I was planning to change the oil in the generator. I pulled off the sound shield and started it up, warming up the oil, when I noticed water streaming from the raw water pump. This pump pulls sea water into the heat exchanger to cool the coolant/engine. I shut down the engine. I have a... Continue Reading →
Six days after leaving Shearwater, we crossed the border into Alaska! Before leaving Shearwater, we walked to the grocery store, picked up a few provisions, and dropped off our trash and recycle items. We motored to the fuel dock and added 800 liters of diesel fuel to the tanks, ensuring we had plenty to get to... Continue Reading →
On May 17, Alec and I left Seattle’s Elliott Bay Marina to cruise on Fiddler for three weeks up the Inside Passage to Ketchikan, AK. Ten days later we docked at Shearwater Marina in northern British Columbia, the approximate half-way point in terms of days. We have traveled 475 miles of the 750 mile trip,... Continue Reading →
Our trip to Alaska is upon us! Well, in the next day or two anyway, depending on when Alec's passport arrives. He renewed it in plenty of time but it was lost somewhere, despite the post office tracking information saying it was delivered to his apartment mail room. It apparently wasn't. So he filed the... Continue Reading →
The last set of seat cushions/sponges I replaced are for the flybridge seating. The original cushions were foam with a zippered vinyl cover. The zippers were not watertight and had rotted away from the covering. When it rained (this is Seattle), water soaked the foam cushions. They were essentially not useable. Plus they stained easily.... Continue Reading →
While we usually prefer to boat on our own at anchor, we will occasionally participate in organized cruises with our yacht club. The cruises are usually to a nearby destination marina where the guest docks are reserved for the approximately 30 participants. The theme for this event was the "Bacon Cruise". It sold out very... Continue Reading →
We bought our boat from a couple that bought it new and named it Vamos a ver, which means "let's go see" or "let's go to sea". The name is not a bad one and we didn't dislike it. However, whenever we said its name over the radio or in conversation, we would be asked... Continue Reading →
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the volunteer arm of the US Coast Guard. They are usually boaters with an interest in the Coast Guard and volunteer work or retired Coast Guard officers. They provide the Coast Guard with support for many activities, including safety patrols and search and rescue. However, the Auxiliary does not have... Continue Reading →
We originally planned to go somewhere on the boat this weekend, but as usual for this winter and early spring, the weather did not cooperate. Instead, we dusted off a plan to go to the Olympic Peninsula in search of waterfalls. We drove to Edmonds and took the ferry to Kingston. The wind was blowing... Continue Reading →
Why have a watermaker? We use a lot of fresh water on board. Laundry, dishes, showers, head flushing, drinking, and cooking. Without conserving, we each use about 20 gallons of water per day. With a 250 gallon water tank, we have about six days before we need to refill it. Usually, that means paying for... Continue Reading →
Fiddler 