We finished all of our loading and to-dos today and so we will leave right away tomorrow morning to catch the current which will be in our favor, ie. heading north, to our first stop at Kingston to fill up our diesel tank. Kingston has the best prices on the way. (We are hoping we can make it all the way to Alaska before needing to refuel as the price of fuel in Canada is significantly higher than in the U.S.)
After the fuel stop we hope to make it to Mystery Bay before nightfall, where we will take delivery of the hatch covers we had custom made to fit our hatches to prevent crazing from the sun.
I can't believe after all the many hours and days of preparation and worrying, we are finally leaving! Whoopee!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Real Pictures of Abby
My adoring fans, all two of them (my sister and niece), have asked for photos of the actual boat, so here they are. You will quickly understand why I went with the stock photos: I ain't no photographer! But your wish is my command.
This picture shows two anchors (only one is fully visible), radar, two kayaks, a light anchor on the port rail for stern ties, a man overboard pole, life raft, and our dinghy.
This one is taken from just behind the mast and gives you a better view of our roof, which is home to the life raft (left of the hatch), our upside down dinghy, and our solar panels (which are just barely visible behind the dinghy. The solar panels are really cool in that Steve Sands, our boat outfitter, cleverly devised a mounting system that allows us to tilt the panels toward the sun, which greatly increases their output.
This one shows our stern, where she proudly displays her name. The white box on the port side is the lifesling. There are two motors on the starboard side, one Evinrude 9 hp and a Torqueedo 2hp electric motor (just behind the big one). Steve built us a clever mount on the transom for the Evinrude that allows us to mount it as shown or turn it around on the inside of the porch (for when the seas are too rough for it to be mounted outside). Steve also invented a way to use the same mount on our swim platform so that we can use the Evinrude in the unlikely event that the diesel inboard motor fails. Isn't he just the most clever man???
This one shows our cockpit with all of the bells and whistles we added to the dashboard. There are two radios on the right, one of which is hidden by the co-pilot's chair.
I haven't taken any other inside the boat pictures as I just don't have a fancy enough camera to do that. I hope these pictures will suffice.
This picture shows two anchors (only one is fully visible), radar, two kayaks, a light anchor on the port rail for stern ties, a man overboard pole, life raft, and our dinghy.
This one is taken from just behind the mast and gives you a better view of our roof, which is home to the life raft (left of the hatch), our upside down dinghy, and our solar panels (which are just barely visible behind the dinghy. The solar panels are really cool in that Steve Sands, our boat outfitter, cleverly devised a mounting system that allows us to tilt the panels toward the sun, which greatly increases their output.
This one shows our stern, where she proudly displays her name. The white box on the port side is the lifesling. There are two motors on the starboard side, one Evinrude 9 hp and a Torqueedo 2hp electric motor (just behind the big one). Steve built us a clever mount on the transom for the Evinrude that allows us to mount it as shown or turn it around on the inside of the porch (for when the seas are too rough for it to be mounted outside). Steve also invented a way to use the same mount on our swim platform so that we can use the Evinrude in the unlikely event that the diesel inboard motor fails. Isn't he just the most clever man???
This one shows our cockpit with all of the bells and whistles we added to the dashboard. There are two radios on the right, one of which is hidden by the co-pilot's chair.
I haven't taken any other inside the boat pictures as I just don't have a fancy enough camera to do that. I hope these pictures will suffice.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Departure Frustrated!
Here we are, all dressed up and nowhere to go! Okay, obviously that's not quite true. We have the inside passage and southeast Alaska to go to, but alas, we cannot leave yet! Oh, it is soooo frustrating. We have only "niggling, can't complete until we are walking out the door for the final time" tasks left to do, but events are conspiring against our departure. We have to wait until Thursday, 4/28, for Brad's prescriptions to get filled and possibly even 4/29 if the Chapter 7 trustee doesn't withdraw his objection to our motion to withdraw on a case that should have been closed two years ago, because if that mean old trustee doesn't, then Brad has to appear in court Friday morning. THEN we can leave. Aaaaargh!
