from the East and deteriorating conditions and he proved right on. By midnight, we were just North of San Quntin, staying pretty close to shore to limit the “fetch” that allows the seas to build. Nonetheless, it was an uncomfortable ride.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, the 27th, we were underway all day in increasingly lumpy seas but no one was sick and with the paravanes down, this crew was actually enjoying the trip. <br />
<br />
At 3:40 am on the 28th, we turned into bahia de Tortugas, (turtle bay), and dropped anchor in the dark. After sleeping in, we moved a little closer to the beach and rigged the dinghy down so we could go ashore. We walked around the surprisingly prosperous little town, (the only road there is unpaved for about 30 miles), and had a nice lobster dinner ashore. When we got back to the boat we changed the oil in the generator. While working on that we noticed a lot of salt crystals on the shaft and around the shaft alley. We determined that to be coming from the manual bilge pump which, with the seas slapping our port side, was backflowing into the bilge. At midnight, we completed taking it apart and cleaning who knows how many years of accumulated salt crystals from the valves and putting it back together. Hopefully, I can avoid that in the future by simply using it occasionally with fresh water in the bilge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjNlak5g6p9ULKjMjkUOSumI_cWvVTTt2wNCnBGeAdkIWLuRwK-CFkzuB0ToMt3InawgYNz3Uo88UoosCzDJBHiaHGrU97beiBkT_qUZTARI4Ly-qPlYYF5e0aGaH6bKhYTx_4vsihObW/s1600/CIMG2666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjNlak5g6p9ULKjMjkUOSumI_cWvVTTt2wNCnBGeAdkIWLuRwK-CFkzuB0ToMt3InawgYNz3Uo88UoosCzDJBHiaHGrU97beiBkT_qUZTARI4Ly-qPlYYF5e0aGaH6bKhYTx_4vsihObW/s400/CIMG2666.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>We left Turtle Bay on Thursday the 29th at 9:00 am. By noon we had three nice yellowfin tuna aboard. As expected, winds built to near gale force from the East during the day but the weather router said conditions would be improving on Friday. Things got a bit rough off Punta Abregos even though we were staying pretty close to shore. The seas weren’t particularly high, but they were confused, making for a rough ride whenever we went offshore to cut across a bight in the land. <br />
<br />
On the 30th, we were still underway all day. Winds abated somewhat and were in single digits by noon. By sunset, the seas were calm.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I0WBsTG6JlJ1dqxU4dhpwdQSQgmSinyy3yuUeAgOP1AjO862ok78XlrZMzTtkHudbbKaEE7lzdDRJgR4t8J1JCSSgMank2gzCRiHgy5X2k9txPsY48NgIJn3OflHGnV4UV-FnnTT-ois/s1600/CIMG2724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I0WBsTG6JlJ1dqxU4dhpwdQSQgmSinyy3yuUeAgOP1AjO862ok78XlrZMzTtkHudbbKaEE7lzdDRJgR4t8J1JCSSgMank2gzCRiHgy5X2k9txPsY48NgIJn3OflHGnV4UV-FnnTT-ois/s640/CIMG2724.JPG" width="480" wt="true" /></a></div>On Saturday the 31st, we were approaching the Morgan Bank by about 9 am and started catching dorado. We dragged lures through the banks we could cross over without zigzagging too much. Final count was three small dorado and one nice-sized one. Freezer is full so we stopped fishing. Seas are now quite calm, so Mike O’leary cooked up a splendid batch of fish for lunch. We rounded the Cape at Finisterra at about 7 pm and kept going.<br />
<br />
On Sunday the 1st of November, we passed thru Canal Lorenzo into La Paz bay at about 3 pm. We entered the long channel to tour La Paz and look at all the marinas. After looking things over, decided to go back to the most expensive one, Costa Baja, because it looked to have better facilities and, most important, it was out of town and we thought security would be better. That was important because we were going to have to leave Arcadia I unattended for extended periods here. We refueled on the way in, and went to town after tying up for a shore dinner to celebrate Cian’s birthday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjUttLfjXXJzczgFTUUG9hr9ERETWub9wyEs3SpKHTuYNaEGV7FBGOtAUvwvZSIY1NkiFmDbsCfTavcpio8ZWTyZJzxKwxvQcQvviUppY52PHdDlZE3075K8G12mi-_xfAAxYPvjGFQNp/s1600/CIMG2759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjUttLfjXXJzczgFTUUG9hr9ERETWub9wyEs3SpKHTuYNaEGV7FBGOtAUvwvZSIY1NkiFmDbsCfTavcpio8ZWTyZJzxKwxvQcQvviUppY52PHdDlZE3075K8G12mi-_xfAAxYPvjGFQNp/s400/CIMG2759.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Monday the 2nd, Brian Bumgardner left ships company, flying out of La Paz to LAX. We rented a car when we took him to the airport.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday the 3rd, Mike and Cian O’leary left ship’s company. We drove them to Los Cabos airport. Good roads! Much better than I remembered them. We drove down the West road, through the mountains. I drove back up the East side, through Espiritu Santo. Much better road through the mountains, much of it is divided 4 lane highway. I was back at the boat before dark.<br />
<br />
Wednesday the 4th and Thursday the 5th, I stayed aboard for cleanup and minor projects. Authorized “Zeke the Boat Guy” to get some minor repairs done to the upholstery and to strip, sand and varnish the exterior woodwork. <br />
<br />
I left to come home on Friday the 5th, taking a three leg flight through Mexico City, then back to Cabo, then to San Diego. It took all day, but the price was right and nothing else worked from La Paz.<br />
<br />
On Friday the 20th of November, Phyllis, Willie, Zach, Stephanie, Autumn, (the dog), and I, started driving down to La Paz. We left early made it to Guerrero Negro that night. It was a long, but uneventful day. We resumed our travels on Saturday, arriving at the boat about 7:30 pm to sleep aboard.<br />
<br />
Sunday, the 22nd, Larry and Zach replaced the handrails on the stripped and partially sanded rail while Phyl and Stephanie cleaned and re-provisioned the boat. Zeke brought the cushions back in the afternoon and we shoved off for Espiritu Santo Island, anchoring by ourselves in El Meztino cove. Had a pretty rough night with a strong westerly coming in right after dark that disturbed our sleep.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJs5IritoEI4clRnNMA0oNTt4n7CaBUR8K0_sCt8b_IQsz1DnWL-P2bcRdbsZYmOdY3G0i4O3arnYuURxWu2sy8KGVktb7fmZX16g2btu3qKo6pqqjhjtZzptkk5iaCQWjrTQwPumTlN0/s1600/DSC02738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJs5IritoEI4clRnNMA0oNTt4n7CaBUR8K0_sCt8b_IQsz1DnWL-P2bcRdbsZYmOdY3G0i4O3arnYuURxWu2sy8KGVktb7fmZX16g2btu3qKo6pqqjhjtZzptkk5iaCQWjrTQwPumTlN0/s400/DSC02738.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Monday, the 23rd, we moved up to Cardonal cove. The wind was still strong but had shifted to northerly, rendering fishing in open water uncomfortable. We rigged the dinghy down and cruised around in the shelter of the cove. Zach and Steph did some snorkeling. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghi0kUtR261waoMkkEayLtpLAIuXq8-mvaC95TcQZie6hW8BwK2yozzQaUH829Qz_E1znvsy_E4z6I3rOW4BoBVG5Md1CnjzEm_xSlyzwLYqS8UGs9SxNlQh3WtiO3VJV6vaMGE8Ex6yGY/s1600/DSC02788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghi0kUtR261waoMkkEayLtpLAIuXq8-mvaC95TcQZie6hW8BwK2yozzQaUH829Qz_E1znvsy_E4z6I3rOW4BoBVG5Md1CnjzEm_xSlyzwLYqS8UGs9SxNlQh3WtiO3VJV6vaMGE8Ex6yGY/s400/DSC02788.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>We remained in Cardonal cove until 8:30 Wednesday when we picked up with the intent of fishing but the winds were still high enough and had been blowing long enough from the north that we decided to get in the lee of small islands and make our way leisurely back to La Paz. We were back in our slip by noon.<br />
<br />
Thursday morning I met with Zeke to arrange for completion of the varnish work and procurement of new house batteries. The old ones are shot, forcing us to run the generator way too much. By noon, we were on our way home. We stopped in Loreto Thursday night, San Quintin on Friday night and were back home by mid-afternoon on Friday the 27th.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-6306824117647517152010-04-13T15:18:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:15:21.218-07:00September 20, 2009 Inside to BellinghamMy apologies to all for the extended interval between updates. Very little of the time since my last report has been spent cruising.<br />
<br />
<br />
