Adventures of Rikki-tikki-tavi

2011 "Cruise"

2011-10-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

The captain and first mate of Rikki-tikki-tavi enjoyed several very leisurely months in British Columbia's waters this summer. Between May 16th and September 22, we visited Princess Louisa Inlet, Von Donop Inlet, the Octopus Islands, and Annette Inlet. Between long stays at each lovely spot, we overnighted in Ballet Bay, Rebecca Spit (twice), and took a mooring for three days at Newcastle Island (Nanaimo). It was a summer to sit still, enjoy meeting friends both new and "old", and doing boat work. After seven years, our Rikki-tikki is needing some TLC. The weather was not very cooperative. Consistent sun did not arrive until mid July, so the rain slowed down our progress. We have more work to do.

Replacing the port aft window

We will be hauling out at Bellingham on Monday, October 10th. It will be our first experience using the Sea View yard. We are hoping the the weather is kind to us! We'll let you know how it goes.

Clark & Nina

2010 Cruise

2010-11-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

Mouat Cove

Rikki-tikki is now snugly tied in his spot behind the harbormaster's office at Roche Harbor, directly astern of the big catamaran named Gambit, which makes a good windbreak. Our sleek trimaran took us on a magic carpet ride all the way to Juneau AK this season. It was our goal to meet new friends and hang out when we found a stop that was particularly enjoyable.

Anan Wildlife

Back in 2007, we did a "great circle" route around Southeast, so we missed all of Admiralty Island and the east coasts of Chichagof and Baranof Islands. This year, we managed to see some new territory and enjoy some warm and sunny days while reveling in the company of new friends. We have acquired a plethora of pleasant memories. Of course, it is Alaska, meaning that there were plenty of gray, rainy days to endure too. We don't usually travel in the rain, unlike our powerboat friends who like to drive wearing their bunny slippers, the heater going and the windshield wipers keeping the view forward clear. We stay put, hunker down, pull out a book to read and wait for dry weather.

Photo courtesy Alison Crellin

We entered Canada through our usual Customs point at Tsehum Harbor on Vancouver Island on May 1st. Rikki-tikki took advantage of his membership in the West Sound Corinthian YC to avail himself of reciprocal privileges at Sidney North Saanich YC. We visited our Seaweed friends, Loren and Sandy, at their home and enjoyed dinner with our Cloudbreak friends, Alan and Bet. Then we made a beeline to our favorite destination, Princess Louisa Marine Park. It was an 84 nm run between Pirates Cove and the dock in front of Chatterbox Falls and we had time to refuel in Edmonds, catch a nice fish for dinner and hover along the shore in Queens Reach to watch a black bear with her cub from very close! For Rikki-tikki's 6th birthday, we opened the boat to the folks on the dock, all of whom we had come to know during our 5-day stay. Tearing ourselves away from the serenity of The Princess, we turned our trimaran's noses toward Ketchikan, running while the running was smooth.

Coho!

The remainder of the trip will be logged soon on our website svrikki.net.

TTFN, Clark & Nina

The Sweet Sixteen Baja Ha-Ha

2009-12-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

Clark & Nina joined Roz & Russ Worrall aboard “Worrall Wind”, their motor-sailing ketch, for the Baja Ha-Ha. This annual cruiser’s rally is sponsored by the popular sailing rag “Latitude 38”. A record 193 boats signed up, only one of which was a power boat (gasp!). On October 26th, about 165 boats crossed the starting line at the mouth of San Diego Bay. Excitement was high, spinnakers were loosed, crews whooped & hollered as they passed the Port of San Diego’s photo/news boat. We were off and rolling (literally)! We crossed the finished line on November 5th, but continued around to La Paz a few days later, stopping along the way.

Warm sun, fresh fish, sandy beaches, new friends. Sleepless nights, big and bumpy seas, relentless rolling, bruises, spilled coffee...

Our most enjoyable memories of the journey down the west coast of Baja California are of the spectacular skies. We reveled in glowing sunsets and sunrises, softly lit clouds at dawn, a sublime full moon rising over Bahia Santa Maria, night sailing in bright moonlight, jeweled clouds over Cabo. We were fortunate to see the green flash at sunset too! We did not imagine it– several other sailors reported seeing it the same evening, including Roz. Russ unfortunately missed it.

Not so enjoyable were the rough seas of October 28th. Clark managed not to get seasick while steering, cooking, making coffee & using the head by taking Meclizine. Nina, who is very prone to motion sickness, wore SeaBands® and dosed herself every 4 hours with Dramamine. She kept her stomach busy digesting raw nuts & kept her head as still as possible by hunkering in a spot in the pilothouse with the least motion, on the centerline of the boat with good visibility of the horizon. She used the head as quickly as was possible under the conditions. Night sailing would have been sheer torture for her. It was good we decided to dive into the large bay south of Punta San Carlos. Even so, she kept up the preventive regimen even at anchor.

We had fun exploring the capitol city of Baja California Sur, La Paz, on foot. The sidewalks held much of our attention due to two things… every few yards the construction & design of the walkways would change in very artful & creative ways, and they were treacherous to navigate due to holes, elevation differences, chunks missing, and uneven surfaces. The people were very friendly & several stopped to greet us as we rested on benches. Our Spanish is nonexistent but we managed to communicate in a small way. The malecón, a waterfront promenade, is extensive and is adorned with many lovely works in bronze. It was a pleasant place to people-watch. We noticed how very few Mexicans own dogs. We saw only one, a chihuahua, on a leash, though there were a few obvious strays. All other pet dogs were attached to gringos.

In La Paz, we found the stores fascinating as we wandered down the many narrow streets. The dress of the women was quite flashy, sexy even. We looked at crafts and weavings but we purchased only provisions at the Costco in Cabo and at the Super Mercado Aramburo in La Paz. We did not buy anything to eat except a cup of coffee– no ice cream, no tortillas, no restaurant fare. We came home without any souvenirs though we do regret not being able to haul back a gigantic chunk of New Zealand butter we found at Costco! We turned just $30 into pesos & spent most of that on a taxi ride, tips, the coffee, and groceries at the mercado.

If we decide to travel to Mexico again, we will learn to communicate in Spanish. We were unable to talk to the drivers of the Marina Costa Baja free shuttle, unable to ask questions of anyone unless they spoke English. Truly pathetic. We had a little Seiko translator and it helped us figure out a few words, but it was inadequate. Next time, we will also bring fewer and lighter weight clothes!

Cabo San Lucas is inundated with families of obvious poverty hawking cheap silver jewelry, whistles, trinkets and assorted tacky items. They are positioned every few yards along every walkway & it’s difficult constantly waving them away with a polite, “No, gracias.” When we managed to get a decent number of blocks away from the hotels and the marina, this distraction was minimized. Even so, most of the goods for sale were ugly, gaudy or crass, such as the frog coin purses. We did not see this type of hawking in La Paz. There were established “booths” along some streets such as the plaza in front of the cathedral, but we only saw a couple of artists with their finely made macramé jewelry laid out along the sidewalk. Nina was tempted to purchase a necklace but we merely commented on the quality of the work and walked on.
We've published a small website about our "Month to Baja by Water" at svrikki.net/RTT/Ha-Ha
Rikki-tikki-tavi is patiently waiting for us in Roche Harbor. We'll return to the Pacific Northwest in the Spring.
Clark & Nina

May at Chatterbox Falls

2009-06-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Rikki-tikki-tavi began his cruising season at his very favorite spot– Princess Louisa Inlet! His crew, Clark and Nina, reveled in the serenity and beauty of this most spectacular of places while Rikki-tikki rested quietly at the dock behind Seaweed. The first two weeks were typically drizzly and misty, which only accentuated the splendor of the mountains that stream with a myriad of waterfalls. Then the sun came out! The weather was deliciously warm and bright, the skies and waters pellucid. Chatterbox Falls is the glorious centerpiece of Princess Louisa. The flow of the falls constantly changes throughout each day in response to temperatures and rainfall. Fascinating. We kayaked, harvested shellfish (which is open until May 30th), visited with cruisers, and bathed in the sun.

Nina made four hats– one for granddaughter Eva, one for Clark, a special "9ah hat" for Sandy who was having a birthday, and a sunhat for herself. Rikki-tikkii also celebrated a birthday. May 10th was the fifth anniversary of his launch into the Sacramento River! Nina scrubbed the sail cover and polished windows in preparation. Sandy and Loren contributed a bottle of champagne to our meal of prawns, pickled oysters, and steamed mussels. Clark blew out five candles inserted into cashew/coconut nut balls. It was a perfect day.

The 22nd through the 28th brought some large tidal differences with one large ebb during the day. This means that the ebb currents through Malibu Rapids were delayed significantly due to the huge volume of water exiting the inlet. Most boaters depend on the Canadian Hydrographic Tables' corrections for the timing of the slack current at Malibu, which is taken off of the tide station at Point Atkinson. The corrected time is, we want to emphasize, an average of all the current slacks over time. Folks were not taking the tidal differences into account and many entered the rapids too early only to face unexpected strong currents and turbulence. Boaters came to the dock with horror stories. Two boats actually aborted halfway through and turned around! They were traumatized along with other boaters (not only small boats, mind you!) who made it through by the skin of their teeth, so to speak. Thankfully, there were no tragedies. We want to remind those who travel the distance to lovely Princess Louisa Inlet to pay attention to the tidal differences. In times of large tides, Malibu Rapids may be up to an hour-and-a-half late on the ebb. Take care.

There are no more BC Parks mooring buoys at MacDonald Island. The anchor chains had all rusted completely through and the buoys floated freely away from their stations. We learned that three large powerboats had tied to the last two that had stopped near shore on the north side of the inlet. A Nordhavn rafted to a second yacht shared one of these overnight. Yikes! Fortunately there were no strong inflow or outflow winds during their visit.

Rikki-tikki-tavi plans to make annual visits to Princess Louisa Inlet. Clark and Nina find it the perfect starting point for a season of cruising in British Columbia. Long live "The Princess"! Thank you, Mac. Photographs copyright 2009 Nina Courtney Wagaman and Clark Wagaman. All rights reserved.

Tucked in for the Winter

2008-10-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

We left Rikki-tikki-tavi safely moored at Roche Harbor, San Juan Island, for the winter. Headed south like Snowbirds, we stopped to spend time with friends in Mount Vernon, Washington. On our way through Oregon, we enjoyed a pleasant visit with family in Estacada. We all drove up to Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood and had lunch. With car-camping in Southern Utah on our minds, we then sped on home to Sacramento.

Princess Louisa Inlet

2008-04-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

Hello, Friends!

We spent over three weeks at Princess Louisa Inlet this spring. Here is a short description of one of the days.

Clark and I visited with Kathy and Noel aboard Integrity II. They are quite an interesting young couple. She’s a glaciologist from the UK who worked at Antarctica studying the movements of the ice shelves. He was a navigator with the British merchant marine from Ireland who was aboard the supply ship to Antarctica. They have a photo album with images of their boat in Taiwan under construction back in 1965. Their little ship is a Mason 38 ketch that was built as a private cruiser but the owners decided to sell her and make a business of building additional boats instead. They worked on the boat in Nanaimo for nearly two years, had a engine shipped over from the UK. It’s a very well-built boat and appears quite capable to taking them to Hawaii and the Marshall Islands, as is their plan.

After our visit, I showed Kathy how to identify wild cucumber, gathered some for ourselves, then we got ready to move to a bouy at MacDonald Island. Seaweed was already there. Loren and Sandy left the dock yesterday. We ran the watermaker on the way, going very, very slowly. The rain stayed away and we took the long way around the island to get back to mooring #3. Then we went ashore to gather some shellfish– oysters and Littleneck clams.

After dinner, we rowed over to Seaweed for a couple rounds of cribbage, which is new to us. Sandy and Loren are the most pleasant people. They make no demands on your energy, mentally or otherwise. Lovely. They helped Nina learn the game with great patience and made the experience pleasurable. Sandy made a chocolate dessert with the Carnation canned “thick” cream that she’d shown us. She used nsweetened cocoa powder and Splenda for sweetening. It was tasty!

It was beginning to sprinkle as we went back to Rikki-tikki in the dark.

Back in BC

2007-08-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, Friends,
We checked Rikki-tikki-tavi back into Canada at Prince Rupert on Wednesday, August 22nd, after three months cruising in Southeast Alaska. We saw glaciers, grizzlies, whales, wolves, sea otters, eagles, and puffins. We enjoyed spectacular sunsets, endured zero-visibility fog, met wonderful people, caught salmon and halibut. Our blog is a bit behind, we know. Please enjoy this photo of Johns Hopkins Glacier while we catch up!

We promise more to come...
Clark & Nina

April 2007 - Princess Louisa Inlet

2007-08-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

Princess Louisa Inlet is truly a special place. We've seen some astonishingly spectacular fiords here in Alaska, but Princess Louisa offers peace, serenity and an intimacy unsurpassed. This is enhanced when one arrives very early in the season when the snow still encrusts the mountains and visitors are few. This is the way we like to experience Princess Louisa...

We have the dock to ourselves.

One of the first things the guys did was to go hunting/gathering (in the rain, of course). The oysters at PLI are the best we've ever had and we were looking forward to eating them again. After a scrumptious dinner of fried oysters with Diane's spicy salad alongside, we played a game or two of Farkle. It was like coming home after a long absence- pure enjoyment.

It rained frequently while we were in Princess Louisa this year.

When the sun finally came out, we noticed that Talisman was looking very good. During the previous two weeks, Dean had buffed on a gloss coating and the dark blue hull was brilliant. He'd was just finishing up the replacement of all the wood plugs on the rails, a project begun back in Friday Harbor. The beautiful stained glass panels that Diane had designed and made were now installed in the cockpit doors. Together with her new Tartaruga hard dodger and canvas, the Pearson 424 ketch looked great.

Diane scooted around the inlet in her Hobie Mirage kayak on one of the few sunny days. I took her peddle kayak on a little excursion too and was treated to a close view of a black bear! The Mirage is virtually silent because there is no splashing of a paddle. This allows close approach to wildlife and leaves hands free to use a camera or binoculars. Plus, the leg exercise is very welcome. We sit way too much living aboard a boat.

I encountered this very healthy-looking black bear along the shore.

The shellfish - oysters, mussels, littleneck clams - were abundant and so very tasty.

It was easy to pick up a limit of oysters in a very short time.

This is wild cucumber, an edible wild plant and also very abundant. We would go a few yards up the trail and, in ten minutes, pick enough for the evening's salad. We were careful to selectively collect partial stalks away from the trail so as to leave the area looking undisturbed. Also known as Twisted Stalk, the Streptopus leaves are delicious with a light dressing of lemon juice, almond oil, salt and pepper.

A sleepy-eyed toad along the trail caught my attention.

We had a few visitors on occasion. Dave, Vickie and John aboard their Lord Nelson Victory Tug, Nellie D, dropped in on their way north.

Steve, Caroline and Abi, a family from the UK, visited in a chartered sailboat. We enjoyed meeting them very much.

The skunk cabbage in the creek bog was fresh and beautiful.

One day, a couple aboard this float plane dropped in for a short hike, then took off again. Another day, we heard a roar, but it wasn't one of the many avalanches we'd seen. A small black helicopter came zooming around the bend at low altitude, streaked past us, then banked sharply up above the waterfall. It circled the glacial bowl behind Chatterbox and buzzed along the snowy ridges. We wondered what it cost to take a tour like that- thrilling but expensive!

I made unique crocheted hats for each of us- Hats by 9ah

One afternoon, we took our dinghies down to Malibu Club. The four of us walked over to the edge of the pool which is perched in the rock above the rapids. The current was running out of the Inlet at 10.5 knots. We watched the whirlpools and swirls in awe, the tongue of the flow was clearly defined. Suddenly, a fast boat with two people aboard came flying through at planing speed. They were airborne several times as the hull glanced off the surging water. Then, we leisurely toured the grounds. Only a handful of folks were there getting things ready to open for the summer season. The setting is lovely, the buildings are intriguing- some are the original structures from the early part of last century. It's a terrific location for a summer camp.

Rikki-tikki-tavi in front of Chatterbox Falls.

Talisman approaching Malibu Rapids on our way out.

Malibu Club, Princess Louisa Inlet, British Columbia

Leaving Malibu Rapids behind for another year.

We spent eight lovely days at Princess Louisa this year. Dean and Diane were there for over three weeks! Sadly, our friends Loren and Sandy aboard Seaweed didn't arrive. Diane made a "Reserved for Seaweed" sign, we signed our names and attached it in their favorite spot on the dock. We've decided that we should start our cruising each year with a long stay at this exceptional place. That is, if we don't spend the winter in Alaska (which is yet to be determined)!

With best wishes,

Clark & Nina

May 2007 - Part 1

2007-08-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hello from Alaska!

Rikki-tikki-tavi crossed the International Boundary between British Columbia, Canada, into the waters of the USA, state of Alaska, on Sunday, May 27th, at latitude 54˚46.16'N, longitude 130˚38.97'W. At this point, a line is drawn in a zigzag fashion up the middle of Tongass Passage, between Sitklan Island (USA) and Wales Island (Canada). There the line turns northwest up the middle of Pearse Canal, then up the middle of Portland Inlet to its head.

Canada charts are quite good, in our opinion more readable than NOAA charts. We reviewed the route into the USA to Ketchikan, the required check-in point for US Customs, while we were peacefully at anchor in shallow, roomy, sticky bottomed, empty Winter Inlet on the north side of Pearse Island. Canada Chart 396001 at 1:40,000 scale clearly showed that at the end of Sitklan Passage there was a shortcut into East Dixon Entrance between Tongass Island and Kanagunut Island. This shortcut would save us at least three nautical miles, a half hour. It was shallow and there were rocks, but there seemed to us a safe S-shaped course through, so I'd plotted waypoints to follow.

The morning seemed benign with light winds, so when we arrived at the point where we could've turned right (starboard) and taken the deep, therefore safer, passage along the mainland coast, despite that we saw a large ocean swell coming in, we continued into the maze. Two small, high-powered fishing boats were heading out the same way. We could see the swells rising higher on the outside as the bottom came up to meet them. Big waves crashed over the rocks, which showed us exactly where they were, of course. Rikki-tikki was in his element, his bows lifting to the swells easily. We were less enthusiastic about the heights to which we were rising, as the course we needed to hold gave little margin for error. Clark piloted the chicane (as in a narrowing turn on an auto-racing course) with confidence into the swell where it wasn't breaking and we (I) didn't panic. Let's just say that this short but exciting ride is etched into our memories. We made it through safely.

The day before, we motorsailed 35 NM down Portland Inlet with the jib out, bashing into bumpy swells and wind chop whipped up by a 20 knot breeze. To avoid motion sickness, I used my Sea-Bands with good results. We had just spent two nights at the BC Parks Khutzeymateen Grizzly Reserve, where we were treated to thirteen sightings. Luckily, we had turned up just at the right time! Late May is when these brown bear head down to the shorelines to graze on grasses, look for crustaceans and shellfish. Later in the season when the berries ripen, they head into the mountains. We managed to get fairly close by dinghy to capture this photo of one male lazily browsing on sedges.

Drooling from the bitter sedge grasses he's been eating, this grizzly calmly observes us observing him.

Now that we have reached Alaska, let's go back to the beginning of Rikki-tikki's 2007 Adventure before the story gets too confusing...

After a windy, cold, wet and exceptionally snowy winter in the Southern Gulf Islands, British Columbia, and Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, USA, when you would think we would be yearning for some warm sun south of the border like reasonable sailors, why are we anxious to go even farther north– all the way into Southeast Alaska in 2007? This is a question we are asked quite often, though never by other boaters who have cruised the Pacific Northwest and who understand the multitude of delights this the vast area holds for intrepid adventurers. The sea and land is simply gorgeous, filled with wildlife and fascinating geological features like glaciers, fiords, volcanoes, and a zillion islands of every size and shape. The Northwest offers endless cruising opportunities that would take a lifetime to explore thoroughly. Sailors who've been around the planet often complete their lifetime of sailing by spending the rest of their days Up North. We figure it will take us several more years just to touch some of the high points. After all, we'd done snow (this was our Happy Holidays eCard!) so we were confident that we could do Alaska, at least "Southeast".

Our 2006 Holiday eCard. Photo taken November 30, 2006, in Montague Harbour, British Columbia.

In February, I took a SWA flight from Seattle home to Sacramento for a short visit and some precious time with my grandson, Merritt, then already seven months old. I delivered the crocheted "Kiss Hat" that Clark and I made for him while we were rainbound in the boat during January's wet weather. Thanks, Mom, for making the week so enjoyable and productive for me by cooking, sharing time, lending me your car, and making the trip possible. I spent two full days with little Merritt while his parents, Michael and Samantha, were at work, giving his other grandma, Jeanne, some time off. She has been Merritt's full-time caregiver since mom returned to work. Jeanne is absolutely wonderful– she has my admiration and grateful appreciation. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Merritt– he was so much fun! He is a cheerful, athletic, inquisitive, interactive and wonderfully adorable baby! Being so far away is terribly difficult. When I returned to Friday Harbor, we ordered a little webcam so we could see each other over the computer during our Skype VOIP calls. This is very cool!!

Merritt wearing his "Kiss Hat". Photo by dad Michael.

Rikki-tikki-tavi got a new bottom paint and a straightened prop shaft beginning March 16th at the Port of Port Townsend, Washington, where his 26.5' width meant their monstrous 300-ton lift was required. Rikki's weight didn't even register on the gauge. Clark and I were challenged by high winds and rain, but we got the job done despite the weather. Rikki-tikki was spiffy-looking and ready for the water on the 24th, but winds were forecast to be 30 knots with only two lift operators on duty, so we took time to walk around the charming town while Rikki waited patiently for the right launch conditions. Clark was able to retrieve his commemorative "30th Annual Wooden Boat Festival" poster from the Wooden Boat Foundation down at Port Hudson. (More later about the Wooden Boat Festival, in which Rikki-tikki-tavi was honored to be accepted as an exhibitor.) We mailed it back to Mom in Sacramento for safekeeping. The calm morning of March 27th, we traveled the 31 miles back to Friday Harbor, across the east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in 4.5 hours! Rikki's speed seemed enhanced by his three clean, smooth bottoms. The shaft noise also seemed quieter and smoother.

Like a moth held by a gigantic spider's web, Rikki-tikki waits to be released into the water once again.

Back in Friday Harbor, our lists of things to do before heading north were getting shorter. On a very warm day, I took a kayak outside the breakwater to photograph the schooner W.N. Ragland. It belongs to the singer/songwriter Neil Young. While paddling past the breakwater where the current ran swiftly, I noticed that the dock float was covered with what I thought was hard to find– winged kelp, alaria marginata! It had been growing right here in Friday Harbor all along. The kelp was very clean this time of year, too, before the hordes of summer boaters had dirtied the harbor. I plucked a choice selection of fronds and piled them on the kayak. Back at the boat, I cut out the center vein, chopped it up for stir-fry, then hung the "wings" of the fronds from the bow nets. When they were dry, I fried 2-inch sections in hot coconut oil. One batch I left plain, the second I sprinkled with Dixie Belle Rub, a dynamite recipe from Dana Carpender's The Low-Carb Barbeque Book. We shared these delicious treats with several folks who had expressed interest in eating sea vegetables and with one who ate our kelp only as a favor. He shall remain nameless, but such a good sport!

Neil Young's schooner, WN Ragland, in Friday Harbor, Washington.

Meanwhile, Clark worked on solving our mysterious stray electrical current issue. This condition was very evident when Rikki-tikki was hauled– there was blistering of the copper bottom paint and a thick crust of barnacles all around the shaft log and up both sides of the main hull. However, there was no pitting of the prop or the shaft, or excessive deterioration of our zinc anodes. In talking with several experts, Clark first installed a new grounding brush to the prop shaft. On further consideration of the characteristics of the problem, we decided that it was better to keep electricity from getting into the water in the first place. The question was: How had it gotten there? After days of taking things apart, testing & retesting, putting things back together, taking some systems out of the circuits, testing & putting them back in... it all came down to the Honda 2000 generator. Nowhere in the manual does it tell a person who uses the generator on a boat at anchor (no earth to ground the unit to) that the floating ground in the generator should be changed so that the neutral and ground are connected inside the case. Thanks to Dan on Sequel for this information. Clark hooked them together and, voila!, no more hot neutral circuit. He also isolated all the underwater metal from the electrical system. Only our FrigoBoat keelcooler has a neutral wire running back to a battery neutral. The boat is not bonded. We have eliminated a path for stray current to get out of the boat and into the water. Our bottom paint should now stay on the bottom (except for the fact that we put on an ablative!). It won't be blistering off due to stray current.

This is where we tie up while in Friday Harbor.

Thanks to all who helped us on our way– Dean and Diane for grocery shopping, Rod for use of the shop tools, Dick and Sharon for storing our car and putting us up, Patrick for helping us get the right antenna for our wi-fi connection, Dan for the SSB/HAM radio assistance– and the many others who shared experiences and friendship. On April 10th, Rikki-tikki made a final stop at the Friday Harbor fuel dock before pointing his nose across Haro Strait into Canada.

Rikki-tikki-tavi at the fuel dock, Friday Harbor.

Checking into Canada brought the Customs officers down to speak with us again. They reminded us that we are allowed a visit of only six months out of every twelve. We didn't think we'd been overstaying our welcome, always returning to the USA before our allotted time was up. Does this mean we'll have to seriously consider spending the winter in Alaska, once we get there? They gave us our requested sixty-day clearance saying, "Enjoy your time in Canada!"

Canada's HMS Oriole leaving Tsehum Harbour in early morning light.

We anchored for a few nights in Tsehum Harbour, visiting friends and shopping. Clark helped Gerta bring Millennium Dragon from Canoe Cove to Cowichan Bay, while I drove her BMW to Victoria for provisions and an adapter for our new high-gain wi-fi antenna. Fully loaded with goods from Costco in Langford, I continued along the beautiful highway north to meet Millie D. Gerta suggested we stop for dinner on the way back to Tsehum Harbour at the resort pub in Brentwood. The Happy Hour special was chicken wings- we devoured two orders along with a pitcher of beer. Next day, we squeezed in a short visit with new friends, Alan and Bet, whom we'd met at Conover Cove, Wallace Island, BC, back in January. A wet, bouncy ride in Darzee took us to Rikki, as a storm was blowing in. Immediately, we left in the late afternoon light for Royal Cove, an island where we'd spent an entire week hiding from weather back in November.

Conover Cove in January. Photo by Bet and Alan on Cloudbreak.

There were two sailboats already in the protected cove, both with long sternlines to shore. Sheltered from the southerly wind in the cove, we had no trouble dropping our hook, pulling in between them, and securing our own sternline to one of the park rings on the rocks. The rain began and it rained all night and all through the following day. We stayed on the boat and finished stowing our provisions. The larger sailboat left, and little Wildflower, a sloop we'd seen in various anchorages in the Gulf Islands, was Rikki-tikki's only neighbor.

About 2 AM, a choppy sea started slapping off the hulls- the noise got Clark up to take a look around. We were holding in place just fine and Wildflower's anchor looked to be holding too, but the lightweight cruiser was bouncing around a good deal more than we were. Clark thought about hanging fenders on our port side but came back to the warm bed instead. We drifted back to sleep. BANG! The loud crack shocked us awake, the adrenaline rush had us fumbling to get dressed in a flash. BANG! We knew that Wildflower had dragged her anchor and was on us. We should've hung the fenders! Out on deck, we offered to let the skipper tie alongside, but he started the engine and drove slowly away to reset his anchor. He said he would stay up the rest of the night to keep watch. It was 3:30 AM. It took awhile for us to settle down enough to fall asleep again.

Next morning, the sun appeared and we said our good-byes to Wildflower's skipper, wishing him well. Rikki-tikki now had a six-inch mark where the paint had been scraped- nothing to worry about. We motored over a flat sea toward Gabriola Passage to catch the current at slack. As we glided passed Porlier Pass, where the current was running at full 5 knots of flood from Trincomali Channel into the Strait of Georgia, we watched as a sailboat went through. We looked at each other, then turned around to follow. The fast current had already carried the other boat far into the Strait- we watched our speed increase quickly. Porlier held no surprises and we flew out into the Strait. If it looked too bumpy, we could always duck into Silva Bay, but the following seas were tolerable. We rode Rikki-tikki all the way to Pender Harbour, into Gerrans Bay, arriving just as a light rain began. After fueling up at Hospital Cove, we headed for Princess Louisa Inlet next morning, crossing our fingers that Dean and Diane on Talisman would still be there.

Hospital Cove fuel dock, Pender Harbour, British Columbia.

The day trip up Jervis Inlet began with warm sun on the decks.

Clouds moved in and by the end of the day, we had sprinkles and some wind.

Dean & Diane, hello!

Much to our excitement, Dean and Diane were waiting at Princess Louisa to take Rikki's docklines once again. It was such a thrill to see Talisman all alone at the end of the dock as we came around the last bend to reach Chatterbox Falls basin. The beginning of our season of cruising was getting off to a great start!

Fair winds and beautiful views,

Clark & Nina

2006 Spring Cruise, Part 2

2007-03-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

The conditions in Filucy Bay remained chilly and gray, but we decided to head out anyway. "Juniata" and "Sail La Vie" were going back to the park dock at Penrose Point. We elected to continue on into Horsehead Bay, where we hoped to hide out from the even stronger SE winds that were forecast. The guide book said that large, expensive homes lined the shore. We immediately thought, "Wi-fi!" It was time we checked TurboTax to see if our e-filed forms had been accepted. I couldn't relax until we were assured they went through okay. Clark steered "Rikki-tikki" as far toward the head of the bay as we felt comfortable and went forward to drop the anchor. As soon as it set, I turned on the iBook's Airport and, wonder of all wonders, we immediately picked up an open network! Yes! We'd come to the right spot. We could relax and enjoy the evening. The winds did pick up but the small bay was well sheltered, as were we.

