S.V. CAMBRIA: June 2012

Prideaux Haven, Desolation Sound Marine Park

Friday, June 29, 2012TheCambrians

David enjoying the view as we kayak around Prideaux Haven

The week began beautifully as the barometer rose, leaving behind sunny skies and warm days which were easy to fill. For the most part, we kept to ourselves and enjoyed paddling around the many coves and islets exploring areas of the parks we’d yet to discover. By Monday it was hot and the kids were in the water swimming around their boats. It was tempting for adults as well, at least for this adult, but 65° F water isn’t necessarily my cup of tea. Kayaking, however, is. So we stuck to that.

But all good things must come to an end, particularly in the realm of weather and, by Thursday morning, the rain had moved back in. Every now and again, rainy days are a good excuse to do absolutely nothing. It’s only when you have several in a row that things start to get difficult … especially when you have a dog aboard.

By this afternoon, I had to get off the boat, so I decided to dinghy down to Laura Cove and hike alongt he trail to Melanie Cove to help clear out the cobwebs. Most trails in this area are blazed by bears or loggers, but this one is unique in that it was forged by two “hermits”, Mike Shutter and Phil Lavigne more than one hundred years ago. For me, there’s something special about walking in the same footsteps as someone who made their own way in this world. It’s something I understand, that I can connect with. And thanks to the weather, I had the trail to myself and was able to walk away some of my restlessness before going back to the boat where I found David, who rarely seems to suffer from the same affliction, taking an afternoon nap.

It’s always a little difficult to say good-bye, but it's time for us to leave Prideaux Haven. The Coast Mountains are holding the inclement weather in place so, come hell or high water, we’ll up anchor tomorrow and move closer to Vancouver Island where we hope to find better weather and to set ourselves up for the next stage of our journey – The Discovery Islands.

British Columbia Desolation Sound the Inside Passage

Prideaux Haven, Desolation Sound Marine Park

Saturday, June 23, 2012TheCambrians

Cambria at home in Prideaux Haven.

The rain had cleared by morning and it was another calm and quiet day on the Strait of Georgia. We took our time getting ready to leave so that we wouldn’t have to battle against a head current and, even though we were motoring against an outgoing tide, we managed to gain a one knot push once we passed Powell River.

We motored up the narrow channel that separates the Copeland Islands from the mainland and, once again, found ourselves tempted to stop –the group of islets offer some of the best kayaking in the area. But, even though we hadn’t spoken about our next destination, we both knew where we were going: Prideaux Haven in Desolation Sound Marine Park.

We rounded Sarah Point, the gateway to Desolation Sound, and were met with a similar view to the one we had when we left the area eight months, low clouds and grey skies, as if a day hadn’t passed since we were here last. David negotiated the rocky entrance into Prideaux Haven and the bay opened up before us. Unlike last September when we were alone, there were several other boats already anchored here but our “spot” was free and waiting for us to fill it, so he dropped the anchor and brought Cambria home.

It didn’t take long for us to put everything away and launch the kayaks so that we could reacquaint ourselves with the area. We floated along the channel that separates Melanie Point from Cobblestone Island reminiscing about the afternoons we spent doing the same thing last September while following a black bear as he foraged along the shore. And even though we both knew there wouldn’t be any bears this time around, it was nice to recall the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

While sitting on the deck after dinner and enjoying the view, thunder rolled to the east of us and the sky darkened. The wind began to pick up throughout the evening, reaching speeds of twenty-eight knots with gusts close to thirty-five, and the rain, once again, began to fall. But Cambria was securely anchored and merely followed the swirling winds as they made their way down from the Coast Mountains. As the night wore on, it finally blew itself out and the barometer rose bringing the promise of a better day tomorrow.

British Columbia the Inside Passage the Sunshine Coast

Ballet Bay to Westview (Powell River)

Friday, June 22, 2012TheCambrians

The sun setting in Ballet Bay.

Feeling the effects of a great evening with Tani and Gary, we opted for a late departure from Pender Harbour yesterday and waited to up-anchor until after lunch. There was hardly a breath of wind on the water and we had the Strait of Georgia to ourselves as we motored north to our next destination: Ballet Bay on the northern edge of Nelson Island.

As Jervis Inlet with her heavily snow-capped mountains passed by our starboard side, we were tempted toturn right and take a trip to Chatterbox Falls, one of our favourite destinations. But it would have to wait. Asmuch as we love it there, neither one of us felt like motoring one hundred miles only to end up exactly where we started one week later. And although Ballet Bayisn’t a major destination like Chatterbox, it is a convenient stopover on the way to Desolation Sound, which is.

