Fleeing Seattle, Aeolus gleefully returning to Friday Harbor

She has been an unhappy lady stuck in this urban quagmire with no place wild to visit since August. Like a tiger in a cage, she has sulked back and forth on her keel hoping someday her owners would return her to where she could be wild and free. Well, that day is soon coming as we have decided we cannot wait any longer to move her north.

We brought Aeolus down to Bainbridge in order for me to do some labor intensive projects. With those projects nearing completion, we can finally get her back, and thus ourselves back, to the wild places and open spaces of the San Juan Islands. It has been even harder than we imagined. Being spoiled by the San Juan's, and all of British Columbia, it is simply unappealing to go anywhere down here in the mid-Sound, despite how pretty it is otherwise. It is like the difference in hiking the John Muir Trail and walking in Discovery Park in Seattle (having done both, I can compare them!).

For those few of us who have wilderness like blood in our veins, who love wilderness more than we can bear and for whom wilderness is more deeply real and intimate and ecstatic and profound than anything unnatural, for us, there is no real happiness away from wild places. And though the San Juan Islands are already over-developed, they are far more wild than anywhere south in the Sound. And their location lends itself to a sort of rugged oceanic wilderness that is also compelling. Wilder waters, currents and wildlife abound there. If we can't live full time up near Desolation Sound or north, then we can at least spend all our sailing time right up as north as we can go!

So sometime in late January we will make the two day trek on Aeolus and return her to her lovely home at the Port of Friday Harbor. It is an understatement to say we cannot wait!

Multiple projects continued

As I've recently stated, I remain in the midst of several simultaneous projects. Some of them have started to wrap up, but others will linger until warmer painting weather in the Spring. Here are a few update photos:

New backing plate and bolts for port forward shroud

 Photo 1: In order to repair the fiberglass damage to the port side hull, I had to fully dismantle the locker and remove all the teak facing. This allowed me to fully expose the backing plate for the port forward shroud, and I discovered that it was a bit undersized and had slightly compressed the fiberglass sandwich in that area. At least it wasn't aluminum, as others I'd found on Aeolus had been. I decided to reinforce the whole area with a sheet of 1/4" fiberglass I get from McMaster Carr. It is hard to see, but I rounded the edges off nicely to avoid hard spots. I then backed the sheet with a good helping of Epoxy thickened with Colloidal Silica to help it bond and conform to the irregular surface, and put it all back together with slightly longer bolts to account for the increased depth. Now, that shroud is so bomber that it is absolutely not a weak link in the mast system, and that is the goal for all hardware associated with the mast now isn't it?

New portlight windows from Mark Plastics in Corona, CA

Too many projects, and how we are missing Stuart Island!

It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. It is the age of productivity, it is the age of laziness. There are a pile of boat projects completed, there are a pile of boat projects remaining. In this regard, these days are so much like those of any other time, and yet it's noisiest adherents insist upon it being proclaimed in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Its noisiest adherent is me. And I proclaim these days to be so overfilled with boat projects that they surely can't compare with any other days with anything less than a superlative.

We have Aeolus down to Bainbridge so I can accomplish more work than I am able to do on our trips to Friday Harbor. This is necessitated by our plans to go around Vancouver Island next summer. This is all great and wonderful, but it is really hitting Amy and I like a ton of bricks that we are desperately missing our weekend get aways to the San Juans, and in particular, Stuart Island. There is nothing quite so wonderful as a winter sail to Stuart and having the harbors and island virtually to yourself. It is priceless to us and we miss it painfully.

But the sacrifice must be made to get these projects done on Aeolus and so I am putting all my spare time into them.

Just to give a sampling of what I am currently working on:

Partial removal of old teak. It is both screwed down with wood screws, and glued down with something like 4200.

Teak is largely gone, and now the fun job of scraping off all the adhesive begins!

