Between the Sheets

hOLIDAYS, hURRICANES AND hAPPENINGS 

2006 November 7 to 2007 December 15 

Late on the 7th of November, Brenda was spirited away on a red-eye flight to Toronto connecting to Orlando, Florida.  This was the trip promised earlier at her surprise birthday party back in October.  Dave armed with his Garmin 276 GPS and a bunch of waypoints proceeded to entertain Brenda for the next week. 

Not quite sailing, but the Cap'n and Brenda managed to get out on the water very shortly after checking into their hotel in Cocoa Beach on Cape Canaveral, Florida.  We took an air-boat ride up the Banana River not far from our hotel to inspect the wildlife.  And there he was, our first gator!!  We felt like we were in the opening scenes for CSI, Miami.  Our airboat captain gave us some history on the wildlife in the area and pointed out that the bald eagle doesn't get his white head until he matures.  So, Cap'n Dave added that someone else on the boat had also recently matured  and was also sporting a blonde top and the other passengers broke into a rousing version of the Hill Sister's song, Happy Birthday. 

In celebration of her three score officially, we dined at a wonderful little bistro, Cafe Margaux in Cocoa Beach, on Merritt Island, Florida.  [Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral are islands just off the Florida mainland sitting in the Atlantic Ocean.]  The meal was outstanding.  The service was fantastic and, as always, Brenda occupied the waiters with many stories of the water and her life in Gull Lake, Saskatchewan. Brenda had a mixed grill of fish that is worth the trip down south.  Then, what else? It was off to a late movie, where Dave had to have his popcorn to finish off the wonderful repast. 

When in Florida, you have to see Disneyland, Universal Studios and Epcot Centre.  Well, not really.  We only had five days to mess around, so we elected to pass on Disneyland and Epcot for this trip.  Being a movie buff and knowing what they can do on the screen, we thought we could see it all anyway with a single visit to Universal Studios.  We saw the Blues Brothers and Shrek, survived a fire, an earthquake and a twister.  But when it came to scary, I was really worried when Brenda turned a whiter shade of pale on the Back to the Future ride.  I hadn't seen her that green since the third day of our offshore trip.  I have to admit that the special FX guys can really mess with your mind. They put you in a small little room, shake it up, turn you around twice and then watch the blood drain from your face and the sweat appear on your brow. 

We even saw a shark close up and scary.  Not to worry, it was in one of the biggest aquariums I've ever seen in a restaurant.  We watched this dude swim around the tank right in front of us over lunch. 

One of the highlights of the trip was the Kennedy Space Centre.  Only 10 minutes north of our hotel, Cape Canaveral was a great place to spend a day.  Bus tours take you from interpretive centres to launch sites, shuttle preparation areas, theatres and various museum sites of past space endeavors.  The immense size of the buildings and the equipment was mind boggling.  While we were there, the space shuttle was being moved to the launch site.  Talk about a trailer.  [Note:  About two weeks later, Brenda's brother was on the west coast of Florida about 150 miles away when the shuttle was launched and they could see it from there.]  We were there from opening to closing and could have spent more time poking around.  

We broke back into Canada via the wonderful security system just in time for the Cap'n to take off to the coast for an advanced cruising course.  The crew arrived in Victoria by plane as that was the only mode of transport available.  The Ferries had shut down due to the Hurricane Warnings.  So, we provisioned and then we went shopping.  Yes, seamanship rules that when there are no other boats out to play with, it is time to hit West Marine.  The boys stocked up on everything from wet weather gear to safety harnesses and binoculars.  The next morning, we elected  to head out as we were down to storm warnings only.  We sailed on a quick close reach into the US and got to Roche Harbor where we cleared Customs in time for lunch.  We completed the provisioning for the contraband materials like potatoes, meat, chicken, eggs, lemons, limes and oranges.  Then we set out to cross Juan de Fuca.  Well!!!!  So much for Plan A.  With doubled watches due to the extreme weather, we had only covered about 18 miles and were unable to get into the strait.  The wind was right on our nose.  It was dark, and a really tough slug into the wind so we turned in through Cattle Pass and headed up between San Juan and Lopez Islands.  Through the night we continued to sail up and around Lopez and finally out Thatcher Pass.  We had some interesting seas on our bow but elected to head to Deception Pass.  Through the night we beat down Rosario Strait and finally got to the Deception Pass entrance about 02:00, which was about 90 minutes past slack water.  We powered up and, against the ebb current, fought our way through under the bridge. We were finally clear by about 03:00.  The Cap'n and crew went off watch with Ian and his crew taking over.  Not wanting to waste fuel and unable to sail in the tight waters with the current still running against us, we backed off on the throttle to maintain some headway up and around the north end of Whidbey.  Well!!!!  Again who would have imaged that four hours later we would be just barely past the entrance to the Swinomish Channel.  The Cap'n came on duty and as we rounded the corner he attempted to make breakfast for the crew. 

Under a double reefed main and a hanky jib the boat was pitching so badly that we had to turn around to get out of the headwind.  The stove is gimbaled but not for pitching.  Just for rolling. So as the crew tacked back and forth in the lee of the land, breakfast made it from the stove and into the crew.  Then back into the fray.  The crew tacked and tacked and tacked and tacked.  We covered about 45 miles between 08:30 and 16:30 but had only made about eight miles upwind towards our target.  Change of target.  We are not going to make it around Whidbey, a distance of over 80 miles.  Instead we plotted to put into Honeymoon Bay for a rest against the 40 plus knot winds.  We had to use main and motor to get aggressive against the wind and we finally dropped the hook at about 19:00 hours.  Under anchor a fine repast was prepared and the crew rested after being underway for more than 35 hours.  The next morning with weather reporting more that 45 knots to 55 across the island from where we were, we did some of our advanced anchoring techniques and finally got underway about 11:00.  We planned to get back out through Deception Pass and make our way over to Friday Harbor for the night.  It was already dark by the time we cleared the pass and surprise, surprise, the storm had knocked out three of our important navigation lights.  Using GPS and our hand bearing compasses we discovered the rocks where the lights were mounted but someone had not paid the hydro so they were unlit.  We managed to sail all the way to Friday Harbor with Lou cooking a mighty fine dinner while en route.  He was disappointed that nobody would join him below for the meal so we dined on the patio.  There is something about meals in the dark of night under starry skies in blustery winds that just stick in your mind forever. 