As we exited Horsehead Bay the next day, we saw "Juniata" had already made a good distance down Carr Inlet ahead of us. It was bumpy and the wind was nearly on our nose, but the gusts soon calmed as we turned to go into Tacoma Narrows. Back in Gig Harbor at the City Dock, thunderstorms and heavy rain squalls made our walking tours "interesting". We ducked into little shops to wait out each sudden downpour. Way down the street, toward the head of the harbor, we found a little marine store where we bought a curious folding, lightweight grapnel anchor for Darzee. When Dave saw it, he immediately asked Larry to buy him one- "Sail La Vie" was staying another day or two.

On April 17, we motored 27 nautical miles back to Port Madison where, as we had expected, the wi-fi network there now required a password. Email would have to wait until we got back to Port Ludlow. After another four hours of travel next day, we anchored in our very favorite hideaway, the Inner Harbor. Dave and Marcia would go on into Canada, while we decided to see if we could offload our bicycles before heading to BC. We emailed Dick and Sharon to inquire if they had room. They replied in the affirmative, so we decided to go into La Conner, where our friends could meet us with their pickup truck.

Leaving Port Ludlow on the 20th, we enjoyed calm conditions all the way across the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The current runs very swiftly in Deception Pass, between Fidalgo Island and Whidby Island. Everyone respects its narrow fairway and turbulent waters. We arrived shortly before slack and found a pair of tugs along the north shore with their log boom waiting to go through. They pulled out in front of us as the time neared. We hailed them several times on the VHF but they failed to respond, so we throttled up and pulled around them before there was no time left to do so. Passing under the bridge at low tide, one is impressed with the narrowness of the water, the size and frighteningly jagged rocks that line the shore cliffs. We wished someone had been on the bridge to photograph "Rikki-tikki" going under for his first time. "Serendipity" must've passed under dozens of times in her ten years of cruising these northern waters.

Two tugs with their log boom headed for Deception Pass.

The Swinomish Channel is fraught with strong currents, which even locals don't seem to quite understand which direction they will run on which state of the tide. We decided to deal with whatever current there was. The channel is clearly marked. We entered the south end, which is very narrow between mud flats with no water. The current was running against us and a big power yacht came astern wanting to get by. We pulled as far over to the right as possible. As they passed, a man came out onto the swim step and mouthed, "Sorry about the wake," and stepped back inside leaving us to rock back and forth. At far end is a steep-sided channel with an S-curve shape that blocks any view of traffic approaching. With our wide beam, we hoped not to meet any other boat, while we nervously took quick glances overhead to marvel at the homes perched on the edges of the cliffs.

There is another bridge at the south end of La Conner and the chart assured us we would enjoy ample clearance but, as we approached, we spied a cable hanging much lower than the bridge span. We were almost afraid to continue into town! Slowing to a creep, we edged our way toward the higher side of the cable and crossed our fingers that our mast top would not snag. If it touched, we were prepared to back away immediately. This time we didn't even breathe. "Rikki" went under without catching the cable, but we were sure that this clearance was not what was stated on the chart! With relief, we tied "Rikki-tikki" to a City Float, and put our $20 check into the fee box.

A metal sculpture of a salmon graces this ramp at one of the La Conner City Floats.

It turned out to be Tulip Days in La Conner. Discovering this, we were amazed that there was room along the city waterfront for us. The attractive little town was crowded with people, hundreds of cars, and motorcycles. A bank parking lot sparkled with an amazing array of shiny, expensive sportscars.

A steam-powered launch gives tours up and down the waterfront at La Conner.

Designed for speed, these sporty vehicles dazzled the eyes.

The main street of La Conner was congested with weekend visitors.

Dick and Sharon came down to the dock, loaded up the bikes, then took us to their home in Mount Vernon for dinner. On the way out of town, Dick slowed the car so I could grab a shot of the last of the tulips left in the field. The remaining acres of flowers had all been snipped off, leaving only stems and leaves! The tulips are grown for their bulbs not their blooms. We just missed what must've been a truly awesome landscape just days before.

No stopping. No Cars. Just grab a quick photo!

Our dismay at missing the La Conner fields was soon forgotten. As soon as we checked into Canada Customs on April 26th at Tsehum Harbour, we made a beeline for Tod Inlet, where we would tour The Butchart Gardens. They are renowned worldwide for their floral displays and we would not be disappointed. We spent two days taking photos and wandering through the amazing combinations of colorful foliage and bright spring blossoms.

Clark overlooks The Butchart's Sunken Garden.

Here are just a couple of the hundreds of photos I captured.

The beds are layered with swaths of blooms.

Nature creates some eye-popping shapes and hues.

The tulips are artfully integrated with contrasting or harmonizing companions.

When we emerged from our last day at The Butchart Gardens, Juniata was waiting for us in the anchorage. The following day was drizzly but we didn't care. Ira (You remember Small Fry?) met Clark and I at the end of the trail where the lane ends, loaded us into his pickup, and drove us into Victoria/Langford for grocery shopping. We enjoyed his wonderful stories along the way. After a personal tour of this beautiful area, he took us to his home, where we finally met his wife, Betty. Thanks, Ira. Our visit was much too short!

All stocked up with groceries, we followed "Juniata" out of Tod Inlet and northeast toward Pirates Cove, a popular Marine Provincial Park on De Courcy Island. The weather was threatening to worsen but conditions were benign for the six and a half-hour trip. Arriving at Pirates Cove in late afternoon, we anchored as close to the east shore as we could and rowed out a line to shore. "Juniata" anchored out in the middle, just ahead of a raft of six powerboats with music blaring and we both hunkered down to await the coming storm.

Clark & Nina

Spring Cruise, Part 1

2007-02-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

The Adventures of Rikki-tikki-tavi

March 27 to April 12, 2006

South Puget Sound Cruise - Part 1

We bid farewell to our new friends in Port Ludlow Marina on a pleasantly sunny day. The breeze outside the harbor was brisk but going in the wrong direction. We motored south to meet Juniata in Port Madison, a quiet harbor on Bainbridge Island. Our Spring Cruise of South Puget South had begun. We anchored off an idyllic-looking private island compound sprouting a lovely home, a treehouse, a couple of rope swings out over the harbor, kayaks on the private pier, and cushy deck chairs on the porch. We figured the owners for Seattle residents, their island get-away visited only on long weekends or over summer vacations. Dave and Marcia joined us in the cockpit. The sun warmed Rikki-tikki's decks and our faces as we talked about the month ahead. The weather, so far, looked promising. We discovered that our computer could pick up an open wi-fi network, so we checked email from the boat.

Gray skies next morning greeted us as we got underway early to catch the slack current in Agate Pass. Even though the bridge clearance is 75 feet, we sucked in our breaths as Rikki-tikki's nearly 60-foot height passed beneath. There were long-tailed ducks and a few loons along the shore. We followed in the wake of both Juniata, Dave and Marcia's 37-foot Pacific Seacraft yawl, and Serendipity, my maternal grandparents' 37-foot custom motorsailer. Julian and Olive were on the same course through Agate pass back in April of 1965 and their adventurous spirits are held dearly in my heart. We pulled into Poulsbo at the head of Liberty Bay and dropped anchor in the shallow water. Two friends of Dave and Marcia's motored out to Juniata in their dinghy, and we joined them all for lunch in the cockpit. After eating, Dave lowered his new 6 HP outboard onto their Porta-Bote. He let Clark start it for the very first time (!) before they went out for a spin on the glassy bay.

The next day, we got Dave to tow Darzee into town with his new motor, while we sat back and enjoyed the ride. The little town of Poulsbo (pronounced "Pauls-bow") is popular in the summer, but this time of year things are fairly quiet. Dave, Marcia and Clark posed for a photo in front of the famous bakery, resisting the temptation of sugary morsels laid out in the window. We sat with a cup of coffee in the Poulsbohemian Café, where a couple of gals added sections to the world's longest knit scarf.

Slowly we sauntered in and out of the shops and back to the marina, where there was something even more interesting to see- the world's largest (perhaps) trimaran. Dave towed us over to gawk at a trimaran so big that we guessed Rikki-tikki would fit on one side deck! Wow, it was huge.

After a full run around this leviathan (it's for sale!), we headed back to Rikki-tikki for a yummy sardine mash lunch. Marcia wasn't so sure she would like it, but with capers and sundried tomatoes added, sardines, besides being very healthful fare, taste great. It's our staple lunch- quick and easy.

Rain soon settled in and we watched from the shelter of our cockpit dodger as a several fleets of kids raced small sailing dinghies for an hour despite the wetness. After three nights in Liberty Bay, we decided to go back to Port Madison for the wi-fi and to explore the length of the inner harbor in our new kayaks. The wi-fi remained open and we accomplished some essential tasks online. It was only a matter of time before the open network would be accessed only with a password, so we took advantage while we could.

Next on the agenda, kayaking. We enter the kayaks off the stern where I tie both ends of the 'yak off to the handrails. That way, when I get in or climb out, the plastic boat doesn't zip out from under me. Clark is much more agile and he ties only one end. Our water-level tour around Port Madison gave us a new view of the multimillion-dollar homes that line the shore. We donned our drysuits next morning and got into the water to scrub all three of Rikki's hulls, scraping and brushing off the many forms of algae that seem to grow back overnight. Clark spent the entire next day, which just happened to be April Fool's Day, working on our contribution to the Northwest Multihull Association newsletter. They had invited us to write about our 2005 trip up the West Coast. About 5 PM, he called Juniata on the walkie-talkie to announce that "writing is painful", and mentioned vodka may be the cure for his pain. After two chilled coconut concoctions and some mango ginger Stilton cheese, Clark and the rest of us were feeling quite relaxed.

Juniata sailed away for Blake Island, leaving us behind to wait for their friends, Larry and Marcia, aboard Sail La Vie, a Gemini 32 catamaran. When they arrived, we enjoyed cocktails and dinner aboard Rikki-tikki-tavi. Next day we both headed south, but our destination was Blakely Harbor. On our way past Eagle Harbor, where the Washington State Ferry traverses between Bainbridge Island and Seattle, we turned in for a look. It was raining and we were slowly cruising the harbor looking at boats. I spotted an interesting white trimaran on the end of a dock. As we approached, a powerboat drove out from the fairway behind the tri, stopping us dead in our tracks. Clark looked to starboard as we waited for him to pass and there, just a few feet away, was Bacchanal, John Marples' Searunner 37, vintage 1970s. The companionway was open, so we hailed the owner. Patrick popped his head out and motioned for us to pull in behind his trimaran.

What a great treat to meet Patrick here! He had introduced himself by email many months before as we were making our way up the coast toward Cape Flattery, saying that he'd been watching our building progress on the internet for years. He had invited us to come by to say "hi" when we got to Seattle. Eagle Harbor is across The Sound from Seattle, so we were surprised and glad for the serendipitous meeting. Patrick arranged for us to stay the night on the Pub Dock behind Bacchanal. After hours of talking, dinner and wine aboard Rikki-tikki, breakfast the next morning too, we got to know Patrick and he us.

Here in Eagle Harbor, Rikki-tikki-tavi meets his brother, Bacchanal. (They are both male boats!)

The next day, April 4th, we left Eagle Harbor enroute for Gig Harbor, some 28 nautical miles away. Puget Sound was all new territory for us and we enjoyed the afternoon with a bit of sailing and motorsailing. When we arrived at the entrance to Gig Harbor with its serpentine shallow sandy bar, it was right at a minus 0.07-foot low tide. We were glad for our mere 38" of draft! Juniata and Sail La Vie were at the City Dock, their crews wondering what had been keeping us. We excitedly related our chance encounter with Patrick on Bacchanal.

Three chums, each of a different "feather" (different number of hulls), at the Gig Harbor City Dock.

We visited Gig Harbor again on the way back from the South Sound. The city allows two free days at their dock, which is centrally located to the little town with a grocery, post office, shops, marine stores, and restaurants. Between thundershowers, we walked the long frontage road to see the historical points of interest in the harbor and town. A historic walking tour brochure and placards along the way explain key aspects of the growth of the area and the fishing industry. There is still an active fleet of seine boats.

Our first trip under the Tacoma Narrows bridges, both the old and the new one now under construction, was under a full jib and with a favorable current. The clear blue sky put smiles on our faces. Checking grandpa's log, he and grandma motored under the Narrows Bridge at 1537 hours (that's 3:37 PM) on April 9, 1965. His notes say, "Rainy & cold all day." We headed for Penrose State Park, where we were promised fresh oysters and clams. Larry and Marcia had shellfish licenses!

We all stood around watching Larry and Marcia while they dug the clams and shucked the oysters on the muddy flats. After returning the oyster shells to their beds, we all went back to the dock for fried oyster appetizers. The clams were hung over the side in a net bag to purge themselves. The fishery notice on the park bulletin board stated that crabbing was open, so Larry also deployed his trap and next morning came back with three large rock crab- our first! Returning from the second day of clam digging, the notice stated that crabbing was closed! Were the crabs now illegal? Oh well, they'd already been cooked. So yummy, too, I sat on the dock long after everyone else had finished working to get out every last shred of meat.

While Marcia shows off the harvest, "The Other" Marcia digs clams at Penrose Beach.

Our three boats all carry or tow Porta-Botes as dinghies. Darzee has two buddies!

Appetizers enjoyed at the dock- it can't get better!

Cruisers are very self-sufficient. Dave gets a haircut, then it's Marcia's turn.

Next morning, we followed Juniata through Pitt Passage where there were two fishing boats with divers in the water. The large-diameter hoses led overboard told us they were probably harvesting geoduck clams, a tough business. There was not enough breeze for sailing into Olympia, so we motored over to tie up at the Swantown Marina transient dock. Dinner for eight aboard Sail La Vie featured garlicky clams, salads, and Clark's zucchini cake with coconut cream cheese frosting.

Clark's cousin, Betty, who lives just south of Olympia, came to pick us up. She took us shopping and to her home, where we met a long-time friend of hers. Unfortunately, I spent a good deal of the time on the computer in a frustrated attempt to complete our taxes online using TurboTax. Even though Betty's internet access was fast, I didn't have time to finish and I missed out on a lot of the conversation too! The following morning, I tried in vain to get the Swantown wi-fi to work. I even took my computer outside and held it up directly in sight of the antenna on top of the laundry/showers building. Drat it! We needed to get our taxes e-filed before leaving. Back at the dock, the iBook Airport hooked into an open network of unknown origin, but I thank whoever provided this access because I was able to complete and send our federal and California forms successfully! What a great relief. Now we would need to find another open wi-fi in a few days to confirm that the tax agencies had accepted our forms. Who knows where we might be? Rune, Betty's friend, Rune, came down to boat to get a tour before we left.

Leaving Olympia on a mirror of silvered, watery clouds.

On April 9, our first stop out of Budd Inlet was for fuel in tiny Boston Harbor. It is amazing, given the size of Budd Inlet and all the boats in Olympia, that there is no fuel dock. It is perhaps because Budd Inlet has very little exchange of water, it being at the extreme south end of Puget Sound. Four hours of motoring later, we arrived at Jarrell Cove, where Juniata and Sail La Vie were already tied up at the park dock. We elected to anchor out because we had also elected not to buy a Washington State Park Pass. Anchoring is always free. We took the dinghy into the dock for BBQ with the two Marcias, Larry and Dave.

The weather was kind to us here, as it had been for my grandparents when they stopped here, apparently for lunch, on April 11, 1965, on their way to Shelton from Filucy Bay. "Sunny- warm, calm. Beautiful weather." Most likely little has changed since their visit. We got out our hair scissors, our barstool, and gave each other haircuts. A local paddled out in a kayak to comment on the unusual sight we presented perched atop a barstool on the wide side-deck of our trimaran. Dave and Marcia, out in their inflatable kayak for the very first time, arrived at our stern. They got out of and back into the 'yak without falling in, though I was ready with a camera just in case they didn't.

April 11 was David's 59th birthday. We enjoyed delicious smoked salmon dip, salad, and BBQ'd New York steaks from Olympia's famous Farmers Market. David's "cake" was a walnut chocolate brownie with caramel sauce. Larry set the mood for the evening with 50's music on the MP3 player. We all had a great time.

We weighed anchor just before noon next day, our courses set for Filucy Bay, where Serendipity had experienced chilly, overcast, breezy conditions exactly 41 years ago to the day. The wind out in the inlets was brisk, up to 25 knots, generally holding between 12 and 18 from the south. We rolled out the jib and arrived about 3.5 hours later, also a bit chilled. As we carefully searched for a secure spot to set the anchor, my thoughts were of those intrepid, amazing sailors aboard Serendipity.

Clark & Nina

s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi

(Rikki-tikki's motto, and that of all mongooses, is "Run and find out.")

svrikki.net

A Pacific Northwest Winter - Part III

2006-11-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

"You Haven't Yet Seen Cold"

February 7 to March 23, 2006

Dear Friends,

A beautiful winter scene – warm, cozy homes nestled amongst tall trees, whose drooping branches are lightly tipped with freshly fallen snow – brings a glow to one's heart. Visions of lounging before a toasty fireplace, feet propped up on a cushy pillow, float serenely in front of the eyes. It's Valentine's Day, dreams of champagne and soft music, a lover snuggling...

Wake up! You are really in that boat anchored out in the ice-covered water in front of those cozy homes! There is no fireplace, no champagne, and you get to bundle up, go out on deck and remove the heavy load of snow that has covered the solar panels, clogged the access to the hatches- your frozen fingers aching. Your lover, however, is with you and she hasn't yet threatened to abandon ship, so it's not as bad as it could be! So get out there and shovel that snow with your little plastic dustpan while she takes QuickTime® movies of you doing it! On your way out, turn up the cabin heater so icicles stay on the outside of the boat. The foreground reveals the true nature of the situation. Photograph of Rikki-tikki-tavi anchored in snowy Port Ludlow Inner Harbor by Del Jacobs. As a weak sun begins to peer over the trees, we awake to find Rikki-tikki cloaked in soft white snow. Okay, so it wasn't a lot of snow that fell that night, just over an inch or so. And the previous week in Port Ludlow had been sunny and clear. We'd gone shopping with Dave and Marcia in their little Honda, had Polish sausages at Costco, were able to get in some computer time on the marina wi-fi, where Juniata was moored for the winter. Best of all, we delighted in some great camaraderie with our friends. We were enjoying our first week at Port Ludlow quite a bit. The Inner Harbor is lovely and very protected, with sticky mud on the bottom- all the better to hold you with, my dear. We liked the Inner Harbor. Marcia unloading the latest goodies from the trunk. We loaded the Honda so tight we had to hold stuff on our laps! We were soon to discover that the snow was only the beginning of our winter fun in the Inner Harbor. The VHF weather announcements gave little warning of what was to come. The electronic voice said the night temperatures would fall into the 'teens. The voice didn't say our little watery parking lot would freeze over, so we blithely hung on our anchor and watched the hail and snowflakes blow by. In the middle of the night two days after snowy Valentine's Day, we were awakened by loud sounds very much like the squelch on the VHF gone into overdrive. Immediately, we knew it was the sound of surface ice being crunched and broken up against the hulls as the breezes gently pushed the boat from side to side. No worries, it was thin ice. The low winter sun just couldn't seem to warm up the air during the day and temperatures barely reached into the 20s, then dropped again into the 'teens night after night. On the morning of the 17th, we awoke to 18 degrees. Lucky for Rikki, there was no wind because he was frozen in place- solidly. The ice was so hard that Clark couldn't punch through it with the boat hook. The entire Inner Harbor was frozen over with about 5/8" freshwater ice- and Rikki-tikki was stuck in the middle. Darzee to the rescue! Clark got the outboard started, let it warm up, then managed to break a hole large enough to back up a little way. It was easier to go backwards because the spinning prop helped break up the crust of ice. While I attempted some video clips of the action on my Canon PowerShot, Clark ran our Porta-Bote-turned-icebreaker up on top of the ice a few feet at a time, waited for it to break, backed out, took another angle of attack, and then ran up on the ice again, repeating this action many times. It took about an hour to make a narrow cut completely around our trimaran. Then he took Darzee on a few merry-go-round turns to widen the ice-free circle. The hard, freshwater ice laid thickly on top of the saltwater of the Inner Harbor. Dave and Marcia were expecting us to arrive at the marina, a half-mile away, for a car trip into Silverdale for shopping or, as we call it, provisioning. We hailed them on the walkie-talkie over the racket of Darzee breaking an icy highway for us to get out of the Inner Harbor. There was no way we could move Rikki-tikki until the ice softened a bit, which we hoped the sun would do during the day. The shards of broken ice were sharp and we feared damage to the paint. So we went shopping. Little Darzee broke a path through the ice. Wow, what a racket! We returned from our excursion into Silverdale just as the sun was touching the tops of the trees. We rounded the tip of the island into to our bay and saw that the highway Darzee had forged remained unchanged. The ice around Rikki was as hard as ever. Clark dropped me and our goodies off at the boat, then turned to run Darzee back and forth along the edges of the path, widening it enough to drive Rikki out to the main harbor. With just enough light left to see, we anchored in liquid water to wait for warmer weather. We were determined to go back into our private bay as soon as it was possible, we liked it that much. A few days later we found ourselves sitting in the Honda again. We were just leaving the marina parking lot for another trip to the shopping center. Marcia's cell phone rang. She missed the call as she searched inside her backpack for the phone and the call went to voicemail. Unable to retrieve the message, she merely returned the call. A friendly female voice answered but said she hadn't made the call. She asked where Marcia was calling from because the area code showed California. Marcia explained that they were aboard their boat in Port Ludlow at the marina. The woman exclaimed, "We live in Port Ludlow!" After many questions, Shirley realized that her husband, Del, had called the marina trying to find the owner of the trimaran that had been anchored in snow and ice in front of their home on the Inner Harbor. Would Marcia know these people? Yes, we know them, and they are with us right now. Would you like to talk to them? And so we met Del and Shirley. Del had taken photos of Rikki-tikki-tavi over the last week and he wanted to make sure we received copies, so he hunted us down! He owns the only trimaran in Port Ludlow, an F-31A, and was very interested in our multihull. We invited them to dinner aboard Juniata and a tour of Rikki-tikki when we came into the fuel dock. We sure enjoyed their company! Shirley and Del treated us all to a lovely dinner at their fabulous home. Listening to Del's wonderful stories, we were fascinated by the rich and adventurous life this couple has led. We are grateful for the photos but the real pleasure resides in meeting such interesting and generous folks. Thank you, Del and Shirley. Frozen solid. Photo by Del Jacobs. Our enjoyable memories don't end there! Del invited us to attend a meeting of the Northwest Multihull Association in Seattle as his guests. It was a great day to ride the ferry between Eagle Harbor and Seattle- the views incredible. Del took us to Fisheries Supply, where we found a couple of terrific rain hats, and REI's flagship store, where Del bought a tent (we just browsed). The NWMA meeting was great fun. Del introduced us and passed around an 8 x 10 photo of our iced-in trimaran. We met a whole roomful of multihull enthusiasts, some cruisers and a lot of racers with "F-boats", most of the names fleeting. We were invited to write a story of our trip up the coast for their April newsletter, which we did. It is available online from the NWMA website- http://www.nwmultihull.org Thank you again, Del and Shirley. We hope to meet you on the water, sailing your trimaran. The rest of the story is that our heater decided to quit just as the cold weather was at its coldest. We had just spent, you may remember, about $500 to have a new fan installed in Vancouver. They did other maintenance too while it was in the shop. Clark reinstalled the overhauled unit in January before we returned to the U.S. Now it was only mid-February and the heater was belching blue smoke in attempts to fire up. We sent for more parts from Seattle. A tiny zipper sandwich bag with a little screen and a couple of gaskets arrived in the mail- $120! Clark took the unit over to the marina and, with the blessing of the staff, he disassembled the entire heater, part by part, on their worktable. After cleaning the burn chamber and installing all the new parts, he hauled the heater back to Rikki in the Inner Harbor to see if it would fire. Yes, but our confidence that we had reliable heat aboard was considerably eroded. By now, we were making regular trips in Darzee across the 1/2-mile of harbor to the marina. Some days it was very choppy with wind-blown waves. The wind never bothered us in the landlocked anchorage behind the Twin Islands. Other days we were assailed by sleet, hail, rain– you name it. We wanted kayaks and were spending time researching online for what was available at a reasonable price. I remembered that Costco in Sacramento sold kayaks last year, but we'd been to Costco in Silverdale many times- no kayaks. Then, one day, we went to Costco with Marcia and there, stacked up high, were bright orange kayaks! The one-person sit-insides came complete with paddles, spray skirts, and a cartop carrier (smart of them to include this!). Guess what we loaded onto the car? We went back to Costco and bought another kayak! After a bit of practice, my kayak became less tippy. I devised a way of safely getting into and out of the kayak from the stern steps. Two lines, one fore, one aft, tied onto the handrails, keep the kayak from scooting out from under me! We are going to enjoy having these and, Rod, we now have a way to rescue Darzee if he ever decides to go on walkabout again. In March, Dave and Marcia took Juniata to Port Townsend for a haul-out. We visited them with Steve and Myndy from "Enchantress". Dave was lucky to have good weather for painting the bottom and removing a thru-hull. I took a walk around and shot some photos of other boats there for work. Port Townsend has a very busy boatyard, there are vessels of every size and description, commercial and otherwise, though we saw no trimarans. Juniata on the hard in the Port Townsend boatyard. Boatworks in the boatyard. One of the murals in the Port Townsend boatyard. We began getting ready to leave for our Spring Cruise of South Puget Sound. The weather was definitely showing signs of improving! Just to remind us that winter wasn't yet over, it snowed again on March 8th. March 27th, we would head south into Puget Sound to meet Juniata in Port Madison.

A Pacific Northwest Winter - Part II

2006-11-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

"Two Windy Weeks In Friday Harbor In Which Darzee Goes On An Adventure" We awoke to this view of Mount Baker across San Juan Channel from Friday Harbor's North Cove. Late that afternoon, as we settled ourselves and Rikki-tikki alongside the little barge in Hong Kong Basin, we met the caretaker of the barge, Jim, a very reserved fellow. He is known in Friday Harbor as a creative- local art galleries sold his jewelry and very-much-in-demand, fantastically detailed miniature buildings built inside bottles. He even designed and built the special miniature tools that this kind of weensy construction required. Now he writes stories and articles from the confines of his little boat moored out in The Basin. We marvelled at the tales he had to tell of past experiences living in a myriad of boats- all very tiny- a canoe (would you believe?), a West Wight Potter, now an 18' powerboat named "Patna". Our view of the Port of Friday Harbor from The Barge. We had been to Friday Harbor once before- in the company of two other boats, four of us aboard a chartered Catalina 36 named "Norma Jean". It was 1995 or thereabouts, 4th of July, and we had a great time watching the local Independence Day parade featuring kids towing their dogs and smaller siblings in decorated wagons. There were brass bands, lots of waving flags, firetrucks demonstrating their water power. It was truly small-town America stuff. Hot dogs were on the grill and lawn games were played in the sunken park. The community egg toss was especially fun. Dozens of participants were defeated, impossibly and at long last, by a very small boy whose egg, despite hitting the grass many times, simply refused to break. At the end, his egg had to be broken by the judge to prove it wasn't hard boiled! Our 2006 visit was cold, windy and gray most days, it being January, not July. The crowds of boats waiting to get a slip were absent, as were the lightly dressed sailors wearing sunhats. Friday Harbor residents had their town to themselves for the winter. We tried to blend in. It was our good furtune to have made the acquaintance of two locals while at Nanaimo's Newcastle Island back in August. Rod and Barbara live right off the main street around the corner from the big grocery and they wanted some advice on remodeling their home. They also desired our opinion on several homes that were under construction with the idea they would purchase one as a rental investment. Since building is Clark's area of expertise, they "hired" us to do some consulting. We enjoyed many hours of discussion, friendship and were given the opportunity to see a couple of very nice homes, plus a little of the island itself. Washington State Ferries call several times a day, leaving a rolling wake with each passing. We were invited to a Super Bowl Party. We don't enjoy football and neither does Rod, so we spent the time walking along country roads with our hostess and enjoying great conversation. We met several other sailor folks- our hosts were long-time SF Bay Area sailors and owned Bird Boat #18 for 25 years. They later owned and raced a Farallone Clipper, a classy classic wooden sailboat. We felt like newborns talking to Dan and Eileen about sailing. Their home on San Juan Island is cozy and filled with books, a lovingly built wood dinghy resides in the shop. The rooms feature a terrific view over Griffin Bay and San Juan Channel. On one of the two days we had sun, Clark and I filled our rolling insulated bag at "The Marketplace". In between our forays away from Rikki-tikki with new friends, we endured unpleasant weather, both while tied to The Barge and in the marina. We backed into two slips at the Port of Friday Harbor (they only charged us for one). Big winds were forecast and the minus tides would have set us into the mud in Hong Kong Basin, so we sought refuge of a sort tied to pilings and docks in deeper water. Sure enough, the winds reached 55 knots- that's 63 mph! The waves leaped all the way over the docks even inside the breakwater. When the winds ceased, we moved back to the barge and went back to rowing Darzee into the dinghy dock. It was cheaper. Our double-wide "G Dock" slip in the Port of Friday Harbor. Local color inside the Port docks. The Port of Friday Harbor before the wind began. Back on The Barge, another rainy windstorm blew in overnight. Clark got up in the morning, made coffee and sat down in the settee to enjoy it. He usually sits on the starboard side where we tie Darzee up between the vaka (the main hull) and the ama (the outer hull), using a three-point arrangement to keep him from banging into the hulls in the wind and waves. I arrived in the galley just in time for Clark to take a look outside to find that Darzee was gone! Darzee had taken a "walk", gone on an adventure of his own, without us. It was raining. The wind was blowing very hard. Lucky for us it was blowing toward the shore behind us. How did Darzee get loose? Unbeknownst to me, Clark had moved Darzee to the barge before we went to bed. Whatever knot he used, the waves had managed to untie. I grabbed the binoculars and searched anxiously along the shoreline. The tide was extremely high and lots of flotsam was piled up against the land. There, among a bunch of large logs, bobbed our lost tender, but we had no way of getting over to him. We thought, no problem, the tide will go out and leave Darzee high and dry. We can have Rod go down to get him later. Just as we voiced our solution, the wind shifted completely around and Darzee started to float out away from shore. I started to get very worried and fetched my drysuit from the ama, intending to swim to shore and retrieve our little taxi before he was blown out into the channel. Clark nixed my swimming. I got out my new dock hook and posted myself on deck, just in case Darzee was close enough to snag on his way past. Meanwhile, we called (we still had our GoPhone!) and left voicemail for Rod- could he come rescue Darzee? The morning before the storm that blew Darzee away. Nice and calm. With every gust of wind, we crossed our fingers that the jetsam surrounding Darzee would hold him close enough to shore for Rod to reach him- that is, when he arrived. The waiting was tense. After what seemed like forever, we saw our friend, without even a hat on, walking along the backyards of the homes that line the shore. Darzee was inching his way out of reach and we knew Rod hadn't seen the dinghy yet. He couldn't hear our shouts against the wind. We waved our arms and Rod finally spotted our wayward workhorse. Through the chop and rain, our rescuer brought little Darzee home. We are forever grateful and promise to never let it happen again, Rod. Thank you. Not calm now... Rod rescued Darzee and returned him to us. When the weather cleared enough for us to get out of Friday Harbor, we did just that. It is a great place- convenient access to everything a boater needs (except decent laundromats, more about that later) and the Washington State Ferry system. However, we've pretty much concluded, Friday Harbor is a wind-hole. Enough said. February 6- a calm day to leave Friday Harbor. Stopping at the fuel dock on our way out, a very pleasant couple hailed us from the wharf. They wanted to tell us how much they admired Rikki-tikki, so we invited them for a quick look-see. It turned out that Davey and Ziggy are circumnavigators, with wonderful stories we hope to hear when we meet them again. We are so glad they stopped to introduce themselves. Then we motored down through Cattle Pass and across the Strait of Juan de Fuca over relatively smooth seas, dodging the many logs and congealed islands of debris carried into the waters by the high tides and storm waves. The rain threatened but did not fall, we finally reached Point Wilson on a course for Mystery Bay. We carefully threaded our way through the complex winding entrance to Kilisut Harbor, between Indian Island and Marrowstone Island, spotting our first-ever long-tailed ducks- beautiful. A quiet night on anchor was a welcome change from the boisterous and busy days we spent in Friday Harbor. Point Wilson. The next morning, a very cold crosswind cut through our woolies as we rounded Marrowstone Point, but then it turned against us. The day was gray but the high clouds allowed a great view of the Olympic Mountains as we approached Port Ludlow, where Dave and Marcia on Juniata were holed up for the winter. We thought we might pay them a visit. It was February 7, 2006. Our view of Hurricane Ridge as we head into south Admirality Inlet. The condos at Burner Point, the entrance to Port Ludlow, the Olypmic mountain range in the background. Dave and Marcia wait on the dock to take our lines at Port Ludlow Marina. From their slip at Port Ludlow, Dave and Marcia enjoyed this view of the Olympic Mountains. Yet another chapter begins in our life on the water aboard Rikki-tikki-tavi. ... (Your patient indulgence for the belated nature of our journal entries is humbly requested.) Clark & Nina s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi

RTT's Ports of Call

2006-10-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

a few months late - sorry -ed News from "Rikki-tikki-tavi", 31 July 2006

Fury Cove, Fitz Hugh Sound

Of the 212 days that have so far slipped away this year, Rikki-tikki-
tavi travelled on sixty-eight of those days, spent forty-one of the
nights tied to a dock, the rest anchored or side-tied at anchor to
Juniata, with whom we began buddy-boating at the end of March. Rikki-
tikki has covered 1145 nautical miles, with many more miles remaining
to slide beneath his hulls before we are back in the USA.