As I left off, on August 22nd, we had just transited the Queen Charlotte strait, with our non stop transit from Alaska to Washington nearly completed.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCqOlv3cELtvnLS8kRv7wyrCL95f1ai2B3RJr0_CNt9F027b3NKpz6HfRjk09KA-fIQCTbTNYeO3UdWEW0E5z8iOSVD9D2iSbgSGeuACG_1PubaPw8-uTZI3uhqEsgMRL1yzApS4kG8y0/s1600/DSC02679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCqOlv3cELtvnLS8kRv7wyrCL95f1ai2B3RJr0_CNt9F027b3NKpz6HfRjk09KA-fIQCTbTNYeO3UdWEW0E5z8iOSVD9D2iSbgSGeuACG_1PubaPw8-uTZI3uhqEsgMRL1yzApS4kG8y0/s400/DSC02679.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a>Early on the 23rd, we entered Discovery Passage, which separates Quadra Island from the NE side of Vancouver Island. The tidal flows in this region are truly impressive. Just before daylight, I heard Ron Fawcett give a loud “eehah” as Arcadia 1 reached 18 knots speed over ground, far surpassing my earlier record of a measly 12.5 knots. Our speed through the water was still only 7.5 knots, the rest was due to tidal flow. Earlier that night, I actually got turned back at the Race Passage in Johnstone Strait. The current was too high, and the flows too turbulent for me to make any controlled headway. We waited an hour or so upstream, then went through without incident. Remember, all of this took place in the dark! Exciting! While I never felt in any real danger, I don’t think I’ll plan another trip that takes me through Campbell River or Bella Bella in the dark, again.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">About 1800, we crossed into U.S. waters just below Vancouver. It was nearly midnight by the time we made our way to a guest slip in Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham Bay. At that point, we’d covered 593 “plan” miles on 84 engine hours. Early on, we ran at 1800 rpm, later we got a bit more impatient and started running at ~1900 rpm. According to our chartplotter, our average speed over ground was 7.05 kts. When I refilled the tanks, later, I think I got back to where we were when we started with 260 gallons. Fuel consumption and speed/rpm values are slightly better than the published curves for the Nordhavn 46. Not bad for an old gal with ~7000 hours of sailing under her keel.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Monday the 24th, I went around the harbor to make arrangements to have the transmission seal repaired and the boat hauled.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Tuesday the 25th, was pretty well lost to the logistics of recovering the Land Cruiser from the parking lot at SeaTac. Phyl and Will went to visit family. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Wednesday the 26th, Arcadia 1 went on the hard. Except for a broken plastic fairing around one of the transducers, there were no surprises. The hull was remarkably clean with most of the top coat of anti-foul paint still there. The zinc anodes had, of course, reached the end of life, (moored next to aluminum boats for a 1 ½ year period), but were still there and working.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk81-BF1LZkO0gdHx_3QIiCg3JTtTp3oyB0TW0KpLk5Mkw-bQttXX_IP1V0CxUFCfVaQt95lcWlItrggNm-kops_G_h9cfxCnAndgTr8U2KLM8L7TgWdgQXPZc7AjdjGoZvE08dVJkWDSw/s1600/DSC02694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk81-BF1LZkO0gdHx_3QIiCg3JTtTp3oyB0TW0KpLk5Mkw-bQttXX_IP1V0CxUFCfVaQt95lcWlItrggNm-kops_G_h9cfxCnAndgTr8U2KLM8L7TgWdgQXPZc7AjdjGoZvE08dVJkWDSw/s640/DSC02694.JPG" width="427" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">26 August to 8 September, Arcadia 1 remained on the hard stand. I won’t bore everyone with all the details and frustrations living on “marina time” while trying to get work done on the boat. The transmission seal replacement was supposed to be the critical path item, and it was. There was a three day weekend in the period, during which nothing was done. The work done during the yard period included:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGIALN6DQERhSVP-hWsl1kRhUU73GqUtYhVnQ8_k0qwRpgsFS9YVVmwGGhAqaI2kN1UelusPUTgKY2DOjNJ2iybJu7V0ljG0CPDMVJhV0T5HGaLdOc1kElp_vve0syCT6Jbd9nFIjfFwB/s1600/DSC02703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGIALN6DQERhSVP-hWsl1kRhUU73GqUtYhVnQ8_k0qwRpgsFS9YVVmwGGhAqaI2kN1UelusPUTgKY2DOjNJ2iybJu7V0ljG0CPDMVJhV0T5HGaLdOc1kElp_vve0syCT6Jbd9nFIjfFwB/s640/DSC02703.JPG" width="427" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Removing transmission for seal and bearing replacement, inspecting and reinstalling.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Repairing the transducer fairing.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Replacing all the zinc anodes.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pulling the propeller and shaft, checking shaft for true, (It was), and truing and polishing the propeller.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Replacing the propeller shaft cutless bearing and installing new shaft packing.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Replacing all three bearings on the rudder shaft.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Changing the hailing port to Juneau.</div>Topcoat of antifouling bottom paint.<br />
Touchup of various dings, rubs and scratches on the rest of the hull paint.<br />
<br />
I thought I’d found a good electronics guru, that could clean up the several issues we’d found to date. I also wanted to install AIS (Automatic Identification System), that will let us see the name, course and speed of ships we encounter. Jerry proved to be a will of the wisp, easily distracted and solving none of the long-standing electronic problems. However, he did get the AIS installed and it works great. Unfortunately, even with a new computer, the Nobeltec chartplotter still locks up periodically and the Northstar chartplotter still loses track of the detailed charts regularly. That’s not life threatening at 7 knots, especially since Jerry couldn’t get the chartplotter to talk to the autopilot, anyway.<br />
<br />
Phyl bought 3 adult and 1 child immersion suits. Zach and I found another never-used adult immersion suit in a marine salvage store. I also got the life raft re-packed and re-certified. We’re now ready to abandon ship in cold water, if the need arises.<br />
<br />
On the 8th of September, we were scheduled to be in the water again by 1000 because a technician was coming up from Seattle to re-commission the water maker. The last thing was to install the rudder, and I noticed that it was really hard to swing. At that point, we noticed that the lower shaft extension is not in exactly the same plane as the upper one, and thought we had a major problem. We put the boat back in the water next to the boat yard, with a wooden dowel in the packing gland, knowing we’d have to haul her out again the next day. <br />
<br />
One of the bright spots of the whole experience has been the watermaker. The first owner had reportedly followed all the procedures for extended layup of the system, about 3 years ago. Dean had not needed it, so nothing had been done with it since. The technician, (large but remarkably limber man that got in and out of the forward port corner of the engine room with surprising ease), fixed a handful of leaks, sent me to the hardware store for some stuff, then powered up the system. It was making good water within 10 minutes. We’ve been using it on the trip south. Just turn it on and good water goes into the tank. <br />
<br />
On the 9th of September we hauled the boat again, staying on the slings while we re-installed the rudder. This time, I noticed a triangular tear in the cutless bearing that supports the rudder shaft as it enters the hull. We trimmed the errant piece and, behold! The rudder went full stroke, both ways, with one finger pressure! The two shafts may not be aligned, but it’s been that way forever and seems to be of no operational significance. We were back in the water by 2 pm.<br />
<br />
On the 10th Zach rejoined ship’s company. We spent that day and the next cleaning up the accumulated grime and disorder from the trip down and the yard work. We also cleaned the bilge, now that we can expect to be oil-free.<br />
<br />
On the 12th, Ray Hofmann and Tom Burns joined ships company and Jerry, (the electronics guru), spent the day putting in the AIS and trying to solve the data collision that causes the computer to lock up. In fairness, he thought he had when he left. It was hours later before it locked up again. At 2330, he left the boat and we got underway to go south. However, we hadn’t gotten more than a few hundred yards outside the harbor before it was apparent that the transmission clutches were not fully locking up. It had maneuvered around the harbor well enough, but as soon as the oil warmed up it wouldn’t even turn the shaft. We returned to the harbor on the wing engine.<br />
<br />
On Sunday, the 13th, I contacted the owner of Tri County Marine and told them what had happened. He was on the boat all that afternoon trying to get the actuating oil pressure from 30 psi up to its normal 300 psi. No joy!<br />
