NEW ADVENTURE #6

Charter a boat, expect some things to go wrong.  We have had our share of funnies, and furies on different boats, but always expect them to behave well.  New Adventure has had a few issues and most can be dealt with, but yesterday we had a major issue.  Long story short: we have 3 heads (one for each couple) and 2 were NOT working.  We knew the drill...it wasn't our first rodeo, and we had been given the "boat head" talk.  We all were being very conservative in our bathroom habits, and there was absolutley no reason for the 2 toilets not to flush.  We all fretted and read, and reasoned, and interjected ideas for hours last night, but the consensus was we could NOT use the 2 affected toilets.  The only one that worked was ours....and I don't get up at night to use the bathroom....but guess what? Everyone else does!  Our room was not all that private, but there was not a thing to do except let everyone use our head when ever they needed too.  

This group is more than courtesous and carefull, but the boat is a noisy creaky creature and it is not a quiet process to make one's way in the middle of  a dark night across the width of the boat to use the head.

In the am we were faced with turning around and heading back to Lund, and then a call to the Marina, and then waiting for a repair person...and $$$$!   As Steve turned the NA around to head back, Brucie Baby and the Fredster started working on the drain, black water, holding tank, vacuum pump. 

 BIG WOW!

 Something worked and everything started doing what it should! We were still all so tentative about how  long this would last!  I mean these two saved us big bucks, stress, time, messes, and I for one  was going to be happy to have "my space" back!  I owe them a drink or two!

NEW ADVENTURE #5

I can basically say that the honeymoon is over aboard the New Adventure.  Close quarters with some strong willed people, difficulties with the boat operations, and just plain personality defects made us dispense with the nicey-nicey and start airing the dirty linen.  I am partly kidding, but anyone trying to live together in a small space, with not much privacy is bound to have a few issues.  None of ours are insurmountable and may even be a good thing as we work out our varius boating roles.

We started our morning in Lund by going ashore for nice hot showers and unload garbage and visit Nancy's Bakery for breakfast.  Nancy's was yummy and we loaded up on cinnamon rolls, scones,fresh baked bread.  Steve made a call to Anecortes Marina to report a few issues and ask some questions, like: why can't the DVD player work? Where's the other oar for the dingy? why won't the dingy motor idle? And a few other things.  We actually did not get much help as they declared ignorance on most of the issues.  Little did we know, as the day loomed on, we would be facing the biggest problem to far.

The weather was excellent again and as we prepared lunch, the Fred-ster spotted a pretty good sized hump back whale in a calm lagoon.  This guy was "playing" with a small log...balancing it on his head, his fluke, and his barnacle covered back.   We cut our motors and just floated as this whale entertained us for about an hour.  We were so mesmerized and so far rated it as a highlight of the trip.  Finally, the whale got tired of playing and swam away.

We found ourselves in Tenedos Bay early in the afternoon and decided to go ashore and do a little hike to Unwin Lake.  This proved trial and error as we  took a few trails that didn't take us to a  beach.  Finally reaching a rocky spot, Steve , Brucie, and myself jumped in the lake and had a great swim.   Then we hiked back to the dingy and Steve and I swam back in the salt water to the boat.  Quick showers, "chinese laundry" hanging on all sides of the boat and wine time!

We fired up the music and did a little boat boogie and made another bar-b-que and had some interesting conversation.....

....and tried to decide to do with our most pressing issue yet!

NEW ADVENTURE # 4

We left Princess Louisa Inlet on a early beautiful calm morning and headed down the channel to Desolation  sound.  Nan's shoulder is a lot better so that is good.  We cruised along at a good clip and saw some Orca's near Powell River.  We tried to call  the Taurus but still could not make contact.  We cruised into Lund Marina in the late afternoon and were assigned an outside mooring because we were a double hull boat. A dock mooring would have cost double so we stayed on the outside.  That meant we would get to bring the dingy down from the deck and shuttle back and forth to the dock.

