Yes we are still in the boatyard…. but we have good reasons. It has been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster ride for the last month, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. We will be spending the holidays on the hard. But before I elaborate on why we are still here, let’s fill you in on what we have been up to in the meantime.
Continue reading “Ball valves with no balls, boosters and road trips!”
We are still in the boatyard in Puerto Penasco and the work to get Calidris ready to hit the water continues. We (note we means Brian) just started this week’s smelly messy task – changing out the toilet pump and sewage hoses. I will spare you any pics… it ain’t pretty. Remember we did the same thing on Cariba not so long ago when we put in a new holding tank….ewwww . That story can be found under the heading “Where do old holding tanks go to die?” – Feb 18, 2020.
Well then it was interesting when last night I got a request from a fellow sailing blogger to swap posts and guest blog on each others’ site. Apparently unbeknownst to her, our “shitty” worlds were aligning even though we are several 1000 miles apart – but as we our both up to our elbows in shit, I thought it was appropriate! Enjoy the read, Ruth is a great writer.
Some pics to show what else we have been up to!
As most of you know we have a great boat at home in Vancouver… and any boat is a labour of love …..and a hole in the water in which you pour cash, frequently. So why on earth would somebody want to double that type of trouble? Let’s just say we look at it differently… it is double the fun and adventure! And did I mention no more PNW winters for a while!!!!
Well we had an awesome summer. The weather was amazing and we got to see the Broughtons at their best. To be honest the last time we were there two years ago, the weather wasn’t great and we wondered what the fuss was all about… this year showed us what we had been missing! So now we are home, reminiscing about the summer…. and plotting the future plans for the crew of SV Cariba.. and the plan does not include staying another winter in the PNW!
Basset Bay, Stuart Island
The time had come to leave the Broughtons. All the clues were there….. the morning fog and mist that took longer each day to lift; that chill in the cabin in the morning that made us appreciate the Dickinson fireplace; and the clear blue skies that we could see to the south of us. This seems to be an annual rite of passage for us. The Broughtons provided remote and beautiful solitude in anchorages we could have all to ourselves. But if we wanted to tan rather than rust, it was time to head south.
Our last visit to the Broughtons in 2019 after rounding the top of Vancouver Island brings back memories of fog, rain and chilly weather and exiting stage left for the warmth and sunshine of Desolation Sound. That season made us question why people raved about the Broughtons… well this year showed us what the area had to offer. It was amazing!
Our goal this summer was to expand our cruising beyond Desolation Sound. Last year out of respect to our First Nations communities, we didn’t feel comfortable venturing further north into the more remote villages. The rules now have relaxed and the Covid numbers are inversely proportional to the vaccination rates… so off we go.. beyond Desolation…. just how far remains to be seen!
It is almost a month to the day since we left.. and what an action packed time we have had! It actually feels like we have been gone much longer. What a we been doing you ask? Sailing, and more sailing, hauling out, painting, living on the hard, more sailing, great family visits and lots more. And we have the pics to prove it!
Continue reading “How did a month slip by so fast?”
Today was to be the day… the day we left the dock for our 2021 summer cruising season. We had worked and were still working hard to get Cariba ready and complete several projects to make cruising off grid much easier this year. But COVID strikes again…..and so despite what looks like a favorable forecast with SW winds in the strait, we sit and wait for the other storm to pass.
Caution.. some pensive musings ahead! But first to sum up our world currently- lock down and social isolation sucks! Don’t get me wrong, it is all very necessary and if we all do it ‘right’ life might be able to return to some semblance of normalcy – what ever normal is in this new world.
Continue reading “A new year: some new hope and plans?”
SV Cariba 