M/V Springer

May long week end cruise

2011-05-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

May 21, 2011 We left our slip in Nanaimo, BC in the early morning and made our made north. We did not have any distinct plan of where we were going, we just wanted to go. We realized that we had not been in Drew Harbour at Quadra island for several years, so we drew a line to our anchor spot and put Springer on auto pilot. 10 hours later, we pulled in and dropped anchor. Along the way a pod of porpoise came out and swam along in our wake. I never get tired of seeing that. Simply amazing.We enjoyed a beautiful evening with a glass of wine and a good book.

The next morning we pulled anchor and drove over to Gorge Harbour on Cortes Island. A short 2 hour drive and we were there. The marina has been given a new face lift by new owners and they have done an incredible job. The entire grounds have been done with new large slips, retaurant and swimming pool. The site has a store with a liquor store attached. There is also cabins available if you want to bring a large family along. We have reservations for supper that nice and I had some of the best hallibut that I have ever had. This is definitely a must stop for anyone coming to to Desolation Sound.

We left early in the morning and dove south to Lasquetti Island and anchored in the NW corner in a place called False Bay. There was approx 10 boats anchored. This a large bay so we had lots of space. We have been using our Rocna anchor since last year and I must say that it has given us great solace knowing that our boat is indeed anchored. It has not slipped even a meter from the original hold spot. I would recommend this anchor to anyone.

Tuesday morning we left the anchorage and meandered back to Nanaimo and our home slip. Spent all afternoon washing and cleaning. Good times.

Poets Cove, Bedwell Harbour

2011-04-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a long winter working away, but we are back now and ready to shake the barnacles off Springer. Our last cruise was new years. Springer is always inspected weekly for leaks, batteries,etc, so there wasn"t to much for preparation other than cleanup and stocking the food pantry. The weather is still unsettled so Poets Cove is a great place to go in protected water and relax. This time of year, there are few boats on the water and you have your pick of slips to tie up. This easter week end will no doubt kick start other cruisers and get them going. The weather is still not that warm. I love sitting up on the fly bridge, however I ended up moving to the pilot house in short order.

Poets Cove is a great place. Pools, hot tubs, great docks and friendly staff. First class restaurant. I have never stayed in their rooms,however it is apparently a 4 or 5 star rating. We are here for 2 days. Good times.

New Years Eve DeCourcy Island

2010-12-31T12:22:00.000-08:00

49 05.847N 123 43.812W Another morning of -6C. The wind is 5 knts Easterly. Anchoring in this bay has been very peacefull. The water is calm, it is very quiet and the seals are playing in the bay. We put the dinghy in the water and rowed to shore. We hiked the trail on the island. I did not find the gold, however Sherry and I both burned off some caleries. Our plan today is to read some books and do some maintenance on Springer. I am always surprised that more boaters don"t take avantage of the weather windows. This bay would be jam packed during the summer months. This is why I enjoy going north during the summer and the gulf islands in the winter. I don"t have to contend with boat traffic in any season.Pirates Cove is 2 hours from our slip in Nanaimo.

Pirates Cove, De Courcy Island

2010-12-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

The weather has been horrific over the past month with little opportunity to go cruising. The weather window for the next few days is clear with minimal wind. The temperature is -6C in Nanaimo this morning so we are off. We left the marina this morning and made our way through Dodds Narrows for slack at 11:00 AM . I love this time of year as there is minimal boat traffic on the water other than commercial ships. We are on our way to Pirates Cove on De Courcy Island. The area has a colorful history with a fellow named Brother X11 and their cult followers.

The following is directly quoted from Wikipedia.
Born in Birmingham, England, Wilson attracted a devoted following of wealthy, socially prominent followers. As Brother XII, he established an organization called the "Aquarian Foundation" in 1927, which owed its origins to the teachings of the Theosophical Society. Wilson encouraged the society's members to build homes at the colony headquarters. With the goal of being a self-sufficient community separate from the outside world, the Foundation acquired additional property on nearby Valdes and De Courcy Islands through the donation of a wealthy socialite from Asheville, North Carolina.

Claiming to be the reincarnation of the Egyptian god Osiris, Wilson took command of the colony and its funds, becoming increasingly dictatorial and paranoid, fortifying his island kingdom, accumulating a fortune in gold, and acting unilaterally without the consent of the original Foundation Governors. His mistress Mabel Skottowe, née Rowbotham (under the name "Madame Z") worked the members unceasingly, the tasks given being considered tests of their fitness to advance spiritually. As conditions at the colony deteriorated, the disciples eventually revolted. One man, who had been imprisoned in a cellar on the northern end of Valdes Island, managed to find a rowboat and row to Nanaimo to report the circumstances to the British Columbia Provincial Police. In a rage, Wilson destroyed the colony, smashing its buildings and farm equipment and scuttling his flagship, the yacht Lady Royal.

Wilson and Skottowe escaped in a tugboat, failing to appear in court to answer the charges brought by their former disciples. Wilson is alleged to have died in Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 1934, but may have faked his own death. He remains one of the most mysterious occult figures of the last century. End quote.

