Jon just returned to Colorado from a week in Anacortes. He and a friend who also has a boat up there spent a week on a variety of tasks. No sailing as the boat is still “on the hard” with Jon using ladders to climb aboard.
He installed two pilothouse steps that he had refinished as well as refinishing the rest of the entry and pilothouse thresholds. Brenda was so glad he was able to do that now rather than waiting until we go up for the summer season. It’s a big stretch to get in and out of the pilothouse using half the normal number of steps!
Jon also did some preliminary work on our shaft log. It needs to be replaced due to crevice corrosion and he was able to reduce the amount of work the mechanics will have to do.
In the galley, Jon took out a wooden trim piece in preparation for installing a new cooking stove–Can’t wait!:) He also removed the cockpit control shifter and all control cables for throttle and shift. It’s going to be so smooth this year.
While he was gone, Brenda ordered material for new curtains in the pilothouse, master stateroom and head. It’ll be good to have curtains that blend with the pilothouse cushions so time to get out the sewing machine!

We spend the winters catching up with people and happenings in Colorado but are always looking forward to our summer months on Finnessa–trying out new recipes, fine-tuning the website, planning sailing trips for ourselves if we have weeks when we aren’t busy with a charter, and re-doing things for the boat. This winter has been especially busy here as Brenda has been working extra days at the hospital and Jon has almost finished doing a total remodel on our home kitchen–it’s looking great!!
Jon now has another USCG class under his belt as he spent a week in Florida during November getting his 50 ton Master’s license. It was a great time to meet others, do some networking and polish up on knowledge that will be valuable while on the water. Jon has also been refinishing the last of the teak steps that lead down into the pilothouse, having redone three of the steps last winter.

Our last charter of the season began September 18th with the arrival of four adults. These were experienced sailors unlike many of our charterers so we were hoping for a full week of good winds. The first couple of days had scant wind but sunny weather. Our guests enjoyed kayaking and hiking the trails at Eagle Harbor and Patos, Sucia and Matia Islands. We saw Minke whales on our way up to the northernmost islands in the San Juans. On Wednesday, our guests hiked to Turn Point Lighthouse on Stuart Island and were lucky enough to see a large pod of Orcas very close to shore. This was also our day to fill the water tanks and empty other tanks so we went from Stuart to Roche Harbor. Unfortunately, it was too late in the season to indulge in the great ice cream we usually find there! After an evening of games and a night anchored in Garrison Bay, we woke up to rain on Thursday but that ended shortly after we pulled anchor and headed to San Juan Channel. There, our first good day of sailing brought smiles to everyone's face. The breeze continued while we were at Spencer Spit for the night and into the morning so we decided to head through Rosario Strait toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I made sure to prepare things early for lunch in anticipation of a bit of heeling. We had great wind until lunch time when the wind died for an hour but then returned–such timing! Friday night found us at the James Island dock reminiscing about the week and the fun we'd all had. Taking strangers on a week long charter leaves us with great friends so it's always sad to see them go even though we're usually a bit worn out by that time. We went back to Anacortes to drop off our new friends and start preparing the boat for the winter. We were lucky to get the sails off on Saturday after hearing the forecast which called for rain and gale force winds. That left laundry and cleaning for Sunday afternoon. Monday was Jon's birthday and we remembered fondly that our last charter of 2010 had ended on this day. The forecast was correct and it was indeed a windy day so we spent our time on inside tasks. Jon spent most of his birthday in the cramped quarters of the engine room changing oil and fuel filters. By Friday, the boat was in dry dock and we were headed toward Vancouver, WA to see old friends from Ft. Collins. We arrived home on Monday, October 3rd and are readjusting to life ashore!

