7-8 Aug 18; Port Alexander - Miles Inlet
7 Aug 18 After breakfast, we all rowed ashore to check out the beach, which is made up of small, flat, black, angular stones and shingles, apparently shale. The forest behind the beach is also beautiful; I wonder if this may have been a summer camp for First Nations folks before the white man came a...
1 Oct 18; Amarillo - Houston, TX
1 Oct 18 Jack and Kathy prepared us an excellent breakfast and we hit the road before 08:00 and drove all the way to Houston, arriving home just before 18:00. That’s it; another year shot. See ya in the spring of 2019.
30 Sep 18; Denver - Amarillo, TX
30 Sep 18 Sally and Wayne were headed to the airport to catch their flight home to SC, so we got on the road about 08:30 and drove, with a quick stop at the El Capucin (volcano) National Monument in NE New Mexico, to the Admiral’s sister’s place in Amarillo, TX where we spent Sunday night. Dinner at...
29 Sep 18; Rock Springs, WY - Denver, CO
29 Sep 18 After a light breakfast at Starbucks, we were on the road again before 09:00. We stopped for lunch at Moe’s BBQ in Ft. Collins, CO, then pushed on to Denver, where we spent the night in an AirB&B with my cousin Sally and her husband Wayne, who happened to be in town to visit her son Ken, w...
28 Sep 18; Boise - Rock Springs, WY
28 Sep 18 On the road again early, we stopped in at Craters of the Moon National Monument in SE Idaho for a few hours of sight-seeing, then pushed on to Rock Springs, WY, after stopping for a very late lunch, or early dinner, at the Golden Corral in Pocatello, ID; very forgettable.
27 Sep 18; Leavenworth - Boise, ID
27 Sep 18 Up early for breakfast in the hotel. Then, after a quick walk through town to look for gifts (none of the shops were opening until 10:00), we hit the road and made it all the way to Boise, ID. We had a nice dinner at the Cottonwood Grill in downtown Boise.
26 Sep 18; Anacortes - Leavenworth, WA
26 Sep 18 Up at the crack of dawn again, we removed all our personal effects from the boat into the car and completed winterization of the fresh water system. At 08:15, we started the engine one last time to turn the boat around so we could back into the Travelift (the fore-stay prevents us from goi...
23 - 25 Sep 18; Friday Harbor - Skyline Marine
23 Sep 18 It was overcast but dry when we got up. We went back into town for a light grocery shop and stopped in at the lavender shop to pick up some gifts. Back at the boat, we got away from the dock at 12:15. The wind was in the west, but very light, so we motored all the way through the San Juans...
22 Sep 18; Canoe Cove - Friday Harbor, WA
22 Sep 18 The first day of fall, although it has felt like fall for about 3 weeks. I rained all night, but dawned clear, sunny and warm. After breakfast, we walked over and donated our herb plants (which we cannot carry into the USA) to Paul and Nans on “Amara Zee”. Then we got away about 11:30 and...
21 Sep 18; Ganges - Canoe Cove
21 Sep 18 We had breakfast aboard, then walked up to Barb’s Buns for a cinnamon twist and coffee with John and Laurie. We pulled out from the dock just before 13:00. The wind was fine, so we sailed for the first 1.5 hours, until nearly Beaver Point. We tied up at Canoe Cove Marina at 16:10. Just aft...
20 Sep 18; Conover Cove - Ganges
20 Sep 18 We rowed to shore and went for a nice walk along the island after breakfast. Back at the boat in time for lunch, we got the hook up at 13:15 and motored south to Ganges Harbour, where we tied up at Ganges Marina at 15:25. The Admirals went to check out the local shops, while John and I had...
19 Sep 18; Jedediah - Conover Cove
19 Sep 18 Reluctantly, we got the anchor up just after 09:00 and departed Deep Bay. Through Bull Passage, we turned due south to avoid WG military practice area, which was active today; “Massilia” headed west to skirt WG on the north side, but we want to stop in at Telegraph Cove for a bit of Christ...
18 Sep 18; Blubber Bay - Jedediah I.
18 Sep 18 We were up early(ish) and had the anchor up by 08:45. Just as we rounded Kiddie Pt, at the far north end of Texada I., we had another very close encounter with a humpback whale or whales. Then we proceeded SE along the south side of Texada. We anchored in Deep Bay at the NW end of Jedediah...