Sherry and I will be walking through multiple trails on the island tomorrow to find the lost gold left behind by the cult. My thinking is that this island has been picked apart from top to bottom. Oh well, the excercise will do us good.

Genoa Bay, North Pacific Yachts Rendezvous

2010-09-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

The North Pacific Yachts rendezvous was held September 10-12, 2010. Sherry and I met many new friends. Checking out everyone's boat was a great way to see new options that might work for us. Brian Genge had a great water maker that is exactly what I have been looking for. The weather held out for the most part. A misty rain occurred during our potluck supper, however we had a covered area that kept us dry. Can"t wait until next year.

Fishing with Brother in Law & Nephew

2010-08-17T16:26:00.001-07:00

My brother in law Terry and his son Landon arrived to spend a week with us fishing and cruising. We took Springer 2 ( 22 ft Grady White ) up to Chatham Point and Browns Bay and then beat the water for 3 days. The Sockeye hadn"t arrived quite yet, but we managed to catch some Pinks's and a Spring salmon. We cruised up to Blind Channel resort for a barbecue on the upper deck and then proceeded to check out porpoise up the Nodales Channel.

We travelled to Vancouver yesterday with Springer, to have yet more equipment added to the growing list of extra's. We decided to go with a Rocna 25 anchor system as we have been sliding a lot with our present anchor. Our power cord has a stern connection and we are adding a bow connection to give us some more options.

The entire week has been very hot and we have had a great time.

Grandchildren and Cruising

2010-08-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Nadia and her three sons, Austin, Mason and Nate have arrived for a weeks holiday. We have been waiting and very excited about our kids coming to visit. We had Springer prepped and ready to go. We left Nanaimo on monday with sunny skies and 25 degree weather. A perfect start to the cruise to Poets Cove. Poets Cove has become a favorite short trip for us as they have a full service marina with swimming pools and hot tubs. Its a great place for a short holiday.

We arrived at the marina and it took about 3 minutes for the kids to get to the pool. We set crab traps outside the harbour and also jigged for cod. They actually had the most fun racing out to the traps and jumping the wakes of other boats.

The sunsets each night have been fantastic, with brilliant red shades in the back ground. There is nothing more fulfilling than watching your children smile.

Back Home from The Broughton's

2010-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Our final leg from Squirrel Cove to Nanaimo was done in about 10 hours flat. We decided to run straight down the Georgia Strait, and it was the perfect final run on a great cruise. Our biggest objective on this cruise was to take an extended trip, and jot down any shortcomings of equipment that might need to be upgraded before our trip to Alaska. Our North Pacific 42 handle itself flawlessly. We ended up with a page of notes on small equipment items, some of which are a little on the expensive side.

A water maker is not necessary to go to Alaska, however many of the marinas that we were able to visit either did not have water on the dock, or the water is tinted yellow with cedar tannins. The water was good to drink however washing your clothes was not a good idea. I like the idea of having our own water maker anyway so that we are not constantly looking for or saving water.

The same goes for a deep freeze. Springer does not have one installed other than the one provided by the refrigerator. For an extended cruise, we will definitely install a secondary freezer for meat products etc.

We are installing a secondary navigation system for our computer as well as sirius radio. We have hundreds of songs on our iPod but even that gets a little old after a while.

An extensive parts list is an ongoing process. By next spring, we should have enough parts to replace most critical items required.

This trip only ran for approximately 450 nautical miles. We were gone for 23 days and we met some wonderful people along the way. We can't wait to our trip to begin next summer for Alaska.

Sullivan Bay to Squirrel Cove July 15-24, 2010

2010-07-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

The past several days have been difficult to establish internet connections. Our areas of travel have been remote, beautiful and astounding. Good friends, Russ and Terry Hebblethewaite joined us with their Campion fishing boat for 4 days. With Springer tied up at the dock, we were free to travel to several areas such as Jennis Bay in Drury Inlet.

Jennis Bay Marina is an excellent area to tie up at the dock or to anchor off in the bay. There is no power at the dock but there is water and internet.We met one of the owners, Allyson Allo on the docks and she was a lovely young lady who was quick to say good things about the rest of the marina owners in the Broughton's. I am beginning to think that all of the marina owners informally try to market the Broughton"s in a positive light. All of the marina owners to date have been very helpful, and are quick to give you helpful tips on what to see, and where to go to get the best out of your travels.

We set prawn and crab traps daily, and we fished for Hallibut and lingcod. The four of us cruised quickly through several coves with the highlight being Turnbull Cove. The cove is a huge area that is very well protected. There were several others anchored at the time. You can take your tender to shore and follow a path up to a fresh water lake. The lake is several miles long and full of trout. ( second hand info on the trout )

At night, we decided to watch a HBO video series of called "Deadwood" We have all three years of video on board. Its an excellent series, however do not ever let your kids watch it until they are 32 years old. Its violent, graphic and has extremely foul language. Needless to say the next day of fishing was full of fresh colorfull terminology.

