Turicum's Log

Swiftsure

2011-06-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

Swiftsure was interesting.
We started out with very light wind and again, after a reasonably good start we clawed our way toward Race Rocks. Things were going quite well until we tried to pass our friends on Alchemy. We ended up in the "gas" from their sails and lost momentum -- ouch. We weren't able to recover and started slipping slowly back.
To compound difficulties, we were of course sailing against a flood tide so the net result was that we sailed as hard as we could just to stay still. Slowly the wind built and we were finally able to sail through the Race without much difficulty.
The wind continued to build as we sailed up the Canadian shore with a fair number of the fleet. By the time we got to Sheringham the wind had built to 30kts and we decided to cross over.
The wind stayed in the 20s as we crossed but started to drop as we closed on the US shore -- in retrospect crossing over too early was probably error #2.
Error #3 was clearly when we missed the big wind shift that took us back out into the Strait rather than tacking -- we were worried that there was no wind on the shore.
After rounding at around 2:15 we started the homeward leg still in the very light wind trying various sail combinations in an effort to just get Turicum moving. As is the usual case as the morning came with it came the wind.
We ended up having a great sail home to what looked like a 3rd place finish. Unfortunately another boat finishing behind us corrected over us dropping us to 4th.
All in all we finished in the top 3rd of the race and we were generally pleased with what we had accomplished.
A video clip can be seen at http://gallery.me.com/jamesdoane#100449

Next stop Van Isle

Swiftsure

2011-05-27T12:40:00.002-07:00

Well, sitting with a bunch of other skippers trying to figure out what the heck the wind is going to do.
The range of wind speed is very wide -- 10kts to 30kts and picking what sail combination to use is going to be critical. If the worst happens and the wind speed keeps swinging up and down, our fordeck crew is going to get worn out from the sail changes.
We are currently carring 5 headsails and I am trying to decide if we should keep a 6th aboard.
I will definately be catching the weather briefing today -- they have David Jones of Enviroment Canada and he is The Best.
Just to add to festivities, we have Andrew, Ross, and Erv on their boat right beside us. We are going to have a blast racing against some of our old crew.

More later.

May update

2011-05-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

The time from Straits until now - the long weekend - has been a blur.
May 7 was Sailpast, May 11 Turicum out of the water, May 12 June's birthday, May 19 back into the water, and now the long weekend to get things tidied up and ready for Swiftsure.
Our new #2 looks good -- awfully big but quite flat so we can twist if off in the gusts and power up in the lulls.
Hopefully we can get the new wind instrument installed this weekend so that we can finally get some correct wind information.

Next weekend is Swiftsure -- I don't see a link to their race tracker but they sould have one up this week. Go to http://www.swiftsure.org/ and there will be a link to the tracker.

Sothern Straits review

2011-05-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Southern Straits was the proverbial best of times and the worst of times.
We stared out by separating from the fleet in the light air when we stayed out too long rather than heading right for the shore breeze.
When we finally managed to round Ballenas, things picked up dramatically. Through the remaining legs of the race we were able to pass a number of boats and made up 20 - 30 min. on the majority of the fleet.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to make up the 2 hours lost on the first leg.

One of the biggest pluses was the way we were able to get Turicum moving in the very light wind. We were able to use the conditions to learn a lot. Hopefully, we will be able to use this new knowledge in Swiftsure and Van Isle.

Southern Straits

2011-04-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Southern Straits here we come!
After a pretty busy week Turicum is ready to go for Straits.
We will have a mixed crew with several vets and a few rookies. The progress of the race can be followed on http://tracker.southernstraits.ca/ and with any luck I should be able to send in some reports from the race course.

For the last several days the weather forecasts have been for very light wind but things seem to be improving. It looks like a High pressure system is going to pass right over the course and produce some very fickle wind.

It's going to be interesting.

Safety at Sea

2011-04-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

Wow! Still winding down after a very intensive week preparing for and being part of presenting BC's first Safety at Sea course.

A fantastic experience working with an outstanding group of very high level sailors. I think we convinced people that PFDs are very good things to have on all the time as well as it is worth while to take time to plan for situations in advance rather than just react.

Particularly after the pool sessions with everyone swimming around in full gear, there were lots of grins. Fantastic to see how quickly groups worked as high functioning teams to solve problems and help fellow team members.

You can see that on Turicum everyone has a PFD and we even have the rookie on a safety harness.

While it took a bit of work to put the course together -- mostly done by David Sutcliffe -- I found it a great learning experience talking with other sailors, sharing their experiences and getting ideas from them how we can do things better on Turicum.

One of the things that made me very happy was to see a bunch of people buy into the idea of wearing PFDs al the time.

Van Isle!

2011-04-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

We are now starting to ramp up for Van Isle.
This year we will be doing the Van Isle 360 race and following that with a Van Isle cruise.

We have our 360 Race crew together and have had some practices. We have more practices scheduled and then it will be off to Straits and Swiftsure for our Final tune-ups.
Our next practice will be April 9/10 and the big step will be using our Spinnakers -- hopefully we can get some photos.

For both the race and cruise we will be using SPOT to provide ongoing course track and try to provide a daily blog with photos.
Van Isle 360 site --- http://www.vanisle360.com/

Only 2 places left on our July cruise --- http://www.vanisle360.com/

Cheers

Oops! Missed blog entry - July 11th

2010-07-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

(Sorry -- missed posting this blog entry and don't know how to insert in sequence!)

Sunday, July11/10 0500 hours:

Dawn watch, the sky is just getting light…the best part of the day. No, the best part is knowing that in one hour, I am off watch and have 6 hours to sleep!

The countdown to the finish has begun. We are less than 800 nm from Maui now, still fighting the rolling 2 metre waves that have knocked us around for the entire voyage. We are just socks in the washing machine…still…Our characteristic staggering gait across the cabin has been named “The Turicum Twostep”. Hale said it best, when he said “I’m done with trying not to fall down, unless it’s from my barstool at the yacht club!”

Yesterday seemed like Friday the 13th: everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Just little thngs like broken shackles, chafed lines, out of control spinnakers, but so many of them that it took both watch crews from 0600 to 1130 to sort them all out. Weird. Impressive, though, is the way the 8 very different people on the crew have brought together their various skills and have formed a strong team.

Fast forward to 1330: Had first shower of trip!! Cold water, but clean hair is worth it.

Have been seeing flying fish since yesterday….and the weather is finally warm, with that soft hint of the tropics in the air. Aaahh, finally we get to ditch the fleece and foulies! We had our halfway party last night, complete with 4 course meal and wine, courtesy of Don. Never, have I had such a sumptious meal at sea. Thanks Don!

Well, better get back up on deck, the sun awaits!

Naomi
SV Turicum

July 11, 2010

Last night was our somewhat belated mid-point dinner hosted by Don. Don’s entire family contributed to the feast of Gazpacho, crab cakes in a roasted red pepper aioli and salmon on a bed of wild rice. Desert was a sherbet, (as in frozen!) roll and your choice of red or white wine. This was truly a grand offering for the occasion. It was especially welcome after such a difficult day.

All of our thoughts are beginning to now focus on the next few days that are the end game to this race. Boats have committed to courses based on their interpretation of the best information available to them and the navigators’ inclinations as to what the wind may do over the next few days. Many boats are pursuing a course selection similar to ours, some have stayed well east expecting the trades to fill in and one boat has already committed to a far westerly course. We shall see.

The winds are now north easterly, which are the hallmark of the trade winds in the northern hemisphere. The seawater is now tepid and is still an array of brilliant blues. Flying fish have become more abundant and the albatrosses skim the waves in search of their prey. Although I had read about the Pacific Gyre, an area roughly the size of Texas where the currents conspire to collect huge amounts of plastic debris fatal to sea life and sea birds, our course did not take us through this human induced tragedy. The ocean we have been travelling through is pristine. I feel privileged to experience its grandeur and hope that succeeding generations will have these beautiful waters and more as their legacy.

One thing that has struck me over the past 11 days is how different the sea state can be after only a four hour period off watch. In particular, a certain pattern of waves that held over the period of an entire watch can be rearranged both in terms of period and direction, without any apparent influence coming to bear on them. This is but one demonstration of the complex interrelations that make up global weather patterns.

I have five hours left on watch on this warm and sunny Sunday morning. At present the sails and course are set for the next several hours although one never knows when there may be a call to change sail or to gybe. So, it is back up to the cockpit to take it all in, to think about what we are doing, and to let my imagination take me where it will.

Les on Turicum

A couple of days, a couple of Mai Tais

2010-07-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Synopsis, -- Hale’s perspective

OK – sitting in Lahaina after consuming more Mai Tais in the last few days than is prudent and looking back at things.

This race was struggle that was engaged in and defeated by a group of individuals whose input at various levels continuously conquered everything that was thrown up in our collective faces in an attempt to defeat us in spirit and purpose.

1 week prior to the start of the race, Turicum had no keel, no mast and more importantly no interior framing structure.
The people at Straits Marine worked tirelessly with the help of some incredibly skilled craftsmen they were able to bring in to assemble Turicum in a very short order and have all the work done in the available time.
Yes, there were a few leaks in the water system and some other picky bits but what they were able to accomplish was fantastic.

Our crew were not to be outdone.
They cleaned out a ton of fiberglas grindings that were in the boat and were coating everything. They also painted the bottom (the original reason the boat was hauled) and waxed the topsides.
They spent hours loading all the gear that was necessary along with stowing all of the food during the early hours between Turicum going into the water and heading for Victoria and the start.

The start of the race was a simple matter of – find the wind; lose the wind. Very frustrating to pull miles ahead of our competition just to have them sail up beside us with the next puff of wind.
Even when we got out of Juan de Fuca I managed to screw up and find some dead spots that my satellite information wasn’t showing.

We quickly came to realize that if we chose to run the west route, our outcome would be based on the lack of Trade Winds. My review of the available information indicated that winds to the east of us would stay soft so we planned a course that would give up distance early but would allow us to reach across the lighter areas toward the end of the race rather than trying to run downwind.

All of the course planning aside, small problems popped up to raise the stress level.
First, we found that we were running only on house battery #1 and it was starting to fail. Then the battery isolator that distributed power from the alternator went up in a cloud of light and heat. (very warm navigator’s seat it was located under)

The next issue was the spare 25 gal water tank that was filled in Victoria turned out to be empty. Apparently a leaky fitting.
Hey – our trusty watermaker would take care of that BUT the failed isolator allowed the start battery to draw down to the point where the engine wouldn’t start.
No problem – by linking the start battery with the house battery, we had just enough power to crank the engine and then by bypassing the isolator, we could charge the batteries (using a jumper wire for the starting battery).
Oh, we also found that the connections on the #1 battery were crap and with new connectors and some cleaning everything was back on line.

BTW did I mention that the fuel gauge was showing that we were almost out of fuel? Opening up the top of the fuel tank spilled some fuel but proved that the gauge was wrong and did wonders for my blood pressure.

The last little issue that we have to deal with is the broken shroud.
Unfortunately, during the takedown of the mainsail, after crossing the finish line, we had an accidental gybe that ended up breaking an intermediate shroud.
We have people coming to look at it today and have talked to people in Oahu how can make up some new parts.

We have our fingers crossed.

This race is never for the faint of heart.
It is not a down wind drag race like Transpac or Pacific Cup where you get the biggest baddest down wind sled you can and then go out an kick ass.
With the Maui race, some thinking is required – there is strategy – get it right and you do well, get it wrong and it’s out the back door.

This year we had a group of people who didn’t have the fastest boat or the best prepared boat, but we had a mostly cruising crew that worked tirelessly and their efforts paid off.

Good Guys DON’T Finish Last

Cheers,
Turicum

Sunrise in Lahaina

2010-07-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Turicum finished the Vic-Maui race at 0322 this morning. Champagne welcome party on the dock in Lahaina was finishing just as the sun came up! Our greeter team was amazing -- grass skirts, palm trees, mai-tais, and a smokin' volcano on the buffet table. Ritz-Carlton goodies were wonderful! Lahaina Yacht Club and all the volunteers and friends who make the shore activities possible are examples of the true spirit of Aloha. Crew have crawled away for showers, food, sleep and...then they'll be ready to party on! Last blog(s) from aboard and some photos to follow to add to this chronicle.

June
SV Turicum

Mai Tais are on ice...

2010-07-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2010

We are 285 nm from Maui. We have gained some ground over our division competitors over the past couple of days, so the westerly rather than southerly approach seems to be making sense. You will not be reading this entry until after we have crossed the finish line due to the fact that our super shore side support person, Hale’s wife, June is en route to Maui. (Ah, the miracles of modern science and the Internet -- I'm in Maui and back on line :- J.)