So, to pass the time, here are a few pictures of our boat in case you haven't seen what we'll be cruising in. In case you didn't know, our boat is called an Island Packet SP Cruiser, and since the boat (and ourselves) are a little different, we named her "Abby Normal".
At least these first pictures are stock sales photographs, so they aren't actually OUR boat. (Ours is full of lots of crap (Brad calls it "useful equipment") that we added after the purchase. When buying a new boat all you get are the bare essentials to keep you from sinking. You gotta pay the big bucks to get the boat truly useable!)
The first one above is where I wish we were cruising to instead of the inside passage: Florida, where it actually gets warm (and downright hot) in the summer. In Alaska and BC, we'll be very lucky to hit 70 degrees all summer (not to mention the unending rain)!
This is what we lovingly refer to as "the hot tub". While it literally cannot be used as such, the seats surrounding the common footwell do remind us of one, hence the name. This is where I hope to sit on all of the lovely, sunny days I am wishing for on our journey, while Brad drives the boat from inside.
Here's a photo of our cockpit, or the salon, if you prefer. This is where we will eat all of our meals and spend 99% of our time, especially if it is raining. We have a 360-degree view from here. (In case you are wondering, we have window shades on all of the windows and in this photograph, the front window shades have been pulled down.)
This is our forward stateroom, which is where we will be sleeping. The aft stateroom has twin beds and a very low ceiling so obviously we won't be sleeping there, unless of course the water is just too rolly since the aft stateroom is the more stable of the two staterooms. (Sorry, no pictures of it are available.)
This picture is taken from the doorway of the forward stateroom looking back through the galley. The stairs lead to the cockpit/salon.
Here's the interior diagram to give you the full understanding of the boat's layout:
I've loaded the boat to the gills with lots of food and provisions while Brad has stuffed it with lots of spare parts and emergency gear and charts and god knows what else! We're so full that the boat is waddling a fair bit!
Now if we could only go....
So, to pass the time, here are a few pictures of our boat in case you haven't seen what we'll be cruising in. In case you didn't know, our boat is called an Island Packet SP Cruiser, and since the boat (and ourselves) are a little different, we named her "Abby Normal".
At least these first pictures are stock sales photographs, so they aren't actually OUR boat. (Ours is full of lots of crap (Brad calls it "useful equipment") that we added after the purchase. When buying a new boat all you get are the bare essentials to keep you from sinking. You gotta pay the big bucks to get the boat truly useable!)
The first one above is where I wish we were cruising to instead of the inside passage: Florida, where it actually gets warm (and downright hot) in the summer. In Alaska and BC, we'll be very lucky to hit 70 degrees all summer (not to mention the unending rain)!
This is what we lovingly refer to as "the hot tub". While it literally cannot be used as such, the seats surrounding the common footwell do remind us of one, hence the name. This is where I hope to sit on all of the lovely, sunny days I am wishing for on our journey, while Brad drives the boat from inside.
Here's a photo of our cockpit, or the salon, if you prefer. This is where we will eat all of our meals and spend 99% of our time, especially if it is raining. We have a 360-degree view from here. (In case you are wondering, we have window shades on all of the windows and in this photograph, the front window shades have been pulled down.)
This is our forward stateroom, which is where we will be sleeping. The aft stateroom has twin beds and a very low ceiling so obviously we won't be sleeping there, unless of course the water is just too rolly since the aft stateroom is the more stable of the two staterooms. (Sorry, no pictures of it are available.)
This picture is taken from the doorway of the forward stateroom looking back through the galley. The stairs lead to the cockpit/salon.
Here's the interior diagram to give you the full understanding of the boat's layout:
Now if we could only go....
Friday, April 22, 2011
Pre-Departure Thoughts
It's getting scary now! We are only days away from our departure deadline. (We've given up our slip at Elliott Bay Marina (EBM) as of 5/1/11.) What will the future hold? Have we brought on board everything we need? Have we forgotten anything critical?
