At Nanaimo and Heading North

Found a Starbucks and am checking in.

Passing through Dodd Narrows I had a hail from someone asking about anchors. Must have been a TF skipper but Couldn't make him out. AV8a saw me there too. A lot of boats southbound. Some must think summer is over. Gotta admit I sacked my shades, beer and shorts a few days ago but it looks like the weather in the near future will be warm and benign.

Don't know where we're going ... and I like it that way. Usually in these waters we 're in a rush to get to or from Alaska. May get as far north as Cape Caution but I doubt it. I'm really rough on boating skills. Took awhile to figure out how to get weather on the VHF .... and lots of other things. Boat is leaking in at least two spots and one chamber of the stupid rubber duckie has a leak.

Have fun shaking the cobwebs out

Give me a holler if you end up in Powell River or Lund.

My second day here in Nanaimo and I noticed that a Willard came in and tied up in front of me. The fellow walks by and I thanked him for mooring there as I thought a Willard and a Tolly on the same dock was classing up the place. He mentioned he had heard of Tollys a time or two from a forum he followed. Seemed like a nice fellow, but I still have my guard up just in case. They did say hello to my Nessie dog, so that's a pretty good sign.

Told him I had taken a self imposed exile from an Internet forum due to a few fellows left un-policed with poor social skills who had a hard time accepting anyone's opinion but their own. Though recently I had checked in a few times but not posted anything.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

Ghost out.

Leaving today

Northern Spy said:

Give me a holler if you end up in Powell River or Lund.

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We're leaving Namaimo 11:00 am bound for Powell River.

I'm away at work right now. Will be home Monday evening. I think my son is working today at the harbour if you make it in tonight.

I hope you have a nice crossing. The weather looks good.

Have a great trip!

Sorry to hear the rubber ducky is leaking.

Thanks Dave and Dude,
Too lumpy and not from the right direction. Went back to Namaimo. Weather forcast the same for tomorrow. If the seas are the same we'll head out a bit and turn NW and run up the east side of Georgia Strait to Comox. Wanted to meet NS but there's the return trip and NS will not be at work most likely.
Mayby we'll say hellow to Ted and Dorthy in Campbell River.

Thanks Dave and Dude,
Too lumpy and not from the right direction. Went back to Namaimo. Weather forcast the same for tomorrow. If the seas are the same we'll head out a bit and turn NW and run up the east side of Georgia Strait to Comox. Wanted to meet NS but there's the return trip and NS will not be at work most likely.
Mayby we'll say hellow to Ted and Dorthy in Campbell River.

Dave re "The weather looks good". Yea it's not bad. Two and a half foot seas rather short and three hours of it wouldn't be fun enough. If it's the same tomorrow we'll change course .... and destination. Or who knows it could be way different tomorrow. Leaving early and that should help. We left in our little Albin in 03 headed for Lund and a NW blow of at least 35knots and 5' seas gave us a very bad ride. The Strait just "blew up". Spooked ..... Maybe a tad. And we're not really going anywhere .. we're on vacation.

What is a "rubber ducky" on a boat?

Clueless here.

Nomad Willy said:

Thanks Dave and Dude,
Too lumpy and not from the right direction. Went back to Namaimo. Weather forcast the same for tomorrow. If the seas are the same we'll head out a bit and turn NW and run up the east side of Georgia Strait to Comox. Wanted to meet NS but there's the return trip and NS will not be at work most likely.
Mayby we'll say hellow to Ted and Dorthy in Campbell River.

Dave re "The weather looks good". Yea it's not bad. Two and a half foot seas rather short and three hours of it wouldn't be fun enough. If it's the same tomorrow we'll change course .... and destination. Or who knows it could be way different tomorrow. Leaving early and that should help. We left in our little Albin in 03 headed for Lund and a NW blow of at least 35knots and 5' seas gave us a very bad ride. The Strait just "blew up". Spooked ..... Maybe a tad. And we're not really going anywhere .. we're on vacation.

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No sense in doing stuff that isn't fun. If the west side of Georgia Strait isn't bad in the morning, running to Comox wouldn't be bad. A lot of it is more protected. Just watch out for that cable ferry that surprised me.