After a bit we all piled into the dingy and headednto town with our ATM's and shopping list.  We ended up having a great dinner in the bar of the Hotel and I had some great curried mussels.  We picked up some goodies at the town storeand motored back to the boat.  We were treated to a beautiful sunset as were sat and planned the next day.

NEW ADVENTURE #3

Steve and I got up and jogged/walked on island trails.  We all need a shower but Nan was the only one with loonies (2) and that is what the shower meter in the marine park required.  Fred and I each took a loonie and enjoyed nice long hot showers.  Then we headed across the Straits of Georgia, which took us over 3 hrs in a small white cap chop.  No problems and the boat was fast and behaved well. Steve  made a unilateral decions to head toward Princess Louise Inlet and moor at Chatterbox Falls dock.  

After the Straits, it was a picture perfect day for cruising in glassy water and light breeze. Sling Mama (Nan) was still having pain in her shoulder, but everyone else was doing fine with good night's sleep.  We were still figuring out systems on the boat and got the music going, but the DVD still won't work and we brought alot of movies and DVD's to play....

As we headed toward the end of PLI, Malibu Club began to come into view. 3 of us have been there long ago and it was fun to see this beautiful camp gleaming in the afternoon sunshine.  I was there as a "young lifer" in high school many years past, and Nan and Bruce had come up with a group of adults for a short time years ago.  It IS a long way, but having a fast boat helps!

After a look/see at Malibu, we continued to the end of the Inlet.  We spied ONE spot on the inside of the dock, and went for it in our gigantic powered box.  Easing into the vacant spot brought the looky lou's out from their boating cocktails to watch, but it also brought help, and once again the boat was easy to "parallel park".  We started the Bar-b and cooked salmon burgers and made asian salad.  The Marina gave us a gift pack when we boarded and we enjoyed a very nice white from the Lopez Island Winery. Fred and Bruce once again hit the beds early and the rest of us stayed up for a bit longer and listened to music. 

NEW ADVENTURE # 2

The day dawned warm and sunny and things were drying out, and everyone was getting into better spirits.  That first night was a hard night for some of us.  I didn't sleep well and neither did some others.  Nan somehow wrenched her shoulder in a bad way and had to take REAL drugs and also move up and sleep on the salon  couch to get relief. But we pulled out of the harbor and were on our way.  The guys designated 2 hour shifts and as were skimmed along the islands we all learned different things about our boat.  Some funny, and some not so funny.  It seemed like as the day went along most us could not resist the fresh air and salt seas and succombed to a nap up deck.

We checked into customs at BedWell Harbor, which is small.  Steve piloted the big ol boat to the dock with neary a hitch.  It was warm and we were all pretty hungry, so tuna sandwiches and chips were quickly cobbled together for a lunch, then we went along the calm seas all afternoon.  We made excellent time and even had a go at manuevering in PiratesCove for practice.   We finally pulled into the big dock at New Castle Island across from Nanaimo for our first evening.  It was time to relax with a few glasses of wine and some R/C's for the Bruce-ster.  Amid joking and laughter us ladies made pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw for a mighty fine meal.  I had brought fixings for a fresh blackberry cobbler and even though the oven was touchy and slow...it turned out well.  

Steve went for a walk around the whole island, Nan and Chris played Gin Rummy, and Bruce and Fred hit the sack early.  The next day would be long on the water, but we felt we had worked out some of the workings of the boat and I think we all slept much better than the first night.

Crazy Factoid: our boat carries over 700 gal of fuel and goes like a champ.  The fuel efficiancy is amazing for such a large boat.  BUT: we only carry 200 gals of water, so water use and rationing was started from the git go.  When to flush (haha) , how to shower( the touch and go boat shower method). No running water for anything and using "not too dirty rinse water" for other tasks. So far so good, and we haven't turned into the "Survivor crew" yet, but it is still early in the trip and water will be the big equalizer!  