17 Sep 18; Gorge Harbour - Blubber Bay
17 Sep 18 Time to be moving again, so we let go the dock lines at 10:50, motored out of Gorge Harbour, and continued SE to Blubber Bay, at the north end of Texada Island, where we anchored at 15:20. The Admirals and I rowed ashore went for a walk into Blubber Bay, but it is nothing more than a ferry...
15 - 16 Sep 18; Billygoat - Gorge Harbour
15 Sep 18 Happy Birthday to me. I won’t say how old I am, but I will say that I am now on Medicare. We were up in the pre-dawn dark and had the anchor up by 06:20. We headed east along Chancellor Channel in light rain, low overcast and light fog. At 10:00, we tied up at the Shoal Bay government dock...
14 Sep 18; Burial - Billygoat Bay
14 Sep 18 As we are waiting for the flood to set in, we slept in and loitered during the morning. I was feeling a bit better this morning, although a mild headache persists. We got the hook up at 12:15 and headed south at east into Johnstone Strait. The wind was on the nose, but never more than 10-1...
13 Sep 18; Kwatsi - Burial Cove
13 Sep 18 We bid farewell and good luck to Max and departed Kwatsi Bay at 10:20 and headed south and east down Tribune Channel, through Sergeant Passage and Chatham Channel and anchored in Burial Cove at 15:00. I did not feel all that well during the trip today and basically crashed for a 4-hour nap...
12 Sep 18; Burdwood - Kwatsi Bay
12 Sep 18 After a leisurely breakfast and a lovely morning at anchor, we got the hook up at 12:15. We pulled alongside Lacey Falls in Tribune Channel at 13:20 and snapped a few photos; there is a bit of water flowing down the falls this time, unlike our last pass-by in 1999. Carrying on to the east,...
11 Sep 18; Turnbull - Burdwood Group
11 Sep 18 Light, intermittent rain persisted until the early morning, but eased up a bit and the sun was trying to poke through by breakfast time. We got the anchor up at 09:45 and motored back over to Roaringhole Rapid, which was now at peak flow on the ebb; we were able to get to within a few mete...
9 - 10 Sep 18; Sullivans Bay - Turnbull Cove
9 Sep 18 Conditions are not as bad as forecast (it rained all night until 10:00 this morning, then cleared up a bit) and we are bored with Sullivans Bay, so we got away from the dock at 12:00 and moved over to Turnbull Cove, where we anchored at 13:30. This is a delightful anchorage with a Forestry...
7 - 8 Sep 18; Dicksons I. - Sullivans Bay
7 Sep 18 The morning forecast still looks quite nasty for the next few days as a major low pressure system moves over the area, so we decided to head for Sullivans Bay, to hole up for the worst of it. The anchor was aweigh by 11:40 and we motored up Wells Passage to Sullivans Bay, where we tied up a...
6 Sep 18; Sointula - Wells Passage
6 Sep 18 We rode bikes back into Coho Joe’s for breakfast. On the way back, John found the owner of the dinghy jigs we spotted in an old, derelict boathouse yesterday, and secured the right to borrow it this winter; he will have to drive back up to Sointula to collect it. We got back to the boats an...
4 - 5 Sep 18; Port McNeill - Sointula
4 Sep 18 The Admiral and I had a leisurely morning, although we filled up the propane tank #1 and visited the grocery store and the marine hardware store one more time. We were away from the dock at 12:35, and after topping up the diesel tank with 87 liters (22.9 gal) of diesel, we headed across to...
2 - 3 Sep 18; Quascilla - Port McNeill
2 Sep 18 The alarm jolted us out of bed at 06:00 and we cast “Massilia” off, after quick goodbyes to Matt and J2, at 06:30. It was cold and foggy with intermittent showers as we got the anchor up at 06:50 and headed west down Smith Inlet. We lost sight of “Massilia” almost immediately in the fog and...
