Helmsman Trawlers in the Wild

[FWT]

The boat looks great! Was fun watching her arrive, and getting to meet you. Will be back up that way soon!

And great meeting you too.

You began this epic thread and it's been of great value to many, including me. We all owe you a debt of thanks.

 

[FWT]

FWT - Congratulations!!! Your new boat is beautiful. Can't wait to hear about your adventures. Especially since they will be so much different than ours.
Jill

Thanks! All credit goes to Scott and Helmsman of course.

I'll post more later, but because of the press of the rest of life I've known that boat stuff in 2023 is for me is all about delivery, commissioning items, and modest shakedown use. I'll be happy if I can go into the 2024 season ready to roll. So no real adventures, YET.

 

[amxr39]

Hi. What system are you using to carry your dingy?
Thank you.

 

[Nick14]

Resilient, arriving at her home Marina last Friday.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!



It must feel great to finally have it, and be underway.

Please post updates of your journeys and experience with it!

 

[FWT]

Hi. What system are you using to carry your dingy?
Thank you.

Carrying the dingy up top was a core must-have checklist item in boat selection for me. So doing that. If you want a davit crane Helmsman uses Jackson, which I believe comes in several configurations. And, I see some mounted on the port side and others on starboard. Mine is port. If you want something else its a good bet Helmsman can accommodate you.

 

[FWT]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!



It must feel great to finally have it, and be underway.

Please post updates of your journeys and experience with it!

Thanks. Will do.

 

[Helmsman]

And great meeting you too.

You began this epic thread and it's been of great value to many, including me. We all owe you a debt of thanks.

Thank you. I would suggest it was a group effort!

 

[Helmsman]

And great meeting you too.

You began this epic thread and it's been of great value to many, including me. We all owe you a debt of thanks.

Thank you. I think you are referring to the new Helmsman thread. That one is and was a group effort as is this one.

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

Embark in Codville Lagoon, BC

Enjoying a hike from Codville Lagoon and heading back to EmBark.

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

Our 38 in the wild,

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AqSv5ZU-1h2MjIJpkGqNlqSzITni1Q?e=f1jAMI

just another falls on the inside passage trip.

 

[chanprr]

We're planning a SE Alaska cruise in 2024 and adding stops we didn't make in 2022. Codville Lagoon is one of them.

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

We're planning a SE Alaska cruise in 2024 and adding stops we didn't make in 2022. Codville Lagoon is one of them.

So far our stops to date below. We wanted to spend more time in BC before a b-line trip to Alaska next summer. You could spend a lifetime here.
Send me an email (see the spreadsheet from the rendezvous) if you want any details of these stops.

Tons of kayaking to be done yet.. just way to interesting running the ding around.. but will get to the Hobie when we slow down.

Desperately eating up frozen food to make more room for the kings.
note: forum doesn't like portrait pics (sideways)


