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Post by steve201 on Jun 29, 2009 22:50:43 GMT -5
ok Guys and gals.
we've been getting ready for our vacation we take every yr...at least since we have been boating...we spend about 9-10 days on our boat in canadian gulf islands...since we have the new boat...we're really excited about it....
we're cutting out of here on thursday half day at work..won't be back until the 11th of july.......I'll try and post pic's as we go along or I can snag a wifi connection.....
in the mean time I've been busting my butt trying to get the boat prepped and ready to go...got the aft tv installed and sat dish working....got the drives off and new bellows and gimbal bearings repaired..(yes it's a new boat)....but they weren't installed correctly.....
been working to get several other items either installed or working properly before we head out...well..the boat is now ready and we're pumped up....
our itinery is going to be head out at about 2pm thursday after work....head up to friday harbor and refuel...then get up into the canadian gulf islands at poet's cove and check into canadian customs..spend the nite there....head out the next morning and spend the next couple of days in a neat town at the north end of the canadian gulf islands...called Nanaimo....never been there so this will be new and we have no idea what to expect.....
next will be ladysmith BC...looks cute and only going to stay there one nite....next 2 nites at montegue harbor....2 days there...looks really peaceful and quiet....it's so remote you have to bring your own water and take your garbage off the island when you leave....finally...the last few days will be at brentwood hotel and spa/marina...we've been here before and it's great .....really love this one...
finally returning to friday harbor again to check into customs and refuel for the final leg home........
you folks play nice.....I'll post my adventures and pic's as I can....if you don't hear from me for a few days it's cuz they don't have wifi available....not gonna pay for it like I did last yr and it not working half the time...so...hang on..
Steve
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Post by michele on Jun 30, 2009 6:43:44 GMT -5
OOHHHH sounds wonderful! I hope you have the time of your life! So nice to have a break and really enjoy what you've worked so hard to gain!!! I thought of you here in SC while on the docs looking at the Tall Ships! You might think about joining a crew someday!!! hehehehehe The crews are from all over the world and have a great time at the different ports. I think the website is www.tallshipsrace.org and you can see some pics they've posted & see the logs, etc. Very interesting & I think if you get a minute of down time you'll enjoy! Have a fabulous time! You guys deserve some fun!!! xo Michele |
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Post by steve201 on Jun 30, 2009 8:00:34 GMT -5
Hi Michele.. I remember you posting somewhere about you seeing the tall ships in SC..they are impressive but way too much work involved....  although they are gorgeous to see....I'm more the type that has a loud handle to play with and want to be tied up and liquored up within a couple hrs drive... ;D I'll try when I can scab a wifi hookup and post pic's and stuff.... Steve |
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Post by kathsherman on Jun 30, 2009 8:54:47 GMT -5
Steve-
Can't wait to see/hear about your well-deserved vacation! It sounds both fun and relaxing....Enjoy
Kathleen
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Post by steve201 on Jul 2, 2009 22:12:47 GMT -5
well...today was rather exciting...we both got up for work...then got off a few hrs. later...we got home and loaded everything up into the truck...food...gear...dogs...and headed out to the marina...we got everything loaded in record time and rigged for sea...
had the boat dropped in the water since we're dry stored...and off we went.....so far the boat and all the repairs we had done, is working fine...no problems...
we stopped at friday harbor in the san juan islands for fuel and a potty break for the dogs...then got back underway for poets cove...althought it's only a 40 min drive due north...it was a tough ride since we had to slog thru snotty water most of the way...sun out..clear skies..and snotty water...I can't figure it out...but we got up into poets cove in canada and got thru customs with no problems......we then, due to hi winds had to have help docking ....we were assigned a slip that was really tough to get into and had the dock help catch me...(I did it so well that the sailboater ..aka blow boater) next to us said.."nice job skipper!!"...this is kinda like the ultimate approval by another sailer....
we got checked in..went up and had a burger on the outside deck...then came back to the boat where we saw this couple oogling our boat...so..we had to give them a nickel tour....
so far the first day was tough..I'm hoping tomorrow's run up to Nanaimo will be alot smoother and calmer....
hope everyone has a great 4th of july...I'll post pic's when I can...
Steve
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Post by Nancy - South Jersey on Jul 5, 2009 21:12:58 GMT -5
Your vacations are such an adventure!!! You've seen so many places and met so many people. What an experience!! Enjoy it! Can't wait to see your pictures.