<br />
Monday the 14th, it was apparent that the transmission had to come out. It was gone by 10 am and back by 5 pm. The technician that had assembled it , (last thing on Friday before the three day weekend), had left an O-ring out. We did a sea trial and that issue was down the “done hole”. Unfortunately, by then we’d lost our weather window. We decided to move out to Neah Bay, at the seaward end of the Straits of Juan de Fuca, to wait for the right opening. We left Bellingham at 1730. By midnight we were transiting the strait. The AIS worked really well. In this really busy shipping area we could see literally dozens of ships coming and going. It was really nice to have a little triangle and predictor arrow in the screen for each of them and to be able to simply click on them to see what the closest point of approach would be and when it would happen.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, the 15th we entered Neah Bay. We anchored within sight of Hale Kai a Nordhavn 40 that we talked with on the radio for the next few days, until they crossed the Columbia River Bar and we went on.<br />
<br />
The weather report wasn’t wonderful as we arrived in Neah Bay. Our weather router said it wasn’t likely to get much better before Saturday. Even then, we’d probably have to pull in somewhere along the Oregon coast. We took a slip in the harbor to avoid cabin fever while we waited. Tom toured the town, such as it is, and found a great pizza place for dinner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgJ1IdXDA2pO08vzj7b9I0ZTE6tGq04S5_g7VcHOUbhdoXNwD-qLLAm7JXEYRxxUbywZolzayJylVyvTYi1UWvuK7Koocl1gYru6_iM0iuTeo_wWcJeS6sHS6vO6bcpbQnKE1lewlHdp9/s1600/006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgJ1IdXDA2pO08vzj7b9I0ZTE6tGq04S5_g7VcHOUbhdoXNwD-qLLAm7JXEYRxxUbywZolzayJylVyvTYi1UWvuK7Koocl1gYru6_iM0iuTeo_wWcJeS6sHS6vO6bcpbQnKE1lewlHdp9/s400/006.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Wednesday the 16th, we remained in Neah Bay all day. We did finally work our way through the SIM unlocking issues on the Iridium satellite phone, however, so the day wasn’t completely wasted. After another conference with the weather router, we decided we’d tough out some pretty rough seas and leave the next day.<br />
<br />
On Thursday the 17th, we got underway at 0630, stopped in the outer harbor to rig out the paravanes and stuck our nose out into the Pacific. A bit lumpy, but not too bad. Ray had a nice Coho aboard by 0915. Our friends on Hale Kai and a couple on Eos, a Selene 47, followed a couple of hours behind us. We stayed in tenuous radio contact throughout the day as the sea conditions got progressively unsettled, (confused seas at 8-10’). We rode it in reasonable comfort, maintaining course and holding 1750 rpm. The other two boats changed course and reduced speed to try to improve their ride.<br />
<br />
On Fridiay, we passed Grays Harbor, (Closed) and the Columbia River, (also closed to pleasure craft as we passed, but opened while we were still in radio range, about noon, when Hale Kai and Eos crossed over and went in to their home port, Astoria.. Shortly after that, a Coast Guard cutter placed himself in our path. He interrogated me by radio, but we weren’t boarded.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJX6RvoSIzKPFrF4pFpYaJlGsCpztyo_A2IAkq3HBChpcEnTTIlZvdgMjT7zT-fpXvd1tZ86NhFmwn8r2M_49eQrUQZM6Q8SjOiNELqvodcd2aktWzZXG0GNRhq1oy9cyWJvpQ5JuEK79/s1600/Coast+Guard+Cutter.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJX6RvoSIzKPFrF4pFpYaJlGsCpztyo_A2IAkq3HBChpcEnTTIlZvdgMjT7zT-fpXvd1tZ86NhFmwn8r2M_49eQrUQZM6Q8SjOiNELqvodcd2aktWzZXG0GNRhq1oy9cyWJvpQ5JuEK79/s400/Coast+Guard+Cutter.bmp" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On Saturday, we passed Newport and Coos Bay. At 1230, on advice of our weather router, we shifted our course to run within 5 miles of the coast. As predicted, the wind freshened and shifted from southwest to north. By about 7 pm the seas, while not particularly high, (6-8 ft), were confused and sharply pyramid shaped. The ride was uncomfortable and the winds were forecast to reach gale force by midnight. We thought discretion was the better part of valor and pulled in to the nearest port without a river bar to cross. We’ve spent Sunday doing laundry and regaining land legs. As I write this, we’re thinking we’ll leave again tomorrow, (Monday), morning, but we’ll make that decision after we get another weather report.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-62087996507520617982010-04-13T13:56:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:13:05.132-07:00August 22, 2009 Frederick Sound-Misty FiordsAll,<br />
<br />
It’s been a wonderful 2 ½ weeks since I sent the last update.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As I finished the last report, we were on way back to Auke Bay for another “crew change”. My daughter, Stephanie, her husband, Jason, and kids, James, Jackson and Johnathan, left “ship’s company” the morning of August 8th to return to the real world of Longmont, Colorado. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">That evening, I caught the “blue canoe” (Alaska Marine Highway ferry), with the Land Cruiser. I got off the ferry in Skagway and drove to Whitehorse that evening. The next morning, I started the long drive back to the lower 48 the morning of the 9th and crossed the border in the Okanagan valley the evening of the 10th, just over 1,000 long miles later. After stopping briefly in Omak, WA at Dave and Dawn Hellyer’s, I drove on to a motel near SeaTac. On the 11th, I met Phyl and Will at SeaTac and flew back to Juneau with them. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>On the 12th, Phyl, Will and I bid fond farewell to Auke Bay for the last time this season and started south. We made our way down what has become a well-travelled route for Arcadia 1 to Gambier Bay and for another quiet anchorage in Snug Harbor for the night.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On the 13th, we set off for Petersburg on an extraordinarily calm day. As we approached Portage Bay, we had another of those marvelous encounters with a group of humpback whales. Once again, we motored right among them and shut everything down. In that quiet condition, the whales seem to sense that we’re totally benign to them and either simply go about their business around us, or better, get as curious about us as we are about them. It’s really a special experience! This guy was so close we could literally see down his, (or her), blowhole.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hmWB3FVXIu6_JR8_px9qrwN4RDZFEw5uJfNNFbwShPF9yVr_V-U7eL9HekMPxPqLYzesor-6R2Xg7WzxzbyWegxf8MMy1ZibZnrWDc54KIH_ZDGLAoRNO2N9IO7TNs_bujRY93GQc4WK/s1600/DSC02535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hmWB3FVXIu6_JR8_px9qrwN4RDZFEw5uJfNNFbwShPF9yVr_V-U7eL9HekMPxPqLYzesor-6R2Xg7WzxzbyWegxf8MMy1ZibZnrWDc54KIH_ZDGLAoRNO2N9IO7TNs_bujRY93GQc4WK/s400/DSC02535.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">By about 5 pm, we were once again in Petersburg’s North Harbor, comfortably tied to a guest slip.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On the 14th, we continued down picturesque, but heavily travelled, Wrangell Narrows and ended our day with our first visit to Wrangell. We tied up at a guest slip on the city float there that evening and took a walk around town, did laundry and treated ourselves to a nice dinner ashore. </div><br />
