The Tall Ships are back!

We woke up to brilliant sunshine! Looks like summer might have finally arrived. We went down to the Inner Harbour at 7:30am to see the tall ships. It was a good time to go because the place was virtually deserted and with our passes we could go in all the restricted zones and get up close to the ships. We probably could even have gone on them, as our passes say we are "crew", but we thought that might be taking advantage just a wee bit too much. The ships were gorgeous! I'm uploading photos to my Flick'r site as I type (see the "newer photos" link). Went and had breakfast at one of our old favorites, Pluto's. Bob decided to go back out to Sidney and see if any work has been started on Cat-Sass . . . I phoned him about noon and they had just started. Hopefully the work can be finished today, as they are closed tomorrow so we would have to wait till Monday to get the boat back in the water! I went back down to see the Tall Ships again but it was soooooooooooo crowded and sooooooooooooo hot I didn't stay too long . . . and I had work to do at Pam's. Here I am, complaining about the heat now . . . it must seem like all I ever do is complain about the weather!!! I have Pam's place nearly all clean and tidy. I don't know if she will be home before I get back from sailing, so I have to leave it the way she would want to find it. I'd better go finish up incase Bob phones to say the boat is ready to go!

Lots of headway on the varnishing!

Penny came over yesterday. She is a varnish guru and had us working hard all day. We got a first coat on everything except the companion way doors and a second coat on some of it! Yeah! A very productive day!

Thursday is Market day in Sidney. At 5pm the main street shuts down and all the vendors set up. We always enjoy dinner at the Market as there are many excellent food choices. We both had the Extreme Market Burger and it we were not disspointed! Ran into Brenda, who was hyper as always!

Today we raced around getting the boat ready for haul out. We sailed it around to Vector Yachts and left it for them to do thier thing. We went and had breakfast at Third St Cafe, and while there, Bob decided he had to go back and supervise. So, I headed into town (to my house-sit) and he went back to babysit the boat! I got some laundry and housework done, so the house will be ready to leave for Pam when the boat is finished and we take off for Nanaimo. Bob joined me in town later. Don has given us "crew" passes for the Tall Ships Festival but we are too tired to go tonight. Hopefully tomorrow.

Finally the weather has warmed up! Figures, just when the boat is in dry-dock!!!

Back in Sidney

I had a great drive up to Campbell River and managed to find my sister-in-law, Jydy's house. We went for a long walk in the woods while my niece, Sasha, made a lovely dinner for us, then went over to my other neice, Krista's house for dessert. Judy and Craig are in the middle of renovations and were having all the sinks removed the next morning, so I had a quick shower and headed off to explore Campbell River. Bob phoned about 9am and said they were going to be bucking the current so might not make it all the way to Campbell River in one day . . . then he phoned back about 2 and said they'd be arriving in 20 minutes! A slight miss calculation!!! They found a berth in the public marina and I took them out shopping for a few things they needed for the boat. They rigged up a "preventer" and figured out how to do the kellets. They had hoped to work on the genicker but it was too windy. Chris cooked us dinner and we hit the sack early. They were up at 6am and the wind had died so they managed to get the genicker figured out. Monica and Chris cast off at 7:45 . . . we met them at the fuel dock 10minutes later . . . then went to the spit and watched them sail past. Bob was so sorry to be leaving them! He had a really great time and is now all eager to go in his boat. We hopped in the car and went over to Judy's . . . they were just clearing out the kitchen so the contractor could put in the new sinks, so Judy, Craig, Sasha, Bob and I all went out for breakfast. Bob and I headed south about 10am and after a short stop to stretch in Ladysmith got back to Sidney about 2. It is great to be back on the boat! Tomorrow we will get to work on the woodwork.

Today, Bob and I worked on finishing the sanding of all the woodwork on the boat. It is a huge job that we started last year but never finished. Don had gotten a good start on it already but we really needed to get some varnish on before the boat gets hauled on Friday. The weather stayed nice all day and we got the majority of the sanding done and the first coat of varnish on. It looks awesome, and will look so great when all 6-8 coats are done! We'll give it a light sanding tomorrow and then another coat of varnish. In the mean time, we need to sand the companion way doors, the bow sprit, the windless box and the rub rail. Penny is coming over tomorrow to help. Went to Carlos' Cantina for dinner and it was excellent again!

A minor change in plans

As always, when dealing with the ocean, plans change! Got a phone call from Bob at about 2pm on Saturday saying that they were in Nanaimo(60 miles north of Victoria). They were having electrical problems with the boat and decided to get things dealt with before going any farther. So, instead of me driving up to Campbell River to meet them on Sunday, I went to Nanaimo on Saturday. Arrived to find they had secured an electrician and everything was getting fixed right away instead of having to wait till Monday. Apparently it was a minor issue, but better safe than sorry when heading up to the wilds of Desolation Sound. So the four of us, Monica (owner of Wannadoo), Chris (her friend from S Carolina), Bob and myself went to "Amazing Thai" for dinner. It wasn't as great as it has been in the past, but still good. It was a beautiful evening at the dock . . . windy but settling down to absolute calm later. I wished I had my camera . . . couldn't tell where the other boats ended and the water started . . . they made mirror images in the water. The moon was beautiful. They cast off about 9:30 this morning, planning to get up to either Tribune Bay on Hornby Island or near Fanny Bay. They will go on to Campbell River tomorrow. I'll drive up to Campbell River today and hang out with Judy until they show up. Meanwhile, I'm in an internet cafe charging up the computer! Hope you are all having a great weekend!!

Bob to Campbell River

It's 6:30am and I'm sitting on the boat, just passing the time. Bob is sailing up to Campbell River, crewing on a friend's boat. I'm going to drive up there and meet him on the weekend. The boat is a 42' Catamaran called Wannadoo, the same boat he "did" the Swiftsure in. Monica, the boat owner, needed some crew and Bob wanted to see what sailing North of Nanaimo was like. So, they set off this morning, first to go to Roche Harbour so Monica could deal with her Canadian Visa, then back here to pick up supplies, then hopefully setting off again before noon. It dawned a nice calm day so they should make good time. I've drive up to Campbell River tomorrow and visit with my s-i-l Judy, waiting for Wannadoo to get in . . . we will drive back to Sidney and work on Cat-Sass for a few days before it is hauled out for bottom maintenance next Friday . . . then we will be off for a few weeks on our own.

But right now, I have to be heading back to town to put in my last day at my current temp job. Have to get my car insurance and pay my property taxes today too.

The very first post!

Hey! I'm just trying out blogging . . . this way I don't have to send out newsletters to everyone! Not that I don't enjoy doing the newsletters, but this way everyone has the option of checking up on me or not.

I am currently in Victoria for a few months. Doing some house sitting, sailing and, god forbid, work! I have to pay for my time in Mazatlan somehow and for now this seems to be the way to do it.