Our season of cruising the Central Coast of British Columbia must be
cut a bit short– Rikki-tikki-tavi has been accepted to be a part of
the 30th Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival! The Festival runs
September 8-10, so we will be heading back to Washington over the
last three weeks of August. It is an honor to join the ranks of the
many beautiful wooden boats that have participated in the Festival.
We are thrilled and looking forward to the event with great
anticipation.

After the Festival, we will find a safe place for Rikki-tikki while
we go back to Sacramento to see Nina's first grandchild. A beautiful
boy, Merritt Maui, was born June 25 to Michael and Samantha Bailey.
It has been difficult to be without communication for such long
periods while cruising the farther reaches of BC, but we have been
able to see photos of the baby on the internet and spoken to the new
parents on Skype from Ocean Falls and from Shearwater, where we found
that these two remote outposts recently began providing wireless
internet access.

We have found that cruising brings new challenges each day. Be it
unpredictable weather, navigational problems and hazards, finding
comfortable anchorages, or the hours required daily to hunt for food,
prepare food, clean up after food, store food– the tasks necessary
to keep the boat running well and ourselves content are innumerable.
We find new interests taking the place of old. We are discovering
what works for us and what doesn't. Above all, we are learning and
enjoying life aboard Rikki-tikki-tavi.

We find time to kayak the shorelines at low tide, discovering new
creatures that we've never seen before. Clark fishes and sets traps
for prawn and crab. He has caught more fish than we can eat so we
release most of them. He brought a beautiful 33.5", 18# Chinook
salmon back from fishing in the dinghy off Hakai Passage. We've found
new and delicious ways to prepare all the wonderful seafood and have
experimented with harvesting and eating seaweed. Bull kelp makes
delicious chutney for our fish and the blades of winged kelp, which
can only be found in areas with very fast moving water at a very low
tide, is tasty fried. The rib in the center tastes like shitake
mushrooms in soups and stir-fry.


The interesting people we've met on other boats are always one of the
best parts of cruising. Everyone has a great story to tell and the
vessels they inhabit are all so very different. Living on water seems
to attract those who enjoy solitude and wildness, relish the
challenges of being self-sufficient in remote areas, and find reward
in successfully handling the natural forces of weather and the ocean.
We feel like such newcomers to the community but we look forward to
experiencing at least a small number of the places these wonderful
folks have travelled in their boats.

Our travels so far this year have been inspiring, enlightening,
tranquil, breathtaking, sometimes daunting and demanding– we are
living Rikki-tikki-tavi's Adventures. The task of transcribing our
experiences has become more taxing to us than all the other
challenges we face each day. So, for now, we beg your understanding
as we send this missive merely listing our Ports of Call. We promise
more details of Rikki-tikki's adventures as soon as we have some
long, uninterrupted time to write them down. Meanwhile, we are on the
move nearly every day and are entwined in the adventure itself.

Ports of Call January 1, 2006 to July 31, 2006

January 1-21   Montague Harbour, Galiano Island, British Columbia
   Montague Harbour Marina
January 21-23  Winter Cove, Saturna Island, BC
   10.93 NM
January 23  Return to USA across Boundary Pass
   20.37 NM
January 23-February 6 Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA
   Anchorage, Hong Kong Basin & 4 nights at marina.
February 6  Mystery Bay
   37.6 NM, cross Strait of Juan de Fuca
February 7-March 26 Port Ludlow Inner Harbor
   19.6 NM
March 27  Port Madison
   22.69 NM
March 28-29  Poulsbo
   9.03 NM
March 30-April 2 Port Madison
   9.01 NM
April 3   Eagle Harbor
   10.07 NM, dock behind "Bacchanal"
April 4   Gig Harbor
   27.77 NM, city dock
April 5-6  Penrose Point State Park, Mayo Cove
   16.08 NM
April 7-9  Olympia, Swantown Marina
   21.54 NM
April 9-11  Jarrell Cove
   19.23 NM
April 12  Filucy Bay
   16.74 NM
April 13-14  Horsehead Bay, Carr Inlet
   8.15 NM
April 15-16  Gig Harbor
   16.39 NM, city dock
April 17  Port Madison
   26.74 NM
April 18-19  Port Ludlow Inner Harbor
   23.7 NM
April 20-23  La Conner
   43.38 NM, through Deception Pass, city dock
April 24-25  Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
   30.42 NM, Hong Kong Basin barge 
April 26  Tsehum Harbour, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
   19.83 NM, enter Canada
April 27-29  Tod Inlet, Vancouver Island
   13.82 NM
April 30-May 1  Pirates Cove, De Courcy Island
   35.81 NM
May 2-3   Silva Bay, Gabriola Island
   5.18 NM, through Gabriola Pass Rapids
May 4-8   Smuggler Cove, Sechelt Peninsula
   28.98 NM, cross Strait of Georgia
May 9   Green Bay w/stop at Madeira Park, Pender Harbour
   17.79 NM
May 10-15  Princess Louisa Inlet Marine Park, dock & mooring
   39.19 NM, Happy 2nd Birthday, Rikki-tikki-tavi!
May 16-17  Harmony Islands
   35.29 NM
May 18-19  Ballet Bay
   12.36 NM
May 20-24  Drew Harbour, Quadra Island
   49.49 NM, via Strait of Georgia, cruise around Mitlenatch Island
May 25-28  Octopus Islands
   14.02 NM, through Surge Narrows Rapids
May 29-30  Handfield Bay, Cameleon Harbour, Sonora Island
   17.17 NM, through Okisollo Channel
May 31   Beaver Inlet
   24.75 NM, through Green Point Rapids
June 1   Port Harvey
   40.05 NM, through Whirlpool Rapids
June 2   Lagoon Cove
   13.08 NM, through Chatham Channel & The Blow Hole, dock
June 3-4  Potts Lagoon
   8.8 NM
June 5-6  Beware Cove
   5.39 NM
June 7   Dead Point Cove
   1.82 NM
June 8-9  Crease Island Cove
   4.04 NM
June 10-11  Waddington Bay
   11.7 NM
June 12   Echo Bay
   6.53 NM, dock
June 13-14  Laura Cove
   5.53 NM
June 15-16  Lady Boot Cove
   10.05 NM
June 17-18  Port McNeill
   23.66 NM, marina
June 19   Blunden Harbour
   25.46 NM, Queen Charlotte Strait
June 20-22  Fury Cove, Fitz Hugh Sound
   49.42 NM, around Cape Caution
June 23   Philip Inlet, Fitz Hugh Sound
   9.08 NM
June 24   Kwakume Inlet, Fitz Hugh Sound
   13.41 NM
June 25-27  Codville Lagoon, Fitz Hugh Sound
   24.21 NM
June 28-29  Ocean Falls
   22.03 NM, dock
June 30-July 1  Forit Bay, Gunboat Passage
   14.44 NM
July 2-3  Gunboat Lagoon Cove
   4.03 NM
July 4-5  Discovery Cove, Troup Passage
   11.34 NM
July 6-8  Nash Passage Cove, Spiller Channel
   21.26 NM, through Troup Narrows & Bullock Channel
July 9-13  Morehouse Bay, Chatfield Island, Return Passage
   17.77 NM
July 14-15  Shearwater & Whisky Cove, Denny Island
   14.26 NM
July 16   The Hunter Group, Lama Passage to Hunter Channel
   8.5 NM
July 17   Cultus Bay, Cultus Sound
   11.16 NM
July 18-19  McNaughton Group, Queens Sound
   7.38 NM
July 20   Kayak Cove, Queens Sound, Hunter Island
   2.66 NM
July 21-22  Spitfire Channel, West Cove
   6.03 NM
July 22   Hurricane Island, 1-boat nook on south end
   4.54 NM
July 23-24  Watt Bay, "Domestic Tranquility" cove, Hunter Island
   6.46 NM
July 25-27  Lewall Inlet, Stirling Island
   9.54 NM, Clark caught 33.5" Chinook in Hakai Passage
July 28   Pruth Bay, Calvert Island
   9.98 NM
July 29   Kwakume Inlet, Fitz Hugh Sound
   11.11 NM
July 30-31  Green Island Anchorage, Illahie Inlet, Fitz Hugh Sound
   6.89 NM

Harmony Islands, Jervis Inlet

Our best to you all,
Clark & Nina

A Pacific Northwest Winter - Chapter One

2006-07-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

A rather belated catch-me-up blog... Where, you’ve probably been wondering, has Rikki-tikki and his crew been all winter long? Here it is officially, by the calendar, summer, and you’ve seen hide nor hair of the little mongoose on the blog since November. So here we go, trying to catch up to that curious creature from where we last left him. It was a long winter– Rikki-tikki’s first in The Pacific Northwest. As you remember, we found a dock at Montague Harbour for Rikki to go into hibernation while we returned to a life on land for a little while. We slid easily into routine in the cozy house perched above the harbor on Galiano Island. One TV channel with nothing worth watching, and only a couple of movies on the shelf that we hadn’t seen, kept us from sinking into complete stupification during the dull, gray days that dominated the next few weeks. Instead we found other things to keep us busy. Clark attacked the repair jobs in the house that begged his attention, while Nina cleaned and organized. I called one day from the spider-inhabited pay phone down at the marina to my son, Michael, who broke the big news that I would become a grandma. He sounded so excited! What wonderful news. He and his love, Samantha, wanted me to paint the nursery in a Winnie-the-Pooh theme. We were coming “home” for the holidays, weren’t we? Of course, we made plans to drive to California for the month of December. The things aboard Rikki that could be damaged by the dampness and cold were moved to the house where we went through everything with our list in hand. What to take back to California? What to bring back with us that we’d left behind? Some things were obvious. Our parachute sea anchor would be useless to us in the small waters of British Columbia, so it began the pile labeled “Sacto”. It was joined by our bright orange “Gumby” survival suits. We decided to replace them with our Harvey’s drysuits, which would be useful when we cleaned the bottom and were more comfortable to wear. “Fishing gear” began the list of items to retrieve. We hoped we would be catching fish in 2006, though we feared what we had in Sacramento wouldn’t pass Dave’s keen inspection as being appropriate. Dollar signs whirled through my head at night thinking about the lures he’d want Clark to purchase. We ordered a Honda generator to augment the power bank on RTT. We found that a week of overcast in an anchorage frustrated our need for amps when we wanted to be working on the computer or doing other power-hungry jobs. We also ordered an 80-amp Balmar alternator, which Clark installed while in Montague after Becky and Brian delivered it to us. Our lists grew. The idea of doing some exploring and buying groceries at Vancouver Island’s supermarkets and at Costco spurred us to buy a book of ferry rides to Swartz Bay. BC Ferries has it figured out- it’s free to leave Galiano, and any of the other Gulf Islands, and go to Vancouver Island. Tolls are collected only on the return trip. Good plan! Most people want to go back home, but buying a book of ten trips saved quite a bit of money, and we already know where the Costco is, right? It’s way over past Victoria in Langford, so provisioning would consume an entire day on ferries and driving. We ended up only doing this twice and didn’t get in any exploring at all. On Galiano, we found that the small natural food store had the very best heavy cream we’d ever tasted! Packed into thick glass bottles, it was also the least expensive we’d ever found- only $2 Canadian, plus a one-time $1 deposit on the bottle that we’d bring back in exchange. Their selection of veggies was excellent and they carried my favorite moisturizer, Kiss My Face “Filthy Rich”. It is one of my trusted remedies for seasickness, used as aromatherapy. Every time I go below to use the head while underway, I come back with another dollop to spread on my hands. It has a nice lemony verbena perk-me-up scent. Internet access is one of our most sought-after items. The BC government provides public internet access on Galiano at the local school. There were hours available every day, mostly in the evenings. Our iBook was regularly plugged into the ethernet hub with two old iMacs and three ancient IBM machines as we kept in touch with family and friends. Our phone, a pay-as-you-go affair, doesn’t “go” in Canada. Are you getting the picture? No phone, no TV, no newspaper, no shopping, no movie theater– not much of anything but peace and quiet. All we had was email down at the school and the pay phone at the harbor to contact the “outside world”. We had another visitor to our little abode on the island- Ira from “Small Fry” came to Galiano. You remember the fellow who spent the night aboard in Port Angeles? He sailed his Columbia 26 (actually he motored in pea-soup fog) from Tsehum Harbor to tie up at the Montague Marine Park dock. We enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner while listening to Ira’s stories. Ira is a great storyteller! He’d brought his movie camera with fantastic footage of the Tall Ship Festival in Victoria. We watched as “Small Fry” buzzed around the impressive ships as they waited to enter the harbor, punctuated by Ira's exited monologue. It was truly awesome to see the crews in full dress uniforms lined up on the yardarms. Wish we’d been there! Back in August at French Creek, we’d missed seeing Captain Stan, so we emailed him to set up a visit. We took the BC Ferry to Vancouver Island for the long drive “up-island” to Parksville. Captain Stan and his lovely wife, Rose, treated us to dinner, bed and breakfast. Stan entertained us with stories of his adventures aboard various boats, both his own and those on which he was a delivery skipper. Rose, whose finely crafted baskets and paintings decorate their home, told us all about the active arts guild in the area. Thank you, Rose and Stan! On the few days when the sun made an appearance, we explored Galiano, driving to its far south end and the overlook at Active Pass. We were lucky to be there when two ferries passed in the narrow channel between Galiano and Mayne Islands. But mostly it just rained. It rained for days and days. There were a couple of memorable evenings when the sky opened just enough low in the west for colorful sunset across Trincomali, making for a great view from the windows of the house. But mostly it just rained. We started parking our car at the top of the winding, 1/4-mile long, forest duff driveway and walking down to the house from the road. It was too steep to drive up, the ground was so saturated, we just spun the wheels. Islanders started complaining about all the rain. Fantastically, Galiano is advertised as the driest of the Gulf Islands, even claiming to have a Mediterranean climate. We are skeptical that the Med grows mosses and ferns with the density and variety that we found on Galiano. On our departure day, we awoke to snow. As we got ready to leave for California, Clark loaded the car in the rain, making numerous strenuous treks up the hill to the car. Then it started to snow. Very pretty, but we were concerned. Would we be able to get down to the Sturdies Bay terminal to catch the first ferry to Tsawwassen? We were pretty sure that the roads are not plowed on Galiano. At our predawn departure, we gingerly drove down the hill to the marina to make one last check on Rikki out at the end of the dock. Clark found the snow on deck and in the cockpit littered with the paw prints of curious raccoons. We made it to the ferry terminal without skidding and drove onto the Queen of Nanaimo, newly refurbished and just put back into service. We were the first aboard. The renewed ferry was very snazzy with its just-stocked gift shop, new seats and carpeting, fancy restrooms. The gift shop was overflowing with new merchandise. We bought a book on BC Marine Parks. The decks were clear- it was cold! It was snowing on the Mainland when we drove off the big ferry and it was very, very cold! We stopped at a Costco to return some items and found a tiny military surplus store just up the street. We garnered a spot to park between the piles of snow and went in, hoping to find some heavy wool pants. Another couple was perusing the very small selection in the far back corner. We hung back waiting for them to take their choices to the dressing closet. I went through every single pair and found one almost small enough for Clark. It had a couple of small holes in the back of one leg, but I figured I could repair it when I took in the waist to fit. The leg length was perfect. I found another pair that looked like it might fit me- scratchier wool and darker green. That pair didn’t have any holes but the waist was too big. We bought both- $30 each. They’ll wear like iron and be water resistant and warm for up north. When we joined the queue at the US border, the Canadian Customs officials were building a snowman in front of the Peace Arch. We were welcomed back to the US and made a beeline to Seattle to find Seattle Fabrics for some polar fleece and neoprene, with a quick stop at Fisheries Supply thrown in. At rush hour, we got onto the freeway to drive to Clark’s cousin Betty’s house in Olympia by 7 PM. We dawdled, not wanting to arrive before she got home from work. Betty had been home all day not feeling well and had prepared for us a fabulous roasted turkey and vegetables dinner. We watched some really weird reality stuff on TV- something about a white British guy who goes to live with a couple of tribes of natives, one in the Amazon jungle, one on the African savannah. He trains for stick-fighting, gets pierced, gets “fitted” for an elaborate codpiece. Some parts were painful to watch, but incredibly interesting. Next day, the amount of snow remaining on the ground was amazing. It was a true cold snap. We visited Olympia’s famous Farmers Market, sauntered through a couple of art galleries, and enjoyed a tasty meal on the wharf. Back at Betty’s cozy home, which is literally packed to the gills with the artifacts of all the places she’s traveled and lived, her art and that of artist friends, and lots of spherical rocks of all sizes arranged cleverly in every room, Betty taught us to play a rummy card game. What a great time we had. There is a great view of Mount Shasta across I-5. The drive to Sacramento was uneventful but we were tired. We had a long list of tasks to do; things to find online, order and buy; a computer part to order and install; people to visit; the Pooh Room to paint. There was also Christmas with its family get-togethers, gifts to assemble, food to cook. Then I got sick. I am sure it was the guy at the gas station in Grants Pass who declared with some glee, while leaning into the car window to hand back our credit card and receipt, that it was his first day back from being flat on his back in bed for three weeks with a nasty flu! I had been ill the last time I came back to California and was determined not to repeat that, but Purell and every other precaution failed. The Pooh Room was delayed. I couldn’t risk infecting my pregnant daughter-in-law. We went through all Rikki-tikki’s photos and chose some special ones to frame for holiday gifts. Two dozen nice plain frames at a good price were waiting for us at Joanne’s Fabrics. Costco’s quality of digital prints (and low price) brought it all together for us. We ticked items off our lists slowly, enduring the California traffic as best we could. Doggedly we worked at locating some hard-to-find products like dried coconut milk and large containers of coconut oil. What would we do without the internet and UPS? If only we could have internet aboard the boat while we traveled... sigh. Finally I felt well enough to start the Pooh Room. My son, Michael, has chronicled it all on his blog (jabbertracks.blogspot.com). Clark and I enjoyed painting the characters and they are very cute, but they ended up being the cartoon versions rather than the original A. A. Milne drawings. Back at our little studio apartment behind Mom’s, we’d built piles of all the things we wanted to take back to the boat. Clark began loading the car for the journey back to Rikki-tikki and quickly ran out of room! The Honda EU2000i generator we’d ordered, the drysuits, this and that.... filled up the available space right away. We had to start thinning what we’d hoped to take. Reluctantly we put the case of assorted wines back into the cupboard– we had too much to bring into Canada anyway- only 40 ounces per person is allowed. When we left for Canada, the rear of the Honda dragged over the sidewalk, we were stuffed so full. Nina with her mom at a family holiday gathering. Photo by Peter Ban-Weiss. Christmas and the Pooh Room complete, we found the weather on the return trip considerably nastier than the pleasant conditions early in December. The rain turned to snow briefly over the mountain passes into Ashland where we stayed at The Palms, a lovely little cottage-style motel with fresh flowers in every corner, a kitchenette and wi-fi. We used our new VOIP SkypeOut on the iBook to call Mom and let her know we’d made it okay. We even talked over the computer with three family members at once. Skype is very cool. Never having been to Ashland, we explored a bit downtown before we got back on the road. Ashland is a college town, reportedly has good restaurants, lots of art activity and plays (The Shakespeare Festival annually), it’s not too big, has lovely old neighborhoods, pleasant natural surroundings- a nice place to live, we suspect. I found a well-stocked yarn shop and it occurred to me that I could easily crochet baby things and other projects on the boat. Yarn and hooks weigh next to nothing and don’t take up much space. Though I’ve never had much luck finding good-looking crochet patterns because knitting is so much more popular, at this shop, I found two books of patterns for very creative baby clothes. Continuing north on I-5, the torrential rains all across Oregon caused us to be late getting to my aunt and uncle’s home in Estacada. It was wonderful to spend time with them, sharing meals and conversation. Next stop, cousin Betty’s in Olympia again where Scott Lake was threatening to spread far enough to reach her home. A few weeks later, it did, and she had a nasty time of it. As we drove up to the border entry gate at Canada Customs, we were hoping that our jam-packed car with its California plates wouldn’t get searched. It being January 1st, we wished the agent a Happy New Year. Customs always wants to know where you’re going, who you’re visiting. When we told him we were on our way to spend a few days in Vancouver with my Aunt Betty, he asked as he looked into the overflowing back seat, “Are you visiting or moving?” Of course we told him it was boat stuff and that our boat was on Galiano Island, that we would be taking it out of Canada in a couple of weeks. He waved us through, wishing us a nice visit. We were late getting to Aunt Betty’s too. Though glad to see us, cousin Ken and his mom looked very hungry- dinner had been ready for an hour. Cousin Kelly, Bruno and the kids came for dessert and a quick visit. Next day we drove into Vancouver to see Ken’s high-rise condo, walk the promenade around False Creek and have lunch at the pub. We had a great time just ambling along, gawking and chatting. On the way back to Delta, Betty took us by the Richmond Costco where we stocked up for the next few weeks on Galiano. Where in the Honda would we put it all? Clark managed to stuff it in somewhere, along with our diesel heater that had been repaired in Vancouver. We’d surely need that! Back on Galiano, I made a Sunbrella cover for the generator. I altered Clark’s “new” wool pants. (I still have to alter my pair, but Clark’s now fit him great!) I cleaned the tub, which was extensively stained rust-red by the water on the island. I’d brought along Barkeeper’s Friend expressly for the purpose and left the can under the sink for Aunt Betty. The right product for the job can work miracles, with no scrubbing necessary! The tub looked almost new. We also took a side trip to Van Isle to see the holiday light show at The Butchart Gardens. The last day for the display was January 6 and we took the opportunity to visit Costco one more time before arriving at The Gardens just before dusk. We wandered twice around but had to leave before the carollers and entertainment began at dark in order to catch the last ferry back to Galiano. I managed a couple of shots... Life-size marionettes play in the courtyard. These "Twelve Days of Christmas" maids stand ready to milk a glowing cow. Clark donned his wetsuit and changed the zinc anodes on the boat. He was blue with cold. He reinstalled the diesel heater. We loaded all the stuff we’d removed from the boat for the winter, readying Rikki for entry into the USA and us for life afloat again. It was still raining on Galiano, so we made runs down to the boat with everything wrapped in plastic, including us! On January 15th, we moved back onto the boat. The little house up on the cliff was clean and put back together after serving as a spot for all our boat projects. Three days later, we drove our Honda back across the border to Mount Vernon, WA, where friends would store it for us. We planned to take the Washington State Ferry from Anacortes to Sidney, hop a bus to the Swartz Bay terminal and the Southern Gulf Islands BC Ferry back to Galiano, carrying all our stuff. Then we’d walk the 5+ miles to the marina. We were hoping it wouldn’t be raining. We packed our rain gear. As soon as we arrived at Dick and Sharon’s, they informed us that the Anacortes-Sidney BC Ferry didn’t run in winter! Oh no! We were surprised and chagrined. They generously said, “Don’t worry. It’s no problem.” They would drive us all the way back into Canada to drop us off at the Tsawwassen ferry landing. Oh my. We had a great visit, though it was peppered with a multitude of apologies for the imposition. Clark cooked a terrific salmon dinner and we took a very long walk up the hill behind their home to see all the new houses. On the way back to Canada, an unusual thing happened- the sun came out! We waved good-bye to Dick and Sharon and walked into the terminal to bask in the sun streaming through the windows while waiting for the Queen of Nanaimo to arrive. The unusually wet (isn’t it normal for ferns and moss to grow where it’s wet?) weather pattern had finally ended. It was January 20th, my birthday, and it had been raining for 28 days straight. Waiting for the Queen of Nanaimo at the Tsawassen BC Ferry terminal on January 20. We watch as cars drive onto the ferry. Even though it wasn't raining, we were hoping one of them would give us a ride when we got to Galiano. We stuck out our thumbs as soon as we hit the pavement on Galiano, Sturdies Bay. It was my first time hitchhiking so I was a bit shy about it, but the sun was out and the folks on Galiano were all smiling. A little car pulled ahead of us and stopped. We joined a gal who gave us a ride to the natural foods store. Her parents own the island at Retreat Cove and built the wood schooner we saw when Becky and Brian visited. Boat people. We started walking again, enjoying the sunshine. Soon a BMW stopped and let us in. The talkative driver turned out to be manager of Eagle’s Nest Inn, which is owned by a friendly cruising couple (more boat people) who we met on the dock next to Rikki-tikki. Their boat is in Mexico where they enjoy time in that warm climate during winter when the inn is not busy. Barbara is such a dynamo though, we bet they continue on to the South Pacific leaving her in charge. She drove us all the way to the marina. Thanks for the rides, it was great to meet you all. This is the view from Rikki-tikki's stern window on our last evening at Montague. What a lovely sunny day it was. We made final preparations for leaving and just relaxed, recuperating from all our running around. Next day we motored to Winter Cove at Saturna Island, just beating the arrival of some more wet, windy weather. As a celebration for my birthday and being back at home on Rikki-tikki-tavi, we opened a gift that Clark’s Aunt Mary had made given us at Christmas. She’d asked us to wait until a special time at anchor in a secluded, beautiful place to open it. It was perfect! Our evening was made festive by a string of tiny lights operated by batteries and three votive “candles”, each also on a battery, packaged with a personal note. The candles even flickered like real candles, with no flames to worry. We stayed at anchor for two nights. The sky didn’t look like it was going to to go back to sun any time soon, so we upped the anchor and motored around Saturna into Boundary Pass, loping over the waves into the cold, stiff breeze on Rikki’s nose. We crossed into the US at 2113 UTC on January 23rd. The lady Customs officer at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island viewed us on the surveillance camera and Clark went up to the office to pay the $25 Entry Fee that is charged to US boaters when they come back to their own country. US citizens crossing the border on land don’t have to pay a fee to return, but boaters do! Welcome back to the USA. Pulling away from the customs dock, we anchored in North Cove for a quiet night. Clark checking us into the Customs Dock at Friday Harbor using their phone as the cameras watch. The North Cove at Friday Harbor was quiet after our boisterous crossing of Boundary Pass from Saturna Island. The next morning, the sun greeted us and we launched the dinghy for a row into the town for provisions. We called our friends, Rod and Barbara, from the store. Turns out, their home was only two blocks away, so Rod came to pick us up. He'd made arrangements for us to move Rikki into Hong Kong Harbor, the enclave of local color shoreside of the Port of Friday Harbor marina. As the sun sank low on the horizon, we motored in to tie up alongside a "barge". And so we began our two-week visit to San Juan Island. May your winters always be mild

The Adventure Continues

2006-04-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Fear not Rikki fans! Rikki-tikki-tavi and his crew are still adventuring daily. We should have updates very soon! Their current position is Olympia, Washington. Click the link for a satellite image.

