Desolation Sound, 2017

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
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Jim:

On your first visit to vDI, there are some places not many visit, that are well worth your time.

1 At this time of evening, .....................................or you will be there overnight.

2 in the morning, walk the skid road to ................................ catch the early trout.

3 On your way out, ....................... for a swim. Again, on the shore to the left ......................

If you do any of these adventures, let me know, but don't tell anyone else.
 
I am sorry that I missed the chance to connect with some of you guys. Maybe another year. I have had poor cell service and have been busy so here is a recap of the last several days.

We had a peaceful night at Clam Bay. The wind came up a bit at night but the holding is really good. The next morning was pretty relaxed until my wife realized that we would be at the North Pacific Rendezvous that afternoon so we spent the morning straightening up. Finally pulled up anchor around 10:30am and headed out. My wife was still vacuuming and I was taking in bridles, hosing down the deck etc... while we were idling out of the Bay with Otto at the helm. It suddenly occurred to me that I recalled seeing a shoal area with rocks in the middle of the Bay (right about where I was). Fortunately, I slapped Otto up side the head and he corrected course to miss them.

We had a very pleasant run South to Genoa Bay. Pulling into the dock a little more 2:00 pm. One of the shortest days this trip.

We had a great time at the North Pacific Rendezvous. I learned lots about the boats and got a lot of great ideas. One of the highlights was the chance to meet Dan from Rogue in person. Always fun to meet a TFer. Dan was great and gave me lots of good ideas. He also showed me how he installed his solar panel and was able to explain it all so well it has taken the fear away. I'm ready to tackle that project. Dan's wife is wonderful and Dan makes a fantastic spaghetti puttanesca

My wife wants to be home by Saturday, so that means two days to cover 115 nm if we can go the most direct route. We also had to stop and clear US customs on the way. Up until last last night, the forecast for Juan de Fuca was not good. This morning, it was very promising so we decided to go the short way across the strait. Turns out it was a good choice. The Strait was calm and placid. The last 8 nm got a bit rough as the incoming swells from the Strait were getting backed up by the strong ebb out of Admiralty Inlet. They were on the starboard quarter so not bad.

We were making good time so we continued through the Port Townsend Canal and got a nice push since the ebb actually floods South through there. Hit 10.5 knots making turns for 7.0 at a miserly 2.0 gph.

It got a bit rougher again as we got back out into Admiralty Inlet. So often you get through the Straits with reasonably benign seas but it is rough in the Inlet on days like today with a strong ebb against a North wind. It got smooth again as we rounded Point-no-point and we stopped in Kingston Harbor for the night. We were fortunate to grab their last 45' slip and arrived in time to walk up the hill for pizza and ice cream.

Dock to dock it was about 12 hours, 15 minutes today. We covered 81nm miles in that time including the stop in Roche Harbor to clear US customs. During the hour before dark, I kept the speed under 6 knots to be able to watch for crab and shrimp pots. Most of the rest of the day was at 1450 rpm except for a couple 20 minute sections where I bumped it to 1800 to let the engine work a bit more. The engine never missed a beat.

Tomorrow should take a bit over 4 hours to make it home, depending on currents.

This was the sunrise when we cleared Cowichan Bay.
IMG_0239.jpg
 
Dave. Great meeting up with you folks! Back home today, all is good. Thanks for the kudo's on the dish. Glad you had a great trip home. Crossing the Strait for home this AM, Rosario was like a pond.
 
Beautiful sunrise shot Dave. That's what boating is all about!
 
Dave. Great meeting up with you folks! Back home today, all is good. Thanks for the kudo's on the dish. Glad you had a great trip home. Crossing the Strait for home this AM, Rosario was like a pond.



Glad you made it home well. I don't recall ever seeing Rosario calm.
Thanks again for all the ideas. It was fun meeting you two.
 
I had a great time reading through this thread. It looked like a wonderful trip. We live directly across from Desolation Sound (Pacific Playgrounds marina) so interesting seeing all the places you went to that we frequently visit. Dave, it was great to see your NP43 perform well. Do you ever worry about having a single engine boat? (not that you don't have a sail)! Does anyone? As I mentioned before, I am trying to move to a NP or NT and coming from a Cruiser that does 26 nts it will be a different world at 8 nts. Is it not hard spending a full day to travel to one place or another? We have met friends in Desolation for 4 or 5 days, then traveled home (1 1/2 hrs from Pendrell sound) for the night to clean up and reload then head back out the next morning. I love that part of it but I'm getting tired of staring at the water intently to make sure I don't hit anything because at that speed its usually costly and dangerous. At 8 knots I would assume it would be much more relaxing and people can move about. We have our daughter always with us and we don't allow anyone to move until we are at our destination. My wife can't seem to get her head around going that slow. We are not weekend warriors so we are in no rush really. Is eveyone comfortable being away for 2 weeks? I sure love the rendezvous . Would love to be part of that. Sorry for all the questions everyone. Just want to make sure we get this right. Cheers
Phil
 
I went from a Commander 30, to the NP42 and was able to handle change of pace. I don't miss, working on outdrives.
 
I went from a Commander 30, to the NP42 and was able to handle change of pace. I don't miss, working on outdrives.

I have a good friend with a Commander 30, he has replaced one engine and had the legs off a few times more then I would like and he has not had it long. I'm hoping to view a NP43 in about a week. I'm scared I will love it!! A big selling point for the NP42/43 is the stairs to the flybridge from outside wheel house. I hate ladders. Have you had your NP long? Any complaints?
 