We got to Friday Harbor in time to close down the micro-brewery and partake of two of the largest desserts I think I have ever seen.  After we hoisted Darren aloft for a brief repair of the radar reflector, we were homeward bound.  On the last day we had very little wind and it was dry so we elected to strip off the canvas and bag the sails.  (Part of the winterizing regime for Good Idea.)  We pulled into Van Isle Marina to clear customs.  Then we took advantage of their new (to me) oil change pump out which works really slick.  Pull up to the fuel dock, drop down the suction tube directly into the dipstick tube and remove all the oil in a flash.  Spin off the filter and you are done.  No muss, no fuss.  The only down side was the poor crew that had to stand in the rain now that the dodger and canvas was removed.  With fresh oil and a new filter, the Cap'n appeared back on deck and the rain stopped.  We motored back to the marina, docked and while some of the crew cleaned topsides, in the rain that started when Dave went below, the crew below tidied up for the winter stay.  Dave appeared on deck one more time and the rain stopped for us to transport all the goodies to the awaiting van.  The Cap'n doesn't do rain! 

Back in  Calgary, we finished up our Coastal Nav class and got set for the Christmas rush.  Of course it included our St. Lucia Day and all the other parties.  An added complication was Brenda and her commitment to the singing group, That's Entertainment.  Between her gigs and our getting ready for Christmas, time disappeared.  On Boxing Day Brenda and Dave crossed the Atlantic and spent a week with our kids in Nottingham, England for a nice relaxing time with the grandkids.  After a pit stop at home, we headed to California to help ring in our dear friend Alice's 100 birthday.  What a special lady! 

Our winter Nav class got underway about the same time as our travel bills started arriving in the mailbox.  Cap'n Dave had a hard time turning away students with a fistful of money and so ended up with a record 24 in the class.  We divided the class into two nights after the fifth week and got all the students through the exam successfully.  That resulted in a fresh bunch of bodies for Basic and Intermediate Cruising so those classes also expanded greatly over the past year's attendance. 

On a sad note, Brenda's father passed on this spring and we celebrated his life in Gull Lake in April.  We had all of his belongings stored in our garage and we were sorting through them just as the Basic Cruising course got underway.  We had just finished the Basic theory portion and had started the practical on the water sailings when the inconceivable happened.  Saturday morning I arose, got ready to head out to teach and, lo' and behold, my van had been stolen from in front of the house.  All my teaching resources, lifejackets, GPS, electronic chargers, adaptors, mounts, ropes, cleats et al disappeared.  In addition, I had moved my camera out to the car to take a picture of Soryu as she was the only boat launched at the time, so I also lost all the pictures of the Nav grad, my grandson, Nicolas' Birthday, and sadly the pictures of the funeral and celebrations in Gull Lake.  The rotters!!!  They should catch them all and kneecap them so you can recognize them on the street by their limp.  [Soryu down at Little Bow for motoring exercises.]  The good news was that after attending a FACS meeting and announcing that I had misplaced my van, our friend, Ernie's son, said "I know where Dave's van is."  Later that same day while I was teaching down at Little Bow, the police phoned and reported our van found.  Two weeks later it was back clean and sparkly but without a trace of any thing of value left in it.  At least there was no damage to it.  They tried to remove the signs on the window without success which probably saved it being driven too much.  Add playing the insurance game of recovery of gear to our busy schedule. 

Glenmore threw a couple of curves at us with the usual spring snowfall and a couple of high wind days.  Everybody was well advanced by the time the high winds occurred so we even managed to show off one of our keels as we sailed by the moorings.  One day we dropped off the crew just as a front came in. We had to pick up our mooring.  Monique, a mere snip of a thing, rode the bow while the Cap'n flew a keel through the moorings.  We made about six or seven passes while people who were storm stayed on their boats at their moorings looked on.  Finally the conditions were right and we slid up to the mooring. Monique grabbed the line and wrapped it around the bow cleat while the Cap'n ran forward and dropped the sails.  A cheer came up from those on their boats and from the dock and shoreline crowd. 

We continued to introduce new people to the sport of sailing by offering our skippered charters on Glenmore.  A couple of birthday presents resulted in our cruising around the lake with some light to moderate breezes, just enough to inject the cruising bug into the newly converted sailors.  [Two of the cruise parties shown here.]

One of the students bought a new large (for these waters) Catalina and we managed to get up to Sylvan Lake to teach them motoring on their own boat.  The Cap'n even got to set a new speed record.  No it wasn't on the the Catalina but on one of the son's car.  Yes, the Cap'n rode in his first Lamborghini from the front of his house around to the pub, through the school zone at 30 kilometers per hour.  Yes, I believe that is the slowest test drive that car has ever done.  Well, the day we arrived in Sylvan, a nice thunderstorm came up and shut down our intended lesson.  We dined at the Smuggler's Inn waiting for the storm to pass.  We managed to get out after the lightning had stopped but the wind was still up.  We came in for a docking which turned out to be beyond the Basic level so the Cap'n took over the helm and did a 'Hail Mary' docking in the very tight marina, managing to miss outboard motors and other docked craft by millimeters and swinging the bow up into the wind for a one time only practice.  The crew mutinied before Dave could cancel the rest of the lesson.  We returned four days later and managed to get the crew up to speed in much more manageable winds.   

We started our first Intermediate Cruise in the first week of July and had a super time.  Although we only a small crew, Rob and Gord, we managed to complete the standard in some great sunshine and winds.  [Gord and Rob sounding their way to shore in Pirate's Cove.]

Summer at the West Coast: A couple of on-line bookings started off the summer.  First of all these people had not sent in any down payments and then they didn't send any balances.  Then, on arrival, they announced they wanted to be fed and entertained.  What can you do with charterers like that?  The first group was all the way from Britain -- Nottingham, to be exact.  Turned out to be our daughter, Kirsten and her daughters, Ophelia and Greta.  Because we were having Good Idea fitted with new canvas, we stayed on the dock for most of the time but managed to get over to Sidney Spit, the Port of Sidney and a dinghy trip to Port Sidney.  During the trip back from Port Sidney Ophelia (5) and Greta (3) fell asleep in their mother's arms and missed the whole trip.  Talk about an Attitude Adjustment Cruise, that was the fastest the Cap'n has ever put passengers to sleep.  The weather was phenomenal and a heat record was set.  Hence, the little ones found Big Moo's Ice Cream Palace in Sidney to be the main attraction. 

The second group, from Ottawa, arrived on the heels of Kirsten's departure again with nothing down, nothing paid but with high interest.  Turned out to be our other daughter, Rebekka and her fiancé, Marc-Andre.  We took off from Sidney, trying to outrun the rain they had brought with them from down east.  First stop was at the Roche Harbor Customs Dock where the Cap'n took the crew's passports ashore for clearance.  "Who you travellin' with today?" grunted the Customs Officer, complete with heavy duty sidearm.  I explained I was with my wife, my daughter and a relatively new stranger that I had just met that I wanted him to check out thoroughly.  After he gave us the green light, I welcomed Marc-Andre aboard the family.  The Customs Officer said he gets a lot of requests like that.  Although it was cloudy and overcast for most of the four days that Bekka and Marc-Andre were with Brenda and I, we only registered one rain day.  We had to slug it out with full wet-weather gear the one passage whereas the rest of the precipitation happened at night, like Camelot, and during times we were at rest, some of us more than others.  Other than the poor planning to pack the Ottawa humidity, we had a great time with our kids. 