Volume XVI: November 2005

2006-02-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

This is a screenshot of our electronic charting and navigation program (GPSNavX for Mac) showing a section of the Southern Gulf Islands– mainly the part of Galiano Island where Rikki-tikki-tavi spent the months of November 2005 through January 21, 2006. The green dashed lines show the actual tracks of Rikki's travels (minus the few days when we didn't capture our track; we'd been there so many times!) from the day we entered Canada on August 4th through the end of October. The area with all the overlapping tracks is the harbor to/from the village of Ganges on Saltspring Island, where we did a lot of provisioning and email.

We settled Rikki-tikki onto the outside dock at Montague Harbour Marina near the end of October. The night before, while we were still in Glenthorne on Prevost Island after saying farewell to Dave and Marcia on Juniata, the blower fan on our diesel heater gave out. This meant that we'd have no way to warm the boat during the chilly nights ahead, so we steered for the marina with its supply of electricity. Once there, we used the payphone to find there was a repair facility on Granville Island in Vancouver who had the part. All we needed to do was to get the heater to them!

We called Aunt Betty to tell her we'd arrived at Galiano and learned that my cousin, Ken, would be coming over on the ferry with two friends to spend the weekend and bring us the key to the house. Ken lives a stone's throw from Granville Island and, when they returned to the mainland, he could take our broken heater to the repair shop. Wonderful!

We invited Ken, Gabryel, and Andréa to go "sailing" on Rikki-tikki when they arrived on the island a couple of days later. The sky was showing signs of impending rain as we motored out to circumnavigate Prevost Island. Soon it was drizzling and we all huddled beneath the dodger. Bald eagles had returned to the Gulf Islands and we spotted several near Prevost. We rolled out the jib to catch a breeze in Trincomali and soon reached ten knots! That evening we all enjoyed a brew and burger at Galiano's landmark Hummingbird Pub. It was a memorable day and Ken kept of it all on his new little digital camera.

Rikki-tikki-tavi's rainy spot at the end of the fuel dock at Montague Harbour Marina. Photo courtesy of Brian. The view from the deck of the house on Galiano with Trincomali Channel, hills of Saltspring Island, and mountains of Vancouver Island. Sunday dawned cold and crisp– a snow had frosted the mountains on Vancouver Island, which we could see beyond the lower hills of Saltspring Island. Clark fixed a great breakfast and we decided to take a run up to Wallace Island in Rikki-tikki. Becky and Brian had never been aboard when Rikki was moving! It was cold but the sun cheered us and Brian tried out his new photo gear. We tied up to the park dock in Conover Cove and hiked a bit of trail. Brian enjoying his new camera gear by taking super zoom photos of eagles and a far-off tug pulling a log boom. Rikki-tikki-tavi at the Conover Cove dock, Wallace Island Marine Park.

Clark and Nina with Nina's sister Becky at the base of a large arbutus tree.

Monday was gorgeous, calm and sunny, so we took a drive as far north on Galiano as the road would take us. The island is only about 23 miles long and, at its widest, four miles. We stopped at most of the shoreline access points along the west side just to enjoy the sun and the view of Trincomali Channel. We discovered there were other places that would accommodate Rikki-tikki– perhaps we'd stop on our way north in the spring. We rescued a bicyclist whose bike had a mechanical problem, though we had no room in the car for the bike. Hitchhiking is an accepted form of island transportation. Later in our island stay we met a young man who had lived for five years at the far north end without a car. He hitchhiked everywhere. We ended the day with a brew at the Hummingbird Pub.

The government dock at Retreat Cove, which is "up island" from the house. Becky's watching hooded mergansers through the binoculars.

The four of us were up at oh-dark-hundred on Tuesday to catch the early ferry to Swartz Bay, Vancouver Island, where Becky and Brian would take the Washington State Ferry to Anacortes. It was windy and rainy– we could see our Honda down on the car deck through the rain-streaked windows. More cars were loaded at the terminal in Village Bay, Mayne Island on this soggy morning.

Through rain-streaked windows, we could see our Honda on the Swartz Bay ferry car deck. The terminal at Mayne Island, Village Bay, in the early (soggy) morning light.

There were actually five ferries converging upon the terminal at Swartz Bay as we approached. We remember crossing this area in the fog in Rikki-tikki-tavi on October 18th. Luckily we avoided this kind of crush then.

We enjoyed a big breakfast at a Sidney restaurant and then dropped our car-deliverers off at the US Customs entry to the Washington Ferry. Big hugs and thanks to Becky and Brian! Clark and I aimed the car toward Victoria where we hoped to find a Home Depot and a Costco. A local told us we had to stop at Capital Iron. It was a must-see! So we did, and of course bought a few doodads. What a variety of merchandise, indeed it is a required stop.

We spotted the Home Depot right off the freeway (culture shock!) in Langford and practically next door was the Costco. The car loaded up with food and some insulation for Rikki-tikki, we caught the afternoon ferry back to Galiano, where we began our wonderful stay in auntie's home for the remainder of our Galiano Island winter odyssey.

The interior of the house on a day brightened by rare (and we mean rare!) winter sun. We started unloading stuff off the boat and moving it to the house, this only possible with a car! Nice hot showers were first on our agenda... ahhhh. May the sun warm your winter days, Clark & Nina s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi (Rikki-tikki's motto, and that of all mongooses, is "Run and find out.")

Big Update Time

2005-11-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

8 Volumes just got uploaded! These updates were sent November 8th through the 15th... I just could not get them all up until now due to some technical problems and some minor health issues (take care of those teeth kids). Use this post as a guide to help get you caught up on all the adventure. Volume X Volume XI Volume XII Volume XIII Volume XIV Volume XV Volume XVI Volume XVII - ed (Mikey)

We Say Farewell

2005-11-15T20:59:00.000-08:00

Volume XVII: We Say Farewell We were truly enjoying the peaceful beauty of Wallace Island. We still had the longer trail to its north tip to hike, but we needed to mail an important letter. So we unhitched ourselves from Juniata and motored out of Princess Cove. Dave and Marcia needed to position themselves for a comfortable and safe crossing of Juan de Fuca Strait across the border. They needed to exit Canada by the end of October. Fog and a damp chill accompanied our boats for the trip down Trincomali– us to Ganges on Saltspring Island, Juniata to Prevost Island. We decided to rendezvous in Glenthorne Passage, on the northwest corner of Prevost, after Rikki-tikki made a quick trip into town. The long trail would have to wait for another visit. I enjoyed a mug of hot coffee as we motored down the Channel. Remember the photo of me with the rain gear on as we crossed Swartz Bay? At Tod Inlet later that day, I got the bright idea to simply pull out the bottom edges of the boom cover to create a mini rain cover. It's amazing how just this little bit of extra canvas over the wheel keeps the helmsperson from getting soaked. Why we didn't think if this sooner, we have no clue– it was so obvious! We could've kept a lot drier on our long days sitting in the rain as we came up the coast! The sun broke through while we were at Ganges doing email, picking up groceries, mailing letters. Juniata was anchored in Glenthorne waiting for us. We invited them over for afternoon coffee out on deck where we could lounge about soaking up the warmth. Marcia brought over some cold beer. What a pleasant afternoon it turned out to be– sharing the last days of summer/fall cruising in BC with such good friends. We knew it was precious time. We are so very fortunate. We looked out our portlights in the morning hoping for more sun. On an expanse of gray silk floated hazy islands, their tops swathed in cloud. The sun was up there somewhere but it looked like it would not be allowed through for a good while. So Clark put a low-carb sour cream coffee cake (Dana Carpender's recipe) into the oven, and I quietly rowed over to see if Marcia and Dave were awake. They listened to the VHF marine forecast and then joined us. We spent the morning hours together, sharing ideas and plans for next year's cruising, sipping coffee. Then it was time for them to leave. Already? Hugs and best wishes, it's not like forever. Just be safe and call us when you get across. It has been such great fun, a long-awaited journey made and friends met. We'll see you soon out on the water! The only spot of color in a monochrome landscape, Juniata's Erin green canvas fades into the mist as she motors away. Good friends, farewell. A few days later, after we'd moved Rikki-tikki-tavi to his winter grounds at Montague Harbour just a few miles away, we called Dave and Marcia. They were snugly tucked into Juniata's winter home in Port Ludlow, WA. We are now getting settled on Galiano Island where we have been lent a lovely home ashore. We can almost see the dock where Rikki-tikki is moored. We'll be doing some installations aboard– a new high-output alternator to keep the batteries topped up when there is no sun for the solar panels, some more insulation for the chilly weather farther north, and fixing two leaks. Rikki has performed so well, not much is to be done. We made a 1000-mile (we haven't even added it all up yet!) journey up the West Coast with a boat we'd only sailed three times on San Francisco Bay. With little time to practice and no ocean experience, we all did a damned good job, especially Rikki-tikki-tavi. Clark, by no small measure, is an admirable boat builder. He made it all possible. Dave called it a "Bang up job!" As a captain, Clark possesses a calm assurance. He has presence of mind, perseverance, creativity and practicality, a pleasant demeanor and lots of patience. We'll go on cruising together forever, he and I. May the skies always be sunny in your hearts, Nina Clark & Nina

Wallace Island

2005-11-15T20:50:00.000-08:00

Volume XVI: Wallace Island We had poked Rikki's nose carefully around the shoals to peek into Princess Cove when we passed Wallace Island back in August. Boats were cheek-to-jowl along the shore, so we kept going, vowing to return when the crowds had vacated. Following Juniata into the cove this late in the season, we were greeted by only two other boats. Dave directed how he wanted us to anchor and tie to Juniata's port side. I took the opportunity to practice maneuvering Rikki in reverse. I'd only done it once before in Smuggler Cove, did just fine too. Needless to say, I am not good at it– yet. Clark and Dave were giving me instructions at the same time. I told them both that it's best if I can be allowed to feel how the prop pushes the boat without the noise in my ears, so be quiet already! I managed to back close to Juniata, then Clark took over and I handed lines to Marcia.. Clark had baked a low-carb zucchini nut bread while we were underway from Russell Island. After we settled in at Princess Cove, Marcia sautéed some of the Tod Inlet apples to go with the zucchini bread. What a yummy topping that made, lots of butter and cinnamon! Toasty aboard Juniata after dinner, Dave discussed fitting his boat with an autopilot like Rikki's. Here we are, snug as bugs in a rug at Princess Cove, Wallace Island. Well, at least one bug... Rikki-tikki looks like a giant water skipper, doesn't he? Next morning, we rowed our twin dinghies to shore for a hike and a haircut for Dave. Marcia put the electric clippers into service, deftly trimming Dave's hair into shape under the canopy of an arbutus tree while I watched rufous-sided towhees and winter wrens in the shrubs. We also spotted an eagle sentinel on the rocks to the west of Conover Cove and a great blue heron. We found these strange jelly things in the water. At first we thought they were damaged pieces of jellyfish washed up to shore. But on closer examination, we saw an attachment foot underneath each creature. Can you identify these odd jellies? They are about a large hand-width across, shaped rather like a wing, and with a tendon-like attachment to the rocks. The trails were wet with the recent rains and huge, orange maple leaves draped themselves over everything like damp paper towels. Wallace Island also has a cruiser memorabilia cabin like the one we found at the Octopus Islands. Hundreds of small driftwood signs, emblazoned with the names of visiting boats, hang in profusion from the ceiling. New arrivals attach their sign to ones already hanging, creating gigantic mobiles inside the cabin. At the far south tip of Wallace, Panther Point, Clark appears to have reached the edge of the world, as the horizon blends away in the fog. There had been quite a successful small resort on the island for many years before it became part of the BC Provincial Parks system. Some cabins and relics are left for visitors to explore. There is a drive to collect funds for restoration of some buildings. We are not the first to pose in and around this old pickup truck! Clark's keen eye found a Rubbermaid-housed geocache under the Jeep. Everything in the box was soaked, so we drained it out and signed in on a waterlogged Post-It® note with our geocaching "handle" and the date. Before we go set out again in the spring, we'll log on to geocaching.com and make a list of geocaches to seek! Geocaching can add another facet of adventure to our already fascinating travels. Wouldn't it be fun to leave a Rikki Trail of geocaches? Anyway, here we are (except for me, the photographer) all smiles on Wallace Island. May the SE gales never blow your way, Clark & Nina

Finlayson Arm to Russell Island

2005-11-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

Volume XV: Finlayson Arm to Russell Island Wow! Blue sky! Now that the days are predominately gray, chilly and damp (if not downright soaking wet), we sure appreciate the sun when the clouds open up. Dave thought it would be fun to compare our knotmeter readouts, so as we motored down Squally Reach, which wasn't squally as you can see, he throttled up to six knots and we matched it on our GPS. Our knotmeter is at least a knot slow. It needs cleaning and calibrating, but we knew that. We both slowed to a more fuel-efficient speed (diesel is over a dollar per liter here!), and enjoyed a short trip down Finlayson Arm, deeper into Vancouver Island. This inlet leads to a salmon spawning river at Goldstream. We'd read in the cruising guide that it was great fun to row a dinghy into the stream to watch the salmon in shallow water as they came in to lay eggs. Sea lions were cruising the Arm too, gulping down the large, silvery fish. Flocks of gulls screeched and chased one another as they picked up scraps. Finlayson is deep, bereft of protected niches and so doesn't offer much in the way of anchorages. One dinky dent in the mountainside is named Misery Bay. You get the point– no hiding from squally winds there! The area behind a small island (Sawluctus) near the head was listed in our guide as the best spot to drop a hook. We went in and found some bottom at about forty feet, most of it was about seventy. There were dozens of big, opaque butter-yellow jellies with fringed edges and long, threadlike tentacles. Marcia called them Lion's Mane jellyfish. Juniata elected to anchor across from the small marina, so we put down the Delta near them. Through the binocs, we could read a sign, "Environment Protection Area: No Access." Clark rowed over to the marina to ask how one would get to the Goldstream spawning area since dinghies weren't allowed. "Hike up to the highway, then walk about a mile to the Visitor Center," he was told. More hiking? We were pretty much hiked out after Tod Inlet... Maybe we can visit by car someday. Next day also dawned very placid and mild. We needed some supplies, so Marcia called Gerta on her cellphone and Gerta said she could drive us where we needed to go. Rikki-tikki could take the mooring at the Deep Cove villa and she'd be waiting. We weighed anchor and headed north. I went below for a quick shower and washed my hair. As we secured to the buoy, Juniata passed by on the way to Russell Island Marine Park. This photo is looking out from the villa across Satellite Channel, Saanich Inlet, toward Sansum Narrows. With Gerta at the wheel, we made a good day of it– collecting boat parts, groceries, and visitor info like ferry and bus schedules. We treated her to lunch at the fabulous Fish On Fifth in Sidney. Thanks, Gerta! Dave and Marcia were waiting for us, tucked behind little Russell Island, which is at the entrance to Fulford Harbor on Saltspring Island. Russell Island was settled by immigrants from Hawai'i who were brought here to work on the Canadian railway. As we anchored, a very strange-looking catamaran came motoring toward us from the Saltspring shore. Its hulls were bright yellow and lashed together with two spar sections, an outboard mounted between. It was cold-molded construction and of course we asked questions, as they did of us. Turns out this was their first tryout in the water after the launch. Phillipe and Guy hope to offer nature tours under oar power, though they will step a mast once the akas and tramps are in place. We'd love to see the finished boat. They invited us to stop at their place anytime for a visit. We wish them well. The four of us walked the short (and thankfully level) trail around the island, examined the remnants of the settlements and watched the birds. We decided to move on to Wallace Island, a Marine Park in Trincomali Channel on the opposite side of Saltspring Island. When we pulled up the Delta, this very large sunflower star was firmly gripped to the stock and chain. It was tough to pry loose and left numerous sucker feet behind. Sorry, we hope they grow back quickly! At a relaxed pace, we followed Dave and Marcia to Princess Cove, mostly under power. Clark baked a low-carb zucchini nut bread with cranberries. A small breeze picked up in Trincomali and we rolled out the jib for a bit. The late October sun felt good on our faces. Good friends, good weather, great cruising! May the sun brighten your days, Clark & Nina

The Butchart Gardens

2005-11-15T20:39:00.000-08:00

Volume XIV: The Butchart Gardens From the dinghy dock in Tod Inlet, we walked the short trail to The Butchart Gardens main entrance. After gulping hard at the fees (thankfully somewhat lower this time of year) we spent hours walking along the paths at the leisurely pace admiring the warm Fall colors, myriad textures and stunning dahlias, in full bloom despite the cooler temps. Even in the chill and damp, it was all serenely and astonishingly beautiful. The grayness of the day didn't dull the colors for the camera in the least. Workers were busy setting out thousands of plants for the winter season. Holiday lighting displays begin December 1st. This is the main garden where the quarry pit used to be... You can climb the stairs to the top of the vine-covered rock spire in the center. Please stay on the paved path! Clark taking video at the entrance to the Japanese garden. An opening in the hedge has been cut to allow viewing into Butchart Cove, which has a back gate through the Japanese Garden. When you arrive and call them on the intercom, an employee comes to collect your money and let you in. Boats crowd in here during the summer months. It's empty this time of year. Tour buses still arrive at the main gate with loads of tourists– we were lucky that crowds were light. Just one of the varieties of spectacular dahlias at Butchart Gardens, this spiky bloom is dripping with rain. Fountains dance in the large pond, The Pit itself. They are lit at night. There are also fireworks on Saturday nights during the summer (just can imagine the crush of boats!). We bought passes good for a year, so we'll be back. Our legs walked out for awhile, late the next morning Juniata untied the lines holding Rikki-tikki alongside, cranked up their chain and anchor, and we both motored over the glassy waters of Finlayson Arm to Goldstream. We were hoping to see spawning salmon! Smooth seas, Clark & Nina

Tsehum Harbor to Tod Inlet

2005-11-15T20:33:00.000-08:00

Volume XIII: Tsehum Harbor to Tod Inlet On October 15th, Rikki-tikki-tavi and Juniata, each with his or her respective crew aboard, joined once again at Tsehum Harbour on the Saanich Peninsula of Vancouver Island. Rikki-tikki, I guess one could say, closed the circle, crossing the track he created upon entering Canada at Tsehum on August 4th. We were excitedly looking forward to some one-on-one time with Dave and Marcia, visiting and sharing experiences, before they had to leave Canada and we would tie Rikki to the dock in Montague Harbour. The weather was pleasant and partly sunny. We filled up the diesel tank and the water tanks at Van Isle Marina shortly before Juniata came in from Victoria to anchor nearby. We loaded two-plus months' worth of accumulated garbage into Darzee and took it to the marina compactor for proper disposal. Most of the islands do not have garbage disposal (at least not for free) so we consolidated our trash as we cruised and stored it in an ama. We recycled our glass and cans. That done, we visited with Dave and Marcia in Juniata's cockpit, soaking up the sun. As hunger pangs struck, we moved over to Rikki-tikki for a "dinner" of cheeses and smoked shellfish. It was threatening rain as Juniata went into the yacht club dock next morning. We motored over in Darzee that afternoon. Gerta arrived in her BMW to take us for a special dinner at a lovely shoreside villa on Deep Cove where she was housesitting. Everyone headed immediately for the big kitchen where Clark fell in love– with the stove. He was in seventh heaven, in ecstasy, cooking on an Aga. If that Aga didn't weigh nearly as much as Rikki-tikki himself, I'm sure Clark would figure out how to get one aboard! He was having so much fun– roasting, baking, sautéing. He even had time to throw together a beautiful tray of appetizers. I found a piano in the living room and plunked out a few classical pieces. Luckily for those listeners in the kitchen, the music scores available for me to sight-read were simple. It could've been ugly otherwise. I hadn't touched the keys in decades. I even enjoyed the music myself! Returning to Rikki just at dark, we started up our diesel heater to warm the boat but sleep was hard to come by. The wind and waves bumped and jostled us all night. It rained buckets. Gusts of wind shook loose glops of water from the rigging, which plummeted to the deck above our heads in unpredictable thumps. Our brains seem able to tune out steady rain, but not this random pelting. Each time we started to drift into dreamland, the noise would startle us awake. The wind calmed by morning but the day started out chilly, foggy and drizzly. The first time we were at Tsehum, we saw a crab boat pulling lines of traps out from under the dozens of anchored boats. We didn't see any floats marking the cables, each with several metal mesh traps attached. In the US each trap must have a float. In Canada, a crabber is required only one at each end of the cable connecting up to ten traps. When we told people that crabtraps were on all over the bottom of Tsehum harbor, nobody believed us. Well, the crab boat was out again! He pulled at least four lines of traps, harvesting crabs, and resetting traps under the anchorage. We wondered how many boats tangle their anchor in a trap or snag a cable. There are a lot of traps down there! When the crab boat was pulling a line of traps next to Rikki-tikki, I took several photos. Here's oneÐ taken through our aft settee window. There is an undersized crab teetering on the gunwale. Late morning, Rikki followed Juniata out of Tsehum, zigzagged through John Passage between Coal and Goudge Islands, down Colburne Passage, and across the very heavily trafficked Swartz Bay BC Ferries Terminals. The fog was pretty thick so we had turned on the radar. Clark watched the screen for approaching ferries as I steered Rikki-tikki at a brisk pace. There are lanes converging from three different directions! Just as we cleared the last terminal, a big Tsawwassen ferry loomed out of the fog from Gosse Passage to cross behind us. It slowly turned a 180û to place the car deck stern toward the terminal. Whew! We arrived in Tod Inlet about one-thirty and side-tied with Juniata, the only boats save a large trawler liveaboard that was here in August too. It was good to get out and walk the trails. We scrounged a few late blackberries and filled our pockets with apples, knocked out of the trees in an abandoned orchard. We discovered a lovely fern-lined canyon with tress upholstered in moss. Hikers had placed found items along the retaining wall– leather soles from old shoes, broken crockery, rusty iron farms tools, bottles and odd bits from the little factory-town settlement that was here when the quarry was active. The quarry, of course, became the famous Butchart Gardens, which is easily visited from Tod Inlet, either by dinghy from Butchart Cove at the entrance to Tod Inlet or by short trail from the head of Tod Inlet. Juniata and Rikki-tikki-tavi anchored together in Tod Inlet– makes visiting boat-to-boat very easy. The wide, maple leaf strewn path through the BC Park around Tod Inlet is used by locals for biking, walking the dog, and running. The residents are fortunate to have such a beautiful area just blocks away from their homes. We cruisers are likewise grateful for the easy access to stretch our legs and even catch a bus, if we want, to downtown Victoria! Needing a few provisions, we asked if there was a grocery within walking distance. An enthusiastic, helpful, friendly young man gave us directions, said it was an easy 25-minute route. Trudging along the road to Brentwood for twice that long, we finally found the store. Stretching our legs is one thing, but walking nearly two hours roundtrip for a few groceries is a bit much! I mean, do we really need coffee that badly? If another enthusiastic, helpful, friendly YOUNG person estimated walking time, we vowed to double it, then decide if we were up to it! Dave, Marcia, Clark and I gratefully lowered ourselves and our groceries into our dinghies and rowed out to our little floating homes, where we could just sit. And sit. Such is life aboard a boat! May all trails and roads be level, Clark & Nina

Silva Bay & Pirates Cove

2005-11-15T20:29:00.000-08:00

Volume XII: Silva Bay & Pirates Cove This hitchhiking vamp at the end of the fuel dock sets Page's apart from the other marinas in Silva Bay. Inside the little office and bookstore are more whimsical sculptures and crafts from local artists. A homey, friendly spot, where Ted & Phyllis will assist in finding the perfect cruising guide or book of poetry for your reading pleasure. They told us that the store down the way featured homemade sausages and European cheeses, so we made fast tracks there under oar power. It's a very small grocery but packed with a very wide selection of meats, cheeses and those sausages, even salmon sausages! We brought our bootie back to Rikki-tikki and tried some for dinner. The Stilton cheese with apricot was very good as dessert. As I slid into the settee next morning with my coffee, I heard crunching noises outside under the window where Darzee was tied. Two otters were in the dinghy, munching loudly on fish. I reached for my camera. Otters are pure perpetual motiion... they leaped out of the dinghy just as I raised the camera of course. We've had otters in the dinghy before – twice at Rebecca Spit – but always night visits by unseen, messy otters. The scraps from their snacks had already attracted hordes of flies by morning. Those otters required cleaning up after. The otter family of four at Silva Bay were thankfully fastidious and left no evidence of their meals. We asked about internet access at Page's and were directed to the restaurant/pub above the Silva Bay Marina. No luck. The young man in the marina office offered to let us plug into the office ethernet, so we brought our iBook over next day and did email while he was on the docks attending to visiting sailboats. An unusual number for this time of year seemed to be arriving. We later learned that this was three-day Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. Even with the rain and windy conditions, it seemed to us that a group of Sceptre 41s had made the trip across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver for a rendezvous. This is only our assumption based on the fact that they were one-design and all tied up together. It's funny... we'd never heard of the Sceptre 41 until we got to the Octopus Islands. John and Lynda's boat was of this Canadian design, although he bought it as a hull and deck, finishing the interior and outfitting himself. What a beauty! Perfect in every detail, with fine craftsmanship and thoughtful layout, their Sceptre 41 looked like it had just come, brand new, from a boat show. We were astonished to learn that they had cruised BC aboard for eight seasons! After seeing their lovely boat, we realized that another boat we'd seen several times at different anchorages was also a Sceptre 41. John told us there were only fifty made, so it was surprising to see four others arrive in Silva Bay. Of the fifty, we've already seen six. As we returned to Rikki-tikki, we saw that all four otters were on the stern deck, running up and down our convenient transom steps with their slimy catch. We crossed our fingers that we'd secured the aft window, which we usually leave vented and hanging open because it's rainproof. We had chicken thawing on the counter... what a mess they would be making inside! Their neatness in the dinghy wouldn't prevail inside Rikki, if they got in. Before I could get good photos, they were off in a streak of shiny brown wetness. Thankfully, the window was cinched down and we vowed never to leave Rikki with it open in otter country. We left after breakfast next day to reach Gabriola Passage at high slack. As we approached the pass, we saw a large power boat sitting sideways across the channel. He moved aside as we neared, but suddenly throttled up to cross our bow. As he went by, we noticed a very small dive flag and a diver in a drysuit standing aft. Looking around, we spotted the bubbles of at least one diver submerged near shore. We were surprised that the dive boat didn't stay between vessel traffic (us) and its divers. He should have. We remembered seeing a brochure in the marina office that offered dive tours in Gabriola Passage. Diving is only possible at slack current, but we didn't immediately connect the sideways boat with diving until we saw the diver on board. Their dive flag was way too small to be seen from any distance. Pirates Cove, a small BC Marine Park, on De Courcy Island, was a place we'd visited back in August 1993, during a heatwave. Back then we were aboard a 32-foot catamaran captained by Roy Mills, and accompanied by our friends, Bob and Peggy. Bob is the crewperson who so skillfully steered Rikki-tikki through the maelstrom of our first night out from San Francisco, May 26th. This October 2005 visit, the weather was very much cooler and wetter, but the small bay was certainly a whole lot less crowded! We walked all the park trails, rowed Darzee around the small bay, and got to know Luis and Betty on their self-built steel Dutch-design sailboat. A group of young kayakers was camping in tents on the point, apparently unfazed by the rain. As we sat in the cockpit drinking our afternoon coffee, a very nice, large sailboat of about 55' approached the entrance range-marker. Pirates Cove has a tricky channel with shoals either side. Cruising guides give clear instructions, the charts show the proper channel, and there are red and green markers. The sailboat was on course for avoiding the long shoal extending out from the point, but instead of turning sharply to port to enter the channel between the markers, the skipper brought the boat close in to shore and proceeded to drive right over the rocks! I stood up, my heart in my throat for them, and expected to hear fiberglass crunching on rock any second. Luckily for them, it was a very high tide and the boat didn't ground. I told Clark we should dinghy over when they got anchored to advise them of their mistake, so they wouldn't risk damaging their bottom on the way out. We didn't get the chance! They made a quick U-turn around an anchored boat from Australia and headed back out the way they came! "NO!" I yelled. They looked toward us. "Keep the red buoy to port on your way out!" I called, as loudly as I could to be heard over their engine. All aboard smiled and waved, then continued over the rocks, even closer to shore than before! Yikes! We were just about to turn on the VHF and hail them before it was too late, when a little sport boat zoomed out from the resident docks blowing their horn and yelling, "Keep the red buoy to port!" They raced over to the sailboat, repeating the warning. The sailboat continued to inch forward. What were they thinking? Surely they were aware of their shallow depth sounder readings. Finally, the little motor boat reached the side of the sailboat. The sailors finally turned to pay attention to the repeated warning, asking "Keep the red buoy to port?" The little boat turned around, waited for the big sailboat to back away from the shoal, then showed them the proper way out. We were left shaking our heads. If the tide hadn't been extremely high... Even the float planes use the marked channel. At least it wasn't raining when we left Pirates Cove and motored down Trincomali Channel toward Montague Harbour on Galiano Island. A brisk south wind was blowing on our nose, and the water was lumpy. We'd arranged for Rikki-tikki to have dock space at Montague, November through January. The harbormaster was waiting for us to sign documents and pay the modest moorage fee. We anchored out in the bay, rowed to the dock and left a voicemail from the pay phone. As we returned to Rikki, the sun came out and a rainbow appeared over the marina and harbor. Perhaps a good omen? Turning away from the rainbow to face the setting sun, we saw that this apparition of a shark had formed inside a cloud. Should we be worried? Fortuitously, a comfortable place ashore has been made available on Galiano. My aunt offered her lovely house for our use while Rikki is tied to the dock. Its deck overlooks the BC Marine Park beach. It's a bit of a hike up the road to the property, but we plan on having our car brought up to BC. We'll be able to get some larger sewing projects done indoors, while also doing some small home repair for auntie. Having a carpenter in the house for a few months was one of the perks for her. The biggest advantage is ours though, and we send our heartfelt gratitude. We are looking forward to being on Galiano Island and getting to know BC a bit better by car. Another low was forecast to bring SE gales, so we took Rikki to Ganges for groceries, doing email at the Saltspring public library. Then we took refuge in the small inlet called Glenthorne Passage on Prevost Island, just across the way. We'd be meeting up with Dave and Marcia on Juniata in a few days. Fair winds, Clark & Nina

