Nanaimo to Pender Harbour

35 miles 6 1/2 hours
The day started out well. Get up early and head out to cross the Straight of Georgia today. This is one of those psychological milestones of the trip. We have to cross 15-20 miles (depending on route) of open water which can be very rough. It is sunny and looks like a great day to make the crossing. It had been very windy the last 2 nights but the winds are expected to be about 20 mph today. Not too bad. We left the anchorage at 8:25 AM and headed through Newcastle Island Passage. We had just emerged from the passage into Departure Bay when the @#$% port engine died again. Fred was less than enthusiastic about climbing over the engine to clear lines again. We found a nice spot out in Departure Bay to turn off the starboard engine too so Fred could work in the quiet. The port engine started and stopped one more time before we felt confident enough to head out onto the Straight. This is really not part of the plan for this summer. We took turns lying on the futon with Merlin snuggled up on our chests. He requires constant reassurance while the engines are running. We hope he will get less anxious as the days progress.

Mark Bay, Nanaimo

We are really getting used to these sunny skies. It is a beautiful day and we take the dinghy into shore to run some errands. Fred needed some supplies for the center-fielder he is planning on installing and he also needed a new impeller (tells boat speed through the water) because the old one was damaged.

Montague Harbour to Nanaimo (anchorage)

We planned the anchor up time based upon slack water at Dodd Narrows. We figured it would take about 5 hours to get there. Fred was at the helm and I was trapped under Merlin when the port engine stopped. Oh *$%& I took over the helm and kept us heading for the Narrows while poor Fred had to go down into a very hot engine room and try to figure out what was wrong. We assumed it was a lack of fuel so he changed the primary fuel filter and bled the lines. Sounds good, huh? The engine still would not run. I took us over to a small anchorage in Trincomali Channel to drop the anchor and think about things. We decided that we could still make it through Dodd Narrows on one engine. On we went with the starboard engine giving us 4-6 knots. When we went through Dodd 30 minutes after slack we got up to 8 knots. It is a beautiful sunny day with temps in the high 60’s. We anchored in Mark Bay, facing Nanaimo. Fred took a siesta to re-charge his batteries. Merlin is pretty relaxed although he does not like the swells that come through. Gosh the city look gorgeous after dark (not bad during the day).

Montague Harbour

After breakfast we went to check out the store and restaurant. Unfortunately they don’t make lattes. The good news is that they have ice cream. After Fred & I fortified ourselves we then headed over to the Provincial Park at the other end of the island. The tide was at low water and we all had a great time on the beach. Then Fred noticed that the eagles were looking at us. Merlin in particular. We have been told that an adult eagle could fly away with our 16 lb. dog. We were not about to take any chances, especially when we looked up and there were four eagles in the tree. I think there was only one adult and several immature bald eagles. We put Merlin on the leash when we were on the exposed beach. When we made it to the wooded part of the island we let Merlin get some running in. He would dash away from us then come running back to make sure we were still there. Merlin got absolutely filthy and had a wonderful time. He got a bath today so he will presentable in Nanaimo tomorrow.

Bedwell Harbour to Montague Harbour

14 miles 2 hours

The tide was going to be with us if we left after 12 noon so we headed back over to Poet’s Cove for a latte and to give Merlin a nice run on the beach before we start the engines. The tide was out so we could walk around the point to the light beacon. This isn’t a pretty beach but it is nice to have a dog friendly place to go. We were traveling with the wind and the current to Montague today. Even though the boat was quite steady and Merlin needed to be cuddled. We wish he was this affectionate when he wasn’t seasick. He seems just fine if he is Fred’s or my arms. When we got anchored at Montague my boys needed a nap. It is so cute when they share the sofa.

Bedwell Harbour

We are at anchor just outside of Poet’s cove Marina. We took the dinghy in so Merlin could run on the beach at low tide and so Fred could take his latte into the hotel and read his newspaper in peace & quiet. It is another gorgeous day and the blossoms on the trees are lovely.

Bedwell Harbour

We know it is Sunday but headed over to Port Browning on N. Pender Island. This is about a 5 mile trip by dinghy and a 15 minute walk to the bakery. The good news is that we got our latte; the bad news is that they don’t bake on Sunday and Monday.

Van Isle Marina, Sidney, BC to Bedwell Harbour, S. Pender Island

9 miles 1 ¾ hours

We love Bedwell Harbour and we had a very pleasant cruise over there. We had thought the Irzyk’s were going to join us there but they continued further north. I think they are in a bigger hurry to “get there” than we are. After we got anchored and took out our new flopper-stoppers. We had fun tying the knots to separate the parts of the system. There is a 10 lb. anchor at the bottom of the string. We each did one. The jury is our but we think they really help to keep the boat from rolling as much.