Brenda then left to head back to Calgary to get Kirsten and kids set up in our home while they completed their immigration back to Canada.  Unfortunately, she had my passport.  We do not have enough space on our website to go into the details, but she lost the passport and I managed to get a new one in less than a day!!  23 hours later I had ID and was legal for our next trip into the States.  A HHHHHUUUUGGGGEEEEE THANKS to the Passport People in Victoria and especially Wade and Family for helping me to expedite the system. 

The weather was great and we had a great cruise with Barb, Wade, Matt and Mike.  Without the constraints of the first mate along, the Cap'n managed to do it up right (translation: more calorific desserts -- the Barista Sundae shown here is still a favorite) with the new crew with absolutely fantastic meals in Roche, Anacortes and Friday Harbor.  Good Idea got shut out of Deception Pass due to a tardy departure from LaConner and so we went back into Cornet Bay to wait for the next slack.  While there, we got some licenses for the boys who managed to catch about 10 crabs over the hour we were docked.  Only one small keeper and we won't mention who the best one on the crab line was, but Mike sure had a great time!  [Crabbing on the State Park dock waiting for slack water at left.]  When we got to Friday Harbor late, we all snared a great dessert.  If you want to have the best chocolate cake in the Islands, go to the little brew pub on the main drag of Friday Harbor.  Okay, so we didn't manage to sail a lot on the trip; there were no complaints!!! 

Dave made a hasty retreat back to Calgary to help celebrate his father, Hugh's, 85th birthday.  Keeping with the seafood theme from the coast we had a gala feast of scampi, shrimp, lobster tails and to top it off a huge four pound lobster for Dad.  Another highlight was the birthday cake toss where Brenda, tripping on the way to the table, launched a whole slab of black forest cake into Dad's chest and lap.  "Would you like some ice cream with your handful of cake?" was the questioned posed as we cleaned up the mess.

Back to the coast to entertain our friends again as Brad, Mary and Dylan joined the Cap'n for their second annual San Juan cruise.  [Always a treat is the organ concert seen from the balcony in the Mansion at Rosario.]  We had a super supper cruise with Dylan leading the pack in the calorie consumption. Although pretty well a repeat of the stops last year, this time Dylan didn't get skunked and managed to catch a crab. 

Back to teaching, the Cap'n tutored Joshua, Monique, Rachelle, Danielle and Tara who along with their father and other siblings are preparing for an offshore adventure.  This crew arrived in Anacortes and we did a San Juan version of the Intermediate Cruising course.  One of the unwelcome guests on this voyage was the bug they brought along which resulted in the Cap'n and Tara not being up to par for the last day.  A highlight though was scoring the prime table at Rosario where the crew went nuts for the Friday night seafood buffet.  I'm not sure the resort saw much profit with this group. The group mutinied in Anacortes and the Cap'n sailed back solo to Sidney with a stop in Roche Harbor.  After dark under the cover of darkness and under the influence of his lemon cold medications, he managed to anchor between all the other boats without incident.  Early in the morning with stuffed sinuses, he retrieved the anchor and finished the cruise home. 

The last Intermediate Cruise was later in September and due to forecasted high winds and a very unfavorable ebb tide, we holed up in Telegraph Harbour instead of our usual route.  The crew, Bob, Ethel and Terry, [seen consulting the charts] did have one of the best sails of the year though as we returned back to Sidney.   Due to some complications this year, two of the student couples ended up cancelling their cruises.  We'll fit them in next year. 

Back in Calgary, Tisha imported a crew from Chicago and took the Cap'n on the last Glenmore cruise of the season.  It had always been a ambition of her father to go sailing with her and so her Mom and Dad took time to drive out west to enjoy a very pleasant sail around the fall colours on Glenmore. 

Shortly after that the Cap'n pulled Soryu out of the dam (before the snow flew) and dragged it home.  While he busied himself teaching a radio class, good old Brenda was once again saddled with running the boat out for her winter storage.  What can I say, she has a talent that shouldn't be wasted!!

Then the last of the cruises, an Advanced course where Brad along with David (the father of the tribe heading offshore) returned to the coast and joined the Cap'n and Ian.  What a contrast from last year's Advanced cruise.  [While the crew is offwatch and below, on deck we dodge the traffic through the night and onto sunrise.]  There was no wind and with the current we were under power for the majority of the time.  One of the highlights was that we locked up into the channel in Seattle.  Due to the rush hour traffic we weren't able to pass by the first draw bridge, but the experience was great for the crew.  Locking back down we then set out at sunset for a sail back north while we prepared supper.  By midnight the wind had died and we were back on power.  Our first real stop and landfall was at Oak Harbor where we cooked a nice meal aboard, showered and then enjoyed the hospitality of the Yacht Club for nightcaps.  On the next morning after some complex anchoring maneuvers in the middle of a regatta, we set off for the chocolate cake in Friday Harbor which continues to be a must make destination.  Although the weather was a bit cool, there was no rain and the boat made a safe passage back to Sidney for the end of the season.  [Heading back to Sidney earlier in the year and catching another super sunset.]

Brenda and Dave took a mini holiday out to Sidney late November to tear off the new canvas, bag the sails and put Good Idea to bed for another season. Then in December, after the Nav Class had finished and the Wildrose was wrapping up activities for the year, our son-in-law, Erwan, seen here enjoying another day at Starbucks, finally got his Visa and was able to join his family under our roof here in Calgary.  From empty nesters to having our wonderful kids and grandkids close (real close) at hand has certainly enriched our lives.   

SO NOW THE SEASON IS CLOSING DOWN.

2006 June 26 to 2006 November 6

Cap'n Dave gathered what was left of the Basic Cruising Course students who hadn't sailed off to the far corners of the earth and held the 2006 Wine and Cheese Grad.  [Happy Grads -- well some of them.]  We have had a great time out in the Gulf Islands for the last week.  Brenda and I arrived on the 2nd of July and Good Idea got the Martha Stewart treatment which she sorely misses when the Cap'n is out by himself.  Brenda has a knack to store and organize so that GI doesn't look like a garage sale wannabe.  Monday saw John arrive for an Intermediate Course and we did the usual Thrifty trip.  We cast off on Tuesday. The Cap'n went forward to clear the knotmeter and had an eerie feeling something was missing.  Quick U-turn and back to the dock.  No foresail!!!  I forgot that we had a small rip on the genoa on the last day of the previous sail and elected the stitch in time system so dropped the sail off at Leitch McBride on the way out of town in June.  Back in the car, we picked up the sail, returned, raised, furled the sail and re-departed.  Funny how that can happen so fast.   Just after lunch and clearing Swartz Bay we had a great gennaker sail as we put John through the drills to get that big beast out of the blue bag, up, gybed, set, down and refurled into the bag.  We were busy, considering there was only the three of us and not the usual crowd available to man-handle the beast.  [John and Otto on duty.]  We got up to Maple Bay and did a repeat of the previous visit by caramelizing some more chicken.  Brenda and John questioned the wisdom of the quantity of bird that Dave had piled on the BBQ but after all was said and done, there was only a meager lunch snack left on board after dinner. 