Sturt & Smuggler

2005-11-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

Volume XI: Sturt & Smuggler The cruising guide said to anchor in Caesar Cove, a little bight off the south arm of Sturt Bay, but it looked way too tight. A private dock farther in was stacked double-deep with fishing boats and they needed room to get in and out. We like to stay out of the way. There was a little marina, but we try to avoid paying dock fees. The bay itself was very deep (82 feet), so we nosed around into its head looking for shallower water. The tide was going to drop only five feet overnight so no worries there. We wanted to swing with the winds when they came because the rocky ledges around the bay looked hazardous. The spot we chose to drop the anchor was fifty-five feet deep, right at the entrance to the north arm of the bay, with a good bit of scope. We felt pretty sure no other cruising boats would be coming in to impede our swing. We needed coffee, so we slid Darzee into the water and Clark rowed over to the docks. Hopefully, the store wouldn't be too much of a hike up the hill. Asking directions of a woman walking there, Clark scored a ride. The woman, from a sailboat on the transient dock, said she was on her way there for beer and steaks. The sun was out and they were going to barbeque. While Clark was at the store, a large freight boat came into the bay. "Marine Link Tours" and an 800-number in big block letters was painted on its square deck house. We'd seen the same boat at Tenedos Bay on September 8th. It pushed up to a gravel road at the bank behind Rikki-tikki, dropped a loading ramp, and started carting off sacks of heavy cargo with a forklift. Passengers up top observed the goings-on. We learned that this vessel offers paying customers a unique way to see BC as it picks up and delivers cargo throughout inaccessible islands and shoreline villages. Through the binocs I could see Clark back on the dock talking to the folks at the boat. I'd noticed their windvane and apparently he had too, so he was checking it out. When Clark returned to Darzee, a little orange-and-black tug pulling a similarly painted barge came steaming around the corner. I wondered where he was headed with that barge and how would he control it within the confines of the bay. I called Clark on the walkie-talkie as he began to row out to Rikki. "Do you see that barge coming in? Where do you suppose he's going to go?" The radio must've garbled my question because Clark thought I was talking about the freight boat that was already situated and so he continued rowing... right out in front of the tug! From his position behind the breakwater, Clark couldn't see the tug until he'd got out in front of it. The tug pulled over to the side of the barge and powered in reverse to take way off the barge. I suppose he would've been doing this anyway even without my husband rowing a little plastic dinghy across his path, but I was a bit worried. Barges don't have brakes. Clark started paddling much faster when he finally caught sight of the barge as it came into the small bay under its own momentum. The tug lead the barge close in past the transient dock and directly into the "anchorage" of Caesar Cove, crossing right over the spot we'd decided NOT to drop anchor. Good choice. As the barge urged its mass toward the shore behind the Marine Link boat, the tug suddenly dropped the tow cable and zoomed out of its way. The skipper churned up white water with the tug's big engine, bringing its rubber-padded bow against the flanks of the barge. He deftly nudged the hulk to lie alongside a row of steel pilings. Quite impressive. I was thankful to be parked safely away from big boats moving about. As the sun settled behind Texada Island, our view across Malaspina Strait to the BC mainland became a monochromatic composition in blue. Next morning, October 1st, we hoisted the Delta and motored out of Sturt Bay, destined for Smuggler Cove, a popular BC Marine Park on the Sechelt Peninsula. We were hoping it would give Rikki good protection from more SE gales forecast for the 2nd, 4th, and 5th. The thunderheads were building high and mighty over Texada and the mainland, the sun hardening the edges and throwing glittering shards of light in our eyes. Smuggler Cove caution: "Proceed at dead-slow and post alert bow lookouts." Encumbered by rocks, reefs, shoals and narrow passages, this tiny small craft stopover, we are told, can harbor dozens of cruising boats during peak summer months. I was just relieved there was nobody else around! Entering the cove was not difficult– we took the advice of "Exploring the South Coast of British Columbia" authors, the Douglasses, and avoided the hazards. The tiny first basin was too open to the SE for our comfort, the second not much better or much bigger. The inner basin, with its extremely narrow, shallow passage, offered the most shelter, so we went in – very slowly – with me posted as the alert lookout, taking photos at the same time. It was a low tide but there was eleven feet of water, leaving seven under Rikki's keelson. The lagoon inside was larger than we expected and, since we had the entire place to ourselves, we anchored in the middle in eighteen feet of water. We started noticing details as we settled in. There were dozens of orange rings drilled into the rock along rocky shore for use as stern line anchor points. A lot more rings revealed themselves as we rowed Darzee along the edges of the two outer basins, many of these seemed to be placed much too close to the numerous shoal areas. We were left questioning whether anyone would actually use them. We couldn't imagine the Cove harboring as many boats as there were rings! While we enjoyed hanging on anchor there for six nights, only three boats ventured into the inner basin and all three turned right around and went back out. Only four sailboats anchored in the outer basins overnight, usually only one at a time, and they were always out of our view except for the tip of their masts. We were secluded in our watery haven, visited only by an otter and two pair of loons, the resident belted kingfishers, a large pileated woodpecker, an osprey, the usual fleet of common mergansers and flocks of lovely varied thrushes. We heard voices. At the head of the lagoon, a group of hikers stopped to read a marker. There was a trail! Finally, a place to get off the boat and walk. But first things first, before the gale hit, we put the motor on Darzee and motored over to Secret Cove, a mile to the north. We hoped to find a grocery store for eggs and cream, but the marinas looked shuttered for the season. At the Jolly Roger, a man on the docks was carrying boat cushions up to his van, preparing to leave his sailboat closed up for winter. We asked if there was a grocery. He said the closest was five miles away in Halfmoon Bay. Jans offered to drive us there, so we hopped into the van with the cushions and sailbags. The Halfmoon Bay Grocery is a historic artifact of a building, whose owner is from Pleasanton, CA. We've met numerous folks from the States, enjoying a quieter life here in BC. We bought a bottle of bubbly to celebrate our anniversary. Back at the Jolly Roger, we made a few calls to home on the pay phone. It rained a lot at Smuggler Cove, especially on the 6th. The winds, when they arrived, went right over us through the top of the trees, leaving us unflustered. We walked the mossy, bouldered trails along the point to overlook Welcome Passage, Malaspina Strait, and Thormaby Island with its sandy beaches. This photo of the entrance to Smuggler Cove was taken at high tide, when the shoals and rocks are most hidden. Notice the blue sky and flat water? Environment Canada forecast gale winds across the Strait of Georgia this day, so we stayed put. They gave us a lovely day to stretch our legs while enjoying the sun. Over the next few days, we twice walked the longer trail, which had a boardwalk over wetlands and passed through dense forest, even extending our walk out toward Fishermans Cove along the road. We never got there but we got in some good exercise. The bog trail was truly wonderful. It went through several habitats and environments and offered sightings of winter wren (I always pack the small binocs now) and some red mushrooms with white spots. A pair of hikers with whom we got to chatting told us what they were, but we've forgotten. As we arrived at the road, a group of school children was trundling out of cars and vans with their teachers for an excursion down the trail. Smuggler Cove was once the home of "King of the Smugglers". It was once profitable to assist Chinese laborers across the border into the US. The trail markers also tell of the local Indians and how they used the plants and resources of the area to live. It's a good place for a field trip. We should've tagged along and learned even more about the Cove and its history. We motored over to Secret Cove again, for a more thorough exploration of its shores– and five gallons of water. We went up and down each arm of the large harbor, gawking at some impressive homes, one of which set Clark's urge to build into high gear. It was a particularly well-balanced neo-craftsman style, situated in the trees with a private dock. I agreed that the design was both impressive and comfortable-looking. We gazed at it for many minutes. Another, on a picturesque point just across from Secret Cove Marina, was in the final stages of completion. It looked as though it could be an Architectural Digest feature home, with its contemporary lines, expansive angular rock and slate entry, wide overhangs and large windows. A bit too commercial-looking for our taste, but admirable. We listened several times a day to the marine forecast. The day we chose to leave for Silva Bay, about thirty miles across Georgia Strait on Gabriola Island, the voices crackling over the VHF predicted winds of less than ten knots. We experienced winds more in the 15-18 knot range. The "automated reports" claimed the "combined wind wave and swell height" at Halibut Bank to be "zero decimal three meters". As we passed by The Bank, we were splashing though waves obviously more than a meter high, not counting the SE swell! It was bumpy! We rolled out the jib and fell off the wind to pick up some speed, which we could do because the military activity zone "Whiskey Golf" was not active that day. It was "clear for transit". Crossing on this angle meant that when we reached Entrance Island, we'd have to motor directly into the wind for the last couple of miles. But, hey, we did that all the way up the West Coast, so nothing new there. Silva Bay was more busy and open to weather than we had become accustomed to but we anchored in front of Page's Marina to wait for another SE gale to pass over. We'd also have to time our transit through the rapids at Gabriola Passage, out of the Strait of Georgia and into Trincomali Channel. We were back in the Gulf Islands. Fair winds, Clark & Nina

The Gorge

2005-11-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

Volume X: The Gorge "The Gorge", a half-mile long, 200-foot wide passage with nearly vertical walls, frames the nearly centered entrance to a land-locked harbor, not surprisingly named Gorge Harbour. It is an impressive, protecting door, with up to a four knot current when the tide is running. As we slid by the high west wall, we failed to spot the remnants of Indian rock paintings that decorate it. On the east, the boulders are said to have formed burial caverns. SE gales were forecast, so we turned left once inside the harbor to find a spot for a snug stern-tie along the south shore. Gorge Harbour Resort was just across from where we anchored, looking very unprotected along the north shore, though there were only three boats in the slips. Music was blaring across the water as we rowed over. It wasn't from the restaurant, but from a stereo system in a house right next door, all doors and windows open. Several young people were lounging in chairs on the deck. It looked like a frat house party. We bought some wine at the tiny resort store. A passerby told us that the restaurant served excellent food. The creative selections on the menu sounded delicious, but the high prices (and the loud music) sent us paddling back to Rikki-tikki. We wondered how the restaurant proprietors felt about their neighbors. The breeze started to pick up and a small sailboat with no engine came in, also seeking shelter. The skipper, alone, worked like the devil attempting to reach the marina docks. He tacked and jibed, back and forth, again and again, but he was unable to get close enough to safely tie up and there was nobody to help. Just before it got too dark to see, he fell off downwind past the marina where he threw out an anchor. The wind died away and we slept well tucked into our little niche of rocky shore. As the sky lightened next morning, I awoke and peeked out the portlight on my side of the bed. The sky was lit up all pink and violet, with golden highlights, colors displayed on a plethora of wind-driven clouds, clouds piling up, lines of stratus clouds. I leaped out of bed and pulled on my fleece, grabbed my Lumix FZ20 and was out on the deck snapping photos lickety-split. As a rule, I don't open my eyes at dawn or leap out of bed for anything, even Clark's coffee, so this sky had to be something special. When I got out on deck, it looked like this... The sky put on a marvelous show as our side of Earth turned slowly toward the sun's brilliance. I took many photos, but these capture two of the infinite faces one sunrise can show. It was A Most Spectacular Sunrise! But, the entire time we were ooohing and aaahing at the sun's glorious introduction to our day, the sailor's ditty, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning," was ringing in our ears. It didn't take long for the front of clouds to completely obscure the sun once again. Before we finished breakfast, the wind started up again, this time like it wasn't going to let up for quite a while. Whooshing toward Rikki-tikki from the NE, instead of SE, it raised a significantly uncomfortable chop on its way across the harbor. Rikki was being pushed sideways by the gusts, splashing up and down on the building waves. We knew it would only get worse, so we decided to move. We started the engine, double-tied Darzee, who was between the hulls, then Clark released the sternline and rolled it in as fast as he could. His stern now free, and Clark still rolling in line, Rikki swung toward the rocky shore. I used the engine to hold position, trying not to drive over the anchor. With the sternline finally secured, Clark went forward to raise the Delta. We got away clean and headed into the wind, making a beeline for the east side of the bay. We passed by The Gorge to look for an area where the wind wasn't stirring up the water. Inside a rocky peninsula, we spotted a quiet little bight and went in for a look. The water was forty-two feet deep with lots of room to let out enough scope and let Rikki swing unfettered. We crossed our fingers that this would prove to be a great spot. It did– as the winds gusted above, they barely ruffled Rikki-tikki's fur. It rained and blew, but we felt safe. Between rain showers, we rowed Darzee into the lagoon behind us to see what we could see. It was an oyster lease area and there were grids of wire nets stapled to the gravel bottom. A small stream flowed into the saltwater, creating perfect conditions for the bivalves, though there weren't many. Perhaps they'd been harvested. Out in the bay, we saw quite a few aquaculture floats, which were attended by yellow rain-slickered men in aluminum runabouts. One fellow must've been the harbor go-between (or busy-body) because he roared back and forth constantly, at top speed, from one end of the harbor to the other, all day long. After weeks of quiet anchorages, the noise was unsettling. Even from our new spot far away from the Resort, we could hear the on-going party music echoing across the water. A small, unfinished cabin enjoyed a great location on the promontory. I spotted three mergansers that looked different from the common ones we saw at nearly every anchorage. They were hooded mergansers! An eagle perched on a tree above and a beautiful loon entertained us as he dived for fish beside the boat. Our little inlet was lovely, its edges framed by handsomely arranged boulders, some of which were black obsidian. The mist-shrouded conifers and arbutus created a curtain– we could almost ignore the cacophony outside. Finally, the storm moved on, leaving only stillness, so we weighed anchor. The Gorge, mirrored perfectly in the gray morning light, framed our course down Malaspina Strait toward Texada Island. With only a day or two before the next front, this time with forecast NE winds, we thought Sturt Bay might be a good place to hide. Smooth seas, Clark & Nina

Back to The Spit

2005-10-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

Volume IX: Back to The Spit As you remember, way back when we last wrote, we were headed for Surge Narrows, a skinny rapids (197 feet wide at its minimum) that must be navigated only at or near slack water, the duration of which varies from five to eleven minutes. Not very long! We timed our arrival perfectly and transited easily with no other boats to contend with in the confined channel. We can imagine how stressful a transit might become when there are many boats wanting to go through at the same time. The Narrows deserves respect. We were aware of a boat that got hung up on Tusko Rock this summer, so we were very cautious. Mr. Tides, a tide and current software for Macintosh, helped us plan our timing. GPSNavX, our computer charting software, plotted our course on the BSB chart with coordinates from our Garmin 48 in real time. We send our kudos and thanks to Rich, the author of GPSNavX, and to August, the author of Mr. Tides, for their fabulous software! The day was mostly sunny with a faint breeze, not enough to sail until we reached the end of Hoskyn Channel when we rolled out the jib briefly to take advantage of a more defined flow of air of 20 knots from the NW. It's either no wind or a lot of wind around BC! We were considering seeking shelter in Village Bay to escape the wind, but when we turned the corner at The Spit, we could see that there was smooth water inside its arm of scrubby trees. Rebecca Spit was vacant of boats so we chose the "prime view" anchoring spot at the opening in The Spit– looking east across the northern reaches of the Strait of Georgia to the layers of mountains on the mainland. We hanged the bow anchor to our 33-pound Delta and stowed the Northill. The Northill is a great anchor– lightweight, easy to set, and it has never dragged. It wrapped up a loop of the rode a few times, so we started using a ten pound lead ball as an additional weight on the rode to increase the catenary. At Von Donop we lazily tippy-toed around our anchor and, even with the extra weight, the Northill came up so entangled in the rode and chain that it looked like a Chinese string puzzle! We decided to trust it only when we stern-tied ashore. When Rikki-tikki would be swinging in different directions with the changing tide and winds, the Delta could be trusted to hold without fouling and we would sleep better. We had the afternoon open (what else is new?) so we launched Darzee and motored over to Heriot Bay for groceries and wireless internet down in the Inn's laundry room while running a load. Another boat down from the Octopus Islands was at the marina. He latter came to The Spit and anchored real close to us (what else is new!?), but Clark warned him that we had a lot of scope out so he pulled a line to a log ashore and backed away. I managed to get a photo of the view before he arrived and planted himself in the middle of it. We spotted a little fleet of colorfully-painted Harlequin ducks, four drakes with six in their harem. We'd never seen Harlequins before; we strained our eyes admiring them. The drakes are stunning to look at and impossible to photograph– so shy. Another sailboat came in just as evening arrived but he chose wisely and allowed plenty of swinging room for both of us. His boat is the counterpoint to the gorgeous sky we all enjoyed. Rikki-tikki-tavi made big arcs over the water as the tide came and went, rocking a bit with the Whaletown ferry wake, but the wind remained calm. Fall was in the air and the guests at the resort were lounging in the sun overlooking the harbor. Kayakers paddled about and campers walked their dogs along The Spit trail out to the tip. The color of maple leaves turning vibrant hues accented the hillsides. It was a relaxed atmosphere, no crowds of cruising boats from the US bustling in and out of the marina, just the locals coming out to enjoy the peace. In all, we made three trips to send and receive email, download the latest version of GPSNavX, and do banking online. Thank you, Heriot Bay! A big low pressure system was predicted to bring strong SE winds, so we took Rikki-tikki to Heriot Bay for fuel, once again squeezing him in backwards between the ferry landing and the docks. Clark can maneuver him into some very small spaces! The ferry comes in just beyond the little floating store on the right in this photo. Gorge Harbour, on the south side of Cortes Island, beckoned with promised protection from SE gales and we hadn't been there yet, so off we went, motoring along under, yet again, amazing skies. It just doesn't get boring! Each day's atmosphere and appearance is surprisingly different from the one before. Even when it's silvery gray or raining, the infinite variety of reflections, shapes and light give us much pleasure. I was hoping to see Shark Spit. We had to pass by it, through Z-shaped, tricky Uganda Passage, on the way to Gorge Harbour. I wanted to see if it was the place I remembered visiting while cruising with my grandparents as a teenager. The low-lying spit back then was so thick with live sand dollars of every size that there was little room for sand! It was impossible not to crunch them as one walked. We spent a sunny afternoon there, fascinated by the multiple layers of the spiny creatures, marveling in their purple billions. We lined up rows of graduated sizes, from the tiniest, smaller than ones baby finger, all the way to specimens a couple of inches across. Now I feared that they would be no more, but the time wasn't right to find out. The tide was very high and Shark Spit was hidden beneath the waves. I would have to wait for another visit, hopefully when a gale wasn't on its way. If we could buy an island, this would be the one. An islet next to Shark Spit, it has just the right combination of rocky outcroppings and protecting trees, a small bay for Rikki-tikki, and a great location for a house with a dynamite view. There was already a house there of course, with a guest cottage no less. Someone else owns Clark's Island. Fair winds, Clark & Nina

Cruising British Columbia

2005-10-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Volume VIII: Von Donop Inlet to Octopus Islands The day was sunny and the wind calm as we motored up to Lewis Channel to Teakerne Arm. A breeze began picking up from the south and we rolled out the jib. Almost there, we saw that Jim and Sharon were already on their way out, having had a lovely swim! They told us over VHF they were headed for Von Donop Inlet, the other side of Cortes Island, because a low was coming in. We'd planned to spend the night at Teakerne if the wind remained calm, but it was quickly rising. We snapped photos of the waterfall and made a quick tour of the shoreline as we listened to Environment Canada's weather forecast for strong southeasterlies headed our way. There is no anchorage at Cassel Lake– the shore drops off to 120 feet within mere yards of the rocks. We promised ourselves to visit again next year when there was no wind! Von Donop seemed a good place to hide out from strong winds, so we joined Jim and Sharon there. Rikki-tikki's Northill anchor held us in place close to the southeast shore, hopefully protected from whatever was coming our way. We went to shore and hiked the left-hand trail which had a sign reading, "Squirrel Cove 2.5 km, Everywhere else 12 km." Walking for thirty minutes did not bring us to the point where we'd turned back from the other side. We were left wondering. We invited Jim and Sharon to chicken dinner, which we poached "a la Danny Kaye", a recipe from Jacques Pépin's book, The Apprentice. It is gently boiled for only ten minutes, then rests in the poaching liquid for forty-five. A perfect energy-saving dish for cruisers! We enjoyed a wonderful evening– it was calm and windless, quiet and serene, save for our lively conversation around the table. Next day, feeling the need to stretch our legs again, we set out on trail number three, the right-hand one, determined to actually arrive somewhere. It started out with a bit uphill, got my heart going, but then it leveled out to become a rolling path through alder and ferns. It was a pleasant and lovely trail, obviously well-travelled, but we were alone. Most of the trail is through First Nation People's land. Their name for Von Donop is Hathayim. The trail ended at the road to Whaletown, where we sat and had a snack, then hiked back. That afternoon, we heard the rumble of quadrunners and one appeared at the trailhead. Perhaps they were some of the volunteers who maintain the trails. We finally saw another eagle! After spotting only two eagles at Rebecca Spit since we arrived in Canada August 4th, we've often asked ourselves, "Where are all the eagles?" Are there just too many people, too many boats, too much pressure on the environment? Wildlife seems sparse to us, the forest and skies silent. We did see a small flock of Bonaparte gulls here and two red-breasted sapsuckers while hiking. At nine a.m. before breakfast, we left for Hole-in-the-Wall, a passage with a rapids at the end. We needed to arrive at slack water and had decided at the last minute to leave... we hadn't even eaten breakfast! So we turned up the throttle and zoomed north at seven-plus knots. There was a lot of debris to dodge as the tide had been extremely high and, when that happens, a lot of stuff gets lifted off the shoreline and carried into the channels. Another gorgeous scene, a silvery reminder of the rain overnight, made my photo look like black and white! Our arrival at the rapids was either a couple of minutes too early or a couple too late. We steered through the mild, though unnerving, whirls and upwellings, crossing the channel to enter the Octopus Islands Marine Park at low tide. This can be a good thing because at least you can see where the rocks are! The channel is very narrow and we went dead slow. Two boats were already shore-tied and we did likewise across the cove. Octopus Islands are a cluster, a very small cluster, of rocky islets with lots more rocks and hard things to hit if you're not careful. We've been told that it's very crowded in summer so we were glad to be there in September! Only one other boat, a small houseboat on the last night, came into "our" cove the five nights we were there. We hiked (more about that later), worked on our blog, met the cruisers on the other two boats and explored in Darzee. It rained the first night and dawn came shrouded in fog, otherwise sun bathed Rikki-tikki. Pat and Barry, who'd sailed their boat over from Hilo, Hawaii, told us that we had to go see a little cabin on the neighboring private island. We motored over in Darzee. It was chock-full with cruiser memorabilia! We spend an hour or so looking at mementos created and left by crews of boats. Some were very elaborate and large, others just a pencilled poem or decorated clamshell. It appeared to be a tradition for some to leave a new one or add to an existing artifact with each annual visit. We had to make and leave one from Rikki-tikki-tavi! We selected a piece of driftwood from the shore in front of the cabin, took it back to RTT, and carved our contribution to the fantastic clutter. There is room for us to add the year of each future visit. We tied our creation to a beam above one of the windows. John and Lynda told us we should hike the trail to Newton Lake above Waiat Bay. They'd been for a swim four times since arriving. They told us to take the trail to the left and that it was the easier trail, forty-five minutes. They also said that there were wolves in the area (I knew I'd heard howling the previous night!). We motored over (it took ten minutes to get there at top speed!), tied Darzee up to the shore on a lowering tide, giving him a very long tether and pushing him out so he would float free and not have to be carried back to the water. With the motor, the weight would be unmanageable. A group of kayakers were arriving at the same time, but thought better of attempting the hike (did they know something we didn't?) and returned to their kayaks. So we set off into the dense forest, just the two of us. Everything was nice and fresh from the rain, ferns perky, mosses spongy and green. There was a plethora of fungi and we saw new ones we hadn't see before. We must get a book! We took the left fork. As we went, the trail become more convoluted, detouring around downed trees and wet spots. It was obvious that someone maintains the trail as there were ribbon markers and freshly cut stumps, so it was not difficult to follow. In places, a deeply worn path cut through mosses three feet thick, dense sword ferns, cedar trees of some size but not old-growth. There were huge stumps with notches cut into them– evidence of logging long ago. We hiked for an hour. Clark started to question that we'd taken the right trail, but we'd seen no other and this one was clearly marked. So on we went. When the path turned uphill to become steep switchbacks, Clark was sure we'd done something wrong, but we kept climbing, very slowly. The path got narrower, suitable for mountain goats only– one edge went nearly straight down the mountain, the other side was steep enough to use as a handhold. I was worried about going back down! Finally, we crossed a trickling falls and then heard a larger falls close by. We climbed some more, the path leveled out and we saw a swampy pond through the trees. No way! We hiked all this way for that? Just then, I stepped in some wolf poop. Thank goodness for the thick moss on the path sides– that is sticky stuff! This couldn't be the right lake, we decided, so we continued trudging along. We were rewarded by arriving (an hour and forty-five minutes later!) at Newton Lake– a sign confirmed it. Very large and with crystal clear water, the lake didn't seem to offer any shore with swimming access. Spotting a rock outcropping around to the left, we continued hiking there. At this point, Clark was still sure there was an easier trail than the one we'd suffered, but the path ended at the rocks. Snack time– all we brought was a little baggy of nuts! We considered bathing but there was a chilly breeze and we hadn't brought a towel. We heard voices and I saw a couple on a rock outcrop to the right of where the trail came to the lake. It was Clark's turn to step in wolf poop on the way back. As he tried to remove the glop from his right shoe, he stepped into a whopper with his left shoe! Descending the steep trail, I stepped carefully over the ledges, rocks, tree roots, and banana slugs. I nailed one unfortunate invertebrate and almost slipped over the edge! We were soon overtaken by the two we'd seen at the lake. They bounded down the trail, with their dog in the lead, like mountain goats. John and Lynda arrived after us, got there while we were fumbling around on the wrong side of the lake, took their swim, and made it back to their dinghy way before us. Luckily they waited around on the shore for us to help carry Darzee. He'd gotten hung up in some rocks as the tide went out. All told, that hour and a half hike took us three and a half hours– and we didn't even get a swim! I saw a flotilla of surf scoters on the way back to Rikki. On the 24th, we left Octopus Islands headed for Surge Narrows at slack water, with a final destination of Rebecca Spit. It was another sunny, beautiful day in British Columbia! Fair winds, Clark and Nina

Grace & Squirrel

2005-10-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Volume VII: Grace and Squirrel Sounds like "Moose and Squirrel", from Rocky and Bullwinkel, my favorite cartoon series. My birthday the same day as Bullwinkel's! Anyway, from where we left off... Grace Harbor wasn't too crowded but we did our "head for the head" routine. Our theory is other boats won't anchor in the shallow areas and we'll have more privacy. Sometimes works, sometimes not. The second day, it wasn't working. We rowed into the area where the guide book says the stream flowing into the bay creates warm pools, where you'll be able to splash as you enjoy the rain forest. Hmmm. All we discovered were old rusty tractor parts, a big tire, muck and uninviting ooze. Maybe we had the wrong stream? We saw some folks had gone ashore from their dinghies a short distance away, so we headed there. We found a campsite, a pit toilet and a trail leading to the squishy mud trail that the "stream" piddled across. We're doing something wrong. The next day, we decided we just hadn't walked far enough, so we trekked past the mucky part and down a long trail through the forest. It dwindled as more and more fallen trees blocked the way. Clark found himself interested in capturing the growth of mushrooms and fungi on his video camera. He did find a wide variety to keep him busy! I continued to search for a trail to the "swimming lake", having spotted water through the trees (there is a lake on the chart too). Finally, I was at the edge of a wetland filled with grasses and lily pads. Could this be the right lake? It was pretty though, and Clark amused himself by taking movies of moss and spiders in their perfectly formed webs. We started back and heard people calling to each other. The couple we met were gathering chantrelles! Here we were just taking photos of mushrooms, they were collecting dinner. The man, named Wolf, told us where to look for these delicate edibles and we were off– bushwacking uphill off-trail in search of the elusive 'rooms. Two hours later, I'd found one, which Wolf later pronounced as "old", but we ate it anyway in an omelette next morning. Some new sea animals were revealed on a "really-low-tide" morning foray around the bay in Darzee. We were unsure what they were. They looked like anemones but had highly branched arms and five-segmented bodies. They were purple or orange, pink or wine-colored. Then we spotted some smaller white ones with more feathery arms. None of them were above the lowest tide mark but I managed to touch one just under the surface. It pulled in its arms and then we thought they might be nudibranchs. Research back on the boat proved the colored ones to be red sea cucumbers. The smaller white ones were stiff-footed sea cucumbers. They live in the sub-tidal zone and wedge their bodies between rocks. The shore around Grace Harbor is a good habitat for them; lots of little rocks and boulders. The water is usually very calm in the morning and, if you are lucky to get out before the first motorized dinghy takes a dog to shore for you-know-what, the rocks, seaweeds and mosses make interesting "totems". That's what my grandparents called the reflections along the shoreline. Our family has hundreds of Kodak slides of the totems they saw in their ten years of cruising BC. I thought this one was particularly intriguing. Wolf and Jan on Theresa II hailed us as we rowed by and invited us aboard. They spent a couple of hours telling us all about their "secret" places. They've been "out" for six years (New Zealand, Fiji, etc) and have returned home to Comox, to continue their already-decades of experience boating in BC. Cruisers are so generous! Later, we rowed over a shore-tie and let out more rode to back away from a powerboat who anchored too close. At our afternoon coffee time, we reconsidered our decision to head south, back to the Gulf Islands. We had plenty of time to keep exploring, did we not? What was the rush? We'd only been here a couple of weeks! So Rikki-tikki turned north and made tracks again for Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island. We needed a few provisions if were to stay longer. The tide was running a bit in Malaspina Inlet on our way out and we had a bit of fun negotiating the whirlpools and upwellings. A south wind was rising as we entered Squirrel Cove. We chose a spot far away from the cluster of boats anchored in front of the lagoon. We looked for protected, smooth water behind an islet, thinking, "surely nobody would be anchoring too close to us here!" It wasn't two hours before four, count 'em four, identical SunSail charter sailboats, each with five aboard, assembled in close proximity behind us. The first boat's bow man dropped the anchor and chain straight down, where it hit bottom and stopped paying out. The guy in the cockpit was standing with his hands in his pockets, gazing rather confusedly at the steering pedestal. The ladies disappeared below. The guy up front looked down at the spot where he'd dropped the anchor, straightened up, then threw his hands in the air and walked back to the stern. We were glad we were upwind, but what if the wind switched around... we'd be a sitting mongoose! (Later, at the town store, I asked the man who'd been on the bow where their fleet was headed next. Little did he realize, I just wanted to make sure we didn't go where they were going.) Rikki-tikki and crew found enough to keep things interesting for three nights. We took the trail. The sign read, "2.51 km", but didn't indicate to where. It was a lot of uphill through dense forest, lots of ferns and cedar, no chantrelles (Clark is now on continuous alert). Soon, the sun was on the verge of setting, so back down we went, not having arrived anywhere other than where we started. The tide was very high and that was when we met Jim. He was in his dinghy at the trailhead sign (told you the tide was very high!) asking where and how far? We couldn't give him that info, but did suggest waiting until high slack water to explore the lagoon. He roared back to his boat to pick up his wife, Sharon, and we all went over to the lagoon and shut off our motors. The end of the flood carried us in but it was too dark and the tide was too high, so we couldn't see any of the grand creatures we'd seen a couple weeks before. Just as we reached the other side, the tide turned and carried both dinghies back out into the bay! A short visit, but we met new friends. This is what happens when a boat is not moving very fast! Spiders set up housekeeping. Jim and Sharon took off early for Teakerne Arm the next morning for a swim at famous Cassel Lake. Coincidentally, we'd also planned to go there that day. We took Rikki-tikki to the public dock for another stop at the Squirrel Cove store on the way out. They had the right size fuel filters for RTT's oil change. A few phone calls to family and we were on our way to Teakerne Arm. Calm waters, Clark and Nina

September Big Update

2005-09-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hello Rikki fans! This is your editor here :) It's very hard for Rikki and crew to locate a place to send an email off but Nina and Clark are doing a great job composing them as they adventure along. However this means you might get a month's worth of updates all at once... like this month. Blogger's format is 'most recent at topmost' so these updates may be confusing, so here is the order in which you should read them: Volume I: Nanaimo to French Creek Volume II: French Creek to Rebecca Spit Volume III: Rebecca Spit Onward Volume IV: Roscoe Bay to Squirrel Cove Volume V: Tenedos Bay to Melanie Cove Volume VI: Pendrell Sound and Isabel Bay If you're a Rikki fan, leave a comment! They enjoy reading well wishes and fan mail!

