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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #121
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    Sep 2007
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    7/18/12

    Our run up to Princess Louisa Inlet was blessed with a fresh following breeze, 15-25 knots. At one point we nosed into a waterfall cascading down a mountain side. Arrival at PLI was timed to coincide with slack water at Malibu Rapids. Inside this four mile long fiord, we counted 20 waterfalls, although 60 were reported earlier in June's max snowmelt from the 7,000' high snowfields ringing Princess Louisa.

    We spent a quiet night on mooring at Macdonald Island before proceeding two miles up inlet to Chatterbox Falls. Strangely, there were less than 20 boats inside PLI, with 15 of them tied up at the dock managed by the PLI Society.

    A De Haviland Beaver float plane disembarked the officers and directors of the PLI Society, who were there to set the stage for a cruise in and BBQ on Tuesday. As their float plane rested alongside the dock, it was clear their starboard pontoon was sinking. The pilot was pumping furiously until I pointed out a silver dollar size hole in the back of the pontoon.

    The pilot consulted his repair kit and came up with a large wad of chewing gum that he chewed for 20 minutes and then plugged into the hole. Unfortunately, the chewing gum disappeared into the innards of the pontoon. I went to WILDFLOWER and retrieved a roll of duct tape, and we fashioned a nice big sticky ball that effectively plugged the leak, allowing the plane and passengers to take off. For the trouble, we were invited to the Big Event on Tuesday.

    7 of 9 of the PLI Directors appeared the following day with their 50 foot powerboats. WILDFLOWER sandwiched between this fleet felt a bit out of place. But everyone was most friendly. Water temp in Princess Louisa was a warm 67 degrees, and swimming was in order to stay cool.

    Today, Wednesday, we left at the 0500 slack tide, and beat 31 miles back to Egmont. The wind turned at every point to right on the nose.....but 6.5 hours later we tied up at Egmont.
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    Last edited by sleddog; 07-19-2012 at 04:01 PM.

  2. #122
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    Sep 2007
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    Sometimes if you look closely, you don't have to go very far to find something really interesting. Madeira Park in Pender Harbor, about the size of Pt.Reyes Station, has a small government wharf capable of docking about 20 boats. This afternoon, the 37 foot Bill Garden designed troller HERSELF tied up just astern. What a beauty! I could not take my eyes off her.....

    While the crew was up winning gas money at the local Bingo games, I wandered over to the boardwalk at the small lagoon behind the town church. There was a beaver family, including a baby beaver, chawing down on local woody morsels, including the sign post holding the placard describing the lagoon inhabitants.
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    Last edited by sleddog; 07-27-2012 at 02:04 PM.

  3. #123
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    Santa Cruz
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    108

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    Ola from Santa Cruz;
    I have forwarded the pics of Chatterbox falls to Rainer, Doug, Mark, and Danaher.
    I was impressed with how many people at prayer meeting were aware of that place.
    I also took note of the 31 mile trip from there to Egmont in 6.5 hours that is 4.76 VMG straight up wind!
    I am curious how much motor time was involved, if any?
    <H>

  4. #124
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    Sep 2007
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    Howard,

    We motor sailed 31 miles back from Princess Louisa. It was puffy, 10-20, with short chop....the engine at half speed and full sail gave us 34 degree AWA and 5-6 knots BS. The self tacking jib let us tack immediately on advantageous shifts. We passed a C&C 33 motoring at about 5 knots.

    WILDFLOWER now in Desolation Sound. 7 hours to go 50 miles from Pender Harbor to Prideaux Haven. Wind was 140 to dead aft at 15-25. Jib wung to weather. At one point we passed a 60' submerged log. Boat was riding waves much of the way.

    At Prideaux Haven we found PEGASUS XII with Dan and Linda Newland. What are the chances in a small cove in British Columbia you would find winners of 4 SHTP's rafted up? (Dan has won 3)

    This morning the mosquitoes finally drove us out of Prideaux and over to Roscoe Bay, where we swam in 75 degree Black Lake. Now enroute to reversing rapids at Squirrel Cove. At high tide they flow west, at low tide. east.

    Hi to All from Skip and Annie, crew of WILDFLOWER.

