Tag Archives | Nordhavn

Settled in

By on November 2, 2014 in Emily Grace

Well, I guess it’s
fair to say that we are now settled in for the winter.  The Emily
Grace was hauled, polished, bottom-painted and shrink-wrapped.  A few more boxes of stuff were taken off and
the interior cleanup is underway to prepare her for sale.  With all the systems winterized, working on a
cold boat without running water will not be easy or pleasurable so that may be
limited over the winter months.  I’ve
been spending some time listing the on-board equipment and looking at dates for
critical maintenance items that a future owner would be asking.

          

Up in Ludlow,
Mass, we have had contractors in to update thermostats, blow insulation into
the house walls and have increased the size of the propane tanks in the old
cottage.  We plan to use propane as our
primary heat source since the propane company considered us new customers and
we will get half-price propane for 12 months! 
Electric baseboard heat (provided free by good friend, George Delicato)
will serve as backup and supplementary heat during any really cold snaps.  Heat tape has been installed on all exterior
water pipes and only time will tell if the water will continue to run
throughout the winter.


             
We got a second
car (used 2013 Toyota Rav4) so the girls will not be inconvenienced when I
leave town to work on the boat. We also added two rescue pets to our household
from a local animal shelter.  Tusker
(named after an African beer) is a 12-week old beagle mix puppy and was the
runt of a litter rescued from a drainage pipe in Virginia.  Bo (named after “Bohemia Especial” a
Dominican Republic beer) is a 12-week old black and white short haired
kitten.  They both get along well and are
a good fit for our worldly family.


                                    

Emily has
transitioned well from homeschooling into public schools and after some early
learning pains, managed to finish her first term (quarter) with an A in all seven
of her classes.  In addition to the studies, she enjoyed dolling up for Crazy Hair day. She has joined a couple
of clubs and recently joined a youth group associated with our church.  She is slowly making school friends and has
plans for a mall/movie day with 3 girlfriends for her upcoming 14th
birthday.


           Kim has also
joined a ladies group at the church and has attended several functions.  Tom has been busy fixing up the boat and
cottage and is working with an architect on a design for a new house.  We are excited to learn that yet another new housing
development has just been approved along the northern border of our
property near where we plan to build.  Our 40 acre homestead will soon be surrounded on 3 sides by McMansions.  We
are in discussions with the developer and should be able to gain a much shorter, level driveway to our new house.  Time will
tell.

                  

We attended the
Big E which is a massive New England fair complete with horse shows, rides,
greasy food and face painting. Emily also enjoyed having her first normal
house-to-house trick or treating in 7 years.  Kim sewed her the leopard dress that looks good enough to wear out on the town.  Emily carved her first pumpkin ever
since she was not wielding a knife when we left in 2008.  She did pretty good since the knife she is
most familiar with is a bush machete!

               


                               

Tom

Settled in

By on November 2, 2014 in Emily Grace

Well, I guess it’s fair to say that we are now settled in for the winter.  The Emily Grace was hauled, polished, bottom-painted and shrink-wrapped.  A few more boxes of stuff were taken off and the interior cleanup is underway to prepare her for sale.  With all the systems winterized, working on a cold boat without running water will not be easy or pleasurable so that may be limited over the winter months.  I’ve been spending some time listing the on-board equipment and looking at dates for critical maintenance items that a future owner would be asking.

          

Up in Ludlow, Mass, we have had contractors in to update thermostats, blow insulation into the house walls and have increased the size of the propane tanks in the old cottage.  We plan to use propane as our primary heat source since the propane company considered us new customers and we will get half-price propane for 12 months!  Electric baseboard heat (provided free by good friend, George Delicato) will serve as backup and supplementary heat during any really cold snaps.  Heat tape has been installed on all exterior water pipes and only time will tell if the water will continue to run throughout the winter.


             
We got a second car (used 2013 Toyota Rav4) so the girls will not be inconvenienced when I leave town to work on the boat. We also added two rescue pets to our household from a local animal shelter.  Tusker (named after an African beer) is a 12-week old beagle mix puppy and was the runt of a litter rescued from a drainage pipe in Virginia.  Bo (named after “Bohemia Especial” a Dominican Republic beer) is a 12-week old black and white short haired kitten.  They both get along well and are a good fit for our worldly family.


                                    

Emily has transitioned well from homeschooling into public schools and after some early learning pains, managed to finish her first term (quarter) with an A in all seven of her classes.  In addition to the studies, she enjoyed dolling up for Crazy Hair day. She has joined a couple of clubs and recently joined a youth group associated with our church.  She is slowly making school friends and has plans for a mall/movie day with 3 girlfriends for her upcoming 14thbirthday.