We have been under spinnaker for two days. Each crew has done about 35 watches, not counting the all hands episodes. The days do tend to blur in retrospect although each seems unforgettable as it is occurring. It is the failure of our memories not to be able to catalogue events with accuracy and precision that leads to this vagueness of recollection. Were there two or three spinnaker changes? Did that happen yesterday or the day before?. It was once the current thinking in the neuroscientific community that the human brain was a giant filing cabinet and our only limitation was the ability to access the information in the cabinet. If one were able to access the memory then there was a completely accurate record available for review. We now understand that this was too simplistic. Memory is far more complex and subjective function. It is therefore individualistic. There will therefore be eight unique initial recollections of this race by the eight persons on board. As time passes, there will be unconsciously revised “memories” created by each of us. Speaking only for myself, it will always certainly inhabit the “significant events” section of my brain in a most positive fashion. I hope that in the future I will be confronted with the dilemma of trying to remember on which race an event occurred. This stuff is pretty addictive.

Last night, sunset was remarkable and quite paradoxical. The line squalls that pass in front of, behind and over us, all aggregated on the western horizon. They are giant black cummulo nimbus clouds that, but for the fact they are in our past, would be quite threatening. The sun came down on top of the clouds and as it sank behind these giant black monsters the light began to fade from the sky. This unique moment at the end of the day is known by the French as crepe escuil and in English as the gloaming. Just as it appeared that darkness would descend over the entire sky, the sun which was now only just below the horizon, began to emit brilliantly intense orange light in an upward direction as if a giant fiery cauldron were brewing at the end of the earth. The intensity increased for a matter of moments turning the entire western sky into a myriad of orange and pink hues surrounded by the black clouds. Wow! I just do not know what else I can say.

Night is a special time on a moving sailboat. When you are driving, the senses one employs are quite distinct from those in the daytime. The most obvious differences are that the orientation of the bow of the boat and the view of the horizon are either greatly reduce or eliminated. But there is something that is more internal to the process. I believe (after consultation with our on board medical consultant and skipper) that this is known as proprioception – the ability to coordinate one’s body in a three dimensional environment. This innate quality, present to everyone to a greater or lesser degree, cannot be replaced entirely by the use of instruments. In fact, attempting to rely on instruments creates the most intense sense of vertigo and you feel that the boat is turning in tight circles. Steering by the stars most closely approximates the daytime experience. The only downside to steering by the stars in this area of the world is that from time to time they become obscured by each passing storm cell.

In all likelihood, tomorrow will be a short entry and then, after the parties and the hoopla in Maui, I hope to send a closing entry. Thanks to everyone for opening these electronic messages in a bottle.

Les on Turicum

Getting closer

2010-07-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

July 13, 2010

We are now 396 nm from Maui. The spinnaker run last night under the most intensely bright Milky Way star display was a sheer delight. By morning the winds had lightened and all around us were benign weather cells bringing minute amounts of moisture and occasionally much welcome respite from the now consistently high temperatures. We have changed to a lighter spinnaker and continue to make a presentable 5 – 6 knots in only slightly more wind. Everybody on board can sense a building anticipation of making landfall but you try to let that occupy only the smallest recess of your consciousness since anything can happen at any time and our attention must remain on the immediate task of sailing the boat intelligently and efficiently.

Conversation on board comes easily and the heat down below has eased some of the self-imposed barriers between the two watches. Unless it is absolutely necessary off-watch crew must remain below while the others do their job. Now, with the much warmer weather we pop our heads up through the companion way like neighbours having a chat over the fence. The whole process of throwing strangers together and setting out to do a race this long still seems crazy yet it has worked extraordinarily well. As I wrote some time ago, we all sought common ground and by and large, exercised mutual respect.

One of the things that I believe we will remember the most about this race was the laughter. On watch, our discussions would inevitably take some comic turn which would lead to significant belly laughs and often, especially at night, silence – not an awkward silence but one that comes after riding a good wave of humour that is then appreciated by all individually. We often hear the other crew doing the same thing when we are off watch. If you are laughing a lot you know things are going pretty well.

The ocean swells that were with us for most of the trip abated with the reduction in wind speed. It is possible to see the curvature of the Earth simply from deck level and I understand from the masthead it is even more pronounced. The immediacy of our environment is thought provoking, awe inspiring and, as I wrote earlier will bear seeds of more thought that we will all carry away with us. We are all very lucky to have had this experience as individuals and collectively.

Tonight’s “sched” – the nightly call in by the boats with their lat/long is going to be interesting. We have made up some time against one boat yesterday and we are anxious to see whose strategy – south and ride the trades or west then south to cut the angle, proves to be correct. In any event we look forward to having a drink and swapping stories with everyone regardless of the final outcome.

To all at home from all aboard Turicum, take care and speak to you soon, we hope.

Les on Turicum 74257

The saga continues...

2010-07-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

July 10, 2010

It is morning and we are 932 nm from Maui. Conditions are boisterous and we have just lost a guy line attached to the spinnaker when the sheet and guy blew off simultaneously flying the symmetrical spinnaker called Green Meanie. This unleashed a series of problems beginning with the spinnaker flying out in front of Turicum uncontrolled. Corrective actions were taken promptly by all hands and the spinnaker was brought back on board without further mishap.

We ran on a poled-out A sail for the morning and are now back to the #1 with full main. The main sheet then had a minor failure that required further repairs. No voyage is devoid of adversity and we are confident that we will regroup in the coming hours. After all, it was a tale of overcoming tremendous challenges just to get Turicum to the start line for the race.

Some weeks before Swiftsure, Turicum hit a rock on the bottom of the keel. The boat was hauled and inspected for Swiftsure. A few days after Swiftsure she was hauled for pre-Maui paint and necessary repairs at Strait Marine in Steveston and the nature of the structural problems began to be discovered. The unexpectedly severe damage fore and aft of the keel turned out to be much more extensive than the previous inspection showed and extended out to the sides as well. Andrew, the owner of Strait put an awesome crew of skilled tradesmen together with a commitment to work as necessary to effect the repairs in time for the start of Vic Maui. Even with such a commitment, there were lingering doubts that such a massive undertaking could be done in such a short period of time.

During the repair process, the exterior glass, fore and aft was ground away, and in one area, clear through. At the same time, all electrical and plumbing was carefully removed and marked for reinstallation. The damage was such that on the interior of the hull several structural ribs had to be cut away, replaced and retabbed to the hull. The rig had been removed upon arrival at the yard in order to inspect the hull to keel join and to inspect the condition of the keel bolts. Doug, Dave, Marcus and Malcolm, all skilled craftsmen of the highest order, worked tirelessly and meticulously reconstructing much of the bottom, the join and refairing the keel to a standard far above that employed in the original construction. At 3:30 p.m. on June 28, 2010 the rig was put back in the boat and it was lowered into the river. Paul and his crew at Ocean Rigging were on the job when needed and put the finishing touches into the rigging job in time for us to leave on an ebb tide just after midnight on the 28th. Special recognition must also go to Gunnar, John and Don for their involvement and efforts in readying the boat in two weeks. Don flew in from Edmonton on short notice in order to render much needed assistance. Naomi Roddick (misspelled yesterday – sorry Naomi) and Les spent the weekend helping to feather out irregularities in the bottom and polish the hull. In order to ensure that we would be able to leave to Victoria, we began loading stores for the race onto the boat while she was still on the hard using Strait’s forklift. It was only in the late morning of June 28th that we were able to begin the process of cleaning out massive amounts of fibreglass dust from the interior. Of course, Hale as the owner of Turicum was an ever present participant in the entire process. As I write this, we are now less than 900 miles from the finish line. In long distance races such as this, there are often innumerable problems that can call into doubt the ability of a vessel simply getting to the start line. Today, the same spirit of commitment and cooperation that got Turicum to the start line kept us moving toward the finish line with the shortest possible delay.

Tonight is the belated mid-point meal provided courtesy of Don and Maggie. To one and all who read this we send you our greetings from one of the most magnificent places on the planet.

Over and out,
Turicum 74257

Break out the shorts and t-shirts...

2010-07-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

July 9, 2010

1098 miles to Maui. We are flying Wanda, another A sail that is better suited to running. The foul weather gear came off and was replaced with shorts and T shirts today. Clear skies and about 25 – 30 degrees. The wind continues to be in the teens to twenties and we are on a deep reach with the rollers helping us surf our way to Hawaii. Flying fish were spotted this morning and the ocean water is deep blue with sapphires thrown across the surface. Last night the night sky was our compass as we held our course by aligning stars. Shooting stars were in abundance and the Milky Way was as thick as I have seen. The crew are light hearted, well fed and pretty thrilled with the way Turicum is eating up the miles. We are in a close competition with the other boats of our division so each watch is driving the boat as hard as they can. 200 mile days have been great but we are hopeful that we will do even better over the next few days with the larger sail area. Then comes the tricky part approaching Lahaina from the west. Hale is hard at work running course simulations and updating our best strategy. The winds will weaken as we approach Hawaii so it is essential that we be no lower than a beam reach.

Yesterday I promised a piece on the Church of Rasputin. After checking with the FBI, CIA, FCC, CRTC and our censors, we regret to inform you that the piece has been pulled to protect the obviously guilty. Another blow to democracy. In its place the management would like to offer you a factually correct if sanitized account of who all are aboard ( as far as we know).

Gunnar Jonsson: Gunnar is the skipper of Turicum and a veteran of the 2008 race. He owns and campaigns the SR 33 Havoc which has competed in the Van Isle 360 5 times and in countless other local races. He is a well known sailor and is past president of the Vancouver Rowing Club. Gunnar is married to the lovely Ede. They were actually married in Iran, one of the many countries Gunnar lived and worked in during his career in wireless communications.

Warren Hale: Hale, as he is known to virtually everyone, is the owner of Turicum and serves as navigator as well as doing a regular watch. He was a high school teacher and taught at the University of BC department of Education before going full time as a sailing educator through his company Richmond Sailcraft. This is Hale’s 6th Vic Maui. He is married to June, who runs the logistical side of the race including satellite information, meal planning and provisioning and all communications during the race.

John North. John is crew captain for the watch Gunnar is not on. John has a PhD from Cambridge in immunology and is currently Chief Operating Officer of the medical research company, Immunex. John has competed in one Vic Maui and one Transpac. His sons both hold PhDs in engineering. John’s wife Lois is an interior designer.

Don Macfarlane. Don competed on the international level as a dinghy racer and has a long history of involvement with sailing. He is an engineer by training and is the president of a company that manufactures custom pressurized steel vessels. He is married to Maggie and together they have three daughters.

Naomi Roddick. Naomi is a registered nurse and a highly sought after foredeck crew. She raced in the 2006 Vic Maui and continued on after the race to cruise through the South Pacific. She has raced in Greece and is a veteran of all of the major local and distance races. Naomi is on staff at UBC Hospital and taught post-anaesthesia recovery at an orthopaedic surgical facility in Uganda.

Johan Viljoen: Johan is a physician, originally from South Africa. Johan held a number of medical posts in South Africa before immigrating to the more temperate climates of Saskatchewan & Medicine Hat. In addition to conventional medicine he is also an acupuncturist and hypnotist. Johan and his wife Christa have three daughters.

Tim Mastel Mar. Tim is a property developer and property manager who began his successful career when just in junior high school. Raised in northern Alberta by teacher parents, Tim grew up doing a wide variety of outdoor activities. He is an avid sailor who regularly goes cruising with his wife, Laurie and their two daughters.

Les Mackoff: Les has been a lawyer for 28 years and is the senor partner at Mackoff & Company. He has been an ardent cruising sailor, both coastal and offshore for almost three decades. Les is married to the pianist, Patricia Hoy, They have two sons.

I guess you just can’t find good help these days.

Over and out.
Turicum 74257

Philosophers Afloat

2010-07-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

July 8, 2010

1333 miles northeast of Maui and we are still close to the 200 nm per day mark. Winds have been variable 15 – 25. With the moderately large swell it is sometimes difficult to keep the genoa filled in under 15 knots of wind. We have just now re-hoisted the asymmetrical spinnaker which has given us an extra knot of boat speed and greater stability. With any luck we will be flying it for several days.