Pendrell Sound and Isabel Bay

2005-09-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Cruising British Columbia Volume VI: Pendrell Sound and Isabel Bay The spectacular mountainous inlet that almost cuts East Redonda Island in two is also very deep. The peaks jut up from the smooth water leaving little or no shallow areas to catch an anchor. Nearly at its head is a bight behind a small island where a good-sized lagoon can be entered by kayak or dinghy on high tide. Predictably, it's called Lagoon Cove, and it's a place known for its oyster culture. When we got close to the cove, we drove parallel to the shore, very close in. The depths were still 80 to 100 feet at low tide! There was one other boat, shore-tied to the rocky slope under the trees. We put the anchor into 72 feet with a long loop to shore. Just off our starboard ama, very large schools of fish circled in a 100-plus hole. The other sailboat's crew returned to their boat and departed. We thought we'd have the place to ourselves! It was so quiet and stunningly lovely, we sat back to enjoy the peace. Darzee transported us into the lagoon where an old wooden barge languished, trees growing out of its deck. The entrance was piled with large net bags of oyster shells. We wondered what these were for. A sign hidden by branches partially read, "Oyster storage ---- Do not walk below 8-foot tide line." There was a well-trodden path, utilized by those who walked into the lagoon when the tide was out. As we enjoyed our afternoon coffee at the settee, a flotilla of boats was zeroing in the cove. Led by a diminutive cabin cruiser, there was a Nordic Tug and three sailboats. We should have videotaped their anchoring antics! The first mate on the cruiser called out the depths as the captain dropped chain straight down. He got out to tie a too-short line to shore. We knew he was in only seven feet of water over the "beach" and that the tide would be dropping eleven. Captain went down to assist the Nordic Tug, which was backing in and out between his anchor and shoreline– so vigorously that we were sure his crew hanging onto the shoreline was getting rope burns! Clark even rowed over to advise the first mate of the tide. They stayed put even so, pulling in some chain to correct his position. Peevishly, we looked forward to the entertainment provided when they discovered themselves aground. The biggest sailboat, a Fisher 37 pilothouse, anchored and the other two sailboats tied along each side, facing the opposite direction. All boats were travelling together, of course, and they called back and forth to one another, collected forbidden oysters, went swimming, and zoomed around in their dinghies. Our peace and quiet was short-lived. Another large sailboat arrived, a lovely green-hulled sloop, from the same marina as the others, but they were strangers. This boat dropped anchor mid-cove in very deep water. A lot of chain clattered over the bow! Then he rowed the longest shoreline we've seen to the island, pretty much taking up all the remaining space. Shortly after sunrise, we went out in Darzee to have a look at the oyster shell bags. We learned that the flotilla would be leaving and were grateful when only the sloop and Rikki-tikki remained. Clark put on his drysuit and snorkeled under our stern to replace the FrigoBoat keel cooler zincs, which had prematurely disintegrated. The water was sixty-six degrees! A little scrubbing of Rikki's burgeoning beard of algae was also in order. That evening, the golden light of sunset caught the peaks across the inlet for a moment, then faded away. We lazed around the next morning, leaving for Isabel Bay after lunch. Slowly motoring there, enjoying the scenery and calm seas, we entered Malaspina Inlet to wind on the nose and followed a classic wooden boat through. We were hoping Isabel would be uncrowded. Isabel Bay holds fond memories for me. My family visited here on my grandparent's boat, Serendipity, forty-odd years ago. We were the only boat then and, now, we also were one. I begged my grandfather to take me salmon fishing out in the dinghy, which he reluctantly did. He threw his trout net into the boat, sure I wouldn't catch anything. Soon after we rounded the island out of view, a big one took off with my lure! I shrieked and hollered, which caused concern to those left aboard. I muscled that salmon back to the boat, having tightened the drag on my borrowed reel. It was too big for the trout net, so Grandpa flipped the fish sideways over the gunwale, using it like a pancake-turner. Whew! I was so excited. We BBQ'd salmon over a fire on the little rocky island, though it wasn't the one I caught, but rather one that offered itself to us. Dad and Grandpa were shooting at paper plates with a 22 rifle (you could do that back then!) and it just came to the surface, stunned. We enjoyed mine, which measured 22-inches, a day later at another memorable anchorage– the best BBQ'd salmon I'll ever taste!

Tenedos and Melanie

2005-09-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

Cruising British Columbia Volume V: Tenedos Bay to Melanie Cove Tenedos Bay is a large, deep area with an island and many choices for anchorage, depending on what kind of view, privacy, or protection from weather that you want. We chose a spot against a rock wall and, having lashed a wood dowel across the windgenerator support to hold our spool of poly rope, I rolled out the line as Clark rowed Darzee to shore. Before we got the engine shut down and things put away, two kayakers hovered at our stern asking questions about our trimaran. They were from San Francisco on a Nordhaven anchored nearby. One owned an F-27 in Alameda, the other had built a Piver back in the sixties and sailed it to the South Pacific. We gave them a tour and then went over to look at their well-equipped powerboat. The walk to the lake was indeed short but the shore was piled with jams of huge logs left over from the days of logging, so we couldn't get near the water. The trail around the right side peetered to a slashing fest through the branches, so we turned back. Days later we found out from other cruisers that we should've crossed the creek and gone around the left side, where there were rocks for a swim platform. Oh well, next time. The moss was thick and lovely, one of the only photos I took. We tootled around the bay looking for interesting spots to anchor in future visits– the hideaway spot known as the "3-fathom hole" looked very protected and private– there was only one boat but room for a few more. We dawdled the next morning (I refreshed my haircolor) then left after lunch to meet Valhalla in Melanie Cove. As we turned around the point, we saw whitecaps out in Homfray Channel. The wind was blowing 20 knots so we ducked between islands to get out of the chop. Rikki-tikki entered Melanie, waving as we passed Valhalla, to set the Northill in the head of the cove. We were going to stern-tie again but the wind was funneling into the anchorage, boats were putting out second anchors and tying additional shorelines, so we felt that swinging with the wind would be preferable. We launched Darzee and joined Valhalla's crew for cocktails. The subject of conversation was the entertainment being provided by all the other boaters as they reinforced their positions against the increasing wind, which was now gusting heartily. Some boats, especially powerboats, seem to dance wildly from one side of their anchor chain to the other. Others lie sedately into the wind. Rikki-tikki, contrary to the reported multihull characteristic of "sailing" around their rode, behaves well. He responds to the wind but doesn't pull madly at his leash. The boats shore-tied were beam to the wind, which is not desirable. Suddenly a huge gust whipped into Melanie Cove. Valhalla heeled over and our drinks went airborne and flew downhill. Bev ended up being on the receiving side of the table. Clark and I decided quickly that we didn't want to lie awake all night aboard Rikki wondering who would be dragging anchor. Rikki-tikki was downwind of every other boat there and would be THE target. We wished Wes and Patti a happy anniversary, thanked Johnie and Bev for their hospitality, jumped into Darzee and sped back to Rikki. We never hoisted the outboard or lifted Darzee onto the deck quicker! We were out'a there! We wove between veering boats on our way out, heading for the niche we'd used during our previous visit. It would be quieter there, we knew. Tucked in close to shore, shielded from the SW winds, we could get a good night's rest. Out in the larger anchorage, boats were also doing the "wind dance". Our spot was open (who would anchor there anyway?); it took two tries to get positioned properly but once out of the gusts, rowing to shore to loop the stern line around a tree was no problem. A short while later, two boats who had been attempting to find good holding out in the middle, saw that "our" location was wind-protected. They came in behind along the shore, a good distance away, one anchored, the other tied alongside. Clark prepared dinner as I watched the wind speed top out at ten and calculated that the eight-foot tide would still leave us with enough water. We were fine! The two boats behind us were having a party– hard rock blaring for the entire bay to endure. I told Clark that if the "music" didn't stop at ten PM, out would come our million-candlepower spotlight! We went to bed, noticing that every other boat around, except the party-boats, displayed no lights other than little anchor lights. Everyone had retired. Ten o'clock. No reduction of the intrusion. Ten fifteen, still blaring. I got up, put on my fleece, went out into the cockpit with the searchlight. I blasted them! Had to wiggle it a bit to get their attention. A guy with a beer can appeared. I yelled, "It's after ten. Please turn it off!" I am sure he could not hear me, but the blinding white light in his eyes made its point. He disappeared, the noise ceased. "Thank you!" I truly expected to hear a cheer raised from the other boats, but all was silent. Thank you. It rained at midnight, but the wind calmed and we slept well. We have nearly tired of taking photos of Rikki-tikki in each place he visits but, as Marcia told us, his colors blend so well into the greens of the lichens and mosses on shore, we couldn't help this one. This is our rocky bight in Prideaux Haven. We call it, "Find RTT." Valhalla hailed us on their way south the next morning, saying good-bye. We wished them well and asked them to call us on the VHF when they got to Sarah Point– we wanted to know whether to go north or south, depending on the wind. They said it was choppy and very windy; they decided to tuck into Grace Harbor instead of bashing to the Copeland Islands. Our choice, then, was to go north up Waddington Channel where the water was placid. We would explore Pendrell Sound, where the water is said to be the warmest in British Columbia!

Prideaux Haven to Squirrel Cove

2005-09-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Cruising British Columbia Volume IV: Roscoe Bay to Squirrel Cove Even though Roscoe Bay had enough going for it to keep us occupied for weeks, we followed Juniata and Millennium Dragon out into Waddington Channel, across Homfray Channel, and into Prideaux Haven, another very popular anchorage in Desolation Sound. It was a very short hop. We rolled out the jib briefly to catch a breeze and shot photos of the spectacular clouds clinging to the peaks up Homfray. The view is memorable. While Juniata and Milly D established their base mid-harbor, Rikki-tikki headed for digs closer to the south shore of Prideaux anchorage. The depths remained at fifty feet and our anchor just didn't seem to grab, so we circled around to the other side. Choosing a niche in a rocky bight, albeit one without the preferred view of the mountains, our Northill dug in and we tied to a tree ashore off the stern. Confident that we were settled for the night, Darzee took us to cocktails and dinner on Juniata, who had "the view". We bought along our Silent Sam vodka. Mmmmm... it is too smooth! It began to rain as we returned to Rikki-tikki, with distant lightning and thunder. When we awoke next morning, it was low tide and the wind was blowing us toward the shore. Clark is asking, "Is this too close, dear?" We let out some shore line and pulled in on the anchor rode to keep the ama off the rocks. (Isn't it cool how we can tie Darzee under Rikki's wing so he doesn't fill with rainwater?) Our trusty Porta-Bote dinghy, allows us to get to farther-away places for investigation. Dave and Clark went fishing after breakfast but didn't catch anything. Later, we explored nearby Melanie and Laura Coves, and went around Eveleigh Island. The morning after the thunderstorm, the carcass of a tree accented this scene looking across Homfray Channel. The second morning, when the weather was back to wonderful, and before the wakes of dozens of vessels disturb the glassy water, the reflections are amazing. The two masts just to left of center are Juniata and Milly D. We discovered a remote, tiny cove where a huge school of silver fish circled as they fed. We watched, mesmerized. Valhalla, with Wes and Patti aboard, were to meet us in Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island. Juniata and Milly D left after breakfast. Rikki-tikki, heeding his own clock, followed later on but nearly caught up to Milly D as she left the little town of Squirrel Cove, having stopped for provisions at the little store. Inside the cove, we anchored and enjoyed another evening aboard the twins. As we sipped wine, a Nordic Tug came in and dropped anchor practically on top of Juniata's chain. Dave, not happy, let out another twenty feet to back away. That night, as the wind clocked around, that insensitive powerboater ended up looking directly into our aft settee– too close! We put down the shade! On top of invading our space, at eight a.m., he started his genset. We raised our anchor and moved away into the small, shallow area just in front of the lagoon. As we finished relocating, we just happened to notice that the tide was perfect for gaining access into the lagoon. Entrance is only possible at a slack tide with enough water to cover its rocky channel. At other times, water cascades into or out of the large body of water behind this barracade. Darzee was gently floated over staghorn seaweed, purple sea stars, orange cushion stars, large burgundy and smaller white mitridium anemones, and pushed past the ledge at the inside of the channel. At this meeting of moving water, there were large schools of juvenile fishes of different kinds, some long and eel-like, others flashing open gills as they fed. We saw shield-backed crab and hundreds of wine-colored stichopus, sponges in bright oranges and pinks, big sea stars with long legs, and many colors and sizes of sunflower stars. We gazed over the sides of our little boat, entranced. Knowing time was short, we tried to absorb all the detail we were seeing, but in just a few minutes, the tide turned and took Darzee back into the channel, over the fascinating tidal environment. We were flushed back into the harbor, back into deeper water. There, the ubiquitous moon jellies slowly glided by as we rowed back to Rikki-tikki for breakfast. What a wonderful ride! We felt it was time to celebrate, now that Valhalla had joined us again, so we invited the entire flotilla aboard for appetizers. We laid out a cheese and meat tray, got out the wine, connected the JBL onTour speakers to the iPod, set it to "shuffle"– we were ready for the crowd. Clark fetched four of RTT's guests in a dinghy-train (quack-quack!). Barry, Gerta's crew, contributed a bottle of champagne for the toast– to friendship, to cruising, and to Rikki-tikki. Somehow, appetizers expanded to all ten people for dinner! Thankfully, the evening was balmy and everyone else went back to their boats to fetch the food. All we had to do was mix up Gerta's salad, heat Marcia's zucchini lasagna, provide some plates, and clean up. What a great party! RTT was properly broken in– christened, as Bev said. We waved good-bye to Juniata and Milly D the next morning and promptly headed back to the lagoon for another go at viewing the wonders there. This time we had the motor on, so we went all the way around the lagoon looking at sea creatures and exploring. There were several small, picturesque islands. We advised the crew of Valhalla that they had just enough time to get into the lagoon to see the rich and varied sealife, but they hadn't eaten breakfast yet. When they attempted entry just a short while later, the door had closed. Water rushed over the rocks from the lagoon like a waterfall. They were content with a walk along the edges. Rikki-tikki was left alone again as Valhalla went across to the dock at Refuge Cove. We decided to go to Tenedos Bay, where reportedly another lake is within easy hiking distance. Before we weighed anchor, we zoomed over to the town in Darzee for a little shopping. The store had wonderful produce in the walk-in cold box, a very good selection of groceries, a hardware section in the basement, and a liquor store. There is also a nice restaurant nearby, a crafts shop, showers and laundromat, but no diesel. We bought some California wine, eggs, cream, and produce, and made a few phone calls from the booth. The photo shows the government float at Squirrel Cove viewed from the small dinghy dock. Refuge Cove is just across the water. Great view, terrific weather! Now, we're off to Tenedos Bay!

Rebecca Spit Onward

2005-09-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Cruising British Columbia Volume III: Rebecca Spit Onward While Rikki-tikki was three nights at Rebecca Spit, we invited Johnie & Bev over for dinner. As we were sitting around the table, this teeny-weeny, odd-looking boat motored into the harbor. Basically, in a plywood box with a mast, this couple was out there doing it (cruising that is)! Over the fifteen years we were building, we often heard questions like, "How much does it cost to build a boat? How much does it cost to cruise? How can you afford to retire and go cruising?" Looking at little Teeweni here, not much! Then there were those, somewhat wiser folks, who asked, "Wouldn't you have more time on the water if you didn't make it so fancy?" Yes! Turns out the man who built this boat is a naval architect?! His dinghy was another plywood box tipped up and attached to Teeweni's port side. The boarding ladder on the bow was something we'd never seen. One has to admire their adventurousness. He did admit that the boat doesn't go to weather very well. In BC, who cares? The fleet had reservations at the Heriot Bay Marina around the corner and weighed anchor. We took Darzee over and joined them for dinner on Juniata the last night, getting back to Rikki-tikki just as it began to rain again. Earlier in the day, we'd dinghied into the marina for groceries at the nice store up the hill (always a hill!), and got a load of laundry done at the cute Heriot Bay Inn. An artistic proprietor has painted nearly everything in sight. Even their large propane tanks have bracken fern decoration applied using sagey green spray paints over the fronds as stencils. We asked about internet access and, surprisingly, they had free wireless! As we waited for our laundry, we picked up some email. Gerta, Clark and I strolled along the roadside picking fresh blackberries before we went back to our boats. Next morning, Rikki-tikki himself was brought into the tiny fuel dock behind the ferry landing, where he backed into place. While Clark filled the tanks, I logged onto the wireless again and was able to accomplish a few things online during that short timespan. Dave was amazed that access was free and we didn't have to have a subscription of some kind. I think we'll be going back on our way south just for the very nice grocery store and the free internet! Valhalla returned to Campbell River to pick up Wes and Patti, and would meet up with us in a few days. So with Juniata leading the way, Millennium Dragon and Rikki-tikki tagging along, we made our way through a silvery seascape up Sutil Channel toward Von Donop Inlet. The Heriot Bay ferry passing was the only break in the glistening, monochromatic scene. Clark and I had never seen water this placid since installing our autopilot and so had been unable to calibrate the unit. We steered Rikki-tikki-tavi by hand all the way here from San Francisco! We decided to take advantage of the flat calm and drive the required 400-degree circles– two of them in succession. The computer in the autopilot compares the data it collects while you are executing the maneuvers. If everything matches up, it sets the compass and you are ready to steer by just pushing little buttons on its remote. Wow. It worked the first time! We let it steer for a half-mile, then took to dodging flotsam by hand again. Von Donop was overcast, but quiet and scenic. Millions of moon jellies wafted by, pulsating through the water. We all hopped into our respective dinghies and "beached" them at the head of three trails leading to Squirrel Cove on the other side of Cortes Island. We took the short one in the middle to the head of the drying lagoon. The group assembled once again for evening cocktails and potluck dinner. Marcia said this was what they did each evening all summer long! It rained overnight, leaving great piles of cumulus clouds and sun for our trip around the northern tip of Cortes Island, down Lewis Channel, under the south end of West Redonda, to Roscoe Bay. Marcia had timed our arrival to make sure there was enough water over the drying bar midway down the entrance. Rikki-tikki was left to lead as Juniata put down a prawn trap outside in Waddington Channel. We decided on a shore-tie, Juniata and Milly D anchored, tied together, in the middle of the lovely, protected bay. Dave was at Rikki-tikki before we finished breakfast, anxious to check his prawn trap and show Clark how to catch fish. He wanted to take Darzee with his more powerful outboard. I wanted to go along– photo-op and all (and I like fishing!). Saying, "There's really not room for three in the boat", Dave relented. I enjoyed taking photos as Dave set up his fishfinder, baited his hook, had Clark set Darzee over the correct depth, and dropped the line. As soon as it reached the bottom, he had a fish! It was a bright orange red snapper, and since you can only keep one, the fishing was over in five minutes flat. Clark motored over to the trap float and Dave hauled up 300 feet of poly rope. That took some time! We were excited to see the net box, baited with a punctured can of cat food, when it reached the surface carrying a respectable number of prawns and some little crustaceans Dave called squat lobsters. The had short bodies and two long, skinny arms with pincers. We threw the little squats back, but kept the forty prawns. Here is a close-up of one of the squat lobsters. Cute, aren't they? Dave baited the trap again and dropped it overboard. Upon returning to Rikki-tikki, he showed us how to clean the fish, which he gave to us for lunch, and the prawns, which Marcia would cook for appetizers later. The water in Roscoe Bay is quite warm and filled even more thickly than Von Donop with moon jellies. We installed an Offshore Marine Labs watermaker on Rikki-tikki-tavi while he was still under construction. Up until now, the water he'd been sitting in had not been ideal for the initial flush and start-up procedure. Now, we had some time and clean water. While Clark worked on getting it started for the first time, I hung out in Darzee under the wing, watching for water output and trying to photograph jellyfish. The result is fairly pathetic, but perhaps you get some idea of how prolific they were. Here is our first taste of reverse-osmosis water from the watermaker! I took the photo with this background because there is a very free-flowing freshwater spring just at the point to the right of the glass. Someone has attached a hose far above at the source and you can even drive your "big boat" right up to it at the right tide and fill your tanks! The water is clear, cold and delicious. The next morning, on a men-only excursion out to the channel, Dave caught another red snapper– fatter than the first! He knows how to catch fish and loves every minute of the hunt. Later, we took the short, well-worn trail to large Black Lake where the swimming is very accessible off nice flat rocks, though rather slippery ones. The water is comfortably tolerable and we all had a nice rinse. Barry spent the afternoon snorkelling under Milly D to replace zincs and checking damage to Juniata's keel where Dave and Marcia tangled with a rock earlier in the summer. That evening, it was our turn to host cocktails and dinner aboard Rikki-tikki. Roscoe Bay has pretty much everything one could want; a secure anchorage protected from all weather, scenic surroundings, fishing out in the channel, a swimming lake nearby, and fresh water from a hose! We heard of folks who spend all summer here and of one fellow who spends four months here, four months in Opua, New Zealand– his two favorite places in the world! It takes months for his Pacific Ocean crossings though. We wouldn't mind paying Roscoe Bay an extended visit, but the Fleet is headed for Prideaux Haven, so untie that shoreline! (Rikki-tikki will be back.)

French Creek to Rebecca Spit

2005-09-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Cruising in BC Volume II: French Creek to Rebecca Spit Rikki-tikki-tavi was away from French Creek Harbor at 0930, motoring under fantastic cumulus clouds and sun, his stern lifted by long south swells, remnants of the strong winds of the previous day. The day would be a long one, a distance of over fifty-six nautical miles– a little over eight hours. We were exited to hear Valhalla and Juniata talking on the VHF when we were still south of Hornby Island– they were at Rebecca Spit, a Provincial Marine Park on Quadra Island, east of Campbell River. They didn't expect us for two more days! Our arrival would be a surprise. The weather forecast said the low front that brought all the wind was on its way south of Nanaimo. We were headed north, most of the weather heads south, so we thought any of the nasty stuff had already passed. We enjoyed watching the fantastic cloud formations as they passed southward. Then we noticed it was raining over in Baynes Sound. We felt smug that we had chosen to pass Hornby on the Strait side instead of up that channel! Shortly after we'd passed Hornby, the skies closer to us began to grow dark and ugly. A glance behind shocked us– an ominous ragged edge of stormclouds was moving very fast toward Rikki-tikki. Doesn't that look like the beginnings of a funnel cloud? We weren't anxious to experience a waterspout, but we were helpless in the path of the thunderstorm. Heavy rain was obscuring the coast of Vancouver Island and the sea was getting bumpy. We had been running with the jib out, motorsailing with a breeze from our stern starboard quarter. But this thing looked so frightening, we quickly rolled in the sail. We also unplugged our GPS and our computer just in case of lightning, and put on our rain gear. The wind picked up very fast and within five minutes, the storm was upon us. A heavy pelting rain enclosed Rikki-tikki-tavi and the surface wind veered rapidly from southeast to northwest, though the storm above was moving in the opposite direction. The drenched flag was whipped around the backstay bridle and water gushed down the mast into the cockpit. We stood huddled beneath the dodger as lightning flashed and thunder sounded simultaneously– that sure made me jump! Clark reached backwards briefly to touch the metal wheel to steer only as necessary. Earlier, we'd encountered two large tugs, each pulling a huge barge, one with a crane atop. They were crossing Georgia Strait at an angle, headed for Discovery Passage– on a collision course with us, not a very big gap between. Tugs pulling barges always have the right-of-way and we needed to adjust our course or speed to avoid them. First I tried sailing toward them which increased our speed to over eight knots with the jib out. On this course we would've had to run the gauntlet between them and that was too scary. So we chose to slow down just enough that they would pass in front of us. Problem solved. When the storm overtook us, we were following them. We soon lost sight of them in the downpour. It was a fast-moving storm, and we were grateful for it to be over. The sun broke through and Rikki-tikki-tavi began to dry out as we turned our attention back to our goal of surprising Juniata and Valhalla. We neared our quarry parked at Rebecca Spit, which is a long, narrow arm of peninsula opening to the north with an anchorage area protected from the Strait. A small gap in the trees gave Clark a chance to spot, with our binoculars, Valhalla's roller-furling jib with its "band-aid", a patch sewn to protect the suncover. We knew what we were looking for– they were there, unsuspecting. Just then channel 16 on the VHF radio crackled with a familiar and obviously gleeful voice, "RIKKI. TIKKI. TAVI., RIKKI. TIKKI. TAVI. This is Juniata." What?! How could they have seen us! We looked at each other and said, "I guess we'd better answer. We've been found out!" Once we acknowledged the call and switched to a "working channel", Dave told us he'd been sitting in the cockpit sipping a glass of wine when he just happened to look up as we passed that gap in the trees and saw a distinctive masthead. He grabbed his binocs to get a better look and, sure enough, recognized the top of Rikki-tikki-tavi's mast. He said, "It looked like something I did!" I chuckled because he did spend a lot of time helping us rig the mast, and said, "Well, we were trying to play stealth trimaran, but I guess that didn't work! Who would've thought that you would look up to gaze through the gap in the trees at at the very few seconds we passed?" Everyone was so excited as we rounded the end of the Spit into view. They sounded an airhorn and we answered with ours. We quickly chose a spot nearby to set Rikki-tikki-tavi's anchor, throw together some food to take over for our contribution to the dinner held for our last-minute arrival, launched Darzee, and rowed over to Juniata. We made short work of Marcia's porkchops, Gerta's wine, and our greenbean sauté– after all the joyful greetings and hugs, of course. Bev and Johnie joined us and we drank even more wine, talking and laughing until ten. It was a wonderful evening, better than we had hoped. After so many years of waiting for us to arrive in British Columbia, I think Dave's elation when he spied Rikki-tikki through the trees made his day! His voice over the VHF calling "RIKKI. TIKKI. TAVI." sure made ours.