Eric

There are some fun things to do in downtown Nanamo. We were lucky enough to spend some time there this past June with Alaska Seduction. Great library and history museum. Just around the corner to the north of the library is a French cafe/coffee shop. Check out the New York Pizza place just across the overpass and two blocks west from downtown. Nice walking from the marina to the north, all the way to Depature Bay. Great Marina at Comox, D dock especially.

No good Totem walks though like you took us on at Thorne Bay.

We are sitting down in Ganges after a day at the fall fair.
We've been using Windyty this trip, validating what the model predicts and comparing the displays to reality. With its guidance we made a crossing of the Straits in glassy conditions like I've never seen there.
And Whiskey Golf was cold both ways!

You might want to say hello to the grumpy old guy on I dock in Discovery Harbour if you go to Campbell river. I think that his boat is called 'blue' something or other. I think he's still in the area and not headed back to Calgary yet.

Eric- How glad to read your posts. That you are back on the water and streaching out of the bag so's to speak. Enjoy and keep posting. You have a way.

Al-Ketchikan 27' Marben pocket cruiser

ghost said:

Told him I had taken a self imposed exile from an Internet forum due to a few fellows left un-policed with poor social skills who had a hard time accepting anyone's opinion but their own. Though recently I had checked in a few times but not posted anything.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

Ghost out.
View attachment 56434

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Ghost, It is fully understood regarding the opinion bit. I have discovered that if you avoid the OTD segment where folks as described vent, then the forum provides in my opinion, a vast field of interesting chatter, assistance,(Right or wrong) on inquired subject matter.
The forum moderators do a outstanding job of keeping the conversations in line and on task. A matter I learned through experience.

Tollys are a subject on their own with good participation on Tolly matters, So I suppose I am encouraging you to become active as you apparently were. We all gain from positive posting.
Regards,
Al-Ketchikan 27' Marben pocket cruiser

cardude01 said:

What is a "rubber ducky" on a boat?

Clueless here.

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Think inflatable dinghy

Good to see you stretching your sea legs Eric

I think I fixed the dink. Lost the inside part of the filling fixture inside the tube. Could see it so I rigged a coat hanger hook and got it up to the hole .... and then what? With most of the air out of the tubes I managed to position the part inside and line up the hole .... I eventially got them screwed together. It's held for about 5 hours now. Couldn't justify continuing the trip w/o a life raft.

Thanks Tom, AV8r, Al and Doug,
If the weather is'nt OK tomorrow I'll be look'in at Tom's list for sure. Dude the less you know about "duckies" the better. Dave I'm trying to arrange a course up the Strait that will give us stern seas. Willy eats stern seas. SE wind should deliver. Doug I'd be grumpy too if my boat was named Blue ____. Al we all need to think nice at least once a year. Craig that duckie inflated my anger today. When we leave big water I plan to tow it .. at least try that.

Eric
I was poking some fun at my brother Conrad on Blue Sky. He should in the area or at least he was last week and he's always open to visitors.
Doug

Doug_n said:

Eric
I was poking some fun at my brother Conrad on Blue Sky. He should in the area or at least he was last week and he's always open to visitors.
Doug

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Yes Eric if you make it to Campbell River we should catch up - Starbucks is very close to the marina. Ted & Dorothy would be delighted to catch up as well.

I'm only grumpy when my brother is around.

Georga Strait is like the Skgit River. Rather dangerous.

As a young man I crossed Dixion Entrance w a single engined OB boat w no spare. Actually went to Juneau from Rupert on that boat w only a hiking compass (w the quivering needle) and an Alaska tourist map .. green for land blue for water. I found my way though and I'm sure I wasn't nervous about it either. Those things that concern most people just didn't bother me. Now (today) it does. I've been bit twice in Georgia Strait and safety spots are far appart. The only thing that concerns me is the single engine thing w no backup. Can't belive I actually said that.

So we're going to catch the tide at Dodd Narrows and meander on back. My instinct got me this far and ya gotta have faith in something. Maybe this is why I've always been pro-twin engine on TF. Something inside was building up. We'll have a good time going back and there's several things I should be doing and want to be doing at home.

Ghost vanished thismorning. One could say I did too I suppose. Sorry.

Eric, the key is to have fun and enjoy. A rough crossing is not fun. The islands will be wonderful as they should be relatively quiet without the summer crowds.