This race is not properly defined in days or even in time for that matter. It is defined as the execution of several tasks and procedures performed on an ongoing basis including sail handling, navigation, driving and observation. One of the consequences of how well one performs the tasks or procedures may be the ultimate length of time it takes to race across the North Eastern Pacific. Other consequences may be whether one ever reaches Hawaii or whether the vessel and crew remain intact. The point is that we tend to define things by the desired result, i.e. arriving in Maui within a certain time, rather than by the process – sailing well and performing each task to the best of one’s abilities. The latter are things over which we have complete control and which have some effect on the desired result. However, we have no control ultimately over the result because weather, health, the need to assist others and unforeseen mishaps may lay waste to our best laid plans. The point is, that all we can do as people is to take control over the elements of our lives that are capable of control and to realize that there will always be variables in any endeavour that will remain variables over which we have limited or indeed no influence, Tonight’s assignment – G-d does or does not exist. Discuss and use illustrations.

The moving boat: For one week we have lived and moved on a platform that is always moving three dimensionally. To lurch across a short space grabbing handholds and avoiding contact with objects animate or inanimate is just part of the landscape of life aboard a sailboat. We adapt to it and eventually it becomes second nature. That does not mean that we don’t fall, collide and stumble from time to time, but as each day passes under the keel, our internal gyro becomes better calibrated to our present circumstances. Life lesson – roll with the punches, get up when you are knocked down, internalize the data for the future and carry on – easier said than done!

Communicating is the conveyance of information and opinion from one to another or others. The interface between thoughts and words is notoriously faulty. One phrase or one interaction should never form the basis of a hard opinion by the listener of the person communicating. Even a bold declaration is not necessarily the true message that was intended. This is especially the case in circumstances where there is high component of stress. The corollary to this point is that one must think before speaking. We do that pretty well aboard. Memo to self – stop flying off the handle once back to life as we knew it.

Challenge, Adventure and Teamwork. This is the motto of the Vic Maui race and it is what grounds some of the entries in this blog. These three words are a statement of ideals that can be universalized to have much broader application. I promise to lighten up tomorrow and tell some tales out of school about the goofier aspects of the trip thus far. Stay tuned for a man of principle dedicates his life to the Church of Rasputin and other “great thoughts.”

Over and out.
Turicum 74257

Don't forget the sunscreen

2010-07-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

July 7, 2010

We are now less than 1500 miles from Maui sailing roughly the Rhumb line – the shortest line between two points on the globe (as opposed to a great circle route which is passing through every meridian at the same angle). The winds have abated to 20 knots and shifted a little which has brought down our speed ever so slightly -199 nm noon to noon. Just before the wind moved forward we had brought up a spinnaker to set. A small trip line at the top of the mast used to release a halyard lock had become fouled in the spinnaker halyard and one of the foredeck crew, Tim was sent aloft in the climbing harness. Going up sixty feet when a boat is pitching is fraught with the potential for harm so it was all hands on deck. Tim did his work quickly and came back down. Now if only the wind would cooperate by moving aft so we could hoist the kite and catch up some ground on the other boats. Kudos once again to Naomi for suggesting that Tim go up before we launched. It was the right decision and avoided a much thornier situation.

Turicum is at 37 degrees 46 minutes north as I write and the outside temperature is getting pretty warm. The heavy foul weather gear will probably be stowed for the duration tomorrow and the shorts will be out in a day or two. Our route will likely not take us into the trade winds until three or perhaps four days out of Maui, but we will still be in fairly intense heat (especially below decks) very soon. We have all been quite wet for the past few days as the rain has come and gone and a few large rollers invaded the cockpit yesterday. One also finds that the intensive work of taming a mainsail coming down in a large breeze or hauling sails up and down bring the heart rate and body temperature up very quickly. Then when you return to the cockpit and sit or stand in the breeze you cool off very quickly and get a chill. It appears that there is not much in between too hot and too cold although at the start of a watch when you are properly attired and not yet required to exert yourself it can be quite pleasant.

To sleep, per chance to dream. – or to hallucinate. I believe the type of sleep we get – no more than 4-5 hours at a time leads to some very vivid dreams. They are actually a great diversion in an otherwise very set routine. Everyone is now able to get to sleep quite quickly, largely due to the fact that the work and watch shifts (0600 – 1200; 1200 – 1800; 1800 – 2200; 2200 – 0200 and 0200 – 0600) wear you down so much in the first few days that it is impossible not to sleep. This may be a tough routine to break once back to life on land.

As mentioned in an earlier entry, driving the boat to the finish line is the goal. Each watch crew of four tries to beat their own best miles per shift and compete against the other watch crew to do better. The intercrew rivalry is good natured and a real positive in terms of overall relations aboard. Of course we would like to win, but we accomplish that by doing our best for ourselves and our team. I have no doubt that we will be unanimous in our view that we have certainly accomplished the latter even if the former eludes us.

As you read yesterday, Naomi contributed to the blog and I hope that others may find time to as well. You all ought to be very proud to be the spouse, parent, child, friend, workmate or whatever relationship you are to these people. They are all competent, passionate and compassionate individuals. It is quite remarkable to participate in one activity for six months, do a couple of overnight races together and then set off across an ocean with seven other people you only sort of know. Some crews have terrible conflicts which is extremely unfortunate. I believe what we collectively have done is played to each other’s strengths, avoided confrontation on issues where we may disagree and go the extra mile to lighten each other’s load. It is an interesting way of approaching relationships that should translate well into many, albeit not all situations. As the iconic petty criminal Rodney King said – why can’t we all just get along?

Over and out for now.

Turicum 74257

Less than 1700 nm to go

2010-07-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

July 6, 2010

While we are on the topic of colours of the ocean, there is something quite incredible about the crests of the rollers during the day. As the crests break, the oxygen in the foam is re-absorbed into the top of the wave and creates a rich blue somewhere between sapphire and aquamarine. It is especially striking on overcast days since it is the only true colour in the landscape other than endless shades of grey.

As of the end of the 2:00 – 6:00 a.m. (HST) watch we are now less than 1700 nm from Maui. We are still averaging 200 miles per 24 hour run, although that is over the ground rather than vmg (i.e. speed in the direction of Maui). Winds have been constant in the 20’s with frequent patches into the 30’s and a gust yesterday to 45. Naomi hit a new high for boat speed yesterday at 18.7 down a big wave. Turicum handles these conditions with ease. Our course is now changing to more westerly around the contour of the High and as a result the ride is a little less boisterous. It has been “black and blue” water sailing the past few days since it is so easy to get tossed around above and below decks.

In about two or perhaps three days we anticipate that we will be in warm weather. It will be nice to get out of the foulies and to dry out a little but I am told by those who have done this race before that the heat has its own issues. .On balance warm is better if only because it means we are getting closer to Hawaii.

The watches mostly seem to pass very quickly. When there is a lot to do like changing sails, reefing or fixing something it passes that much faster. Of course, driving the boat makes the time fly since you can only think about the task at hand (especially us less experienced folk).

Training for and participating in an ocean race is not for everyone, but the process of setting about doing something, planning it and taking the necessary steps to have a reasonable chance at succeeding is translatable to so many endeavours. Fulfilment is a necessary component of feeling at peace with one’s self and I would hope empowers us to be better people in all aspects of living. Enough said.

Separation from things familiar is also an enriching experience both by adding to one’s range of experience and also by allowing one to re-examine familiar things afresh. Well, time for porridge and a snooze before the next watch. Whoever is out there, we will talk again tomorrow.

Turicum 74257

July 6th – Day 6

Grey, grey, grey….grey sky, grey water….no, wait!...what is that glowing orb I see in the sky?....oh…no….thought it might have been the sun, but it’s gone. I don’t remember it being this cold last time I did this race. It is a bit monotonous….grey sky, big waves, winds 20 to 30 knots. But, that said, we are making about 200 miles per day which is great.

Driving in these 2-3 metre waves is challenging, especially as some of the wave trains are coming at different angles. Every once in a while a big one throws the boat around, and everyone down below protests. REALLY difficult at night, as there is no light, everything is dark grey to inky black, and there is only the lighted compass to steer by. As it whirls like a gyroscope one tries to respond to the pressure on the helm as the boat tries to head up…all the while maintaining an upright stance. No easy feat, let me tell you.

Had a small problem with the propane last night…spent the night wondering what the rest of this trip would be like without….aacckk! Luckily, Handyman Don was able to fix it this morning. Just in time for coffee!

Hello to everyone back at home – all my workmates at UBC Hospital, my family, and especially, my godson, Tavish. Onwards to Maui we go!

Naomi
SV Turicum

Light shows for the 4th

2010-07-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hello All:

I wrote a long blog entry yesterday and then the computer got rebooted before it was saved and it was lost! In any event, happy US Independence Day (belatedly). Now, where was I? First, let’s talk about the greatest light show on earth. Two nights ago, on an overcast night, the bioluminescence in the water was the most amazing I have ever seen. We were reaching in 25 knots of wind with a fairly large swell on our beam. The largest rollers were probably 10 -12 feet and several were cresting. The view from the cockpit looked like were looking out at a huge fleet of ships all with bright green lights the colour of glow sticks. The rollers that were cresting near Turicum looked like they were going to envelope us in green and as they passed under the boat large swathes of lighter green spread across the water. Astern, Turicum’s wake was like a jet trail. Add to that, the fact that sailing in a good breeze at night feels like the boat is travelling impossibly fast, and it all is pretty surreal.

In reality, we are sailing fast. Noon to noon has been over 200 miles in the past two days with speeds regularly in the teens surfing down the waves. Driving the boat in these conditions, is a real challenge – especially at night. One hour of driving seems like ten minutes but is also extremely tiring.

I believe we are several hundred miles west of the southern Oregon coast. The trick is to stay more south than west so you avoid getting becalmed in the major weather system called the North Pacific High. Hale has been following the High by satellite printouts and hopes that we are well positioned to cut the corner about right. Whatever the outcome in terms of the race, simply going as fast as possible day and night and seeing the expanse of the Pacific is, well, spiritual, in an atavistic way. We do not have a clue as to what is going on in the world, but we have a minute to minute knowledge of what is happening in the world we are visiting and it is all consuming.

If this were a job site the labour law authorities would shut it down in a minute. Work is twelve hours per day seven days per week but you are on call the other half of each day. Sleep is at most five hours in a stretch. You are routinely called to put yourself in harms way, often in the middle of the night – boy what fun! Oh yes and there is no pay unless you count a Mai Tai in Maui. By the way, the Ritz Carlton Hotel is our food sponsor. Good on them for sponsoring us and good on us for having the luck to get them.

Well, I have cut into my five hours of sleep enough for one day. To all and any who read this, have a great 24 and tune in tomorrow.

Flying with Zelda

2010-07-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

S.V. Turicum, July 3, 2010

After a great evening of 20 knot winds and beam reaching at our polar speeds, we were once again stalled in light airs and big sloppy rollers for ten hours. The mental attitude that one maintains throughout a long race like this is to be driving toward a goal that at the outset seems impossibly distant. When the boat is making almost no mileage through two watches, it is extremely tough mentally. First, one realizes that the time to reach the finish line, family friends, food and other amenities will inevitably be lengthened. But it is the more immediate issues that have a profound effect. Working hard to just keep moving can mean hard work changes sails and endlessly adjusting trim just to minimize the loss of time ever so slightly. Even when off watch, the noises below interfere with the ability to sleep or to get into one's own thoughts. The sounds of water slipping along the hull and the tension of a sheet under load being adjusted are replaced by the clanging of the rigging and the slap of water against the boat's beam or stern. These are disruptive sounds that are disheartening but at the same time require a redoubling of effort.

The good news is that we are now moving again at speed under our big asymmetrical spinnaker Zelda, which is meant to point us higher than any other A sail aboard. The boat is still fairly level which gives the off watch crew an easier time sleeping than when the boat is close hauled and you are sleeping crammed against your lee cloth.

The weather is getting warmer, probably due to the fact that it is just better weather rather than getting any closer to the tropics. Nonetheless it is nice to remove some of the layers. I hope to be able in the coming days to provide some description of the various jobs we all do and the unique satisfaction that each job provides. Clearly experience is the greatest asset and being one of the less experienced racing sailors in the crew, my perspective is one of discovery, learning from mistakes and deriving immense satisfaction from something done properly and efficiently. We are all very fortunate to have supportive crewmates and a profoundly knowledgeable skipper. Hale, the owner of Turicum is pretty damn smart too.

Hello all!

Naomi here. Just a quick note from Day 3. We are somewhere off the Oregon coast, I think, but out of sight of land (yay!). It has been a rather frustrating three`days, with spotty winds and cool weather, as described by Les previously. But nonetheless, it is great to back on the ocean again.

Memories of last Vic-Maui are resurfacing as we face life aboard once more: Gobbling meals before going on watch, wearing every layer I own on night watch, and diving for my bunk as soon as I am off to get much needed sleep. Staggering around the cabin like drunken fools, as the sea slops us back and forth, and sleeping in what feels like the interior of a washing machine. Aahhh...life at sea!

