Sailboat in Snow, Vancouver

Vancouver does have snow. It's just not that common. When there is snow all the driver on the road who haven't come here from back east go into overload and drive even worse than they normally do. I have electric heat, propane heaters and a diesel heater. When the diesel heater is on for a while the boat is really comfy but it takes time to warm up. Because of the amp limits of hydro supply on the dock the electric heaters simply keep the boat at the point where one is comfortable in sweaters and slacks. I don't like to wear that much clothing so the diesel heater is the ticket but it takes time to really heat up the boat. While this is happening I have a little propane heater which serves well. When I was sailing down the coast in winter I had the diesel heater on night and day around the clock and the boat was quite toasty. I prefer most though when the heat outside makes the sailboat a marvellous air conditioner. I suspect a nuclear reactor would be just the ticket for providing heat but barring that the diesel heater does well. My miata didn't like the snow but it's heater worked well and it handle the slippery streets very well. Gilbert with 4 wheel drive doesn't know what all the fuss is about. Right now I'm in a marvellously decadent and comfortable luxury hotel waiting for room service pizza and glad to be off the boat for a bit.

Dickinson Diesel Stove

The autumn chill got to me. As usual this time of the year I was already using the electric heater. The dock supply limits the power one can draw. Alone the electric heater is no longer enough. As the temperature dropped I'd added a small propane camp stove heater to the galley. Then I added low draw electric blankets but the draft and chill in the evening lying on the couch reading finally got to me. I don't like to be bundled in sweaters and socks at home. I'm not English despite my Scottish heritage. I spent too much time in the tropics to want to live clothed indoors. Now the ace in the hole Dickinson Diesel Stove, Newport design, has come into play. I lit it up this week and have been gloriously toasty. The thing has alone kept me warm in here when there was snow on the deck. I've lost some insullation to repairs below so I'll see if it remains sufficient but for now it's magnificently warm in here. I'm truly blessed in the Sailing Vessel, Giri, with the comforts of heat, water and fuel in tanks, groceries, stove, head and of course the dog, Gilbert. The ecofan that sits on the stove working off the rising heat is a sweet addition, as well.





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Dickinson Marine Mediterranean Propane Galley Range

I love Dickinson Stoves. James Giesbrecht just installed a new Dickinson Marine Mediterranean Propane Galley Range on my SV GIRI>  It's skookum.  After 25 years I couldn't get parts for my old Force 10. That's always a concern in marine world so often a reason now I stick with the mainstream on the big items.
This Dickinson just makes me want to spend the day cooking. I love all the safety features too.  Having shot a deer this fall I've already made venison stew and tonight just had venison steak.  One day soon I'll use the oven.  I can't wait till Tom, my sailing buddy, who made the best bread on our return sail from Hawaii, checks it out.  Looks great in the galley too.  Does wonders for spiffing up the old boat.
I've had Dickinson Diesel Heaters for over 25 years. James earlier this year  installed a new Newport. I'd tarnished the outside of the old one with too much neglect of salt water coming through the port windows in heavy seas and blows. It had done me for decades too. I've certainly needed the heat winter sailing on the north Pacific coast.   Rather than trying to clean up the old one, I was glad to have a new one.
I depend on my stoves and really appreciate Dickinson engineering for the efficiency and safety.  Flames and boats are worrisome so it's good there are experts.
So here  I am, warm on a winter's night, eating a hot home cooked meal and loving it.  NThank you, God!

Winter Sailing Georgia Strait

We've just had spectacular weather for cruising. We departed from Coal Harbour, Vancouver, leaving the frenzy of the Olympic party scene, for the tranquility and beauty of cruising Georgia Strait. It was a magnificent Saturday with sunny skies and temperature in the 40's. No wind though. We just motored across Georgia Strait at the 5 knot cruising speed the 40 foot steel hulled 13 ton full keeled cutter rigged SV GIRI likes. Her 26 hp Yanmar engine just throbbed with the pleasure of passage.

In the morning I'd seen again the salt water cooling pump leak and remembered the one thing I had to do before cruising again. Jim Giesbrecht had completed the electrical repairs I needed. He'd also wired the new Electroscan sewage treatment plant,installed the new Wagner Autopilot pumpset, hooked up the stereo and put up a new antennae for the hamm radio. All that was stopping me from leaving was the leak so I phoned Land Sea (604-946 5996) the Yanmar parts dealer in nearby Delta. They have an emergency line and were kind enough to answer and confirm they had a new water pump in stock. For $150 they'd come in but confirmed they could ship it by air to Nanaimo, my first destination.