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Post by steve201 on Jul 7, 2009 14:31:17 GMT -5
So far the adventure has been just that….with no wifi avaible..I haven’t had the ability to talk about the adventures of this vacation….we took off from poets cove heading due north thru Dodd’s inlet….it was a nice ride until we got thru Dodd’s inlet….
Now for those locals that haven’t been thru Dodd’s…at low tide you still have about 50 ft of water below the boat…but only about 70 ft between shores…..so going thru there with any kind of tide is tough at best…best to be on step ..but also remember to give a Security call over the vhf if you’re the only one coming thru incase someone is coming in the opposite direction……
Once thru Dodd’s inlet…there is this huge whirlpool …do try to miss it....we got caught in the side of it and it gave me some chills..but we powered right on thru and then heading north towards Nanaimo, we got into some ugly wind driven waves…6-8 ftrs and coming from the east…winds were hitting 45mph from what we heard…….the waves really tossed us around and when we finally got into Nanaimo, were we docked on the breakwater dock at first….we had reservations so when we talked to the dockmaster, they moved us into “J” dock..a bit more protected……….other boaters we talked too said they went out and turned around to redock for a few days….some have been stuck there for the past week….guess we’re too stupid to turn around…
Nanaimo is a nice place….we walked ole town….which is a bit like going back into the 60’s somewhat….mainly with the hippy shops and artsy fartsy places….nothing to really speak of ….then goofed around a few places and headed back to the boat for a nap and some much needed rest…
later we visited the Bastion…..it’s a living museum that was built in 1865 or there abouts…then they had some young ladies perform on the promenade next to the canon’s that are fired at about 11:45 each day..they go thru the drill of loading and firing the canon…..the young ladies were very talented in the Scottish dances…it was pretty interesting to see them dance…..they were dressed in traditional kilts and had a local bagpipper..
I will let you know that there is a restaurant on the harbor there that absolutely sucks….penny’s palapa ….horrible service and ghastly foods….I like Mexican but that wasn’t even close…I really really don’t recommend this place….other restaurants were good....
Couple of mornings later we headed out to Ladysmith marina….which we couldn’t find anyone to answer the calls…no phone or vhf answers…so we turned around and headed over to telegraph harbor marina on thetis island….last yr we just stayed at thetis marina which was ok…but telegraph is by far better…..once we got tied to the dock…a fellow bayliner owner walks up and introduced himself…boaters are pretty open and will come up and help then introduce themselves....
Anyway…while we were kinda relaxing a maxum boat came in with a mess of Chinese guys from Vancouver on a kicker motor…….I think they lost the coil to his engine…they had oil pressure/gas/plenty of gas getting to the carb….I did some checking and the coil was absolutely dead…no sparks……so..they stayed the nite on their boat and was going to go to chemainus by ferry to get parts…hope they got home…although I wouldn’t have thought so since the winds kicked up and we came down to montegue harbor in 3-4ftrs…it was ugly…..but the waves were head on so it wasn’t too bad of a ride…….not fun but the new boat handled it well….
We’re hear for a few days at montegue harbor and will finish off at brentwood….I’m hoping I can scab a wifi connection at brentwood……right now it’s raining at montegue and we’re trying to rest some…..relax…enjoy some down time….
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Change of plans……we stayed at montegue one nite..the winds and weather is supposed to get ugly today so we got underway just after 06:30 this morning…it only took us about an hr to get to brentwood and although there was a chop all the way…it didn’t slow us down much…we were able to maintain about 27mph running about 3500rpm….the boat took the trip better than we did at times…….we made it here and got into our slip…we are a day early and decided that Montegue was just a bit too rustic for what we were looking for…(plus the sounds of banjo’s in the distance didn’t help)… just kidding
Montegue docks are really falling apart……so…after spending the nite there we just headed out for our last couple of places…a few days at brentwood bay marina…and maybe a day or two in roche harbor…we’ve never been there so …we might try that one to close out our vacation…..
Hopefully the waters will be calm and we can have a nice ride home…..brentwood bay marina is spectacular as far as the treatment and amenities here…if it will just warm up some…we’ll go up and have an afternoon at the pool or at least get marsha to have a spa day….let them pamper her for awhile….
Anyway…it’s been fun/interesting…met a lot of very nice people in the Canadian area….some from the US and some from up north…it’s been fun…challenging and pretty nice….
One thing we did learn was that there are places that don’t like it when we come in with a power hog of a boat and ask for 2 ea . 30 amp shore pwr or 1 ea. 50 amp….seems like those canadian guys don’t like to make electricity!!..haha…..