On the 15th, we set out for Misty Fiords on a calm, but foggy and rainy day. By 6:30 pm that evening, the rain stopped as we tied up to a Forest Service float in pretty Helm Bay. We moved the lawn chairs onto the dock so Will could fish, to no avail, and Phyl and I could simply enjoy the beautiful setting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjTkZmu6se9q8NxSwTA-PPUAr_lYKvme8d0PE2gaC73wZUKpfT70sCKLAr8pUAbDt-cbLYSE1KYOkg0juZ5SsG-ynFvM0OYz04NyCQJ5Xw1UMZ_Y34TsNeUpTwEHGBThVXvwx8qICfhH1/s1600/DSC02548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjTkZmu6se9q8NxSwTA-PPUAr_lYKvme8d0PE2gaC73wZUKpfT70sCKLAr8pUAbDt-cbLYSE1KYOkg0juZ5SsG-ynFvM0OYz04NyCQJ5Xw1UMZ_Y34TsNeUpTwEHGBThVXvwx8qICfhH1/s400/DSC02548.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>The next day, the 16th, we again started off in fog and rain to round the corner and start South on Behm Canal. We tied up this time, mid-afternoon, to a forest service anchor buoy in Bailey Bay. Phyl and I deployed the dinghy and we all set out to see if we could enjoy the hot springs reputed to be nearby. We hiked up a nice trail, meeting some other folks that gave us directions to a nice canoe that the Forest Service had spotted on Lake Shelokum. After finding the canoe, we paddled a mile or so to the head of the lake. We never did find the hot springs, but had a wonderful, if a bit wet and chilly, afternoon of good exercise before returning to the boat before dark.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-_DqeovZU0idUj498L92K85fcK0EmP_W4Y3Y5CSsZEVaaNNubVEHJGWvMyi_VVU269r5vyWsWgxcjhsZydk3fhGOXbuOq7_VcJaZJ5dtRMjCako-i2MPJLHpcQlQuAQlDIr_wrde1RR1/s1600/DSC02551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-_DqeovZU0idUj498L92K85fcK0EmP_W4Y3Y5CSsZEVaaNNubVEHJGWvMyi_VVU269r5vyWsWgxcjhsZydk3fhGOXbuOq7_VcJaZJ5dtRMjCako-i2MPJLHpcQlQuAQlDIr_wrde1RR1/s400/DSC02551.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On the 17th, we went into Walker Cove, one of the beautiful fiords that Misty Fiords is known for. This fiord was marked by literally hundreds of waterfalls coming down very steep and tall granite sides. And, as the name implies, misty conditions. As always, pictures fail to do justice to great panoramic views such as these.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWpnO6eOyztkSPLsx7JKB8m2gRVl8oHK0kgqj3xRshaLEGuKzLzgu37nYFZ92TDFZbDNlsSzBnLKlHJeP3_I14b72PAUZ86apT_TgAHJnZV4TewVmdks6JpZGQ2tsY12kscaKVa00y1MZ/s1600/DSC02561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWpnO6eOyztkSPLsx7JKB8m2gRVl8oHK0kgqj3xRshaLEGuKzLzgu37nYFZ92TDFZbDNlsSzBnLKlHJeP3_I14b72PAUZ86apT_TgAHJnZV4TewVmdks6JpZGQ2tsY12kscaKVa00y1MZ/s400/DSC02561.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>We spent nearly the whole day in Walker Cove, then motored across Behm canal to a nice quiet anchorage in Manzanita Bay.<br />
<br />
On the 18th, we toured nearly all the arms of Rudyard Bay. This is the most visited of the fiords in this national monument. The views are, indeed awe-inspiring.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHYQNiqZXBxWhykiiO9FT_QDhfjudfs4F7jyj9Sknc6XsYJSrTGBJzKu-TlOaCl0YxhwpaUaImuinoGDF6r8ewghi8HqZNDBELv9A3OpASCEcjfMcjtlco-aiSc1_pS7HnomMK4HyjsYV/s1600/DSC02658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHYQNiqZXBxWhykiiO9FT_QDhfjudfs4F7jyj9Sknc6XsYJSrTGBJzKu-TlOaCl0YxhwpaUaImuinoGDF6r8ewghi8HqZNDBELv9A3OpASCEcjfMcjtlco-aiSc1_pS7HnomMK4HyjsYV/s400/DSC02658.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>As a small pod of orcas bade us farewell, we left Rudyard Bay by noon and were in Ketchikan by early that evening. <br />
<br />
Consistent with our experience all during our stay in Alaska, we simply raised the city harbormaster on VHF channel 16 when within ½ hour of arriving in town. As always, we were greeted by a friendly voice that directed us to a nice slip with all the amenities. In the case of Ketchikan, the ramp from the float led almost directly into the parking lot of a shopping center, this one with a full-sized Safeway store.<br />
<br />
On the 19th, we spent the day provisioning the boat for the trip south and doing small projects on the boat. (If you don’t want small projects, don’t buy a boat.)<br />
<br />
On the 20th, we topped off with 350 gallons of fuel, then picked up Ron Fawcett at the dock at the airport, (It’s across Tongass Narrows from Ketchikan). The weather reports showed a pretty good weather window for Dixon Entrance that evening, with deteriorating conditions thereafter, so we immediately got underway for the trip south. The Dixon crossing was uneventful and crossed into Canada by 7:30 that evening. Our intent is not to stop in Canada, so we didn’t clear customs in either country at this end and shouldn’t have to do it in Bellingham, either. Arcadia 1 has a full suite of electronics, with two independent chartplotters an two independent radars. Over the summer, we’ve developed confidence in the equipment and our ability to use it. Nonetheless, the first night of travel down narrow fiords, without a light to be seen outside was, to say the least, discomforting, even though we proceeded on course all night without incident. By midnight, we were in Chatham Sound.<br />
<br />
The 21st was spent in non-stop travel along the inside passage, by midnight we were threading our way through Bella Bella. Even a small town like this has enough city lights to make navigation confusing and the channel makes several turns marked only dimly with navigation lights. During this part of the trip we met two tugs with large barges in tow and some kind of large ship. Harrowing is the best description of the 3 hours or so that it took to get through here and safely into the relatively broad reaches of Fitzhugh Sound.<br />
<br />
Today, (the 22nd), we passed through Queen Charlotte Sound without incident. As with everyone that makes this trip, we’d looked forward to this part with some trepidation, since it is exposed to open ocean conditions. We did, indeed, experience 10-15 foot quartering seas and relatively high winds. However, we’d set the paravane stabilizers and Arcadia I rode it beautifully. Phyllis, especially, had been fearful of being seasick on this segment. However, only Will experienced any seasickness and it only lasted for a few minutes, (and one plastic bag), before he was back watching his movie as if nothing had happened at all. We cleared Pine Island light at 10:30 am at low slack tide. As this is written, we are travelling along the inside of Vancouver Island in extraordinarily calm seas. Phyllis has a king salmon in the oven and we’re looking forward to another night underway. Life is good!!Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-36430973402026860072010-04-13T12:43:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:11:59.842-07:00August 7, 2009 Red Bluff and TracyAs this adventure continues to unfold, I seem to write these a bit less often. I hope any of you that might be concerned about our safety are getting the “Spot” messages. I’m sending them each day that we move. I try to send one about noon and again when we shut down for the night. On the rare day that we stay in the same location all day, you probably won’t see one, (that would just put two “thumbtacks” on the map in the same place. I know that doesn’t say “I’m OK” on those days, However, the last mark was usually in a secure anchorage or harbor, so you can assume all is still well.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As I left this chronicle off, I was in Petersburg awaiting Zach’s return on the “slow ferry”. As it turns out, that particular ferry was really slow. Upon hearing that its departure was going to be considerably delayed, Zach decided to fly down from Juneau. He actually arrived a bit earlier than expected on the 27th. However, the ferry he was supposed to take didn’t actually leave Auke Bay until after we got back to Juneau. I cooked up some really excellent, (if I do say so, myselt) crab cakes before we left. I wish I could tell you I caught the crabs, but they were sort of barter payment from a fisherman in the next slip that borrowed movies to watch.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Shortly after Zach got back to Petersburg, early the afternoon of the 27th, we got underway. We stopped to catch about 30 herring by the cannery so we’d have some bait, then made for Portage Bay. We fished in 50-100 feet of water over the shelf that forms the bar at the mouth of Portage Bay, where Zach caught a couple of nice halibut of manageable size. I caught a couple of really ugly rockfish that we let go. We anchored for the evening in Portage Bay and ate 1 of the 4 filets, (halibut are like tuna, you get a 2 nice filets on each side). The rest we put in the freezer.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhL8CWjPMkiw_QWUBR_DLU6W6CW2Do-uoc88x8dRbb2MEPpCUk2BOeCxJ3aB9PAyIoQDTa0mNoKsi6n8llikrtui3bQO_jwNZcBZ86ocuEaWgPQsMehu3lf874_u0KsbW3tV8qiGL2tZm/s1600/DSC02400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhL8CWjPMkiw_QWUBR_DLU6W6CW2Do-uoc88x8dRbb2MEPpCUk2BOeCxJ3aB9PAyIoQDTa0mNoKsi6n8llikrtui3bQO_jwNZcBZ86ocuEaWgPQsMehu3lf874_u0KsbW3tV8qiGL2tZm/s400/DSC02400.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a>On the 28th, we fished for a short while as we left Portage Bay, but the tide conditions were different and all we caught was a sculpin, so we moved on up, across Frederick Sound, to Pybus Bay, where we’d left our crab and shrimp pots. We located the crab pot without difficulty. The bait was gone, totally cleaned out, but no crabs. I’m glad we’re not trying to feed ourselves on crab we catch ourselves. We went to where we’d set the shrimp pot, but the tide was running pretty strong, pulling the float under. We stayed, once again, in Cannery Cove. <br />
<br />
