Monday, July 30, 2012

Gregg developed a fascination with . . .
boats backsides, sterns, transoms . . .


admiring the humor, art and creativity found there.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Settling In

March 25, 2012

Kalliope is in Port Townsend, WA for a few weeks to have chainplates replaced by Port Townsend Rigging.  The backstay and both aft lower chainplates are out of the boat.  The mast is supported by running backstays, two halyards, a wing and a prayer.  The notes that follow are gathered from the activities of the week.
Another gorgeous day in Port Townsend starts out slowly.  I tidy up the boat as much as possible with all cushions removed to the foc’sle and three chainplates exposed.  From the interior the chainplates are accessible through cabinets, so doors and shelves are removed along with contents of the cabinets.
I watch the haulout of two boats and launch of one.  Kalliope’s berth is between two travel-lift ramps.  The road and the Marina Café occupy one side and on the fourth side the harbor slips are full of beautiful wooden sail boats and a few that might be described as ‘rough.’  I interrupt my ‘work’ to observe the launch of “Adventuress” a 1913 schooner, 101 feet on deck and easily 30 feet longer overall as both bowsprit and boom overhang the ends considerably.  One deckhand volunteers that he drove 1,000 miles for the opportunity to help other volunteers completely re-rig her.  A new main sail was built by a professional sail maker and a group of students, who were certified as sailmakers at the completion of the project.  Apparently the boat is sailed mostly by teens who provide the considerable power needed to raise and trim the sails, sheets and anchor chain.  “Adventuress” is owned by a foundation called “Sound Adventure” which has a web site with more details of their message and how they are making it work.
On Sunday, I did some chores for life and for Kalliope.  Yes, dear reader, it is trivia, but might provide some insight into living aboard:
        Glued skeg on inflatable dingy
        Adjusted fenders to keep the hull from grinding on the floating dock
        Noted we have only five fenders.  I am sure there were seven last week.
        Washed much of the salt off the port side of hull from waterline to rub rail, see one scratch
        Tried to replace the cotter pin on the autopilot, but what I have is too big
        Reinstalled the hatch cover for the emergency steering tiller
        Put duct tape on rub rail at the new location for a fender – no other protection there for wood
        Sweep out cockpit which had abundant metal filings and dust balls
        Fixed cotter pin on new chain snubber – nearly lost clevis pin because I forgot to do it earlier!
        Brought in two cockpit cushions preparing for the rain to come tomorrow
        Checked for electrolysis on prop and shaft; it is all good
        Washed and dried clothes and towels, except galley which are fine.

Sometime during all of this, I popped my head over the lifeline to see if the fenders were really gone and startled a river otter right there.  I got a very good view because he dove immediately, but swam on past me as he made his escape.  Someone advised that they climb on the docks and boats leaving scat behind and possibly damaging mooring lines.  The heron returned to his usual feeding spot.  When I observed him at high tide, he sat with belly feathers touching the water and head and neck retracted.  He was fishing though and successfully.  Other than that I saw a lone goose on the wing and a small raven on a nearby boat gonging as though to warn me away from his territory.



You want ME to go there?

Deb, the proud new owner

I manage to be on the dock when they raise Adventuress’ new gaff rigged main sail for the first time and they need every hand available.  So came the very great privilege of joining in the song sung by seamen for hundreds of years (though only 99 years on the Adventuress): “six, eight, heave; six, eight, heave as one seaman hauls down on the peak (or throat) halyard which then turns through a block and runs aft where eight more hardy souls including me, haul with all their might while watching the hands of the lead and singing out “heave.”  Note that this effort is raising the mainsail and the gaff at the top of the sail which is basically a small tree weighing about 350 lbs.  Yes there is mechanical advantage far up the main mast where the halyard runs through a couple of double blocks.  This was a mixed gender crew ranging in age from 20 to 70 with the eldest explaining that he and the rest of the rigging volunteers have to be off the boat tomorrow when the “regular” crew arrives.

