Blog Posts

The World Through An Artist's Eyes

3/14/2019

The weather is starting to improve, highlighted by warmer days and fewer storms. Spring is coming and everything from the daffodils to boat owners are starting to stir. We are too.

As we begin preparations for the summer, a major source of enjoyment has been the provisioning for the resident artist. When we leave Otter Bay, everything Sarah may need for the next four months must be on board. There aren’t any art stores where we’re going.

Painting in the sun.

I really like having an artist on board. There are many reasons for this.

She’s become my guide, teaching me to look at the world in a new way. I now know what a robin egg sky looks like, and what makes a landscape worth painting. If you spend time with an artist, you’ll remember the childhood delight of shadows and rainbows.

The boat is often humming with her constant creativity. Our conversations about subjects and color often stretch into the night. Then, the next day, they are applied to pallet and canvas. This is more fun then youtube cat videos.

Artists are natural ambassadors. Most people have had some art experience, or a relative does. When I introduce Sarah, their eyes light up and a friendship builds on common ground. (For some reason, being an artist and being on a boat earns bonus points.)

Art is one of the handful of endeavors that is perfect for boat life. I read a quote somewhere that all a person really needs is a boat and some meaningful activity to engage in. Art fits that definition because it feeds the head, heart and soul with infinite possibilities. The only activity I can think of that might be better suited for boat life is writing. :)

One of my favorite explorers wrote:

the artist’s defining responsibility is to go to the edge of human experience and send back reports -
—Webb Chiles

When we head north, we’ll report back to you as we paint and write about the world we find.

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Question Everything

3/7/2019

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Hate this guy.

Well, that seems kind of obvious. Doesn’t it? Although I’ve learned this truism and share it with all who will listen, I sometimes forget to take my own advice.

We’ve always had a nagging temperature gremlin with Odyssey’s main engine. As long as you keep an eye on the gauge, when she starts to get hot, a timely rev of the engine cools things down. But forget to look and she will overheat at the worst moment.

Now, I’ve got a bit of engine experience and I know this shouldn’t have been happening. I tried most everything I could think of, both cheep and expensive. At times it seemed we were close to solving things, but then, we didn’t.

In desperation I installed a temperature alarm so we could keep things from getting damaged. We learned to live with the problem, not fix it.

It’s now two years later and couple months away from our longest cruise. I really wanted to be done with this worry. I didn’t want to take it with us to the Broughtons.

A good view of our engine.

So there I was, for the 20th time, with the cover off the engine, on my knees, with flashlight and knuckle-gloves. I checked every potential problem that might cause overheating, but just like before, I couldn’t find anything wrong. I was frustrated and a bit pissed off.

That’s when I remembered my mantra. Question everything. Maybe there wasn’t anything wrong with the engine. Maybe there wasn’t anything broken, but if not, what else could it be?

Odyssey had gone through a very expensive refit before we bought her. It was particularly expensive because all of the work was done by marine mechanics and installers. Good for us right? I mean, they wouldn’t install something wrong, would they?

I’ll take pity on the details, but there I was, on the floor, staring at the engine, when I realized something about the hoses seemed wrong. In fact, as far as I could tell, the way the cooling system was plumbed might cause all the problems we were having. Was it possible that things were just installed wrong?

It took ten minutes to reroute a hose so I could test the theory. With that done, try as I might, the temperature remained stable. She wouldn’t overheat! I had to smile. Yup, they had messed up.

So the gremlin is gone. Finally, our little engine is as dependable as she should be. Next time I’ll be a little smarter, next time I’ll question everything.

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Backyard Camping

3/4/2019

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We were in the mood to get off the dock but we had to wait for calmer weather. As captain I understand this. My crew, on the other hand, gets impatient if we sit at the dock for too long.

The low pressure systems have been parading down the coast, keeping the air cold and blustery. With daytime temperatures averaging 40 F, accompanied by the strong NE winds, the wind chill was often in the twenties.

We don’t enjoy going out in those conditions.

A break finally arrived (thank you Windy) so we untied from the dock and spent several days at anchor in Otter Bay. We had the entire 45 acre ‘campground' to ourselves. The wind was light, the sunshine warm, and as always, the food and company were excellent.

Loving it. Cold and all.

We never ran out of things to do. Even at 37 F, as long as the sun was shinning, we could just bundle up and sit in the cockpit. Without the dock lines to hold her, Odyssey swung into the wind, keeping us protected under the dodger.

About time to go in. NOT!

Ok, this is worth going inside for.

After sunset we played games, enjoyed Sherlock Holmes story time, and watched a movie. Bedtime on anchor can be the best, but this time the sheets were chilly!

Bed time on Odyssey.

Soon we were snuggled and all was quiet as we drifted off to sleep. While the boat slowly rocked, the heater cycled now and then, keeping everything warm and toasty.

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Time To Plan

2/23/2019

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I’ve been working on the route we will be taking this summer. In some respects it’s very much like planning a long car trip. You use maps to find the best way to go, decide how far you can go each day, and then look for services to keep you and the car fueled.

