Sequoia Changing Latitudes

30 August 2023 | St. Helens, Oregon
09 August 2023 | Bellingham, Washington
21 July 2023 | Boat: Bellingham; C&B: Scappoose
10 July 2023 | Egmont, Sunshine Coast, B.C., Canada
02 July 2023 | Walsh Cove, Desolation Sound, B.C., Canada
23 June 2023 | Westview/Powell River B.C.
18 June 2023 | Ganges, Saltspring Island, B.C., Canada
22 June 2019 | Scappoose, Oregon
27 May 2019 | Back home in Oregon
09 May 2019 | Villas Alturas Hotel, Costa Rica
02 May 2019 | San Vito, Costa Rica
23 April 2019 | Golfito, Costa Rica
11 April 2019 | Panama City, Panama
04 April 2019 | Shelter Bay Marina, Colon, Panama
22 March 2019 | Jamaica
11 March 2019 | Zar Par Marina, Boca Chica, Dominican Republic
18 February 2019 | Culebra Island, Puerto Rico
31 January 2019 | Simpson Bay Lagoon, Sint Maarten
21 January 2019 | Nelson's Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua
04 January 2019 | Portsmouth, Dominica

A new trip for the Johnstons

01 September 2010 | Alameda, CA
September 1, 2010
Marina Village, Alameda, CA

Dear friends and family:

I'm mired in technology mysteries, trying to figure out how I'm going to distribute email updates about our forthcoming sailing adventure to Mexico, and perhaps beyond. In the "good old days" I simply sent an email with bcc's to fifty or a hundred people. Then, we advanced a step, and I sent an email to Ian, who forwarded it (automatically?) to fifty or a hundred people. Then, the webhost became involved, and everyone on the list had to confirm they wanted to be one of the fifty or hundred... Adding to the complexity is the anticipated update of the SVSequoia website, which involves me learning new software...

Way more than you wanted to know. Suffice to say, I'm sending this first email the old-fashioned way, bcc's to everyone I think might want to hear from us. Look for things to change in the future, as I get things more figured out. For now, send me a message if you'd like NOT to receive these messages, and I'll make sure you're taken off the list.

I retired from the law practice in June, so getting ready to go on this trip has been combined with trying to find my feet as a retired person. Every now and then I get an email which has to do with my law practice, and I feel a twinge that I'm not back there, involved in that very exciting, rewarding (if sometimes frustrating) way to make a living. We've quit making contributions to the retirement kitty, and now we're starting to withdraw. It's as though every lesson and discipline I learned about money, since I was five years old, has suddenly been reversed. Adding to the angst of that reversal has been the expense of getting Sequoia (and us) ready to cruise again. Just this week we're spending more than $1000 on paper and electronic charts!

We departed from home on August 21. (There is a certain amount of regret about leaving home. This is the best time of year in the Pacific Northwest. The vegetable garden is just coming into its own, and there are those strawberries and blueberries... Our housesitter has assured us, during every conversation, that he's fully enjoying those strawberries and blueberries.) We might not have left on August 21, because we weren't quite ready, but Buck Boston was able to crew for us that week if we could stop and pick him up in Newport. So it was a now-or-never situation, if we wanted to have crew. Not having crew would mean we'd arrive in San Francisco Bay exhausted. Someone always needs to be awake, tending to the sails, the engine, and watching for other boats. If it's just the two of us, an uninterrupted six hours of sleep becomes impossible. So the last 24 hours before we left was a non-stop marathon of trips to the store, trips to the boat, and finding all the hidden stowage spots on the boat.

We sailed partway down the Columbia River, to the Cathlamet Yacht Harbor. There followed a little bit of rain, a good night's sleep, and plans to depart by 8:30 a.m., so we could make the 2:00 slack water for crossing the Columbia River bar. Unfortunately, Cathlamet is somewhat depth-challenged. Our six and a half foot draft was too much for the relatively low-tide depth of 8:30 a.m., and we had quite a few onlookers by the time we determined that there was no route out of the marina that would allow us to pass. One helpful skipper suggested that we try again in an hour, and "go over close to the fuel dock." Back to our slip, and we watched the depth sounder as the tide came in. It had gained almost a foot by 9:30 a.m., so we tried again. We made it over near the fuel dock and then slipped into the ooze again, slithering to a halt. We backed out, tried another route, and the helpful skipper, who had taken to his dinghy with a crew of children, motioned that we should follow his route. He led us out of the marina, and we made it, presumably with scant inches to spare.

The rest of the trip down the river was uneventful. We motored past Astoria, not realizing (until listening to cell phone messages later) that our friends, Chip & Kit, were watching us go by from a waterfront restaurant. We raised the sails before we crossed the bar, and sailed in light northwest winds for a bit, before giving up and turning on the motor, motorsailing through the night. There was enough wind to sail, briefly, before we reached the Newport entrance at 7 a.m.

We stayed that day in Newport, connected with Buck, and watched the windspeed increase to 30 knots. The next morning (August 24), we departed Newport, 467 nautical miles to go to San Francisco Bay. There was good wind all the way - by the time we got there (August 27), we had reduced sail to just part of the staysail, out on a pole. We were trying to slow down so we wouldn't be going under the Golden Gate in the middle of the night. The seas were quite lumpy, and the boat thrashed around a great deal more than I would have liked. On the plus side, I didn't get seasick, and got plenty of exercise staying upright. The wind finally dropped off, and we were through the fog, and under the bridge at about 10 a.m.

So here we are in Alameda, docked among the pristine racing sailboats with their carbon fiber sails. We connected up with another Outbound 44 owner, had dinner with old friends, had dinner with one branch of the family and will be getting together with other family tonight. Tomorrow we plan to set out for several days of cruising around SF Bay, and possibly up the Sacramento River delta. Next week, we'll be back at the dock, attending to boat chores. The week after that, back to Oregon (by plane) to play Beethoven's 9th in Newport (does it seem like there's a certain circularity to all this?)

The long term plan is that we'll be in on the boat in Mexico by sometime in November. Beyond that, the only plan is to enjoy Mexico, get relaxed, and figure out how to be retired.

Best wishes to all our friends and family!

Craig & Barbara Johnston
S/V Sequoia
Comments
Vessel Name: Sequoia
Vessel Make/Model: Outbound 44
Hailing Port: Portland, Or
Crew: Craig & Barbara Johnston
About:
We are the proud owners of S/V Sequoia, Outbound 44 hull #5, built for us in Shanghai, China in 2001. In 2003-04 we crossed the South Pacific to Australia; in 2008 we sailed to Glacier Bay and back -- those voyages have been archived and are no longer available. [...]
Extra:
We care about the world and its people, and try to live responsible lives, mindful of ourselves, the places we travel to, and the people we meet. When we are away from home, we miss our daughter and son and extended family, and try to get together as much as possible. And, dear reader, we look [...]
Sequoia's Photos - Main
Photos from the beginning of our summer cruise to B.C.
11 Photos
Created 18 June 2023
Photos from the beginning of our summer cruise to B.C.
No Photos
Created 18 June 2023
Putting Sequoia aboard the M/V Merwedegracht in Victoria, B.C.
3 Photos
Created 29 March 2017
Photos of our preparations to have Sequoia shipped by freighter from Victoria to Europe.
6 Photos
Created 13 March 2017