Stern teak rubrail replaced

Now that I have tackled the majority of structural and operational items on Aeolus, I am turning my attention to some of the aesthetic points of her presence. The stern piece of the teak rubrail has long caught my eye for being ragged and in sore need of attention. It was split in various places, and over time had been crudely re-attached with both adhesives and screws. The overall effect was that it looked dreadful.

To replace it I first had to remove the old teak, which was surprisingly difficult. After removing the bungs and all the screws holding it on, I had to battle with whatever adhesive had been used at the time of construction, which felt like at least 4200.

This is what she looks like with the old teak removed, exposing the hull joint. You can see the joint, and some of the screws which help hold the two boat halves together. Everything is glassed on the inside and so is bomber strong.

Hull joint showing teak removed. Screws are glassed over inside.

Desolation Sound 2012: 8/4-8/18, 500 miles of adventure

We have been back home for one week since the completion of our 2012 travels up in BC and the warm glow has yet to wear off. Even my friends on the bus and at work have commented that I look so relaxed I must have just been on vacation! My previous post explained how I took Aeolus north to Quadra Island so that we did not have to spend vacation days journeying north (having done that many times).  Instead, we began our 14 day cruise with a drive to Campbell River and the ferry over to Quadra to find Aeolus happily waiting for us in Quathiaski Cove.

Start of trip at home in our custom "Aeolus" shirts

I never have the patience to have these blog posts convey all the great stories of each day and place, but I am always happy to answer questions if anyone sends me a message. I will organize this post by calendar day, to provide some flow.

Our good friends the Jones family were buddy boating with us aboard the Freedom 33 "Ocean Gypsy" for most of this trip. Their son is best friends with Elliott and we had a grand time weaving in and out of our times together as the days and anchorages passed by. 

August 4th: Quathiaski Cove, Quadra Island through Seymour Narrows to Small Inlet on Quadra. 

This was a great first day. We left Qcove at 6:15 am to be at Seymour at the 7:23 slack. Weather was beautiful as it would remain for the entire time in BC. Our passage through Seymour was smooth, and the beginning of the ebb pulled us along at about 7-8 knots on occasion. From my experience fighting the full flood to get Aeolus up to Quadra, I know full well how unwise it would be to battle any part of this passage at anything other than a favorable or benign current.

Hull speed of 6.3 so this is pretty nice!

We had to motor all the way this day as there wasn't much wind and you can't play with the timing of these currents. Our approach to Small Inlet was lovely, and we found it basically empty. We remarked that if it was anywhere in Desolation Sound it would have been packed!

So what did we do once we got there at 10am? We went swimming of course! There is a trail from the head of Small Inlet to Newton Lake on Quadra. It is short, but steep toward the end, and the lake was just wonderful. This was our first lake swimming, or any outdoor swimming, of 2012, and I wait all year for the chance. The lake is just like all those we've seen up here, in being natural and having super warm water. We all swam to our hearts content and enjoyed it immensely.

Friday Harbor to Quadra Island: 3 days, 23 hours travel time, 140 miles

This past weekend I took Aeolus north to Quadra Island in preparation for our return there for two weeks in the Discovery Islands and Desolation Sound starting this coming weekend. It was a perfect solo voyage, with benign winds and helpful currents right up until Cape Mudge.

Sunsets over the Salish Sea

Here is how I moved along:

7/26  7pm departure Friday Harbor, 9pm arrival Prevost Harbor, Stuart Island.
7/27  6:50 am departure Prevost Harbor, arrival at Bedwell Harbor, South Pender Island, at 7:50. Departed Bedwell and 12:45 arrival Herring Bay, Ruxton Island to await slacker water at Dodd Narrows. 5:30 pm arrival at Taylor Bay, Gabriola Island. Winds to 20 knots SE pushing me along.
7/28  7:15 am departure from Taylor Bay. 3pm arrival in Henry Bay at the northern end of Denman Island. Winds to 10 knots SE.

This fool was trying to sail through Dodd Narrows, and was a hazard to all around.

7/29  6am departure Henry Bay. Raised 150' of chain by hand. Approached Cape Mudge at about 10:30 am with a building flood against me that peaked at 12 noon at 9 knots off the Cape.