We dropped anchor around three o’clock and for the first time out of many visits launched our kayaks and paddled around the surrounding rock islets. It was another warm, sunny day and beautifully quiet outside making it a really nice way to end the afternoon. The kayaks have turned out to be some of our best investments over the years. They’re a brilliant way to get explore our surroundings, especially as we move further north where the land can be so inaccessible.

But every day on the water is different and today brought southerly winds and the promise of a nice sail up to Desolation. Cruising these waters is all about timing: wind direction, currents, distance, etc. If all of these elements come together, you’ve got the makings of an excellent sail If not, you can be met with a washing machine of confused seas. Today the wind was in our favour but the tide was still going out, even if just slightly, and the opposing wind made the Strait of Georgia much livelier than it was yesterday. But with forty-five nautical miles to travel, we couldn’t wait any later in the day when the current was slack to leave, so we upped anchor at ten o’clock and left Ballet Bay.

We only had seventeen miles to Westview where we planned to stop to re-provision and fuel up, hardly worth the effort it takes to raise and lower our main, so we motor-sailed under jib alone. The short waves were aft of beam causing Cambria to corkscrew as the stern was lifted by a wave and slid down before the rest of the boat could follow and the next one arrived. It was a long morning for us all, especially Sally who absolutely hates short and square seas (small waves that run close together). But the conditions improved considerably an hour or so later once we passed the northern entrance to Jervis Inlet.

We were tied to the docks in Westview by one o’clock and I jumped ship to walk up “Cardiac Hill” to buy more groceries, leaving David behind to scrub the decks which were still dirty from the boatyard in Nanaimo. The second I stepped off the boat, it started to sprinkle and by the time I reached the shops, it was raining. When I got back a couple of hours later, I was soaking wet and visibility along the Strait was poor. It was apparent that the weather wasn’t going anywhere soon, so we begrudgingly took a berth for the night, hoping like hell it would be the one and only time this season.

British Columbia the Inside Passage the Sunshine Coast

Pender Harbour

Thursday, June 21, 2012TheCambrians

David enjoying a Father's Day sail across the Strait of Georgia.

We left Nanaimo late Sunday morning and made our way across the Strait of Georgia for Pender Harbour, a group of small communities that share a common bay along the Sunshine Coast.

What little wind we saw, eight to ten knots on average, was coming from the southeast – dare we hoist the sails? Absolutely. For a boat that currently weighs in at a hefty 30,000 pounds, Cambria moves well in lighter winds. Though it wasn’t an exciting sail, only making five to six knots along the way, we managed to cross the Strait silently for a change, without the help of the engine. Not a bad way to spend Father’s Day, not bad at all.

Pender Harbour is a conveniently located stopover for boats travelling to Princess Louisa Inlet or further north to Desolation Sound which makes it somewhat of a nautical crossroads where, if you wait around long enough, you’ll meet up with someone you know. This time around it happened to be Doug and Terri, a couple we met two years ago in Shoal Bay, who are en route to Reid Island in the Discovery Group. It was really nice to see them both again and catch up on what’s been happening over drinks and nibbles with plans to meet again on Reid – funnily enough, the last time our paths crossed was also in Pender Harbour during the 2010 Jazz Festival.

Earlier in the day, I finally tackled the Mount Daniel hike, the tallest point in Pender Harbour. For years I’ve been threatening to find the trail head so that I could hike to the summit, some 1400 feet above sea level, where there’s a beautiful view. I should have known it was going to be a long afternoon when it took close to an hour to reach the trail head but, forever the pig-headed optimist, I carried on. The sign at the base read that the actual hike was “moderate” and would only take fifty-five minutes. Great. Though not hiking-fit, Istill figured I could knock it out in forty-five minutes and, even with the long walk back to the dinghy, would be finished in plenty of time for drinks with Terri and Doug. Not so. But I hadn’t come that far only to turn back without seeing the view, so I climbed and climbed until I finally made it – one hour later.

The view was impressive and worth the effort it took to reach the summit. Once the trees cleared, I could see across the Strait of Georgia, past Texada to Vancover Island. But my time was limited, so I took a few pictures, grabbed the strongest stick I could find to help me make my way down and left. It was only then that I realized how steep the trail had been – just about every step of the nearly two-mile long trail was downhill, giving my knees a real workout. I did, however, manage to get back to the boat before Terri and Doug arrived.