So Laura, my first mate, and Angel, the cat (commodore or admiral depending on the day's disposition) and I set out. It was a good decision. Not a single problem en route.

Dolphins joined us. They like to play about the bow wave. They're delightfully uplifting and bring good luck to a voyage. I love the stories of dolphins and porpoises rescuing sailors by leading them away from dangers or warning them of risks. These dolphins seemed just to be celebrating a beautiful day with us.

It was night when we entered Nanaimo harbor. I've a Furuno Radar, charts, Sailing Directions, 2 GPS units, and Tridata Autohelm Depth Sounder. I 'm an old sailor and don't trust anything really but binoculars, compass, lights and paper charts. I've even a sextant on board. I just hardly use any of that stuff anymore.

The Navionics Marine Application GPS plotter and maps for iPhone that served me best. It cost me, I think $9.99 but has more features and maps with plotter and waypoints and masses of information than what I paid a couple of thousand for 15 yeas ago to have on my computer. The standard equivalent program for the computer costs a couple of hundred dollars and then you have to buy maps on top of that. Technology is amazing with the advances. This iPhone apps serves all my navigation needs and I'm really feeling spoiled by it because of the accuracy and ease of operation.

We anchored in Nanaimo that first night because I'd had a surprise with a 5 foot depth reading heading for the marina. I've always anchored in Nanaimo Harbour off the Good Point of Protection Island. So that's what I did in 30 feet depth. It was a cozy night with the Dickinson Stove and a Coleman propane catalytic heater combination. My Dickinson Stove had begun to have troubles crossing the Strait so on Sunday I set to solving the problem.

I took apart the fuel line and cleaned replaced the filters, then checked the pump, even to the point of re wiring, took the carburetor apart a few times. I actually got it flaming amazingly only I couldn't turn it down so had a moment of consternation waiting for the fuel in the stove to burn up, higher and higher, after I'd turned off the fuel line and carburetor switch. I finally concluded it must be the pump which was rather sickly. That left us with low heat and coupled with the propane catalytic heater we were warm.

I made moose burgers with onions and garlic and small potatoes and carrots with sour cream. It was a meal fit for a king, the last of the moose.

The next morning I pulled up the anchor and drove the GIRI carefully across to the marina watching the depth sounder in this shallow harbor. At the marina the wharfinger answered on VHF 67 asking for the depth of keel before advising us to moor on the new Cameron Dock. Nothing could be easier as it was nearly empty. Lines and fenders out I was moments later at dock hooking up power.

Angel was amusing. She immediately jumped on the dock and rolled about on her back as if to say, 'land, thank god, we're on land again." We walked about the seawall to the wharfinger's office where we paid the $38 overnight fee with power and showers.

Land Sea said they'd be flying the water pump part to Nanaimo Marine Centre on Stewart Street. When I phoned them on the cell phone (boaters love cellphones) it wasn't in but they would deliver 4 deep cycle batteries and another fuel pump for the dickinsons. Jim had replaced 4 of my batteries, but didn't know I had the second bank. You have to complete changing all the batteries at one time so the old ones don't damage the new. I'd had these batteries since before I sailed to Hawaii and back so felt less pain at the $150 a piece cost. The fuel pump was that much as well.

The walk to the Nanaimo Marine Centre was a pleasure in the sunshine with the first cherry blossoms showing and the crocuses along the route. Nanaimo is really a beautiful city these days. I lived in nearby Parksville some 15 years ago and the changes that have occurred are amazing. It's really transformed from a logging mill port, with Harmac Pulp Mill across the bay, to a terrific little tourist destination. I've always loved the little town by the public marina with the Vinyl Café like record stores, second hand book stores, funky and fashionable boutigues, the old Anglican church with it's bell, St. Andrews United Church, the Old Court House but I'd never been to the Old Quarter. Laura and I had a lovely walk the few blocks up to this area where dozens of quaint old period houses had been turned into a yuppie and granola mix of shops, very Vancouver Island. Yoga mats sold next to the lastest in haute couture Crispin shoes, with mystic readings apparently while you received acupuncture. We loved it.