However, I am happy to say that, after all the frantic last minute preparations, the boat has come together in fine form, much to the relief of all.

So far we have seen a few dolphins, whales, a sealion and some sooty shearwaters skimming the waves. The water has turned from dark green to deep indigo....we are now bluewater sailing!

Naomi
SV Turicum

Out of Juan de Fuca

2010-07-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

S.V. Turicum, July 2, 2010

As the many family members and friends who came to see the start of the race will know, the wind was somewhat weak as we glided across the start line for twenty-four hours of light and sometimes non-existent winds. Turicum was engaged in a back and forth competition with Black Watch which came to a head at Duntze Rock mark located in the open Pacific Ocean. After four hours of clanging halyards and sloppy windless swell, the northwestern winds finally filled in and we started to cover some serous
ground. As I write, we are in 20 knots of wind on a beam reach almost on the rhumb line to Hawaii. Some grey whales graced us with a fabulous show of breaching and tail fluke gymnastics. We are just about to do the call in for locations but regardless, we are very happy with the progress we are now making. Turicum feels solid and all systems are operating as they should. There is a feeling of satisfaction on the part of the whole crew that this adventure that threw a group of strangers together has coalesced into a real racing crew who genuinely like spending time together. A little too rough to write more. Stay tuned.

They're off!

2010-07-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

We did indeed make the dock party on the 29th, leaving Steveston after midnight on the 28th, and arriving in Victoria later that morning. Great to see familiar faces and old friends on the dock, and looking forward already to the celebrations in Lahaina! Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with the final race prep which is always barely-controlled chaos, but somehow with everyone working flat out, it all came together to get Turicum to the start line on Thursday morning.

Well, not exactly a screamingly fast start for the fleet, but hey, it's a long race. Many thanks to Linda and Scott Primrose for providing transportation to the start line and warm hospitality to the Turicum "shore support crew" on their beautiful yacht, Catherine. Turicum has managed to struggle out of Juan de Fuca; the wind picked up last night and the race tracker on www.vicmaui.org shows good progress. Andy has a blog as well -- his "view from the shore" if you'd like some observations on racing and the weather and wind http://turicumfriends.blogspot.com More news that's fit to print as it becomes available!

Whatever floats your boat...

2010-06-28T05:40:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe, but the boat goes in the water at noon today. Bottom is faired and epoxied; bottom paint by 0800, then we have a whole six hours or so to load and stow five (six?) truckloads of gear. Straits Marine are A-one, and many thanks to Ocean Rigging for expediting their work on the mast. We'll try to get some photos posted before we leave, but after the race start, we don't have the bandwidth to upload photos on the sat phone. We'll be able to post some photos when we get to Maui. After a bite of dinner tonight, it's off to Victoria, where we hope to arrive about 0200. Most importantly, we'll be in Victoria in time for the dock party! Alo-ha!

Maui here we come

2010-06-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

WOW!!

We're going to make it after all.

Due to a fantastic job by everyone at Straits Marine in Steveston, we are going to be able to make the race.

In May, during a casual afternoon sail, we bumped a rock between Bowen Island and Hut rock.
I had been through this area maybe 30 times previously and was well aware where the rocks were but, even with the chart right beside me, I misjudged the distance.
It didn't seem like an earth shattering impact – more like hitting a log but we apparently did some significant damage.
We pulled the boat out to inspect it and it didn't seem too bad so we waited until our scheduled pre-race clean and paint.

When Turicum was pulled at Straits, we started exploring the damage and found that things were much more serious than originally believed.

The people at Straits have worked tirelessly to get us ready for the race and the job that they have done is extraordinary.
Turicum is now much stronger than original and we have the utmost faith in her ability to once again show the other boats the way to Maui.
We expect to be in the water Monday morning and be on our way to Victoria for the start and of course, the pre-race activities.

We will be trying to keep up a daily Blog to try to give people an idea of what is going on aboard.
Les will be our onboard “blogger” and we will be sending our messages to June who will be uploading them to our site.

You will also be able to watch our progress on the Vic-Maui site via the race tracker.

Cheers, from the Crew.
Gunnar
John
Les
Naomi
Tim
Don
Johan
Hale

Straits Video

2010-04-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

Some fantastic video from the crew on Astral Plane.
The boat you see near the end of the video is Turicum with our jury rigged 4th reef heading up to Sisters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R22JdoU1pI&feature=player_embedded

Crew view -- Mark

2010-04-06T07:58:00.001-07:00

All been said in previous replies. The only thing I can add is that there’s no boat I’d rather be on in those conditions than Turicum.
Thanks Hale.

Mark

Crew view -- Don

2010-04-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Ditto on many of the remarks made by others. For me, the conditions were as bad as I've seen and worse when you consider that it was sustained for many hours, not just a squall line blowing through.

What impressed me most was the level of calm and co-operation evident amongst all the crew and leadership. Everyone was 'in it' till the end constantly working at solving the problems.

Great experience!

Don

Crew view -- Carl

2010-04-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's definitely an understatement to say we had anything less than severe weather! Storm/Hurricane force winds, record boat speeds, 4-5 meter waves in short frequency, Coast Guard rescues, crossing lee shores, & 90% race abandonment has the obvious marks of stories to tell for years!! Beyond that however, I think the reason for our success was the calm diligence of the crew and adapting to the circumstances. I can remember one evening offshore we were deciding what to run with overnight and went for 'Thunder Chicken' (when nothing else will do!) and within minutes of hoist realizing we had to douse what we just put up as the winds had actually picked up and changed direction. The plan that was executed so well backfired just as quickly and we had all crew (less the driver) pull this now giant drouge out of the water in 70 foot seas - an event that still sticks out in my mind today. It was still the best decision as if we would have had to do that at night it would have made things MUCH more difficult (we ended up running the #2 headsail). What I am trying to convey with this story is the practice of: Don't get into what you can't get out of. Many of the boats at the start put up spinnakers and there was a point at the beginning where we could (maybe) have put up an asymmetrical, but that is a lot of sail in a gale. If we would have been aggressive like some of the other boats we could have had a blowout of the spin or main or (probably worse) is we could have created a very expensive drogue as per my offshore example and would have been part of the 90% abandonment with increased risk of injury to the crew. Being a relatively new crew I fully believe we sailed the boat to the best of our abilities in the conditions provided and I would consider it a privilege to sail with any of you in the future - although it looks like I will not be able to join you on any further races before 'the big one'. I wish everyone the best on their journey to Maui. My wife, daughter, and I hope to see you guys off the night before you leave.

Regards, Carl

Crew comments -- Johan

2010-04-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of critical comments thrown in from the "Peanut Gallery" .....

As for myself, I had a great time!! This is the stuff that you just cannot learn only out of a book!

It was comforting to know that Turicum had been through this kind of weather before , and that most of the crew and the Skipper had extensive offshore experience.

What better circumstances can you ask for to get a great learning experience?? It was one that I will remember for a long time .

I certainly appreciate being able to have sailed with such a competent and confident crew.

Thanks everybody!

Johan

Crew comments -- Les

2010-04-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

I am still not quite back to having both feet on the ground following what was indeed one of the most satisfying twenty-four hours in recent memory. Lots of firsts. My first overnight race (although not completed). My first time in winds that strong. Our first time working together as the Hawaii crew and the first time Turicum exceeded 20Kts. Like Tim, I felt that the leadership on the boat was superb and I took immense comfort in knowing that each of us is willing to work hard to keep the boat safe and moving. There was a wonderful sense of comraderie among all aboard and I think that we have moved much closer to our common goal. I am largely self taught as a sailor which has its pitfalls. To borrow a phrase from my wife's work...practice makes perfect..so be careful what you practice. Hale and Gunnar display this amazing ability to communicate, coach, correct, cajole and encourage. In the result I feel inspired to be a better technical sailor and to contribute the most I am able to as a crew member. Turicum is an awesome vessel - a stable working platform and very comfortable. It was great to meet Christof and Carl and to be reacquainted with Mark forty years after we last met.

I am looking forward to Halibut Bank.

Best regards,

Les

Crew comments -- KC

2010-04-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Tim said it all for me.
Thanks to all for the fantastic ride!!
I knew it was something special when Hale and Gunnar said Turicum set the new speed record and we all cheered for more!!!!

Cheers,
kc

Crew comments -- Tim

2010-04-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

What a ride! Thrilling to say the least. Other than thinking we were going the wrong direction at times, never did I feel concerned with the capabilities of our boat or the crew. Not once did I feel we were doing the wrong thing under the circumstances and never did I get the sense that there was concern for our circumstances. In fact I was disappointed upon learning the race was canceled. Call me naive for possibly overestimating our capabilities and the circumstances but I had full confidence in the leadership of the boat, in their experience and knowledge. Sure it was a bit of a roller coaster ride, but a test that I am glad we went through and came out of with flying colours. I thought our crew communicated well together, worked well together, were patient and steady. No one panicked, language remained civil, suggestions and opinions were listened too and appropriate concern was given to the crew and their needs. If anything were to end up in the negative column I'd say we possibly were not monitoring the radio sufficiently and probably should have watched the weather more closely at the start. More practice with Turicum would be an asset as well.

I had a great time and will remember the trip for a long time to come. I certainly am looking forward to our upcoming trips and the opportunity to increase our skill and knowledge on the great boat TURICUM.

Tim

Crew comments by Gunnar

2010-04-05T13:20:00.001-07:00

Turicum's Southern Straits race was really a success because our goal was for the race to be a big part of our preparation for Vic-Maui. We learned that our crew has what it takes to deal with really boisterous conditions and reaffirmed Turicum's legendary toughness. The old adage "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" refers to individuals but is equally applicable to teams. Our Vic-Maui crew became a stronger team on Friday and being part of that gives me great satisfaction.

I would be interested to see what some of our first-timers have to write about their Southern Straits experience.

Gunnar

Crew members comments by Chris

2010-04-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

I am sure one of the first timers here. I have never sailed in much more than 30 kts of wind or seas that big.

This was a great & exiting adventure for me. I was quite amazed how well our drivers managed to keep Turicum "steady as she goes" and how organized the entire crew was. There was not a moment of tension or excitement (with the exception when we surfed down the waves – which was a good thing). Everybody seemed to enjoy the ride. Although I suspect some, including me, wondered how we would beat back into 40 to 50 knots of wind once we rounded Sister Island. As we all know – it never got to this.

The only regret: Not taking any pictures!!

What a ride, what an adventure! This skipper, his crew as well as Turicum handled the perfect storm exceptionally well - I would do it again in a heart beat. Thanks Hale for having me on your crew for this regatta.

Has anybody heard from the skipper of Incisor – is he back home from the hospital? I read this morning in one of the blogs that all crew are home and well.

Cheers, Christof.

There I was sitting on deck of Turicum racing in the Southern Straits Regatta 2010. The winds were around 30 to 40 knots and we were running downwind out of English Bay towards Sister Island. The boat was running beautifully and the driver did a great job and I enjoyed myself tremendously. One of the boats to our starboard seemed to have less fun. They had a spinnaker up, broached and had a hard time getting things under control again. We put a second reef in the main and kept the #2 jib.

The wind then picked up progressively, getting over 40 knots and eventually over 50 knots. Our driver managed to get Turicum surfing several times and we hit over 18 kts one time and over 20 kts the next time. What a feeling - everybody on board was exited. Winds are now consistently over 50 kts and gusting over 60 kts - the waves got bigger and bigger too - several times I could actually look up to the crest of the waves - fabulous.

Another boat to our starboard was in trouble with her sails completely shredded - the remains of the sails flapping horizontally from the tip of the mast - held only by the halyards. Not pretty, but they managed to get the situation under control. Trying to avoid a similar fate to Turicum's sails, we took down the foresail and put a "5th reef" in the main. A very smart move - Turicum is still doing over 10 knots, but it's much safer this way.

I was quite amazed how well our driver managed to keep Turicum "steady as she goes" and how organized the entire crew was. There was not a moment of tension or uneasiness. Everybody seemed to enjoy the ride. Although I suspect some, including me, wondered how are we going to beat back into this once we rounded Sister Island. Well, it never got to that - the race was abandoned just before we got to Sister and the skipper decided to head for Deep Bay near Denman Island, where we had hot chocolate and meat pie before heading back to Vancouver, where we arrived safely the next morning.

What a ride, what an adventure! This crew and this boat handled the perfect storm exceptionally well - I would do it again in a heart beat. Thanks Hale for having me on your crew for this regatta.