1 Sep 18; Ahclakerho Basin - Quascilla Bay
1 Sep 18 It rained several times during the night but cleared up a bit by mid-morning, so we were able to explore the Takush Harbour pass-through, although the water was too low to get all the way through. The rest of the day, while waiting for HW slack at the Narrows, was spent doing chores, readin...
31 Aug 18; Broad Reach - Ahclakerho Basin
31 Aug 18 It rained all night and most of the day, although we found time between showers to explore the upper bays in dinghies and kayaks. Whales were visible to the east from our anchored boats. About 17:30 we picked up the anchor and moved in tandem up to Ahclakerho Basin; this will put us in pos...
30 Aug 18; Ahclakerho - Broad Reach
30 Aug 18 High, broken overcast and sunshine as we got up. The Admirals went for a paddle at LW around 10:00. We piddled around the rest of the morning, then got the anchor up at 14:45 and headed west to the far end of Broad Reach, where we anchored at 17:15. We saw 2 different groups of 3 whales, s...
29 Aug 18; Great Bear Lodge - Ahclakerho Channel
29 Aug 18 It rained all night long, with drizzle persisting through the morning. We spotted a large male grizzly in the creek during breakfast. The anchor was aweigh at 11:30 and we headed back down Smith Inlet to Ahclakerho Channel. Entering the narrows at 13:35, we caught the last of the flood tid...
27 - 28 Aug 18; Margaret Bay - Great Bear Lodge
27 Aug 18 It was cold and foggy early, so we hunkered down inside and did not get the anchor up until 11:15. We motored and later sailed (goose-winged in up to 22 kn of following wind) all the way to the head of Smith Inlet, where we anchored off the mouth of the Nekite River at 15:15. After anchori...
26 Aug 18; Fury I. - Margaret Bay
26 Aug 18 There was low overcast, with light rain early, but it cleared a bit as the morning progressed. Anchor up by 11:00 and we headed toward Smith Inlet. We spotted a whale just outside of Fury Cove, but it did not linger. False Egg Island was abeam to starboard at 13:00 and we turned east into...
25 Aug 18; Johnston Bay - Fury Island
25 Aug 18 We were up relatively early and had the anchor up by 09:30. “c’est le bon” headed for Duncanby Landing to look for groceries (there were none), while “Massilia” headed back to Dawsons Landing to collect son Matt and girlfriend Julia (J2). We bought 61 liters (16.1 US gal) of diesel at Dunc...
23 - 24 Aug 18; Johnston Bay - Dawsons - Johnston Bay
23 Aug 18 We had the anchor up by 09:30 to head over to Dawsons Landing. We were tied up at the dock by 10:45. It was heartfelt goodbyes to all the young people (and Rockfish) before they caught the Grumman Goose back to Port Hardy about 13:00. The plane is a beauty; originally built in 1940, althou...
22 Aug 18; Allard Bay - Johnston Bay
22 Aug 18 We slept in a bit, but got going about 10:30, to make the Draney Narrows HW slack at 12:35. After we got through the narrows, it was a short run north around the corner to Johnston Bay, where we anchored at 14:00. After we anchored, I rowed around the bay and looked in on a camping shelter...
21 Aug 18; Draney Inlet - Allard Bay
21 Aug 18 The fog has lifted a bit, but it is still very smokey, with no wind. We decided to move over to Allard Bay and got the anchor up at 11:30. We were anchored at Allard Bay by 13:30, after a very leisurely motor, including a look in at the ruins of an old logging barge. Allard Bay is not quit...
19 - 20 Aug 18; Frypan Bay - Draney Inlet
19 Aug 18 This morning after breakfast, Graham caught a good-sized halibut off the bow of the boat, while at anchor - another keeper. J1 cleaned and filleted it and we put it on ice for dinner. We got underway about 11:00. It was foggy outside the bay. “Massilia” took the long way round south of Bi...
18 Aug 18; Moses Inlet - Frypan Bay
18 Aug 18 We were up early and away from the dock at 08:10. At Nelson Narrows, we drifted and idled for an hour or so, so the boys could fish. Then, we put down a lunch anchor at Inrig Bay. The boys caught a nice ling cod and a rockfish during our stop. We were underway again at 13:00. I pumped out...