           

Kim has also joined a ladies group at the church and has attended several functions.  Tom has been busy fixing up the boat and cottage and is working with an architect on a design for a new house.  We are excited to learn that yet another new housing development has just been approved along the northern border of our property near where we plan to build.  Our 40 acre homestead will soon be surrounded on 3 sides by McMansions.  We are in discussions with the developer and should be able to gain a much shorter, level driveway to our new house.  Time will tell.

                  

We attended the Big E which is a massive New England fair complete with horse shows, rides, greasy food and face painting. Emily also enjoyed having her first normal house-to-house trick or treating in 7 years.  Kim sewed her the leopard dress that looks good enough to wear out on the town.  Emily carved her first pumpkin ever since she was not wielding a knife when we left in 2008.  She did pretty good since the knife she is most familiar with is a bush machete!

               


                               

Tom

Heavy Water

By on October 31, 2014 in Istaboa

Go full screen — it’s beautiful.

Nordhavn Exumas Abacos Bahamas trawler Caribbean Pickwick Boat dogs
Memphis Downtown

Monday, October 26, 2014 – She is for sale

By on October 26, 2014 in Serenity

We finally got all our stuff out of cupboards and hiding places and off the boat.  What a job!  Anyway, Serenity is now ready for some lucky person.  We have so loved her!  We are going to try to market her ourselves since we are not really in a hurry.  We are posting the full specs on NordhavnFSBO.com and lots of photos here.  If anyone knows someone who might be interested, have them call Earl (360-333-1546).

SALON

Storage under settee

















GALLEY
 


Combo Frig/Freezer with ice maker

PILOT HOUSE

Pilot Berth

Chart Drawer

GUEST STATEROOM & HEAD

Pipe berth stowed above bed
Swing out seat

 MASTER STATEROOM AND HEAD

ENGINE ROOM
OOPS!  I FORGOT!  I’ll GET PHOTOS NEXT TIME I AM AT THE BOAT

LAZARETTE
DITTO

SWIMSTEP

Great for landing fish
Watching fish in the blue lights

Sea of Cortez fish

BOAT DECK

Earl’s “Pavilion”