NEW ADVENTURE # 1

Not a good check out day!  We all met at Anecortes to start the check out process.  Big boat, lots to learn.  After an hour or so of boat systems, Steve had to take the New Adventure on his pilot "check out" ride.  Well, had a few stumbles but it is a 42 ft Catamarran and like piloting a box.  We had barely finished all the check out and one of the biggest thunder, rain storms hit just as we were unloading the cars with A LOT of stuff.  The guys actually made it to the boat, but left all the ice chest and food in the carts as it was a torential downpour.  Us 3 gals were stranded in the covered slip area, without rain coats, and clothes and open bags.  Miserable, but we waited it out and all converged in a very wet boat...and guess what?  There were leaks. Nan and Bruce had a leak (from the broken window) on to their bed! Maintenance call!  Our shower hatch was leaking...let the griping begin......

Steve kept saying it was going to be warmer and calmer as we sailed North, but the first night was anything but comfortable.  Everything was wet, I was cold, Bruce was hot, Nan was claustrophobic, Fred and Chris were crowded.....we basically just stashed clothes and food in every nook and cranny to get stuff out of the way....there was some discussion about who was going to be in charge of am coffee, and how strong/tap or bottled water...........let the the fun begin!

It wasn't all horrible, as soon as the wine and rum were uncovered, we did start "happy hour", and I will say that things started looking up.  We decided to go out for dinner, mainly because we were all so tired and the foodstuffs were unorganized.  Steve drove to a fine little place called "SECRET COVE" and we had a great meal and an even greater waitress.  We stopped at a store to top off the amount of sweets we had already brought aboard, and called it a night.  Crawling into the bed with rain battering our New Adventure.

NEW ADVENTURES

Today we leave for a 2 week boat trip to the Canadian Gulf Islands.  We have loose plans to make it all the way to Desolation Sound and relax up there before turning back and heading home.  Home for the boat we are chartering is Anacortes Marina.  We have chartered a nice roomy "Africat" Catamaran, called the "NEW ADVENTURE".   It has to be roomy because we will have 4 other crew members on board and god knows at this age, we ALL want our own space and own head!  So off we go with Steve's sister, Christine and her husband Fred.  We are also joined by long time friends and neighbors, Nan and Bruce (I like to call him Brucie Baby) Burris.    Our group of 6 has tested the waters being together for a length of time, albeit not such close quarters.  We will see if we are still close after the trip ends....Ha!  we are also going to meet up with my old college roommate and life long friend, Kathy Bloomquist Holt and her husband, Pete Holt.  They will be all alone in a much bigger boat, the Taurus, so I know if things get too cozy on the New Adventure, I can always jump ship!

A few months ago, some of us drove to the marina to inspect the boat and it seemed very nice and roomy.  That said, I just looked in the car which is all packed.  Holy Smoke...the stuff some people think they need for a couple weeks!  I am not naming names here, because i don't want to start out on the wrong foot, but we have a lot of crap packed in that car.  Nan and I sketched out a simple menu plan taking in everyone's likes and dislikes and then said the hell with it...the can just eat what we fix!  we did most of the main shopping last week and now have packed 3 large coolers with frozen and refrigerated fare.  we are going to be in desolated areas and really don't know if there will be stores to stock up with fresh food.

Our New Adventure has already started with a big bummer and we haven't even got to the Marina yet!  2 days ago, the Marina called us to tell us the previous tenants had an accident on the boat and they wanted to make sure we knew and were ok with piloting the 42 ft catamaran in present condition.  The boaters were trying to Lower a run-a-bout to the water when something happened with the davit or with their skill set.  Anyway, the motor smacked into 2 of the Salons large windows and shattered them!

Yeah, that's what I am talking about!  Really put a damper on the whole trip.  They assured us it was safe to sail and they would try very hard to fix it better, but it was the holiday and we were set to sail in two days.  Since Steve will do most of the piloting, he felt he could do the majority from the flying bridge and we should go ahead.  There were some differences of opinions, for sure, but the compromise was we go ahead and ask to be comped extra days.  That is what was resolved.  we haven't actually seen the boat but we are ready to leave and hopefully we won't want to drown our sorrows as soon as we get there....stay tuned......