Don/55 degrees
01/04/2011, Ganges, BC (The Gulf Islands)

Yesterday, we decided to take a lay day and spend it in Ganges. I got my exercise in and fixed breakfast for Debbie. Then I went online to catch up on the work taking place at my research lab back at the University of Connecticut. We cleaned the boat up a bit and then took a morning walk into town to see the sights. We passed by the Stone Salmon stone sculptor's place we had visited last winter but he was closed. Then we went into the great hardware store here to look around and locate some Velcro to attach our outdoor temperature sensor to a sheltered location at the stern of our boat. They had so many sales people in the store we found it quickly. Then a quick stop at the grocery store for a few odds and ends and we walked back to the boat. The sun was out and it was getting warm. Another great weather day in the low 50's. (My brother Dave would shudder at the thought of that temperature.)

It was to be a day of small projects around the boat. First, I used the Velcro to attach our outside temperature sensor. Then, I looked to see if the new snap shackle that we got for the dingy was going to fit. This is a part that holds our dinghy securely to the aft deck. It has a ring that you pull to release it so that it is easy and quick to release the dinghy. Once you pull the pin, you can lift the dingy off the deck with the davit and swing the dinghy over the side and drop it into the water. The pin on the old snap shackle had bent and was hard to release and hard to secure. We found a new one at Defender Industries, a major boat supply place, near our home in Waterford , Ct. We were hoping it would fit. Glory be! We got lucky. It was the exact same size and even the same brand (North Sails). A perfect fit. Having succeeded on two projects without having to get a new tool or new part, I called it a day!

I had a nice video conference back to our lab and spoke with my colleague, Donna Bone for a bit about two of our research grants. Then I started to organize several projects that needed writing completed. I hope to work on those during this trip.

I spent the rest of the afternoon studying the manual for our new MaxSea chart plotter at the lower helm station. I was especially interested in the course plotting functions.

That evening, we invited Ron and Mary over for steaks. Ron and I grilled the steaks on the aft deck while Mary and Debbie made a salad and couscous. It was a great meal and we spent the evening talking about cruising and life. It was a nice night.

The beautiful weather we have been having is about to leave us. A front is coming in from the Pacific. We had been thinking of going to Ladysmith for some great cinnamon buns but now think we will head south and cross Boundary Pass before the storm hits. Perhaps we will return to Roche Harbor. We have to check through customs there anyway.

Comments [0] | | More

Don/29 degrees
01/03/2011, Ganges, BC (The Gulf Islands)

This handsome dude was cruising in the harbor where we stayed overnight.

Comments [0] | | More

Don/29 degrees
01/03/2011, Ganges, BC (The Gulf Islands)

I love this little instrument. It is the base station for all the temperature sensors we have around the boat. We use it mainly to monitor temps in our several freezers and refrigerators. There is also a sensor that measures the outside temperature and one for the temperature in the main salon. Finally, it predicts the weather fairly accurately. We have one freezer, one refrigerator (fridge 1), and a third one that can be used as either a freezer or a refrigerator (fridge 2). Finally, it is solar powered. On the back is a solar cell. We place it outside once every few months to charge it.

Comments [2] | | More

Don/29 degrees
01/03/2011, Ganges, BC (The Gulf Islands)

Ron, Mary, and Debbie enjoying dinner on Change of Latitude

Comments [0] | | More

Don/29 degrees
01/03/2011, Ganges, BC (The Gulf Islands)

The photo above shows the sunrise this morning at our location, Ganges, BC, in the Gulf Islands. Ganges is a quiet town in the winter. In the summer, it is a buzz of activity with many commuters flying in and out each day as they travel back and forth to Vancouver for work and then return to their summer home at night via float planes. There is also a lot of harbour traffic with many boats anchored and docked at the marina. There is even a bakery boat to service all the boaters' bakery needs. In the winter, it is very quiet and nearly deserted. That is when we like it best.

Yesterday, the fleet departed from Victoria in the morning. Deception, Spellbound, Yukoner, and Change of Latitude left together until we hit Haro Straight. Then Deception and Spellbound headed for Mosquito Pass and US customs at Roche Harbor. Yukoner and our boat stayed in Canada and headed for Ganges, BC, in the Gulf Islands.