Plenty of room to entertain
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
Serenity was commissioned in the Spring of 2007 and has taken her original owners north to Alaska and south to Mexico. She is berthed in Anchortes, Washington and is available for inspection by appointment.  In keeping with her primary mission as a passage maker, she has no flybridge, keeping her wind profile low, a feature valued by her owners who have many years experience commercial fishing in Alaska.  She has been beautiful maintained and is completely ready to take her new owners wherever they may wish to go. 
She is outfitted with many features that make her perfect for cruising couple.  She is one of the few 43s with an extended swim step complete with staples for ease of loading or unloading a tender or kayak.  In addition to Trac stabilizers – which allow you to leave items on the counter without fear – she has a flopper stopper for anchoring.  She has a water maker, extra batteries, and LED lights. The boat deck is equipped with a unique sun shade and dingy rack that swings out of the way, making the boat deck an additional entertainment area.  The deployment of the dingy is done using a Steelhead crane and does not require removal of the sun shade.  
The boat has been continually upgraded and preventive maintenance performed.  For example, just over the past year, the owners have replaced the stabilizer pistons, the water maker membranes, the carpets, upgraded the alternator to 165 amps, replaced the master head with upgraded dometic model, painted the bottom and replaced zincs. 
DETAIL SPECS
INTERIOR TOUR OF THE BOAT
The interior is teak through out with teak and spruce sole.  The custom non-skid area rugs through out were replaced in May 2014.  The upholstery in the salon and pilothouse was upgraded to ‘ultraleather ‘ (color eucalyptus) and all counters in the galley and heads are granite.  All windows and doors have screening.  Most of the interior lights have been replaced with LEDs.  Extra railings have been installed on the stairways and overhead in the salon and pilothouse for safety.  Both staterooms have custom mattresses and Dometic fresh water flush electric heads. 
Salon and Galley
The Salon and Galley share the same space making it easy to prepare and serve food and refreshments.  There is a settee on the port side and an L shaped settee on the starboard side.  Under and behind the settees, there is generous storage.  The teak table in front of the settee is equipped with a slide that facilitates use of the storage and seating. High end accordion style shades provide light control and privacy.
The “U” shaped Galley is forward on the port side.  It has lots of storage, a Force Ten 3 burner propane stove/oven, a trash compactor, microwave, double stainless sink, under counter sub zero refrigerator, a combination sub zero refrigerator/freezer with ice maker and a 5 cubic foot top loading freezer.
A Splendide washer dryer combo is located on the port side of the Pilot House
Pilothouse and Navigation Electronics Equipment
Aft is a pilot berth with raised bench seat and teak table forward. There is a full-sized chart storage locker located under the footrest step. There are waterproof dutch doors on port and starboard sides leading to side decks.  In lieu of a captain’s chair, this experienced owner opted to drive from the bench seat using the remote control autopilot.  This creates space for easy flow through the Pilot House. All AC and DC panels are in the console. There is a replacement panel for the instrument cluster.  Full engine and navigation controls include:
Furuno NAVNET package including:
·      ·       Autopilot (NAVpilot-511)
·      ·       Autopilot Remote Contol (NAVpilot -520)
·      ·       Dual Displays (NavnetVX2) cmaps
·      ·       CMap cartridge for West Coast including Mexico, Canada and Alaska
·      ·       Radar
·      ·       Color Video Plotter
·      ·       Video Sounder
·      ·       AIS receiver
·      ·       GPS Receiver (GP-320B)
Other items include:
·      ·       GPS WA-AS Navigtaor (GP-32)
·      ·       Furuno RD-30 Depth Sounder, Temperature etc
·      ·       Sirius Weather Module
·      ·       Iridium Sat phone
·      ·       Village Marine Water Maker
·      ·       Icom sideband receiver
·      ·       Icom 504 VHF
·      ·       Icom Waterproof handheld
·      ·       Ritchie Compass
Master Stateroom and Ensuite Head and Shower
On the starboard side of the Pilothouse is a circular staircase leading to the Staterooms and Engine Room. On the starboard side of this staircase is a small hanging closet and a drop-in storage area.  Down and aft is the large Master Stateroom with walk-around athwartship berth to port, night stands with drawers on both sides and storage underneath. There are three hanging lockers and a shelf behind the headboard with two opening portholes.
To starboard is the large master Head and separate shower stall. There are two Tank Watches in the Head-one for grey water and one for holding tank- and a water tank level meter.
Aft of the MSR is a watertight, sound dampening bulkhead door to engine room.
Guest Stateroom and Head
Forward of the staircase and in the bow is the Guest Stateroom with double berth to port and a desk with swing out seat to starboard.  Storage incudes a hanging locker, night stand with two drawers, two file drawers in cabinetry under berth, shelf at side of berth, shelves at desk, and overhead opening cabinetry at berth and over desk.  There is one porthole above the desk and one overhead opening hatch with screen.
Folded into a storage space on the port wall, is a pipe berth that can be hung over the berth. 
Forward is the Head with separate shower. .  There is one opening hatch with screen.  There are two waterproof storage cabinets in the shower as well four teak cabinets for more storage in the Head.
EXTERIOR TOUR OF THE BOAT
Swimstep, Cockpit and Lazarette
Serenity has been upgraded with a generous extended swimstep complete with moveable staples that has totally changed the functionality of this area for getting on and off tenders, kayaks, and paddle boards as well as for fishing and swimming.  At night blue underwater lights provide a splendid show, especially in clear water.
The Cockpit has high freeboard and overhead protection.  A mesh sunscreen can be hung from the boat deck to provide additional shade if needed.  A custom stainless steel coat rack provide a handy place for raingear or swimsuits.  Doors lead to the dock off each side and to the swimstep in the stern. There is hot and cold water for showers, a fresh water washdown and storage.  Large LED lights provide excellent security. Access to the large lazarette is from the cockpit. 
The lazarette houses the inverter, water maker, hot water tank, pressure water pump and batteries but still has generous room for other storage.  The inverter was upgraded to 3000 watt Magnum model.  The house battery bank was increased to 1200 AMP hour AGM batteries and all were replaced in 2012.  The water maker is a 400 gpd Village Marine. The membranes were replaced in 2014.
There’s plenty of room in the cockpit for a couple of chairs and table to enjoy the early morning sunrise coffee or the evening sunset cocktails!
Boat Deck
The boat deck is accessed on the starboard side and features a dry stack, a Steelhead 1000 lb crane,.  Flexlboat SR- 10 foot dingy with a 15 hp Honda motor, wheels. anchor line and sunbrella cover, and unique sunshade support and dingy cradle.  The sunshade support accommodates a large cover, and the dingy cradle swings out of the way so as to clear the entire boat deck for group activities.  The dingy can be deployed without removing the sunshade. There are two stainless steel dock fender holders on the port side and on each side there are kayak/paddle board supports.  A Forespar boom on the port side can be deployed to support a flopper stopper when the anchorage is rolly.  There is a ladder giving access to the top of the pilot house which is completed with a 15 inch high rail on three side and a 6 person life raft. 
Foredeck and Portugese Bridge
Access to the foredeck is on the starboard side through the Portugese bridge.  There is ample room to set up a chair and enjoy the ride from outside.  The autopilot remote reaches far enough that the skipper can enjoy this spot
·      •    SS Railing
·      •    (2) open hatches to guest head and stateroom
·      •    (2 )custom stainless steel fender holders
·      •    (2) Built-in Storage Boxes
·      •    105 pound CQR anchor
·      •    Fresh water wash down
·      •    Double bow roller on pulpit
·      •    Maxwell 12v 3500 lb windlass
Engine Room – Mechanical
·      •    Single Lugger 668 diesel – 3900 engine hours equipped with a 3.9 ZF reduction gear
·      •    Dry exhaust with keel cooler
·      •    American Bow Thruster (TRAC) 220 stabilizing system – keel cooled
·      •    12 KW / 50 Hz Northern Lights Generator with sound enclosure and gen separator muffler
·      •    Cruisair AC system (15k + 15k + 15k) SMX controls
·      •    8 HP Bow Thruster 12v
·      •    Engine room fire suppression with auto engine, generator and blower shutdowns. Manual pull cable.
·      •    Lazarette fire suppression system with manual pull cable
·      •    Reverso oil change pump – main/genset/and gethome
·      •    Yanmar Wing Engine 3YM30V with 10-gallon day tank and fuel transfer system
·      •    2-blade Martec folding prop for wing engine
·      •    Handrail around main engine  
Deck and Hull Equipment
·      •    Flopper stabilizer
·      •    Maxwell 12v 3500 windlass with bow, and pilot house controls
·      •    CQR 106 pound anchor
·      •    400’ 3/8” Hi Test chain
·      •    Delta 55 pound with chain and rode
·      •    Crewsaver 6 person life raft
·      •    Spurs line cutter on main shaft
·      •    Chain stopper
·      •    Sumbrella covers – windows, hatches, and dingy,
·      •    Guest “Beamer” spotlight with controls in pilothouse
·      •    1,000 watt halogen flood light
·      •    20,000 lumen LED flood and spot light
·      •    Port side exterior SS hand rail
·      •    Complete set of dock lines and fenders
·      •    Scandvik hot and cold shower in cockpit
·      •    Fresh water wash down fore and aft
·      •    Bottom was painted April 2014 (2 coats)
·      •    Zincs replaced April 2014
·      •    Stainless rod holders
·      •    Fish rod ceiling storage rack
·      •    Retractable screen door for salon
·      •    Spare propeller for main
·      •    400 feet ¾ inch extra line in lazarette
·      •    Handheld spot
·      •    All navigation lights are LEDs
·      •    Epirb
Dimensions
LOA: 44 ft 6 in
Beam: 14 ft 10 in
Maximum Draft: 4 ft 11 in
Displacement: 54540 lbs
Engine 1:
Engine Brand: Lugger
Engine Model: 668
Engine/Fuel Type: Diesel
Engine Power: 105 HP
Engine 2: (get-home)
Engine Brand: Yanmar
Engine Power: 30 HP
Tanks
Fresh Water Tanks: (300 Gallons)
Fuel Tanks: Fiberglass (1200 Gallons)
Holding Tanks: (50 Gallons)
Accommodations
Number of cabins: 2
Number of heads: 2