Christof.

Reflections

2010-04-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

OK, we're home and we survived -- from what I can find out we were the 2nd boat to round the first mark -- Kinetic was an hour ahead of us.
The ordeal was a great learning experience for our Maui crew but for me it's time to get a good nap.

The Deep Bay Yacht Club is on Vancouver Island just East of the south end of Denman/Hornby.

We now have 12 more people who are total believers in the strength and durability of a C&C 44.

One of our crew, Carl Dobler, shot this short video --- http://goo.gl/asq8

Cheers, hale

Oh My God

2010-04-03T00:56:00.000-07:00

Well so much for the idea of doing timely updates during the race -- you have probably heard about this on the news by now anyway.

A short overview ---

We got out to the start and immediately decided on a single reef and the #2.
As we were turning for the start line, we jammed a runner because of the pressure from the mainsail and were basically unable to turn the boat. We had to gybe back to take the pressure off and then headed to the start line about 2 min. late.

This wasn't a big problem as the building wind was forcing other boats to change to smaller sails and we had already done that.

We then started planning for a spinnaker but put a stop to that as we saw other boats blowing up their sails as the wind continued to build.

We sailed on watching the other boats break things and turn for home. All of this time the wind has built from 20 or so to about 35 kts. We then decided to reduce the main even further and then things started to go wrong.

In pulling down the main, we had to head up into the wind a bit and this caused so much thrashing one of the battens broke and the main sail jammed. While that was happening the flogging of the #2 caused it to start to tear.
We immediately go it down and then went back to tying up the main -- oh yeh, the wind was now up to about 40 and gusting into the 50s. I don't even want to talk a bout the seas,

We ended up with a small fraction of a main up doing about 15+ kts. Things weren't too bad although we were getting concerned that once we got to Sisters we wouldn't be able to turn and come back.

We were now seeing steady winds of 50 with gusts of 60+. As we blasted past Sisters, we had no thought of trying to turn and decided to head to Deep Bay on Vancouver Island near Denman Island, we called the race committee to let them know where we were and then found the race was abandoned.

We had a reasonable sail up to Deep Bay and stopped in at the Deep Bay Yacht Club to clean things up and have dinner.
Here we found that that they had wind speeds up to 145km/hr which seemed fairly impressive to us.

It's now 1:30 Sat morning and we are headng back with following seas and a Westerly wind behind us.
We understand that one of the short course boats sunk and thankfully everyone was rescued. We never saw any other boats up here and thinl tha we may have been the only boat to reach Sisters.

Oh, I can't sell Turicum now because we hit the magic number --- 20+ kts -- virtually with no sail being pitched off a wave that looked more like a cliff.

It's nice to be warm and dry now -- the crew can motor us back to Vancouver while I watch the Nav and radar.

Cheers, hale

45 kts in Georgia Strait

2010-04-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

It's Friday morning and blowing up to 45 kts in the Strait --- Hey it must be Southern Straits time.
Out to the garage and drag down Thunder Chicken. This will be the first time we have actually used the Chicken Kite in years --- Oh goodie!

Lots of new people on board and we had a good practice yesterday -- even got caught in 35 kt squall with full main and #1 so with a big down shift today hopefully everything will be OK.

Conditions allowing, more later.

Cheers, hale

Easter + Southern Straits

2010-03-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

As Easter time rolls around 2 things spring to mind -- Our anniversary and the Southern Straits race. Actually our anniversary date was chosen because of the Straits race but that is another story.

I am going to try to do lots of updates of the race and see if I can also get some photos as well. In addition, we will try to get SPOT up and running which will show our course, hopefully updating our position every hour or so.

Let's see what happens -- if this works I will also do Swiftsure and Maui.

Cheers, hale

2009-09-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Date : September 1
Log: 56245
Bar: 1012
Sky: Cloudy
Location: Plumper Cove, Keats Island
Comments:

We left Pender Harbour at the crack of noon, and in hindsight, probably should have got moving a little earlier.

The wind had gone southeast and stayed on our nose as we motored all the way through Welcome Pass and down the Sunshine Coast, and by the time we got down to Trial Islands, there was an uncomfortable chop in the water. Abby even stopped patrolling the foredeck and curled up in the cockpit (on the feet of whoever was driving).

We had intended to look at Trial Islands as a possible anchorage (we hadn't looked closely at them in the past) but given the wind and sea conditions decided to continue down to Howe Sound. We came through Shoal Channel between Gibsons and Keats Island shortly before high tide, and snagged a mooring buoy at Plumper Cove, Keats Island. The mooring buoys are a bit of a challenge; the rings heavy and difficult to pull up on the chain. The first one we tried didn't move at all, and the second required both of us to pull up (and we could have used Abby's help as well!).

The upside is that we now have bandwidth!!! We are able to catch up on tons of email and publish the blog finally.

Cheers,
Turicum

2009-09-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Date : August 31
Log: 56207
Bar: 1010
Sky: Clear; sunny
Location: Pender Harbour
Comments:

Leaving Texada this morning, we found a pleasant 8-10 kn northwest, so we became a sailboat again, enjoying the quiet downwind trip. The wind (of course) went very light, and Turicum again became a powerboat.

We docked at the VRC outstation in Duncan Cove, Pender Harbour in the early afternoon. Pender Harbour Resort and Marina has cottages and a campground, good docks and facilities. Guests on the club moorage (Maple Bay YC and West Vancouver YC also have space here) have access to the laundry, washrooms, showers, and outdoor swimming pool. From what we saw, everything here is clean, organized and well-run by friendly staff.
As the rules are very specific that we have to fly our Cub burgee and somewhere on the trip we lost ours, Hale busied himself making a new lightweight one.

The weather forecast indicates a change coming; wind going southeast and rain on the way in a couple of days...must be near the end of the trip!

Cheers,
Turicum

2009-09-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

Date : August 30
Log: 56185
Bar: 1011
Sky: Clear; sunny
Location: Sturt Bay, Texada Island
Comments:

Well, we left Refuge at 1100 this morning after refuelling, and found some light wind out by Kinghorn Island, so we were a sailboat, albeit briefly.

We motored down to Cortez Bay and realized that we'd be done for the day by 1300 if we stopped there, so we continued on south. We finished up the day on the Texada Boating Club docks at Sturt Bay. The people from the club are friendly and helpful, and they've made good improvements to the docks since the last time we visited. We were joined on the dock by a flotilla of Catalinas from the Barnett Sailing Co-Op who were heading north to Desolation, and Abby was thrilled to find dog-lovers in the group although all the activity tired her out.

Cheers,
Turicum

2009-09-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Date : August 29
Log: 56156
Bar: 1017
Sky: Clear; sunny
Location: Refuge Cove
Comments:

Leaving Pendrell Sound this morning, we found a little wind in Waddington Channel and were a sailboat for an hour or so. The weather is spectacular -- even June (the fleece-and-sweater-in-August girl) was in a T-shirt.

We arrived at Refuge shortly before 2:00 pm and found space at the dock with no problem. The sunshade went up and the paperback novels came out!

Replenished ship's stores, and we'll top up the fuel before we leave in the morning. Refuge water is untreated and has a boil-water advisory on it, but we're still working on the same tank as when we left Port Hardy; Wheezy the watermaker is keeping up with the usage.

We plan to go a short distance tomorrow; just down to Cortez Bay, and we hope to find some breeze in the morning.

We also have to arrange for a shearing for Abby when we get home -- we haven't seen her eyes for a week now

Turicum

Desolation Sound

2009-09-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

Date : 28 August
Log: 56138
Bar: 1017
Sky: overcast
Location: Pendrell Sound
Comments:

We left Frances Bay at the crack of noon for Pendrell Sound. Turicum is still a powerboat, as we motored quietly down Pryce Channel, past Walsh Cove Marine Park and down Waddington Channel. Walsh Cove provides anchorage behind two small islets; it's very deep, and we suspect you have to anchor very close to the islets to get protection from the wash in the channel as well as a reasonable anchoring depth.

Pendrell Sound had several boats already at anchor in spots we would have enjoyed, but we found a place to anchor right at the top of the sound, deep enough and far enough from shore that we didn't need to stern-tie.

We had a pleasant evening, as the sky mostly cleared off, and the night was quite warm. We plan to go to Refuge Cove tomorrow for a night on the dock and (ahh....) hot showers.

Cheers,
Turicum

Abby vs the "Kelp"

2009-08-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

Date : Aug.27
Log: 56112
Bar: 1017
Sky: clear
Location: Frances Bay N50*21.6' W125*19.3'
Comments: Day spent in a leisurely motor through Okisolo and Hole in the Wall passes -- caught them just at the end of the flood.
We got here just at noon and have spent a VERY relaxed day with no other boats around. It was amazing how much warmer it became immediately after we came through Hole in the Wall. We are no longer getting the effects of the cold Pacific water.
We are planning to head off to Pendrell Sound tomorrow and see if it warm enough to swim still.
Abby now spends a lot of her time standing at the bow watching for kelp -- we have no idea why she is so fascinated by kelp but she is currently totally focused on it. When we are in the dinghy and we go near a piece of kelp, Abby will try to paw at it and has even licked it. Perhaps she relates the smell of the kelp to the smell of the whales.

Cheers, Turicum

Getting hard on the fuel bill!

2009-08-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Date : 26 August
Log: 56087
Bar: 1017
Sky: Sunny
Location: Thurston Bay Marine Park, Nodales Channel -- N50*22.9' W125*19.3'
Comments:

We left Cordero Islands at a leisurely pace this morning at 1015 and spent some time sorting the anchor rode and chain and cleaning the anchor locker (which was really becoming rather nasty!)

Motoring again today (*sigh* still no wind...) down Nodales Channel to Thurston Bay Marine Park. We saw many small boats fishing along the rock walls (and in fact, some fishermen were also catching!) We anchored behind an island in the bay, which we shared with just two other boats, some distance away. We had a view of the channel and in the distance, Chatham Point, in Johnstone Strait. The outboard chose to stop running (water in fuel perhaps?) so rowing was the exercise of choice today. Our short day ended at 1330 and the rest of the day was well-spent in dedicated sloth -- to hell with the outboard!

Cheers, Turicum

Alas no wind again

2009-08-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Date : 25 August
Log: 56077
Bar: 1015
Sky: showers/clearing
Location: Cordero Islands N50*26.7' W125*19.27'
Comments:

We had planned to go from the Mist Islets (which lived up to their name this morning) in Port Harvey to Forward Harbour today, but we took a hard look at the Tide & Current Tables and realized that our best opportunity for getting through Dent & Yucultas tomorrow was to get ourselves through Greene Point rapids today.

We motored (no, no wind yet...) down Johnstone Strait , noticing more boat traffic of all kinds. The days in the Charlottes and on the north coast when we would rarely see another boat are definitely over! Johnstone Strait was placid and flat today (okay, who stole the wicked Strait and replaced it with a millpond?) and we were joined for a short while by a pilot whale. The showers caught up with us as we entered Sunderland Channel, but fortunately they were brief, and the sky started to clear by mid-afternoon.

We motored through Greene Point and anchored by around 1600 in one of our favourite spots behind the Cordero Islands, and noted that we went 49 nm today! In discussing our plans for next day, we decided to go down Nodales Channel and then through Okisolo and Hole in the Wall instead of through Dent and the Yucultas as it allowed us an hour more sleep and still make slack water at both.

Cheers, Turicum

Rental alert!

2009-08-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

Date : Aug. 24
Log: 56028
Bar: 1010
Sky: O/C showers
Location: Port Harvey -- N50-33.68' W126-16.09'
Comments: On our way out of the anchorage yesterday, in the only deep channel, we were confronted by a large powerboat appearing from between some islets on our port side about 200 yards away. We were quite surprised to see it as our charts showed shallow water and rocks in that area. It immediately became obvious that they had no intention of changing course or stopping even though they were give way boat so I slowed down to let them pass -- I was also very interested to see where/what they were going to do.
I was not disappointed -- they continued to motor into an area where I had seen some drying rocks at last night's low tide and as we are almost at another low, things were looking more interesting by the moment.
Ah, yes progress came to a sudden stop.
As we continued out toward Knight Inlet they appeared to have extracted themselves and were heading into the anchorage we had just left.
This was the second time we had witnessed someone either not paying attention to navigation or not having a clue as to what they were doing. A day or 2 earlier we saw a 70+ft powerboat suddenly come to a stop when they missed the marker buoy and went over the Neill Ledge shoal by Port McNeill.
I guess anybody can rent anything now.