The First Leg, north bound. Otter Bay to Boat Harbor.

With cruising guides and charts at hand I’ve started to plot our daily course. I don’t plot by date, I can’t. Bad weather can hold us up at any number of spots along the way, even the day we leave Otter Bay. With a boat speed of 5-6 knots, we can’t outrun a storm, so we don’t expect to be anywhere on any specific day.

We are also at the mercy of the tides. I haven’t counted how many rapids we must transit on our way up, but each one must be dealt with in a particular way to keep boat and crew safe. There will be times when the only thing we can do is sit tight and wait for the tide to change.

Boat Harbor and Dodd Narrows Detail.

Even on our first day there is a decision to make dictated by the tide. We will have to transit Dodd Narrows on our way to the port city of Nanaimo, but this pass is six hours from Otter Bay at best speed. That’s a long trip considering our arrival at the Narrows must be precise, with only about a 15 minute window where it is safe to cross.

Because of that timing and the long run, I think we’ll stop somewhere just before the narrows, most likely Boat Harbor. After a nights rest we can head for the pass without being in a rush.

Charted course from Boat Harbor through Dodd Narrows.

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Short Run

2/21/2019

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Winch, not Wench.

We took Odyssey out yesterday for a short jaunt into Swanson Channel. The wind was calm and the sun gave a good effort as we headed out of the bay, dodging ferries. It was very cold, about 40 F. This was the first time this year I’d had a chance to run the engine for any length of time, but it did well.

We discovered in December that the alternator hadn’t been working for a long time, and only our good fortune and solar panels had kept us out of trouble during our summer cruise. Now, after repairs, all was well as it happily charged the batteries.

Though we didn’t stay out long, it felt great to be off the dock, away from land, water all around us. When it was time, Sarah took us back in while I sat and enjoyed it all. The docking went well, one of those you wish there was an audience for.

As spring approaches we will keep our eyes open for fair weather days that we can take advantage of. We haven’t anchored out for ages, and we both are feeling the need to.

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An Invitation

2/15/2019

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Well, here it is the middle of February and the planning for our summer cruise has just started. By the calendar, we will pull off the Otter Bay dock about May 15th. That’s only three months from now! How can that sound so far off and yet feel just around the corner?

I have all the information I need at my finger tips, including what looks like a great new guide to the Broughtons from the folks at Salish Sea Pilot. I’ve also been bookmarking every hopeful been-there-done-that article I can find.

It’s been interesting, and I certainly am learning the scope of what we plan to do. Last year we traveled about 850 miles in four months. I think we’ll come close to 1200 miles this summer.

Dusting the dream off after a long winter.

These three months will be busy, not just planning the trip, but repairs, upgrades, outfitting, and provisioning. It will be an interesting lead-up to an amazing summer.

I’d like to invite you to join us for the next few months. On these pages I’m going to report on our progress, the pitfalls and triumphs, and all the humor and love that brings. I’d like to share all of the interesting things that happen till the day we leave.

But then, when we head out in May, I’ll keep writing. I hope you’ll stay with us while we journey throughout the Broughton Archipelago. There are sure to be some great stories, lovely art, and beautiful sunsets.

Hopefully we will encourage you to follow us as we travel the most spectacular cruising grounds in the world.

Jonathan & Sarah
SV Odyssey

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Survival In A Snow Storm

2/11/2019

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Snow, and lots of it.

It’s been snowing for most of the last two days. They say it’s been twenty years, to the day, since it has snowed so much.

Looking out the hatch. Now that's a lot of snow!

The storm had come in hard, and we lost dock power the first night. Luckily it was only out for a day, and our diesel heater kept us warm. When power was restored we used our two little electric heaters as well. It’s very effective and keeps the diesel heater from cycling too often, saving us fuel.

We took advantage of a break in the winds this afternoon to clear about seven inches of powder off the deck. The scuppers were ice clogged, as were the cockpit drains. A copious amount of sea water was applied to everything, a mariners approach to salting the walkway.

15 F Wind Chill. "Honey, may I PLEASE have my gloves back?"

Now it’s 4 pm and 28 F. Blowing snow is quickly erasing all signs of our efforts. It seems that, after all, resistance is futile.

In an effort to do everything possible to survive this snow storm, Sarah put a loaf of homemade cinnamon bread in the oven, and, while that was baking, served us the last of her delicious naan and tzatziki that she made last night. A bit later we’ll scoop up some of the snow into glasses and pour chocolate sauce over it for some Canadian style ice-cream. It'll go great with warm cinnamon bread.

We really suffer at times like these. The great news is I’ve discovered the vodka slushy.

Problem: The olives froze solid.

It may be true that our house rocks a bit during bad weather, but trust me, we sure have fun while it does.

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The Next Adventure

2/1/2019

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Im getting married!

I never thought Id say that again. Too old, too much history, too tired of conflict and too much of a mess for anyone to get close. I wanted to be alone.

In desperation, I had daydreamed a plan to escape responsibility, to disappear. I would go away, sail off and never return. Naive of me, but I felt like it was all I could do.

But, someone found me. She helped me rest and heal.