Monday, October 26, 2014 – She is for sale

By on October 26, 2014 in Serenity

We finally got all our stuff out of cupboards and hiding places and off the boat.  What a job!  Anyway, Serenity is now ready for some lucky person.  We have so loved her!  We are going to try to market her ourselves since we are no…

ENVOY BACK IN CORFU

By on October 23, 2014 in Envoy
Envoy is now cruising around the Lefkada area.
After leaving Greece’s northernmost Ionian islands of Othoni and Erikoussa we spend the next few days cruising down Corfu’s north-east coast enjoying stops at Ormos Stefanos, Kalami and Agri. Ormos means “bay”. There are some stunning tavernas in these bays and we enjoy an excellent lunch at Tusala’s Taverna in Agni as we overlook the beach and Envoy anchored just a short distance offshore.

Sharon and Doug enjoying lunch at Tusala’s Tavern

Then it’s into Gouvia Marina to spend Sharon and Doug’s last few days with us.
Gouvia Marina is great with excellent technical facilities, shops and tavernas close by and costs 68 Euros (NZ$106) per night.
One evening here we have dinner at a traditional Corfiot restaurant called Tripa’s Taverna, with all food and wines supplied, live Greek music and a dancing floorshow for a very reasonable of 30 Euro (NZ$47) each. We arrive at dusk to be greeted by hordes of hungry mosquitoes but soon the sun goes down and thankfully they all disappear (we rarely encounter more than the odd mosquito here in the Med).

