Dripped & Gripped!

Now is probably NOT the best time for me to be posting a blog. I'm not in the best of moods. But Brad purchased some wireless internet time so I better use it...

Let me explain the title for this posting: Dripped & Gripped. The drip refers to the reason why I'm in a foul mood. Our stuffing box (or packing glands, if you prefer), is leaking. No, we're aren't at the point where we need to abandon ship, but it is bad enough that it has to be fixed before we do get to that point. Gripped is a term used by climbers. To be gripped means you are gripped with fear. (Okay, that's an exaggeration in this case but I liked the rhyming of it.) When the water was flowing from the stuffing box like a water faucet, I was beginning to get seriously concerned. Even though we have a total of six bilge pumps, who wants to actually have to use them to prevent disaster???

Brad, the self-proclaimed mechanic, tried fixing the problem himself after buying a BMF pipe wrench (which, of course, barely fit in the bilge.) He spent 3 hours in the hole, sweating like a pig, and while he did tighten the packing, the leak only got worse! That was Saturday while we were docked at Port McNeill. Sunday morning he got a referral for a mechanic who was willing to work on a Sunday, but after much discussion, the mechanic thought it would be better for us to try to make it to Port Hardy where they have a boat lift. That way the stuffing box could be fixed without flooding the boat. (Good idea, don't you think?)

We made it to Port Hardy but wouldn't you know that the boat lift operator takes Sundays and Mondays off. Now here it is Monday and the mechanic said we need to get a custom wrench made in order to get the proper grip in that very limited workspace. By 3:45, the wrench was made, welded and ground down to the proper size. (It didn't fit at first, naturally.) And naturally, the wrench doesn't fix the problem as the packing is screwed in to the max already. Back to square one. It's 4:00 now and they say they will look into it again tomorrow. This is frustrating to say the least! (Port Hardy's idea of Hotel California, I fear. The longer they can make us stay, the more moorage fees, mechanic hours incurred, food purchased, etc.)

Oh, enough about that. I'll let Brad handle that while I try to amuse you with other stuff... Let me recap some of the highlights of our trip so far...

We crossed the Strait of Georgia with winds from 18 to 24 knots with 6' following seas hitting us on our starboard stern quarter. Suffice it to say we were getting rocked and rolled like nobody's business! I steered so that I had something solid to hold on to while Brad tried to keep all of our crap from flying back in forth down below. It was a wild ride, but not the worst I've ever experienced (which was good or I probably would have been sick!)

The weather forecast predicted big winds (25 to 35 knots) for the day after we arrived at Port Neville so we ducked into the bay and anchored in a remote spot where we were the only civilization to be found as far as one could see (and one could see far, believe me.) No lights, just some old, falling-apart buildings long abandoned in the distance. (Port Neville is a ghost town and the surrounding area is likewise uninhabited.) We were discussing setting up the dinghy and going ashore for a little exploration (since it was one of those rare times when it wasn't actually raining!), when Brad exclaimed "BEAR!" Sure enough, there was a bear on shore and a big healthy grizzly bear at that! Our first sighting! He appeared to be eating things he found up on shore - it was low tide - and wandered up and down the beach for over an hour. It was quite a thrilling sight! Needless to say, that nixed the idea of going ashore. (I don't relish the idea of becoming bear pooh.)

Hungry grizzly bear in Port Neville

The next morning we saw a black bear on the shore just a bit further west of where the grizzly had been. This area appears to be quite the grazing spot for hungry bears.

Hungry black bear in Port Neville

One evening we had trouble anchoring. (Okay, we have that trouble a lot, but this time was especially bad.) The anchor just wouldn't set no matter how patient we were. We were beginning to get worried when we finally got it set and by then the winds were really howling. We had used all of the chain rode and some of the rope rode because we needed 5 to 1 scope. This meant that we couldn't use our anchor chain snubber. Brad couldn't figure out how to take the tension off the windlass so I am proud to say some of my climbing knowledge kicked in. The situation was very similar to the fallen climber tie-off, so I used a double runner to make a klemheist knot around the rope rode and carabinered that to one of our jacklines - and voila! - the load was transferred to the bow cleat. Brad was amazed and proud that I was able to figure that out in a clinch. (He's usually the clever, non-panicky type.) I was too, frankly. (However, in hindsight, I don't see why we even needed to do that. With our Delta anchor it is quite easy to pull the rode up behind the windlass, attach it to the bow cleat and then pay out enough rode through the windlass to put the load on the bow cleat. I'm thinking we tried this at the time, but it may have just been that the rode was jammed at the point where it goes up to the windlass, and being stressed out by the wind and rain, we probably didn't think it through far enough to figure out the problem.)