The next day, at Pirate's Cove, we sent Brenda ashore with a stern line while John and I set anchor in the bay.  Somehow, we ended up with a volunteer knot in the stern line and had to reset the line.  Although the bay was quite protected, we were close to the port day-beacon and had quite a cross breeze.  After dinner, we set out on our night passage and it went quite uneventful until we cleared Breakwater Island on the other side of Gabriola Pass.  The leftover wind in the strait sent a bunch of rollers bigger than Bayliner Bob's wake that upset things below. We rolled in harmony with the waves for better than 10 minutes trying to maintain our course and then started quartering the seas on the next leg.  On final approach the seas were running with us and things settled down as we rounded Shipyard Rock and made our way over to Monique who waiting for us at Page's Marina. 

We had a great sail the next day to Porlier Pass on the inside and once again had to start the motor to make our destination of Ganges in time.  After rounding the Sister's Islands and, on final approach to Ganges, we noticed something wasn't quite right in the Ganges Marina.  The two-story former hunting lodge, and now the Ganges Marina office, had quite a list on her.  On final approach to the dock we tried to do some maneuvering drills and were promptly told, "No time for practicing today!!!  Please park your boat in the slip right away; we are in a crisis situation here."  The volunteer dock person was a little harried to say the least.  Earlier that morning [Thursday] a boater showered at 05:30 and all was well.  By 06:00 the Coast Guard was waking up the owners to say that their building was going down.  They had twenty minutes to move as much stuff out as fast as they could.  By 06:00 the west end of the building was one floor shorter and the office was down four feet with the 'CLOSED' sign in the window just visible above the water line.  We watched the locals with small boats trying to budge the building and then a larger crab boat tried to help out.  It appeared to be firmly aground.  Evidently, it was discovered that the building was still secured tightly to the main pier pilings and had they managed to move the building they could have taken  the pier with it.  The Marina Office next morning was more level at low tide and more floatation was being attached to the west corner as we departed.  What happened?  It turns out that the building which always had a slight list to the west anyway was built on an old barge.  Water was pumped out of the barge on a regular basis but that fateful morning a plank let go on the barge and down she went.  If it weren't for the docks and other floatation around the east end, she would have gone down immediately.  The owners were going through all the boxes of stuff removed to find the gas dock keys, the shower and laundry lock box keys, the cash boxes and keys and other associated operational vitals so they could carry on business.  Surprisingly they were still functional and booking moorage through the day with incoming boaters more than patient.  Look for a big sale on T's in the near future as we saw them offloading tons of soggy shirts on to a barge beside the building as we departed.  [Boat in the public marina that had salvaged floats on West Vancouver Island.  Maybe he could poke around the corner and add the T-shirts to his booty.]  The arcade machines in the east end may not be as recoverable.  I have had bad days, but they pale in significance to their problems. 

We got back to Sidney where the Cap'n had a popcorn withdrawal episode and shanghaied the crew for a movie in Langdale.  We met up with some of our Calgary buddies for breakfast and discussed the merits of clearing kelp off the rudder before  engaging the motor in reverse.  Cap'n Ernie armed with a bread knife lashed to the boat hook attacked the kelp with the vengeance of Cap'n Ahab on Moby Dick.  They managed to limp in under sail and then power assist from their dinghy and intended to have the last remnants cleared by a diver. We bade adieu to John the next morning after breakfast and Ernie and Marianne the next morning by air. 

Past student Uger and his buddy Rae joined us for a quick trip back stateside to refresh their skills prior to a cruise in Turkey.  While south of San Juan Island we encountered a very unusual craft.  It didn't answer to a radio hail but if it had started shooting green lasers and had cloaked and disappeared from sight, we wouldn't have been surprised.  Turns out it is an experimental craft that is designed to handle large waves and chop called, Dances on Waves.  [Rae and Uger watch Dances on Waves apprehensively.]  

While in Friday Harbor, Brenda joined a quilting party with an dear friend of ours who operates the Needlework Boutique on Spring Street.  Her friends got together along with Brenda for what looked more like knit one, parlez two to me.  Eleanor [second from right] was our main contact in Friday Harbor when we needed a delivery on the state side.  We would order things by Fedex and not have to pay if it didn't arrive the next day.  We always had to pay.  The silly little float plane would come buzzing in with our software or whatever from New York or wherever.  

Next destination was Port Townsend.  We cast off early with breakfast en route.  It started off as a drizzly day with no wind and so we left the canvas up and donned our wet weather gear.  By the time we were abeam Lime Kiln Lighthouse the rain had quit and we were enjoying a four knot push down Sidney Channel and out into Juan de Fuca Strait.  The current changed to abeam and finally on the nose as we made Point Wilson lighthouse.  We had consulted our Docks and Destinations manual and had figured out we could clear customs on arrival at Port Townsend.  Although only two years old, the info was incorrect and we got a bit of a reprimand from the Customs Agent when he arrived. We were supposed to phone to make a reservation ahead of time.  Oh, well.  We cleared customs, the sun was now shining and all was well.  As per previous trips into Washington, we are always amazed at the cheap public transit system.  Two day passes for the bus cost $1.50 in total.  We toured the town and ended up at a highly recommended fish and chip shop for supper.  Obviously, those people we had spoke to must not get out much.  I won't pass the name on to protect the mediocre. 

We continued south from Port Townsend under the bridge and across Admiralty Inlet over to Edmonds, one of our favourite haunts.  We tied up in the Edmonds Yacht Club and,  taking advantage of the shuttle, we went uptown to buy our granddaughter, Ophelia, (and her Dad) some DVD's for their birthdays.  Back downtown, we posted them off to England.  Lo and behold, 'The Taste of Edmonds' was on and we enjoyed drooling over the smells and sights of the fair.  We each settled on separate menu choices and then waddled back to the boat.  We cast off for La Conner the next morning and had just rounded into the Swinomish Channel with the auto helm in charge when the nasty happened.  We grounded!!!!   This is always a surprise.  It is also a disappointment in the fact that, as in this case, it is almost always operator error.  I can't blame in on Otto.  I was in charge.  We checked and found no leaks, no evident damage visible from the inside, and then proceeded to back back into the channel.  We bypassed La Conner and carried on to Anacortes.  We called for a diver and arranged for an inspection.  We were glad that the bottom was in tact and there were only some minor scrapes on the leading edge and bottom of the keel.  The diver used a compound which sets under water. He sealed everything back up and gave us a clean bill of health until next year's haulout.  A check of the skipper's and mate's heart would have found much deeper wounds.  Pay attention.  I have only grounded three times in over thirty years but I can still remember each one vividly. 