Day 1 Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Gulf Islands Sidney Marina, Vancouver Island groceries, trash
Day 2 Thursday, June 15, 2023 Gulf Islands Sidney Spit mooring, hike
Day 3 Friday, June 16, 2023 Gulf Islands Montague Harbor, Galiano Island mooring, hike, groceries, trash
Day 4 Saturday, June 17, 2023 Gulf Islands Pirates Cove, De CourcY Island anchor - stern tie, hike
Day 5 Sunday, June 18, 2023 Gulf Islands Pirates Cove, De CourcY Island anchor - stern tie, hike
Day 6 Monday, June 19, 2023 Georgia Strait Comax Marina, Vancouver Island groceries, trash, water, laundry
Day 7 Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Georgia Strait Comax Marina, Vancouver Island walked the beach
Day 8 Wednesday, June 21, 2023 Desolation Sound Tenedos Bay anchor - stern tie, hike
Day 9 Thursday, June 22, 2023 Desolation Sound Tenedos Bay anchor - stern tie, hike
Day 10 Friday, June 23, 2023 Discovery Islands Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island anchored - groceries, trash
Day 11 Saturday, June 24, 2023 Discovery Islands Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island anchored - hike
Day 12 Sunday, June 25, 2023 Johnstone Straight Big Bay Marina, Stuart Island water, laundry
Day 13 Monday, June 26, 2023 Johnstone Straight Forward Harbor anchored - Hike
Day 14 Tuesday, June 27, 2023 Broughtons Port McNeill, Vancouver Island groceries, trash, fuel
Day 15 Wednesday, June 28, 2023 BC North Coast Penrose Island MP - Secure Anchorage anchored
Day 16 Thursday, June 29, 2023 BC North Coast Penrose Island MP - Secure Anchorage anchored
Day 17 Friday, June 30, 2023 BC North Coast Penrose Island MP - Secure Anchorage anchored
Day 18 Saturday, July 1, 2023 BC North Coast Pruth Bay, Calvert Island - Hakai Conservancy anchored - hike
Day 19 Sunday, July 2, 2023 BC North Coast Pruth Bay, Calvert Island - Hakai Conservancy anchored - hike
Day 20 Monday, July 3, 2023 BC North Coast Pruth Bay, Calvert Island - Hakai Conservancy anchored - hike
Day 21 Tuesday, July 4, 2023 BC North Coast Pruth Bay, Calvert Island - Hakai Conservancy anchored - hike
Day 22 Wednesday, July 5, 2023 BC North Coast Codville Lagoon anchored - hike
Day 23 Thursday, July 6, 2023 BC North Coast Ocean Falls Water, Recyle
Day 24 Friday, July 7, 2023 BC North Coast Ocean Falls Walked to Dam
Day 25 Saturday, July 8, 2023 BC North Coast Eucott Bay Hotsprings
Day 26 Sunday, July 9, 2023 BC North Coast Shearwater, Denny Island Grocery, Trash, Recycle, Laundry, Water
Day 27 Monday, July 10, 2023 BC North Coast Shearwater, Denny Island Hiked to Lake
Day 28 Tuesday, July 11, 2023 BC North Coast Olivers Cove MP, Reid Passage Anchored
Day 29 Wednesday, July 12, 2023 Fiordland Kynoch Inlet, Fjordland Anchored entrance to Caulpepper Laggon
Day 30 Thursday, July 13, 2023 Fiordland Windy Bay, Fjordland Anchored
Day 31 Friday, July 14, 2023 Fiordland Windy Bay, Fjordland Anchored
Day 32 Saturday, July 15, 2023 BC North Coast Green inlet, Princess Royal Channel Anchored
Day 33 Sunday, July 16, 2023 Spirit Bear Alexander Inlet, Princess Royal Island Anchored
Day 34 Monday, July 17, 2023 Spirit Bear Alston Cove, Lorado Inlet - Princess Royal Island Anchored
Day 35 Tuesday, July 18, 2023 Spirit Bear Alston Cove, Lorado Inlet - Princess Royal Island Anchored
Day 36 Wednesday, July 19, 2023 Spirit Bear Fifer Cove, Lorado Inlet, Princess Royal Island Anchored
Day 37 Thursday, July 20, 2023 Spirit Bear Fifer Cove, Lorado Inlet, Princess Royal Island Anchored
Day 38 Friday, July 21, 2023 Spirit Bear Bay of Plenty, Lorado Inlet - Princess Royal Island Anchored
Day 39 Saturday, July 22, 2023 Spirit Bear Bay of Plenty, Lorado Inlet - Princess Royal Island Anchored
Day 40 Sunday, July 23, 2023 BC North Coast Jackson Narrows - Rescue Bay Anchored
Day 41 Monday, July 24, 2023 BC North Coast Shearwater, Denny Island docked
Day 42 Tuesday, July 25, 2023 BC North Coast Shearwater, Denny Island docked
Day 43 Wednesday, July 26, 2023 BC North Coast Kayak Cove, Hunter Island Anchored - large beach
Day 44 Thursday, July 27, 2023 BC North Coast Kayak Cove, Hunter Island Anchored - large beach
Day 45 Friday, July 28, 2023 BC North Coast Hurricane Anchorage, Hurricane Island Anchored

 

[chanprr]

Looks like you're on your return journey. We've been to several anchorages you've listed. Many more to explore. I'd love to have your itinerary, but it can wait until you get back home. Safe travels.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Headed north next week. Maybe we will beg a salmon dinner off you guys as you come back through Deso. Nice “shakedown” cruise you two plus pooch!

 

[Helmsman]

Our 38 in the wild,

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AqSv5ZU-1h2MjIJpkGqNlqSzITni1Q?e=f1jAMI

just another falls on the inside passage trip.