Nanaimo to French Creek

2005-09-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

Volume I: Nanaimo to French Creek Alone again on Rikki-tikki-tavi, we found enough to keep us busy for three more days! Cruisers spend a lot of time looking for ways to get supplies like water, fuel, propane, food, etc. This can be quite challenging and sometimes arduous, but it can be a fun way to explore a new spot. Some boaters make stops at marinas regularly for laundromats and showers. We shower aboard and don't make a lot of laundry, so mostly we just have to find food and fuel, plus we prefer to anchor rather than pay moorage fees. Nanaimo is a very well-developed city and it has a concentrated marina area with restaurants, a nice chandlery, a grocery and mall nearby. This view is of the downtown municipal marina and high-speed ferry landing, with the Newcastle Island/Protection Island anchorage out in the distance. Rikki-tikki is among the crowd of boats to the left of the group way out there (can you see him?). We motored Darzee across the harbor any time we wanted to come ashore, parking him behind a little floating restaurant called "Penny's Palapa". A small but interesting street fair offers fresh farmer's produce, specialty foods and crafts. With our new friends from the anchorage, Rod and Barb, we enjoyed a sunny morning at the market- I bought some lovely handmade feather and leather earrings from a First Nation woman. A troupe of preschoolers enchanted the crowd as they filed through the fair, each hatted and wearing an oversize green T-shirt emblazoned with the name of their school. A costumed bag-piper played while we did the obligatory tourist pose behind painted plywood figures representing early settlers of Nanaimo at The Bastion. I'm wearing my new feather earrings. We discovered there was a Costco along one of the Nanaimo city bus routes, so an entire day was devoted to getting there, stocking up on protein sources, and getting back! It was a very long day which cost us eight dollars in bus fare. Not inexpensive, but we found a couple of nice waterproof down vests for our winter on Galiano Island. Our little freezer full again, we pointed Rikki-tikki's bow toward the less-supplied islands of Desolation Sound. With the promise getting together with Captain Stan from Noyo, of dinner and laundry, French Creek was our destination. We were told it was very small. There was even some speculation that there would be no room for our trimaran, but Stan said he would come down and help us tie up when we called on VHF. With confidence, we motored Rikki-tikki-tavi out of Nanaimo's north entrance, carefully avoiding the infamous rocks that inhabit her harbor channel– rocks that damage and sink many vessels each year. As we approached French Creek, our VHF hails to the Captain went unanswered. He must've been called away! There would be no help on the dock, but we went in anyway, there being no other harbor or anchorage nearby. And was it tiny! Smaller than small, with every space stacked two and three deep with boats; mostly commercial fishing vessels, but quite a few sailboats, even a couple of trimarans. We inched in, stopped and backed, slowly turning around. Finally choosing a spot aside a small sailboat, we nudged ourselves in, using the boathook to position Rikki-tikki snugly with lots of fenders between us. The photo shows the spot we're headed for... behind the silver crabber, see that little sailboat? Rikki's port ama is pointing straight at it. We are thankful there was absolutely no wind! Despite missing our dinner with the Captain, by a happy chance, we enjoyed visiting with his two crewmembers, Emile and André! Emile and his wife, who dock their boat just two boats away from where we parked Rikki-tikki, drove us to the local market where we bought a few more essentials, like coffee and eggs. Thank you so much! It was wonderful seeing you again. A strong southeasterly wind howled the next day, and whitehorses pranced outside in the Strait of Georgia. We would've made a very fast passage to Rebecca Spit if we hadn't wanted to wait another day, hoping to give Stan time to return. We spent a second night, with its rather pricey dock fee, tied to that little sailboat. We are sorry we missed you, Captain Stan! The gale winds faded with the sunset. Fair weather was in the forecast for our long run to Quadra Island, where we hoped to spring a surprise arrival on our cruising friends on Juniata and Valhalla. Little did we know of what was in store for us...

Email from the crew

2005-08-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Rikki-tikki-tavi joined long-time friends on Juniata, Valhalla and Millennium Dragon on August 28 at Rebecca Spit, Heriot Bay, Quadra Island. Rikki-tikki tried to sneak up on the group to arrive unannounced and unexpected. We left French Creek under sunny, cloud-decorated skies, smooth seas on the Strait of Georgia, after 25 to 30 knot winds the previous day. RTT was away from the crowded marina at 9:30 AM. Motorsailing up the Strait, we were overtaken by a freaky-looking thunderstorm that poured rain and frightened crew (Nina) with thunder claps and lightning.

The sun came out about 5:30 PM just as Rikki-tikki approached Rebecca Spit from the outside. We spotted our quarry through a narrow break in the trees. We knew everyone would be there because we'd heard them on the VHF while still south of Hornby Island. We weren't going to call; we wanted to surprise them all.... just then the VHF crackled "RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI, RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI, Juniata". The tone in Dave's voice was gleeful. He'd just happened to glance up while sitting in the cockpit of Juniata sipping wine, and he spied the top of RTT's mast. We were found out! Our cover blown, we returned the call, and soon rounded the corner of the spit to anchor off Juniata's starboard quarter. We threw a few things together, launched Darzee and rowed over to big hugs– and a great porkchop dinner! What a memorable occasion– we talked and sipped wine until 10 PM. Next, Desolation Sound in company of friends.

Fair winds,

Clark & Nina

Border to BC

2005-08-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

August 25, 2005 Darzee sends his apologies for monopolizing the writing time of Rikki-tikki’s crew with his running about. In contrast to the many nautical miles traveled in one long leg at a time off the West Coast of the USA, distances between stops here in British Columbia are much shorter. There is much to do, people to see, shore visits to enjoy. In these first three weeks, we’ve spent a few days at a time in some anchorages, not because of nasty weather but because it was pleasant! Quite the change, and a much welcomed one. We've done much running about. We must have crossed some demarcation line at the border in the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, because the weather has been just lovely since we arrived in Canada. We know it’s August, reputedly the best month for cruising BC, but we are enjoying it immensely. It has actually rained only once, kindly at night, and Rikki-tikki was given a much-needed freshwater rinse. Back to our Canada arrival... We were excited to learn that, after our long journey, some truly wonderful friends were close by in Sydney Harbor! So, the day after we were made official visitors, we took Darzee for his first runabout under outboard engine power around to Sydney's lovely marina, filled with fancy yachts, in search of Valhalla, a Catalina 34 that has seen sixteen summers cruising in British Columbia. We found her without crew aboard, so we left our card and wandered off to explore the flower-festooned town on foot. We had the most fabulous lunch at a cute little place called “Fish on Fifth”. Everything about the food was outstanding– its presentation was artful and beautiful, the flavors unique and yummy, the price excellent. We had fish ‘n’ chips– choosing cod, chips replaced by salads. The ambiance was fun and colorful, just like the garden salad. We gave this establishment a score of 11, on a scale of 1 to 10. Wow– no ordinary fish ‘n’ chips here! Back on the docks, we visited with Johnie, Bev and guests, grandaughter Alica and friend Carly, on Valhalla. We all drank a toast to Rikki-tikki-tavi and his upcoming adventures. We made it back to Tsehum Harbor anchorage just at sunset in little Darzee. Our chance meeting held much significance for us all. Our friends and supporters through the entire building of our trimaran, and friends of Nina's parents when they sailed a Catalina 25 back in the nineteen-seventies, Johnie and Bev were the first fellow sailors to greet Rikki-tikki-tavi in Canadian waters. They brought Valhalla into Tsehum, rafting next to Rikki, and stepped aboard in unison. What a terrific way to end a journey and to begin a new one. We are so grateful for a safe journey and for such good friends. We spent the next day in Darzee exploring every nook and cranny in Tsehum harbor, then prepared to leave for Saltspring Island and the harbor of Ganges, where we would meet both Valhalla and friends aboard Bankrupt for cocktails. We had just started the engine to leave Sunday morning when a dinghy arrived carrying a fellow asking if we were friends of Dave and Marcia. Yes, we said, and he climbed aboard. Shortly, another dinghy arrived with a fellow asking the same. It was great fun meeting Adgard and Jim, both of whom had been told to keep a lookout for us. Jim even brought us some smoked salmon, though not the white King salmon from Neah Bay we had longed for. Two hours later, we motored out of Tsehum, bound for Ganges under sunny skies. We rowed Darzee from our anchorage into Ganges Marina, climbing aboard Bankrupt to enjoy more hugs and warm greetings from Dick, Sharon, Spud and Betty. After a lively dinner, we hunted for Rikki out in the dark harbor full of anchored boats. We'd forgotten to hang out the anchor light! Bankrupt and crew came over to tie next to Rikki next day on their way to Montague Harbour Provincial Park on Galiano Island. We followed later after visiting with Mark, another trimariner anchored nearby on a Piver design. While at Montague, Johnie and Bev went over their well-used cruising atlas and pointed out some good spots for us to stop along our journeys. We stayed another night and then headed back to Ganges for groceries and internet access. The Saltspring Island Public Library has free wireless access and everything in the little town is within walking distance from the dinghy dock. There is a very nice grocery store, two liquor stores (you can't buy liquor in a grocery store in Canada), pharmacy/drug store, little specialty boutiques, galleries, bookstores, a hardware store, coffee shops, and, on Saturday, a street market. Everything a cruiser needs. The laundromat at the Ganges Marina only has two washers and two dryers though. Luckily, we've learned how to make less laundry– high tech fibers that dry quickly and using a synthetic chamois instead of a bath towel help tremendously. We have better things to do than sit and wait for the dryer! Ganges Harbor dinghy dock with the usual crowd. Just putt right in, shove the other dinghies aside! Large boats have large dinghies that take up a lot of dock space, like the three on the left. The big yacht at the top of the photo was called "Attitude Adjustment". Its uniformed crew off-loaded three motorcycles using a crane that came up from inside the foredeck! Using the free wireless in Ganges to send/receive email made it possible for family to coordinate a visit with Nina's mom from Sacramento and aunt in Vancouver. Our Cingular GoPhone, we discovered, didn't "go" in Canada, but we found some prepaid phone cards at the drug store with very low rates to call the US. Between the two, we set the meeting for the following week on Galiano Island, where Betty has a home overlooking Montague Harbour. After adding more groceries to the ship's stores, we took off to explore some likely wintering spots. We were looking forward to some fair winds for a day's sail to Maple Bay on Vancouver Island, but we had to motor over smooth water under a sunny sky. Oh, the tribulation we've had to endure while here in BC! Maple Bay Marina turned out to be a charming place– pristinely kept, a lovely nature walk, very nice washrooms and showers. But there was no room on the docks for Rikki-tikki for the winter there. Anchoring-out was still a possibility. Next day, we continued down Sansum Narrows to Tod Inlet, where we anchored at the very head of the narrow bight beyond any other boats. It was so warm that I went swimming! Clark watched from the deck as he prepared to row out a stern anchor to keep Rikki-tikki from heading over the really shallow parts when the tide went out eleven feet. Tod Inlet is part of another BC Park. It has trails and a dinghy dock. We walked the trail along the head of the inlet, picking juicy blackberries along the way. One of the trails leads up to the road that ends at the main entrance to the famous Butchart Gardens. We walked up to the entrance gate to find out the fee to go in– $22 each. On our way back to the boat, we stopped to talk to Nick on his pretty junk-rigged wood boat. We took this photo as we left the next morning. Tod Inlet would be a very protected anchorage for a winter. There is bus service around Vancouver Island. No place to keep a car though, if we were to bring ours from California for some winter land cruising. Motoring back to Montague, with another stop on the way for water at the Ganges public wharf, we had a heck of a time getting Rikki-tikki off the dock when a brisk beam-on wind sprang up while we were ashore for one hour. The adrenaline surge lingered after we barely escaped unmarred, so we elected not to sail across to Galiano even though we now had enough wind. Montague was glassy calm the following morning when we took Darzee ashore to meet Mom and Betty. The years of patience for the time when family could board Rikki-tikki-tavi in Canada were awarded with gleeful smiles. Betty's grandson, Gareth, had explored every locker and cubbyhole before the ladies could get below! He was everywhere at once, but I managed to grab a photo of him as he popped up from a deck hatch– like the critter in the carnival game, Whack-A-Mole. With Batty, Gareth and Mom, we motored a calm circumnavigation of Prevost Island, stopping for lunch in a bay where we watched the big BC ferries go by between Swartz Bay, Vancouver Island, and Tsawwassen on the mainland. That evening we celebrated Clark's birthday at the Hummingbird Pub for dinner, then enjoyed some St. André cheese and Silent Sam vodka (thanks for introducing us to this, Karen!) as we watched the sunset from Betty's deck up at the house. Mom joined Rikki-tikki's crew for three nights. It was lovely having her aboard and, even though she and Dad didn't explore the Gulf islands in their many trips on boats to BC, she said it felt like "home". First, we took Rikki up Trincomali Channel, Houstoun Passage, Stuart Channel, to Telegraph Harbor. We anchored him near the mouth of the inlet because it was pretty crowded inside. We watched the seaplanes take off next to us, covering our ears from the noise, then a full moon filled the sky. On our way north to Ruxton Passage Cove, we went into Ladysmith Harbor, where we hoped to find the boat canvas ladies we'd been told about. Rikki-tikki still needs his cockpit enclosed before the winter rains come. We arrived a half-hour after they'd left for the weekend, plus the harbormaster wanted $10 just to tie up the dinghy, and the grocery store was a long uphill hike into town. Ladysmith was awarded "Most Beautiful Community" on Vancouver Island. The waterfront apparently wasn't considered, because it's industrial and ugly, with very limited access for recreational boats. Log booms fill a large portion of the harbor and we spotted a large deadhead among the many errant floating logs. A deadhead is a log that has sunk on one end, becoming vertical in the water, and gotten itself stuck into the bottom. It was low tide when we spotted this one and its top was a foot above water. When the tide came in, well, that deadhead would still be there waiting to rip into any boat that had the misfortune to hit it. We went dead slow on our way out, making sure we followed our GPS track to avoid the now-unseen danger. After a quiet night in the cove at De Courcy Island, a short hike ashore to stretch our legs, we timed our arrival at the south end of Dodd Narrows, where the current runs up to nine knots, for slack water. Other boats were assembling for passage at either end. Powerboats were coming through before slack but we waited until the first crush of boats had passed before we announced on the VHF that we were entering northbound. We'd spotted a barge on the far end and hoped he would also be waiting. It was low tide, which makes the Narrows even narrower, and it narrows even more at its north end. Luckily, there was only one small powerboat entering from that end as Rikki-tikki reached the very narrowest part. As we exited, the tug pulling the chip barge announced he was going through. On to Nanaimo, a bustling city with numerous ferries, seaplanes, shipping, and LOTS of other boats– every size and persuasion. We anchored across from the city in front of Newcastle Island, another park, on the fringe of the expanse of other boats. It was windy and choppy, but it didn't look like any space big enough for Rikki was farther inside. Clark and Mom launched Darzee to hunt for better conditions. Space looks real big from Darzee, but when Rikki gets there, it has shrunk! But Rikki took a spot closer in where the water was a bit shallow. We hoped the wind didn't shift and blow us toward shore. I was still concerned, so I set the anchor alarm and placed the depthsounder where I could see it during the night. Winds gusted up to 15 knots but remained from the northwest; we were okay. The BC Ferry to Tsawwassen would take Mom back, the end of her visit. We expected there would be a bus to the ferries from the marina. No such thing in Nanaimo. One might suspect that the taxi lobby holds a monopoly on getting foot traffic to the landings. So, we hugged goodbye and loaded Mom into a cab. Still a bit concerned about Rikki out there in the stiff breeze, we made a very quick trip to Thrifty Foods and splashed Darzee back. We've been hanging out at Newcastle Island now for four nights, catching up the blog, prepping photos, meeting new friends, watching boats come and go, and making trips into Nanaimo for food, propane, water and internet access at Literacy Nanaimo– $1 for all day. We bought 600 feet of floating poly rope on a spool for a stern line. When we get to Desolation Sound in September, most boats anchor off the bow with a line tied to shore from the stern. We will be heading north again soon, stopping at French Creek to visit the fellows we met while confined in Noyo Harbor, then meeting Dave and Marcia at Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island. Johnie and Bev on Valhalla, dubbed "Mother Duck", are headed there also with friends Wes and Patti aboard. It will be fun tagging along. We'll be flying our duckling pennant!

Hammond to Canada

2005-08-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

We were treated to a visit to Mount St. Helens following Rikki's relaunch after the repair. What an awesome sight it was, a beautiful day, and wonderful new friends to share it with us. The very enthusiastic Park Naturalist/Ranger has everyone in the crowd visualizing where the mountain's top used to be. Next leg of the journey– Hammond, Oregon, to Grays Harbor, Washington. The tight spot on the Grays Harbor Westport Marina transient dock between the red sailboat and the charter vessel "Hawk"– just a few feet to spare! As all marinas have been since leaving San Francisco, this is filled with commercial fishing and work boats. Like these... Three particularly ominous looking bottom-draggers in Westport, GraysHarbor. And for contrast, just across the way from Rikki-tikki, a fleet of plastic paddle boats await tourist renters. They resemble Dutch wooden shoes, don'tthey? Still at Westport Marina, up on the wharf, I spotted this pickup truck laden with floats for crab-pots. We wish the floats we had to dodge out there onthe ocean were as colorful– they'd be easier to spot! As we left Grays Harbor the following morning, the fog was so thick we couldn't see 50 feet– thank goodness for our radar and our recorded track onthe Garmin GPS! The fog lifted just barely off the water so we could snap this photo as we cleared the harbor entrance. The entrance to the Quillayute River at La Push, Washington, is tricky and tight. In a word– thrilling. Inside tiny Makah Marina at La Push, Rikki-tikki is in stark contrast to his "picturesque" surroundings. The fog lifted as we approached our long-sought-after goal of Cape Flattery, in the background on the right. The little island with the lighthouse on itis Tatoosh. We toasted our rounding of the Cape with wine. The sun came out in Port Angeles, Washington, after a thick fog plagued our journey eastward down The Strait. Rikki-tikki anchored off Hollywood Beach,which was covered with Makah dugout canoes. Port Angeles was host to the Makah "Journey to Elwah". These three canoes were tied to the side of a large fishing vessel. A literal jumble of large Makah canoes on the beach in front of the Red Lion Hotel. We missed the races. The Makah women performed dances wearing colorful black and red robes whilethe men drummed and sang. Darzee makes a new friend when Small Fry comes to visit. We enjoyed Ira's company aboard Rikki-tikki-tavi for the night. "Red sky at night, a sailor's delight," it is said. Tomorrow we cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Canada. August 4, Nina raises the Canadian flag to the starboard spreader as we warnings for The Strait, we had glassy smooth seas and sunny skies– aharbinger of the weather to come!

Greetings from British Columbia!

2005-08-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that two weeks has already slipped by since we rested atop a trailer in Hammond, Oregon, ready to be returned to the water after our repair odyssey of twenty-three days. That time seems distant, etched among our fondest memories. Our relaunch was attended by many of the new acquaintances we made, those folks who literally helped Rikki-tikki get back on his claws again, and those who shared their cars, homes, and friendship with us. We hope to return one day, for it is people like those in Ilwaco, Hammond, Warrenton, and Astoria who make our journey worthwhile. The day following our immersion, we were treated to a visit to Mount St. Helens by car. What a grand and awesome sight! It was a beautiful, clear day for viewing the smoking volcano from Johnston Ridge Center. Thank you Karen, Roy, and Gerty for your generosity and company. We were hoping the Columbia's incessant winds would die down for our departure out the mouth of The Great River. They did, replaced with a thick fog. The water was flat with negligible swell as we followed a fishing vessel over the bar, losing sight off him in the mist. A large freighter was stopped in the eastbound lane blasting one long and two shorts on his horn, meaning, "Restricted in ability to maneuver." We were very glad for our radar. It took us eight and a half hours to reach Westport Marina in Grays Harbor, WA. The wind was very light, the water smooth, so we were able to spot three mola-mola, or sunfish, as Rikki made tracks under power. Molas are so funny– flapping their pointed fins just at the surface with apparent lack of direction. We passed a sailboat slowly sailing along and read the name– "Imagination". We thought, someone has told us about that boat... We passed it again (how'd he do that?) as we entered Grays Harbor. I thought that it must've been Dave on "Juniata" who told us about "Imagination", as the boat looked like a Crealock 37. There would be an older sailor aboard singlehanding, I bet Clark. It was crowded in Westport; the transient dock appeared full. We circled while the Harbormaster searched for a spot to put us. Several people on the dock yelled over that we could pull inside between a red sailboat and a big charter fishing boat. Looked pretty tight, but with people to help, we headed over. Clark put Rikki-tikki right up to the dock & I tossed our docklines over to the growing crowd. As we were secured, one fellow yelled, "I saw your boat on the internet!" Our reputation (?) precedes us. John had been told we were on our way into the harbor by his friend, Jenny, who is captain of the MV "El Matador", a ferryboat, passing us on its way out. He threw on some shoes and hot-footed it to the marina just in time to catch Rikki's dockline. They are rebuilding another trimaran, a Searunner 37. "Imagination" was coming in too, conversing over the VHF. The harbormaster put him several docks over and I ran over to help him tie up. He looked very tired and declined our offer for dinner on RTT, opting for a long nap after two days at sea. I told him we'd watch for him in BC, wishing him a safe journey. I spotted some interesting photo subjects lit by the late afternoon sun and went back for my camera while Clark put supper together. Fog again– very, very thick fog. Fishing boats blasted by unseen until they were upon us as we tried to follow our track back out of the harbor early next morning. We could hear the bell buoys but could not see them. The small boats fanned out toward their fishing spots and the fog lifted slowly as Rikki-tikki-tavi gllded northward. The snowy peaks of the Olympic Mountains were revealed slowly and I napped in the sun. A long gray bank of cloud slowly descended to hide the mountains again. A humpback whale sounded very close to Rikki-tikki. Ten-and-a-half hours later we tied up at La Push, a Makah Native American settlement, on the Quillayute River. This river entrance has to be one of the most spectacular on the West Coast, if not the world. Several people told us it was too tight for us. Yes, it was a squeeker, but, wow, it was so exciting and beautiful. A large rocklike island (think Morro Rock) guards the river's mouth, while a rock jetty is close to starboard. The approach is to pass the island on your port (left) side, head straight for the beach over the building swells, then make a hard left turn when even with the river's mouth. Then ride the waves between the rock and the hard place into the shallow water, and immediately make a hard right turn upriver, all the while watching the depth like a hawk. Once in the tiny marina, it doesn't get any more roomy. We spotted a place inside a double-wide slip that housed only a small runabout– room enough. We backed in, got tied up and were summarily advised that the owner was on his way in after three days out fishing. We'd have to move, but where? The only spot we could see was between the dock and the parking lot berm. Once we got in there, a fellow on shore said we'd be sitting high when the tide receded. We figured that, actually, only Rikki's starboard ama would be gently residing on the mud, but we moved again. This time, we took a spot without cleats in front of a fishing boat just returned from fishing. We were advised he would NOT be going out in the morning. Creative line securement was in order. We ran ropes across the dock to the pile rings. You know, those big, fat half-circles that let the dock ride the pile up and down with the tide. I put on some orange noodle pieces so people wouldn't trip. A fellow came over with metal strapping and we nailed the docklines down. No electricity, $24 for the night!– most expensive moorage yet, but no place to on the river anchor that we knew of. We left at low tide the following morning, a USCG 47 MLB tailing us out with a helicopter to follow overhead. We turned north toward Cape Flattery– our long-awaited goal! At about two in the afternoon, Rikki-tikki's track turned east down the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It was sunny, though bumpy, no breeze, as we lifted our wine glasses to the moment. Our attempts to snap a photo with the sentinel island of Tatoosh in the background were made difficult by the choppy seas and tidal currents. We'd made it! Neah Bay, also part of the Makah lands, beckoned. This harbor is a well-used stop for both northbound and southbound boats rounding Cape Flattery. The wind picked up briskly as we entered and made our way to the fuel dock. Some succulent smoked white king salmon was high on our list to obtain while here. Leon, at the fuel dock, gave us directions to the smoker's home, then we went out to anchor in the bay. The fates wanted to give us some anchoring practice in the wind, so they threw our depthsounder into a tizzy and made it read less than five feet each time we dropped the Northill and got it set. We kept heading farther away from shore, out farther into the wind, which would make rowing in difficult. We finally decided, upon dropping for the third time, that the sounder was wrong, but that we'd have to forego the smoked salmon procurement because of the wind. Perhaps on our way South in a few years? The next morning brought more heavy fog for our trip eastward along the south shore of Juan de Fuca. Radar to the rescue, we crossed our fingers and motored along, keeping a sharp lookout for crabpots, logs, and kelp, not to mention other boats! Picture this– you can't see more than fifty feet in front of you but you are roasting in the sun from overhead. That's what it was like as we neared Port Angles about seven hours along. I was so relieved when it cleared up to see the harbor as there are ferries that come and go, plus freighters to avoid. We anchored (again twice because of a healthy crop of sea lettuce on the bottom) off Hollywood Beach, which was lined with Makah dugout canoes, assembled there for the "Journey to Elwah". Our phone began working again so we were able to tell family and friends we'd arrived. Next day, we walked our feet off looking for a place to send email without any luck. Port Angeles has much to offer and we amused ourselves for hours. I found a terrific handmade wool hat and a roomy carryall bag. We watched Makah singing and dancing, photographed canoes. There was a lovely little classic open boat at the public wharf. It was powered by an antique one-lung Everhope engine (my Uncle Bob would've loved it!). I took a photo of it while we watched the dancing. Later, as we prepared dinner, we heard the pop-pop-pop of the Everhope heading out toward Rikki. Its operator wanted to know the depth and what the holding was. I asked him where he planned to sleep. The answer was, "Aboard in my sleeping bag." We immediately offered a berth and dinner aboard RTT and he tied little Small Fry behind Darzee and passed up his kit for the night. What stories Ira told! We laughed and laughed. A treasured evening to remember. The big day had arrived for our crossing into Canada. Winds had been forecast to be gale force on The Strait for the days preceding and for this day. We were sure they were wrong– it was flat calm, no wind, nothing. We spent a leisurely morning with Ira, saw him off on Small Fry, then weighed anchor at 11:30 AM. The currents were with us and we made it to Tsehum (see-um) Harbor by 4:30 PM. I rowed in and called Canada Customs. We were instructed to bring Rikki-tikki to the Customs dock and await the inspectors. Three hours later after many questions, we were granted "status". Our lovely friends, Kent & Tracey, gifted us a special bottle of wine at our bon voyage party. We stowed it carefully, intending a celebratory end to our journey,. On August 4th, we opened that bottle of Sofia and toasted Rikki-tikki-tavi''s Big Adventure, both the one just ended and the one just beginning! Fair winds to you all, Clark & Nina

Ready for the Water!

2005-07-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

We've been in Hammond, Oregon, for two weeks now, most of that time sitting atop a big trailer in a parking lot. The good news is– we are ready to go back into the water! We shout "hurray" with some sadness at having to leave this friendly place. It has truly been a wonderful experience. One might think we'd be terribly frustrated at being stalled so long, but isn't serendipity and the camaraderie of nice folks what constitutes the joy of cruising? We have met some very nice folks, many of whom have been instrumental in affecting the repair of Rikki-tikki-tavi. We thank everyone wholeheartedly. Velma and Jim started it all. They walked all the way out to the end of the Guest Moorage in Ilwaco to see Rikki. Of course we all got to talking and, upon hearing our trouble and without a moment's hesitation, they offered to drive us around to locate a place to haul the boat. We already knew that none of the area yards could accommodate our 26-1/2' width. Without Velma & Jim, we probably would not have found Rogers Marine & Free Willy Bait & Tackle at Hammond Boat Basin and the big trailer "out back". So we took Rikki-tikki to Hammond, which is, by the way, the marina featured in the movie, "Free Willy". When we arrived, Keith, the harbormaster of the City of Warrenton gave us free rein to use any discarded scrap materials from the yard adjacent to Rogers Marine. Clark spent two days building a structure on the big trailer to carry Rikki-tikki under his akas, strong enough to support him. Then, on the rising tide of Friday, July 15th, Kasey Rogers backed down the launch ramp with our customized trailer. Clark, wearing his drysuit, orchestrated the loading and blocked the proper spots with carpeted pads, the carpet having been donated by a local flooring supplier. Once parked, the Rogers family began hands-on help– Kasey got out the power-washer, cleaning Rikki's bottom of his green beard and barnacles. Dan brought out the equipment to attempt the bending of the prop strut to its original vertical position and, when it broke off completely, Kasey drove us into Astoria to order a new strut. Took a day off on Sunday (the strut wouldn't arrive 'til at least Tuesday and it still hasn't!) to ride the free Lewis & Clark shuttle bus over to Long Beach where there was supposed to be a big sand sculpture festival going on. The mile of wide beach we walked held no evidence that anyone in the near past had built anything higher than a molehill! Some random wet buckets of sand had been overturned by a few small children, but that was all. We were disappointed so we hopped the next bus back to Astoria and trudged to the Sunday street market that several locals said was outstanding. It was hot (for here) and there were no vegetables to buy, but lots of fruits, sweets, flowers and artsy trinkets. We were looking for veggies. We went to the brewery and had a pint of stout. Then we caught the next bus heading in the direction of Hammond. Had to make another trip to Fort Clatsop to transfer, stop & make a quick run into Fred Meyer & Costco for veggies, then grab the next bus on the route to the marina. We quickly rinsed off the day in our shower, when some folks showed up to look at Rikki-tikki. We hadn't even gotten our veggies completely stowed. We do stand out in a crowd, especially raised up high on the trailer, and attract attention. Apparently, fishermen from the boats frequenting the marina, people just cycling by, couples walking their dogs– saw the big green trimaran on its trailer and spread the word, because we became somewhat of a local attraction. We noticed cars driving by in the evenings, slowing down to take a look, some folks parking alongside and walking around to inspect our sailboat-on-wheels. The word was passed throughout Hammond. We like that we meet a lot of people this way. It's rather like owning a dog... We aren't exactly sure who told whom, but on Monday there were some talented men with expertise in engineering, fabrication, welding, machining, all commiserating on the repair of the now-broken strut. Turns out, these craftsmen know their business! There was Ted who has a little dog that wears a spiked collar, who told Dennis, a retired machinist & fabricator, to come see the trimaran. Upon seeing the problem, Dennis said he thought the strut could be welded back together and called Rick Litton, the most respected welder around these parts (which was verified by everyone). Rick came by and said, sure, I can do that! So he did, making the strut whole again, reinforcing it even. Everyone agreed that the design of our strut, in the first place, lacked robustness. The discussion of how to alleviate this lead Dennis to design and manufacture an unmatched pair (because our shaft is offset) of stainless steel side supports. They are a work of art– not bulky but streamlined, strong yet shapely. The new strut we ordered has still not arrived but we don't need it!