16 - 17 Aug 18; McAllister - Moses Inlet
16 Aug 18 We slept in a bit, but awoke to a gorgeous morning. After breakfast, we got under way at 10:30 and headed up Moses Inlet. The wind was S to SW, so we sailed almost all the way to the head of Moses Inlet, where we tied up the the logging camp dock at 14:40, at the invitation of the manager,...
15 Aug 18; McAllister - Kilbella Bay and back
15 Aug 18 We were up early to move over to Kilbella Bay for serious salmon fishing. “Massilia” cast off at 05:30 to head over to the fishing grounds, but the crew of “c’est le bon” sensibly went back to bed. We got underway about 10:00 and anchored off the mouth of Kilbella River at 10:50. 51-41.90...
14 Aug 18; Sandell Bay - McAllister Pt. Bay
14 Aug 18 John was up early and rowed out for a bit of fishing; no catch, but something broke his leader, so he lost lure, hook and an 8 oz weight - must have been a big one. The boys took the motor dinghy out for a couple of hours, but got no keepers; they saw a bear on the beach. The Admirals and...
13 Aug 18; Dawsons - Sandell Bay
13 Aug 18 We tried to get up early, but sloth is too easy. Before noon, we moved down to the fuel dock and bought 60 L (15.8 gal) of diesel. The Grumman Goose landed about 13:30; aboard were Mike R. and girlfriend Julia (J1), along with Mike’s high school buddy Graham and his wife Karen. Graham and...
11 - 12 Aug 18; Frypan Bay - Dawsons Landing
11 Aug 18 A big thunderstorm came through about 05:00 and woke us from a sound sleep with a violent crash of thunder and lightning. After that, we were a bit slow getting up. The rain persisted throughout the morning, as we made our way to Dawsons Landing. The anchor was up at 10:45 and we motored a...
10 Aug 18; Millbrook Cove - Frypan Bay
10 Aug 18 The Admirals were up early for a row around the cove to look at the marine intertidal wildlife. After breakfast, we got the anchor up and were underway before 10:00. “Massilia” went outside, but we took the inside short-cut via Eliza Bay and Radar Channel. Just past the narrowest part of t...
9 Aug 18; Miles Inlet - Millbrook Cove
9 Aug 18 After a good nights sleep, we were up just after 08:00, had breakfast and listened to the morning weather forecast; it sounds good for a rounding of Cape Caution. We weighed anchor at 10:30. As soon as we got to the mouth of Miles Inlet, the fog disappeared. The wind was light from the SW,...
6 Aug 18; God's Pocket - Port Alexander
6 Aug 18 We slept in and after a late breakfast, took a long walk across the island to Harlequin Bay, which is a nice future anchorage. Back at God’s Pocket, Annie treated us to fresh chocolate chip cookies and bacon & cheese scones - delicious. After lunch, we moved a few miles over to Port Alexand...
5 Aug 18; Port Hardy - God's Pocket
5 Aug 18 The Admiral and I walked up to Captain Hardy’s for coffee and internet service. While there, my laptop just died; even after a call to Apple Support, I was unable to get it started. So, no more blog updates until we get back to civilization in a month or 6 weeks. I will have a massive job t...
4 Aug 18; Blunden Harbour - Port Hardy
4 Aug 18 The alarm went off at 7:40, so I got up and cast off “Massilia” at 08:00. The Admiral and I then settled down for a few minutes to enjoy our breakfast. We had the anchor up just after 08:30 and were on our way to Port Hardy. About 2 miles out into the Queen Charlotte Strait, we noticed a hu...
2 - 3 Aug 18; Numas I. - Blunden Harbour
2 Aug 18 It was cold enough last night when we went to be that we had to put the duvet back on. After that, we slept like logs and did not stir until after 08:00. It was overcast and cool with little wind in the morning and that trend carried on throughout the day. There is apparently a system movin...
1 Aug 18; Sointula - Numas Island
1 Aug 18 A few of the fishermen were up and away early, but not many. Most of them are waiting for the late afternoon opening of the fishery. We took advantage of the WiFi at the marina and did a few regular, routine maintenance chores in the morning and finally got going about 11:30. There was virt...