Sidney , BC

We were really worried about Merlin and I called first thing this morning to see how his night was. I spoke to the doctor and she said his heart rate had come back down to normal from a high or 250 last night and he had intravenous fluids during the night. He hasn’t had any more vomiting and he can home today. The diesel mechanic from Gartside Marine showed up at 9:00 AM. Fred got him started and we headed back to Victoria to pick up Merlin. He was so glad to see us. We stopped by the hardware store in Sidney to exchange the vacuum sealer we bought yesterday for a better one. The $80 one is excellent. I finally got the packages of meat out of the refrigerator and sealed. The deep freeze is filled. Merlin is still thirsty and hungry and I have to give him some medications and start very small feedings every hour for 12 hours. You know, he is just like Fred, cranky when he is hungry. We have so many chores to do it is not hard to keep Merlin quiet. By about 4:00 PM we needed a break. Fred, Merlin & I went for a little put in the dinghy. I don’t think Merlin liked it as much as I did.

Sidney, BC

Our plan today was to see if Chris could fix the outboard engine for the dinghy. He arrived about 11:00 AM while Fred was over on the Golden Dawn helping Bob to clean the bottom and change zincs. Apparently the coil was bad and needed replacement. The Honda sounded great when Chris was done. Fred & I were getting ready to do a Safeway run for some last minute items that weren’t carried in Costco. I filled up another shopping basket (it is so easy to do). We had to go to the hardware store for a new vacuum sealer. They had a $30 one, an $89 one and a $275 one. Being the big spenders we are, we bought the $30 one. I brought it back to the boat and it is a nicely packaged piece of junk. I keep forgetting you get what you pay for. In a careless moment we left a baggie of chocolate chips where Merlin could reach them. Being the very “oral” boy that he is, he ate some around 3:00 PM. We knew they were toxic to dogs and I called the Poison Control Center for animals to see what we should do. They said to take away fluids because they would make the vomiting worse. Merlin started vomiting chocolate around 5:00 PM. He vomited almost continuously until 6:30 when we located the Victoria Animal Hospital . The poor baby was really suffering and we were terrified. I called and got directions to the hospital. We had two beach towels to try and minimize the collateral damage in the rental car. Merlin vomited chocolate on the car and in the car and on us. God knows how we are going to clean the car before we return it… The folks at the hospital were great. They rushed Merlin in to be examined and showed us where the coffee and cocoa were. The veterinarian was a lovely young woman who appears about 16 years of age (am I getting old?). They are going to keep Merlin overnight and put him on the heart monitor and give him some I.V. hydration. We are assured that he will be fine and hopefully come home tomorrow morning. I just needed some comfort food since we missed dinner. Fred took me to the Dairy Queen and I had a Blizzard. For those of you who do not know what this is, you should really find out.

Sidney, BC

We ordered a rental car and they came to pick us up and take us into town to collect our econo-box.  We headed out for Costco.  It is about 30 minutes from the marina.  The place is a zoo!  We just went slowly and filled the shopping cart to the top.  After all, this will last us until September.  When we got back to the boat my job is to take the large portions of meat and seal serving sizes in our vacuum sealer.  After a few bags I noticed that my vacuum sealer had lost its vacuum.  Well, I need that for packaging food for 4-5 months.  I sure wish it had died before we went to Costco.  We will buy one in town tomorrow.  Fred searched the yellow pages for an outboard engine mechanic and found one (Chris) that sounded good and could come tomorrow.  The fellow we want to work on the diesel engines will come on Thursday morning.  We were invited over for dinner on Bob & Cathy’s boast, Golden Dawn.  Our other friends that we have cruised with in the past are here, Carol & Doug Hansen. Carol & Doug are proud Norwegians and Carol baked a Norwegian Wedding Cake (Kransekake; pronounced cran-sa-ka-ka) for dessert.  It was excellent.  I love the taste of almond in it.  We got to keep the left-over cake.  Yea!