We spent our next night in Kwatsi Bay as planned, leaving in the rain after a peaceful night and anchoring a couple of hours away in McIntosh Bay which is part of Simoom Sound. There, I was able to make sun shades for our front windows in the pilothouse. My 1953 Pfaff 130 sewing machine worked great! It's nice to be able to reduce the solar gain when the weather gets hot. We had some problems with the engine alternator so Jon spent time on and off trying to solve the problem. Since we have a generator aboard, it didn't seem to be imperative that we get it fixed immediately so chose to go to Sullivan Bay the next day which was Tuesday. Before leaving McIntosh, we took time for a paddle through the area in the kayaks. It had rained while we were there resulting in lots of foaming water pouring down the hillsides at several places in the bay. Our night in Sullivan Bay was only the second time on this trip that we had tied up at a marina. Sullivan Bay is a quaint floating marina with houseboats for rent as well as regular docks to tie up to. This mini village includes a small grocery, a trade-in library(take a book, leave a book), laundry and shower facilities(a bit pricey), and a restaurant. We joined others on the dock for Happy Hour and were lucky enough to be there when another boater who is also a musician was there. Gordo brought along an electric keyboard and entertained us all for a couple of hours. We then joined another couple we had met for dinner at the restaurant. It was a great meal and we felt the need to walk it off a bit so strolled along the docks looking at the house boats. On our return trip to Finnessa, the other couple we had visited with invited us aboard their boat for coffee. It is a very interesting, well-maintained, classic old boat. We had a nice visit and I learned that caffeine just before bed is not a good idea for me!!–wide awake the entire night!! From Sullivan Bay, we headed to Joe Cove which is a nice protected anchorage close to Queen Charlotte Strait giving us a short trip the next day to Port McNeill which is on the northern shore of Vancouver Island. There we were hoping to find a regulator for our engine which Jon had finally discovered as the culprit for our seeming alternator problems. We had a pleasant, smooth ride across the strait, seeing humpback whales along the way although at quite a distance. Port McNeill has a couple of groceries, an auto parts store which didn't have the correct regulator, and a pub where we had wonderful burgers. Port McNeill also had the best sunset we've seen all summer! Fast internet, reasonable fuel, and a place to dispose of trash were also a part of the fuel dock marina where we stayed. We then headed to Sarah Islets, a small anchorage where we were lucky enough to see a black bear 50 feet away swimming from one island to the other while we were eating dinner. That dinner included some beach asparagus which we had picked from the island earlier in the day and where we thought we saw bear scat! While at anchor, a man and his dog came past in their dinghy and stopped to visit for a few minutes. He said they had seen several humpbacks that day in Knight Inlet. So, the next day which was Sunday(8/27/11), we motored up to Knight Inlet but were unable to spot any whales. We went from there to Mamalilaculla which is a deserted village on Village Island. This was the site of the Christmas Potlatch in 1921(?) at which the authorities decided to enforce the ban on potlatches. Ceremonial regalia was confiscated and several participants were arrested. Now, there are remnants of buildings and a fallen totem pole with narrow paths(for the bears?) which have been chopped through the blackberries and thimbleberries–a very interesting place to visit. We had taken the dinghy over to the village area, leaving Finnessa anchored in a bay to the north. When returned and were in the midst of pulling up the anchor, our anchor winch stopped working. After checking all of the most probable causes without luck, Jon climbed down into the anchor well and discovered a thick cable attached to the winch motor that had corroded in two! The ends of the cable are hidden from view when connected so we were unaware of the problem until it failed completely despite Jon's diligence about checking for corrosion. He ended up borrowing a battery cable and removing two batteries from the house battery bank to make the winch work. It suddenly had more power than it's ever had and our battery bank was more than sufficient for our needs, having just been replaced this summer. Another night at Port Harvey where we had stayed earlier seemed a wise move. The weather forecast showed good weather in Johnstone Strait and the Strait of Georgia for the next couple of days. We decided it was time to head back to Anacortes while the weather held. That meant some long days of motoring timed to get us through rapids at just the right part of the tide. We had an uneventful trip back although were lucky enough to see four Orca whales just outside of Nanaimo. We arrived back in the U.S. on Tuesday the 30th, clearing Customs in Roche Harbor. This has been a wonderful trip! There is so much to see in The Broughton Archipelago–nice people, great anchorages, and great opportunities to see wildlife!! One could easily spend a couple of months in the area without ever staying in all of the wonderful, secluded coves or quaint marinas. Another trip to this area is a must!