That is a pretty epic video. Thanks for posting!

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

why FWT should leave the pin in

Hi FWT,
I saw your reply on your string regarding the anchor, and would agree to leave the pin in or not, they both will work.

I know your pinless Vulcan arrangement will work. I do.

But I forgot to say, another advantage to leaving it in also protects it from going ajar after a tail hit.





Protect yourself from pods of Dall purposes in the WILD!

Another good day in the wild with a dozen purposes in our bow wake for a good half hour.

Tom

 

[FWT]

Our 38 in the wild,

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AqSv5ZU-1h2MjIJpkGqNlqSzITni1Q?e=f1jAMI

just another falls on the inside passage trip.

This is STUNNING

 

[FWT]

Hi FWT,
I saw your reply on your string regarding the anchor, and would agree to leave the pin in or not, they both will work.

I know your pinless Vulcan arrangement will work. I do.

But I forgot to say, another advantage to leaving it in also protects it from going ajar after a tail hit.


Protect yourself from pods of Dall purposes in the WILD!

Another good day in the wild with a dozen purposes in our bow wake for a good half hour.

Tom

LOL



Point taken.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Vancouver Wild

Sometimes being in a Helmsman in the city is wild enough. Yaletown, Vancouver is a nice place to hang.

 

[Helmsman]

Sometimes being in a Helmsman in the city is wild enough. Yaletown, Vancouver is a nice place to hang.

View attachment 141343

That is a neat setting. Like the lighting.

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

Sometimes being in a Helmsman in the city is wild enough. Yaletown, Vancouver is a nice place to hang.

View attachment 141343

That looks like a great stay. Near Grandville Island? did you get some walkabouts?

 

[Hydraulicjump]

We have concluded yet again that Vancouver is a cruisers-in-need-of-a-city-fix paradise. So much to do right near the water, or get a Lyft up to the gorgeous gardens, or rent a car and go hiking, etc. We always enjoy staying here. Highly recommended for a wild break from the wild.

 

[Doug_Snider]

Headed back from Canada, we stopped in Blind Bay to avoid a long last leg. The next boat in was Dreamtime, another Helmsman 38. As would be expected, the owners are very nice Helmsman type people. While docked in Sidney, we encountered a Helmsman owner in the wild. Justin, Hull 57 from Victoria dropped by to say hello. His boat is shipping any day now.

 

[rslifkin]

That picture does a great job of illustrating just how much small details can change the look of a boat. The solid color hull vs having a stripe and arch vs mast make those almost look like different boats.

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

Radar issues, running rapids

The primary objective of this summer's trip is to get to know Embark.

Yesterday was getting to refine the radar performance.

We weighed anchor at Sullivan Bay and headed to our next isolated destination. The morning presented itself with rolling fog as like other August summer mornings. This was a slow and safe passage, and I was studying the adjustments on the radar underway tweaking direction, gain, filters and other attributes.

Eyes glued to the radar, I noticed two ships suddenly appearing aft end approximately 1.5 NMiles from nowhere (?). Then they disappeared (!).

That didn’t make sense, as we were in the flattest of seas and everything else in the long and wide channel was well pronounced on the radar scope. I adjusted the gain thinking it was a ship wake, but we are in areas that rarely see ships., As for other vessels on radar passing, I haven’t seen that for the past hour, nor did I see anything on AIS. A ship and a second ship close to it appeared again. And disappeared just as fast as they appeared.

So I asked Jill.. go back and tell me what vessels, maybe a tug pulling a barge behind us directly off the stern in the fog at about 1.5 Nmiles. She said came back to the helm shaking her head and said seeing nothing but fog.

I saw it again on the radar and pointed to it, and she witnessed two ships and a third following us off in the distance. Then they disappeared.

I asked her to take the helm, grabbed the binocs and went back to see what I could see in the fog. All I saw was whitewater like you see on the oregan coast blasting the pillars of rocks along the shoreline. But there was no wind, no waves.



What large boats were crashing through waves on a calm flat day? Was it the coast guard after us?

And again, and again. What high-powered speed vessels were crashing into waves on a foggy calm day?

I ran back to the helm to grab the telephoto and starting to shoot what I could in the fog…



2-3 whales totally breached out of the water several times. They were bubble-circle feeding coming up and eating the bait fish in the heavy fog.