Friday Harbor to Van Isle Marina, Sidney, BC

VICTORIA DAY – Welcome to CANADA

Since we have been “boat bound” without the dinghy we are ready to head out again.  The weather is cloudy with the sun breaking through as we have a very calm passage into Canadian waters.  Fred called up Canadian Customs before we entered their water to begin our clearance into Canada .  We were given our customs number to display in a window while we are in this country.  We were informed to call again when we are on the customs dock in Sidney .  As we were entering the channel into Van Isle Marina at Sidney we noticed that there appeared to be a flotilla entering to clear customs.  The dock holds about 4 boats at a time. The dock was full and there were at least 6 boats in line.  I called up Customs and said we would be happy to wait our turn to get on the dock or could they give us our clearance so we can go right to a slip?  The officer took pity on me and said yes.  We were given a great slip out on the main dock with the “big boys”.  As I was stepping off the boat to tie up the spring line, I tripped over the line form the boat next to us.  Their black dock line was stretched across the dock and tied on our side.  After my face plant on the deck, I proceeded to tie up lines (I’m OK…really).  In the afternoon we saw Bob & Cathy Irzyk walk past with their dock carts piled high. They have just arrived to begin their season.  We agreed to get together tomorrow.  We enjoy watching our DVD’s in the evening, especially with popcorn!  We have noticed that in the middle of some of the shows we watch that the picture would become pixilated and we would miss 10-30 minutes.  It seems that the best course of action will be to purchase a new DVD played at Costco tomorrow.

Friday Harbour , San Juan Island

After breakfast Fred got the dinghy ready to be launched and we got her in the water (from the upper deck of the boat). Next Fred had to put gas in the engine and get the Honda to wake up from its winter’s rest. The three of us had a very pleasant ride over to the dinghy dock. It is in the mid 60’s and sunny. Just the perfect day to wander around. Fred & I got our lattes at our favorite spot overlooking the ferry dock. It is fun watching other people try and get their boats in & out of the slips. I could spend days going through the shops. We purchased what we needed, bread, and returned to the dinghy for our ride home. The Honda 15HP outboard ran for about 10 minutes then stopped. It managed to start running on one cylinder and we had a slow, noisy, rough ride back to Aquila . We were a bit worried that it would keep running as we passed through the ferry’s route. Fred spent the rest of the afternoon troubleshooting the !@#$ engine. He now knows what is NOT wrong with it. We will look for a mechanic when we get to Sidney , BC .

Skyline Marina, Anacortes to Friday Harbor , San Juan Island

Well, it finally begins.  We are heading out today.  First task is to put the car away in the shed (where our boat spent the winter).  We have to leave this marina on a high tide because the opening hasn’t been dredged and we won’t clear the bottom on a low tide.  We are all put away at the marina and we start the engines at 9:30 AM.  The sun is out and the water is smooth.  Unfortunately Merlin does not have his sea legs yet.  He wants to be held constantly.  He weighs 16 pounds now so he gets a little heavy.  He is very startled when we hit any patches of rough water. Hopefully he will become more accustomed to the engine noise.  We don’t have to dodge any ferries today.  We pulled into Friday Harbor about 12:30 PM.  It was a slow trip, about 5-6 knots/hour.  There is only one other boat at anchor here.  What a treat!  We intend to stay anchored here and take the dinghy into town.  After lunch we put one of the new Aquila signboards up on the port side on the upper helm.  This was so exhausting we both got a headache and took a nap.  We’ll go into town tomorrow. 

We got up early for breakfast at the Calico Cupboard and were on hand at the marina for Aquila to finally be put into the water.  We are very excited to start living aboard again.

Hurry up and wait

We are so excited to get out of the motel and onto Aquila. Fred and I had another wonderful breakfast at Calico Cupboard and then went back to the motel room to pack up everything to transfer to the boat. We are scheduled to be "splashed" at 3:00 PM. Yesterday Fred noticed a piece of tape near the bow with an arrow pointing down to the bottom of the boat and it said "hole". Now, we had arranged for the boatyard to cut one hole in the bottom to drain any fluid which might be trapped in the hull. We understood that that hole had been repaired. All we wanted to know was if the boat still had a hole in it or not. The boatyard wasn't sure... So the boat had to be lifted and checked before it could be placed in the water. Of course this took so long it was too late to get into the water today. Back we go to the Cap Sante Inn for our last night, we hope. The waxing of the boat is almost complete. Fortunately the rain is holding off for now.