Sharon, Doug and Laurie feasting on traditional Corfiot food at Tripa’s

Tavern Rustic Tripa’s Taverna complete with cobwebs 

Our taxi for the ride back to the marina is a near-new Mercedes and our driver says his last passenger that night was the King of Belgium, whom he’d driven to a restaurant accompanied by two police escort cars and the King’s personal bodyguards. The driver also fills us in on local economics, explaining how hard it is for people to live on the average wage of about 550 Euros (NZ$900) per month when rent is around 400 Euros (NZ$656). Most people in Corfu are able to find jobs through the summer months, but it’s tough during winter. Many people on Greek islands own small areas of land and grow vegetables, fruit and olives, and keep a few goats and chickens to make life a bit easier.
Doug and I visit the main marketplace in Corfu where the prices seem very reasonable. Whole fish range from 3 Euros per kg (NZ$4.90) upwards with filleted salmon at 15 Euros/kg (NZ$24.60) and octopus at 12-14 Euros/kg (NZ$19.70-23.00). Most fruits are between 1-2 Euros/kg (NZ$1.64-3.28), potatoes 0.7 Euros/kg (NZ$1.15), tomatoes, peppers and grapes 1-1.50 Euros/kg (NZ$1.64-2.46), extra virgin olive oil 6 Euros/litre (NZ$9.80).
Our last adventure with Sharon and Doug is to hire a rental car to drive around northern Corfu including the ancient village of Perithia, we’d heard about while watching a Rick Stein documentary on TV. This village is perched up 700 metres in isolated mountains and spectacularly set among groves of olive and cypress trees. It dates from the 13th century and is still accessed only by a narrow paved track. Largely abandoned until recently, a few people now live here among the many ruined houses and churches and visitors have a choice of six rustic tavernas, the one where Rick Stein dined being the most popular.

Picture of Rick Stein at restaurant in Perithia

View of part of Perithia village

This photo shows one part of a building in ruins while the other has been restored and is in use

This old building is for sale

But look inside

At our final dinner with Sharon and Doug we monitor the New Zealand election results and celebrate not only a great time together, but a positive outcome for New Zealand with the re-election of John Key’s centre-right government.
After Sharon and Doug depart we stay on at Gouvia Marina for a few maintenance jobs – see below. 

TECHNICAL Leon, an electrician well-known to us, diagnoses our autopilot motor problem as magnets inside the motor becoming detached from its casing. He removes the motor, confirms and fixes the problem and now all is working well. He also suggests that since we have two autopilots we interchange them every few hours, particularly in rough conditions, to make sure the motors don’t get too hot.
Leon also replaces a failed Racor gauge that connects to a water detection alarm in one of our two Racor filters for the Lugger engine.
The guest Vacuflush head has had a problem for several years – the vacuum pump switches on every 20 minutes or so to recharge, indicating a vacuum leak somewhere in the system. A couple of servicemen come aboard and first replace the four duckbill valves. The old ones hadn’t been changed in over eight years and apart from being a bit hard aren’t too bad. This makes no difference. Then the whole toilet bowl is removed and the three seals changed. Again there is no difference. Finally they replace the shaft and seals on the flushing lever and this does the trick. Now the head doesn’t recharge except after flushing, as it is supposed to do.
Some different servicemen investigate a water leak from our Splendide clothes washer, finding it’s from the 120 volt water circulation pump. It’s then a reasonably major operation to take out the machine so the pump can be removed for repair, and we’re still waiting to hear if they manage to repair it – watch this space.
ENVOY LOG As at 25/9/14, we’d spent 170 days aboard and cruised 1,725 miles for 306 engine hours.

He’s Back!

By on October 20, 2014 in Istaboa

Nordhavn Exumas Abacos Bahamas trawler Caribbean Pickwick Boat dogs
Memphis Downtown