After Russ and Terry left to go home, we pulled anchor and said goodbye to Sullivan Bay. We decided to go back to Pierre"s at Echo Bay. As we pulled into our slip, I looked over and another saw a monster Nordhavn taking up the other side of marina. The boat is called Luna Spirit, a 64 foot Nordhavn owned by another couple of great friends, Andrew and Shannon Boddy. We hadn"t seen them for a couple of years. We had the grand tour of their magnificient ship and were invited for supper that evening.

You can"t help but walk around their boat with your mouth open. It's embarrasing, but what can you do. This little ship is built to go anywhere in the world. and can be easily handled by two people. Its a masterpiece of engineering design with several complex systems made simple . I know that they will love Luna Spirit for many years to come. Along with them was their two daughters and good friends from home.

We left the next morning and travelled to an anchorage called Kwatsi Bay. There is a a small marina there, however it was full, so we anchored off in the far end of the bay. I would probably say that this is the most picturesque anchorage that I have ever been into. There are high mountains all around you that look like they came from the movie Jurrasic Park ( Hawaii ). To add to this, there were dense clouds hanging above the water that gave it that mystical look and feel. Its a deep water anchorage, but the bottom is good. We tied off with a stern line to shore, but we didn't need it.

From Kwatsi Bay, we cruised to Lagoon Cove Marina on the bottom of East Craycroft island. This is owned by Bill and Jean Barber. Bill is 75 years old and full of life. There is a happy hour at 5 oclock that everyone goes to at the workshed about the docks. You bring your own drink and appetizer and make it a potluck. Bill supplies all of the prawns for the festivities. Bill has several stories about the area which had everyone mesmorized. His orientation included a discussion on his excercise area. Wondering what that was, I investigated and found a sign that said excerise station ( beside a huge pile of fire wood and an axe ). Very smart on his part.

We then travelled to a new marina on the south end of Minstrel Island that opened last year called Port Harvey Marina. George and Gail Cambridge are the owners. We had only planned to stay one night, however their cinnamon buns and a 47 knt wind in the Johnstone Straight convinced us to stay for 2 days. This is also a place that I will return too in the future.

From Port Harvey, we travelled down the Johnstone Straight to Cordero Lodge. We stayed here 3 weeks ago, however thoughts of the Wiener Schnitzel at their restaurant made me navigate back to them.

The next morning ( July 24, 2010 ) we were up early to make it through the Dent Rapids on slack. As we we coming south next to Sonora Island, a pod of 4 Orca surfaced about 1/ 4 mile in front of us. We pulled Springer into neutral and coasted. The Orca swam right to us and passed along the port side no furthur than 30 feet. Other boats also trying for rapids, in close quarters to us, were pulling over, stopping their props so as not to inadvertently strike an Orca wilth the blades. To actually see a wild Orca that close is something that is hard to describe. Your heart pounds and leaves you with a great feeling for the whole day ( if not the rest of your life )

We continued on and have anchored back in a frequent spot of ours; Squirrel Cove in Desolation Sound. Squirrel Cove is a great place to go, however I would recommend coming in the off season. At this time of writing, there is approx 80 boats in this bay. A far cry from the tranquil bays of the Broughtons. It feels like bumper cars right now. I have many more pictures to post, however it is difficult to do from a remote area with minimal coverage. I will update in the next few days.

Sullivan Bay

2010-07-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2010
We travelled from Pierre's & Echo Bay yesterday and decided to anchor in a well enclosed spot called Hoy Bay. Its naturally protected from winds in any direction. This would be a great place to hunker down in a bad storm. We set our crab traps and enjoyed the day.

Hoy Bay 50 55.328 N; 126 49.995 W

July 15, 2010
Sullivan Bay 50 53.29 N; 126 49.81 W
A short trip from Hoy Bay to Sullivan Bay Marina. About a mile away from the marina, a pod of porpoise came out and swam under our boat and directly in front of our boat. I stopped the boat and watched them jump all around us. What a great welcoming committee.

Good friends, Russ and Terry Hebblethewaite from Fanny Bay joined us this afternoon. The first order of business was to organize the prawn traps and fishing gear. Having done that we travelled in his boat and deployed the crab and prawn traps to let soak for the night. We then spent the rest of the day fishing and cruising around.

July 16, 2010 Fish Mania

Russ and I left early this morning and retrieved the prawn traps. They were of average size. We then spent the day fishing and had an excellent day on the water. We played catch and release with dozens of Rock Fish and kept a few for supper. Sea Food at its best.

Pierre's at Echo Bay July 13, 2010

2010-07-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

We have spent the last few days getting to know our dock friends at Pierre's at Echo Bay. It is great to meet fellow cruiser's on the road. Grant and Janet Ballantyne hail from Victoria and cruise in a 36 ft Grand Banks called "Coastal Mariner". Daryl and Joan Kyba hail from Brentwood Bay and cruise in a 28 ft Glasply called "Que Pasa ". Daryl is undoubtably the world's prawn king. We had a feed the night before and I don"t think I have ever seen bigger prawns.