We picked up a new crew on the docks that had wandered down from Calgary.  Brad, Mary and Dylan joined us for a wonderful San Juan Islands cruise.  I thought it was just teenagers that ate us out of house and home.  Little Dylan managed to polish off more seafood and steak than the Cap'n.  [Dylan drying the deck to wear off his seafood calories.]  It is great to see people with great appetites and a holiday conscience that make the stops in the islands worthwhile.  We started with a repast of bacon-wrapped prawns at Bellissima Trattoria right on main street in Anacortes, cruised over to Roche Harbor for the Barrista Sundae, on to Friday Harbor for the popcorn and movie, around to Rosario for the wonderful steak neptune and back to Anacortes.  En route we tried our luck at shrimping in Friday Harbor -- successful but elected to set them free to grow up [lucky shrimp on left with not so lucky mussels and clams]; fishing at Rosario -- unsuccessful; and crabbing at Saddlebag Island -- unsuccessful in a big way.  Not only did we not get any keepers, we didn't even bring one crab to  the surface.  Very disappointing for the crew who were all rooting for Dylan who was the only one licensed to play the game.  Cap'n Dave has never been skunked like that before.  In all fairness, the crab snare has worked before.  [Good Idea low in the stern from the added weight of cruising with Dave.]

Another quick trip to Calgary to pass out some hugs to family and get the fall courses lined up.  [And to finish off the bathroom renovation which took away value coastal cruising time.]  While there we introduced a family to some of the technical terms before they head out to Malaysia to cruise later this year.  The girls soaked up the info like little sponges and are looking forward to their trip.  [Sam, Shelli, Bryn and Alix learn the ropes.]  The next day George and Jeannie came out for an Anniversary Float.  Not much wind, but we cracked a little bubbly and helped them celebrate as we drifted around on Glenmore.  [George and Jeannie under the influence of love.]  Back to the coast in September for the last Intermediate Course.  Had an interesting trip crossing the border into the US with an Australian aboard who shall remain unnamed at this point.  It seems that a Passport is not all that is required.  A Visa is required.  Traveling mostly on Mastercard, who knew, not the Cap'n?  Anyway, after threats and the brandishing of sidearms, patience and politeness won out and we were allowed into the country.  [Brian and Tully -- legal aliens on the Intermediate Course.]  It can only get tougher so I suggest that people make sure the right papers are on board prior to the visit.  We live, we learn.  We had a great three days on the US side and got Tully and Brian through the hoops for their Intermediate which will make them more comfortable for their planned Australian cruise in January.   Entry back into Canada was totally uneventful.  One of the items left undone was a bit of bondage and so we got all the Intermediate crews together for a pizza and splicing party at the Cap'n's back in Calgary.  [Moorage continues to get tighter and so Good Idea got lots of practice at Mediterranean mooring.]

The next item on the agenda was to plan a surprise party for a first mate who joins the Cap'n on the three score side of life shortly.  In October under great subterfuge the Cap'n and his kids set up a big surprise for Brenda.  Exactly a month before her birthday, we managed to sneak in over forty of her friends and family for some birthday cake.  Although she knew her daughter, Kirsten and granddaughters, Ophelia and Greta, from Nottingham, England would be in town, she was surprised by her other daughter, Rebekka from Ontario who organized the crowd on the home front.  [Brenda surprised on left -- Parents, Daughters and Granddaughters on right.]  Old students, old friends, and old family were there to wish the old lady a happy birthday.  She was indeed surprised.   Her big gift starts tomorrow night as the Cap'n whisks her away to parts unknown after the Nav class.  We'll be back in about a week and we'll update the web sometime shortly after that.  Stay tuned. 

The Cap'n even managed to get Soryu off the reservoir while the sun shone. The day following move-in, with Soryu snug and protected from the elements, the snow fell. [Good Idea, like the vessel on the left seen earlier this summer, continue to sit in the soft water.]

There, that does it, we are all caught up.  I'll just check the emails and pay some bills and that should be the agenda for today. Take care.  Have a safe and floaty day. 

ANOTHER YEAR IS HERE AND IT IS SUMMER ALREADY!!

2005 August 4 to 2006 June 25

So, I have to go back to last summer and catch you up on the events that have elapsed since then.  I guess just about everyone has relatives that require trips east.  We are not the exception and like many had a Saskatchewan, homecoming that drew us further from the sea.  Okay, we had a swell time and we got to see that we were not the only ones that seem to have all these grown up kids.  Kids with kids even!!!   [The Sask Connection at left.]  Having done our penance, we made a run from the flat and the dry and back to the coast.

Due to our eastern trip through the Maritimes, we didn't get out to Good Idea until early August.  Brenda and I took a trip up to Telegraph Harbour, and on to Nanaimo.  In Nanaimo, we re-installed a propane solenoid and had a good visit with our friend Sandy from 'Sea Jester'.  [Shown on right.]  She shared a picture of what not to do when in Nanimo.  [Consult charts!!  Watch Buoyage!!  Clearly this was Pilot error.]  We then set out for Page's Marina in Silva Bay.

The next day we met up with some wonderful people.  Glen [a former student], Lisa, Joseph and Kathleen joined us for a day cruise out of Gabriola's Silva Bay and Brenda was left ashore to run herd on their dog.  The Cap'n and crew chased down some buccaneers at Pirate's Cove.  Although we got there a bit late to find the booty, we managed to get back to port and find some treasures of our own around the dessert cart.  [Right shows the empty treasure chest and then one of many treasures available to attract the attention of all the would be pirates at Silva Bay.]

Adieu to our new friends and Brenda and I laid over for an extra day to visit with another former student who has set up a menagerie on Gabriola which he calls a farm.  Brian has llamas, goats, turkeys, geese, ducks and even an emu.  [An emu, Brian and Brenda.]  We made our way to a virgin port for us, Ladysmith YC in Ladysmith.  We had gone past the entrance to the harbour for decades but never ventured up.  While there we took time to visit an old friend, Margaret, just north of town.   Many of our charterers will  remember Marg as the woman who did our turnarounds back in the 80's and 90's.  Again, the next day, we stopped  at a port we hadn't been to since the eighties, Vesuvius.  Tied up by the ferry dock and ran up for lunch with the wasps.  Found out that the pub there and Moby's Pub at Ganges had recently been closed.  Not good news.  [Since then, Moby's has reopened under new management, but I have not confirmed it yet.]