February 20, 2012

Open skiff on Nushagak River, Alaska, USA

Deb and Gregg lived 16 years in Dillingham on Bristol Bay in Western Alaska.  During the summers they fished and camped on the lakes, rivers and the Nushagak estuary using an open skiff.  They also had several opportunities to cruise the Alaska coast on friends’ power boats.   When the time seemed right, they retired and bought a 25 year old Tayana 37 cutter planning to make some upgrades, take a few months to get familiar with the boat and head for Mexico and points south.  Gregg describes himself as a “pretty good dingy sailor.”  Reasonable people ask:  “What makes them think they can handle that boat in those places?”  They respond it they will figure out pretty quick if they can handle it or not.  This is their story.

We bought Kalliope in Bellingham, WA in December 2011, hoping to get some sailing in during breaks in the mild winter weather.  Very little sailing happened as the weather wasn’t as mild as expected.  Bellingham proved to be a pleasant place to pass the time and there were decisions to make.  What sails to take, where to store them, where to store food and spares, what tools to take, what electronics are needed, what to do for a tender, etc.

For the landlubbers, a tender is a small boat to take to shore when the sailboat is anchored out in the bay.  They are often used to haul water, groceries and laundry and occasionally used as tugboats to move or steer the larger vessel.  The most popular choice is a ten foot rigid inflatable boat with a 10 horsepower outboard motor.  We took a chance and acquired an inflatable “kayak” which is just a small open boat with no power other than paddles.  This boat will do some, but not all of the tasks just described.  In time, we will refine our opinion about what is needed.

We learned from word of mouth and on-line sources to suspect weakness at the anchor points connecting the hull with the mast through stays.  We found a rigger in Port Townsend to help evaluate and, if necessary, replace these anchor points.  At the appointed date we motored down Rosario Strait and across the extreme eastern limit of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Port Townsend and began the work with the riggers.
5/4/12 

Gregg turns 65 this month.  This should be an easy way to remember when we began this phase of our lives.  I say began because we left Bellingham on the 2nd and except for a car, we’ve no ties to any land.  We have now begun our adventure.

Upon leaving Bellingham, we both sailed and motored (when there was no wind) to Sucia Island.  It’s a place everyone we met in Bellingham said was a must.  We chose to anchor in Fox Cove.  There was an option of mooring but why burn fossil fuel when we don’t have to? 

On our first full day here (May 3rd) we simply paddled our canoe over to Little Sucia Island; a stone’s throw from the Kalliope.  We walked around the perimeter at a leisurely pace and saw a few kayakers out on the water with fishing poles and fishing nets resembling butterfly nets.  We never saw them catch anything.

Schooner Pleiades in Bellingham, Washington, USA

I took pictures of red Indian paint brush flowers which I don’t recall seeing since leaving Colorado.  Also shot some pink “clover looking” flowers along the hillside.

The camp sites are quite developed but beautifully maintained.  They even have one for handicapped folks.  They have composting toilets (waste is reduced to fertile soil after a few years of exposure to air), the buildings are well made and often decorated with fancy doors or wooden shingles.  There is one long dock in one of the bays on Sucia Island but otherwise there are just mooring buoys in the other bays we saw on a leisurely walk.  There were more trails but Deb has a sore foot.

We are surrounded by Canadian geese including a few families with chicks.  We also saw heron and river otters.  And at night there’s a seal that hangs around.  We saw a raptor of some sort flying overhead.  Some folks said it was an immature bald eagle but we couldn’t tell.  And oh yeah, banana slugs--big juicy, 6“ long and primarily yellow.  Plus there were completely black slugs of significant size but smaller than the banana slugs.  Interestingly, there were no wild flowers on the larger Sucia Island, just on the little one.

I am sitting outside in the cockpit now enjoying an absolutely gorgeous, sunny, calm day as I type this note.  I commented to Gregg that I think we’re doing well, not getting on each other’s nerves, considering how much time we’re spending together.  There was some tension about his indecision over a life raft but he finally ordered one before we left Bellingham, so all is good.

5/5/12

We sailed about four hours today in the sunny dry San Juan Island archipelago.  This is so much nicer than sailing in the rain.  Kalliope actually exceeded 6.5 knots for a while in wind about 15 mph. We heeled over some but not enough to cause concern.  I even convinced Gregg to skip the Dramamine today.  We see seals at about 30 minute intervals.  They are always by themselves.  We have not seen any whales.