We had fish and chip night at Pierre's and then topped the night off at our boat with bubbly and conversation. Excellent night.

Broughton's, Pierre's at Echo Bay

2010-07-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Pierre's Tony & Sherry Wentworth At Pierre's at Echo Bay ( Gilford Island )
Go to their website at http://www.pierresbay.com/ or call 250-713-6415

Tove - ( Half of Pierre and Tove)

Pierre ( The other half of Pierre and Tove )

The Ultimate Pig Roaster. A pig roast is done each week at The Marina.

Local prawns caught today by our neighbours beside us in the marina. We had a prawn feed tonight that was spectacular. These are monster prawns.

July 9, 2010 We layed around in Blind Channel for 2 days soaking up the sun and reading books. The forecast for the Johnson Straight was calling for gale force winds for the whole week. We decided to push through to the Broughtons, as I am not worried about the boats ability to take on heavy water on the bow. It wasn"t bad at all. There may have been a few areas with 4-5 ft seas, but nothing serious. Lots of salt spray on the boat. A pod of porpoise started jumping in front of our boat around Hardwicke island. They stayed with us for about 10 minutes. We turned up Havannah channel & dropped anchor in Burial Cove.

Burial Cove 50 33.588 N; 126 12.976 W
A great place to anchor in a westerly wind.

July 10, 2010
We pulled anchor and made our way to Chatham Channel to the north of us. You need to go through on slack tide as it is very shallow and has a narrow passage. There are range markers that you have to follow to ensure you stay in the proper channel, or you could run aground. To make matters interesting, this morning is a low tide of 1.7 feet. It doesn't give much room for error. The transit through the channel went off well. There were several boats all going through at the same time. The view in this area is spectacular. There are high mountains with shear walls hundreds of feet high that come straight down to the water. We follow the channel to the east side of Minstral Island. To the east there is an anchorage called Cutter Cove.

Cutter Cove 50 37.165 N; 126 16.048 W
This is a great anchorage that can hold dozens of boats. You are open somewhat to the westerlies, however we dropped anchor in 35 feet of water and layed out 175 of chain. Springer held fast with 25 knt winds whipping into the bay. We layed out a crab trap, but got skunked.

July 11, 2010
This morning the winds were calm, but there is low lying fog. Visibility was still good with about a mile of visbility. We pulled anchor and made way to Pierre's at Echo Bay. Pierre is famous for his pig roast that he does weekly.

Pierre's at Echo Bay 50 45.133 N; 126 29.858 W
We tied up at the marina and will R&R here for a few days.

July 12, 2010

Today we walked over to Billy Proctor's museum. This is a short albeit interesting walk that takes you through a winding trail that was made for billy goats. Billy Proctor has lived in this area in entire life and has amassed an interested museum of artifacts. There are arrow heads dating back 8000 years. He has marine hardware, bottles, logging equipment. All of this, he calls junk. Today was a massive blow in the channel and it was good to stay on the docks and do some maintenance and read a few books. Tonight was fish and chip night. Pierre did the cooking and he didn"t disapoint. It was fantastic.

Blind Channel July 7, 2010

2010-07-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Blind Channel 50 24.797 N, 125 29.984 W

This morning we made a short trip from Cordero Lodge to Blind Channel Resort. The lodge has been run by the Richter family for many generations and they run a first class operation. We tied up to the slip in time for their dock barbecue to begin. The docks have ample power, water, garbage removal, laundary and showers. You require reservations for the dining room.

On shore there are walking trails that take you through an enchanted forest. One trail leads you to a lookout over the channel. The other trail leads you to a gigantic tree that is several hundred years old. Its a beautiful sunny day with light winds. Another day to read books and walk the trails.

Shoal Bay, Cordero Lodge July 5-6, 2010

2010-07-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

We left Grace Harbour early in the AM and cruised north through the Lewis Channel. We were on our way through the Yuculta and Dent Rapids and we wanted plenty of time to make it for slack tide. There are three rapids converging into a circular bowl and currents can be up to 10 knts plus. We arrived at Stuart Island where the Yuculta Rapids start and as we were early, we kicked our boat into neutral, waiting for slack to begin.

As we were having lunch, approx 20 other boats arrived early as well. When we started to proceed through the rapids on slack, it became a big convey of boats, one following the next. Once we were on the other side , we cruised north to the top of Sonora Island. We were in luck to see 2 Orca's ( mother and calf ) swimming by. We stayed about a 1/4 mile away, so we did not get good pictures. We watched them for about 1/2 hour and then proceeded on up the Cordero Channel. Our destination was Shoal Bay where we have stayed several times.

Shoal Bay 50 27.751 N, 125 21.995 W
Shoal Bay is found on the top end of East Thurlow Island. When you anchor in the bay, you have a panoramic view through Phillips Arm and the mountains behind. It is one of the most beautiful landscapes anywhere on the planet.

There was no room on the government dock, so we anchored in the bay. The wind came up and was howling all night. It was moving our boat around, even with 160 feet of anchor chain out. Our anchor popped free a couple of times and so we had to reset it. Not much sleep that night.

