Northwest Sailing Zine
| Vessel Name: | Erikee |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Irwin 28 |
| Hailing Port: | Portland, Oregon |
| Crew: | Sean Fletcher |
| About: | Liveaboard Sailor, Backpacker, Dad and curently a Working Stiff. |
Recent Blog Posts
23 May 2013 | Portland, Oregon
And So It Begins
Small craft advisory, strong winds, white caps, large ocean swells, a boat that neither the crew of two has ever sailed, or for that matter left the dock in... Rain. "Maybe we should open some wine and wait and see what tomorrow looks like." one of us suggests.
And So It Begins
23 May 2013 | Portland, Oregon
Small craft advisory, strong winds, white caps, large ocean swells, a boat that neither the crew of two has ever sailed, or for that matter left the dock in... Rain. "Maybe we should open some wine and wait and see what tomorrow looks like." one of us suggests.
"Hell with it. Lets just go". the other jokingly says. Inside both were secretly hoping the other might insist on waiting it out. But, with that said and the true thoughts not said, we cut lines from the dock and motored out of Ilwaco Harbor, down the very narrow and very shallow channel out into the Columbia River Bar.
Once clear of the danger from The Ilwaco channel, we were into a thick layer of fog. With know visible landmarks we traveled East/Southeast from buoy to buoy. Once far enough East we turned more southerly and crossed the main shipping channel. Once across we made a more Easterly course. By this time the sun was burning through the fog, the wind was coming off our stern quarter out of the Southwest and the Jib was raised, the engine cut and we flew past Young's Bay, a pathetically enormous cruise ship, a seal or two or three. Past Astoria's West Basin Harbor, under the Astoria bridge, the freight tankers and gockers and eventually past Astoria all together. We were on a course to Portland's Hayden Island. The trip would take my friend Kevin and I three days, stopping in Cathlamet the first night and St. Helen's the next. The trip up The River was the delivery of my new Home. A twenty eight foot sailboat.
For some time now I've been wanting to live on a sailboat and ultimately, sail around the world, explore and backpack all over. A sailing friend of mine once said to me, "A sailboat is like the ultimate backpack man!" I think he was right.
Moving aboard meant getting rid of most all my possessions. There was furniture, tools, clothing, bedding, kitchen crap, nick-knacks, stuff you hang on walls, all sorts of rubbish. This felt great! Once you start- once you give away your first load of crap, you begin to feel liberated. You can't get rid of things fast enough. I kept only some clothes, enough kitchen ware for the galley, backpacking and fishing gear, an acoustic guitar, some climbing gear and that's about it. Simple and free. Now I'm moved in and so begins my life on water in a boat.
The "yacht", is a 1979 Irwin 28 named Erickee. It's a fin keel Sloop. She has an eight horse single cylinder diesel engine, main sail, jib and storm jib. She's not much to look at but she floats, sails nice and has everything I need.
Between now and when I set off I'll be posting topics relating to living aboard, sailing, traveling or anything else I feel might be relevant. Hopefully you'll be able to look past my horrible grammar, spelling and writing and find the stories of some interest.
Thanks for checking in,
-Sean
"Hell with it. Lets just go". the other jokingly says. Inside both were secretly hoping the other might insist on waiting it out. But, with that said and the true thoughts not said, we cut lines from the dock and motored out of Ilwaco Harbor, down the very narrow and very shallow channel out into the Columbia River Bar.
Once clear of the danger from The Ilwaco channel, we were into a thick layer of fog. With know visible landmarks we traveled East/Southeast from buoy to buoy. Once far enough East we turned more southerly and crossed the main shipping channel. Once across we made a more Easterly course. By this time the sun was burning through the fog, the wind was coming off our stern quarter out of the Southwest and the Jib was raised, the engine cut and we flew past Young's Bay, a pathetically enormous cruise ship, a seal or two or three. Past Astoria's West Basin Harbor, under the Astoria bridge, the freight tankers and gockers and eventually past Astoria all together. We were on a course to Portland's Hayden Island. The trip would take my friend Kevin and I three days, stopping in Cathlamet the first night and St. Helen's the next. The trip up The River was the delivery of my new Home. A twenty eight foot sailboat.
For some time now I've been wanting to live on a sailboat and ultimately, sail around the world, explore and backpack all over. A sailing friend of mine once said to me, "A sailboat is like the ultimate backpack man!" I think he was right.
Moving aboard meant getting rid of most all my possessions. There was furniture, tools, clothing, bedding, kitchen crap, nick-knacks, stuff you hang on walls, all sorts of rubbish. This felt great! Once you start- once you give away your first load of crap, you begin to feel liberated. You can't get rid of things fast enough. I kept only some clothes, enough kitchen ware for the galley, backpacking and fishing gear, an acoustic guitar, some climbing gear and that's about it. Simple and free. Now I'm moved in and so begins my life on water in a boat.
The "yacht", is a 1979 Irwin 28 named Erickee. It's a fin keel Sloop. She has an eight horse single cylinder diesel engine, main sail, jib and storm jib. She's not much to look at but she floats, sails nice and has everything I need.
Between now and when I set off I'll be posting topics relating to living aboard, sailing, traveling or anything else I feel might be relevant. Hopefully you'll be able to look past my horrible grammar, spelling and writing and find the stories of some interest.
Thanks for checking in,
-Sean
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