Spencer Spit, Lopez Island weekend-Prepping for trip north to Quadra

With Amy and the boys away on a Mom/Sons backpacking trip with a few of her girlfriends, there was nothing to be done except to escape up to the islands and join Aeolus for some sort of adventure. As much for a change of pace as for the beauty of the spot, I chose to head over to Spencer Spit. It would also allow me to go on a much longer run on scenic Lopez roads as I am training for the Bellingham marathon these days.

The trip from Friday Harbor takes about 80 minutes, more or less. Saturday was gorgeous and warm, and I joined about 30 other boats anchored on the northern side of the spit. Before getting there however, I was able to raise sail in that amazing inland sea and feel the joy of wind on sails. That particular area bounded by Orcas, Lopez, Shaw and Blakely, is the single largest body of water within the San Juan Islands and to me it resembles a large lake. A lake of saltwater. And it happens to have the most consistent winds as you can always expect a breeze going up or down Eastsound.

Close reaching toward Blakely

I rigged my jacklines before leaving the slip in Friday Harbor and raised sail once I rounded Upright Head on Lopez. The wind was only 10-15 knots, but enough for Aeolus to lean over and get into a nice groove. Ahhh, what a feeling.

Desolation Sound trip Summer 2011

It is so unlike me not to post about a trip once it is completed, but somehow or another, until now I have not posted about our trip to Desolation Sound last summer. It was a continuation of the trip north with Bill and Banning for the boys and I, and a new trip for Amy and our friends the Justis family. Cleve, Rachael, Galen and Daniel came up from the Bay Area and joined us for a week in paradise. They are our dearest friends, from forever ago, and the times we shared only reinforced how well suited we are to hang out as often as we can.

At Refuge Cove for a quick stop

Lanonlin on prop really works!

I last hauled Aeolus in spring 2011, and at that time I cleaned off the prop really well and got her down to shiny bronze. I then tried something I had heard about and applied a generous amount of lanolin on her and hoped for the best. In prior years I have developed hard growth on the prop within months of putting her back in the water, and even a slow poke like me hates the inefficiency of turbulent flow on his prop caused by barnacles and algae.

Well, I dove on Aeolus this weekend to inspect the prop, expecting to find a lot of growth since it has been over a year, and what to my wondering eyes did appear but a really clean prop and only one place with a barnacle! I spun the prop around and around and couldn't believe it. I took my scraper and scraped a place and it was clear there was still lanolin on the prop because of the way it changed color and was waxy when I scraped it.

I've read about people buying and using fancy prop paints and hoping for good results, and I don't know if lanolin will work on the east coast or in the tropics, but let me tell you for certain that anywhere here on the west coast I have seen that it works wonders, and since I haul every two years to bottom paint anyway, I think I have found my permanent solution to prop fouling!

Yippee and cheap, cheap, cheap!

Stuart Island Summers

Got away this weekend for a trip to Stuart Island and was shocked to remember that it is actually a very popular place in the summer time. Throughout the year we journey to Stuart for wild solitude, and find it empty of people and full of beauty from October to May. But on this trip, I turned the corner into Reid Harbor to discover that the entirety of the harbor was filled with boats, from one end to the other. Reid is large enough to handle an armada, but it was nevertheless quite a sight to see. My rough count totaled over 100 boats! Later that night, I wondered across the isthmus and counted 50 boats in Prevost without being able to see the entire harbor. So between the two, there were over 150 boats visiting Stuart this weekend! My gosh.

Although we love the quiet of the place the rest of the year, there is something appropriate and festive about all the people in summer. On my walk out to the lighthouse I must have passed twenty people, and at Turn Point itself, there were several dozen.

It is worth noting that the historical museum at Turn Point is officially open and they have done a fantastic job of gathering photos and artifacts to tell the story. There is even a narrated video you can watch for free.