Cordero Lodge 50 26.717 N, 125 26.906 W
The next morning we pulled anchor and moved over to Cordero Lodge. Its a quaint resort with nice docks. The couple that own the resort ( Reinhardt and Doris Kuppers ) have been here for 31 years. There is no dock power and limited water. The restaurant is only open for supper, but the food is German cuisine and incredible. The cell coverage is sketchy, however my wireless was working, so I could call out on Skype.

We tied up at the dock and looked to do minor maintenance for the day. Today is sunny and light winds. This is a must stop for anyone coming through this area. Oh yeah - The view is fantastic.

Grace Harbour, July 3-4, 2010

2010-07-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

We begin our month long cruise with a nice dinner and night out with our friends Russ and Terry in Nanaimo. Of course we had to sample some nice wine to cap off the evening.

We left our slip at 8:00 AM. The morning started off with an overcast sky and light winds. The water was lumpy and remained so until we made it behind Texada Island. The rest of the day was great. The sun came out and the water was flat.

We wanted to start off our trip with a great anchorage in Desolation Sound. We ran past Powell River, Lund and turned the corner into Desolation Sound and made way to Grace Harbour. Its a beautiful bay, and well protected.

We set our anchor at 6:00 PM. A total of 10 hours from Nanaimo to Grace Harbour. We were tired and hungry.

Go to google earth and you can find our location at 50. 03. 104 N
124.44.745 W

We jumped into our dinghy and did the "Deadliest Catch" routine. We took off outside the bay and launched our string of 1 crab pot. We will let it soak until after supper and pull the pot.
Sherry didn't like it when I referred to her as a deck hand.

Ganges, Salt Spring Island

2010-06-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

We tied up Springer at the Salt Spring Island Marina in Ganges after a short haul from Poets Cove. It was low tide and we only had a couple of feet clearance under our hull. My knuckles were white, but we made it without dusting off the prop. Sherry and I have been coming here for 20 years and always enjoy Moby"s pub and the local atmosphere.

The marina attendant informed us that the marina is scheduled to be dredged out and news floats built sometime over the next year.

We met a couple from Quesnel, BC who were on their maiden voyage with their 26 ft MacGregor sail boat. Yvonne and Glenn Lefebrvre have been coming here for many years kayaking and have chartered 38 ft. sail boats.
We really enjoyed their company for the 2 days that we were there. They both have a wicked sense of humour and really enjoy life.
We had them over for dinner on our boat and then went to Moby"s to finish watching the hockey game. We arrived in time to see Chicago win the Stanley cup over Philadelfia 4-3.

I am sure that we will run into them again in the future.

The Masikewich Family / Poets Cove

2010-06-07T10:20:00.001-07:00

June 7, 2010. Sherry and I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Masikewich and family members, Kay, Jenifer, Amber, and Robert. They were on a cruise and learn trip and we met up at Poets Cove. Jim had been looking at purchasing a North Pacific 43. It didn"t take very long and talking turned to boating, and we were soon underway. We had a short safety briefing and untied our lines, then headed out south of Pender Island. Jim took the helm. It must have been good fortune, as we saw a small pod of porpoise within minutes. Its always a lot of fun to see the smile on a persons face for the first time at the wheel. Jim has been studying the North Pacific 43 for some time as he knew all of the technical data on the boat. Very impressive. All in all, a great short trip which had everyone smiling.

Poets Cove

2010-05-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

We left Nanaimo on the morning of May 5, 2010 and took a leisurely trip to Poets Cove on South Pender Island. It is still a slow time of the year and we did not have any trouble getting slip space at the marina. The facility is rated as 4 1/2 star. Included in the slip fee is the use of the use of the pool and hot tubs. There is a restaurant at the site and wine store. This would be an excellent place to take your family with children. They have a kids club and planned activities. This is our new favourite place.

New Cover Installed Today

2010-01-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Chris Lohman from " Lohman Sails & Covers Ltd." arrived today and installed a complete boat cover on Springer. From start to finish, it took approximately one half hour. I am sure that if I try it the first time, it will take at least a couple of hours. The workmanship is excellent. To contact Lohman Sails and Covers Ltd., go to www.boatcovers.ca

Cruising with Bert & Darlene

2009-12-31T16:52:00.000-08:00

The day was overcast with a slight possibility of rain. Just another perfect day to go cruising in the Gulf Islands. Very good friends of ours from Campbell River, Bert and Darlene came along with Sherry and I to spend the day on Springer. Winds were up Southeast 5 to 15 knts but protected waters in the Gulf Islands made a real nice day. The idea was to go down to Porlier Pass and then come back on the east side of the island's, and then back to our marina.

After going through the pass, we experienced three-foot slop coming from the southeast. It made for a bit of an uncomfortable ride as the three-foot slop was on our starboard beam but we kept on anyway because I wanted to see how the boat would handle in a bit of rough water. We ended up tacking back and forth to keep the waves on our stern and bow.