31 Jul 18
31 Jul 18 Slept like a baby last night; for the first time in several days, I was not worried about how I was going to tackle the serious maintenance challenge of the day. After breakfast, the Admiral did another load of laundry and made another run to the grocery store, while I filled a propane bot...
29 - 30 Jul 18; Potts Lagoon - Port McNeill
29 Jul 18 We got up a bit early and had the anchor up just after 08:00 to catch the last of the ebb tide in Johnstone Straight to Telegraph Cove. For reasons we did not understand, as we turned west down Baronet Passage, the current was flooding (against us) at up to 3.5 knots at one point, as we we...
28 Jul 18; Call Inlet - Potts Lagoon
28 Jul 18 It was cool and clear when we awoke about 08:00. Again, the bears did not come down to the beach for breakfast. We had the anchor up just at 09:55 and motored out of Call Inlet, west through Chatham Channel, with the tidal flow behind us. At the west end of the channel, we took the short-c...
27 Jul 18; Call Inlet
27 Jul 18 We were awakened by a tap on the coachroof from “Massilia” announcing that the bears were back, feeding on the beach adjacent. Of course, we got up immediately. The mama bear and 3 cubs had returned, but left the beach almost immediately when a solo yearling male showed up. We watched him...
26 Jul 18; Port Harvey - Call Inlet
26 Jul 18 Another quiet night in the PacNW. We were up just after 08:00 to go up and collect the cinnamon buns we ordered last night, as well as the loaf of fresh-baked multi-grain bread. We generally loafed around most of the morning, taking advantage of the good WiFi and a tolerable cell service,...
25 Jul 18; Port Neville - Port Harvey
25 Jul 18 The alarm went off at 06:45, so we hopped up and let go of “Massilia” and had the anchor up by 07:00. We motored down Port Neville and headed out into Johnstone Straight just about 08:15. The wind in the Straight was less than 15 knots and the chop was not bad, so we sailed, even though it...
23 - 24 Jul 18; Douglas Bay - Port Neville
23 Jul 18 We rolled out of bed just before 05:30 and got the anchor up for the 16 mile run to Port Neville. The wind was of course on the nose at 10-15 knots the whole way, so we motored west through Wellbore and Sunderland Channels, finally sticking our nose out in the western Johnstone Straight at...
21 -22 Jul 18; Blind Channel - Douglas Bay
21 Jul 18 After a quiet night in the marina, we stocked up on supplies (what little was available from the store), had a shower and tried (again, without success) to connect to the internet and cell services. Well, we are out here in the boonies to get away from it all, after all. After an excellent...
20 Jul 18; Heming Bay - Blind Channel
20 Jul 18 It was a quiet night in Heming Bay, although every little puff of wind moved the boat a few inches, which caused the anchor chain to drag loudly across the rocky bottom of the bay. After breakfast, we started to saddle up and to go for a walk over to Heming Lake, but we never quite got goi...
19 Jul 18; Small Inlet - Heming Bay
19 Jul 18 Recovering from the previous night’s sleep deprivation, we slept in till 09:00. After a leisurely breakfast, we decided to forego the planned walk to Newton Lake and head a bit closer to Blind Channel. The anchor was aweigh at 11:30 and we motored out of Small Inlet into Kanish Bay and the...
18 Jul 18; Small Inlet
18 Jun 18 To say last night was rough would be a bit of an understatement. We were never in any real danger of dragging the anchor, but the wind continued to gust about 25 knots until well after midnight and the bow line from “Massilia” was griping and pinging (lots of tension) so much, I was just s...
17 Jul 18; Campbell River - Small Inlet
17 Jul 18 To catch the turn from flood to ebb at Seymour Narrows at 09:09, we had to depart Campbell River at 07:00. The run up from Campbell River to Seymour Narrows is about 8 N-m, but with a strong flood current against us, we had to take advantage of back-eddies all the way up. John led the way...
14 - 16 Jul 18; Savarry I. - Campbell River
14 Jul 18 Happy Bastille Day. Vive la France!! We were on the go again by 08:30 to catch the last of the ebb tide up Discovery Passage to Campbell River. There was not much wind, so we motored most of the way. However, north of Mittelnatch Island, as we were ahead of schedule and the wind freed up a...