K&N Air filter for Universal 5432/M40 is RA0500

About four years ago I upgraded the air filter on Aeolus to a K&N model. The intake manifold opening is actually larger than the air opening on the stock air filter that came with the engine. So to improve air flow as well as accommodate the PCV system I installed, I switched to the K&N. Some time back I was asked by a follower of this blog which model K&N it was, and I've finally remembered to post it.

This model fits perfectly and does the job. Here is a link to the K&N site for this model:K&N RA0500

Weiman Lemon Oil wins vs. Formby

Can't delay in posting my new favorite teak oil for the cabin. Since my ownership of Aeolus back in 2006, I have taken the advice of Don Casey and used lemon oil to treat my interior teak. I think the only brand I saw and have used since then was Formby Lemon Oil. It was available at ACE and other local places and seemed to do a good job. It smelled like lemon, and wiped dirt off of things, and was purported to restore oil in the wood.

Over time however, I have found that my interior teak has looked increasingly dry and parched. I understand that teak has natural oils, but it still needs to be cleaned and I thought lemon oil was the way to go, again trusting Don Casey.

Eager to find a solution to my interior teak looking dry and parched, I shopped around and decided to try the Weiman brand of lemon oil. Wow. I have now treated most of the interior teak and it has absolutely come to life. Unlike the Formby, it is not acting as a solvent and stripping away the oils. It contains oils that really sink into the wood and bring out the most beautiful natural color. The whole boat interior has been restored to this incredible oiled teak look and my entire family has remarked on the difference. Unlike the Formby, which seemed to wet the wood with whatever oils/solvents it uses and then evaporated off to leave drier wood behind, the Weiman persists in providing the deep glow.

Update on anchor riding sail usage

I've noticed that my earlier post from 2009 on making an anchor riding sail has generated a lot of activity lately and so I though I would post an update on what I have found since that original post. Over the few years since then we have used it on a good handful of occasions, and always when the winds were strong enough to warrant it. On Aeolus, if there are winds in the anchorage at or over about 20 knots, then she will swing pretty widely.

We've just returned from another fantastic trip to Stuart Island that I will post about later and used the anchor riding sail again because we had winds of 20-25 knots in Reid Harbor.

Tumbo Island adventures

We had been looking forward to this trip to Tumbo Island ever since we were last there in June of 2011. The boys and I had gone, without Amy, during a week we were unable to do a planned backpacking trip due to the late season snows. It turned out to be a magical trip and we discovered the really special attributes of Tumbo Island. The boys had been talking it up to Amy ever since, and we had penciled in this Memorial Day trip to Tumbo several months ago.

View toward Poet's Cove from anchorage

Getting to Friday Harbor on Saturday afternoon, as the ferry schedule in spring is still dreadful for getting to the islands, we were uncertain whether we would make it all the way to clearing customs at Bedwell Harbor that night. I had checked and knew the station was open until 8pm, and we also knew it was a good 3 hour trip from Friday Harbor. We got underway at about 4:30pm and began our motor north. We figured we would head to Prevost Harbor on Stuart and make the call once there on whether we had time to make it to Bedwell. We were of two minds, with clear advantages both ways, but decided to forge ahead and cross the border so it felt more adventurous.

The Joy of Maintenance-Really!

Went up to Friday Harbor by myself to invest some time into maintenance projects aboard Aeolus. It seems no matter how often you perform the necessary tasks, or how diligently you track your maintenance needs, that there comes a time when they cluster up and require a burst of effort. This was one of those times.

Fortunately, I love all things maintenance on our boat, and as anyone who has ever read this blog will know, I find particular satisfaction in having a well-oiled machine that then allows me to safely adventure far and wide. Can't have one without the other.

View inside heat exchanger. All clear.

