Don/cold
01/05/2011, Ganges, BC (The Gulf Islands)

There was a lot of interesting bird life in Ganges Harbour. Here is a White Winged Scoter. Scoters are ocean ducks. Their numbers have declined by 50% in the 50 years. No one knows why.

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Don/cold
01/05/2011, SGanges, Salt Spring Island, BC

Debbie took this photo from the bow of our boat, showing frost on the docks as the sun came up in Ganges

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Don/44 degrees and raining
01/05/2011, Prevost Harbor, Stewart Island, San Juans

It was a little cold in Ganges when we got up. Debbie took a few photos showing the ice on the docks and frost on plant leaves. We had decided to cross Boundary Bay before the winds picked up and reenter the US, checking into customs at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island.

Ron and Mary were also departing. They had to return to Anacortes, where they keep their boat, Yukoner, and then travel home to Seattle. We saw them off and then Don fixed breakfast for Debbie, who appears to have caught Don's cold. Darn!

Debbie took us out of Ganges with a few smart maneuvers to back us out of our slip and we were on our way down the long narrow entrance to Ganges. This is always packed with crab pot floats and today was no different. On top of that, there were still a lot of boat eating logs on the water. The recent high tides must have brought them off the beaches. There were an awful lot and we had to both keep watch for them. Many were waterlogged and so they floated low in the water, making them hard to see.

In Boundary Pass we watched a large tug steaming right at us on our AIS. His marker even turned red, indicating we were on a collision course so we turned across his bow and got out of his way. Boy, did he throw large waves up. During the final stretch to Roche, Don got out some paper and a pencil and then ran the engines at a sequence of increasing speeds, from 4 knots up to 12 knots, noting the rpm and the fuel consumption at each speed. One of the items on his check list was to plot a fuel x speed graph to determine where we ran most efficiently. It turns out that after 8-9 knots the fuel cost of extra speed is pretty enormous. So, it looks like we will be an 8 knot trawler most of the time.

We arrived at Roche Harbor customs about noon. Debbie checked us in and got us through with a rookie customs agent. We turned over 4 peppers we bought in Canada and went over to the guest dock where we tied up before heading to the grocery store. Debbie wanted to look for some Airborne, an anti cold remedy her sister, Barb, had recommended. We found some. Hooray! Debbie started taking it right away and it has seemed to help. We went over to the little lunch shop and had some wonderful soup, then headed back to the boat.

Debbie took us out of the harbor and over to Stewart Island where we tied up at Prevost Harbor, a state marine park with a dock and hiking trails. It is out of the wind and a place few boats go to in the winter. There is no power here so we are using our batteries and generator. There is no phone service unfortunately but the good news is that there is free wifi. The ranger on the island runs this for any boaters who wish to use it.

We were both pretty tired with our colds, so Don fixed a light dinner and we went to bed early. We think we may stay here tomorrow since the winds will be up and it will be raining. On Thursday, we will head to Bellingham to get a few things done on the boat.

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

This shows you the outside temperature sensors on our aft deck. The top one sends the outside temperature to a display unit in our bedroom. That way, we can see the temperature before we get out of bed. The bottom one send a signal to our unit in the main solon. I installed this today.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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