After passing by Waldron Island we anchored for the night in Prevost Harbor at Stuart Island—one of the islands closest to Canada.  We moored to a buoy in January in Reid Harbor on the other side of this island.  On a leisurely stroll this afternoon along beautifully maintained trails we looked down on Reid Harbor and saw eight boats but still lots of space for more.

We wake to another dry, sunny day.  How long can this last?  Upon leaving at low tide by the same route we entered last night, two major reefs are visible in the bay, one on either side.  Seeing them increases one’s respect for navigation info on the charts.

Gregg has been fantastic about plotting our course, reading up on our destinations etc.  I’m still trying to get through the two beginner sailing books we “needed to know” for our class in Seward 5 yrs ago…

We tied up to a dock at Orcas Island’s Deer Harbor.  We’re here for the night at a cost of $66—not to worry, that includes shower tokens.  Gee, thanks a lot.  Gregg did the laundry in the morning since the laundry closed inconveniently early.

5/7/12

We filled our water tanks.  Can’t figure out why we have to fill them so frequently (every 5 days).  Think our water pump running frequently without us using water is a hint?

Tonight we anchored off Orcas Island behind Victim Island in West Sound just east of Deer Harbor.  This wasn’t nearly as picturesque as most of our stops have been.  We stayed on the boat all evening.  Near us on shore were buildings that looked like a sport fish camp that never made it.

I emptied out the foreward berth to unbury sail repair equipment and Duluth bags.  Most items were very dry but there was a bit of mold around the edges of the material under the cushions and on Gregg’s expensive waders and dry bag.  The latter find was worth the task.

Today we checked how fast a large ship can overtake us.  In one case a cargo ship which was “very far off” when first sighted was abeam in less than 15 minutes!  We need to keep a sharp eye out for sure, especially at night and in fog.

5/8/12

I actually unfurled the staysail and raised mainsail today with minimal guidance.  I just might learn this trade yet!  We were in East Sound off Orcas Island with little wind and Gregg at the helm.  The biggest issue was a failure to connect the halyard on the inside of the lazy jacks.  This means I worked hard to haul the sail half way up and it jammed in some lines that prevented it from going any higher.  I also didn’t know what line to release for the topping lift.  Details, details.

Before the day was out we motored back towards West Sound and turned south into Shaw Island’s Blind Bay, a more protected anchorage for the predicted winds.  Gregg at this very moment has the binoculars out and is spying on the other three sailboats in the little bay—one is an Island Packet from Oregon etc.  HoHum.  Good night Gregg.  From the boat we can watch the frequent coming and going of ferries landing at Shaw Island and across Harney Channel at Orcas where the lights shine brightly at night.  The ferries connect these spots with Friday Harbor to the West and Anacortes to the East.

Gregg added some oil to the engine tonight and while in the engine room, searched for a water leak.  Using his special talents he found a clamp that needed tightening under our bunk.  It was easily leaking enough to relieve us of a couple gallons or more of fresh water a day.  Since he tightened the clamp we haven’t had any hint of a leak.  “One problem down”.

Gregg discovered the missing part for the BBQ in the second kitchen drawer. We couldn’t use it the other day for want of the regulator.  Now we don’t have any meat to BBQ but we will…

5/9/12

Gregg took the inflatable out for a short time this a.m. while I did a Gilad stepping class out on the deck.  The Pelican case was a poor substitute for the exercise step which I donated to the YMCA prior to leaving Bellingham.  We had to face the reality that there was no place on the boat for it.

We went for about a three hour walk on Shaw Island mid-day.  On this small island cows (all 2 that we saw), sheep (at least 15), horses (4) and one caterpillar cohabitate.  Now the last may not seem exciting but when was the last time you saw a caterpillar?  We have moths and butterflies in AK but never saw a caterpillar.  It’s the little things in life that we now take the time to appreciate.