When we got back to the GIRI the Nanaimo Marine guys were trollying my new batteries down the dock. I had already taken the old ones out. I had taken a picture, drawn a picture, and labelled all the connections to be sure I had the new ones correctly connected together. I installed the new fuel pump and was sorry to see that the Dickinson Stove flame didn't go any higher meaning it was another problem and now I had an back up fuel pump.

Apparently by some screw up somewhere the water pump took a flight to Victoria only to be redirected to Nanaimo arriving at 3 in the afternoon on Harbour Air. Nanaimo Marine delivered it to the boat and I installed it while Laura was up enjoying the shower. After that the engine ran just fine, engine below 150 and no leak so the bilge pump stopped having to flush the excess water.

I had a shower then and enjoyed getting clean. A looney was good for 3 minutes of hot water and I found to my surprise that 6 minutes was more than enough for a pleasant shower whereas another three minutes was good for just standing under the nozzle enjoying the water neck massage. Later Laura told me she'd used 4 loonies and I wondered what she'd been up to. Her hair isn't that much longer than mine.

That night I found that the shank roast of venison I thought I'd packed was indeed tenderloin. Venison tenderloin! I didn't know I had any left. So more potatoes and carrots boiled then served with sour cream and butter. The tenderloin cut into medallions, marinaded in soy and tomato sauce with a touch of curry and lots of pepper, fried with garlic and onion. I just about died after that candle light meal.

I'd begun reading Jack Higgins Solo having already finished Loitering with Intent by Stuart Woods. These are great boat books. We'd planned to watch a movie only after dinner didn't think we could stay awake for a feature. The electric heater was complementing the tired Dickinson so we were toasty cozy in the v berth bed with 2 comforters and a cat.

This morning it was early up. The Dodds Narrow turn was at 10 am and I'd not done that passage so was uncharacteristically wary planning to do it by the book. I made coffee and Scottish Oatmeal with brown sugar and honey. Then it was double checking the tide charts and maps before untying from the dock and setting off.

Dodds Narrows is only 5 miles from Nanaimo and there are lots of warnings about it's narrowness and the rapids that run at 9 knots. When the GIRI finally passed through them it was actually flat water and easy as any tidal current passage could be. Now we've passed down Stuart Channel past Porlier Pass, the passage I normally take from Georgia Strait into this protected Tricomali Channel leading down to Salt Spring Island. Our ETA is a couple of hours for Ganges Harbour. It's been raining with about 5 knots of wind on the nose. I've known glorious fair weather sails up or down this channel with wing on wing and 15 to 20 knots of joyful wind but today it's just the iron jenny chugging us forward. It's chilly and wet out there and I'm rather content sitting at this computer in the cockpit with a Coleman catalytic heater at my feet, roughing it, really.

Coal Harbour, Vancouver

I'm home, rafted at dock. Lewis said it would be easy solo. "Just drift up on the other boat," he said. Lewis is a tugboat captain. It's easy for him. I worried all week about this "landing". It was awkward but really, Lewis was right, rafting solo, isn't that difficult. Of course the other boat was full of junk and has no places to tie to other than stanchions so it was a scramble. I had a lot of bumpers out both sides though. And tomorrow I'll clean it up.. Right now I'm exhausted.

I left Salt Spring Island at 10 am and caught the turn at Active Pass at 12 30 pm Active Pass is always a bit scarey as it's a five mile jaunt, takes me an hour usually, and the currents can be 6 knots which is vicious when that's beyond my engines maximum. I've surfed it on a tide when I was more certain of the boat's state of repair. There's usually a lot of traffic, including ferries passing too.

I was glad to get through. In Georgia Straight I caught a southerly wind which allowed me to use my self steering hydrovane with the foresail full out. I balanced the 3.5 knots of wind power with another knot of engine and had at least a knot or two of tide power. I was doing 6.5 over land. This was good because I had to make the turn for Second Narrows.

The wind died a couple of hours out of English Bay so I lowered the sail and ran the engine at 5.5 knots, hand steering the rest of the way.

I called Dad just before Second Narrows. "How's the weather," he asked. "Lovely," I said. "It's been snowing so much in Ottawa I can't open the door onto my balcony," he said. We exchanged happy new years and he wanted to know about the cat on ship. It was good to wish him happy 2010 new year.

