More Adventures

After spending time successfully working on the HF radio and watermark in Port McNeil we headed north, making the significant passage past Cape Caution which was my first open water experience! We had 2-3 meter waves, current and 20 kt. wind on the nose so it was a washing machine, abit uncomfortable but exciting.  We spent time in Pruth Cove on Calvert Island which incredibly has white sandy beaches like you would fine in Hawaii, who knew??  We spent a night anchored at Goose Island which is quite a treat as the weather is seldom conducive.  Our weather continues to be unusually hot and dry and the days are notably longer given our northern location.  It is also notably the lack of wildlife we have seen on route, disappointing but more so concerning.  Saying that we saw fresh cougar and wolf tracks on Goose Island.  The beaches are also loaded with drift wood and debris from Japan's gas plant explosion from a few years ago.

We are currently in Bella Bella doing our final provisioning before heading to Gwaii Haanas and Dennis is catching up with old friends from 30 years ago when he worked here, pretty cool.  We will make a couple short stops and then weather permitting we will begin our 12 – 16 hour crossing to Gwaii Haanas.  We will be off line for the next 3-4 weeks so this will be our last post for awhile.  Enjoy your summer!

Cape Caution - first open water experience!

Bird's Eye View - Dennis up the mast

We finally caught a crab - delicious!

Making bread

Setting the crab trap

Calvert Island beach

Calvert Island

Beach combing

Dennis,  Fashion Statement!

Guy Technical Stuff - problems encountered and how they were resolved, or not!

We were leaving  Spruce harbour June 1/15 whether we were ready or not.  We weren’t!  There was so much to do so I tried to make sure I had all my bases covered with making sure I had all the pieces and parts I would need to get the important stuff up and running.  Things like the watermaker, the single side band radio, the AIS (automatic identification system) so our friends could track us real time, the deck wash down system, the lee cloths on the berths, the galley lighting before it gets dark early and lots of other things.  I must have been on drugs or overconfident or something to think I’d get that right.  Too much and too many things to cover.

On our first day I realized I didn’t have the connector for the AIS GPS antennae nor did I have any spare engine oil.  A phone call to my friend and neighbour Mike Scott solved the problem. Mike came to the rescue, as he always does, by getting me the connector and oil and bringing them to Horseshoe Bay where I managed to get on a ferry, cross to HSB run off, grab the pieces and run back on the same ferry. Thank you Mike.

Next stop was Gibson’s to get the correct coaxial connector.  Steveston Marine supplied the wrong one. They didn’t understand Male vs Female????????

Then, the engine wouldn’t start.  Dead!  Nothing!  Nada!   Had to be something simple but my brain was so tired I couldn’t think.  My friend Steve Tremblay, with his brilliant mechanical mind, quickly led me to the problem.  It was a loose power connecter on my engine harness connector panel.  The lesson in this, provided by Steve and sage advice: get a remote start switch, put a fuse on it and wire it in so if you need it you can start your engine when you’re up to your ass in alligators. Easy and cheap.  I was lucky. I had the remote switch and already put a fuse on it.

Next was this mysterious water leak.  This took sleuthing.  Turned out it was water syphoning from a water tank via a loose water maker hose that was not connected yet. 

Starter problem again!!!!   Check the connections and make sure they are tight.  Think Loctite.

Another AIS antennae coax fitting wrong  L.  Crap!  Wrong size.  Communications company in Campbell River has an adapter.  AIS working.  Yeah!!!!   Only problem as we now find out.  You can’t track us.  We’re too remote and not enough receiving antennas!   Merde!  Double merde!

Water coming in?????  First it’s the watermaker fill hose syphoning back.  Fresh water leak fixed. 

Now there is salt coming in from aft somewhere.   Check and tighten rudder stuffing box.  Okay for a day then more again?????   Suspect cockpit drain.  Shut off port side.   Nope still coming.  Shut off starboard side next.  Has to be one of those three.  It’s the only possibilities.

With Gary Peacock’s amazing knowledge and help way beyond the call of duty, I get an email out and on July 1 at 0800 connect with the Great Northern  Boaters Net.  My very first HAM radio call.  Even though I have spent 50 years talking on radios of all types, this was cool.

Got watermaker working.  FINALLY!   Not a difficult task, just time consuming.  Gary Peacock again and the Aqua Marine manual were priceless in their good advice.  First leak test produced only one minor leak. The high pressure test had a few more but were easily resolved.  The problems arose when we started making water.  Found out you cannot reuse Tylock ferrules on plastic pipe.  Make sure you have spares and the Tylock pressure regulator valve leaks like a sieve.  Hopefully Tylock will provide a fix otherwise we will be mopping up water when we make it.  Pain in the butt but we can still make water. Can’t get another for another 6-7 weeks.

July 1 we crossed Queen Charlotte Strait from Port McNeill to Blunden Harbour.  Nice afternoon sail. Close hauled 25-30 kts but seas were only 1 meter at most. 1 reef in main and 2 in headsail and we are STEAMING!!!  Well balanced, auto pilot steering beautifully thanks to wind generator.  Nice to have wind on an angle that wasn’t on the nose.

Our first sail in 31 days.  However,,,,,,, that wind generator.  Steve,  now I know why you got rid of it,  it powered our refrigeration, autopilot  and charged the batteries but man is it noisy!!!  Where are my earplugs??    There is a bad vibration with resonates in the cockpit.  You can’t hear it on deck forward.  Just in the back and, unfortunately, down below.  I’ve looked at it closely and think I can fix it with some tightening inside the unit and filling the mounting mast with sound deadening foam (which I just happen to have)

That’s it so far.  I will keep you posted.