Bert has extensive boating experience however Darlene has never operated a boat like this. She grabbed the steering wheel and I noticed a big grin on her face that didn't come off for a couple of hours after. All in all, a fantastic day. We tried back up at the marina just before dark, then went out to Beefeaters in Nanaimo for a fabulous meal and vino.

New Bimini and Fly Bridge Cover

2009-12-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Springer had a new flybridge cover and bimini installed from A&M Marine from Nanaimo. For more info his company you can contact Stu Austin at 250-716-0403 or email stu@a&marine.ca

We have had a lot of rain over the past month, and I've had my electronics engages covered over with a tarp that has done the trick for the short-term.

Winter Cruising

2009-12-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

Today was an amazing day. Sherry and I took out Springer for a little run on a beautiful sunny day. The past couple of weeks have seen a lot of rain and heavy winds. Last night I was checking out the marine forecast and it stated that there would be winds of NW 5 knts and sunny for the 2nd. The temp would be 3 degrees. It took about 2 seconds to slam the computer shut and start grabbing the gear.

This morning there was heavy frost, however the sun was shining and winds non existant. Today is my daughters birthday and we called her at work to sing happy birthday. I wish she was here with us to enjoy the day on the boat as I know that loves it as much as we do.

We drove to the marina and to my amazement, we were the only ones that were firing up. Needless to say, we probably didn"t see more than a dozen boats on the water all day. We grabbed some fuel from the Petro Canada fuel dock in Nanaimo and proceeded to make the slack tide at Dodds Narrows. We were running a little late and missed slack by a half hour. The water was churning but no problems at all.

As we passed through Dodds Narrows we entered the inner sanctuary of the Gulf Islands and protected water. We cruised at a liesurely 7 knts and enjoyed the sunshine. Even though it was cold outside, the inside was toasty due to the new Hurricane furnace we had installed. The furnace is incredibly efficient and we had to dial it down a bit as the sun was cooking us through the window.

It amazes me that more boaters don"t take advantage of days like this. The water was calm and we saw the usual seals and eagles. I cranked up Johnny Cash on the stereo and continued down to Galianno island and decided to cut through Porlier Pass. We proceeded back up the other side. When I fully retire, I can see myself going on extensive winter cruises. You just have to be patient and pick your weather. Have plenty of books on board and maybe some scotch for when you are at anchor.

We made it back to the marina just before dark and tied up for the night. This is as good as any cruise that we would do in the summer.

Family Boating

2009-11-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

My sister and brother-in-law arrived for the weekend from Alberta. I was hoping for a sunny weekend to take Springer for a good run, unfortunately the rain gods played against us and it remained windy with intermittent rain for most of the week. We managed to take off from Palm Harbourside Marina on Saturday and spent a few hours close to Gabriola Island. I didn't want to make anybody seasick by venturing too far out, so we stayed fairly close to home.
My sister has never operated a boat, but I conned her into sitting in a helm chair
and I left for a cup of coffee. She did really well. She kept the boat straight and didn't hit anything.

After returning back to the Marina, I noticed one of the boats had a total winter cover. The cover was built by Lohman Sail and Covers in Ladysmith,
( www.boatcovers.ca ) and I noticed the material was like a sail cloth material, very lite and easy to work with. After talking to the owner of the boat, I was sold on the idea. Winter covers like this in the past have been very difficult to work with. The material was very thick, heavy to work with and very expensive.

On Sunday, Sherry and I drove to Ladysmith to discuss the pros and cons of the winter slipcover with the Lohmans. It didn't take very long, and I decided to have one built for Springer. We paid the deposit and will have delivery in 12 weeks. To view the boat, go to www.boatcovers.ca
We should be able to get 10 years of use which is quite cheap when you consider not having to pay for a boat house. Installing the tarp for the first time will take approximately 2 hours, however when you've done it a few times they say it is easy to install in less than one hour.

New Logo for Springer

2009-11-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

Jensen Signs from Vancouver worked a design that Sherry and I came up with. We included a modified North Pacific logo to go with it. They just installed it the other day and I am really impressed.

Palms Harbourside Marina Fire

2009-10-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Picture by the Calgary Herald

A fire broke out on Wednesday, 21 October with a huge loss for many of my fellow voting friends at the Marina. The fire is still being investigated at this time, and it is still unsure of the cause of the fire. As you can see from the picture from the Calgary Herald 3 to 4 boat houses were completely destroyed and I am sure several other boat houses may have some damage to them. My slip where I keep Springer was untouched fortunately, and with even greater luck, Springer is currently at the Shelter Island Marina undergoing a refit.

The fire department was at the Marina minutes after the fire started and contained the blaze. The Marina is brand-new, and is equipped with the most up to date fire systems as per the new fire codes. The firefighters simply had to plug in their hoses at the docks and go to work. Springer will have her refit completed by the end of the month. Hopefully the cleanup at the Marina will occur by then so that we can bring her home to our slip.

Shelter Island Marina

2009-10-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

October 5, 2009 The weather is beautiful and the water is flat. After talking to Trevor at North Pacific Yachts, we decided that this would be a good time to bring the boat to Shelter Island Marina and get the " small" list of warranty items and general maintenance done. Unfortunately the small list is approx 20 items long and growing.