Anacortes Trawlerfest

We went to the Trawlerfest on Thursday (5/7). It was a bit smaller than the boat shows in Oakland at Jack London Square. The weather threatened rain but the sun peaked in enough to go see the boats in the marina. For a mere $500,000 one can get a beautiful used trawler. The more we looked, the more we are happy with Aquila. We saw the cutest St. Bernard puppy waddling along. We had to pet the 10 week old puppy and found out that the owners have a boat detailing company. They gave us an estimate, we accepted and they started to work on Friday. They are awesome. The three co-owners jumped right in with waxing the hull before the boat goes back into the water. The hull wasn't in such bad shape but the house is terrible. They really apply the elbow grease. We asked them to give us cards to pass around. They brought their puppy (female named Harley) to the boat yard and she & Merlin had a little visit. She is too "puppyish" for Merlin. Her big paws would wipe him out.

Brainy the Cell - Part 2

What fun we had today. We went out to the chicken farm to get some fresh eggs. Joan says it smelled really awful, but since I don't have a nose it didn't bother me. Joan is going to coat them with Vaseline and they will keep for weeks & weeks. As you can see, Merlin is still trying to get me. I'm sure he only wants to play, but he has sharp teeth and being a very intelligent brain cell (is that redundant?), I am going to keep my distance. Joan says she is going to take him to the dog park to distract him.

Yours Truly,

Brainy

Brainy the Cell

I want you to know that I had a nice trip up to Washington with Joan. She is so nice and keeps me from being eaten by her very cute but determined dog. When we got into our room in Anacortes she put me up on the window sill to see all the boats. See me!! I can't go outside today because it is too cold and rainy. I can hardly wait for the boat ride. Joan says she will take good care of me and use me when she gets befuddled. You know, she really needs me. Thank goodness I'm here.

Yours Truly,

Brainy the Cell

Day Two, 430 miles

Wow, this is a really a nice Best Western. It has a buffet breakfast of hot & cold choices. It even includes fresh Belgian waffles. I think we will stay here again on our way south in the fall. We head out at about 9:00 AM after wedging me back in the front seat with my Merlin lap warmer. This is the hard leg of the journey. We came up Highway 5, but yesterdays route was much more pastoral up to here. We start hitting the urban centers today with all the traffic it entails. Eugene, OR, Portland, Olympia WA, Tacoma, Seattle, and Everett. Poor Fred. He is exhausted by the time we pull into Anacortes. There is a large dog park across the street. As Fred lies down for a nap, Merlin & I head for the park. It is about half dirt and half grass. Merlin is so excited. There are 2 black labs and a gorgeous golden retriever. I don't think Merlin knows he is a little dog (16 lb. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, tri color). The dogs are all males here so you know what their play involved. After the dogs checked each other out Merlin had some good exercise with fetch the tennis ball. When we got back to the Cap Sante Inn Merlin got a leg, face and tummy wash. He really is a dust mop sometimes. We ordered a pizza from Westside Pizza. It was delicious and delivered for free.

Day One of travel, 454 miles

Our plan was to leave home at 8:00 AM but we made it out at 8:30 AM. Pretty good for us. The station wagon is packed to the gills. I even have a tote bag under my legs. It actually felt good, like a lazy boy. I think cars should offer the option to elevate the legs. So, now I am sitting here unable to move and I add a beach towel and Merlin to my lap. He is actually such a comfort. He loves to ride in the car and usually sleeps when we are under way. Merlin & I get our stretch breaks every 2 hours or so. It is very overcast and raining off & on. I really prefer it to bright sunshine when we have to drive a long way. The traffic is a piece of cake. Fred has the cruise on 65-75 most of the way (with a close eye for the highway patrol). We stopped in Ashland, OR to visit with our friend, Diane. Her husband, and our dear friend, Steve died in December of 2007. We haven't seen her since then. We tried to come to the memorial service back then but we got stuck in Klamath Falls by a blizzard. Diane has a pizza ready for us and Steve there too. You'd have to know Diane, but Steve was cremated and his remains placed in his football. She keeps him there on his favorite rocking chair with a can of Sharp's beer. It was actually kinda niceto finally get to say goodbye to someone who died much too young. After a lovely visit we continued on to Roseburg, OR for the night.

Packing

We have been packing and rearranging the car all day. Why is the station wagon so full! Every year we plan to leave everything we need on the boat so we don't have to pack like crazy in May. Heather and Jason came over for pizza and a pep talk. They are going to keep the "Carr empire" afloat while we are cruising. We plan to leave tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM for the first leg of our trip. We will drive to Ashland, OR and have dinner with a friend and then continue on to Roseburg, OR for the night. Merlin is acting very strange. Poor baby just has no idea what is going on. I found him curled up as small as possible in his bed. He was very quiet until Heather started playing with him and I guess he figured out we weren't trading him in on a new model.