On the morning of the 29th, with a flat sea and at slack tide, we had no difficulty finding the shrimp pot. Our luck with it was exactly the same as with the crab pot. No bait and no catch. After stowing it aboard, we set course for a new anchorage. We went SW on Frederick Sound, rounding the southern end of Admiralty Island, then turned North on Chatham Strait. Since our intended anchorage was a short day’s trip, we fished a lot along the way. Zach caught several small fish, but we didn’t think they’d be an improvement on the halibut and salmon we already had in the refrigerator, so we let all but the little ones, (bait), go. That evening we anchored in Cosmos Cove on Baranof Island. Nice quiet and secure anchorage with, as usual, a great background of snow capped mountains.<br />
<br />
On the 30th, we made the day traveling up the east coast of Baranoff Island. At one point, we saw the spouts of as many as 30 whales at once. The were just feeding along. As we got to the entrance to Tenakee Inlet, we stopped to fish a bit. Zach caught another halibut. I’d harpooned it and we’d left it over the side to bleed out. Unfortunately, I miscalculated how well the harpoon head would hold a dead fish. The harpoon head worked its way through the fish and it sank to the bottom. The crabs got the benefit of that one.<br />
<br />
On the 31st, we got up early and made for Auke Bay. Just before we got there, we again encountered a large group of whales engaged in the cooperative feeding activity the locals call “bubble feeding”, that we saw not far from this same location when Sam Floyd, Phyl and Will were aboard. This time, visibility was reduced by the large number of whale watching tour boats, so we went on our way.<br />
<br />
On the 1st, Zach caught an early morning flight home. Lat that evening, my daughter, Stephanie, her husband Jason and their boys, James, Jackson and Jonathan joined “ships company”.<br />
<br />
On the 2nd, Arcadia 1 set off again with new eyes aboard to see the wonders of Alaska. We had originally planned to leave the next day, but decided late that we’d rather spend the night in Taku harbor to get an early start for Tracy arm on the 3rd. We made a relatively late mooring to the Taku Harbor public float. The transit was marked only by a number of whales at a distance.<br />
<br />
On the 3rd, we got up relatively early and made for Tracy Arm. This time, the weather was glorious and we made it right up to as close as I would have hoped to the glacier. Larry Asmus, please note the ALYC burgee, properly displayed, with Sawyer glacier in the background. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgk_DTni4GrZgeO5KP_zzju_5pF4DCdYrtRlNBqyzLaVgmUUXQXkndWAQhFNDa56SJ3-e-jElYMhmLaFPOPH-snb6HRgP21hNwEPvP61u3DdJ-CaIIN0iQdw67EFoT4c9R6sVUkpwAzQ_r/s1600/DSC02416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgk_DTni4GrZgeO5KP_zzju_5pF4DCdYrtRlNBqyzLaVgmUUXQXkndWAQhFNDa56SJ3-e-jElYMhmLaFPOPH-snb6HRgP21hNwEPvP61u3DdJ-CaIIN0iQdw67EFoT4c9R6sVUkpwAzQ_r/s400/DSC02416.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>We had a wonderful trip up and down Tracy Arm, admiring God’s own sculptures in ice and stone. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxKu7SwsSzRceVkTdIcOJWCrTK5BlwZUKeJA1PRfkSfv-1xeFH4u-CV0_i567yVOd24h1efAavO7ZbN9frq_UGrCDBmmsUh8HuJW7VebN2yUhpRKs3LYWEZjve0x3EZXxhJro0-YqHr_Y/s1600/DSC02415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYxKu7SwsSzRceVkTdIcOJWCrTK5BlwZUKeJA1PRfkSfv-1xeFH4u-CV0_i567yVOd24h1efAavO7ZbN9frq_UGrCDBmmsUh8HuJW7VebN2yUhpRKs3LYWEZjve0x3EZXxhJro0-YqHr_Y/s400/DSC02415.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>We stayed a bit longer than intended, so made a late anchorage, once again, at Snug Harbor in Gambier Bay. There must be a number of forest fires somewhere, there’s a lot of smoke haze in the air. The result was a beautiful red moon that evening. We tried to take pictures of it, but they came out as nothing but an inexplicable orange dot in an otherwise perfectly black background.<br />
<br />
On the 4th, we made a relatively early start. Just to get the day started right, Jason caught a nice halibut, his first. Our course was set for Red Bluff Bay, new to us but well recommended by some folks I met in Auke Bay. The transit was across perfectly glassy seas. The smoke, while still present, was much reduced from the day before. Along the way, we diverted for a very close encounter with perhaps 15 large humpbacks. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0YECKBt1MRalaPKQQONyd_4231Ohp9-U7b7wHGpHEvOcly3mzo566SK2HM0-IZatuSJwDknXNqvL8IRSYxXTIqzFpvgMdG5DzRTUXWZUgQkg_WoQEobfgy7ZzNHFkgnHIx7y54rGz_YQk/s1600/DSC02432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0YECKBt1MRalaPKQQONyd_4231Ohp9-U7b7wHGpHEvOcly3mzo566SK2HM0-IZatuSJwDknXNqvL8IRSYxXTIqzFpvgMdG5DzRTUXWZUgQkg_WoQEobfgy7ZzNHFkgnHIx7y54rGz_YQk/s400/DSC02432.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>We shut down the engine and generator, and just sat quietly as they swam toward us, then watched as they fed seemingly unconcerned that we were there. We had whales within 100 yds of us for more than an hour, showing only the broad expanse of their back and their flukes as they fed quietly. We watched one whale make a circle of bubbles right off our stern, then swim up the center of it to feed. It all seemed so effortless to these big old boys. The seas were so flat that at one point a single engine float plane landed about ½ mile from us to watch, too, (This is a large expanse of open water that is normally too rough for them). <br />
<br />
We made anchorage in Red Bluff Bay in the early evening. It is, indeed a beautiful place. We deployed the dinghy in preparation for the next day’s explorations, and set the shrimp pot in hopes of better luck.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwFuvA3iX3V4EJ9qQtM_7Wut2xaTrejw8dh14oKaici_6OhytEWKG6hOLl7CNS64f-PmIE7Ha7qh0nD63bUkjmDxoIFelZ_Fgk56LEtFR7fx9L3_AbL2TAflBtwLjHOCodIH2jCh0_rjE/s1600/DSC02444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwFuvA3iX3V4EJ9qQtM_7Wut2xaTrejw8dh14oKaici_6OhytEWKG6hOLl7CNS64f-PmIE7Ha7qh0nD63bUkjmDxoIFelZ_Fgk56LEtFR7fx9L3_AbL2TAflBtwLjHOCodIH2jCh0_rjE/s400/DSC02444.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On the 5th, we made fairly constant dinghy forays, including one with my grandson, James, in which he got to drive the dinghy for the first time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKL2xm9lJwREC-b8vK5AQCaT88xSGTLEKrMC27hmj-tElvHcvLcrXb_bgiWJfxdCceV-5qTxn41LG_0wFYvx9_sZGLWxfoXhzxdGL9QePpnvkBR7uU2bxf6Xe3UyGA8spDwR9656V-shxE/s1600/DSC02446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKL2xm9lJwREC-b8vK5AQCaT88xSGTLEKrMC27hmj-tElvHcvLcrXb_bgiWJfxdCceV-5qTxn41LG_0wFYvx9_sZGLWxfoXhzxdGL9QePpnvkBR7uU2bxf6Xe3UyGA8spDwR9656V-shxE/s400/DSC02446.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div> There is a nice little trout stream at the head of the bay. I was tempted, but didn’t try my flyfishing techniques, since this is, seriously, big brown bear country. Mostly, we simply enjoyed this, the prettiest place yet. There are huge mountains all around, many small waterfalls and one very large and tall cascade. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqSE0pazQsiGfuwEgUuOoPm-mX5TkCLHh6k0cxlLCAGrAXAUS40isXMjy2j0MmUwQvjDLgOKTz4lQCwl_e4NZZjl5aRtmsZHl077LLF7kDJqLuo9kOUa38gj4kX8ZJ7y0rXZu1MMU9d8m/s1600/DSC02440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqSE0pazQsiGfuwEgUuOoPm-mX5TkCLHh6k0cxlLCAGrAXAUS40isXMjy2j0MmUwQvjDLgOKTz4lQCwl_e4NZZjl5aRtmsZHl077LLF7kDJqLuo9kOUa38gj4kX8ZJ7y0rXZu1MMU9d8m/s640/DSC02440.JPG" width="427" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
On the 6th, (today), we hoisted the anchor and made for the shrimp pot. Ah! Success at last. We had 15 nice shrimp in it this time. We’d put a lot of bait in and much of it was still there. If we could have left it another day, I’m sure we’d have caught even more.<br />
<br />
As I write this, we’ve just past Peril Strait, travelling up Chatham Straits.(It’s amazing to me, but we have cell coverage and I may actually get this sent out as we travel). We’re on our way back to Juneau to put Steph, Jason and the boys on their plane home early day after tomorrow. We plan to stay tonight in Tenakee Inlet, since we haven’t found another place from which to get back to Auke Bay tomorrow in time to hope for a decent slip.<br />
<br />
So long, for now.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-43484980854143033602010-04-13T11:41:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:06:57.169-07:00July 26, 2009 Tracy ArmAs I left off the last update, on the 18th, my brother, Paul, had just left and my son Zach and daughter-in-law, Stephanie were on the way.<br />
<br />
<br />