Having been whacked pretty hard out in Georgia Strait a couple of times in the last few weeks I'd have to agree that you made a wise decision Eric. Even if you had a good run up this way you could be held hostage by the seas and not get back for some time. (Not that Campbell River is a bad place!)

Another time.

We caught Dodd rather early, just at first light. Honestly a little borderline early for the stretch down to Dodd through the worst log infected area. It was rainy but otherwise fine and we caught Dodd at a comfortable time about 45 minutes after slack. Not many boats out yesterday, I probably only saw two other vessels that were not working boats. Very few even on AIS. We ended up in Genoa bay, as with moderate but not severe winds forecast, I did not feel like punishing myself on anchor watch on vacation. Good call, great great food here at Genoa, they have a chef and we had a great time here. Will probably play at marinas for a couple more days, though would not mind a peaceful night on the hook somewhere.

Not sure what is up next, pretty much playing it by ear. Might go back towards Maple Bay or Brentwood. Possibly Sydney, though for some reason I don't like laying in that harbor. I just never got a great vibe there, don't know why as its a nice place. Love Sydney Spit though so if the weather improves, I'll find a way there.

Thankfully the rain has washed out the fog for us. My old 1930 Furuno radar has finally bit the dust.

Hope you have a good trip. Don't apologize for following your instincts, the weather has not been terrible but unstable enough to throw a curve on short notice. I've had the same feeling, a nagging overtone to not take risks the past few days. I guess that's why I decided to sneak out before sunup yesterday morning to open up some options. Thus far, nothing terrible has materialized but as September goes, things can change fast.

Nomad Willy said:

The only thing that concerns me is the single engine thing w no backup...

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Have you considered a small "get home, or at least to a safe place" outboard?

I've seen photo's of OB's on Allweather boats, which have a stern like yours.

Oh well, maybe next time.

Beautiful morning out there now. Just like glass earlier. Have a great trip.

We got home last night.

Went so to Montgue Harbour and spent another day there. Did a lot of walking in the park (pics later) and met a number of great people.
Launched the rubber duckie for the first time .. thought we should try it out in a non-emergency situation .. and I was curious. Terrible in the water. It rowed fine .. I mean it was no trouble going straight but there was precious little "going". Turned around to see how far the beach was and it was always twice as far as I thought it should be. My thoughts are turning back to towing our old yellow dinghy or getting a disposable aluminum skiff about 13' long. Have a 6hp Johnson I could contribute to the experiment. Gotta be something better than that duckie.
One important thing though was that it was quite easy to lift up on the cabintop. Went to the "Humming Bird Bar and Grill" on an old school bus. The driver was a hoot X 10. Everybody was singing Yellow Submarine and the driver had symbols and a drum stick to beat on things. Fun ride!

It was windy in Montague the day we left but I employed my "poke nose out and see" habbits of the past. Thought the seas would be a froth of whitecaps but wasn't bad at all. So we struck out for Friday Harbor. It was a confused sea at Haro Strait but just a little uncomfortable. Cleared customs (ugh!) and saw most of the fleet at Montague had arrived also. Ate out for dinner and met up w folks we met at Montague and did breakfast w them at Cynthia's (excellent!) and had a nice mellow ride home. Our timing seems excellent as it's windy today and a bit wet.

Got things to fix on the boat now .....
Forgot the VHF antenna and broke it entering our slip. I've got the electrical cord thing down now but behind the curve on the antenna.
Water lift muffler is leaking and probably is cracked. Don't think my arthritis will not allow that job .... $$$.
Vent on the forecabin roof is leaking in the head overhead.
Intermediate prop shaft bearing is running too warm to keep my fingers on it for long. I greased it and need to watch it close the next run. I think it's a ball bearing so should run cool ... me thinks.
Curser (representing our boat) on the GPS indicator is a bit off the real course. But it has been before.
Holding tank discharge pump seems to be not working. May be fuse.

No regrets on the trip though. Thought about why I aborted and came up w quite a few reasons. I remember when I flew ultralights w a new wing or rebuild or if a time had passed I'd not extend my flying for a time but eventially as I got intamate w the wing, the engine and all the door would open up to serious flying. That way of venturing forth may still be w me.

At home on the computer I'll post some pics later. Just at Starbucks now.