Winter has arrived

The present temperature is -6°C
Current: SnowWind: NE at 23 km/hHumidity: 80%

Forcast - cold
Sat-8°C -18°C
Sun-16°C -24°C
Mon-16°C -25°C
Tue-13°C -16°C

No more needs to be said.

Hare or Tortoise

It’s December, it’s cold outside, and I’m thinking about my sailing trip this coming summer. Will I be the Hare or will I be the Tortoise!

Sometimes I think that I want to get in the boat and sail for hours and hours – that would be the Hare. Only stop for the nights and then keep on going. This would result in lots of miles covered and sailing in all sorts of conditions – this I think would be so much fun. The autopilot would become my best friend again. My navigation skills would get well honed and the boat would be well tested. I have no doubts that the boat could handle this. Can I? I would see lots of the coast very quickly and maybe see areas that I would want to go back to for exploration. I might have an inkling to drop into Whidbey Island Race Week to visit some of my friends racing their boats, or attend one of the other regattas that happen around the coast every summer in hope of getting a chance to crew on a race boat. If this was my mode, then circumnavigating Vancouver Island could be a goal to set.

As the Tortoise I would probably stop off at anchorages for days on end to explore, swim, read, and relax. With some luck I might catch a salmon for dinner, or maybe I’ll get a crab trap and do some crabbing. The dingy will be great for checking out the tidal pools and maybe I’ll get some good wildlife shots with my camera. I then might sail to a Marina for a few days in one of the many coastal towns to socialize and enjoy the amenities of the town such as eating out at a nice restaurant or visiting book stores. Then off to another anchorage, or a new town, four hours sailing away, for more of the same. How much of this can I do before I get bored? Some cruisers say you can spend two weeks in Desolation Sound without staying at the same place more than two nights and the scenery is incredible. If this is my mode, then I may never get out of the inside passage this summer, and that too would be good.

Sitting at the computer this evening I cannot say which way the trip will unfold. When I feel more adventuresome (dare I say macho), I’m thinking of the circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. When I’m enjoying a glass of wine contemplating about life, the thought of sitting in my boat in a quite anchorage seems quite appealing. The Hare or the Tortoise – what do you think?

Crane day

The boat was craned out today and put on the trailor that will eventually take the boat to the coast in the spring. Rudy from Windchaser Yachts delivered the boat to our driveway where it will sit through the winter. There are a few minor jobs that will be done over the winter but nothing major needs to be done. The most noticeable will be new antifouling on the bottom that will work in salt water. Some of the other minor jobs are a rebedding of the port window, some varnish on the interior wood, stripping and oiling of the exterior wood, the making of a spare tiller, and replacement of the hose for the bilge pump.

Confucius said "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". Having the boat on the trailor getting ready for the trip to the coast seems like the journey has started.

Yellow-bellied Marmot

This Marmot was photographed at Lake Okanagan Provinical Park. While other Marmots are protected in BC, this one is not and seems to thrive throughout the Southern Interior.

Neil out for a daysail

Neil is in the Okanagan visiting and it was too nice a day not to go out for a sail. Temperature was around 30 C with about 4-5 knots of wind. He looks like he is having a good time.

A nice waterfront development

This was one of the nicest developments located along the shoreline of Okanagan Lake on the north end of the lake near Ellison Provincial Park. It is a series of small houses (some are probably only one bedroon) scattered around the rock cliffs. It is not a resort but individually owned houses, though all built by the same builder and designer. It is a strata development I believe. I was informed starting prices are around $500,000. There is a small marina located with the property.

New equipment added

The Tacktick is a speed and depth instrument I added this year. One of the nice features is that it is wireless and solar powered - the black area across the top. It also gives me other information such as water temp, average speed, depth alarms, and wind info if I got the wind transducer. A good quality binocular is also a very handy item to have especially when going into an unfamiliar bay.

Cruising Okanagan Lake

I am including some pictures of my cruise to Okanagan Lake Provincial Park. The dingy in the photo was purchased last winter and the autopilot when I bought the boat. As a single-handed sailor, the autopilot is my best friend as it is invaluable when sailing or motoring.

While moored in Penticton, this Blue Heron was hanging around for a few days. This picture was taken with my new Sony Digital SLR camera.

Boat Name

My boat is called Kato II. The boat is named after our dog Kato, and Kato was named after Kato Kaelin from the O.J. Simpson trial (that was going on when we got him). As the boat is Japanese, the name seemed to fit. There is also another famous Kato - the sidekick for the Green Hornet.

For those of you that don't know, this dog is half Bassett and half Chow.

Origo Stove

In 2006 I installed a 1500 Origo Alcohol Stove. I chose this stove as I had one on my previous boat and really liked how easy it was to use and how quickly it would cook. I also like the fact that it is not a pressurized alcohol stove with all the dangers they offer such as flaring up, and that it has none of the explosive dangers of propane. I have it gimballed and potholders to hold pots to the grate so that it could be used while sailing or in a rough anchorage.

New cushions

One of the first improvements I made to the boat was new upholstery for all of the interior cushion. All the foam was replaced also. Attached are some of the photos of the upgraded interior.