Then on home to our port in Sidney, where we stumbled into the wedding of the daughter of a former colleague of Brenda.  They were wed on the grounds of our Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club.   What a gorgeous setting for the gorgeous bride and groom to exchange their vows!!

Former students continue to shanghai relatives for various cruises and courses and Adam and his family sent his father, Al, and Sue for a four day trip through the Gulf Islands.  [Sue and Al piloting up to Thetis.]  Having checked out Telegraph Harbour this earlier we elected to stay there again.  A trip down to the Thetis Marina for supper didn't quite go without incident Sue pulled an 'On Golden Pond' entry into the dinghy and ended up being baptized in the channel.  Dried off, changed and underway again we had a wonderful dinner.  The next day we motored up to Pirates' Cove passing by the plane being stripped for a dive site.  Then on to Silva Bay, DURING DAYLIGHT hours.  The crew feasted once more at the Silva Bay Marina.  The Cap'n consulted with Monique over at Page's Marina prior to setting out the next day but ran into a slight problem getting through the pass against the flood.  [Cap'n Dave with Monique.  Dave and Al try to buck the current in Gabriola.]  Never mind, Good Idea caught a better run through Porlier Pass later that day.  [A tug and tow share the pass at Porlier with Good Idea.] Then on to Ganges for some more great food at the Oyster Catcher.  'A fabulous first time sailing / cruise experience, wonderful hosts, tasty food with a bit of excitement in Gabriola Pass  ....  Thanks for the great hospitality and friendship, the sun and four days of chilling out.'  was their entry in the log. 

A significant birthday for my buddy, Colin, saw us head back to Calgary.  [Colin and Dianne celebrate in style. At the coast, more Intermediate smiles.]  After the party and checking up on parents, kids, etc., Dave bolted for the coast again for two Intermediate Course cruises.  Great winds for the first course found us hard on the rail with smiles ear to ear a couple of times.  Pop quiz -- What has the day marks at the right?  Answer:  A vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver.  The second cruise had lighter airs but was still a success in getting everyone through the certification.  [Second crew at Pirate's Cove Marine Park.]  Dave returned to start teaching Navigation late September and early October had a procedure to help the plumbing function better.  Having done the procedure on the through hulls of Good Idea, the Cap'n didn't quite know what to expect with the operation being a little more personal.  But it went well and, with the exception for a few hiccups, the plumbing is fine.  One of the hiccups was a surprise visit to emergency at 08:30 and on the same day as a surprise birthday party was planned for Brenda.  [Brenda hosts her own party.]  About three o'clock when the Cap'n still wasn't admitted, I broke the news to Brenda, she had better go home and tidy up as she was expecting about 25 guests for dinner and cake.  Thank goodness I had prearranged everything.  The party was a success and she returned to the hospital with enough cake to feed the nursing staff and me. 

Brenda's folks did a catch up with the Cap'n's folks and celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary.  [Marjorie and Albert after 60 years.]  Shortly after Brenda and I flew to the coast where, under doctor's order, Brenda had to do all the heavy work putting Good Idea to bed for the winter.  We arrived in the rain, Dave did his thing, and the sun came out long enough to get the sails down and off to the sailmaker.  Timing was good for getting to our friends, Lee and Yvonne's, 50th wedding anniversary, but due to a bad entry in the Cap'n's log, we missed the supper and celebration by a day.  [Lee and Yvonne, the day after.]  We caught the luncheon reception for the out-of-towners the next day and got some extra hugs. 

Wildrose Charters and Sailing School reduced their  inventory of boats by two this year.  The Ice Boats which hadn't been out of the racks for over 4 years found new homes with some very eager sailors.  Adam and Michael carted away the two boats, Cool Idea and Other One, and Brenda celebrated all the extra storage space.  [Ice boats have left the building.]  Renovations ate up a lot of time this year where I couldn't find excuses to be at the coast.  Our back room got renovated in October.  As a surprise to Brenda while she was in England in December, I swapped out the run for laminate flooring in our bed room. Lastly our bathroom continues to interfere with 2006 summer cruising.  [Unidentified workperson renovates.]  Pop Quiz 2:  What has eight sides and is not a stop sign?  Answer:  The Cap'n's 30 year old octagonal bed in the newly renovated bedroom. 

The Navigation Grad Wine and Cheese Party started the 2006.  Timing was a bit poor, so we didn't have a very big turn out.  More wine for those that did make it.  Dave looked forward to the new 2006 Coastal Navigation course.  It gave an excuse to get out of the house during the continued renovations.  Mental note:  Don't think that a simple swap out of flooring, rug to laminate, is what you can get away with.  Sort of like buying Brenda a purse only to find out now she needs new shoes, a dress and coat to go with them.  Now we have new art on the walls, a new chest of drawers design with large screen HD TV, new moldings, new ceiling fan and new headboard.  And no money left over for new canvass for Good Idea.  Surprise David!!!

January found us back in California, soaking up the sun, enjoying the wonderful flowers, checking out the sea lions, watching with amazement the phenomenal power of the ocean and of course celebrating the 99th birthday of our dear friend Alice.  [Sea lion and Alice on left.]  Our GPS came in handy for hunting down some new favorite spots including the best Key Lime pie west of Florida.  Alice and the ocean are on the same schedule as the Eveready Battery Company, they just keep on going and going and going.  Thanks to Jack and Melinda, Alice's kids, again for the wonderful hospitality while we are down there.  [Beauty of the ocean and on the beaches of California.  Flowers in January?  How absurd!!  They are not knots or boats, so don't ask me to identify them.]

Seems that we have a lot to celebrate which I would be amiss if I did not mention.  The Cap'n hit the big Six Oh.  I had a wonderful party with my daughter from Ottawa in attendance, along with a whole bunch of other friends that joined us at Lloyd's Rollercade for a private skate and pizza party.  As a result the Cap'n wasn't allowed to do his normal thing of breaking for ten minutes down at the Sportsman Show to blow out some candles.  Brenda arranged for another group of senior buddies to join us the next day at our house.  Not nice, Brenda made me sit at the Senior's Table, while she sat with the kids in the kitchen.  [Dave sulks with seniors Roy and Thelma.]

On a sad note, Brenda and family celebrated the life of her mother, Marjorie Weston in Gull Lake, Saskatchewan in April.  Timing had both of Brenda's daughters, Bekka from Ottawa, Kirsten from England, and her Granddaughters Ophelia and Greta [Ophelia and Greta on right]  with us for that time.  Marjorie will be remembered for having been on the ocean on three separate occasions, twice on Good Idea, and having never sailed.  Her prayer group, I think, brought in a Pacific High on all three times and there wasn't a breath of wind anywhere in sight.  I would like to also thank the people that covered for me at the Wildrose booth at the Outdoor Adventure Show while I was away. 