This is a continuation of our Broughton's trip. In Jon's search for the very best places to visit while in The Broughton Archipelago, he read about Knight Inlet. There is a place called Glendale Cove about five hours by sailboat from Port Harvey. The guidebooks suggest this is a great place to view grizzly bear so we decided it was the place to go. The books also say there is not an abundance of places to anchor there so we were hoping for the best. When we arrived, we were the only boat! There is a resort on the east side of the cove but no other private boats around. As we were anchoring, a boat from the resort came by to make sure we knew the bear viewing regulations. They also gave us ideas on the best times and places for viewing bear. Late afternoon of the first day, we put the dinghy in the water and headed for the Glendale River Estuary at the head of the bay. It was high tide so we assumed that would be a good time to motor up the river a ways in hopes of spotting some bear. As we did that, we saw numerous salmon beginning their journey upriver. It seems that another week and the river will be teaming with spawning fish but for now, it's only the front runners. We enjoyed the quiet trip up the river and met the same boat load of people who had greeted us when we first arrived in the cove. As we were slowly making our way back to the mouth of the river, we saw a Grizzly sow and two cubs come down to the river. The mother seemed attracted by the noise of fish jumping and moved quickly out into the river while the cubs stayed onshore. We sat and watched them from about 100 yards until they all three swam across the river and out of sight. We were so excited and felt like we'd gotten some good pictures. When we returned to Finnessa, Jon wanted to add a little air to the dinghy. I had already climbed aboard the sailboat and carefully set Jon's expensive Pentex on the cockpit seat to make sure it was safe. I then asked if he wanted me to get him the pump for the dinghy. That is stored underneath the cockpit seats in one of the deck lockers. I made single cushions on each side which cover the back 2/3 of the seats. There is a locker under the front half of that cushion but the back half(where I had set the camera) does not open. However, since one cushion covers the entire length, that cushion tips up when the locker is opened. As I went to get the pump, I heard a splash. Oh yes, you've guessed it!! The camera with all kinds of photos from the summer which I have yet to put on the computer is now setting serenely under 25 feet of saltwater. Please…I want a "do over"!!!!! With our pictures of the grizzlies gone, it seemed imperative that we see some more! The next day, we turned on the VHF to listen for the guides who were taking people out from the resort to see bears. They found a black bear that came down to the water on the far side of the cove. We were able to see it with binoculars from the boat but were doubtful that it would still be there by the time we could get closer in the dinghy. The rest of the day, the guides didn't seem to find anything. We went in the dinghy again that evening a little after high tide to travel up the river where we had been lucky the night before. We saw a deer and the usual salmon but no bear. The next morning, our radio was again monitoring the guides and they had a few sightings right away. We put the dinghy back in the water at 8:30 a.m. and headed to the other side where the guide boats had been congregated for awhile. By the time we got over there, they were all leaving so we assumed we might have to wait awhile before spotting anything. However, as soon as we got closer to the shore beyond where they had been, we saw a male grizzly walking along in the direction of the river estuary. The water was pretty shallow near shore so were were probably 150 yards from shore drifting along while watching and photographing(this time with our video camera which also takes photographs) the bear. As we drifted, he came out closer towards us so we had some great shots!! Very exciting and a great way to end our time in Glendale Cove. We're now headed back down Knight Inlet and hope to be at Kwatsi Bay tonight.

I'm beginning this while our two students are taking their final exam to receive their ASA certification for bareboat chartering, so it's very quiet on Finnessa at the moment! It's been a great week- lots of work for both of us but we've had wonderful people aboard! We enjoyed crab(from the freezer) frittata for breakfast and are having fresh Dungeness crab for dinner that we caught this morning– a bit of crab overload, but that's almost an oxymoron. We have been talking about taking a 3-week trip up to The Broughton Archipelago near the northern tip of Vancouver Island in another week but are not yet certain. We'll decide that once this class is over and we've time to discuss our options. …It is now 15 days later! It took so long to get back to this as we were just too busy! Jon's students both passed their final exams and took off back to Canada. We returned to Anacortes and went out with friends for three days to the northern San Juan Islands, seeing Minke whales, hiking to lighthouses, kayaking and eating well. Back in Anacortes once again, we stocked up on supplies for our three weeks up north. I also got a much-needed haircut. That was necessitated not only by several weeks since my last one but also by my own hand!! I was tired and also irritated about something else when I happened to look at my hair in the mirror and went for the scissors–with less than acceptable results!! I was very glad to find someone at SuperCuts in Mt. Vernon that could make it look presentable. However, it's shorter than I've had it since I was a junior in high school. DO NOT CUT YOUR OWN HAIR WHEN TIRED OR UPSET AND DEFINITELY NOT WHEN BOTH OCCUR TOGETHER!! We left for The Broughton's on August 13th, stocking up on those supplies we can't carry into Canada with us once we reached Nanaimo, B.C. From there, we had an uneventful trip across the Strait of Georgia. That trip makes me nervous as the winds can really howl through there, but this trip was fine. We bought a few more foodstuffs(fresh, large prawns from a boat at the dock) and drinks in Pender Harbor then continued our 5 day trek north to get to The Broughton's. That trek included several long, tiring days and some new learning(often painful or comical depending on whether you're experiencing it or watching someone else go through it!)Shore-tying or stern-tying is not something that has come easily to us bit in this part of Canada, it's a frequent occurrence. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, it means putting out an anchor and then also running a line from the stern(back) of the boat to shore where you tie it around a tree or rock. That keeps your boat from swinging, allowing you to anchor in deeper water without having to put out as much chain/line and also allowing more boats to anchor in a smaller area because each boat needs less room to swing. That doesn't sound too difficult, but our first try this year was definitely comical to watch. We hadn't found a way to keep the stern of the boat where we wanted it while wrapping the line around a tree, trying to get the dinghy back to the boat pulling the line without wrapping the line up in the propeller and tying the line off again on the boat. I'm sure this will be easier the next time(partially because Jon will be the one in dinghy, not me!) Our first night in our destination was spent at Port Harvey. One other sailboat was anchored near us. There was a general store nearby at which I hoped to find some yeast. I have my sourdough onboard and often make bread with that but usually add yeast as well so it doesn't take 24 hours to make a loaf of bread. I had made a por to chili and really wanted fresh bread with it but instead ended up with a fresh hard lump because I got in a hurry. I was hoping the general store would make my life easier with some yeast but they were out of it. This is near the end of their busy season so they don't tend to restock as much as they would earlier. We finally have a place to get good wireless so I'm posting this quickly while that is the case.

Time for a new installment about our time on Finnessa this year. We started July with a trip to Canada for Dominion Day. That was great fun as we began the celebration in Winter Cove on Saturna Island. Each year, they have a lamb barbeque as a local fundraiser. We arrived on June 30th, anchored in the cove and enjoyed watching people arriving and the anchorage filling up. Early on the 1st, we took the dinghy to the dock to purchase tickets for the BBQ since you eat in the order you buy tickets. When ready to go ashore for the festivities, we got a complimentary "taxi" ride from the locals who help with the event. The opening ceremony at 11:00 included a song from a First Nations drummer and a welcome from a community member. There were booths with arts and crafts. My favorite was a local card maker who had the world's best greeting cards that she had made! The library had a booth selling books–3 paperbacks for $1 which later in the day changed to 5/$1. By this time of summer, we had already read most of the books we'd brought with us so stocked up on replacements. The lamb(actually 22 of them) was all arranged on vertical spits around a large pile of coals, Argentinian style. The food was tasty and plentiful, enjoyed while listening to a musical group that played for 4 hours. The whole day reminded me of July 4th celebrations at City Park in Ft. Collins. After another night at Winter Cove, we met friends at Otter Bay on North Pender Island where we got in a bit of kayaking. Here I discovered that my new wand blender does not work to make egg whites stiff. I tried using it for 15 minute, switched to a hand rotary beater for 10 minutes but ended up with a great lemon curd pie and a bowl of soupy egg whites. We made do with some whipping cream that I beat with the rotary beater only! Our next night in Glenthorne Inlet on Prevost Island was great for kayaking. Jon helped our friends with their water pump and demonstrated his new skill with replacing teak plugs so they could do the same on their boat. Of course, the best part of that day for me was convincing 3 of the friends to learn to play pinochle. Those friends returned to the U.S. the next day while we went off on our own for a little more fun. First, we went to Ganges for a little shopping and discovered the best bakery in town where we enjoyed a lunch of Polish sausage rolls–very tasty!–and bought other pastries to enjoy later. Then we headed to Montague Harbor where we anchored and went ashore for a nice hike. A pamphlet Jon had picked up on Saturna mentioned, very briefly, an old stone house that could be found at Taylor Point on the island so we decided to stop there on our way to our last anchorage in Canada. We found a lovely little cove at Taylor Point and took the dinghy to shore. There we found the remnants of an old house that had been made of stone quarried nearby on the island. There were old fruit trees, a spring, a tiny waterfall and lots of old trees. We had great fun hiking around and exploring before returning to the boat where we were pleasantly surprised by thousands of tiny fish when we were pulling the anchor. It was quite a sight! What an interesting stop on our way to Bedwell Harbor! After a restful night at Bedwell, we opted for a kayak adventure prior to departure. However, that was cut short by my overconfidence in getting into the kayak which resulted in a saltwater bath! By the time I'd pulled myself out of the ocean, a little paddling did not seem like such a great idea after all. We found a pod of Orcas again on our way back to Roche Harbor for Customs–always a thrill!