We walked to the crossroads where a church, museum and library are located.  The museum has a few artifacts outside including something called a reef net boat.  We had no idea how it was fished but Gregg admired its lines.

Today we “dined” at Shaw’s General Store--the only grocery store/deli on the island—located right next to the ferry pier.  They serve a delicious chicken sandwich on sourdough bread.  The store was once owned by Franciscan nuns who sold homemade food to visitors.  The couple who own it now bought it from the nuns when they moved to Oregon.

Paddling back to Kalliope in the inflatable we stopped at Blind Island, a teeny tiny state park.  I finally saw two large starfish in the tide pools where we went ashore.  The island was covered with purple flowers I don’t believe I’d ever seen.  Back on the Kalliope they were identified as Common Camos.  The flower book shows them only in WA, OR area.  There is an eastern version but different color.

On Thursday May 10, we motored and sailed into Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.  We anchored Kalliope nearby and paddled to the town dock.  This town is well known to boaters and other tourists and features one restaurant after another. The famous ferry makes many stops nearby and the ambiance is that of a quaint old Victorian village.  A couple B&Bs/shops were built around 1895 or 1907.  We made it to land about 5:00 in the evening so most shops were closing but the stainless steel screws needed to finish the autopilot box were available—hurrah!  We also picked up some fresh vegetables, fruit and meat so we can finally christen the BBQ.  We plan to return to town tomorrow to hit a few shops for items actually on our list.

Jesse called to say he and Hannah were married May 5th.  It was just them, the priest and two witnesses.  “This fall we will have a big celebration”.  I asked why they got married now and he said the license was about to expire.  They are living up on the hill in Togiak in a HUD 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath apartment.  Hannah told Gregg they have next to no furniture at this time. Jesse is not working.  Hannah is working part time at AC still and has applied for a job with the tribal council.  We know Jesse is happy.  He always wanted to fall in love and marry.

5/11/12

We showered, started our shopping list, and then got sidetracked.  We decided to just spend another night in Friday Harbor and enjoy our time here.  We stopped at West Marine, Radio Shack, a book store, another tourist store or two and had a delicious simple lunch in a café.  The “bus boy” was a young lady who was the cashier in the store/café on Shaw Island.  She recognized us right away and said she has three jobs.  Why she’s working so hard remains a mystery.  We plan to visit the other side of the island in a couple weeks when the Bruders are on board.  Seems like there will be places to hike over there which we know is up their alley.

5/12/12

Motored for about 45 minutes from Friday Harbor over to Lopez Island to the town of Lopez.  There are big happenings here today—a sheep festival with sheep shearing, a sheep dog herding demo, etc.  We walked about a mile to the events and found weaving, felt making, cheese making, pack goats on display, a couple lambs on a BBQ spit and pizza cooked in a wood-fired adobe mud oven built on a trailer.  The lady baking the pizza also made the oven.

We asked in a co-operative art gallery in Lopez Village about Marie & V.A. Luckhurst.  From the shop we were able to call them and they graciously came to meet us.  It was easy to recognize him as soon as he stepped out of the car.  While visiting with them in an al fresco café, another member of the Dillingham Diaspora joined the conversation—John Yukluk.  I told him I just mailed his sister JoJo a letter yesterday.  Marie & VA invited us back to their home (one they built over the course of almost 3 years during which time they had no running water).   They have a large lot with lots of lawn to cut, completely surrounded by a fence high enough to keep deer out.   There is a pond stocked with fish where they admit relaxing on an inflatable raft and watching meteor showers.  Their enormous garden has apple trees, tall raspberry bushes, choke berries and a field of strawberries.  They preserve lots of what they produce.  VA can’t work due to back problems.  Marie has worked at the post office for 23 years (including a couple yrs in DLG).

VA explained the reef net fishery found in WA.  Two boats suspend a net between them.  From a crow’s nest they can see when they have a good catch.  The net is hauled in and as the boats pull closer together they load the fish into one of the boats.  A unique large flat-bottomed skiff evolved for this fishery.