Shortly after the Nav Grad party, Basic Cruising got underway.  For the first time in a long time, we logged a rain day during the motoring exercises at Little Bow.  But come on, the rest of the days were great.  A little overcast, but no rain, and even some sunshine.  Although it was a smaller class then normal, we had a great spring course.  Some of the fast track students completed their Basic just prior to the west coast Intermediate Cruising course in June.  Congrats to all the students.  [Above the three crews on final approach for their solo exercises.]  The Cap'n then took out a young fellow for a birthday cruise around Glenmore with his girlfriend and another couple.  Another excuse to break away from continued renos.  [Skippered Birthday Charter on Glenmore on right.]

As a easy break in to the rigors of life aboard the Intermediate Course, Jennifer and Pat joined the Cap'n for a four day adventure into the San Juan Islands.  Because of the timing, we even got in an early start to the Attitude Adjustment cruise and made it over to Roche Harbor, a day ahead of schedule.  Only thing was that the Cap'n hadn't cleared up the weather totally, so we motored under cover and got rid of all the rain by Color Ceremony that first night.  The next four days, although overcast and even foggy, didn't rain on us.  [Rain stopped and Pat and Jennifer check out the Mausoleum at Roche Harbor.]  We had a wonderful time in La Conner, Anacortes and Friday Harbor.  We even got some extra exercise in Anacortes with a twenty block walk.  Then we [I] discovered our favourite restaurant, Bella Isola, had closed and joined another restaurant in town and moved close to the marina.  The Cap'n shanghaied a teenager and her car and bribed them for a trip back to town before the mutineers took over.  Maybe not forgiven, but the crew forgot temporarily and we had a sumptuous meal at the Bellissima Trattoria. 

The Intermediate Cruise started later that week and we ran up through the islands to Silva Bay and back with stops at Maple Bay, Pirates' Cove, and Ganges.  [Lou, Don and Jen pilot in the islands.]  The crew as part of their certification have to cook and they put together some of the finest dining aboard Good Idea.  There may have been an issue with the ozone layer above Maple Bay during Lou's caramelizing of the chicken, but there were no complaints from those dining.  [Caramelized Chicken a definite hit!!]  I figure what comes around goes around.  I am going to blame the extra weight on the course and not the Attitude Adjustment Cruise.  Some people complain about how tight their clothes are after the cruise opposed to prior.  The Cap'n does enjoy his desserts and has the stains to prove it. 

Keep looking, we may update the news more frequently.  But I have to go back out to the coast next week, and then a cruise, the haulout, the fall cruise and  nav class ......    You get the idea, we get busy having fun and lose track of the duties back at home.  See you on the water. 

Hope You didn't hold your breath

2004 July 21 to 2005 August 3

Well, we have been busy.  I know, I know.....   Anyway here is a catch up of our news since last (yes Virginia!!) July 2004 to August2005.  We have entered a new stage in our lives called the sandwich generation.  We have the kids and now three grandkids on one side and our aging parents on the other side. 

Late July we finished our cruising season with a charter down into the San Juans with Carl and Bente.  We came across a pod of Orcas just south of San Juan Islands.  The best way to spot Orcas, other that on whale-watch like Carl and Bente [right], is to watch for the whale watching boats.  Now that there are officially more whale watching companies than actual whales, you just look to where they are headed and join the group.  They tend to be faster than the average sail boat, so timing and placement will get you to where the action is.  Here is how close some folks get [left].  I don't know if he intended to use the net or not.  It could have been interesting!  [Right] Bente takes the helm while Carl is on watch for other elusive objects.  One you do want to miss but is a must see, is the elusive deadhead.  [This one, left, is a true deadhead floating vertically waiting for the non-vigilant boater.]  Horizontal logs are one thing, but the vertical beasts have a tendency to poke right back up after you hit them with enough force to hole your boat.  A popular breeding ground for the deadhead is found around booming grounds and can often be seen following a tug that has managed to round up a bunch of his relatives [right].

Another fun thing to be on the watch for, as long as you are not suffering from Mast Envy, are the other pretty boats sharing the channels with you.  Is it possible to have too many spreaders or too many sails?  Just imagine the activity of raising a sail or coming about on some of these beauties.  Just thinking about it can wear out a fellow.  [Carl is definitely off-watch]. 

One of the tranquil places we put into was the Orcas Island Yacht Club found in Westsound on Orcas Island.  The nice little dock offered us some reciprocal moorage along with an abundance of blackberries.  While the Cap'n and mate slept, the crew slipped out and picked a pail to go with our pancake breakfast.  [Good Idea at the Orcas Is YC].

 A more crowded and popular stop is at the marine park on John's Island just west of Orcas.  [Carl and Bente take shore leave in the inflatible after we snatched up one of the few mooring balls in the area].  After our charter left, Brenda and I did some thing we hadn't done for awhile, we cruised solo.  Sans guests.  We missed the fresh berries and the company but had some relaxing time prior to heading back to Calgary.  We climbed the big landmark showing the entrance to Cap Sante Marina and took in the vista of the marina, the terminal and the town of Anacortes.  [Vista of marina, left, and the rock face we climbed from the marina side, right.]  We saw a couple of the huge oil tankers offloading at the terminal.  Wouldn't it be nice to have one of them at your disposal with the current price of gas? Although a little slow on the climb up from the pathway around the marina, up to the top, we made it much more rewarding by taking up our scooters and coasting down the roadway back into town - past the blackberries, of course, for nourishment. 

August and it was time to make a hasty retreat to Calgary.  Our daughter smuggled a nice little package in from London, England.  She announced that she would like to have her baby on September 22 even though her due date was in October.  She also brought over our granddaughter, Ophelia, making the incentive for Brenda to bolt across the Atlantic less likely. [Brenda seen here with grandson, Nicolas, and Ophelia ready to head out.  A very pregnant Kirsten claimed shotgun for the next month.  We soon got into a regular routine of waking up, having breakfast and then making trips to Value Village, Starbucks, Relatives, Starbucks, various malls and outlets and Starbucks.  My granddaughter is a Starbucks junkie and got me hooked.  She can spot the little round green logo from half a kilometer away at 80 klicks.  Now I'm mainlining tall or grande, caffe vanilla frappachinos.  There goes the girlish figure.  Well actually, I was beginning to resemble Kirsten,

I had to get away from the little pusher so I headed back to the coast to do an Intermediate course.  We had some great winds and Good Idea made it back with the full crew and no additional war wounds from the exercises.  I, however, did get a Mayday from Calgary.  Brenda had gone off to teach and left Wan, who arrived the night before, the car in case Kirsten went into labour but she had neglected to leave the keys.  Wan, Kirsten and Ophelia were supposed to pick me up from the airport in the afternoon and it would have been quite difficult pushing the car that far.  So Brenda returned home with the keys at noon. They picked me up on time and then I drove home.  I prepared for the Nav class I had to teach that night, had a hasty supper and took off to class. 