Will post more as the rest of the week goes by!!..I have a ton of pic's to post and will get those on here in a bit..gotta load them into the a boating site and will post them here.....
Steve
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Post by sherion on Jul 7, 2009 19:17:22 GMT -5
WOW, what an experience!!!!!!! All in all, you sound as though you had a great time, Good for youand Marcia, although I'm jealous as hell. LOL
Sherion
Can never remember if it's Marcia or Marsha, no offense meant just an old brain.
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Post by steve201 on Jul 7, 2009 19:42:40 GMT -5
marsha.....marsha....marsha.... shades of the Brady bunch!! and we still have about 4 more days to go... ;D Steve |
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Post by sherion on Jul 7, 2009 22:05:54 GMT -5
Thanks Steve, I'll do my best to remember!!!!!!!!!
Sherion
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Post by steve201 on Jul 11, 2009 18:59:09 GMT -5
Well..we finally made it back home... we left brentwood cuz the weather just flat out sucked...it was cool....overcast...cloudy.....so..we decided to head to another marina back in the US... main reason for calling it off in canada was that we just didn't find anything good to eat this yr...the food was mediocre...the service in most places was pitiful....I mean...say you order a burger...not hard of an order...well...it comes on a chiabata bun....no fries..they give you a salad or maybe some chowder or something odd....they burn the meat...and slather it with leek oil...what the heck is leek oil???..made the burger taste like deer meat.....aweful stuff....then....say you want iced tea...they bring you a glass of ice and steeping pot of water with a tea bag....now..I don't know about you guys...but that's not iced tea for me.... well...after we checked into customs in the US side...we decided to stay in this really posh marina...no kidding....we have a 35 ft boat and we were the smallest boat in the dock.... ;D....we got tied down and the service was absolutely awesome....the dock crew helped us dock...got us a splitter for our 2 pwr cords....came by so we didn't have to find the dock office to pay moorage....and would walk around the docks asking if there was anything we needed ...how is it going??..etc.....the docks were huge too....nice and wide...didn't have to worry about marsha walking off the docks in the middle of the nite... Riche has this whole village thing going....a church that chimes 3 times a day......a striking of the colors..(flags) ceremony at sunset and a canon shot afterwards.... full up grocery store and a couple of restaurants that finally knew how to cook a burger and fries!!!...and when you ask for iced tea...you get a big glass of ice and iced tea.....that was the other wierd thing in canada....ask for a soda....and you don't get any ice.....like I'm gonna drink my coke with no ice???......crazy people up there...it's like everywhere we went there was an ice shortage or something....  well...yesterday we spent the day cleaning the inside and outside of the boat...marsha cleaned the salon and I washed the outside and cockpit carpets....then had to hose down the cockpit....10 days of us and dogs really put a wear down on the inside....tomorrow I'll go back to the boat and wash the outside from the hull and run some fresh water thru the engines/drives.... the trip back was pretty uneventful....we cruised at about 35mph and got home in record time....now of course I have a mountain of laundry to do....10 days manufactures a ton of laundry...... normally we have a great time in canada.....but this time the weather didn't cooperate......the vacation gods weren't with us...so..it was ok...but now we're glad to be back in the US of A....where when you order a burger...it's a friggin burger!!..not some french idea of what an american burger should be...  we left roche harbor at about 9am this morning and got in at 11:45am.....the water overall was decent coming home.... I do want to mention that as we left the canadian waters...overcast...light winds...cool temps...and we crossed into the US waters....the skies parted.....the sun came out...blue birds began to sing.....angels started singing and the heavens parted...we were coming home to the Best country in the world.....the service in some restaurants were so bad up there that we actually got a welcome home from the american customs agents....almost wanted to cry and hug them .......haha ;D it wasn't a bad vacation...just not a great one.... anyways..I have a ton more photo's to post but in the middle of several things right now...I'll post them later.. Steve |
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Post by kathsherman on Jul 11, 2009 19:33:43 GMT -5
Steve....sorry the food and service stunk (Canada)! The best parts of a vacation are the weather and food. At least, you spent some "away-time" together with your wife, sailing on that beautiful boat. Please post some photos when you get "caught-up" with your chores.....Kathleen
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Post by steve201 on Jul 11, 2009 20:50:41 GMT -5
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Post by Cubby on Jul 12, 2009 20:58:06 GMT -5
Steve, I always miss you! Glad that for the most part you had a wonderful vacay!!!! We are leaving Thursday for Delaware again!
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