What if we forget to turn off services at home that we no longer need (and don't want to pay for) while we are gone? Will I get all of those last minute things done or will I space them out in those moments of hectic panic as d-day rears its ugly head? Things like taking the plants to our dear, plant-killling friends, Ed and Jen, or turning off the thermostat at home? Have we given our renters everything they need from us? Will we remember to disconnect the battery terminals in all of our vehicles so we don't come home to cars that won't start (like we did when we returned from two months in New Zealand?)
Will I remember to send family and friends e-mails with links to this website and to our boat position and that all-important contact information?
The itinerary Brad wants to do is called the "dream itinerary" in the guide book "Exploring Southeast Alaska". (Please refer to the selected pages above.) It has us moving to a new anchorage nearly EVERY SINGLE DAY and moving about 25-30 miles per day. At our boat speed, that's going to take us most of the day. When will I have time to get the dinghy off the roof, get the oars, the gas can, the pfds, and the motor on so I can get to shore and go hiking? Or will I just have to use my exercise bicycle connected to a generator so I can charge the batteries and forego frolicking on solid ground?
Am I going to be able to make adequate meals with all of the dried food Brad has brought on board? Will the meals be so bland that I want to jump overboard? Will I gain weight because there is nothing else to do but eat in such a confined space, or will all of this survivalist provisioning result in a new approach to severe weight loss?
Oh, and what if the boat hits a deadhead or a rock or we get attacked by a pod of killer whales and we sink? Will we have the calm necessary to deploy our life raft, deploy our dinghy (as a backup), grab our ditch bags and survival bags - I think we have three! - and save ourselves, or will we go down with the ship?
Have I included enough exercise gear, toys, games, and books to keep me occupied and happy, or will I be bored out of my gourd and shoot my husband with the shotgun we're bringing for bear protection???
Will our engine fail and the current throw us on the rocks? Will I be able to get to the internet to update this blog?
Do I have to be a worrier just like my dad? Yes, apparently I do. And, just like he was, I am, now that we are so close to departure, also unable to get a continuous, full night's sleep. My husband says I need to chill...
What if we forget to turn off services at home that we no longer need (and don't want to pay for) while we are gone? Will I get all of those last minute things done or will I space them out in those moments of hectic panic as d-day rears its ugly head? Things like taking the plants to our dear, plant-killling friends, Ed and Jen, or turning off the thermostat at home? Have we given our renters everything they need from us? Will we remember to disconnect the battery terminals in all of our vehicles so we don't come home to cars that won't start (like we did when we returned from two months in New Zealand?)
Will I remember to send family and friends e-mails with links to this website and to our boat position and that all-important contact information?
The itinerary Brad wants to do is called the "dream itinerary" in the guide book "Exploring Southeast Alaska". (Please refer to the selected pages above.) It has us moving to a new anchorage nearly EVERY SINGLE DAY and moving about 25-30 miles per day. At our boat speed, that's going to take us most of the day. When will I have time to get the dinghy off the roof, get the oars, the gas can, the pfds, and the motor on so I can get to shore and go hiking? Or will I just have to use my exercise bicycle connected to a generator so I can charge the batteries and forego frolicking on solid ground?
Am I going to be able to make adequate meals with all of the dried food Brad has brought on board? Will the meals be so bland that I want to jump overboard? Will I gain weight because there is nothing else to do but eat in such a confined space, or will all of this survivalist provisioning result in a new approach to severe weight loss?
Oh, and what if the boat hits a deadhead or a rock or we get attacked by a pod of killer whales and we sink? Will we have the calm necessary to deploy our life raft, deploy our dinghy (as a backup), grab our ditch bags and survival bags - I think we have three! - and save ourselves, or will we go down with the ship?
Have I included enough exercise gear, toys, games, and books to keep me occupied and happy, or will I be bored out of my gourd and shoot my husband with the shotgun we're bringing for bear protection???
Will our engine fail and the current throw us on the rocks? Will I be able to get to the internet to update this blog?
Do I have to be a worrier just like my dad? Yes, apparently I do. And, just like he was, I am, now that we are so close to departure, also unable to get a continuous, full night's sleep. My husband says I need to chill...
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