Thursday, October 16, 2014 LaConner Washington

By on October 16, 2014 in Serenity

Friday, September 5, 2014 – underway from Anacortes to Vancouver BC
It feels good to be back on Serenity again.  She has spent the last two months in covered moorage with little company.  Earl found someone to wash her while she sat there.  It was a job to rival Fito’s in Mexico, for not quite twice as much, which is still not at all bad considering the work involved.
We are having a beautiful trip to Vancouver.  We plan on overnighting in Coal Harbor.  Depending on what we need to dispose of at customs, we will need to add to our stores, before leaving the dock with our dear friends John and Maria Luisa who are in Vancouver visiting John’s son Peter.  We are looking to showing off the Coast of British Columbia to these friends from Mexico.
The US gillnet fleet is out in force.  “Pushing the line” here means the international border.  They have apparently not had a good season with most of the salmon entering Puget Sound from the north.  The BC fleet is not fishing today.  We are seeing lots of salmon jumping and I can’t help thinking of the thrill of setting out the net and seeing it light up with splashing fish.  Those were some of the most memorable times of our gillnetting in Cook Inlet and I feel quite nostalgic!
Vancouver is a beautiful city
Thursday, September 11, 2014 – Returning from Vancouver BC to Anacortes
After a lovely trip up the coast, we pulled into Coal Harbor Marina about 7 pm on Friday.  This is a beautifully located marina, right in a downtown area near some big hotels and the cruise ship marina.  My only complaint was the absence of WiFi at the docks.  It was available at the office, but that is not the same. 
The next morning we went to look at a new boat, a 38 foot Sabre Express. Knowing that our long range cruising is now behind us, we are looking for something that might be better suited to shorter trips around Puget Sound.  Earl loved it. 
Around noon, our friends John and Maria Luisa togerther with John’s son Peter and his wife Miriam and children Kevin and Kerstin arrived for a luncheon cruise.  Kevin and Kerstin are delightful children.  They moved up from Mexico two years ago and are thoroughly acclimated and doing beautifully in school.  Kevin was the number 1 student in his class.
 
Kevin, Miriam, Peter and Kerstin

We cruised inland, up Indian Arm and found a place to anchor.  Being a Saturday and very much in the Vancouver area, it was relatively crowded, but Peter and family loved being out on the boat and we had a pleasant hamburger lunch.  We returned to Coal Harbor in late afternoon and said goodbye to Peter and his family.
The next morning, we made an early start to head north to Princess Louisa Inlet.  We were anxious to show John and Maria Luisa some of this beautiful country and have them experience our Trac stabilizers.  Maria Luisa who is not an adventurous boater was thrilled with the stabilized ride and they are looking forward to installing stabilizers on the Viking Spirit when they return to Mexico.  
Beautiful BC
 
It doesn’t get much better than this

There are few things as fulfilling as showing off an area you love to someone who has not seen it before.  It makes you realize how very special something you have started to take for granted is.  We could not have had lovelier day and made good time to our anchorage at McMurray Bay in Prince of Wales Inlet.  It is a marginal anchorage with only a small shelf on which to put your anchor.  It took us a couple a tries to get a secure hold.
Everyone was enjoying the warm weather
The next morning we were up early to be sure to get to the inlet to Princess Louisa in time for the tide at Malibu rapids.  John had never been through tidal rapids before and was very apprehensive.  It is quite something to see a boiling stretch of water come to a halt.  It was for us an uneventful passage into Princess Louisa.  Although it was late summer and there had been little rain, there were still water falls.  We motored up to Chatterbox Falls where we found two other Nordhavns and a couple of other boats and spent a wonderful day enjoy the peace of the special place.  For the entire cruise we were blessed unseasonably warm weather – over 80 – and we loved it.

 
Slack water at Malibu Rapids

chatterbox Falls


Making use of Earl’s ‘Pavillion” – lunch on the boat deck  
Dawn on Tuesday we were up and waiting for the tide at the Malibu Rapids.  Once again, John was anxious, but, once again, it was needless.  We cruised pleasantly down to Smuggler Cove, a delightful hidden anchorage where we spent a lazy afternoon and pleasant evening. 
 
Smugglers Cove afternoon

 
Smuggler Cove sunset


 
Northwest Light House

From Smuggler it was a short trip back to Coal Harbor and another look at the Sabre Express.  I don’t know how happy I would be to trade Serenity’s fuel consumption of less than 1.5 gallons per hour for something that takes 4 or 5 times as much.
With promises to see them in early 2015 in Mexico, we said goodbye to Maria Luisa and John and left early on Thursday September 11th for the return trip to Anacortes.  This time the Canadian commercial fleet was out in front of the Frazer and we watched as they hauled in the salmon as we made our way south.  It was a speedy trip as we had the tide with us and we were all tied up in by mid afternoon.
 
Catching salmon


It has been quite a month since our cruise to Princess Louisa.  We spent the next few days watching in horror as hurricane Odile slammed into Baja and devastated our beloved La Paz. The boats anchored out were heavily hit and three cruisers drowned.  We are in sorrow for the lovely people that we lived among for five winters. 
We also made the big decision to sell our beloved Serenity.  We have spent the last month emptying her.  I have come to realize that it is always low tide when I have a cartload of stuff to take up to the car.  As we unloaded her, I was reminded by how much storage there is on a Nordhavn 43 and horrified at just how much we had accumulated in the time we had used her as a second home.  Our garage is now stuffed and we have a job ahead of us to sort through all of it.
We will be trying to sell her ourselves using NordhavnFSBO.  We are waiting for a sunny day to take some photos of her interior and I have the task of putting together the list of her equipment etc to list her.  It will be a bittersweet day when we turn the keys over to someone else.