Dennis has a good friend (and former associate machinist) who lives a block away. Pat said he could drill and tap a couple of additional screw holes in our windvane trimtab. He did this with precision while his wife, Rose (who'd driven me to the store the day before) made us all coffee. Clark discovered that our spare prop was sized for a shaft of 1-1/8" diameter (it was an eBay purchase, one of only a very few that turned out to be not exactly as claimed). Our shaft is 1-1/4"– West Coast Prop rebored and rekeyed it to fit at a reasonable cost.

Meanwhile, some folks who'd spotted us in Ilwaco as they sailed their Hans Christian Mk II there for the weekend heard we were in Hammond. They came by one evening as we were preparing dinner. Phil knew immediately that Rikki-tikki-tavi was a John Marples Constant Camber design, so Clark dropped what he was doing and invited Phil, Sandra, and son Danny aboard. Next morning they drove in with two cars, handed us the key to hers saying, "Keep it all long as you like." The kindness of the people we've met is overwhelming.

I used the car for laundry and grocery shopping, then we took a quick drive to the famous Astoria Column, high on a hill above the town. It affords a panoramic view of the river and mountains beyond Astoria. We were told that we could not visit Astoria and not visit the column! Well, we didn't climb up it but we have photos to prove we were there. We also stopped at a local bike shop and bought some decent seats for our new bikes (helmets too).

One of the biking couples who came upon Rikki-tikki offered us tickets to the Maritime Museum. Barry and Sally picked us up on Sunday afternoon, dropped us off at the museum, later picked up us and took us home with them for martinis and homemade pizza. They are wonderful, interesting folks who have involved themselves in their adopted community with concerned activism. They also included us in their Tuesday go-to-town foray and we found some provisions at "steal-me" prices at a store recommended by Sally. We wish we had more time to spend here but the summer is waning.

The day Rick welded the strut, I noticed a young woman arriving at the launch ramp in a red kayak. She climbed out and began attaching wheels to her kayak and what looked like a tow-hitch to the bow. What was this all about, I wondered. So I walked down and said, "It looks like you're going someplace serious!" She responded, "Yes, I'm going to San Diego." Well, what an understatement! Renata Chlumska is going all the way around America in her kayak, and she's just begun. This Swedish adventurer left Seattle, paddled around Cape Flattery, then headed south along the coast. Knowing the Columbia River entrance to be treacherous, she decided to go across The Peninsula to Ilwaco, then across the river to Hammond, where she would strap on her inline skates and tow her kayak overland back to the coast at Seaside. (editor's note: you can see Nina and Clark's entry into Renata's guestbook at http://www.renatachlumska.com/ on July 23, also, the 'perfect welcome' in Oregon that Renata mentions in her journal must have been Nina because she says she was the only one at the docks to meet her!)

She was wearing a red Helly Hansen ballcap. Clark was wearing a tan Helly Hansen ballcap. Her major sponsor is Helly Hansen– perfect. I invited her to meet Clark and see Rikki-tikki-tavi. She toured, signed our guestbook, posed with me and promised to contact us when she returned to Seattle in sixteen months upon the completion of her singular circumnavigation of the US perimeter. We promised to take her sailing. She has set out on a tremendous endeavor and we wish her good will and safe travels. It was inspiring and wonderful to meet you, Renata.

We enjoyed a sumptuous barbequed salmon dinner with Karen and her parents, Gerty and Roy, longtime Astoria residents. Karen is connected to us by family ties, somewhat distant and unknown to us until we came to stop here, but we are so glad we came to know all three! We thank them for their hospitality and Roy's famous salmon!

I invited two of the Rogers daughters aboard Rikki-tikki-tavi for a tea party because they kept wanting to climb up into the boat while we were busy assessing the situation, just having made it to dry land safely. They were hovering like bumblebees, buzzing and chattering with questions. I scheduled it for 11 a.m. the next morning, baked cookies and rang our brass bell when it was time. Clark made a formal invite to make sure it was okay with mom and invited her too. Here is a photo of Holly (the youngest is only 18 months and didn't attend) showing her arm where she'd written the time in ink. Actually, she and Ashley, the eldest, were up before 7 a.m., so excited, both peering into Rikki-tikki from the highest vantage point they could climb to, which was the gunwales of a little boat on a trailer next to the shop. Heavens! They did have fun jumping back and forth over the aft bunk to the fore bunk! They begged to have a sleepover. I gave them a copy of Kipling's Rikki-tikki-tavi story in booklet form that we have printed up. Very cute girls, curious and full of fun– wish we could have a parcel of their energy!

We don't know how to thank everyone sufficiently for their friendliness and generous assistance. Thank You. We will remember each one of you fondly and treasure our time in Hammond.

By Wednesday evening we'll be floating again...

Best wishes to everyone,

Clark & Nina s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi

(Rikki-tikki's motto, and that of all mongooses, is "Run and find out.")

Photo Update

2005-07-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

On the spur of the moment (and a great sale price), we bought a couple of aluminum-frame bikes at the Fred Meyer store in Warrenton after taking the bus there Ð what a long ride back to the Hammond Marina it was!! We had a very large & heavy backpack loaded with stuff from Costco, but Clark managed it. He couldn't turn around to see where I was because it would throw him off balance. He got so far ahead that I lost sight of him and began to think I was heading in the wrong direction, though the sun looked to be in the proper place in the sky. I also had a big shopping bag with stuff- I put my arms through the loops and wore it like a backpack, though it hung down past my rear end. I haven't ridden in decades, have never used brakes that are mounted on the handlebars or a bike with more than one speed (now I had twenty-one, three on the left grip, seven on the right grip). It was very challenging. We found walking to places we want to go takes too long but after that initial bike ride, I thought I wouldn't even be able to walk for three days! There is a very good bus system here (though they don't accommodate bikes- what's with that?!), unlike some stops we've made where there is no public transit. We took the Lewis & Clark Shuttle to Fort Clatsop for the tour so we could get to Fred Meyer and Costco for free, though the Fort cost $5 each. Included in the admission, though, was a three-day bus pass and Astoria Waterfront Trolley ride, so it was worth it. We saw a muzzle-loader demo and the tiny fort (reconstructed 50 years ago from Lewis' notes and drawings with dimensions) where the Corps spent that miserable winter. It would be nice to take the Shuttle back over to the Peninsula for the Long Beach sand sculpture festival this weekend. Sun's finally out and we hope it shines for awhile! Clark is hard at work modifying the trailer for carrying Rikki-tikki up the ramp soon. He has such a green crop on his bottom, my job will be scrubbing, I am very sure. The temperature is a very pleasant 71û F, the wind is blowing WNW, so the Rutland 913 windmill is spinning away as Rikki is pushed snuggly against the dock. We need the weather to hold so we can work outdoors once the boat is up on the lawn.

This is the fish carcass dumpster at Newport, Oregon. There is so much edible food here, some of the best parts of the fish are being thrown away, much to our distress. Just think of all the fish stew, fish broth, sashimi, fish cakes- the possibilities are endless. It's such a shame. This can only happen in America.

This is the day we left the Noyo River, we had the jib up and were making knots motorsailing toward Shelter Cove. The day later clouded over and we had gray skies with little wind. Sunset was lovely and the nearly full moon came out around 2 AM as I sat in the cockpit listening to Peter Jenkins' "Looking for Alaska" on my iPod.

This is a view of Rikki-tikki-tavi's wake from as close as Clark's tether will allow. You can see the tether attached to the inner shroud in the previous photo of Nina in the cockpit steering.

The headlands are swathed in fog as we enter Shelter Cove that evening, the only boat to anchor for the night. The west swells kept Rikki-tikki rocking and the halyards and wires inside the mast banged out their response to the motion.

Rikki-tikki-tavi rests at anchor in Shelter Cove as the seaward skies begin clearing revealing a beautiful sunset and smooth waters. Our Northill anchor grabbed in and held us tight through a night of incoming ocean swells.

Dawn at Newport, Oregon, minutes before our departure. We sampled some beer at the Rogue Brewery, which is located at the south end of the marina- Dead Guy and Shakespeare Stout, proclaimed to be "America's best stout".

Nina sending email on our iBook while huddled beneath a black umbrella to cut the glare and protect the computer from the misty rain. The Ilwaco drive-thru java joint, Kickstand Koffee, had free wireless on an outdoor patio- not at all a good place for an internet café, but all there was! We told them they should rent bikes too with a name like that. The visiting cruisers would appreciate it!

This is Rikki-tikki's end of the Guest Dock at the Port of Ilwaco. The wind was blowing 15 knots on our beam, away from the dock of course, as we came in to tie up. Nobody to help us, we had a gay time threading the docklines through the little rings (see one in the foreground?) fast enough to keep him from being blown away!

Our on-the-water view of Hammond Boat Basin with the large yellow pilot vessel and one of two boats that go in and out a lot. They take water samples when the big dredge is working in the Columbia River.

Clark has started fixing up this old trailer so we can haul Rikki-tikki out for repair using the Hammond boat ramp. Rikki is waiting patiently out in the harbor. You can see him just above the tongue of the trailer in the upper left corner.

Repairs and Relaxations

2005-07-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings All!

We are making progress on figuring out how to get Rikki-tikki out of the water in order to fix the strut and whatever other problems have occurred as a result of the encounter with the unknown object out there. Some nice folks came down the dock when we arrived (and we are a very long way out at the very end all by ourselves!) and we got to talking. He is a sailor, she is not, they are just friends. They are both in their seventies, we think. He singlehanded back from Mexico recently, taking 24 days offshore, out and back in at the Columbia River. Coasties had to help him in at the end- it was a rough trip. Anyway, they said they'd be happy to drive us around to find a place to haul and work on the boat, so we took them up on their kind offer. Velma drove us over to Astoria on the Oregon side and all around the docks and shoreline following leads we'd pick up from folks we'd talk to.

We came across a boat ramp in Hammond with a shop and marine store, very small, but you never know what kind of info you can get from talking to people hanging around boats. Turns out the guy in the shop had a big trailer out back just sitting in the weeds. He said that, if we thought we could make it work, we were free to modify it as we liked to carry Rikki-tikki. When we were ready, he'd use his diesel pickup to move the trailer and the boat up to a grassy area next to his shop where we could do the necessary repairs. Wow. He told us where to tie up at the little dock while we customized the trailer. This place, Hammond near Fort Clatsop, is only about 9 miles up the River. There is a prop shop close by and other marine services, plus a small Costco and a FredMeyer store.

We did find a second option, much more expensive and difficult to get to, up in Aberdeen on a river above Grays Harbor. It's about 75 miles away. We'd have to sail most of the way, though we are a sailboat. The channel across Grays Harbor is narrow and then we'd have to go up the river and have two bridges open for us. We've done bridges before, so no big deal. The place has a big marine railway system that can take us out for $600; they can do the work too. If our attempts at doing it ourselves fail, we can fall back on this option.

There is a local area shuttle bus that, on some legs, is free. Other routes are very low cost. We can get from Ilwaco to Astoria on the south side in Oregon for 50¢, even all the way north to Aberdeen from Hammond. The shuttle is free to go out to "the peninsula" where there is a Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and the North Head Lighthouse, and on up to Long Beach. They claim to have the world's longest beach at 25 miles and one can drive along the sand. There will be a big sand sculpture contest held next weekend. In June, they host an international kite contest and are home to to the World Kite Museum. There is a lot of activity and preparation in the area for the big Lewis & Clark Bicentennial in November. Fort Clatsop is where the expedition spent the winter. The low-cost shuttle bus is part of the promotion.

This area reminds us of how Sausalito was back in the sixties when the fishing industry was failing apart and it became an artist colony. There are many art galleries and artist's residence/studios. Charter boat fishing seems healthy, though we were told there used to be 300 charter boats where there are now only about 60. They have a large sturgeon fishery along with salmon and what they call "bottom fish"- rockfish, halibut, ling cod. The WA Fish & Game haunt the docks daily measuring each fish as the boats come in, counting them and collecting any tags. The harbor is fairly busy with activity, though there are few sailboats. We enjoyed the summer Saturday Market along the waterfront. One of the galleries showcases photography by Bruce Peterson and Wendy Peterson. Their work is excellent and we purchased a small photograph of a stormy Cape Disappointment as a remembrance of our experience here.

For those of you who are wondering about how we came to choose "Rikki-tikki-tavi" for the name of our boat...

Rikki-tikki-tavi is a children's story written by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book series. If you didn't read it as a child and would like to, just type Rikki-tikki-tavi into the Google search engine on the internet and, besides our website, many links to the text of the story will come up. The character of the mongoose, Rikki-tikki, is the inspiration for and the embodiment of the character of our boat. Darzee is a vociferous tailor-bird in the story who warns Rikki-tikki that the cobra, Nagaina, is looking for him. Darzee is what we named our dinghy. We find the story charming and have printed several copies as a booklet to give to those who are especially kind to us along the way. Because the mongoose, Rikki-tikki-tavi, was a male, we refer to our boat in the masculine instead of the traditional feminine. It fits him much better.

Rikki-tikki's motto, and that of all mongooses, is "Run and find out". And that's what we three are doing.

Clark & Nina aboard the sailing trimaran "Rikki-tikki-tavi"

Another Unscheduled Stop

2005-07-06T23:49:00.000-07:00

A quick update... We are finally in Washington State, but are stopped unfortunately just around the corner from Cape Disappointment. It's our disappointment as well. We were on our way to Gray's Harbor hoping to turn into the Straits of Juan de Fuca by the end of this week when we hit something just south of the entrance to the Columbia River. It was something hard, not a crabpot. We decided to make a right turn to enter the River. Luckily it was a flood tide, winds 15 knots from the south, and we had the jib up. The engine was only vibrating a little abnormally but the couplings were getting too hot, so we powered down to 2800 RPMs. Made it without trouble past the USCG National Motor Lifeboat Training School into Ilwaco Harbor. Clark put on his drysuit and went down to look at the shaft, hoping to cut away a rope or net. The news is that our strut is bent and now our task is to find some way to haul the boat and get it repaired. We hope the shaft is not also a casualty also, but we'll be here awhile. The saga and adventure continues... Yours, Nina & Clark s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi

We Toast Our Escape!

2005-06-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

Rikki-tikki-tavi and crew arrived in Coos Bay on June 27 2005 Summer Solstice, June 21

Rikki-tikki-tavi's ten hour leg from Eureka, where we managed a short stay of fourteen hours for fourteen dollars, to the Chetco River, Oregon, carried us out of California at long last. We are smiling broadly for many reasons– mostly because we finally reached this milestone, but also because Nina didn't get seasick today, because Rikki-tikki-tavi is performing very well, because we saw humpback whales today, because the sun is peeking out and the ocean isn't too bumpy today, we didn't snag any of the hundreds of crabpots out here, it isn't raining, and our $50 navigation program for Macintosh, GPSNavX, is way cool! It helped us get into Bodega Bay, a port unknown to us, in the middle of the night!

We are working on new pages for Rikki's website, but please be patient. Even though we've spent many days tied to docks waiting for breaks in the weather, there is a plethora of things to do and everything takes a lot more time than one would think....

Rikki-tikki-tavi and crew have had many adventures. We sampled Sweetwaters at Hog Island Oyster Farm on Tomales Bay. Kayakers paddled under Rikki's wings. We've given a tour of RTT to five USCG "kids" (they're all so young!) who took off their boots to come aboard, not for a Safety Inspection, but just to admire. They took photos and signed our guestbook, then gave us a tour of their 47' Motor Lifeboat. We've been boarded by the USCG in the rain for the dreaded Safety Inspection. This group did not take off their boots or their wet clothes, but did give us "No Violations". We had to scramble to move Rikki-tikki for a tsunami alert. We are always at the very first end-tie, it seems. While at Bodega, we were "serenaded" each night by five barking sea lions whose favorite spot was the dock next to Rikki-tikki. At least these humongous fellows moved off the dock when we walked toward them during the day, so we could get to and from the boat. We had to blast the more aggressive sea lions off the Noyo dock with our air horn! They'd charge us and refuse to move! We were awakened daily by the 0600 bugle and soon-to-follow horn and siren testing, and high RPM revving of the jet-loud motors of 47247 and 47271, the Noyo USCG dueling Motor Lifeboats. At the transient dock in Brookings, that is replaced by the 0630 grinding on a steel fishing boat parked immediately aft of us. We are wishing we'd been able to wait out weather in Eureka... it was quiet!

We've met some generous, lovely and colorful folks. Dear friends of my sister's live in Bodega– Dennis came by to give us rides in his Russian-made Ural sidecar motocycle. One of the marina employees there filled Clark's hardware shopping list in Santa Rosa on his way into work. We were taken home to a great steak dinner by a Fort Bragg couple who will be heading North in July on his Peterson 46 out of Noyo, he a musician with a house full of gear. He and Clark jammed a couple of jazz tunes on guitar and drums. We talked to a terrific couple from the UK while looking up at them from the bottom of the 15-foot tall, black tire and barnacle-encrusted, pilings of the Noyo River fuel dock. We invited them aboard but they had to decline as they were on a five-week car tour of the USA. What a fun couple, sailors too, who had a wonderful enthusiasm for travel. We met three very interesting Canadian sailors on a large power yacht who were delivering the boat to Vancouver, one a retired professional captain. On the big boat for cocktails, the French Canadian introduced us to the most heavenly cheese on the planet– St. André. We remember because his name was also André. They had really good wine too. An unlikely Brit pair we met in Bodega had just arrived on their newly-launched steel lug-rigged vessel. He'd constructed this large boat on a hilside at Harbin Hot Springs and we learned that our fantastic boat mover, Dennis, had extracted their boat from its perch and trailered it to Vallejo. It was a feat that only Dennis could have performed. When we reached Eureka's Woodley Island Marina, a very colorful fellow named Tex, who lived aboard his powerboat, helped us tie up and, within minutes, presented us with his very favorite hot sauce and jalapeño mayo as gifts. He volunteered to drive us to WinCo Foods in the wee morning hours, but we missed that opportunity (along with our mail that had been waiting for us) in order to get up early and make another run for it. After spending numerous days at each marina, this was our shortest, the aforementioned fourteen hours. As we ate dinner across from the Carson Mansion, a Hunter 460 went by with two sailors aboard, looking like they'd been out for awhile. They caught up with us a day later in Chetco River and we spent evenings (waiting again) talking and sharing libations and dinner aboard Rikki.

Oh, I almost forgot... we did spend one night so far at anchor– in Shelter Cove, where my grandparents spent three days waiting for an opportunity to make Cape Mendocino in 1963. As Brett from Spud Point Marina said, "Nice name, Shelter Cove, not much shelter." Our Northill anchor grabbed first time and we sat rocking, not so gently, with swells from the west all night. But the nearly-full moon came out and I enjoyed hours of listening to "Looking for Alaska" on my iPod while resting in the cockpit wrapped in a fleece blanket. Clark managed some sleep below even with the rolling and the banging inside the mast. It was a harbinger, picturesque-wise, of years of lovely anchorages to be enjoyed up North. So now, as we get ready to make a break when the next window opens, we keep close in our hearts the joys of friends and beautiful places to visit when we arrive.

With best wishes,Nina and ClarkRikki-tikki-tavi (and Darzee, too)

We Toast Our Escape!

As we cross the border into Oregon on Rikki's approach to the Chetco River, we raise jiggers of rum to our escape from California.

Email on Michael's birthday

2005-06-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

(here is an email from Nina and Clark to Samantha and Michael) Well, here's the short story... We made it to Bodega Bay at 4:30 AM after an aborted attempt at rounding Point Arena on an overnighter. Conditions were downright pleasant with rafts of by-the-wind sailors and dolphins. We enjoyed dinner in the cockpit at 6 PM. Then the wind started, waves grew, starting breaking, and we went from glassy to crashy in about an hour. By 9:30 we were taking a lot of water on the dodger windows & it was rough. I got soooo sick! We kept going but finally turned around at 1 AM & set a new course for Bodega. The motion smoothed out but it was damn hard to steer, from what Clark has told me (my Phenergan knocked me completely out & I missed the next seven hours. We were stuck at "Blow-dega" for eleven days as gale force winds whipped things up pretty good, even at the dock! Bob headed back to Sacto on June 1 with our car, which my family had picked up at Alameda & delivered to us. The autopilot was delivered to Spud Point & Clark got it installed over 3 days suffering in the wind. We took the bus to Santa Rosa for food at Costco & TJ's. There was a one-day window June 8 when Clark & I decided to make Fort Bragg/Noyo River, which turned out to be a 14 hour run in drizzly rain and sloppy seas, but light winds. We averaged 6.5 knots! The USCG volunteered themselves as escorts from the sea buoy when we called for a bar report about an hour out. They then, of course, wanted to do a Safety Inspection, which they did in the pouring rain, dripping all over as they read labels on fire extinguishers, flares, and PFDs. We spent the next couple of days recuperating. The weather was expected to worsen so we took the local bus to Mendocino. Small craft warnings were up but the sea was flat & lovely as we looked out from the steps of the little shops. Today there are gale warnings up & this time we believe it- the sea is white with blowing waves as we walk to Fort Bragg (no bus on saturday!) to be able to send email. We are doing well, the boat is performing wonderfully, & Clark is a most capable skipper in trying conditions. I battle seasickness constantly & have tried nearly every remedy. We are not in a hurry, so we'll wait for good conditions before we set out again. We are very glad to be underway & Rikki-tikki is having his biggest adventure yet! We'll try to keep you updated as we go. What stories we will have to tell... Love you both very much, Mom & Clark

Sailing on the bay!

2005-03-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

(an email from Nina & Clark to Samantha and Michael) Hello Mikey & Sammie, I sure do hope you enjoyed your day aboard RTT sailing on SF Bay! It proved to be quite an exciting and challenging day, don't you think? Great weather, but lots of traffic and activity, and it was only RTT's 4th sail. The other three sails were very tame in comparison. This time we had more wind, big waves, many other boats, an ebbing tide, and a big ship. I am still working on being able to just relax and enjoy the experience, but I'll get there with more time sailing and with gaining confidence. I am determined to have fun and I sure hope you will come with us again. : ) Samantha, it was lovely to have you with us. You are looking well and we hope that you will get back to feeling completely normal very quickly. You are a real trooper and a beautiful person too. Be good to yourself and take care. Here are some photos of the moments of the day... enjoy. All my Love, mom

Rikki-tikki-tavi gets his wings!

2005-02-02T15:37:00.000-08:00

He tried them out last Friday, all while dodging rain clouds on San Francisco’s South Bay. With Dave & Marcia as able crew, Clark & Nina were pleased to introduce RTT to his future life as a real sailboat! Winds were blowing 12 to 18 with a bit of lumpiness in the water. Rikki-tikki handled it with ease and flew along at about 8 knots max, even though we were holding in the reins. Not wanting to push anything, just getting to know the ropes, we tried each sail except the genoa, several combinations, both mainsail reef points, and played with the waves. Nina even took a QuickTime movie of Rikki’s wake, but we forgot to get a good shot of the mainsail! There will be another chance!

RTT on the move!

2004-10-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

October 22, Rikki-tikki-tavi will be on his way to San Francisco via the waterways instead of the roadways (as per the launch)! We¹ve scheduled a haulout for the week starting October 25 at Napa Marina, a facility that specializes in multihulls. We will be applying more CopperPoxy to Rikki¹s bottom and removing an unnecessary throughhull, moving another up a few inches, and whatever other tasks we are able to squeeze into Rikki¹s first time spent ³on the hard². We have reserved an end-tie on F Dock at Ballena Isle in Alameda for the month of November, and possibly December too. We ordered our sails from Jocelyn Nash at Quantum and they should arrive by the end of October. Rikki-tikki is crossing his claws in hopes that he¹ll be able to sail across San Francisco Bay after leaving Napa. Rikki-tikki-tavi is being very docile at his berth on the river (despite the wakes of powerboats), but we expect him to get his bottle-brushy tail in full splender out on The Bay. New MSD! We are going to replace our Lavac toilet with an Airhead composting unit. The idea of designing an itinerary based on the location of pumpout stations and of carrying 30 gallons of effluent in our bow (the weight!) spurred us to investigate the Airhead further. We¹d seen it at Sail Expo years ago when it was first introduced and liked the concept. Friends of Juniata, the sailboat Sarana, has had one for two years and the owners like it. We drove down to visit them in Sausalito when they arrived from Seattle and they explained the ins and outs of living with an Airhead. We promised Geoff Trott, the developer, we¹d replace the photo of our Lavac that is displayed on svrkki.net with one of the new Airhead. Reports of its success to follow. Progress! Our living space in the ³studio² at Mom¹s house is getting less cluttered- we may even find the bed soon! It is a very good thing that we spend each night aboard Rikki-tikki. Mom is being very accommodating and encouraging, ³Just put it up in my attic!² We are managing to discard major portions of our life histories. That part is quite difficult. Several large boxes of books have been donated to the Sacramento Public Library. Truckloads of items have been given to WEAVE and we held a garage sale too. Clark has made room in Mom¹s garage for his tools and shop, so he will be able to complete some projects over the next few months. We are designing the pulpit, pushpit, and hardtop support now. While we are in Alameda, we¹ll have the dodger canvas and sail cover built. The list is quite long, but we are making progress! Last Chance to Visit! We spend every evening aboard, so if you are looking for an enjoyable way to fritter away some time, do come by and see Rikki-tikki-tavi before he leaves the area! Our little dock is at 1977 Garden Highway. Please call first and don¹t come on a Monday night-- the house next door has big football parties and there is no parking! Looking Forward...We hope to see you aboard Rikki-tikki soon. Your friendship and support have been very welcome and greatly appreciated. Thank you! Happy trails, Clark and Nina s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi CC40 Trimaran

RTT to Become Official Home

2004-08-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Sacramento River, CA This month it's official: Rikki-tikki-tavi will become Clark and Nina¹s true home. After selling their land home of twenty years within mere days of advertising its availability, they will hand over the keys to U Street¹s new owner on August 17. Rikki-tikki has been very patiently floating at his dock on the Sacramento River awaiting the day when he would be called into action. Still without the passive propulsion system known as "sails", Rikki-tikki-tavi remains a motor vessel. The Captain and First Mate have been communicating with numerous sailmakers in a quest to determine the best assortment and builder of said large expanses of Dacron. The final decision is yet to be made. We will remain in the Sacramento area for at least another month, setting up a living space in the ³studio² at the Rutgers Way location. Rikki-tikki also requires a few more installations to be ready for departure (like those aforementioned sails). August 18th is Clark¹s birthday, coincidentally, so we have a bit of celebrating to do two milestones! We hope everyone¹s summer has been enjoyable. Ours has certainly been eventful, if not downright hectic, and we look forward to years of more leisurely times ahead. The cruising life beckons. Plans are indefinite but we are working toward moving Rikki-tikki-tavi to the Bay Area sometime in September. We¹ll keep you posted. Please contact us via email at this address until we determine how to best handle Rikki-tikki's communications. Happy trails, Clark and Nina s/v Rikki-tikki-taviCC40 Trimaran

Update on launch

2004-05-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hello from latitude 38 degrees 36.154 minutes north, longitude 121 degrees32.361 minutes west, Or... that the hint for the geocache saying Rikki rests north of Crawdad'sis in error? The section I am on runs west/east, which is why we all haveshade in the afternoon, so we are actually west of Crawdad's. (As far as I'mconcerned, the river runs to San Francisco Bay and that's all I care about.) Lots of commissioning left to do- mom and dad are hard at it. The nights onthe river are very peaceful and quiet so they are getting some rest. They goto the house every day to do more work there- the barn looks like a tornadotore through! And, wow, the grass is long, the yard dry- at least that'swhat they tell me. I am getting anxious to get going to the Bay. I hear the sailing is greatthere. I thought I was on my way (see photo) but here I am just bobbing inthe wakes of water skiers and sea-doos on the river. Clark and Nina assure me that I'll be getting sails soon and then I'll beready to fly. Did anyone get some cool photos of me last weekend and Monday that they canshare? Signed, s/v Rikki-tikki-tavi Marples CC40 Trimaran USCG No. 1155217

He is wet!

2004-05-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Dear RTT Stalwart Supporters, ... as Rikki slipped into the water a hush came over the stalwart onlookers,who had waited hours just for this moment. Everyone held a collective breathas his hulls slipped off the trailer into the green water of the river. Wasthe hush because Rikki-tikki had taken such a long time to get to thismoment, or was it because everyone was stunned into silence as hiswaterlines disappeared underwater?? That is the question. The answer is: Looks like we need more CopperPoxy!! Rest assured Rikki-tikki is fine and is floating where he should. Theintrepid builder, who having learned the hard lesson of "measure twice, cutonce" and "always double check everything three times", painted the lineusing the wrong reference point, which he should have double checked butdidn't - he took the waterline placement right off the line drawings insteadadding the required six more inches! The underwing-to-water clearance is right where it's supposed to be. Thistime I double checked. Besides embarassing myself sorely, I'm sorry if thiscaused you all such concern and perhaps made RTT's big event a little lessjovial at the moment of the splashdown. All is well with Rikki-tikki-tavi. Nina and I deeply appreciate your show ofsupport by being there with us. We hope to share more adventures with youall (hopefully less embarassing ones but we will be new trimariners so keepyour eyes open!). Rikki-tikki is resting quietly at this location, which is the first geocacheof our new life together: lat 38š 36.154"long 121š 32.361 (Hint: It is on the Sacramento River north of Crawdad's.) We have spent two nights on RTT and are extremely pleased with him. We havea mobile phone that we will plug in while at the dock, so if you want to gohunt for a geocache, please call to see if we are ready for visitors. We are real boat people now. Thanks again, Clark and Nina