13 Jul 18; Sandy I. - Savarry Island
13 Jul 18 It was a relatively early start - 08:30 - so we could catch the tide over the Comox Bar. After we were out in the Strait of Georgia, the wind got up to NW 15-20. It was on the nose to our target of Savarry Island, so we beat to windward all the way across to Shearwater Passage, north and w...
12 Jul 18; Deep Bay - Sandy Island
12 Jul 18 The forecast NW 20-30 wind never blew in during the night, so it was very quiet at anchor. We waited until after low water at 11:40 to get underway. Shortly after we departed, we had the sails up and had a grand race up Baynes Sound all the way to Sandy Island Marine Park, where I dropped...
11 Jul 18; French Creek - Deep Bay
11 Jul 18 It was a quiet night in French Creek. We were up around 08:00 to a cool, cloudless day. From 09:00 to about 10:30, John had a work meeting with the town engineer of Qualicum Beach and a couple of consultants regarding a seafront road/walkway improvement; we all sat around the cockpit table...
10 Jul 18; Nanaimo - French Creek
10 Jul 18 I slept like a rock last night, then sprung out of bed at the 07:55 alarm. We checked out of the marina and sailed with the tide at 10:10. As we cleared Departure Bay, the wind piped up nicely and it looked like we were in for a nice sail, even though it was going to be a beat to windward....
8 - 9 Jul 18; Clam Bay - Nanaimo
8 Jul 18 Another beautiful night at anchor. We awoke to a gorgeous dawn. After a leisurely breakfast in the solarium, and a bit of reading, we finally got moving about 11:00. There was very little wind, so we motored the 1.5 hours run to Boat Harbour, where we anchored for a late lunch and to wait f...
6 -7 Jul 18; False Narrows - Clam Bay
6 Jul 18 Although we were in bed early last night, we slept in until well past 08:00; shocking sloth, but that is the cruising life. After breakfast, we decided to move down to Clam Bay on Thetis Island, which is a bit more protected from SE winds. We had a nice sail down through the islands, even t...
5 Jul 18; Plumper Cove - False Narrows
5 Jul 18 OMG, another glorious day in paradise. We were up by 09:00 and under way by 10:00. It was a glorious sail (on a reach) all the way across the Strait of Georgia to the entry to Gabriola Passage; we went through the passage with the full flow of the ebb current behind us and anchored at the n...
22 Jun 18; Canoe Cove - Diver Bay
22 Jun 18 John went to work in the morning while I lazed around the house. He came home at noon and we drove back to Tswassen to catch the 15:00 ferry back to Sidney. We were all squared away before 19:00 and pulled out of Canoe Cove for the short run to Diver Bay at the south end of Prevost Island....
3 - 4 Jul 18; Gibsons - Plumper Cove
3 Jul 18 We slept in till 09:00, worn out by the exertions of the previous couple of weeks. After a slow morning and a bit of shopping at the local shops, we fueled up after lunch and sailed over to Plumper Cove Marine Park, a grand total of 1.6 N-m from Gibsons. There, we picked up a mooring ball a...
2 Jul 18; Vancouver - Gibsons
2 Jul 18 Well, it was a struggle, but we finally managed to get out of Vancouver; not that we were actually in much of a hurry to leave. After a couple of final loading trips to the marina, and a bit of last minute shopping at Granville Island Public Market, and even though the wind was on the nose,...
23 Jun - 1 Jul 18; Diver Bay - False Creek
23 Jun 18 We were both up relatively early for a light breakfast and coffee and had the anchor aweigh just after 09:00. From Diver Bay, we ran over to Active Pass, between Galiano and Mayne Islands, dodging ferries and other pleasure craft and tied up at the public dock beside the ferry dock just af...
19 - 21 Jun 18; Oak Bay - Canoe Cove
19 Jun 18 I was up at the crack of 06:30, but by the time I got over to Massilia, John was all finished and just waiting for the launch crew to turn up. Massilia hit the water just after 08:10, and we were off. I had the engine going on “c’est le bon” by 08:50 and departed RVicYC more or less immedi...