She didn’t care about the history or age. As I started to sort myself out, she nurtured my self esteem and gave me the strength (and permission) to move on.

As it turned out, she had a dream of her own, a dream of change and growth, exploration and creativity, love and respect. The best part was, I could come along with her if I liked.

We shared and talked and mixed our dreams like kids sketching a make-believe world. “We can’t” never came up so we just went with “why not” and kept going. And, like all good stories, it just happened.

We sailed away together.

I’m not sure if you can get any closer to someone then living with them on a boat, and we have gotten very close. But the time is right for us to get a little closer.

Sarah has agreed to marry me.

And so, I’m getting married and I couldn’t be happier.

Soon we set sail on this new adventure, to explore the world and love as we we had always dreamed.

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2019 Plans

1/15/2019

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December storms have left marks in the memories of everyone in their path. One event in particular, the great Winter Solstice Storm of 2018, has taken it’s rightful place as the most destructive storm on record for the BC west coast. It was epic.

50 mph wind, at the marina. Note the life vest.

Luckily, the only damage we sustained was to the captain’s nerves (and the subsequent consumption of a bottle of vodka). Odyssey fared well and I’m certain the crew enjoyed the whole affair, but unfortunately, the marina docks were severely damaged. Word is that repairs will start soon. A new bottle of vodka has already been acquired by the quartermaster.

With 2018 now a memory, we are looking ahead to the coming season and the new discoveries to be made. Each year on the water teaches us so much about what works and what needs to be changed. We are reminded of the challenges of exploring a very big world in a fairly small boat. To that end, cruising guides have been ordered, fix-it lists are started, and candidates for a wish list are being discussed.

This year we will extend our range up through Desolation Sound to the distant Broughton Archipelago, a remote area near the North end of Vancouver Island. With fair tides and favorable winds the trip up should take about a week. Of course, that’s without any sightseeing along the way. We had such a great time last year that I’m thinking we’ll need an extra week just to anchor and play as we pass through Desolation Sound.

The Broughtons, like Desolation Sound, are considered one of the world’s finest boating areas. But, unlike the Sound, heading further North to explore the Archipelago presents a challenge for any part time captain.

The extra distance is a hurdle for many. It turns a two week vacation into a month long adventure, and that’s a long time away from home. For others there are the fabled ‘gateways’ of the inside passage, a series of rapids that must be transited correctly to avoid a serious calamity. Then finally, with all obstacles out of the way, you enter a very remote area. There are fewer services, little connection to the outside world, and few places to go ashore.

On the bright side, for the well equipped explorer, the islands promise an abundance of beautiful vistas, amazing wildlife, and friendly people. Sarah and I are certainly explorers, and we have the time. We’re confident Odyssey will be well prepared when we head North.

So here we are, dodging the worst of the BC winter in Otter Bay and starting to plan the long trip north. We are looking forward to the challenge of the passage and, once there, discovering all that the Broughton Archipelago has to offer.

Can we go now?

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Why Stay Finale

12/30/2018

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I’ve had lots of fun writing over the last few weeks and covered many things. I’ve tried to explain why we chose to move onto a boat and why we plan to continue. Reading back through the posts, I think all of that boils down to one big reason.

Because we are happy!

So here, at the end of 2018, are some of the top reasons why living on a boat while exploring the Canadian Islands makes us so happy.

We are happy with the opportunity.

Let's go there!

We realize we are doing something most people will never do, stepping away from the expected path and following a dream. Taking this opportunity has changed our lives.

We are happy with the quietness.

This is Quiet.

When we peeled away the meetings and brunches, the traffic and crowds, we placed ourselves in isolation, and we love it. Sarah and I like the quiet, it makes us smile.

We are happy living at a pace we choose.

When's Lunch!

Without places to be or people to meet we have control of our schedule, and very few things disrupt our schedule (because we really have no schedule).

We are happy managing our time and energy.

One more day?.

Our activities are modified by the weather, tides, and the ferry schedules, yet even those are just guides. The choices are still ours and we delight in planning, whether that’s breakfast or our next passage. If we choose, we just sit still while painting and writing.

We are happy working together.

Another wrench please!

This is a really great thing because while living amiably together in such a small space is important, on a boat we also have to work well together. We need each other for most boat operations, and we depend on each other for getting all the work done.

We are happy leading a more purposeful life.

Now that's fresh!

As boaters we have to think about our day-to-day resources as finite, something you forget when in a house hooked to city water and power. Boat life dictates a hands on lifestyle. You become knowledgable and responsible for everything, from stocking up on food to disposing of the waste. We control the basics of day-to-day living and we enjoy the satisfaction this give us.

We are happy discovering the world around us.

Way up in the middle of nowhere.

Beautiful islands and bays abound, with deep, clean waters, endless wildlife, and mesmerizing sunsets. We meet new people with new stories, are humbled by fiords lined with snow topped peaks, and wake up each day wanting more.

We are happily in love.

No caption needed....

This is the bonus happy. For us, the mariner’s life makes us appreciate and love each other more than any other lifestyle could. We were made for this and each other.

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