Ok, that’s enough nonsense. Back on planet Earth in the 21st. century some progress has been made with the boat project.The stern bearing carrier doesn’t sit flush to the keel. The angle of the prop shaft is 8 degrees. I tried a few times to build in a…
1000 Islands Adventure
“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” ―Danny Kaye
We’re on our way to the 1000 Islands (pronounced “Thousand Islands,” not “One Thousand Islands”). We spent a few days in the area in 2012, but didn’t feel like we really had enough time to explore all the little places we wanted to see. The Thousand Islands constitute an archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the US/Canadian border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. The islands stretch about 50 miles downstream from Kingston, ON to Brockville, ON. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario and the U.S. islands in the state of New York.
PLANS FOR 2018 CRUISING
NOTE: ENVOY IS STILL FOR SALE – SEE DETAILS IN BLOG POST BELOW THIS ONE.
We are finally set to leave Auckland and return to Greece in about 10 days time to resume cruising.
The Ionian weather is generally fairly good to the end of October, so we’ll be able to enjoy two months cruising before going back into Lefkas Marina for the winter.
After launching we’ll spend a few days in the Lefkas area while we confirm everything aboard Envoy is working correctly and then head north to Corfu. Our watermaker’s main pump has been reconditioned in Athens during our absence and Angelos will install it in Corfu’s Gouvia Marina. Needless to say this will also be a good chance for Di to check out some of her favorite shopping haunts.
From there we’ll head around Corfu’s NW coast to check out a small island we’ve not visited previously – Nisos Mathraki and its village of Plakes. From here it’s only about 7 miles NW to the island of Nisis Othoni where we’ve anchored previously, but not been ashore to visit the village of Ammos.
After that we’ll cruise over to Italy’s NE coast and explore the Gulf of Taranto where there are several interesting places to check out. We’ll probably get a rental car here and explore a bit further afield too.
This plan is about all that time will allow this year, but we’re looking forward to being on and in the water, having some sunshine, enjoying Envoy and exploring some new places. This time of year is when tuna are caught too, so we’ll be trolling our lines.
Our great friend Chris, aka McGyver, will join us early September and we’ve got a few projects lined up to test his skills and keep him occupied.
Shortly I’ll do a further post talking technical.
Route of the Vikings Part 3
Vikings Post 3
August 7, 2018 – standing off Heimaey, Iceland
The wind is whistling through the door to the veranda. With winds steady at 38-40 knots and seas 2-3 meters, the Captain has wisely decided to cancel the port visit. There is no safe way to launch the tenders, much less transfer guests ashore through the seas into the inner harbor. As the morning wore on, a mist from the water and wind began to obscure the detail and the horizon disappeared.
A few photos will have to suffice, along with a lecture later this morning by a resident who was here when the volcano erupted and buried the town. The town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, called the Pompeii of the North.
Main Volcano Dome
The edge of the channel where the town was
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Layers of lava eroding into caves
Spectacular Arches
Tech Talk: “Sure Call” Gives Us A Boost
We’ve tried and discarded several thousand dollars worth of so-called cell phone signal boosters. But when tech guru Ben Ellison …Read More
Hoonah
It is a short fourteen mile run up Port Fredrick Sound to the small village of Hoonah. Robin and Jim from the Defever “Adventures” are on the docks to catch our lines. They have been very gracious with providing us Alaska cruising information over the past several years and are partly responsible for us being […]
She:Kon – Interior Design
Now most people who build their own boats take their ideas for interior design from a number of sources. Magazines, other boats, web sites or boat shows. We decided to deviate from the norm (which is normal for us). Below you’ll see what we’re planning…
She:Kon – Interior Design
Now most people who build their own boats take their ideas for interior design from a number of sources. Magazines, other boats, web sites or boat shows. We decided to deviate from the norm (which is normal for us). Below you’ll see what we’re planning…
Route of the Vikings – Part 2
Route of the Vikings Part 2
August 5, 2018
After another noisy holiday weekend night in the hotel room we had an early breakfast and headed out at 0800 on our second Super Jeep tour, which included a visit to the ice cave on the Langjokull glacier. On the way to the ice cave we visited a number of scenic areas with old whaling stations, and the fjord where the Murmansk convoys were formed during WW2.
Two of the more interesting stops were a thermal spring providing hot water for several towns up to 75 KM away, with the hot water bubbling up at the rate of 180 liters/sec and the site of “Snorri’s” home and pool dating back to the 1200’s. Snorri was a both an influential person in the Icelandic Parliament at that time, but was also a historian who recorded the oral stories of the Icelandic people and a poet. He was killed by the King of Norway after refusing to hand over control of Iceland to the Norwegians in 1241. All that is now left are some foundations and the pool.
Snorri’s Pool
Statue of Snorri by Vigelands
Hruanfoss Waterfall coming out between two layers of lava
After lunch near the ice cave staging area we headed out on a gravel road through the lava fields and then on to the terminal moraine of the glacier. Lowering the air pressure on the Super Jeep tires we headed up the glacier. The surface was mushy from the sunshine and warm temperatures and we thought we might get stuck. Our driver finally got out and lowered the air pressure even further and we proceeded up the glacier on a marked safe route which avoided the crevasses. Arriving at the entrance we waited for the guides to arrive on the converted missile launcher filled with people on group tours. We were in the first group into the darkened tunnel, going about 100 meters inside to a staging area where we put crampons on our waterproof overshoes before heading even deeper into the ice. Light was provided by LED’s buried in the ice walls, giving a blue glow. The cave then branched into a loop about 500 meters in length, with a number of rooms, a chapel, crevasses, pools and a constant rain of water making it’s way through the ice. At the deepest part we were 45 meters below the surface.
Ice Tunnel Entrance
Exiting the tunnel we headed back down off the glacier and took a different route through lava fields back to Reykjavik, passing a number of volcano craters and geothermal plants.
Our guide recommended a restaurant, the 3 Frenchmen, which served traditional Icelandic dishes. We tried smoked Puffin Breast as one of the starters, with halibut as the main course, followed by a Skyr Crème Brulee.
August 6 – Embarkation Day
Arising early for a 0715 departure for a tour to the Puffin Island in the harbor, we met our driver and found the tour was only about 4 blocks and 10 minutes walking from the hotel. It was sunny, but also windy so the round bottom wood boat boat rolled heavily on the way to the island. Nonetheless, we did see puffins and got a few pictures before returning to the hotel.
Puffin