And so Embark, as far as I know, is the first vessel in US history to see whales on radar and not sonar. That was simply just unbelievable and crazy.
The good news is I obviously got the radar dialed in. Nothing in the manual states to find breaching whales and adjust your gain. I need to inform Garmin how to optimize the newest radar.

Above was my rough shot off the stern of the whales at 1.5 miles off. Im at 300mm cropped shooting through light fog off the stern. ..as proof.. ?

We then anchored in front of a reversing tide stream in Moore Bay. When the tide is high, a fascinating opportunity presents itself: we can navigate our small dinghy up the narrow channel that winds through the rapids, granting us access to a three-mile-wide saltwater lagoon behind the mountains!.

(to qualify for this string, you can see Embark in the wild with the reverse rapids we ran in the dink.)




You get about an hour. During this brief window, we have the chance to enjoy the lagoon's warm and pristine waters and captivating surroundings. The temps of the ocean and lagoon are 71 degs F. The lagoon had occasional schools of jellyfish (wait …. jelly fish don’t school, they have no brains?)

However, time is of the essence, as I say the tides wait for no one. The tide changes swiftly, and it is essential to heed its rhythm, for at high tide is the moment when the flow out of the lagoon begins. You get about an hour, and failing to make a timely exit could lead to us being stranded upstream for 24 hours (or 2nd tide at 2am) or confronting the formidable challenge of navigating through 9-knot rapids in the next hour, that could ensnare even the most experienced mariners, except Lilly.

As we cruised the shoreline, Lilly (our Lab) was quick to her nose to point out a school of white-sided dolphins that played with us a short time chasing fish and our bullfrog dink.



Actually, I think they wanted to know what all the barking was about. ?

I reached out to Scott regarding the Radar "issue," and his response was rather intriguing. He referred to it as "a trip of a lifetime." I found this choice of words somewhat interesting, as I perceive each day on Embark as a unique and special experience, making it seem like a series of daily extraordinary journeys,. If this was the trip of a lifetime, then I'm coming back as a cat. (animal - not double hull type, I want 9 more "lifes")

On a Helmsman, every day has been a special one.

 

[NSM]

Catching whales on radar is magical. What a great story.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Scott's right. You are having the trip of a lifetime. But I like to think there is always one better out there and you have the boat to do it with. I see a trip to the Gulf of Alaska in your future. And after that, Sea of Cortez. And after that, who knows what. Too many trips, too little time.



Safe journey home.

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

Says I, let their spirit inspire, a Helmsman free and wild!

Avast ye! A Helmsman trawler be spied in the untamed wilderness of the seas!
A grand yacht, bedecked with grace, be carvin' its trail through far-off waters, steerin' the hidden channel bound for Blind Channel, it be.

A sight as pretty as if Mother Nature took to paintin' the very scene herself from her nautical eye.
Thirty-eight feet of Helmsman's nautical splendor, what else could embody the essence of the sailor's life more deeply, says I!

So here's to the Helmsman, the waves, and the kind,
a maritime tale that doth truly bind.



In waters uncharted, where the wild things roam,
a seafaring saga, a sailor's true home.

With yacht and with kayak, a pair in the waters of blue,
she'll dance 'cross the waters in distant hue.
A picture so perfect, as nature's own hand, paints tales of the sea upon ocean's grand strand.



Avast, Helmsman trawler, a legend set sail,
through stories and waves, let your course never fail.

In the heart of the ocean, where dreams take their flight,
you'll live on forever, in seafarers' sight.


So here's to the Helmsman, their stories and lore,
to the oceans they conquer, the tales they explore
.
In the heart of the waves, where freedom runs high,
they sail on, eternal, beneath the vast sky.

With yacht and with kayak, a pair so divine,
linked by the water, like stars that align.

NOW, Seventy-six feet of seafaring grace,
the essence of seadogs, they embrace.



Through trials and triumphs heading south, side by side they'll relate,
Embark and Varenna, in the tales that await.

Says I, says I, says I once again, let their spirit inspire, like a brisk ocean wind.

Capt Lilly.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Wild! And perfect as well. Thanks!

 

[Tom-Jill-Lilly]

Wild! And perfect as well. Thanks!

weird - Not exactly sure why my pics come out small on my posts, but you can click them for a full screen.