I had a great time reading through this thread. It looked like a wonderful trip. We live directly across from Desolation Sound (Pacific Playgrounds marina) so interesting seeing all the places you went to that we frequently visit. Dave, it was great to see your NP43 perform well. Do you ever worry about having a single engine boat? (not that you don't have a sail)! Does anyone? As I mentioned before, I am trying to move to a NP or NT and coming from a Cruiser that does 26 nts it will be a different world at 8 nts. Is it not hard spending a full day to travel to one place or another? We have met friends in Desolation for 4 or 5 days, then traveled home (1 1/2 hrs from Pendrell sound) for the night to clean up and reload then head back out the next morning. I love that part of it but I'm getting tired of staring at the water intently to make sure I don't hit anything because at that speed its usually costly and dangerous. At 8 knots I would assume it would be much more relaxing and people can move about. We have our daughter always with us and we don't allow anyone to move until we are at our destination. My wife can't seem to get her head around going that slow. We are not weekend warriors so we are in no rush really. Is eveyone comfortable being away for 2 weeks? I sure love the rendezvous . Would love to be part of that. Sorry for all the questions everyone. Just want to make sure we get this right. Cheers
Phil


Phil, I haven't worried at all about being in a single. We had one episode where we had to shut down the engine, drop anchor, and wait for a tow. This was the first time for me after decades of having single engine diesels.

I have always traveled in slow boats, so I don't have the experience of having to slow down. There seem to be two general styles of boating. There are those that go to a destination and enjoy that location for while before moving to another destination. There are also those where the destination is almost secondary to the process of getting there. I am definitely the second type of boater. I don't recall spending more than 2 nights in any location.

At 7 knots you enjoy the boat. You move around, you eat, you chat, you sightsee, you read etc... Of course one of you needs to be at the helm driving the boat and keeping watch. But as you point out, things happen more slowly at 7 knots than 26.
 
We live directly across from Desolation Sound (Pacific Playgrounds marina) so interesting seeing all the places you went to that we frequently visit. ... As I mentioned before, I am trying to move to a NP or NT and coming from a Cruiser that does 26 nts it will be a different world at 8 nts. Is it not hard spending a full day to travel to one place or another? We have met friends in Desolation for 4 or 5 days, then traveled home (1 1/2 hrs from Pendrell sound) for the night to clean up and reload then head back out the next morning. ... I sure love the rendezvous . Would love to be part of that. Sorry for all the questions everyone. Just want to make sure we get this right. Cheers
Phil

Phil:

You sound like the perfect candidate for one of those NT or similar boats that cruise comfortably at either 8 or 18 knots. I doubt you would go fast with a single, so that worry wouldn't apply.

As for the singly v twin argument, search for threads on that topic and you will have enough reading to cure any possible insomnia.

As I write this, my son (with only one engine) is missing his only two week boating holiday of the year, due to a failure of his "dripless" shaft seal that turned it into a gusher on the first morning of his trip. Luckily he was only a very short distance from his home moorage and was able to get back in and stop the flooding before the disaster ruined more than his holiday. There are more ways that a failure in a boat with only a single engine can mess you up than engine failure.
 
Phil, I haven't worried at all about being in a single. We had one episode where we had to shut down the engine, drop anchor, and wait for a tow. This was the first time for me after decades of having single engine diesels.

I have always traveled in slow boats, so I don't have the experience of having to slow down. There seem to be two general styles of boating. There are those that go to a destination and enjoy that location for while before moving to another destination. There are also those where the destination is almost secondary to the process of getting there. I am definitely the second type of boater. I don't recall spending more than 2 nights in any location.

At 7 knots you enjoy the boat. You move around, you eat, you chat, you sightsee, you read etc... Of course one of you needs to be at the helm driving the boat and keeping watch. But as you point out, things happen more slowly at 7 knots than 26.

Thanks, that's wise information. I loved that last paragraph "Of course one needs to be at the helm driving the boat" Great stuff.
We have been the type to get there and enjoy the location. We should be more patient. Our boat is too small as our daughter likes to bring her friends now (looks like the parents have lost there ability to entertain her anymore) so we need to have room. I just don't want the hassel of a twin engine fast boat. I am a licenced Diesel engine technican who switched to management (the dark side) part way through my career with the same Diesel engine company (retired now). I have seen more drive train failures on fast yachts then I care to remember.
I remember in the early 80's all the commercial fish boats were single engine with massive amounts of hours on them and they just kept running. They were never worried! Why should I be!
Thanks again
Phil
 
Phil:

You sound like the perfect candidate for one of those NT or similar boats that cruise comfortably at either 8 or 18 knots. I doubt you would go fast with a single, so that worry wouldn't apply.

As for the singly v twin argument, search for threads on that topic and you will have enough reading to cure any possible insomnia.

As I write this, my son (with only one engine) is missing his only two week boating holiday of the year, due to a failure of his "dripless" shaft seal that turned it into a gusher on the first morning of his trip. Luckily he was only a very short distance from his home moorage and was able to get back in and stop the flooding before the disaster ruined more than his holiday. There are more ways that a failure in a boat with only a single engine can mess you up than engine failure.

Hi Keith

Thank you for that. I believe I would have no issues with 8-10 knots. We spend most of our time in our area, so what took us 1 hour to get to, it would take 3. With what we have to look at, I can't see the down side, and when I tell my wife we will burn half the fuel, I will finally get her attention.
What do you or your son use for towing? I have never been a member of Ctow or anything or did a friend tow him back.
Thank again for the info.
Cheers
Phil
 
Hi Keith

Thank you for that. I believe I would have no issues with 8-10 knots. We spend most of our time in our area, so what took us 1 hour to get to, it would take 3. With what we have to look at, I can't see the down side, and when I tell my wife we will burn half the fuel, I will finally get her attention.
What do you or your son use for towing? I have never been a member of Ctow or anything or did a friend tow him back.
Thank again for the info.
Cheers
Phil

He has a 15 on his dinghy, so was able to self rescue.
 
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