Thursday, October 16, 2014 LaConner Washington

By on October 16, 2014 in Serenity

Friday, September 5, 2014 – underway from Anacortes to Vancouver BC
It feels good to be back on Serenity again.  She has spent the last two months in covered moorage with little company.  Earl found someone to wash her while she sat there.  It was a job to rival Fito’s in Mexico, for not quite twice as much, which is still not at all bad considering the work involved.
We are having a beautiful trip to Vancouver.  We plan on overnighting in Coal Harbor.  Depending on what we need to dispose of at customs, we will need to add to our stores, before leaving the dock with our dear friends John and Maria Luisa who are in Vancouver visiting John’s son Peter.  We are looking to showing off the Coast of British Columbia to these friends from Mexico.
The US gillnet fleet is out in force.  “Pushing the line” here means the international border.  They have apparently not had a good season with most of the salmon entering Puget Sound from the north.  The BC fleet is not fishing today.  We are seeing lots of salmon jumping and I can’t help thinking of the thrill of setting out the net and seeing it light up with splashing fish.  Those were some of the most memorable times of our gillnetting in Cook Inlet and I feel quite nostalgic!
Vancouver is a beautiful city
Thursday, September 11, 2014 – Returning from Vancouver BC to Anacortes
After a lovely trip up the coast, we pulled into Coal Harbor Marina about 7 pm on Friday.  This is a beautifully located marina, right in a downtown area near some big hotels and the cruise ship marina.  My only complaint was the absence of WiFi at the docks.  It was available at the office, but that is not the same. 
The next morning we went to look at a new boat, a 38 foot Sabre Express. Knowing that our long range cruising is now behind us, we are looking for something that might be better suited to shorter trips around Puget Sound.  Earl loved it. 
Around noon, our friends John and Maria Luisa togerther with John’s son Peter and his wife Miriam and children Kevin and Kerstin arrived for a luncheon cruise.  Kevin and Kerstin are delightful children.  They moved up from Mexico two years ago and are thoroughly acclimated and doing beautifully in school.  Kevin was the number 1 student in his class.
 
Kevin, Miriam, Peter and Kerstin

We cruised inland, up Indian Arm and found a place to anchor.  Being a Saturday and very much in the Vancouver area, it was relatively crowded, but Peter and family loved being out on the boat and we had a pleasant hamburger lunch.  We returned to Coal Harbor in late afternoon and said goodbye to Peter and his family.
The next morning, we made an early start to head north to Princess Louisa Inlet.  We were anxious to show John and Maria Luisa some of this beautiful country and have them experience our Trac stabilizers.  Maria Luisa who is not an adventurous boater was thrilled with the stabilized ride and they are looking forward to installing stabilizers on the Viking Spirit when they return to Mexico.  
Beautiful BC
 
It doesn’t get much better than this

There are few things as fulfilling as showing off an area you love to someone who has not seen it before.  It makes you realize how very special something you have started to take for granted is.  We could not have had lovelier day and made good time to our anchorage at McMurray Bay in Prince of Wales Inlet.  It is a marginal anchorage with only a small shelf on which to put your anchor.  It took us a couple a tries to get a secure hold.
Everyone was enjoying the warm weather
The next morning we were up early to be sure to get to the inlet to Princess Louisa in time for the tide at Malibu rapids.  John had never been through tidal rapids before and was very apprehensive.  It is quite something to see a boiling stretch of water come to a halt.  It was for us an uneventful passage into Princess Louisa.  Although it was late summer and there had been little rain, there were still water falls.  We motored up to Chatterbox Falls where we found two other Nordhavns and a couple of other boats and spent a wonderful day enjoy the peace of the special place.  For the entire cruise we were blessed unseasonably warm weather – over 80 – and we loved it.

 
Slack water at Malibu Rapids

chatterbox Falls


Making use of Earl’s ‘Pavillion” – lunch on the boat deck  
Dawn on Tuesday we were up and waiting for the tide at the Malibu Rapids.  Once again, John was anxious, but, once again, it was needless.  We cruised pleasantly down to Smuggler Cove, a delightful hidden anchorage where we spent a lazy afternoon and pleasant evening. 
 
Smugglers Cove afternoon

 
Smuggler Cove sunset


 
Northwest Light House

From Smuggler it was a short trip back to Coal Harbor and another look at the Sabre Express.  I don’t know how happy I would be to trade Serenity’s fuel consumption of less than 1.5 gallons per hour for something that takes 4 or 5 times as much.
With promises to see them in early 2015 in Mexico, we said goodbye to Maria Luisa and John and left early on Thursday September 11th for the return trip to Anacortes.  This time the Canadian commercial fleet was out in front of the Frazer and we watched as they hauled in the salmon as we made our way south.  It was a speedy trip as we had the tide with us and we were all tied up in by mid afternoon.
 