But the highlight of our time here was last night when some friends from Sechelt, Tani and Gary, drove up to have dinner with us aboard Cambria. We hadn’t seen them since September of last year and there was a lot to catch up on and little time to do it in. We all did our best though, and had a great evening together before we had to take them back to their car in Madeira Park.

And once again it’s time to say good-bye to Pender Habour, something we’re always sorry to do, and continue north ….

The view from Mount Daniel.

Boat Maintenance Through-Hull Fittings

Stones Boatyard & Marina, Nanaimo

Thursday, June 21, 2012TheCambrians

The new valves for the forward head still showing blood from David's arms.

They say you’ve “hit the wall” when you’re no longer making any progress while attempting to achieve a goal. It’s the moment when you’re so tired, both mentally and physically, that you can’t seem to get out of your own way. When everything that can go wrong, does and you’re faced with one problem after another. Tuesday was that day. From start to finish, nothing seemed to work in our favour; and by the time five o’clock rolled around, we both felt deflated and beaten.

First up, while waiting for David to get out of bed, I decided to do a little research and took a lookat all of the through-hulls that were bad. Three came from the heads and one from the galley sink. I deep clean the toilets with bleach from time to time, so I Googled the effects of bleach on bronze. It only took a few minutes of effort to learn that bleach oxidizes metal: in other words, I had exacerbated the situation, if not caused it (not that human waste is a friend). As far as the galley sink goes, well, you don’t even want to know some of the things we’re willing to throw down there. I felt like a real idiot. But David took the information in stride, smiled a bit and kissed me sweetly on the forehead: as always, we were in this together. Even still, it affected my outlook for the rest of the day.

Next up, with three new through-hulls to install, we started with the engine intake. We slopped it with 4200, put it in place and David went up to secure it while I stayed outside with rain dripping down the back of my neck and under my shirt and held it in place. It wasn’t long enough. So it was back to the office to look through the catalogue to find one that was. No luck. Then it was off to Harbour Chandlery to see what they had. No luck there, either. Fortunately, Nick, the boatyard manager, found one from a local source and had it picked up. Because the through-hulls in the engine room are very difficult to access and have to be installed in a certain order (starting with the engine intake), it was on to the next job while we waited for the new fitting to arrive.

David moved on to the forward head and installed the new valves. This actually went well. I held the through-hulls in place from underneath the boat while he attached them from inside the boat. The rain had stopped, our new part had arrived while we were working (which was long enough), and things were beginning to look up.

With the new part in hand, he installed the last three through-hulls from the confines of the engine room while I held everything in place from underneath the boat. Once again, it actually went well and the job turned out to be a lot easier than we originally thought it would be. So it was on to the next job – attaching the hoses to the newly installed valves in the forward head. This is where he “hit the wall’. After fighting and fighting to secure the discharge hose to the valve, he realized the ends were different sizes – the hose was 1 ½ inches and the valve was ¾ inch. Once again, we had the wrong part. By this time the office was closed, so he couldn’t source a new one and we had to call it a day.

At the time it felt like we were never going to see the end of this project – that we’d opened a can of worms that couldn’t be closed. But in hindsight, it was a very productive day, even if it didn’t feel that way at the time, which is all that mattered. We felt frustrated, tired and beaten, therefore we were. But, as promised, Wednesday was a brand new day and the work went much more smoothly. Nick, once again, picked up the parts we needed for the forward head locally and David was able to reattach the hoses. Sure. He gave a bit of his blood, sweat and tears in the process but he got it done, along with everything else over the course of the next two days. And on Friday afternoon when the tide was coming in, Cambria was gently placed back into the water.

Before we left, Nick and Ian came aboard to check David’s work and were impressed. Not only had he done a professional job, but he managed to access areas of the boat that left them both amazed. But the best news was that there were no leaks! The only mistake we’d made was thinking that installing the new through-hulls would be easier than taking them out: they weren’t … they were merely a different challenge.

We slowly motored back to Mark’s Bay for the night where we slept like babies, swinging freely on the hook. While cleaning the boat today, we took a look at all seventeen through-hulls and valves and did a quick forensic test. We initially thought only four were bad: the aft head discharge, forward head discharge, holding tank discharge and galley sink outlet. But the list grew to seven and included the aft head sink outlet, forward head sink outlet and galley seawater intake – it seems bleach wasn’t the only culprit after all (not that we’ll ever use it again). As for the valves, the following weren’t working: aft head discharge, holding tank discharge, forward head discharge, lazerette outlet, both cockpit drain outlets,and the raw water intake for the engine (the most critical of them all).