The rest of the day was very uneventful with rain showers and a rather tedious motor up to Minstrel Island and then down to Port Harvey. Our original plans to anchor at Warren Islands got blown away with the SE gusts of 25kts and not enough protection.

Off to Forward Hbr tomorrow.

Cheers. Turicum

You may note a format change --- we are going to try to make this look more like our actual log. Log number is like the odometer in a car -- our total miles traveled

Whales and porpoises, seals and sea lions, oh my!

2009-08-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

Date : Aug. 23 Log: 55999 Bar: 1017 Sky: sunny Location: Goat Island, Village Channel Comments: Leaving Port Hardy we were greeted by a pod of Orcas just outside Hardy Bay (photos up as soon as we can) Dall's and Harbour porpoises as well as seals and a sea lion all put in appearances today as well. Wind was very light, so we motored in the sunshine past Malcolm Island, across Blackfish Sound and into Whitebeach Passage. We saw a cruise ship, the Coral Princess, in Blackfish and fantasized (for a least a moment or two) about Mai Tais served next to the pool. We had planned to anchor at Farewell Harbour, but there's a fishing resort there, a power boat was anchored in what looked like the best spot, and there didn't seem to be any doggie beach available. We headed into Village Channel and tucked in behind Goat Island to anchor amongst a half dozen little islets. The people on a Washington power boat that was anchored near us warned us of a bear (the only remaining animal on our list to see) on the beach in the early evening (where June was about to take the dog ashore!). We had a pleasant evening at anchor (but no bear sightings!) On the "What's Next" front, a new set of spark plugs has worked wonders for the recalcitrant outboard -- it now runs on 2 cylinders not just one. That was balanced by nothing happening when we tried to start Turicum's engine and were met by stony silence -- turned out to be a wire off the starter but getting to it was a dismantle the boat story again. We are off to Warren Islands for tonight. Cheers, Turicum

Wind and Water

2009-08-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

We had expected to be on our way this morning but alas it will be tomorrow.
We had planned to also be going down the outside but that has been literally blown away. We have been blessed with fantastic weather for the last 2 months so it is time to see some of the other side. The 30-40kts forecast and 12-15' seas outside are not what we were looking for so we are going to explore the inside route for the next 2 weeks.
To top it all off, the water main at the marina broke yesterday and that has postponed the laundry and the boat cleanup although we did have some water from Shearwater in one tank (an interesting tan colour) that was put aside for emergency purposes. We have been using good water from Hartley Bay and "Wheezy" the watermaker for the last week or so. We had been a bit tight on water after thinking that we could pick up water in Klemtu when we left in the morning only to find that the treated water supply was available ONLY when filling up with fuel.

Pamela Bendall, who we first met several years ago at the Vic Maui race (and who has done almost every job connected with the race) lives in Hardy and has been a fantastic help to us setting appointments, lending a car, and generally helping us solve problems.

One of the biggest and longest running problem has been the rather indifferent charging we have been getting from the alternator. At times the 150amp alternator and smart regulator system has worked fairly well although there has always been a strange pulsing and the occasional shutdown of the charging when the house batteries were clearly not fully charged -- even to the point of not having enough power to maintain the computer. The system seemed to work only when the engine was run at very low speed.
After a particularly frustrating day where we had to start the engine several times while we were sailing to maintain enough power to have our navigation systems working, I got out the data sheets for the regulator and reviewed the instillation and wiring with Dan and Marek. The book made a big deal about sensing battery voltage after the isolator as there is a voltage drop across it and the batteries would be under charged if we sensed voltage at the alternator output. I totally understood that and had setup the system accordingly. What I missed was that the alternator has to sense "house" battery voltage not starting battery voltage. We found what was happening was that the start battery was doing very well at 13+ volts while the house batteries were almost dead. When I had originally installed the system I followed the directions carefully and wired things as if there were only 1 general purpose battery.
We now have new wiring and the necessary relays so that the charging system "sees" the battery we are currently switched to and provides the necessary power to charge that battery. If the switch is set to all then all the batteries will be brought up to full charge.
I am very interested to see how this works out. The test at the dock looked good.

We don't have many pictures from the trip down --- Dan took off to his B&B and a round of golf and Marek had airplane to catch so I wasn't able to download their photos. I know they have some good ones and hopefully I can add them later.

Today is laundry, repair the fuel gauge sensor, final provisioning and getting ready for an early departure tomorrow morning -- we also have to do something about a haircut for Abby -- she is starting to look like a Hebridian cow -- we haven't seen her eyes for about 2 weeks now.

Cheers from Turicum

Pounding South

2009-08-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note while we have a signal -- Leaving Shearwater and heading to Safety Cove for the "crossing" tomorrow. Sounds like NW 20+ so it should be a great ride.
We got in 3+ hours of sailing yesterday but things have been quiet so far -- rolling up the engine hours.

Cheers, Turicum

On to Klemtu

2009-08-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

August 15

We left anchor this morning to motor to Klemtu, taking the opportunity of little wind to make today another navigation exercise. For no other reason than we hadn't been that way before, we took the channel down the east side of Sarah Island, easily passing through Hiekish Narrows.

We have a cell signal at Klemtu which is allowing us to get out some messages but we haven't got photos sorted as yet -- they will be added in the next few days.

Cheers, Turicum

Butedale

2009-08-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

August 14

Heading down McKay and Fraser Reach today towards Butedale, we were visited by a pod of Dall's porpoise, enjoying playing in our bow wave. Butedale is largely in ruins now; the net loft and sheds that were in poor condition on our trip here in '92 have now collapsed and are returning to the elements. There is a float, and a couple of small power boats were moored to it. It's a bit sad to see a place like this, that was once a going concern with a cannery with fuel, ice, a store, and many employees gone to an untidy end. Butedale Creek still rushes into the ocean here, and the waterfall is still as beautiful as ever. We stopped to take some photos, and then continued down Fraser Reach to Khutze Inlet for the night.

Cheers June

Whale ho!

2009-08-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

August 13

Leaving Mink Trap Bay in the fog this morning, a humpback obligingly provided a photo op for us -- hope to add one of Marek's photo's to this blog -- outstanding!
The fog cleared off as we entered Otter Passage at the top of Campania Island to produce a warm, sunny afternoon. We stopped in the village of Hartley Bay for fuel and water, and received the usual cordial welcome we've had at every stop on this trip. Hartley Bay is tidy and picturesque, with residents who take great pride in their village. The docks were busy behind the stone breakwater, and we took only a quick look for moorage as we were concerned about adequate depth.

Cheers, June

Rainy north coast day

2009-08-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

August 12

We left Larsen Harbour early this morning, heading down Principe Channel generally heading in the direction of Hartley Bay. Rain showers followed us most of the day, but we managed to dodge most of them until early afternoon. We had some great upwind sailing in about 10-12 knots SE, with flat water. We found a place to anchor on Pitt Island, off Mink Trap Bay (we can't resist the names of some of these places!) Nesbitt Rock and Sewell Islet guard the entrance (named by childrens' literature fans?) Moolock Cove is a well-protected little bay with many small islands and lagoons, which are perfect for dinghy (or kayak) explorations and Abby found a couple of spots that were perfect for her "walkies". We shared the cove with five other vessels, all power. Four of them were rafted companionably out of sight, but we met one of the boaters with his canine, out in the dinghy for their evening constitutional.

Cheers, June

Leaving the Charlottes

2009-08-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

August 11

Joy and Keith left us in Charlotte City on Saturday to return home, and we hope they've had a memorable trip! We had time in Charlotte to visit with family, get laundry done and have a last look around the town before we also made our departure.

We spent yesterday on the dock in Sandspit, rigging the staysail and runners, getting a few (more!) groceries and getting our new crew familiar with the boat. Marek and Dan have joined us for the trip south to Port Hardy. The wind and wave forecast for Hecate is something we can live with, so we headed out this morning to make the 50 nm crossing back to Larsen Island. The wind remained fairly light all day and the seas less than one metre. We got in a couple of hours of sailing, but motor-sailed most of the day.

Coves & Beaches

2009-08-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

A bit of an update -- we decided to stay on the dock today taking care of various chores. Plans for tomorrow are a "graduation" breakfast followed by a few hours sailing (practical exam) and then off to Charlotte City to sign off the paper work and a final boat clean-up. Everybody has had showers -- including our star Abby so it is time the boat got a bit of a wash.
I have added some of Joy's photos to the last couple of posts.
We have a change of weather coming in so departure for Hardy may have to wait a day or so. I really don't want to beat into some south easterlies in the Strait.

Thursday morning---
We are again in Sandspit on the $10 wifi --- I am really not sure of the details and that is probably just as well.
We are here to deal with fuel, laundry, water, propane and food -- having run out of mostly everything over the last 2 weeks.
One of the things that we couldn't help but notice is the "fog" -- we thought that things were getting misty because of the high temps but I couldn't understand the bluish tint --- I now understand it is smoke from fires in Alaska. We don't get much (any) news but we gather that forest fires are a huge problem again this year.
Then next couple of days will be more exploration around Charlotte City and then a change of crews and back to Hardy. I will try to get some of Joy's photos onto the blog but I might be delayed a bit without a internet connection

I had a bit of a chat with a fellow this morning who has spent several years exploring this area in a 14ft Zodiac with 15hp Evinrude outboard --- including the west coast of both islands and a big chunk of Alaska. He currently has an aluminum 25 footer with twin Evinrude 250s on the back -- I gather it cruises at 30+ and he has a problem with his chartplotter being showing the boat offset about 200 yards from his real position -- hate to think of the noise a big aluminum box would make hitting a rock at 30+.

Our next page will be added at Klemtu on our way home or any were else we can find a cell link.

Cheers, Turicum

2009-08-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Aug 5th - part II

We found one secluded little bay in Poole Inlet that we liked so much we stopped there again on the way back north. The guidebook we have just indicates that there's anchorage in the inlet, but gives no other information. We anchored in a quiet little cove, passing a whale in Hecate on the way in, and finding an eagle to greet us as we anchored. A short dinghy ride and walk through the trees brought Keith & Joy to a beautiful sand beach, which Abby also appreciated. Covered in fine, soft sand she romped until she ran out of steam. The previously unnamed beach is now known as "Dirty Dog Beach".

A memorable stop was at Hotspring Island, another Watchman site, well-maintained and staffed by friendly and helpful individuals who treat visitors as honoured guests. Everyone (except Abby - sorry, no pets!) enjoyed a soak in the springs and the luxury of hot showers, soap and shampoo. Of the three rock pools, the one closest to the sea was our favourite; very hot (so lingering for too long wasn't really an option) with a view of Juan de Perez sound - sea, mountains and eagles.

"Boat issues" continued to plague Hale...the patch on the jib started to come adrift, so that was re-repaired. The watermaker ("Wheezy") seemed to enjoy throwing off the output hose and draining the fresh water it made into the bilge, so, two hose clamps later...

2009-08-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Aug 5th
Back from our trip South to SGang Gwaay.
It's really hard to know where to begin. Probably the easiest way to put it is that it's best to throw away all of your mental pictures of Haida Gwaai ---- those images of cold, rocky shores with huge surf; horizontal rain, fog, seagulls all that stuff -- just forget it.
This place is quiet, secluded bays with beaches of sand or very fine, smooth pebbles, and yes, some gravel ones. It's cloudless skies, temps in the high 20s, (mid 30s inside the boat for a few days) swimming in the ocean and eagles, whales and seals everywhere.
SGang Gwaay was a very special place: the mortuary poles and house foundations remain as the legacy of the Kunghit Haida who lived there. The island itself is beautiful, well-kept by the Haida Watchmen, with trails that wind through dense forests, onto rocky beaches and, seemingly, through rock walls. Our guide, "Girl" (aka Christine) was knowledgeable and friendly with a great sense of humour, and loved to share the history and significance of SGang Gwaay
Rose Harbour in Houston-Stewart channel, close to Anthony Island (SGang Gwaay) was the busiest place we found; a couple of private residences, float planes, mooring buoys and (holy cow!) about a half-dozen boats sighted at once! We anchored in Louscoone Inlet, where we found the float with the water hose attached to fill the tanks.

Sandspit encore...

2009-07-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

Without Internet access for the past few days, we are now back in Sandspit, and thanks to Jim (the one-man-band-only-Internet-provider here) we're back on line at least for tonight. Cell phone service seems to only work near the airport in Sandspit (it helps to lean off the bow on one foot and hang on to the forestay) and any other time you can get it is a bonus. Apparently satellite phone service has become questionable over the last while and is sometimes an issue for emergency services here.