  5. #125
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    Dec 2011
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    Santa Cruz
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    I am curious to know how many miles you have logged with Wildflower since the launching?
    I estimate that we have put approximately 600 miles on Moku since October 2008, and I am guessing that you have sailed close that number of miles since March of this year.
    <H>

  6. #126
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    7/27/12

    WILDFLOWER currently tied up at Port Maurelle, just north of Surge Narrows. Mountaineering friends Rob and Laurie Wood live on Maurelle Island, off the grid, in a nice home they designed and built overlooking the Okisollo Channel. We have been enjoying a break from the boat, with Laurie's garden to play in, raspberries and blueberries to pick, a hen house with a dozen chickens laying, and catching up on Rob's recent association with the Nat. Geo special called "The Man Who Could Fly."

    Rob is also building a 20' aluminum hulled sailing catamaran they hope to cruise in the Sea of Cortez. The hull is most certainly "bombproof."

    There is quite an assortment of wildlife on our 10 minute hike through the woods down to Port Maurelle. A ruffed grouse, quite fearless, follows along like a pet dog (see photo below), three garter snakes live under a rock at the head of the dock, a mink roams the beach, and the "Harbor Eagle" perches above on a dead fir spar.

    In answer to Howard's question, since launch, WILDFLOWER has approximately 400 miles water miles under her hulls, and 1,000 trailer miles. MVP's to date are the stern steps, the below decks "Aquarium" hatch, the Queen bunk, the roller furling and self tacking jib, the 6 hp outboard, and the two companionway hatches and aisles below decks.

    I'm sorry to hear of the passing of Dr. Hal Ward of CHEVAL fame. We sailed a lot of miles together, and Hal was always upbeat, positive, and looked out for his crew With the strongest upper body on the boat (he had polio), Hal would sit in his special chair and grind the spinnaker sheet all day long.

    Welcome aboard to this Forum Capt. Bob Buell. Bob and wife Mary Jo, of Sunset Beach, Oahu, have been a good friends for 40 years. Bob is a multi year Transpac and delivery skipper. Bob captained Matson ships between the mainland and Hawaii for 30 years and amassed over a million miles to/from the Sandwich Islands. In addition, it was Bob's L-36 BELLWETHER that become the de-facto finish boat for the first SHTP in 1978.
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    Last edited by sleddog; 08-01-2012 at 06:27 PM.

  7. #127
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    Jul 2012
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    Skip, thx for the welcoming note to this Forum. Am curious what your friends do for work there on Maurelle Is, or is it just a summer home?? Looking at Google Map, not many there.
    Am waiting to hear if the 2 SSS guys found the abandoned race boat enroute Hanalei??
    Aloha, Capt Bob

  8. #128
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    Sep 2007
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    Rob and Laurie Wood have lived full time on Maurelle Island for more than 35 years. Rob is an author, mountaineer expedition leader, and home designer. Laurie cooks for a nearby fishing lodge. Their new kitten, Smokey, is currently hanging off my laptop cord, jeopardizing the connection.

    Rob is building a 20 foot aluminum cat, similar to a Wharram Tiki, just behind the hen house (photo attached). This morning we were visited by another local boat builder, Josh, who is building a 45 foot cat of his design. Josh uses a Russell Brown "commuter" proa, with 20 hp outboard, to haul up to 1,000 pounds of materials from the nearest town, Campbell River. Both Rob's and Josh's boats, essentially being built "off the grid," certainly demonstrate significant determination.
    Last edited by sleddog; 07-29-2012 at 10:24 AM.

  9. #129
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    Name:  IMGP1145.jpg
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Size:  85.1 KBWe sailed up Okisollo Channel yesterday to visit Josh and Johanna Southerlin, and see their construction on the 44' cat of his design. Impressive to see fine construction using local materials. Also visiting was Clark and Nina of the 44' Marples tri RIKKI TIKI TAVI, built in Sacramento.
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  10. #130
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    Three months of living aboard WILDFLOWER finds all systems "Go." To celebrate, we sailed through narrow Beazely Pass to Surge Narrows Government Dock for the Wednesday Market. Surge Narrows acts as the public gathering place for residents of the local islands. It is a tight community, and they have built a magnificent home grown gym adjacent to the school.

    As we lunched on the Surge Narrows dock, the mail plane arrived. It was greeted by a gentleman in an Aloha shirt, asking offloading passengers "Are you my mail order bride?"

    After lunch, sailed 12 miles south to Rebecca Spit, a portion of which "broke off" in the 1946 earthquake. The Spit is 1.3 miles long and inland of its sandy beaches is fortified with First Nation battlements from 200 years ago.
    Last edited by sleddog; 08-01-2012 at 06:19 PM.

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