The other day we were thinking about how odd it was that our CQR does not seem to be as secure as it usually has been. The only change is that Brad added 4 pounds of diving weights to its crosspiece. We are thinking that perhaps this has changed its balance enough such that the plow angle has changed slightly and this may be why we are having so much trouble getting a good set. So Brad decided to remove the weights. Please bear in mind that this is awkward to do since the anchor hangs out well beyond the bow roller. (When he put them on, he put the anchor on the dock. No dock now. And the anchor weighs 64 pounds by itself so there is no way he can lift it up over the bowsprit onto the boat to work on it.) Naturally, he dropped our one and only slotted screwdriver overboard. (Did I mention it was part of a matching set, pretty blue with red trim?) And naturally, with the water temperature barely above freezing, Brad refused to retrieve it. (Can you believe it?) I told him that this would happen and to take precautions (by tying the tool to his wrist) but of course he refused to do so and of course he dropped it. Ha! I didn't even have to say I told you so, as he said "You were right!" (Can I get that on tape please?) (We replaced the screwdriver in Port McNeill, but darn it, it is yellow and black. The tool fashion police will be incensed!)

While kayaking one evening (it doesn't get dark here until after 9:00), we saw a majestic bald eagle in a tall tree looking down on us, waiting, and perhaps sizing me up. He apparently decided I was too big to lift so I was safe from those sharp talons and that wicked beak. Whew!

Big bald eagle on high perch

Me and Abby Normal at Crease Island Nook

Just so you know just how anal my husband is, here is a photo of our chartplotter after anchoring at Crease Island Nook. Note that the skull and crossbones are denoting 10' of water and we were already at low tide. Our draft is only 3'8". Ha! Is he conservative or what???

Anchorage Anality at Crease Island Nook

I guess he doesn't want to end up like this boat:

Shipwreck on Johnstone Strait

Here's the sunset over Port McNeill. I missed getting out the camera at the peak when the sun just hit the horizon. So red! But it stayed colorful long enough for me to capture this shot.

Sunset at Port McNeill

In a town earlier on our trip, one fellow said "Bald eagles are like mosquitos around here. They are everywhere!" That does seem to be the case. In Port Hardy, we found one stuffed and Brad felt compelled to take a picture.

Stuffed bald eagle

The marina has a large diesel tank with a lovely mural painted on it:

Orca mural on fuel tank

We met some another couple who arrived here at Port Hardy the same time we did - John and Diane. We went to dinner with them yesterday and have enjoyed several glasses of wine together as we get to know each other. They have been cruising for over a year in this area and are taking a brief trip back home to California (via airplane) in a few days.

John & Diane's boat

John & Diane

If everyone were as nice and as friendly as them, there would be no wars!

So Far, So Good (Almost)...

Today, Thursday, 5/5/11, is the last day of our first week. So far, nothing terrible has happened. Whew! No breakdowns (am I jinxing us?), no major mistakes.

The only thing that has gone wrong so far is a mistake I made before I even left Seattle! We're underway on day four. I'm downstairs in the aft stateroom getting the bread machine out and assembling the ingredients needed, when I open the lid to the machine and SCREAM! (Several expetives ensued, loudly.) Brad yells down as he runs down the stairs, "Are we taking on water? What's wrong?" "No," I scream. "The pan and paddle are NOT in the bread machine!" I must have left them on the shelf at home and just grabbed the bread machine without realizing they weren't inside. Obviously, no bread for us! Fortunately, our good friend, Steve Sands offered his services should anything go wrong as he said his goodbyes. What a sweetie! So we took him up on his offer and asked him to UPS our stuff (and a dongle Brad forgot too for a computer navigation program - I am not alone) to Nanaimo, which is the second largest city on Vancouver Island. (Victoria is number one.)

Now we are in Nanaimo, waiting. Our package didn't arrive as predicted. I guess I could go to a store and BUY a loaf, but darn it, I bought the machine just for this trip and am dying to use it. Maybe tomorrow...

So now for a recap of our first week...

Our first day was spent at Safeway in Port Townsend buying critical pharmaceutical items we thought we'd already stowed on the boat but couldn't find. (Can you believe after months and months of planning and making supply trips to the boat day after day, that we still managed to omit things???) Then we went on to Mystery Bay where we took delivery of our new winch and hatch covers. We spent the night at the dock at the park.

The next day we motored to Barlow Bay where we anchored for the night. That anchoring experience went smoothly. We were both overjoyed! However, it was a pretty rocking-n-rolling night so I didn't sleep much. Thank God I don't get seasick like my sister, Lyn, or my brother, Brock!