Catching salmon


It has been quite a month since our cruise to Princess Louisa.  We spent the next few days watching in horror as hurricane Odile slammed into Baja and devastated our beloved La Paz. The boats anchored out were heavily hit and three cruisers drowned.  We are in sorrow for the lovely people that we lived among for five winters. 
We also made the big decision to sell our beloved Serenity.  We have spent the last month emptying her.  I have come to realize that it is always low tide when I have a cartload of stuff to take up to the car.  As we unloaded her, I was reminded by how much storage there is on a Nordhavn 43 and horrified at just how much we had accumulated in the time we had used her as a second home.  Our garage is now stuffed and we have a job ahead of us to sort through all of it.
We will be trying to sell her ourselves using NordhavnFSBO.  We are waiting for a sunny day to take some photos of her interior and I have the task of putting together the list of her equipment etc to list her.  It will be a bittersweet day when we turn the keys over to someone else.

CRUISING UP THE “BOOT” OF ITALY TO THE GREEK ISLAND OF OTHONI

By on October 16, 2014 in Envoy
After our very early morning visit from Coastguard at anchor, we weren’t long back in bed before needing to get up to make an 0500 hours departure for a 12 hour cruise to Gallipoli (yes the Italians have one too), on the north-east side of the Gulfo di Taranto. We enjoy these early departures, drinking copious cups of tea while watching the sky gradually lighten and the sun rise, and when you’re cruising at under 6 knots it makes a big difference to cover 20 miles or so before breakfast.
By 1300 hours the wind had increased to over 20 knots and beam seas had built up to about two metres with breaking tops, the inevitable larger wave’s power causing Envoy to shudder as her stabilisers fought to keep her on an even keel. Sharon became seasick, but there was nothing we could do except grind on for another three hours until we reached the shelter of Gallipoli. As generally happens with sea sickness Sharon was fine again within about half an hour as we joked that it wasn’t the greatest way to spend her 70th birthday!
Interestingly along this whole stretch of coast we only spotted a handful of boats in five days – mostly local fishermen.
Gallipoli is a stunning medieval fortified town, much like Syracuse, with a well-preserved Byzantine castle last used to drive off a British fleet in 1809. The old town and its castle are built on what was once an island, but now connected with a causeway. It’s much more interesting than nearby Santa Maria di Leuca although more expensive at 90 Euros (NZ$141 per night). Here we “cleared-out” of Italy in preparation for arriving back in Greece.

Gallipoli street scene

Overview of Gallipoli old town (a photo of a picture)

We had one more long cruise of about 13 hours ahead of us to reach Othoni Island off Corfu’s north-west coast, so made an 0600 departure. Soon our towed fishing lure scored several strikes and we landed a small tuna which later made excellent sushimi after cutting off its tail to bleed it.

Doug and Laurie landing small tuna. In New Zealand I’d be embarrassed with a picture like this, but this is the first fish kept in two years and hundreds of miles of trolling

We also caught several other bright-coloured fish of edible size, but not knowing their species didn’t risk eating them.
By early afternoon the wind picked up to 15 knots on our starboard bow kicking up a 1.5 metre short chop. As if a still-healing broken kneecap wasn’t enough poor Sharon became seasick again for a few hours until we reached the shelter of Othoni Island to be greeted by a pod of dolphins leaping about. The main bay on Othoni’s north side is very isolated but offers superb shelter from all southerly winds, and we anchored hoping for a restful night after our long day – but it was not to be.
About 1900 we noticed a display of lightning in the distance, and this seemed to gradually increase in intensity and move towards us. After dark the sheet lightning lit up the whole sky like daylight, while the bolts of forked lightning looked like giant flaming spears thrust into the sea, leaving us imagining the consequences of being hit by one of them. About an hour after we went to bed the wind turned north and a medium chop quickly set in, causing quite a bit of pitching. Diane and I knew from experience this was the storm front approaching and immediately got up to investigate. The wind had suddenly increased to nearly 20 knots and the chop was already nearly a metre. Then torrential rain hit is and the thunder and lightning increased in intensity as the front passed over. The real problem in these Med storms is that the wind can increase to over 50 knots very quickly, and there was no alternate anchorage nearby. But the wind stayed around 20 knots for just a few minutes and then just as suddenly dropped completely, and soon the sea was calm again. “Panic” over – the storm front had passed and all was well.
Next day we went ashore at nearby Erikoussa Island and the effects of the storm were quite visible with lost electrical power and damage caused by flash floods.

TECHNICAL – Nothing to report. I do enjoy typing these words!

ENVOY LOG – as at 14/9/14 we’d spent 159 days aboard and cruised 1,692 miles for 300 engine hours.