Coming into Coal Harbour I saw the great Winter Olympics Logo all lit up. It's very impressive. Then I was home and am now glad to have electricity, heat, the cat's curled up and I plan to read before I fall asleep early.

Happy New Year 2010!!!

Winter Underwater at Ganges

Winter underwater at Ganges Harbour is cold and dark and miserable. I knocked the trombone bit off the dorade box when I launched the dinghy. First time I rescued it before it sought the ocean floor. The wood where the screws had mounted it had become mushy so I had only to turn it a bit and remount it with new drill holes. Before I did that though, the next day, I knocked it overboard when I was cleaning the deck of mollusk shells that had fallen off the bottom of the boat. For anyone who has lost something over the side of sailboats, and I've lost wrenches, screwdrivers, cups and outboard engines, there's that sad moment when one watches as the item sinks out of sight, gone to Davy Jones Locker, like a lost friend.

But I have a wet suit on board, albeit a summer wet suit, not the winter wet suit I have in storage or the dry suit I have in storage. But a wet suit. And flippers and goggles and snorkel. I slipped into tights and tshirt, donned the wet suit, doing contortions with the zipper on the back, climbed in the dinghy, got on the flippers and mask and snorkle, then rolled over the side. Darkness and cold greeted me as I reversed direction and porpoised back to the surface and scrambled into the dinghy. Now that was a stupid idea I thought! Time to rethink.

I checked the depth sounder 20 feet. I found my dive light. Battery needed recharging. I found my buddy air bottle and filled it from my main tank, missing my BCG and finding only a few tank weights I could use to counter my own buoyancy. I jury rigged a grossly inadequate weight belt.

A few hours later when the sun was still up and I couldn't put it off any longer, I donned the still damp gear and with yellow buddy air bottle and dive lamp I set out. I'd also hung a rope over the side of the boat with a weight that I could follow to the ground and use for bearing for search. Well, the water was just as cold but I sucked air from the buddy bottle kicking down with ears refusing to equalize but finally reaching the bottom thankful for the white rope. The darkness at the bottom was still really dark despite the dive light. I looked quickly around from the rope, maybe 10 feet circumference, irritated by my lack of counter buoyancy and astonished by the dark and cold. It was even scarey.

In a matter of seconds, I concluded the little trumpet end for the dorade box, could be replaced cheaply at Poppy's Second Hand Marine. I certainly didn't need fresh air funneling through the cabin right now. They're a hot climate item. I basically wasn't happy at all doing this. Indeed I was already feeling better heading to the surface. In the dinghy I was very happy. I was even happier in the hot shower. Maybe tomorrow I thought.

Today, it's windy in the harbor and choppy. Definitely worse conditions for diving. I can't believe I did my advanced and rescue Padi training in these conditions. Yes, I had the proper equipment and great instructors from Granville Island. What I have on board right now is only for emergencies such as fouled rudder. I'll have to get my weightbelt, BCG and winter wet suit from the storage locker. Still.

If one is going to go diving it's far better to do it in the Northern Mariana Islands. Now there's the place to drop something over the side of a sailboat, just to have the excuse to go diving.

Porlier Pass

The 2009 Tide and Current tables listed the maximum ebb tide being about an hour before. My overland speed by GPS was 9.5 knots whereas my over water speed was 4.5. The ebb tide was listed as 4.7 at maximum. The whirlpools were fierce. I could have gunned it to 5.5 knots maximum but had the concern about the water cooling leak. I had to watch the depth meter to ensure I was in the channel. I stayed in 60 feet depth at least throughout. The first whirlpool caught the bow and literally yanked it almost 45 degrees starboard. I wrestled control heeling 3o to 40 degrees in the process, then it was easier with only 30 degree variations as different whirlpools tried to siphon the boat down. All the while I could see the shore passing and stupidly tried to get a bit of it on film when two hands on the steering wheel were essential to happy progress. Not the best camera 'holding' form. And very little clip as the last of the whirlpools had their way. Fog had rolled in and night was soon falling so I was really thankful to be through the pass and heading south in the Trinicomalli Channel to Ganges Harbour, Saltspring Island.