I was telling the class what a silly wife I had when I reached into my pocket and discovered I still had her keys which I pocketed after driving home from the airport.  Oh Dear!!  I called Brenda, who hopped a bus down to the CAOC  center where I teach, picked up her keys and then stole my vehicle to get back home.  Wan, who was suffering from jet lag having only arrived about twenty hours before I did, was grabbing a nap while Brenda and Kirsten took off to pick up some music for a birthing song.   Minutes later, back at home, it happened; it was time to call in Uncle Rob who was going to cover home base, and head off to the hospital.  My phone rang to see if I would like to join them.  I couldn't leave right then but about 9:45 I dismissed the class and hitched a ride from a student down to Rockyview Hospital.  Brenda managed to bring our video camera to record the event but neglected the AC and DC pack and the cords, so, at 11:24, I headed back home to pick them up, figuring I had lots of time.  Ten minutes home, ten minutes back time for a wee visit with our sleeping babysitter, and I was back in 40 minutes at 00:04, September 22 -- just two minutes after my baby granddaughter, Greta Satine was born.  Based on Kirsten's prediction from six weeks earlier, she should be buying lottery tickets  Five minutes later after the parties had been cleaned up and made decent I was in with the camera.  [Wan and Ophelia join Kirsten and Greta in the morning.]  At noon Kirsten and baby were discharged and back home.  No sense in wasting any time in the hospital.  There were Starbucks to be visited!  [Right. Greta at about 3 weeks, minus cone head, and bent nose.]    Well worth coming home for and forfeiting some of the sailing season. 

Besides, we had to come home and supervise the installation of our new roof.  Just under $15,000.  Do you know how much that set back my electronics budget?  We had a near miss as Kirsten was heading up stairs to the solarium when the workmen accidentally broke the second sheet of glass in the skylight.  The glass was everywhere in Kirsten's room and she, but for the sake of about 30 seconds, would have been right under it changing Ophelia.  The gods have been with us! 

Then came sad day when the group packed up and headed back to England. Oh yes, the group included the Grandma to help ride herd on the two granddaughters.  Besides the trip coincided with a school holiday.  Back here at home we set up for Nav Grad {September Class at right] and then soon were dragging out the Christmas lights to try to match the display just south of us. Shortly after Christmas, we escaped to Monterey to visit our now 98 year old friend down there and take in the sights and sounds of the ocean. 

And now a new year, 2005.  Of course, we started Navigation again and set up in February for the annual Sportsman Show.  This is where we get together to celebrate my birthday along with my niece and, now, new nephew and to try to sell a few charters and courses.  Hey, when you have your own private chef cooking you lunches and dinners, a birthday cake and your whole family joins you to watch you blow out the candles, who cares if the advertising budget eats up more than we do! We finished off February with a landmark of my folks, Hugh and Marge, celebrating 60 years of wedded bliss.  

April saw Brenda take a quick trip to be witness to Kirsten and Wan's wedding in London, England.  The days after all the beautiful photos were taken, both Ophelia and Greta were covered head to toe with chicken pox. 

After our Nav Grad Part which had a poor turnout due to bad timing  David still tried to balance the now out of kilter travel budget by starting the Basic Cruising Course.  We had fantastic weather for the whole course and were just finishing up when the snow pack and the spring rains came in and flooded Calgary and all the neighbouring towns. This resulted in the Reservoir being drained to make room for additional capacity so the damage would be minimized.  During the last few sails, we managed to run aground in the middle of the lake on some of the unexposed sand bars.  One of the eventful man overboard drills was for my shoe which fell off during a shroud adjustment.  Now I know my clogs float and the drill was quite successful.  [ Some of the crews during their final practical dockings.]  

Our Intermediate Cruising practicals started in June with a wonderful cruise aboard a 42 foot Bavaria, Willow.  Sally, Paula, Blair and Seanne shared their space and time while we went through the drills.  Unfortunately, the Man Overboard drill resulted in the loss of the Bob, the Man Overboard light.  It was a sobering experience as we all learned the importance of the practicing the procedure, maintaining a pointer and marking the spot well with additional floating objects.  We could have used the rescue boat [right] to help us find the light.  I suspect the strong current and rippled waters allowed it to sneak off to some distant shore.  We drowned our sorrows and raised a glass to Bob at Roche Harbor over Barista Sundaes, Chocolate Cakes etc.   We proceeded through Cattle Pass and south end of San Juan Island and headed over to Deception Pass.  Again we got to race a tug and log boom for the narrow pass under the bridge.  

We had an interesting event, preparing for our night passage.  [Paula rigged and ready]  We were heading up the Swinnomish Channel when the DSC radio alarm went off and a Pan Pan was announced.  Tsunami!!! Tsunami!!!  We were sitting in a dredged channel of about 16 feet when the earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California.  We were about to head for the deeper water around Anacortes when the radio announced that the tsunami had not developed.  Dodged another bullet!  [Sally, Blair, Paula and Seanne with Cap'n Dave aboard Willow, right.]

It was back to Calgary to see if there was any water in the reservoir or if it had been washed away all together.  We set up some more charters so students could practise their skills.  Soryu and gentle winds gave the sailors a easy break on their first solo sails.  The busyness of the season took its toll on our Wine and Cheese Basic Cruising Grad Night, but those that were able to come had a great time and are even more hooked on sailing. 

July, we took off to the East to visit our other daughter, Rebekka, in Ottawa, and to tour the Maritimes.  Don't attempt to do this when they are setting record highs in both temperature and humidity!  Our student daughter's apartment is not air conditioned and so when we finally headed out, motel keepers could have charged us a mint if only they knew how desperate we were to chill out.  We finally found a break in the weather around Maine and took in a lobster dinner.  The one to the left is attached to my future son in law, Ciprian.  Bekka and Ciprian had toured the Maritimes earlier this year and set us up with about forty pounds of travel literature.  We hit every province except for Newfoundland.  We'll have to do that on our next trip.  We had a great time in Cape Breton where we visited with our sailor/school/sport parent friends, Graeme and Dianne.  They moved back there after raising their daughters with ours here in Calgary. 

We just got back in Calgary in time to turn around and attend a family reunion in Saskatchewan tied in with Gull Lake's 100 year homecoming.  We had a great time mixing it up with a bunch of relatives we haven't seen for years. 

And that about wraps it up for now.  Stay tuned and we'll try to be more current.  Enjoy the summer!