As we headed north, we ran into the ferry traffic that goes between Vancouver and Sidney. Two huge ferries and our two little boats converged in a narrow pass at the same time. Needless to say, we gave way. It is never good to mess with the big boys, especially when they are doing 17 knots! Our AIS came in handy for spotting traffic. We are still getting used to using this.

After arriving, I modestly offered to make the world's best clam chowder for dinner. I stayed at the boat and began cooking up a storm while Debbie, Ron, and Mary headed to town for some fresh bread and a few odds and ends. I cooked and cooked, toiled and toiled, chopped and chopped and behold......the best clam chowder slowly emerged. Now, I have to tell you that I never follow a recipe so each chowder is always different and yet by magic, it always turns out to be the world's best chowder! This one was no different. It was great! It had a huge amount of clams and was very thick and creamy.

Later, Ron and Mary came over and joined us for dinner. We had a wonderful time together downing some excellent Pino Grigio and Granville Island Ale. Ron and Mary had picked up some dessert in town so we devoured that, too. Then Ron and Mary, avid Seahawk fans, asked if we could get the local Seattle channel on our sat TV since the Seahawks were playing for the divisional championship. Sure enough, we could pick it up so we watched the 2nd half and a Seattle victory together. It was a great evening.

Debbie was kind enough to clean up my mess. I was exhausted from all the hard kitchen labor and headed to bed to try to shake this cold.

Comments [1] | | More

Don/Dark outside
01/02/2011, Victoria Inner Harbour, BC

I am writing this in the early morning of January 2nd and I am not at all certain that Jan. 1 ever existed. I recall doing nothing all day. I hope it is not an omen for how the rest of the year will go. Goodness!

I recall exercising, for sure. Then we got Alaskan Dream out of our raft so they could return home and get the kids to school on Monday. A little more work getting Yukoner back in the raft after Alaskan Dream departed. And then I made breakfast for Debbie and me. Nothing fancy just cereal and pastries. Then, the cold I have developed got the better of me; I was feeling very tired so I lay down for a rest. Next thing I knew Ron and Mary had come over to watch the Rose Bowl with us. As the afternoon wore on, more an more people from the various boats joined us for beers and conversation.

Reservations were made for drinks at the Empress Hotel and dinner at the Irish restaurant just down the main street from us. (Thanks, Sheldon, for the tip. We got your note after someone had already made reservations for the crew. We plan to go there the next time we are in town. It looks like an outstanding restaurant. Very quaint, too!)

Then we took off for the hotel. Ron, Mary, Debbie, and I shared a table and recalled various adventures from previous cruises - from an anchor dragging in a storm at night in Fury Bay to our boat keys disappearing at the Grand Banks Rendezvous in Roche Harbour and mysteriously ending up in Ron's jacket pocket three weeks later. It was good times all the way around!

Everyone headed up to the Irish restaurant but I was feeling pretty crummy so I returned to the boat. I flipped on the TV and saw that UConn was losing big time to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and went to bed with another loss for the Huskies in my thoughts.

I hope I can shake this cold. I think I must have kept Debbie up all night with my coughing, last night. I've been feeling pretty crummy for the past several days.

Comments [0] | | More

Don/Cold and Snow
01/01/2011, Victoria Inner Harbour, BC

Here is the view of the government building in Victoria, looking along the dock area of the inner harbour.

Comments [0] | | More

Don/Libations Flowing Freely
01/01/2011, Victoria Inner Harbour, BC

Carol (Deception), Greg (SpellBound), and Mary (Yukoner) at the New Year's Eve party aboard Deception.

Comments [0] | | More

Don/Nice and sunny
01/01/2011, Victoria Inner Harbour, BC

This shows you how our sterns are tied. This is how they dock boats in the Mediterranean.

Comments [0] | | More

Don/Nice and sunny
01/01/2011, Victoria Inner Harbour, BC

Four pretty Grand Banks, from left to right: Change of Latitude, Deception, Alaskan Dream, Yukoner

Comments [0] | | More