Well, apparently I have not been updating the blog for the past seven or eight weeks. Really, though, it hasn’t made that much difference, as I have been doing a terrible job of concentrating on my fitness over that time.
Instead of concentrating on hiking and keeping up my step count, I’ve been spending time doing things like retiring, getting my eyes upgraded with LASIK surgery, and going sailing. I think I’ll post a bit about sailing here… It’s kind of what I do.
Boat work
So I have managed to get most of the updates and upgrades done on the boat that I was hoping for.
- My water system is installed – a flexible tank that will hold about 80 liters, and an electric on-demand pump to the galley sink.
- I have also installed a holding tank for the head, with a Y-valve permitting gravity draining or pumping out via a deck cap. The tank is very well ventilated, and hopefully that will help keep any odors down.
- I purchased a new tiny outboard for my dinghy – a Suzuki 2.5 hp unit that only weighs about 30 pounds (under 14 kg).
- I had to make some changes to some of the cushions in the cabin. One of the seats at the dinette is a little smaller now, due to the new electrical connections cabinet, and the V-berth has shrunk a little due to the holding tank installation. I cut the foam away, and cut/stitched changes to the fabric covers.
- The new solar panel is now mounted on a brand new handrail, installed at the back on the starboard side. The wiring has all been permanently installed as well.
- I also managed to head up the mast and install a flag halyard to the starboard spreader. I then hoisted a radar reflector and am able to hoist a temporary anchor light until I can install one atop the mast.
An overnighter on a friend’s boat
A couple of weeks ago, I headed out with a friend on his Contessa 32. We intended to do three nights out, and the first day we sailed to Gibsons Landing, which took us about 5 hours. We spent the night at the dock of the Gibsons Landing Harbour Authority. Our intention was to continue to Montague Harbour the following day, then back up to Silva Bay for our final night, before returning to Vancouver’s False Creek.
Unfortunately, my friend Doug spent the whole night coughing, and was feeling pretty lousy by the time morning came. After some discussion, we decided to cut the trip short, and returned to Vancouver. Despite the short trip, the sailing was very pleasant!
First overnight trip on my boat – not
Last week, I intended to head out for two nights on my boat, making my first solo crossing of the Strait of Georgia. The plan was for a trip through Porlier Pass on Wednesday, and two nights in the Gulf Islands – Montague and Wallace Island, or some other spot.
Wednesday dawned sunny and rather chilly. The forecast had been for 10-15 knots out of the northwest. As I prepared the boat to depart, I listened to the latest forecast, which was now calling for 20-25 closer to Vancouver Island, settling to 15-20 knots later in the afternoon. With some trepidation, I set off down the river, to see how things looked.
As I rounded the bend at Garry Point, the wind was definitely coming up. I hoisted the main with a reef in it (only one reef on my wee sail) as I turned southwest-bound. The closer I got to Sandheads, the bigger the wind got. I looked at the breakers crashing on the breakwater, and decided that I was not up for a trip across the strait in those conditions. Not alone, and especially not considering my lack of experience.
Instead, I ended up sailing back and forth a few times in the stretch between Garry Point and Sandheads, just south of the main shipping channel. I had the boat heeled over to between 30 and 35 degrees a few times, which was quite exhilarating for me! Eventually, I doused the sails and began to motor back up the river toward my Ladner dock.
The ebb tide, combined with the roaring northwesterly wind, made for some very rough water right around Steveston. There were some standing waves that really kind of had my heart in my throat, but we (the boat and I) made it through! All in all, the day was a great experience, and I came out of it with a greater appreciation of what the boat can do.
First actual overnight trip on my boat
The forecast for Thursday and Friday was looking much more conducive to my beginner experience level, so I set off again. The plan this time was through Porlier Pass on Thursday, down to Montague, then return to Ladner on Friday via Active Pass if the gentle winds held.
Thursday it was quite pleasant as I headed down the river (taking advantage of about 2.5 knots of current) but I had to motor for a bit once past the Sandheads. There was a light wind out of the south, and my speed slowly increased from about 1 knot to 3 knots over the course of a couple of hours. I had a pleasant time frying up a couple of salmon burgers in the cockpit on my portable butane stove.
I had a couple of hours to kill in order to go through Porlier Pass at slack. As I approached the pass, there was a huge squall approaching from the other side of Galiano Island. The wind very quickly picked up, and with a few minutes, I was running northwest on a broad reach at 6 knots, being chased by the wind and rain coming through the pass.
After a while of battling the wind, I needed to turn back toward the pass in order to get through at slack. I fired up the motor, turned around, and fought the sails down and managed to eventually secure them. I then motored into the teeth of the wind until I finally passed through the worst of it shortly before Porlier Pass. The passage was then entirely uneventful.
I arrived in Montague Harbour, and picked up a mooring ball at the park without any drama. Took my dinghy (and new outboard!) to the dock and paid my fee. Had a nice dinner in the boat as it got dark.
In the morning, after a quick trip ashore, I set off in a very light rain shower toward Active Pass. The forecast was for light winds, increasing to 5-15 knots out of the southeast in the afternoon, so a trip through Active Pass should be uneventful.
Uneventful it was. I motored through Active Pass, with no other traffic visible anywhere until I was exiting the pass.
I put the sails up once I was through Active Pass, and turned off the motor. However, there wasn’t enough wind to prevent the sails from just flopping around, so I ended up motoring all the way across the strait.
Once in the river channel past Sandheads, it was a battle against the ebb tide to make any headway at all. At some points, I was down to 1.3 knots heading upriver. A bit of a southerly wind did come up as I entered Sea Reach, going past Westham Island, so I popped out the main sail and picked up an extra half knot or so for a bit. By that time, I was out of the main current of the river, and was slowly accelerating to a blistering 3.5 knots or so anyway.
I managed to get back to the dock just before low tide, which would have prevented me actually reaching my slip. Timing is everything.
Sailing is done…
… at least until I get back from my PCT adventure. Provided everything goes well, that shouldn’t be until at least the start of September. So it’s time to put the boat to bed for a long summer’s nap. And time to finalize my gear for the trail, and tie up any loose ends around home. A week from today, I fly to San Diego, and two days later I begin my journey.
It’s starting to get real!