We crossed the channel from Nanaimo to the south leg of the Fraser River where we travelled for another two hours up the river. We arrived at the south leg at the same time as a monster freighter, so we decided wisely to let him go first. Within a half hour he had pulled out of site. When we arrived at Shelter Point Marina, Malcolm Ellison, our mechanic was there to greet us as well as Bob and Ella, the owners of North Star ( 52 ft North Pacific ). Very friendly and outgoing, we made instant friends.

Malcolm dropped by to discuss the small list and it looks like it will be here for 3 weeks. We are installing a tender sea wise system on the swim grid as well as a new hydronic Hurricane heating system. This has an inline water heating system that eliminates a hot water tank and gives you an endless supply. The heat throughout the boat is channeled into three separate systems and is very efficient. We will take the ferry to Nanaimo tomorrow and fly home on the week end for a couple of weeks. Life is good.

Shelter Island Marina and Boatyard Inc. Latitude: 49" 9 min. 57 sec. N Longitude: 122" 59 min. 16 sec. W.

Springer is Ours

2009-09-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

Sherry the Admiral

Daniel at the Helm

Home slip in Nanaimo

We met up with the crew from Emerald Bay yacht sales on Wednesday afternoon Sept 2,09 . All of the paperwork is done and the celebration is on. Sherry brought along a platter of smoked oysters and lox and we all sat around drinking beer and eating the tasty treats.

Thursday morning Sept 3,09 , Sherry, Dan and I arrive at the boat at the break of dawn ready to head out only to find her battery is dead. A small inconvenience, however we installed the charge cord and an hour later fired up the engine's. We made her way out of the Marina and headed north of Bremerton and out into the Puget Sound. The weather forecast was supposed to be a little unsettled however the gods were looking out for us and the weather was superb all the way to Sydney, BC. Not sure why the battery was dead however some switches could have been left on or the possibility of a bad battery. Danny and I spent the day traveling and going through all of the switches to find out what they did. It will take a few days and a few trips to fill comfortable with all of the functions of this boat. The Bow thruster and Stern thruster are marvelous as they can spin a boat on a dime and give you pinpoint accuracy. We arrived at Sydney BC at Van Isle Marina and phoned customs. They were actually quite pleasant and had no problems at all with documentation. We tied up for the night and celebrated our first night on Springer.

The next morning, September 4, 09, our lawyer arrived and we finished off the rest of our paperwork. He paid off our duty and taxes and now we are legal for Canadian water. Over the next several months Sherry and I will be adding a lot of little items to the boat to truly make it ours.

Haul Out & Survey, Olympia Washington

2009-08-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Sherry and I traveled to Olympia Washington, with our brokers from Emerald Bay Yacht Sales. They arranged to have our North Pacific 42 hauled at a shipyard called Swan town. We had pulled up to the lifting slings, and their professional crew took over from that point. I made a call first with Trevor Bryce from North Pacific to ensure that we place the slings in the right spot so that we wouldn't put undue pressure on an unsecure portion of the hull. The boat was picked up and traveled to the yard to have the bottom cleaned.

It's amazing that after only two years in the water the amount of barnacles and scum that sticks to the bottom of the boat. Significant growth can dramatically alter the boats speed and handling characteristics. The bottom paint was worn, however we decided to leave it one more season and have it repainted in the spring. The zincs however were almost gone, so we had the yard crew replace the zincs while the boat was in the sling. I didn't expect the survey to find anything dramatically wrong with the boat, as it is only two years old with minimal hours. There were a few lights that were not working, and the heat sensor on the generator didn't work. These will be fixed and are definitely not a dealbreaker. There was also some warranty items to be taken care of. All is good.

T/T Springer arrives today

2009-08-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

Robert Brown from Capstan Marine in Richmond, BC trailered our 228 Seafarer Grady White - ( It will be named "Tender to Springer" ) to Campbell River, to commission the boat and conduct the final signoff. I was impressed that Robert would decide to do this on a Sunday morning for our benefit. We put the boat in the water at the Discovery Harbour Marina, and reviewed all of the systems on the boat. We headed out of the Marina and made our way up to Seymour Narrows checking boat functions and reviewing the systems. There is nothing on the market that handles and drives like a Grady White. This boat has the technical engineering and hull strength to go through rougher water and I have the ability to operate in. I feel quite comfortable knowing that this is one of the safest fishing boats on the market. Robert spent the entire morning with us reviewing boat functions and handling procedures, and we finally tied up in our slip at the Marina.

I can't say enough about Robert's professionalism in this boat transaction. From the day we purchased this boat, Robert arranged for all of the upgrades with little fanfare or questions required. Sherry and I have been quite fortunate in our last few choices of boats. Our 26 foot Commander was an exceptional boat with a high degree of quality throughout. Ken Stewart from Canmar Yacht Sales is an excellent broker that was always there to answer technical questions. Our Grady White follows that same theme. I consider Ken and Robert to give both exeptional technical advice and great service.