On this weekend I tackled a potpourri of items. Loving this machine so she will love us back:

• Adjusted the valves. Last adjusted three years ago and I forget how many hours. No valve was tight. Normal settings from .007 to .009. A few were loose to .011. Most needed no adjustment. Doing the valves is so easy aboard a Gulf 32 because access to the diesel is from the top and you have full access to all parts of the motor. 
• Changed the transmission fluid. Last changed about three years back. Slightly dark and smelly. Sucked out old. Filled over full with new. Spun prop shaft a while to stir things up, and then sucked out the new and refilled with fresh fluid. I like taking this extra step as I figure I'm already there and the extra bit of grime I get out by the flush might make her happy for a while longer.

English Camp escapade and the bright warm light

For the first time in all our travels around San Juan Island, we actually sailed from Friday Harbor around Roche Harbor and through Mosquito Pass to Garrison Bay at English Camp. It was both odd and wonderful. When we lived on San Juan I used to take our boys to English camp several times a week to walk around lovely Bell Point. It is a place utterly familiar to us from land, and yet we had never approached her from the sea. And the moods of the sea, always changing, provide a wholly different view of this lovely place.

Approaching Mosquito Pass from Roche Harbor

Leaving Friday Harbor we sailed up north toward Spieden Chanel and then motored around the rest of the way. Mosquito Pass is lovely, and if it weren't for all the homes crammed along the shore of San Juan and Henry it would be truly magical. Alas, it is still lovely in a depreciated sort of way. Anchoring in Garrison Bay was a bit tricky because there were a maze of crab floats present. Finding a spot large enough to swing at anchor without fouling  a line was rather challenging. There were two other sailboats lying at anchor when we arrived. As usual, we had no sooner dropped the hook than we jumped into the dinghy and rowed to shore.

Sucia Island, better than before

With the windlass project finally finished we were feeling anxious to go farther afield than Jones Island and Stuart, favorites though they are, and decided to give Sucia another try. We had last been there in July of 2007, soon after we had moved to San Juan Island and found it crowded, trashy and not remotely a wild experience. This time, with it being March, we hoped for a more favorable impression of a place that at least geographically speaking has much to offer.

We were not disappointed.

Elliott in a happy place

We left Friday Harbor early on Saturday and raised sail for some exciting tacks in San Juan Channel before furling up and motoring up around Orcas to Sucia. We were against a strong north wind and an ebb and so our SOG averaged in the neighborhood of 4 knots. Pretty dreadful. Beautiful though, and 4.5 hours later we arrived at Fossil Bay for the night. We had thought we would anchor since I was anxious to use my new system, but the anchoring spot in Fossil Bay is quite far from the dinghy dock and so we decided to pony up the buoy fee and stay closer.

Finished windlass project! Lofrans Tigres can now roar better.

Wow, that was pretty epic. I've never before wrestled with fiberglass as I had to do with this project and let me tell you my little Dremel tool saved the day. I had to enlarge the holes for the chain pipe rather substantially and this required work on both the deck (fairly straightforward) and the bulkhead (not at all straightforward). In the end, I won. Through endurance we prevail, like Shackleton said.

Now the windlass mount and system is better than ever. Among the list of improvements:

1. Drained and changed oil in windlass case
2. Removed windlass and cleaned out minor rot in bolt holes, expanded holes, filled with epoxy, and redrilled holes for new bolts. 
3. Replaced old small diameter schedule 40 pipe with new 3" diameter schedule 80 pipe. This will forever prevent any binding of the chain inside the pipe, as used to happen. 
4. Improved connection of power cables to windlass with proper sealing. 
5. Added a 1/4" backing plate under windlass itself, in addition to the one under the deck, so that the windlass itself is not applying torque to the deck but rather is attached firmly to a solid sandwich of plates and decking. This also provided me the opportunity to protect the entrance to the chain pipe with the opening in the plate so that the chain does not abrade on the pipe opening as used to happen. 

Here are some explanatory photos to tell the story. I'm so happy to have done this and can't wait to be out anchoring again!

The new pipe before being cut. The other hole routes the power cables

President's Day getaway: Jones and Stuart adventures

For the three day weekend we escaped to our two favorite San Juan Islands spots yet again and enjoyed some adventures. On our way up north I asked Amy what she was looking forward to and she responded "Something unexpected". It seems every time we go to these very familiar places we still have wonderfully unexpected experiences. And this time was no different.