On the 19th, under cloudy skies and a bit of rain, we left Auke Bay for some fishing along the west coast of Douglas Island. We fished along right where Paul and I caught several king salmon the day before, but had no such luck this time. Puttered along in likely spots at 2 kts on the wing engine, (we can’t go quite slow enough to troll for salmon on the main engine), We did see several whales and some orca, at great distances, to Stephanie’s delight. We finished the day relatively early at Taku Horbor and I cooked up some of the salmon that Paul caught the day before. As usual, it was a big hit.<br />
<br />
On the 20th, we made directly for Tracy Arm. It was foggy as we crossed the bar, but visibility improved after we got to the “elbow”. For most of the way, there was somewhat fewer “bergy bits”, but more substantive icebergs than last time. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitvVOyNMcIoVEfLAsohQBnPeLBE19e1q4cJcBlbLV2Vws8457AGNla0MlzzKZ3LoikOxaUeN6SxR7pEN94BI8AttlnStPXxI5z0nOLZ-W59vQr_sbUuI6hb655oHeShMoudrOyg0epbvB/s1600/DSC02380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitvVOyNMcIoVEfLAsohQBnPeLBE19e1q4cJcBlbLV2Vws8457AGNla0MlzzKZ3LoikOxaUeN6SxR7pEN94BI8AttlnStPXxI5z0nOLZ-W59vQr_sbUuI6hb655oHeShMoudrOyg0epbvB/s400/DSC02380.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>This time we got almost to the glacier face before the icebergs and bergy bits got dense enough that I thought it was prudent to make our way out of there. We followed a mid-size cruise ship after it passed us at the “elbow”. As you can see, it kept going when I gave up. I wasn’t worried about the hull being damaged, but even the small pieces of ice are hard and sharp enough to do damage to the paint. We could see the glacier pretty well at that point and fog was beginning to form behind us. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjfB-LBNonsxXOEXbY8U1h_ZCLZVPtLe2miE29-TlTyU12VouWSJZ00ZM-7PDIU-c1O7iYdH6Krg9zVZ28Yg_7etP7N7awT4g4M3g-nSQ4TvntlYXl1qCH7-khHUk1iKh30xddPmQFVp_/s1600/DSC02385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjfB-LBNonsxXOEXbY8U1h_ZCLZVPtLe2miE29-TlTyU12VouWSJZ00ZM-7PDIU-c1O7iYdH6Krg9zVZ28Yg_7etP7N7awT4g4M3g-nSQ4TvntlYXl1qCH7-khHUk1iKh30xddPmQFVp_/s400/DSC02385.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>Even so, for part of the passage back to the bar, Zach was bundled up in the bow, peering through the fog, and I was watching the FLIR for black things on the screen, (ice shows up black). We did make it out without incident, but it was later than I’d planned by the time we reached Stephens Passage and turned south. We made a late anchorage in Gambier Bay.<br />
<br />
On the 21st, we left Gambier Bay for the next good anchorage to the South, Pybus Bay. (That’s where I had intended to stay the night before). On the way in, we fished a while for halibut, (no luck), trolled for salmon, (Zach got one undersized king), and set the crab and shrimp pots, (using some really foul bait that we’d collected). <br />
<br />
The view where we anchored was spectacular, rain and fog notwithstanding. We saw another humpback lazing around just before we anchored.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnxum20-Cnf__M4nuZQGEV4OEtGFfPei-RE20SyfEhsatsEoe7WqFI2Qjsy9Bid08CswhOJtcNQR5TEFxOegeIQlIWfkck8hqmosBinDXgjKhTJv-iapyry-Z8oahBQ24PwKnIBVhbaI9/s1600/DSC02392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnxum20-Cnf__M4nuZQGEV4OEtGFfPei-RE20SyfEhsatsEoe7WqFI2Qjsy9Bid08CswhOJtcNQR5TEFxOegeIQlIWfkck8hqmosBinDXgjKhTJv-iapyry-Z8oahBQ24PwKnIBVhbaI9/s400/DSC02392.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
On the 22nd, the weather turned even windier, wetter and colder. The weather report called for worsening conditions for the next couple of days, with the next good weather not due until next weekend. As we left Pybus Bay, headed South, we were facing 25-30 knot winds, (true), over the bow. Zach and I set the paravanes, so the ride was actually pretty good. Nonetheless, I haven’t had anyone get seasick, so far, so I decided to push on to Petersburg, rather than go all the way back to Juneau. Staying where we were would have been another option, except that Stephanie’s flight home is on Saturday and both Thursday and Friday promised even worse weather. By the time we got to Petersburg, we were glad to be in a quiet harbor, although no one was seasick.<br />
<br />
On the 23rd, we lazed around Petersburg, seeing the sights on foot. I talked to my kind of mechanic about the fact that I’m dripping out of the rear seal on the transmission. The oil quantity isn’t very much, (it just leaks down to the level of the seal and stops), but it’s making a real mess of the bilge. Fixing the seal means pulling the transmission. His advice, after learning that we rarely run at full throttle, was to put less oil in. I’m going to try that for a while. In the meantime, I built a diaper under the seal to divert the leakage into the pan under the engine, rather than the bilge. That way, I can catch it and dispose of it in waste oil tanks that all the harbors here seem to have.<br />
<br />
On the 24th, Zach and Stephanie caught the fast ferry back to Juneau so Stephanie can catch her flight early Saturday morning. Zach’s going to take the slow ferry back, through Sitka for a 24 hour boat ride that should bring him back to Petersburg on Monday.<br />
<br />
On the 25th while doing laundry, I met a nice couple from New Zealand and invited them to dinner. Nice dinner, decent wine and good conversation. Overall, a pretty nice day.<br />
<br />
The 26th, I did a bit of reading and several small “to-dos”. The boat’s ready to go when Zach gets back tomorrow. First thing, we’ll go back to Pybus Bay to pick up the crab and shrimp pots. After that . . .?Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-16347447647837367712010-04-13T11:27:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:06:16.248-07:00July 18, 2009 Petersburg to Tracy ArmI just bought a new position/condition reporting device that enables me to report Arcadia1’s position on a Google Earth shared website via satellite. It’s a pretty neat little device called “Spot”, you can check it out at findmespot.com.<br />
<br />
You should be able to look at “tacks” in the map as I move around by selecting this web address: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0E5ilbEqkJDipgqG8ctzZlWJqEgXqesdZ I’ll try to send a position report each noon and each evening that we travel. Right now, the map should show you that we’re OK and located at Auke Bay, just North of Juneau.<br />
<br />
To quickly update all:<br />
<br />
On the 16th, Paul and I left Petersburg mid-morning. We sorta dawdled around, trolling a bit and sightseeing a lot more. By about 5 pm, we were across Stephens Passage from Holkham Bay. I had heard that there were too many bergy bits floating around to attempt crossing the bar into Tracy Arm, but we thought we’d look for ourselves. When we got there, there were about a half-dozen boats anchored at a little bay just inside the bar and, while there was quite a lot of ice floating around, it wasn’t difficult to dodge among them. We crossed the bar and went up to the “elbow”, where Tracy Arm turns sharply to the East. By that time, there was only the occasional bergy bit. We could have kept going, but we didn’t want to have to come back down in the dark. (We do have FLIR, Forward Looking InfraRed, that makes ice look very visible in the dark, but I thought we should wait for another day. We’ll probably do that next week, while Zach and Stephanie are here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnFTfr0b1_wXXhWkrfQfe_BqClgODQtA58RlqsQ_X4YGrBFoGemo0zSX-_VLYlwE5ygr8buPqI_Jv-O4_YTCKYM7Ddc0RuRgOQch7G1kevCQubx9I3mgFjHtUVKSyY4hLivYd8_qnwZ81/s1600/DSC02352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnFTfr0b1_wXXhWkrfQfe_BqClgODQtA58RlqsQ_X4YGrBFoGemo0zSX-_VLYlwE5ygr8buPqI_Jv-O4_YTCKYM7Ddc0RuRgOQch7G1kevCQubx9I3mgFjHtUVKSyY4hLivYd8_qnwZ81/s400/DSC02352.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
We made a late mooring in Taku Harbor, (the first time, so far that we’ve anchored in the same place twice), so we could troll our way by Point Hilda on the way back to Auke Bay marina.<br />
<br />