We've spent the past few days doing Sailing 101 - for those of you who are following Spot, and are wondering if we know what the heck we're doing or where we're going! We've been day sailing out of Queen Charlotte City around Bearskin Bay and Shingle Bay, getting Joy and Keith tuned in to the nautical vocabulary and teaching some skills.

June got the chance to see the inside of the Queen Charlotte hospital up close and personal on Friday morning (100% better now, thank you very much!) which slowed down our departure a little.

Docks in Charlotte City are basic, but solid,and everyone we've met here has been absolutely friendly, helpful, cheerful...
Facilities (stores, laundromat) in Charlotte are closer to the dock than Sandspit, and we had our orientation at the museum in Skidegate this morning. Our Parks guide, Jody, gave an excellent presentation and was most helpful. The museum itself is incredible; the site is perfect and the building and the collection are fabulous. Reid, Davidson, Edenshaw....

We didn't manage to connect with Kim -- sorry about that! -- for coffee, but maybe we can catch up when we come back from Gwaii Haanas.

Thanks to Kelly (June's sister) for the loan of her truck, to Gracie and Gail for "kidnapping" and babysitting duty -- Kelly, you've got the best of friends! Thanks too, to our housesitter Mel, and Mary for keeping the home fires lit and the cats fed. This is the longest we've lived on the boat at one stretch (and skipper and mate are still speaking :-)

We're setting off early tomorrow morning (and this time we really do mean early!) to start our trip down to Anthony Island (SGang Gwaay) We're expecting to see Hotspring Island as well (Gandll K'in Gwaay.yaay) on the way back. We'll be out and incommunicado for the next 2 weeks, but Spot will keep you up with our progress during this time.

Cheers,
Turicum

Shop 'til you...

2009-07-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

In Sandspit for the day, provisioning the boat and getting Keith & Joy familiar with with where everything is found on the boat. The grocery bill looks a bit like the debt load of some small nation somewhere, but...we'll be eating well. As it happens, our new crew really enjoy cooking (oh, heaven...) Greek ribs, salad and potatoes tonight!

Heading out tomorrow for a few days' sailing and then back to Sandspit, the orientation for the park and then off again...

Cheers,
Turicum

Not as advertised

2009-07-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

July 19
Well, things are not exactly as advertised -- the cell service is iffy --- you wander around the parking lot trying to maintain a signal so the cell internet link we use doesn't work.
The wifi we are now using is not from the Coast Guard as we were told but a citizen down the road you give $10 to for 3 days use.
Still not sure if we can get propane but the fuel dock is nearby and is open morning an evening for a couple of hours.
We have said goodbye to Kaht and John and are in the process of cleaning, converting, fixing, upgrading things to get ready for our next group of clients.
We are going to have to spend some time sorting out the great photos that Kaht and John provided along with June so please bear with us --- we will be editing/upgrading the blog ASAP.

We also found Joy and Keith who will be with us for the next 3 weeks with thanks from Spot, that showed us in Sandspit rather than Charlotte City as we had originally planned.

Cheers, Turicum

The Crossing

2009-07-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

July 18
We're off.
We head off at the crack of 0930 --- actually with the forecast, the wind and waves should moderate over the course of the day so there is no big push to get out particularly early.
We put the #1 reef in the main, hoisted the staysail and settled down for a 50+nm sail over the the Charlottes. Our wind was between a close and beam reach making the 24kt not much of a big thing.
The seas were about 1.7 meters and from time to time a bit bumpy. After a few hours the "interesting" motion of Turicum got to Abby and another crew member --- both visiting the stern to say good by to their breakfast.
True to their word, the rain stopped around noon and a few hours later the wind and then the seas started to ease. As things quietened down we unfurled the Genoa and were able to maintain between 7 -9 kts.
The wind and seas kept dropping as we neared the Charlottes eventually forcing us to motor sail and then continue strictly on power.
I had underestimated the distance from the marker buoy to Sandspit so we our arrival was a bit later than we had hoped. As we arrived we were greeted by first a bit of a squall and then bright sunshine and a fantastic view of the mountains around Skidegate Inlet.
2000hr -- on the dock looking for a Pub.

Cheers, Turicum

Still here!

2009-07-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

July 17
Larsen Harbour -- it's raining!
We may be able to get across tomorrow.
It has rained all day!

Cheers, Turicum

Is anyone out there

2009-07-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

July 16
Out plan was to head out through Otter Passage and ride the Southerlies across Hecate Strait. One problem -- unable to get weather broadcasts. Never for a moment did we think that we would be out of touch with Coast Guard -- such is the case up here. You have to be very careful lest you have an unhappy surprise from the weather and while things seem ok we just couldn't take the chance and decided to move up to Larsen Harbour at the top end of Banks Island. It was also the shortest distance across and it the "favoured" crossing point.
Our new "guide book" which had been very helpful with all the other little spots we stopped at also indicated there were 6 mooring buoys available.
Wrong again -- anchoring in 25ft of water with very limited swing room and by this time, some very good winds blowing -- the radio did start to work and while if we had left for the Charlottes that morning we would have been ok, things we had definitely bad news for the next couple of days and we could now look forward to an extended stay in Larsen Harbour.

What was really starting to become a problem was that we had just finished our last bottle of wine (*gasp*) at dinner the previous evening.

Cheers, Turicum

"If [they] don't find you handsome, at least they should find you handy..."

2009-07-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

July 15
After a disappointing result from our prawning efforts (an empty trap) we've decided this bay is Plenty Not-so-Much... We'll give it another try on another evening. The weather reception on the radio has been sporadic, and we've decided to put some miles on today and move towards the point where we can make the crossing of Hecate Strait when the weather is best.
A few things we learned: Things aren't exactly as people say. Get fuel, propane, water and anything else you need immediately; don't put it off with "they will have it at the next stop" -- often they won't.
Leave a few days for getting across and make some decisions as to your route but always stay flexible.
We finally heard some current weather on the VHF. And-- you can get a long range forecast from CCG on 83A up here --- just call them up and they will give you the outlook for the next 5 days, which we did. Southeast winds are forecast for Hecate Strait, 15-25 kn on Friday, 10-20 on Saturday, and going to southerly on Sunday.

Another day on the engine, as we motored 58 nm up Laredo Channel, across Caamano Sound and up Estevan Sound to our anchorage for the night between Campania and Langthorne Islands. Again, we were alone in the anchorage, imagining Emily Carr canoeing in here with her paints and sketchbook
Repair work continued to be the order of the day, as a number of small items continued to break, need replacement, etc., but mechanical objects are no match for Hale who is both handy and (according to June) also handsome.

Cheers, Turicum

Great anchorages no wind

2009-07-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

July 14
From Corney Cove, we motored up Laredo Inlet through Thistle Passage, another narrow passage, but with adequate water under the keel. We've seen few boats, but were passed by a couple of power boats heading the opposite direction. We anchored in Bay of Plenty (who could resist that name?!) and stopped to drop the prawn trap on the way in. We were alone in the anchorage (except for the mosquitoes, who apparently appreciated the delivery of fresh food).

We were given to believe that there was a very good chance of seeing bears in the streams that flow into the bay but no luck. They must be around however as Abby wouldn't go very far from the water's edge even though there were some open spaces to run. She kept looking toward the woods and was walking around on tip-toes most of the time. It is the placewhere you really need to sit for a couple of days and then things might get very interesting.

We were also skunked in our efforts to have a Prawn dinner.

Off to Otter Passage.

Cheers Turicum

Klemtu -- the frendly town

2009-07-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

July 13
We left the great little town of Klemtu today after having a great stay with very friendly people. The RCMP here are quite special -- they helped us with mooring the boat yesterday and helped haul the dinghy (very full of water) up on the dock so we could try to find what was wrong. Wow, do they know how to lend a hand up here! When we left we went to see what the cost oft the moorage was --- the reply was "there is no cost -- the new dock is for people use use and enjoy Klemtu". That pretty much was the tone of the entire place.

The Kitasoo band have built a beautiful cedar longhouse here; they have walking tours of the town and boardwalk and of the longhouse (although the tourist information office seems to keep their own hours). Construction is underway on a new health centre for the town, and the fish packing company seems to be a going concern.

We stocked up on supplies (prices in the band store are high, but consider how the stock has to get here!) water, and diesel, and gasoline for the dinghy. Klemtu does not have propane at the dock, and our next opportunity is likely to be Queen Charlotte City.

We motored slowly north from Klemtu, past Boat Bluff, around the end of Swindle Island to Myers Passage. We weren't in much of a hurry as we needed more water in the passage to ensure a safe transit though this very narrow and rocky channel -- the new chart we had bought in Shearwater turned out to be a very valuable investment. Our shallowest point in the pass turned out to be 8' below the keel.

Our stop for the night was at Corney Cove, a very nice little spot where Abby was able to wander around the grass near the shore. We shared the anchorage with a family up from Port Hardy in a small power boat, who were on their way to Klemtu the next day.

Photos coming --

Cheers, Turicum

Comments

2009-07-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the feedback.
To reply to some of the comments --

Weather -- I am a bit weary of commenting on this as it has been fantastic. Maybe 2 days of rain and that was very light. It is cloudy and damp today but mostly T shirt and shorts -- very warm. Wind has been great with only Johnstone St. being a problem. I am starting to plan for the crossing to the Charlottes and we may have to head over early to get a good forecast.

The problem with keeping up to date -- The form to do the blog is online. and when we can't get an Internet connection we have a problem keeping current as the blogging program really doesn't like Word but we think that Notebook will work to keep a daily writeup which can be transferred when we get connected. We find the it is quite a busy end to the day getting tied up/anchored, dinner ready, the dog ashore, and do a write up for the Blog but at the same time realise that if we don't get something down it will get swallowed up by the events of the new day.
As for individual photo captions -- not going to happen -- mostly because we haven't found a way to do that yet and Baillie our altitude IS sea level or 0.

Spot is really doing the job. The big problem is to remember to turn it on or off -- just another new thing to add to the list when we depart or arrive anywhere then remember to turn on the arrival message whish is a bit of a process but I gather it is interesting to watch -- I wish it would show the whole trip.

Abby is a total show by herself. Between barking at the whales, seals, dolphins and anything else she thinks is a threat to the boat, she is learning how to deal with tacking and generally life on a boat.
When we were tacking up Oscar Passage yesterday (20+kts over the deck) she got into crossing from side to side during the tack and lying on the highside -- see photo -- with her head on the combing -- very cute. She spends most of her time being totally cute. She doesn't get Gravol any more and seems totally fine. When we have found a large beach -- Hakai and the hot springs -- she goes nuts -- running around at max speed until she literally falls over to catch her breath -- then she is off again.

I hope that helps explain some items -- many thanks for the comments

Cheers, Turicum

Between the police and the preachers

2009-07-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

July 12 - Yet another post -- we're a little behind in the paperwork... We stayed at Shearwater Resort near Bella Bella on Friday night. The docks, showers, laundry and pub were all great (the pub even serves breakfast) The store has limited stock, and depending on what day you arrive (freight delivery is on Sundays) the stock is even more limited. There was no potable water available on the docks while we were there, due to a boil water advisory from the health authority. People were friendly and helpful, the chandlery was well stocked and there's a boat yard here if repairs are necessary (thankfully, not needed !) On Saturday, the fog started to lift around 10:00, and after a leisurely breakfast at the pub and a trip to the chandlery for charts, we headed over to Bella Bella for fuel and, we hoped, water. Fuel was available, but water was in short supply due to little rainfall, and we could not fill the tanks. We were happy we had invested in a watermaker (it produces about 4 litres an hour and the noises from under the V-berth bunk sound like the windshield wipers on a '56 Chevy, but the water quality is fine! )

After leaving Bella Bella, we motored west towards Ivory Island, and ducked up Reid Passage for the more scenic route. After a serene trip up Mathieson Channel, we anchored in a quiet bay at Arthur Island. The fog, which had played with us all day crept in, not on little cat feet , but rolled up the channel at about 5 knots. We woke on Sunday morning to a damp, grey, isolated world of our own.

As the day progressed, the fog gave way to brilliant sun, and a great sail through Oscar Passage to Finlayson Channel as we headed up to Klemtu. Great downwind run through Finlayson to Cone Island and Klemtu; managed to sail wing-on-wing, which Turicum normally doesn't do very well. Docking at Klemtu was a challenge, as the boat was being blown off the dock by a very brisk breeze, but all was well as we tied up opposite the RCMP boat. As we were still tying up the boat, a mission boat arrived as well and tied up as well. So, we're on the dock at Klemtu between church and state -- carousing kept to a minimum tonight! The fog has crept back in, and with it, about 15 knots of wind...(I know, fog and wind don't usually go together, but they do here). The people we've met here in Klemtu have all been welcoming, friendly and very helpful.