15 - 18 Jun 18; Garrison Bay - Oak Bay, BC
15 Jun 18 I don’t have to be in Victoria (Cadboro Bay, actually) until 13:00, so I slept in a bit, but was breakfasting before 09:00. I scraped a bit on the starboard toe-rail, until just after 11:00, when it was time to get going to catch the last of the ebb tide down Haro Strait. The anchor came u...
14 Jun 18; Fidalgo Bay - Garrison Bay
14 Jun 18 The forecast for today is SW and WSW all day; low water is at 12:44 at Point Atkinson, at which point the currents are favorable most of the way from Anacortes to Roche Harbor, except for the last 3 or 4 miles. I was up in time to turn the CR-V into U-Haul, to store it for the summer, just...
12 - 13 Jun 18; Vancouver - Fidalgo Bay
12 Jun 18 Laurie was off to work early and John, who is in the process of retiring, had to do a bit of work as well, so I left just after 08:00 and, after a stop at Starbucks for coffee and a newspaper, headed back south of the border. Shorter wait this time and I made it back to Bellingham in time...
11 Jun 18; Anacortes - Vancouver
11 Jun 18 I got a e-mail from my buddy John, in Vancouver, inviting me up for dinner. When the electrical tech showed up at noon to sort out the faulty breaker switch on my new wash down pump, I had the afternoon free, so Vancouver looked pretty attractive. I stopped at LFS (marine hardware shop in...
5 - 10 Jun 18; Fidalgo Bay
5 Jun 18 Happy birthday, Henry Cormac Wells; one month old today. After checking out of the hotel, I stopped by North Island Boat to once again entice Kim to come round to see if she can provide a new memory foam mattress pad. Although she promised she would, she never showed up. I went on with maki...
29 May - 4 Jun 18; Portland - Anacortes, WA
29 May 18 I was up at the crack of dawn, having worried half the night about the outcome of my pending bill for knee surgery. After having been assured that my only expense would be the $1500 deductible, the hospital where the surgery was performed has presented a bill to my insurance company for $1...
27 - 28 May 18; Pendleton - Portland, OR
27 May 18 I was up at the crack of 07:30. After breakfast and a leisurely read of the newspaper, I hit the road again, westbound along the Columbia River. The drive along the river and through the gorge was beautiful. I resisted stopping at every lock and dam, but at Bonneville, I could stand it no...
26 May 18: Bellevue - Pendleton, OR
26 May 18 After my late-ish dinner last night, I slept in till 08:00. After breakfast, I spent a bit of time planning out the remainder of the trip and booked hotels in Pendleton, OR, for tonight and two nights in Portland on Sunday and Monday. The drive to Pendleton was beautiful and uneventful, ex...
25 May 18; Rock Springs - Bellevue, ID
25 May 18 I was up and away by 07:30 for breakfast at Starbucks. Nothing but westing today. I drove straight to Craters of the Moon National Park, arriving just before 15:00. I spent about 3 hours driving the scenic loop and took a couple of excellent hikes. Lava and cinder cones as far as the eye c...
24 May 18; Arvada - Rock Springs, WY
24 May 18 After breakfast, and an opportunity to meet R&M’s grandson, Luke, I headed out again. Not too much wind today, but I still start getting nervous and fill up about every 150 miles. After I crossed the Continental Divide in Wyoming, the scenery quality decreased and I started growing tired o...
23 May 18; Amarillo - Arvada, CO
23 May 18 Miles to go today, so I was up early again. Uneventful, but long drive to Arvada, NW side of Denver, to stay with my old buddies, Rex and Marie. The wind (SW 15-25) was behind me until I crossed into Colorado, where my mileage again dropped precipitously. Kit Carson, CO did not have any fu...
22 May 18; Frisco - Amarillo, TX
22 May 18 Away by 08:00. Stopped in Floyd County to see the farm. Very dry but all good. Spent the night at Kathi’s (sister-in-law) place in Amarillo, after taking her to dinner at an Italian place. The wind (SSW 15-20) was against me all day (11 mpg) until I turned due north at Tulia, when the mile...
21 May 18; Houston - Frisco, TX
21 May 18 And so the 2018 season begins. To bring you back up to speed, we finished the American Great Loop and the end of last season in Mobile, AL, where we parked the boat up for the winter Turner Marine, having first removed a lot of material from the boat to facilitate shipping it cross-country...