On the 17th, we caught 5 king salmon. Three of them were somewhat less than the requisite 28” length. The first was at the mouth of Taku Inlet. The other four were exactly where we caught the 33” one a few days earlier, (between Hilda Point and Middle Point on Douglas Island). We’re pretty sure we could have filled the boat with them, but we had plenty so we went on to Auke Bay.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiualAH_eXe1uRhiJNjrIUXI-MENbC2ARBVIQ3OSqHJh7KF9luobKrdHio-FoERi95K1bNYIsSDroZjUkP6LSQsfpP0hCGyAslX0kXklLjGtneMMKW-e8hVF4pbj1oVr54UNr8gci2sVqh6/s1600/DSC02343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiualAH_eXe1uRhiJNjrIUXI-MENbC2ARBVIQ3OSqHJh7KF9luobKrdHio-FoERi95K1bNYIsSDroZjUkP6LSQsfpP0hCGyAslX0kXklLjGtneMMKW-e8hVF4pbj1oVr54UNr8gci2sVqh6/s400/DSC02343.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On the 18th, Paul caught his 6:15 am flight home. (His picture, above). I did laundry and shopping. Tonight, at 9:49 pm, my son Zach and his wife Stephanie will arrive and we’ll continue the adventure with some new eyes to behold God’s creation with me.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-31561650542099449242010-04-09T20:25:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:04:31.026-07:00July 14, 2009 Stevens Passage and GambierThe wonders of Southeast Alaska continue to amaze us!<br />
<br />
My brother, Paul, joined ships company on the 8th of July. Phyl & Will, Sam Floyd, Paul and I spent the remainder of the 8th re-provisioning and fixing a couple of little things. Knowing we had to be back in Juneau by 3 pm on the 10th, (To meet Al Locey, Sam’s long time friend and Alaska fishing buddy), but unwilling to simply lay about in Auke Bay, we decided to make a short overnight trip. On the 9th, we took off for Taku harbor, just South of Juneau. Since we were in Auke Bay, that meant going around Douglas Island. <br />
<br />
At about 10:30 we noticed whale spouts in fair number and diverted our course to get a better look. There were something like a dozen humpbacks moving around in one area. For a while, we just watched them doing all the things you probably have seen on TV, most of which we didn’t get a picture of.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fLICbImvl27SgX-G98-CMyzoXFHvAT2GCHFUbewlOPA41VO_pcruvVlRJ51BB5bvW1_GsaST17dftPUdEcu4jCkFAR_PA-EXvbXsxyM1G5-WbD6T_7zwotJRjR9RTaeqOrjsY_vJWWAA/s1600/DSC02203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fLICbImvl27SgX-G98-CMyzoXFHvAT2GCHFUbewlOPA41VO_pcruvVlRJ51BB5bvW1_GsaST17dftPUdEcu4jCkFAR_PA-EXvbXsxyM1G5-WbD6T_7zwotJRjR9RTaeqOrjsY_vJWWAA/s400/DSC02203.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
At one point, the whales all essentially disappeared for a while and we moved back on our original course. As it turned out, that put us in position to observe all the whales working together in a cooperative feeding effort. Apparently, they use a ring of air bubbles to concentrate plankton, then all close in together. It was truly amazing to see a dozen humpbacks all break the surface together in a tight circle to feed. The picture below, (cropped and zoomed), doesn’t really do justice to the sight.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPETmNgrTRGdA9lVp3YxwQRzfuw83bX8Q7iAYF35xl8bg-3TFfsgAjAO-BMNutYZ-N_veCCG8MtStCU9wv5CtYZqTGsI-s6mN38m0LeqpFrwQNv69ER-p6qsVEMOwu2TnM_DGKexVooVpW/s1600/Feeding+circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPETmNgrTRGdA9lVp3YxwQRzfuw83bX8Q7iAYF35xl8bg-3TFfsgAjAO-BMNutYZ-N_veCCG8MtStCU9wv5CtYZqTGsI-s6mN38m0LeqpFrwQNv69ER-p6qsVEMOwu2TnM_DGKexVooVpW/s400/Feeding+circle.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
After we left the whales, (or they left us), we put the trolling gear out. It wasn’t long before Paul brought a nice king salmon aboard.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbiaJlKTiBwqBKvNTaoWrkXr0F3cUz6tsXVgO8k092hq-7DsTREJ3ux1OMVlIVFOU515EMgY5k1bua_P6s0nkqLOfocK0UIeUFHF9mT5ScJeAqPSijWNvcrxZaDcyJLa3NaOhObBD-l0n/s1600/DSC02221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbiaJlKTiBwqBKvNTaoWrkXr0F3cUz6tsXVgO8k092hq-7DsTREJ3ux1OMVlIVFOU515EMgY5k1bua_P6s0nkqLOfocK0UIeUFHF9mT5ScJeAqPSijWNvcrxZaDcyJLa3NaOhObBD-l0n/s400/DSC02221.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Shortly after that, lest the wonder of the day wear off, we were entertained by a small pod of Orcas for a while. One cow and calf stayed with us for quite a while, just rolling around seemingly as interested in us as we were in them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetEN7ErANPja1w0q2SzkqPdqu36bOPFV_mvPSIyReJdkYOL4ZzjkQsGK-h_c2msi_bTCow8rhK1eRiDYRd0L8_G_bvH2v4eEHHbKOmxpOpx2igsEHszy5zyzRZ8UvMWwbnuIs-N3zj2K4/s1600/DSC02272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetEN7ErANPja1w0q2SzkqPdqu36bOPFV_mvPSIyReJdkYOL4ZzjkQsGK-h_c2msi_bTCow8rhK1eRiDYRd0L8_G_bvH2v4eEHHbKOmxpOpx2igsEHszy5zyzRZ8UvMWwbnuIs-N3zj2K4/s400/DSC02272.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
We ended the day, as planned, in Taku Harbor. We tied up, all alone once again, to a public float in a beautiful little cove. Paul, Will and Sam soon caught a mess of small flounder for another wonderful dinner.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sizq4CpqFvdbNb6y6YqA1MlBadg0r-PG4yg0dhUpV-O9gaR_wQTKSjteIhqwgt2hDb0DHF7goWEW8eae4OxVgpwc2v2x4XNwROLBOcLJXeyUnRLL-9nKRpSqfEPDmZhwzobSoQVfCpeG/s1600/DSC02319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Sizq4CpqFvdbNb6y6YqA1MlBadg0r-PG4yg0dhUpV-O9gaR_wQTKSjteIhqwgt2hDb0DHF7goWEW8eae4OxVgpwc2v2x4XNwROLBOcLJXeyUnRLL-9nKRpSqfEPDmZhwzobSoQVfCpeG/s400/DSC02319.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>On the 10th, we returned to Juneau, although we chose not to go to Auke Bay this time. Instead, we got a guest slip in Harris Harbor, right downtown, so we could avoid the long trip around Douglas Island when we leave for Petersburg on the 12th.<br />
<br />
On the afternoon of the 10th, Al Locey joined our little group. As that more than filled the boat, Phyl and I went ashore to a motel, leaving Will with Grandpa Paul, Sam and Al. <br />
<br />
On the 11th, Paul and I sent everyone ashore so we could take up the floorboards in the salon for better access to the engineroom while we changed the oil in all three engines, replacing all the oil and primary fuel filters, as well. Phyl got the laundry done and Al and Sam went to see the world famous Red Dog Saloon and other wonders of Juneau only seen by about 5,000 cruise ship passengers every day in the summer.<br />
<br />
The afternoon of the 12th, Phyl and Will caught a flight back to California and Paul, Sam, Al and I started South for Petersburg. We anchored that night in Snug Harbor inside Gambier Bay. Once again, stunningly beautiful location. There were other boats in other coves in Gambier Bay, including “Time for Us”, (a megayacht that we’d seen in Auke Bay), but we had our own cove all to ourselves without sight or sound of anyone else. <br />
<br />
On the 13th, we motored along at a stately 7.5 knots on a gorgeous, warm and nearly still day down the rest of Stephens Passage to Frederick Sound, then into the North end of Wrangell narrows to Petersburg, (the picture of Al, Sam and I below is underway that afternoon). <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZVCsjI_BAeY4HIQ16YlCe9CeYkMSbfAwCfgwI95LQyDaU7owqcbXbZVn-UCvl9vEuoCupalZT2xKO461z7YT0DHD1wtBza4VIQB7LQXrRJMXsAkm3_YfM2C1m4lyWhQdG9o14Ofx7pwC/s1600/DSC02327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZVCsjI_BAeY4HIQ16YlCe9CeYkMSbfAwCfgwI95LQyDaU7owqcbXbZVn-UCvl9vEuoCupalZT2xKO461z7YT0DHD1wtBza4VIQB7LQXrRJMXsAkm3_YfM2C1m4lyWhQdG9o14Ofx7pwC/s400/DSC02327.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
At the end of a glorious day, we tied up at a guest slip in a picturesque marina in Petersburg. You know, by the sights and smells that this in a fisherman’s town. Sam and Al stayed the night at their friends’ home, George and Nancy. Paul and I shared dinner there, then returned to the boat for the night <br />
<br />
On the 14th, (today), we went fishing on George and Nancy’s boat in Wrangell Narrows. Paul and I each caught a small, (by Alaska standards), halibut which we vacuum packed for later consumption. The new Cabela’s vacuum food saver works really well. Paul and I had dinner with George, Nancy, Sam and Al, then bid them all farewell. We’ll be off again tomorrow morning, although as I write this, I don’t know exactly where we’ll go. The next commitment is to be back in Juneau by the afternoon of the 18th. Paul will head back to California. My son, Zach, and his new wife, Stephanie, will arrive on the same plane he’ll leave on. We’ll continue the adventure from there.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-75982365233776765192010-04-06T16:00:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:01:17.979-07:00July 6th, 2009 Auke Bay and TenakeeWe’re on our way back to Juneau as I write this. We got a late start this afternoon, (more about that later), so we won’t get to Auke Bay Marina until the wee hours of July 6.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQMzuzB5WAnTFV4tY3obGRqwjfm7ofJKSDC9X87GPKDSI3WJHDmt7qsPbkDrvj3m52B74HJY8mm94oaocMR5N6LF_EY_AlRfbOeDyUmmsu_8v-Muh8pMt3B4f2ojl-EW61lJ5akpUEY-6/s1600/DSC02134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQMzuzB5WAnTFV4tY3obGRqwjfm7ofJKSDC9X87GPKDSI3WJHDmt7qsPbkDrvj3m52B74HJY8mm94oaocMR5N6LF_EY_AlRfbOeDyUmmsu_8v-Muh8pMt3B4f2ojl-EW61lJ5akpUEY-6/s400/DSC02134.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We, (Sam Floyd, Phyllis, Will and I), left there on the afternoon of the 2nd, planning to return to Juneau for the fireworks at Midnite of the 3rd. We motored about 5 hours South, down Chatham Strait to Tenakee Inlet, up that inlet to Saltery Cove, as recommended by someone we met in the Marina. Without that recommendation, just looking at the charts, it probably wouldn’t have occurred to us to give it a second look. Anyway, we got in there by 9:30 pm, and found it to be one of those truly beautiful places that we know are all over SE Alaska, but are just learning to find. The cove was about 1 ½ miles long by ½ mile wide. Totally sheltered with good holding sand/mud bottom and, most important, totally uninhabited by all but a few bears. On the 3rd, we thought about going back to Juneau for about 5 minutes, then decided to stay for a couple more days.<br />
