here is the write up of my 10 days on the boat...starting back on the 2nd when we got underway and visiting several places in the gulf islands and up to nanaimo BC....it was good and bad ...weather didn't cooperate with us...but the last few days were spectacular..
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well...today was rather exciting...we both got up for work...then got off a few hrs. later...we got home and loaded everything up into the truck...food...gear...dogs...and headed out to the marina...we got everything loaded in record time and rigged for sea...
had the boat dropped in the water since we're dry stored...and off we went.....so far the boat and all the repairs we had done, is working fine...no problems...
we stopped at friday harbor in the san juan islands for fuel and a potty break for the dogs...then got back underway for poets cove...althought it's only a 40 min drive due north...it was a tough ride since we had to slog thru snotty water most of the way...sun out..clear skies..and snotty water...I can't figure it out...but we got up into poets cove in canada and got thru customs with no problems......we then, due to hi winds had to have help docking ....we were assigned a slip that was really tough to get into and had the dock help catch me...(I did it so well that the sailboater ..aka blow boater) next to us said.."nice job skipper!!"...this is kinda like the ultimate approval by another sailor cuz of the high winds and real bear of a slip to get into.......
we got checked in..went up and had a burger on the outside deck...then came back to the boat where we saw this couple oogling our boat...so..we had to give them a nickel tour....
I do have to say that poet's cove service has gone down hill....I'm thinking this will be our last time here....someone said that they are in recievership and letting it go to hell ....
so far the first day was tough..I'm hoping tomorrow's run up to Nanaimo will be alot smoother and calmer....
hope everyone has a great 4th of july...I'll post pic's when I can...
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So far the adventure has been just that….with no wifi avaible..I haven’t had the ability to talk about the adventures of this vacation….we took off from poets cove heading due north thru Dodd’s inlet….it was a nice ride until we got thru Dodd’s inlet….
Now for those locals that haven’t been thru Dodd’s…at low tide you still have about 50 ft of water below the boat…but only about 70 ft between shores…..so going thru there with any kind of tide is tough at best…best to be on step ..but also remember to give a Security call over the vhf if you’re the only one coming thru incase someone is coming in the opposite direction……
Once thru Dodd’s inlet…there is this huge whirlpool …do try to miss it…..then heading north towards Nanaimo, we got into some ugly wind driven waves…6-8 ftrs and coming from the east…winds were hitting 45mph from what we heard…….the waves really tossed us around and when we finally got into Nanaimo, we were docked on the breakwater dock at first….we had reservations so when we talked to the dockmaster, they moved us into “J” dock..a bit more protected……….other boaters we talked too said they went out and turned around to redock for a few days….some have been stuck there for the past week….guess we’re too stupid to turn around…
Nanaimo is a nice place….we walked ole town….which is a bit like going back into the 60’s somewhat….mainly with the hippy shops and artsy fartsy places….nothing to really speak of ….then goofed around a few places and headed back to the boat for a nap and some much needed rest…
later we visited the Bastion…..it’s a living museum that was built in 1865 or there abouts…then they had some young ladies perform on the promenade next to the canon’s that are fired at about 11:45 each day..they go thru the drill of loading and firing the canon…..the young ladies were very talented in the Scottish dances…it was pretty interesting to see them dance…..
I will let you know that there is a restaurant on the harbor there that absolutely sucks….penny’s palapa ….horrible service and ghastly foods….I like Mexican but that wasn’t even close…I really really don’t recommend this place….other restaurants were good....
Couple of mornings later we headed out to Ladysmith marina….which we couldn’t find anyone to answer the calls…no phone or vhf answers…so we turned around and headed over to telegraph harbor marina on thetis island….last yr we just stayed at thetis marina which was ok…but telegraph is by far better…..once we got tied to the dock…a fellow bayliner owner walks up and introduced himself…Barry is a lurker but I’m hoping that I can bring him to join the BOC….so..BARRY!!!...Join up man!!!....haha..
Anyway…while we were kinda relaxing a maxum boat came in with a mess of Chinese guys from Vancouver on a kicker motor…….I think they lost the coil to his engine…they had oil pressure/gas/plenty of gas getting to the carb….I did some checking and the coil was absolutely dead…no sparks……so..they stayed the nite on their boat and was going to go to chemainus by ferry to get parts…hope they got home…although I wouldn’t have thought so since the winds kicked up and we came down to montegue harbor in 3-4ftrs…it was ugly…..but the waves were head on so it wasn’t too bad of a ride…….not fun but the new boat handled it well….
We’re hear for a few days at montegue harbor and will finish off at brentwood….I’m hoping I can scab a wifi connection at brentwood……right now it’s raining at montegue and we’re trying to rest some…..relax…enjoy some down time….