The David B was an abandoned 50 foot tug boat V.A.Luckhurst played on as a youth in Ekuk, Alaska.  Tugs like this one were known as “monkey boats” and towed the sailboats of the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery from the cannery to the fishing grounds.  The Carscallen family acquired the David B. and barged it to Oregon.  Somehow it was again abandoned, this time on Lopez Island, WA where VA Luckhurst recognized an old “friend.”  New owners reclaimed it from Lopez, restored it and took it to Juneau and back.  More years passed before we moored near it in Bellingham, admired the boat, met the new owner and read excerpts of the book she wrote about the restoration.

We also learned a bit more about the Washington shrimp fishery.  Fishermen harvest different varieties at different times.  The fishery (even for personal use) is regulated similar to the salmon industry where it might be open for 3 days and then not again for a month.

VA & Marie invited us to stay with them if we’re back in the area or come to shower and eat.  Now that we have contact info we need to call ahead next time to invite them aboard for a sail since they seem interested.

We motored for about 45 minutes over to Indian Bay off of Shaw Island to anchor for the night.  We christened the gas grill, dining on steak, beer and yet another batch of burnt chocolate chip cookies. 

5/13/12

We tacked back & forth for hours in a brisk wind today. (I think that was today, I’m behind on diary entries and forgot about Spencer Spit anchorage).  We had lots of wind in Lopez Sound and then like a line was drawn in the water at Thatcher Pass the wind died.  We patiently coaxed Kalliope onto the other tack, crossed the line again and away we went.

We anchored in a beautiful area known as Spencer Spit off Lopez Island.  This is a long sand spit extending into the sound, with a well-maintained park, a few walking trails and camping areas for both primitive camping and car camping.  The Spit has picnic sites with fire rings for day use.  We were among 14 boats anchored on the south side.  The write-up in Wagoner’s guidebook said look for rabbits but we saw none (Gregg claims he stared one down when he went ashore the next morning).

May 14, 15, 16, 2012

We are back in Bellingham to shop until we drop. We also filled the water tanks, pumped out the holding tank, picked up mail and paid bills.  It took a long time to find hiding places (storage) for all our food supplies but I believe we did it.  For example a bottle of bleach under the floor by the bottom of the mast, extra spices in the pressure cooker and iced teas under the pressure cooker cabinet.  The clearance in this space is a truly ingenious discovery of mine.

5/17/12

We left Bellingham for Port Townsend about 2 p.m.  We motored most of the day due to a lack of wind.  This is a bit cooler day than we’ve had recently.  The sun barely showed itself through the clouds but at least there was no rain.

We anchored at James Island State Park.  The west side of the island has a dock where two boats can tie up. Those spots were taken and the nearby anchorage was a bit too deep so we tried the east side which was better protected from the wind.  Kalliope was the only boat in this cove.  Except for the wake from some distant ferries and their propeller noise which we hear through our hull, it was a great site.

We saw a deer on the shore while searching for the perfect anchorage.  On a walk in the woods the next morning we saw another.  How do they hop so fast on such uneven terrain and not think twice about their “feet” or legs?  Raccoons have been known to steal food from boats here but we never saw one.  Are they nocturnal?

5/18/12
 
As we approached Port Townsend I watched a small island with some structure on it in the middle of the bay.  Suddenly Gregg said: “Oh my God, it’s a submarine!”  I needed the binoculars to confirm it since most of the ship was below water.  It had an escort of two Coast Guard cutters.  I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a sub in or out of water.  It turns out Gregg spent a day on one near Key West Florida when the Navy had a public outreach program for high school students.  They were submerged on maneuvers with a sub-chaser.  He remembers it well.  Wow.  Who wouldn’t!

We fueled up in Port Townsend, got a slip and made up a bunk for Terry Johnson who came in for a small boat seminar.  Deb put most extra “stuff” in the shower stall.  If we can get shelves into the two hanging closets we could utilize the spaces much more efficiently.  “In due time”.

Gregg just said: “The sea cock for the salt water pump is in the linen closet.”  Hope it works.  It’ll save us lots of fresh water since we can use salt water for washing dishes.  We can still rinse the dishes in fresh water but we will use soooo much less.  A sea cock is a valve associated with any hole through the hull below the water line.