Day three took us to Stuart Island where we were able to dock for the night. We watched as a 15' fishing boat rammed the one in front of it at the dock. We were so glad we were docked on the OTHER SIDE! (Apparently, the transmission handle came off as he was shifting.) We walked to Turn Point to watch the whales but none wanted to reveal themselves to us. (This was our second trip here and we struck out AGAIN. Maybe next time we will succeed. Third time's a charm, right?)

Turning Point (popular whale-watching spot)

We made it to South Pender Island on the fourth day where we went through Canadian customs. They always board your boat - no exceptions - while you wait nervously at the dock. Fortunately, they found us and our boat acceptable and allowed us to continue on our way without further hassle. We spent the night at Princess Cove on Wallace Island. (This is when I discovered the bread machine debacle.) It took us about 5 tries to set the anchor here. We were nervous as it was our first stern tie ever. Since we had no instruction, we didn't really know the best way to do it but did manage to get it done (eventually). We did learn that some anchors are just better in certain situations than others. At least here, the Delta and the Fortress worked way better than the CQR. It was windy so we set two anchors (another first for us), and that worked without a hitch. (I feared we would get them "wrapped around the axle" but we didn't!)

Stern tie in Princess Cove - our first!

Brad waiting for me to return from hiking

We spent three nights at Princess Cove since we knew our bread machine parts would not arrive until Thursday at the earliest. I walked the entire island the first day by myself (it took 3 hours and I got a bit muddy), as Brad was afraid to leave the boat! (He didn't want to find out that we hadn't anchored as well as we THOUGHT we had! Ha!) The second day we both hiked the whole island. (Less wind, happier Brad.)

The boaters have a cool custom here on Wallace Island. They all carve their boat name and year of the visit on a piece of driftwood and attach their sign in/on this old cabin. Some of the boat names are pretty clever and the artwork and mode of attachment are also quite interesting. Wish we had known so we could have added our own. Maybe next time...

Driftwood signs all around and everywhere inside too!

Chivers Point on Wallace Island - beautiful, ain't it?

Abby Normal and her neighbors in Princess Cove

Today we went through our first narrows, Dodd Narrows. We got up way too early (we set an alarm and everything!), afraid that we would miss slack tide. Since we couldn't get any current information for waters we were going to be passing through, route planning was, as to ETA, a WAG. I guessed a 1.5 knot current against us, but it turned out to be an average .5 knots in our favor up to the pass. This meant we would arrive way too early to get through the pass at slack tide, so we practically idled all the way to it! 3 knots SOG - speed over ground, in case you didn't know - for four hours. What a SNOOZER! (On the positive side, I was able to do my P90X workout en route without falling over. Balance is quite an issue on a moving boat! Anyway, so far I haven't missed a day of my workout routine. Whoohoo!) Getting through the pass itself turned out to be almost a non-event. Guess we didn't screw that one up too badly. What a relief! (We've heard these passes can be quite tricky.)

Approaching Nanaimo

Abby at visitor's moorage of Nanaimo Yacht Club

My impressions so far: People are so friendly and giving when they are boating! We met a man named Will who heard me comment to Brad how much I liked the chafe guards he had on his docklines. He heard me and gave us the material to make our own. Wasn't that nice? In Nanaimo this afternoon, a very old man saw me studying a map in the map room at the Nanaimo Yacht Club. It didn't take any prompting for him to offer his advice on the best places to anchor and where to cross the Straight of Georgia. He even drew me a map of the anchorages on the dry erase board.

Also, many of these boaters have this crusing thing wired! We just met a couple from Anacortes that buy their wine from here in Nanaimo. They purchased the equivalent of 90 bottles of wine from a local winemaker who puts it into big "kit bags" that they can put under the floor and never have to deal with customs. Pretty smart!

We've seen quite a bit of wildlife: seals & sea lions, raccoons, otters, and bald eagles. If I get a few better pictures, I will post them later. Most of the time, I just can't get the camera ready quick enough to capture the beauty.

Where we are docked is right next to the float plane landing area. They look like they are going to land right on top of us. I've tried taking pictures as they approach but our camera is so slow that by the time I click the shutter, the plane is already out of the frame! I did manage to get a couple of shots that hopefully capture the ambiance. (Since I had to reduce them to get them to upload, you might have to look hard to see the plane.) Float planes are quite prevalent here.

Float plane just below treetops

Float plane just before touchdown

Float plane central

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Today is Friday, 5/6, and of course the UPS guy went to the wrong door and didn't deliver our package. We've been chasing it most of the day. Very frustrating to say the least. It's keeping us captive here. If we don't get it by 6pm tonight, we will be forced to stay here until Monday. Aaargh!