Because of the fog and night I was wholly dependent on the radar and the autopilot had failed just outside Porlier so was hand steering, stopping the boat to pee and get snacks and check the number of flashes on the lights against the chart. I had two propane catalytic heaters going in the cockpit and the cat insisted on sitting on my lap while I was hand steering. Eventually the fog cleared intermittently and the stars and moon came out. It was haunting gliding up the channel. I could see the lights of the ferry exiting Active Pass ahead. I almost decided to turn left and anchor in Montague Harbour but thought if I needed a part or something to fix the autopilot I could get it in Ganges Town. In the fog it was a bit of a challenge finding the channel to the town. I was glad for a large fishing boat already at anchor off the wharf. I anchored in next to him.

Finally below and settled in for the night I chow down on hot venison stew from the deer I shot and canned in the Queen Charlotte Islands, not last Christmas, but the Christmas before. Mmm good.

SV Giri – Strait of Georgia

I woke up at 8 am with Angel the cat under the covers beside me. As usual she was miffed at my expectation she move. The sun was shining in the port hole windows. The cabin was still cozy warm from the diesel heater but I flicked on the propane catalytic heater to get it toasty. Of course I fed Angel her canned food. Then I checked the deck going out to turn off the kerosene storm lantern , it's wick still burning. Despite trying a half dozen other ,some a couple of hundred dollars, nothing has ever worked as well as this cheapest of red, made in China, railway lanterns.

I cooked up some Red River Cereal which I had with evaporated milk and honey along with my Kona coffee made in the stove top expresso machine. Life is good!

I then set to work on the engine. I turned off the engine through hull at night but checked it nonetheless before disconnecting the water hoses to the impeller pump, after taking out the main screws that connected the housing to the engine, removing the belt drive at the same time. Then I unscrewed all the little screws holding the back on to the assembly giving me a view at the rubber impeller rotor. It was in good shape so I didn't mess with it.

I cleaned off the metal surfaces and took out the circular gasket. Everything looked good. Of course the gasket I had with the spare rotors wasn't the right gasket for this Johnson Pump F4B903 made in Sweden. So all I could do is find some Vaseline and clean up the old gasket. Then I carefully seated the screws on the back plate and tightened them alternatively till they were snug before tighting them all that last twist.

I connected the hoses tightening down each of the hose clamps as best I could. I was suspicious of the one worn hose end and would loved to have had a spare hose to replace that. As it was I reconnected the hose and belt drive and tightened the two screws through the housing to the engine. Using a screw driver I pulled down on the housing till I had just the right 2 finger tension on the belt.

Opening the thru hull I went topsides and started the engine. The drip was still there. Less but still there. Mmmmm. Water was coming out the side of the boat in the amount it usually did. I checked the boat water temperature and pressure and that was fine. What to do. Go on or go back. I opted to go on. I'd just keep a closer eye on the water temperature guage and though the engine is rated for 3000 rpm I normally run it at only 2500.

C'est la vie! I flicked on the anchor winch electrical switch , donned a fleece jacket and working Musto life vest and went topsides. The frost on the deck was melted by the sun though there was still some on the dinghy. Standing at the bow I stepped on the in pedal for the winch and watched the anchor chain come in. With a satisfying clank, the anchor came up and seated itself while I went back to the cockpit to put the engine in gear and head out into Howe Sound.

While the bay was protected the outflow winds of Howe Sound had caused the waters there to wear little snowy white caps. The boat healed as we took the turn then the wind was on our stern and we were headed out into Georgia Strait. A beautiful day indeed.

Once out of the Sound and leaving English Bay for Porlier Pass 20 plus miles across Georgia Strait I had 15 knot winds from the northwest so put up the foresail. It added a knot to the speed I was already making with the iron jenny giving me a respectable 5.5 knot speed with only 5 degree heel and nothing crashing about in the cabin. With diesel engine and diesel stove it's warm down below. The cockpit is a bit drafty but the dodger and windshield turn what would otherwise be a chilly journey into a pleasant cruise.

I'm typing this in the cockpit now. All around there's blue sea with a 2 foot chop and blue skies with lots of lo lying cloud. The weather report as for fog banks and there is one far ahead of me obscuring the islands but I figure it will burn off as the day progresses. By evening I should be in Montague Bay or maybe even at dock on Saltspring Island. It depends on the light. I'd rather anchor at night. Docking solo has had it's moments

Wow ! Just had a visit of a half dozen dolphins. They stayed to play riding the bow wave for a few passes and just as quick were on their way heading south. I love dolphins!