<br />
On the afternoon of the 3rd, we did leave our little cove for a couple of hours to try our hand at salmon fishing. The reason it was only a couple of hours, is that it only took that long to catch dinner. (Downriggers at ~100ft, running 2 kts on the Yanmar wing engine, with a flasher and a hootchie). We wanted to get this one cleaned and in the oven without delay. It made a bountiful, wonderful, dinner! As you can see, Willy wasn't so sure. The head tail and entrails went into the crab trap, and although clearly picked over, the pot came up empty.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuw3kLzRDVnLy-se-owbz_DFcxuvYY86EWnW_950hQFdipjShH_grLWAIBeGzSZaxlDS7oUnFYqs7SfLQWyyPinHFtJ_40w0uuBofwX4dUYUf_MLphjtVxzPpy9gU9w_wSwKNPuImN93Ax/s1600/DSC02119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuw3kLzRDVnLy-se-owbz_DFcxuvYY86EWnW_950hQFdipjShH_grLWAIBeGzSZaxlDS7oUnFYqs7SfLQWyyPinHFtJ_40w0uuBofwX4dUYUf_MLphjtVxzPpy9gU9w_wSwKNPuImN93Ax/s400/DSC02119.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The 4th, we just exercised our dinghy around the cove. There was a pretty interesting trout stream feeding it and we went quite a ways up it, until the dinghy outboard began dragging its skeg. Beautiful scenery, but none of us wanted to find out if the mosqutios and noseeums were as bad as expected to try flyfishing. Maybe later. Frankly, we just wanted to take the day off and enjoy, which we did.<br />
<br />
The 5th, today, we are nearly out of good coffeemaking water, (we'd chlorinated the freshwater tanks before we left and it tasted awful), the dinghy is nearly out of gas and there is some sort of cross between a horsefly and a bee that has found us in considerable number, (later learned to be blackflys). Accordingly, we thought we’d leave for Juneau in the early afternoon after cleaning up a couple of projects Phyl and I had started. <br />
<br />
About 3, we weighed the anchor and in a remarkable example of maladroit seamanship, promptly fouled the prop with the dinghy tow line. (We’re towing it because we’ve got some minor rigging changes to make to enable us to get it aboard gracefully). I had optimistically set it up on a long bridle, planning to weigh the anchor and move out smartly forward. Unfortunately, tide and current conspired to require me to back away from the shoals and . . . I quickly wished I’d tied the dinghy up short until we were really underway. <br />
<br />
The good news is that my brother Paul had donated an oil-less air compressor and a wet suit, (way too tight for this fat man, by the way). We’d bought all the rest of the parts for a hookah diving rig and had it all aboard, although it had never been assembled and tested. Hooray! It worked like a charm. I wore the “farmer john” bottom half of the wet suit, fins and a helmet and over the side I went. (water cold, but not as bad as I’d feared). If I’d had to free dive it, it would have taken many,many, trips down to unsnarl the mess. As it was, it took an hour to put the hookah rig together, (and for Phyl to help me squeeze into the suit). It took only about 5 minutes to cut away and unwind the poly rope. No damage done, otherwise. Thanks, Paul!!!<br />
<br />
Tonight, we’re motoring along in a calm sea, with a gorgeous full moon on our stern and a huge cruise ship ahead of us. <br />
<br />
We’re feeling pretty blessed.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5362967450032216337.post-23700384344561180442010-04-06T15:43:00.000-07:002010-06-10T11:14:55.765-07:00July 2, 2009 Skagway to Juneau<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAxsTv2IPyKpqXZ23yTN6FnsM2E85954PaLBGU-IJ_b_AFazFwmQuSThdwrayYczxJ3MmHPUug2zzrxFZnZNQiLt19xwaQUZny7aRMy_ZfqTlIN0NyGVtj-TUv-u3rubrZzI_rKGgeGGM/s1600/Phyl+n+Larry+on+Bow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAxsTv2IPyKpqXZ23yTN6FnsM2E85954PaLBGU-IJ_b_AFazFwmQuSThdwrayYczxJ3MmHPUug2zzrxFZnZNQiLt19xwaQUZny7aRMy_ZfqTlIN0NyGVtj-TUv-u3rubrZzI_rKGgeGGM/s400/Phyl+n+Larry+on+Bow.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This is the first of what I intend to be regular updates on our travels on our little ship, Arcadia 1. I promise! I will remember to take pictures and attach some as we go along.<br />
<br />
The purchase of Arcadia 1 was completed, on schedule on 20Jun09. Last Monday, 22Jun09, I picked up Sam Floyd at LAX, with my Land Cruiser loaded to the gills with tools, fishing gear, clothes and 2 months supply of Nutrisystem grub. (A great way to provision a boat, by the way). We made it to Shasta City, just short of the Oregon border that night. On Tuesday, we stopped to see Phyllis’ brother and sister-in-law in Omak, Wa. On Wednesday, (after a long checkout by Canadian border folks, who couldn’t believe that we really didn’t have any guns on board), we drove on to Prince George, BC. On Thursday, we took the road less travelled up and joined the Alaska Highway just West of Watson Lake. On Friday, we got to Whitehorse, where our new friend and the seller of Arcadia 1 had a turnover party at his home that went on until dark. (It never got dark, by the way. At 1:30 am, we were fumbling around in dim light). On Saturday, we finally got aboard in Skagway.<br />
<br />
We found the boat cleaned up and empty of all the “stuff”, it takes to live aboard. (As we had asked for it to be). Sam and I spent the day checking her out and buying enough paper plates and stuff to get us to Juneau. That evening, we went to the ferry terminal and imposed upon 4 perfect strangers, (They're now friends. You've gotta love Alaska), to drive the Land Cruiser onto the ferry on Sunday morning and park it in Juneau.<br />
<br />
Sunday, after a short handling checkout with Dean in Skagway harbor, Sam and I left for Juneau on our own. The trip was uneventful, although the Lynn Canal provided, once again, 25-30 knot, (true, not apparent), winds right on our bow. It got pretty choppy, which gave us some salt water on the windshield, but since it was right in our teeth we didn’t need the paravane stabilizers for roll.<br />
<br />
Monday, Phyllis and Willy flew into Juneau to join Sam and I on the boat. We spent part of that day and all day Tuesday and Wednesday buying bedding, kitchen stuff, crab and shrimp pots and doing a bunch of little projects on the boat. Tomorrow, we plan to take our first jaunt to see if we can’t catch a king salmon or pick up some crabs or shrimp. The planned destination is Tenakee, about 8 hours away, which has been recommended to us a great place for such endeavor. We plan to anchor in one of two or three nearby coves that people have told us about. The plan is to be back on th 3rd, so we won’t miss the fireworks (at 12:01 am on the 4th).<br />
<br />
Future plans now committed:<br />
<br />
My brother Paul will arrive on the 8th.<br />
<br />
Sam’s Friend, Al Locy will arrive on the 10th.<br />
<br />
Phyl and Will will return to CA on the 12th. The rest of us will leave for Petersburg then.<br />
<br />
Paul and I will leave Petersburg in time for Paul’s flight home on the 18th. Sam and Al will stay in Petersburg and return home from there.<br />
<br />
Son Zach and bride, Stephanie arrive about an hour before Paul leaves on the 18th. They plan to stay until the end of July.<br />
<br />
Right now, I don’t know of anything that demands my return to the lower 48, (haven’t read all my email, yet), although I could do so anytime after the 18th. The cell phone works well in Juneau. It didn’t work in Skagway, and I don’t know, yet, about the other towns we’ll stop in or pass by.Larry Straight (Arcadia I)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06372675885488243833noreply@blogger.com0