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Change of plans……we stayed at montegue one nite..the winds and weather is supposed to get ugly today so we got underway just after 06:30 this morning…it only took us about an hr to get to brentwood and although there was a chop all the way…it didn’t slow us down much…we were able to maintain about 27mph running about 3500rpm….the boat took the trip better than we did at times…….we made it here and got into our slip…we are a day early and decided that Montegue was just a bit too rustic for what we were looking for…(plus the sounds of banjo’s in the distance didn’t help)… just kidding….
Montegue docks are really falling apart……so…after spending the nite there we just headed out for our last couple of places…a few days at brentwood bay marina…and maybe a day or two in roche harbor…we’ve never been there so …we might try that one to close out our vacation…..
Hopefully the waters will be calm and we can have a nice ride home…..brentwood bay marina is spectacular as far as the treatment and amenities here…if it will just warm up some…we’ll go up and have an afternoon at the pool or at least get marsha to have a spa day….let them pamper her for awhile….
Anyway…it’s been fun/interesting…met a lot of very nice people in the Canadian area….some from the US and some from up north…it’s been fun…challenging and YES Strat…the waters coming out of dodd’s inlet was crazy!!...we did stay over in J dock and that was pretty nice….
One thing we did learn was that there are places that don’t like it when we come in with a power hog of a boat and ask for 2 ea . 30 amp shore pwr or 1 ea. 50 amp….seems you guys don’t like to make electricity!!..haha…..
Will post more as the rest of the week goes by!!..I have a ton of pic's to post and will get those on here in a bit..gotta load them into the boc and will post them here.....
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well..more changes in plans...we're headed out to roche harbor for thursday and friday....never been there and so it's going to be a new place to try......
hope they have wifi!!..as it turns out..they have BBX....I won't pay for bbx that is crap for service..
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Well...we made it back....we got thru customs with no problems....other than me driving my bow into a trawler...no damage I don't think...I went to swing my stern into the dock and when I slipped the drives into neutral...one slipped into fwd..I ran off the stern to help tie it down and she kept moving fwd....I jumped back on board and pulled the throttles back into neutral....I was upset as hell...and the owner I ran into, obviously was upset..but she calmed down when I gave her my contact info and told her if there is any damage to call me and I'll get my insurance policy cranked up....she understood when I told her about it being a new boat and I've moved up from a single to a twin drive...her husband wasn't worried at all....said to me on the way into customs .."Hey..it happens...!!...a really gracious couple...guess they saw that I was beating myself up over it...
contacted roche harbor master and they had 4 kids down at the dock to catch me...we got snugged into one of those long docks that will hold an 80 ft boat....we've also never been on a dock that was about 3 ft higher than my swim step!!....getting the 2 dogs off and on was a challenge.....anyway....once tied up and secured...we had the sundance yacht sales guy drooling over our boat....his buddy had to have the tour....it was a hoot..those guys were fun to talk too..he has a tough job...try to sell 2 huge yachts all summer long there at roche harbor....
that evening we went up to the main restaurant and had a great dinner....iced tea with real ice!!!...in canada.. every where we went ....you had to practically beg for ice...and in nanaimo...I asked for iced tea...I get a glass of ice and a pot of hot tea to steep....what's with that???
the other restaurant we ate at in nanaimo was the one at the other end of the marina where the floatplane offices are...that was decent but again...had to beg for ice..
Brentwood bay was good but the weather sucked the entire time we were there..so we left a few days early to head to Roche harbor....
After walking the dogs yesterday...we went to the chandlery for some oil for the boat...I needed to stock back up on drive oil and trim oil....then we walked up to the little church....finally ending up at the moselium....really is a neat place but one heckuva hike....came back to the boat and we had a nap...late lunch....etc....yesterday I spent all day cleaning the outside of the boat....carpets...etc...10 days on the boat and it was fun..and dirty..
we left roche at about 9:20 and got into Everett at about 11:45 am...made pretty good time running at 35mph all the way home...the boat just flat out moved once we got her trimmed out and running on plane properly.......
now it's time to do a mountain of laundry and tomorrow I have to go back to the boat and wash her from the run back home...
I'll post some other photo's when I can get the time..
our 10 day vacation is over and we ..inspite of some nasty weather and ugly waters....had a great time and now we have to go back to work....
first day heading north...Mt Baker in the background there
Poets cove after checkin at the customs dock
Dodd's Passage..and I thought deception pass was a challenge!! :shock:
Wife and I on the bow in Nanaimo
Telegraph harbor..nice marina...very helpful dock crew..
2009 Vacation on the new boat..10 days of water adventures
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