Cruising the Pacific Northwest, San Juan Islands, British Columbia & Alaska

Saturday, May 23, 2009

May 17- "Crab Louie is on the prowl!

We were very fortunate to find a spot on the public dock in Ganges. It is Canada's Victoria Day weekend and there are many boats in the harbor. The next morning Crab Louie heads out!
NO CRAB WILL BE SAFE!

The next day we enjoy the fruits of his labor!

Friday, May 15, 2009

May 16th - "Around Saltspring"

As we headed towards Ganges on Saltspring Island we came upon approximately 100 sailboats with their colorful Spinnakers attempting to fill in the mild breeze. Sailboats and sails of all colors and sizes sailed by as we passed the opposite way.

The boats were participating in the circumnavigation of Saltspring Island in this annual race.

It was a lovely sight!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

May 12th - The Inuksuk of Maple Bay

Maple Bay amongst many improvements has added a striking piece of art called a "INUKSUK"
The geography of the far north has few natural landmarks. The Inuksuk may have been used for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for hunting grounds, or as a food cache. Inuksuit (plural for Inuksuk) vary in shape and size, with deep roots in the Inuit culture and continue to serve as an Inuit cultural symbol.

You can see "Seventh Heaven" in the background being "Hauled Out" on Maple Bay's 50 ton travel lift for her annual bottom maintenance. She will be power washed, taped and her bottom painted

Louie observes with a watchful eye as "Steve Lindstrom" skillfully drives the travel lift into position. Stands are placed to hold the boat upright when the lift drives away.

World's Largest Hockey Stick

Canadians love hockey and there is no doubt that we are in Canada when we came across the "World's Largest Hockey Stick" in Duncan, BC:
The World's Largest Hockey Stick is 40 times life size.
The shaft and blade of the stick are made in sections with steel-reinforced Douglas Fir beams measuring 3 foot by 4 foot (91.44 cm by 1.2192 m) for a total length of 205 feet (62.48 metres).
The stick weighs 28,118 kg (61,000 pounds) and was built in Penticton BC. The final product was trucked to Vancouver in two pieces, spliced together on the ground, then lifted into position on August 21, 1985.
After the fair in Vancouver, the hockey stick was transported to Vancouver Island by barge and 3 flat bed trucks exactly two years later, on August 21, 1987.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

May 6th - Our Adventure Begins

Our adventure in British Columbia has begun. We have released the lines from Friday Harbor and we are underway at last!
After clearing customs at the Port of Sidney we continued on to "Genoa Bay". It is one of our favorite places. Everything one could ask for is there, beautiful scenery, good crabbing, great restaurant and friendly surroundings

There is a small store and a great covered gathering place.

This one of the many interesting "float homes". Several artists live in the community.

Lou brought "Wings" ashore to check a leaking tube. The tide had receded which exposed the problem. When the tide comes back in we will re-float the inflatable.

Our dear friends Alex and Michael who live aboard on "Zeehond" joined us for a wonderful dinner. They supplied a delicious hunk of Halibut served with a pineapple salsa, marinated mushrooms and olives. We supplied fresh organic spinach sauteed in garlic and virgin olive oil, steamed whole grain rice and lots of delicious wine.
Michael is on medical leave from the Canadian Coast Guard because a severe injury he incurred while performing a rescue on the west side of Vancouver Island. The rescue involved an inexperience boater with 4 children aboard. The boat was caught in the surf and was eventually grounded on the rocks. Michael was injured while his Coast Guard inflatable was pounded by the huge waves. He is truly our "Hero"!

We enjoyed our dinner in the cockpit. The weather was clear, warm and sunny.

Michael took us on a cider tasting adventure at "Merridale Cider Works" in Cowichan Valley, BC.

This is NOT Grandma's squeezed apple juice. This is HARD CIDER with alcohol contents of anywhere from 7% to 16% and absolutely delicious!

http://www.merridalecider.com/ciderhouse/products

Apples come from their lovely orchards with many varieties of apples.

The apple trees are bursting with blossoms. Looks like a great crop is in the making.

Merridale is just starting to make Brandy.

Louie and Michael clowning around with the casks in the processing area.

May 3rd - Opening Day of Boat Season

Friday Harbor Boat Parade is lead by the Fire Boat.

The season has officially started!

May 10th 2009 - Dear Friend and Author of "Manning Up in Alaska" Dick Dreschler and His Wonderful Wife Sharon

Our Hull #07 Seventh Heaven's sister ship Hull # 140 "Last Resort" meets us in Auke Bay near Juneau, Alaska. We had been communicating with Dick and Sharon on the "C-470 website" for quite awhile and found out that they would be joining us in Alaska in 2008.

Here are Dick and Sharon at our home in Friday Harbor, WA signing and mailing copies of his recent book "Manning Up in Alaska".

Dick’s fast-paced Manning Up In Alaska is a riveting, good read and an entertaining adventure book. At times we laugh; at other times we hold our breath. Regardless of whether we’re sailors or landlubbers, he holds our wide-eyed attention with this action-packed tale as we sail with him and his wife up the coast from Mexico to Alaska aboard his 47-foot sailboat, Last Resort. The amazing truth is that lifelong sailor and hard-driving entrepreneur Dick Drechsler didn’t expect to live, much less cruise 2600 miles of ocean. After neck and throat cancer treatment confined him to taking nourishment from a feeding tube, he lost his energy, humor and will to survive. He was forced to retire; he was unable to travel. Worst of all, he was no longer able to enjoy his passion for sailing. This book is about how, despite these very long odds, he refused to give up. His story of regaining partial use of his throat; pursuing a lifelong dream to cruise in a sailboat and discovering a new, exciting avocation is a page-turner in every regard. And, in the end, Dick came to dedicate his life and this book to helping other cancer survivors enjoy life and even thrive.

http://voyagesoflastresort.com/

The Story of "Popeye" Friday Harbor's Official Seal!

"Popeye" is a friendly face around Friday Harbor and is so loved that she has a statue dedicated to her in the park above the harbor. She is blind in one eye and the artist so cleverly dipicted this by inbedding a piece of white pearl shell where her eye once was.

She frequently appears next to the fish market on the main dock of Friday Harbor. Brenda and Eric owners have taught her to wave her flipper and then she is generously rewarded with a nice Herring. It is always a delight to see her!