Elliott on Stuart displaying his Moss hat!

The weather was cold and gray, and yet the two heaters aboard Aeolus kept the cabin at a steady 65 to 72. Quite comfortable really, given the ambient temperature of 38. For that matter, Aeolus is often warmer than our own house!

We went to Jones first and grabbed the buoy on the south side because there was a rare forecast for north winds. The ongoing windlass project required us to go only to places where we could grab buoys or tie to docks because the anchor is out of commission until the windlass is reinstalled. It was fine because we might have only gone to Jones and Stuart anyway with the South Pender Canadian Customs dock closed for the winter. You otherwise have to go to Sidney, which is convenient to Portland Island, but not the eastern Gulf Islands. Our next BC trip will almost certainly be to take Amy to Tumbo Island as my trip there with the boys last year was so magical and she has yet to see it.

Start of major windlass project

I've begun a major effort to improve my windlass mount and operation. This has been prompted mainly by the fact that the chain pipe that leads the chain from the windlass down to the chain locker is undersized for the 3/8 BBB I've been using on Aeolus for many years now. As a result, the chain easily kinks and binds in the pvc pipe, which requires me to bang and fight to free it. This brings the whole operation to a grinding halt, often at the most inopportune times.

The Lofrans Tigres windlass unbolted and showing the top of the chainpipe and cable hole.

A Stuart day to remember

1/15/12
...the small branches were so delicate among the thick bark trunks that rose up to that height, and on their very tippy tips were green buds with that tender fuzz that always speaks of new life. Seeing the green so much before spring, especially on a cold winter day that makes all things tremble and hide, was even more striking. And yet, this particular big leafed maple, the Mother Tree, The One, The Center of All Things, is capable of a great many things that defy easy understanding.

The One

Amy reached out and held one, excited at the beauty of the bud, and drew my attention to it. It was certainly a precious little burst of green, and a microcosm of all that was perfect and whole and exquisite about this entire day.

Piles of snugs

The morning began with a bed full of Windropes all smashed into one pile of snug. We all slept until forever, and then moving out of some deep unnecessary we stirred together for a while of piling. The boys are miserable cuddlers with all their elbows and knees and fussing and talking and poking, and yet the mere fact of their presence makes it all so wonderful.

It was up to me to start the vertical part of the day and by lighting the stove. This was prompted by it being 43 degrees again this morning on Aeolus, which for reasons probably related to the constancy of the ocean temperature seems to be the default onboard winter temperature.

Getting away to Stuart Island

From our boat journal:

1/13/12
Up to the islands for the three day MLK weekend. Came up on 9:05 milk run ferry after converging in Seattle at 6pm. Boys took ferry alone, and were first off on the Seattle side holding hands. So proud of them! Got to Aeolus at 11pm in pouring rain and she was 43 degrees inside.

Orcas Island, Turtleback Mountain

So good to be back. Probably go to Stuart this trip as snow is forecast. Would be fun and beautiful to be at Stuart with snow.

Making new dock lines is so enjoyable!

Making new dock lines is one of my favorite boat hobbies. It is simple and satisfying to splice the eye into the line, and the lines are so smooth and supple before being roughened with use. I find I replace my dock lines about every two years or so. This sounds frequent to me, but by then, they are getting a bit worn on their jackets and I like making them so much I just do it.

I use 1/2" nylon dock lines for Aeolus, which seems to be the sweet spot between strength and elasticity. When I compare the cost of making lines with the cost of buying them pre-made, I am reminded of the many ways in which DIY saves immense cash. Especially when you buy your line material at LFS marine in Bellingham, WA. Great prices.

We are heading up to Aeolus for this MLK weekend and can't wait for more adventures. While there I will launch into the renovation of my entire anchor windlass mounting and chain management systems. A much anticipated project, and one that will fill a future post or two.