This will be our primary fishing boat as well as a tender for our 42 foot North Pacific when we go to Alaska next year. It has radar, fish finder, GPS and the boat is powered by a 250HP 4 stroke Yamaha.

A Deal is Made, Springer is born

2009-07-31T12:24:00.000-07:00

We have been dealing on a 2007 North Pacific pilot house for the past couple of weeks. The brokers and I have been trading phone calls on a daily basis seeing who can get the best deal. Finally today we have come to a compromise and settled on a price which all parties agree to. So it looks like we are going to be the proud owners of a 42 foot North Pacific pilot house. The next step will be to start the surveys on the hull and mechanical which will be done next week. There has been a couple of small issues with the boat already noted, such as a window that leaked and stained the teak wall as well as a broken window that was repaired but not to my standard. These are warranty items that will be taken care of by the company later on this fall. We are hoping to go cruising the latter part of August once all of the surveys are complete and we take possession.

Cruising for Springer

2009-07-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

The hunt for our retirement boat is officially on. We have spent dozens of hours on the internet site http://www.yachtworld.com/ checking out countless pilot house trawlers. A 42 ft North Pacific pilot house is for sale in Gig Harbor Washington. It's a 2007 model with very low hours so a decision was made for a road trip. We jumped in our red demon and drove to Sydney, and jumped on the ferry to Anacortes. While there, we stopped at a marina and looked at Nordic tugs. Very nice trawlers but still not exactly what we're looking for. Onwards down through Seattle, Tacoma and finally Gig Harbor. We met up with the salesman at Emerald Bay Yacht Brokers and traveled to Olympia to view the North Pacific 42. The owner of the boat happened to be on board and we spent the next few hours viewing the boat and all the systems. The owner thought it would be a good idea if we flashed up the engines and went for a ride. We stayed within the bay and tied up a slip beside an oyster restaurant and had just a great afternoon overall. Presently we have an offer on the boat, however we are still apart on the price and are still negotiating. In the meantime, Sherry and I drove to Vancouver to Capstan Marine and purchased a new Grady White 228 Seafarer. It will take a week to commission the boat and have delivered to Campbell River. Can't wait.

Last voyage of Los Suenos'

2009-07-10T22:30:00.001-07:00

Good friends of ours, Todd and Corrine arrived this morning from Costa Rica. Today was going to be a great day as we were taking out our precious boat for its last voyage as we have sold Los Suenos' to new owners that will take possession next week. We left Campbell River and made our way across the channel through the Baker Passage and into Desolation Sound. Our first stop was Teakerne Arm. Capt. Vancouver and his men anchored here for an entire winter and camped behind the waterfall at Cassel Lake. This is a very popular place in Desolation Sound as most cruising boats will show up here to view the falls and walk back to the lake and go for a swim.

We took a slow cruise over to Squirrel Cove. Years ago there was a Baker that set up shop in a dilapidated old shack on stilts. The Baker would make special cinnamon buns that were half dark rum. Boats from all over the world would come to Desolation Sound at one point or another and would end up with cinnamon buns from the Baker. Squirrel Cove is also a protected little bay where we have spent several days in the past waiting for good weather. I noticed in the corner of the bay there was still an old rope hanging from a tree limb where our children used to swing from the shore out into the bay playing Tarzan. In the summer the bay can get quite warm and quite often you would see several people swimming around their boats.

We pulled anchor and made our way back to Campbell River and tied up for one last time. The new owners will be getting a terrific boat and I'm sure it will serve them well. Todd and Corrine will be going back to Costa Rica with great memories of Desolation Sound. Sherry and I are off to Washington tomorrow to find our new retirement boat.

Cordero Lodge

2009-07-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

July 4, 2009 Travelling On Los Suenos'
My wife and I have created this blog for your enjoyment and for you to follow our adventures. We have sold our 26 Ft Commander called Los Suenos" and the new owners will take possession in a couple of weeks. So as not to confuse anyone, our new boat, Springer - not purchased yet will be featured soon. We are travelling to Washington this week to view and hopefully finish a deal.

We travelled from our slip in Campbell River, up through the Seymour Narrows. The weather was clear and warm. The water had a 2 ft chop. As we passed Browns Bay, we encountered a sudden change of weather. The winds gusted approx 30 knts and the waves became confused and we encountered 5 to 6 ft waves. Our vessel burroughed and slammed its nose into a wave ( wall of water ) . Water blew around us and over the top. It was like being in a washing machine for a couple of miles. As suddenly as it started, it abated to a 2 ft chop and all was normal. There was no damage at all to the boat which reafirms my faith that "Commander" build some of the best quality fibre glass boats on the market in the 26 ft range. We travelled through Nodales into the Cordero passage and tied up to the Cordero lodge. Excellent docks and very friendly staff. We decided to stay the night and had dinner at the restaurant. It is worth the trip to have a meal here. It was excellent. For more info on Cordero Lodge go to http://www.corderolodge.com/

We met up with Mike & Betty from Shamon 11 on their 48 ft Gulf Commander and enjoyed a great evening.