Cheers,
Turicum

Dances with Dolphins

2009-07-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

July 9 – We had a fantastic stay in Ocean Falls – great docks and nice people. Today we headed off to Eucott Bay, supposedly with great lagoon and hot springs. On the way under blue skies, we had a great sail for a few hours and then when the wind died, we were surrounded by a large pod of Pacific Whiteside Dolphins. They were everywhere and followed us for about an hour – all the way to the Alexander Mackenzie monument. They were so numerous that Abby was totally overwhelmed by them and went and hid in the aft cabin.
While we were still grinning about the dolphin encounter, we arrived at Eucott Bay and once again were blown away. This time, by a fantastic but shallow little bay totally surrounded by mountains. Perched on the side of the bay is an unbelievable hot springs feeding into a rustic stone pool that looks as if has been improved over the decades with concrete to build a small piece of heaven on earth. The fairway at the entrance is reasonably narrow, and anchoring was in very shallow water, but hey, we figured we had a foot under the keel at low water. The best part of Eucott Bay was that we had the entire place to ourselves (well, we had to share with the horseflies) An interesting sidebar: the horseflies seemed to dislike the hotsprings and shunned us entirely when we had more of our flesh exposed to the voracious little beasts.
An early dinner was followed by a leisurely soak in the pool and a very sound sleep.
Cheers,
Turicum

We're trying

2009-07-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Ok - whatever I thought I knew about putting together this blog thing has gone out the window.
To keep updates we write them up once we stop and I have been trying to do a cut and paste from Word but that trashes the blog and it won't post.
We are trying to re-do things but the big problem is that we don't know how to create the dates offline and then transfer them to the blog.
We are going to try text files and see how that works.
We also wouldn't mind knowing who is out there so perhaps we can send thing of particular interest to you.
Some fantastic updates coming -- we are now at Shearwater and again no cell but there is Wifi.
We have said goodbye to Dave this evening and will be heading of to Bella Bela for fuel and supplies tomorrow.

Cheers,

Blue skies, sunshine, and Ocean Falls --- who knew?

2009-07-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

July 8 – We are leaving Namu for Ocean Falls. Fantastic night on the dock and fortunate to meet some of the great people who live here and are rebuilding parts of the site. The wood they are using to panel and construct things are sawn here from driftwood --- often clear cedar, spruce and fir.

We got a tour through the “mill” and were shown a stack of 2X12s 20+’ long that were absolutely clear --- something you would never find in Vancouver at virtually any price.

Hey Gregg, he also had some red cedar rounds with fantastic red and purples and a chunk of fir of unknown vintage as there are several portions of the log has annual rings that look as thick as a sheet of paper. Our tour guide spoke about wood in the manner of a docent in the finest natural history museum; history of the world in the growth rings of a fir...

We are now in Beautiful Ocean Falls -- quite warm and a bit overcast -- WOAH check that it's sunny in the place that gets 20+ FEET of rain a year.

And, the dock has Wifi --- who'd have thought?! No cell though.

The majority of the crew took a walking tour through the old townsite and up to the dam (I think we're adding some photos here). Ocean Falls is a combination of ghost town, museum, living and working coastal community and time capsule. There's a mix of dilapitated, falling down, going-back-to-nature buildings and neat, tidy, freshly painted and maintained houses, a serviceable ferry dock, gift shop (open 1-3 M/W/F/S/S - maybe to coincide with the ferry schedule...) The water spilling over the dam onto the rocks below is spectacular and worth the fifteen minute uphill walk. The salmonberries along the way were tart-sweet and delicious. The mill has been closed for many years, but there is obviously still much pride of place here for the residents; the docks are well-maintained, and the bulletin board proclaims that Ocean Falls is the "best town by a dam site".

Cheers, Turicum

On to Namu or Sailing with whales

2009-07-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

July 7 – Drat! It’s raining – well, frankly it’s the first we have seen for more than a month so it is an interesting distraction but it is off to the beach!

(June is going to add a post about the beach -- I am working on the watermaker which seems to need cleaning.)

June here: The beach on the outside of Calvert Island is truly spectacular. Hakai Beach Resort allows access to the beach through their property on Pruth Bay during the day (8-5) and there is also a beach to pull up a dinghy at the start of the trail to the beach. The trail winds through the forest, soft moss underfoot until you can hear the surf and the path becomes mostly sand. The beach is white sand (and, as I remember from 20 years ago, absolutely gorgeous when the sun is shining) The sun was not co-operating today, but the beach was no less beautiful. I think Abby enjoyed the beach the most of all of us, running until she could run no more and lay on the sand, gasping and panting!

Back from the beach – rain and low clouds. We are off to Namu – with a functional watermaker.

On our way our out of Kwakshua Sound we were inundated with humpbacks again, our introduction being a Humpback surfacing right in front of our bow as we quickly dropped our speed and turned hard to port to avoid a collision. Our trip to Namu was a constant “wow look at that!” with whales blowing, breaching, slapping all around us keeping us on our toes making sure we were staying far away from any activity. Abby became our “watch dog” keeping a weather eye out for the “smelly guys” (whale breath is really quite special) and barking loudly when one surfaced.

We are currently tied up at a small moorage in Namu and everyone is off for showers.

The Crossing

2009-07-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

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July 6 – Today we had a fantastic crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound. Contrary to what you may think, this means that there was virtually no wind and most importantly, no seas. In these waters dull is good – exciting is very often BAD!
As we motored up Fitzhugh Sound we were greeted by a dozen or more Humpback whales feeding in Fitzhugh and Kwakshua Sounds. After many photos, we headed up Kwakshua and anchored in Pruth Bay on Calvert Island. At the head of the bay is the Hakai Beach Resort who will allow you to tie your dinghy at a small wooden dock under the ramp and walk through the property to the fantastic beach on the west side of the island. The dock and path area available from 8am to 5pm – there is also a BC Parks marker and path to the North of the floats for the off hours.
As we were up very early to make the crossing, the decision is for an early dinner and tomorrow we will take the trail across the Island to the white sand beach on the West side and the open Pacific.

Cheers, Turicum

Photo update

2009-07-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

OK, I am slowly getting the hang of this (perhaps) -- I see that I can only add a few photos with each post so I went back and added photos to a bunch of earlier posts. The result is that there is no context or order -- sorry. I am also finding that if I build a photo library it is then easier to add things into the appropriate place.
When we leave Hardy, the cell connections are much more scarce and we will have fewer updates -- we will try to do a daily log and then dump it onto the blog when we get a connection.

Cheers,

Change of location and change of Crew

2009-07-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

Turicum arrived in Port Hardy yesterday around 1730h. We had a nice sail up from Alert Bay our previous stop but did have to motor for the last hour or so to get here at a reasonable time.
After coming out of Forward Harbour, we "found" the expected wind in Johnstone Strait and took a fair pounding for a couple of hours. Things did settle down though and we got in a good sail in much flatter water and 18 kts of wind. We probably had a tide/current change and the water really flattened out. For a while we were in 4' chop and 35+kts of wind --- not much fun.

We have been kept busy with a few repairs -- some enthusiastic grinding managed to put a spreader through the genoa but we got some spectra tape on that, the shower pump in the aft head had dirty electrical connections that needed some attention, the primer bulb on the outboard split and disintegrated -- back to oars, and our biggest problem is a stinky watermaker.
When we turned it on everything was great and the water very good as usual but a while into the process, we noticed that the product water started to smell. We shut the system off and have drained and flushed the tanks. We also ran bleach through the saltwater supply line which seems to have developed growth during the shutdown period. Obviously I need to "pickle" the supply line as well as the watermaker and filter at the next shutdown.
Oh yes, the drive belt on the alternator was replace and it was discovered that the tensioning arm has broken. We will look to getting it welded in Charlotte. I am really not sure what I am going to do with all the time I will have once the repairs are complete and the books marked.

We have had to say goodbye to Dmitri, Sergey, and Olga after a great week with them. Many good laughs and I think we have added some more to the list of people who are now hooked on sailing.
We will be greeting Kaht, Dave, and John this morning and get things ready for our crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound tomorrow. The weather indication look favorable.
I have a batch of photos from Demitri and June for this post.

Cheers from Turicum

"Way up the Yucultas..."

2009-07-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Left Refuge Cove this morning after enjoying the hot running water in the showers...heaven! Dmitri & Sergiy jumped off the boat yesterday afternoon for a swim, but Olga & I decided to wait for warmer water! Heading up Lewis Channel this morning, after having calculated the appropriate times for the Yucultas, Gillard, Dent, Greene Point and Whirlpool rapids (did I leave any out?!) Abby is an extremely relaxed boat bear today -- out cold on the floor of the cockpit, enjoying a nap in the sunshine. Expect to be at Forward Harbour tonight. With a tip of the hat to Phil Thomas, musician and music historian extrordinare... J.

Happy Canada Day

2009-07-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day!

Today is the day we take our first big step into the North going through Gillard Passage, Dent rapids, Green Point rapids, and Whirlpool Rapids ending up in Forward Harbour for the night. On the way we will get an idea of what the winds will be like in Johnstone Strait as we will get a chance to “peek out” a couple of times. The morning's weather is clear with NW winds at 12kts -- we are under power as we have to run the tidal passes all day

We are now moving to an area where there is limited cell coverage so there will be some gaps in the updates or we may be limited to text only.

One of this morning’s tasks was to patch the genoa where a spreader punched through yesterday – we had some spectra tape still onboard from Maui so we have put patches on both sides and crossed our fingers. We also replaced the mainsail slider on one of the battens that had been jamming. The students are getting a bit more than basic sailing.

On the storage front, we do not have to sleep with the prawn trap as June managed to find places for things that I didn't know the boat had. We actually have an aft cabin now not a floating garage. We do however have to push Abby off the bed as there just isn't room for her as well.

Cheers, Turicum

On our way!

2009-06-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got off the dock.
I am surprised that there is any waterline showing at all given the amount of stuff that has been packed aboard. Every nook and cranny is jammed as well as the anchor locker and stern lockers --- I think we will have to store the prawn trap on the aft bunk and just sleep around it.
Things have been a bit windy so we have had a couple of days beating North in 15 - 20 kt winds so while we haven't made great progress everyone has had great fun sailing.
We are currently in Pender Harbour and you can see our course that Spot has tracked.
We are off to Refuge cove today and from there we head through Gillard Passage into Johnstone Strait.
On this leg we have Dmitri, Sergey, and Olga with us and while some are new to sailing, everyone is having a great time.
I am going to work on getting some photos to add for the next post.

Cheers, Turicum

Tracking Turicum using SPOT

2009-06-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Just picked up a SPOT from West Marine Richmond. We will be using SPOT to provide tracking for our trip. You will be able to follow our trip in real time with updates every 10 min.
To see where we are just go to --- Turicum's track

There is also a link on the Sailcraft website www.sailcraft.com

3 days and counting

2009-06-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we are getting close to our departure date and the "list" isn't getting any shorter -- as usual.
Who would have thought it would take so much to convert Turicum back to a cruising boat. We are trying to re-install all the gear and clean up everything that usually gets overlooked when we are racing -- who drags a dinghy when you're racing -- but it is an essential piece of cruising equipment for Abby.

I have added some of the Swiftsure pictures from May.

We will be using SPOT to provide a viewable track of our course and keep us linked to civilization our link to the track will be posted when we get the final details sorted out.

The Beginning pt. 2

2009-06-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

At the end of May several of the race crew came down to help clear the racing sails off the boat and start the conversion process over to a cruising boat.
Turicum has a split personality --- She is a TRUE racer cruiser -- last July we won division 2 of the 3000nm Vic-Maui -- missing 1st overall by 5 hours.
Now we are about to be a cruising boat taking 4 to 8 people on an adventure to the Queen Charlotte islands and back. We have broken the trip up into several legs and have a different group with us for each leg.

For every leg we will have my wife June and our trusty "boat bear" Abby aboard and we will introduce our new crew as we go along.

For those who would like to join our adventure you can contact us at www.sailcraft.com.

The Beginning

2009-06-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

For the first time in about 15 years my wife June and I are going to actualy do some sailing together. Previously, the majority of my sailing has been focused on teaching sailing aboard Turicum. June mostly did provisioning, cleaning, book keeping and all of the other "romantic" aspects of sailing.
As Sailcraft grew, it got to the point where I could be spending as many as 200 day a year away from home. This had to change.
For this year we have decided to re-invent what we do and head North with our trusty "Boat Bear" Abby to explore the Inside Passage and the Queen Charlotte Islands TOGETHER!