The timing was bad. Who wants to be at anchor, miles away from the nearest city, at the start of a five month trip only to discover they have a hole in the boat? Nobody. But it needed to be done and we're both happy that it is. Now we can continue north with confidence in the boat and a job well-done.

Boat Maintenance On the Hard Through-Hull Fittings

Stones Boatyard & Marina, Nanaimo

Monday, June 11, 2012TheCambrians

The epoxied hole and the through-hole as seen inside the bilge and outside the boat.

Progress over the past week has been disappointingly slow, but not surprising. We knew before we started this was going to be a difficult task, and it has been. Difficult and painstaking.

Once the through-hulls were removed, each hole had to be sanded and the edges filled with epoxy for protection. Once the epoxy cured, twenty-four hours later, the holes needed to be sanded again and cleaned with acetone. Then, and only then, could we start to install the new through-hulls.

The through-hulls are secured with a nut that screws down to a backing plate in the bilge. To close the gaps and provide a water barrier, we’re using a 3M product called 4200. Unlike its counterpart, 5200 which would permanently adhere to the hull and take parts of it with it if the through-hulls ever needed to be taken out, 4200 can be removed when needed but still provides an excellent seal. The only issue is the 4200, come to find out, won’t hold the through-hull in place after it’s cured and the bond can be broken with a twisting motion. The cause of our next problem.

While I was busy applying a fresh coat of anti-foul today, David attempted to install a valve onto the through-hull in the forward head sink. Because I wasn’t outside the boat with a fid holding the through-hull in place, it moved as he was tightening the valve and now has to be reinstalled. With a cure time of twenty-four hours, that’s another day before we can try it again. Lesson learned.

But it gets worse. With me still busy, he moved on to the engine room to install new valves on the three through-hulls that he hadn’t removed – the two cockpit drains and the engine intake – which is when he learned the threads aren’t the same. Cambria is a British built boat and the threads are British Standard Pipe. The threads on the new valves are National Pipe. Because we can’t order valves with BSP in the Western Hemisphere, the through-hulls had to come out and the previous procedure repeated.

Surprisingly, he was able to remove the trio in only three hours. Because of inaccessibility in the engine room, David had to attack the problem from outside the boat and grind the mushroom base of the through-hull off – something that required a cool head and a steady hand because of the possibility of damaging the hull with the angle grinder in the process, but it turned out to be the easiest method. Once again, lesson learned.

Boat Maintenance On the Hard Through-Hull Fittings

Stones Boatyard & Marina, Nanaimo

Monday, June 04, 2012TheCambrians

The offending through-hull and fittings.

Even on the best of days, it’s unusual to see David emerge from our cabin before nine o’clock (and by nine o’clock, I really mean ten). The last few days have been no exception, even with all of the work that needs to be done. Despite my great words of encouragement the other night, he continues to haunt the boat until the early hours of the morning while thinking his way through the job ahead of him, getting by on only a few hours of sleep (even with the late arousal).

He attacked the aft head discharge through-hull first and removed what remained. It was pink from corrosion and, like its former half, was able to be broken by hand. Not what you want to see from a metal fitting. Not at all. An hour or so later, the aft head intake was out. The through-hull looked fine, but the valve isn’t operating which means every through-hull and valve in the boat will have to be taken out … all seventeen of them.

Next up was the forward head. David struggled to remove the hose from the discharge valve – pushing, pulling and sawing his way through before it finally gave up the fight. Just when he thought the through-hull was in good condition because it withstood the wrestling match with the hose, he gave the fitting a good whack with the rubber mallet and it sheared straight off.

The last few days haven’t been without their share of problems. Progress has been slow and frustrating, but David soldiered on while I sat in the corner and stayed out of his way. In three days, he has been able to remove fourteen through-hulls and says he’s feeling his age – there was a time when we could work on the boat for eight hours and start in again the following morning like it was nothing – but a young guy who works in the yard was only able to get eight off another boat in two and a half days, so I think he’s doing pretty well … even for an old git.

Here are the results to date:

Day One:

Four through-hulls removed (three were corroded).
Six valves removed (four were NOT working).

Day Two:

Three through-hulls removed (one was corroded and the others were in good condition but starting to show slight signs of corrosion).
Four valves removed (all were stiff but working).

Day Three:

Seven through-hulls removed (all appear to be in good condition).
Four valves removed (all were in working condition).

And that’s it. There are three through-hulls remaining inthe engine room but they’re in good condition and difficult to access, so he’sgoing to leave them in and just replace the valves. But that’s a job for tomorrow.

Boat Maintenance On the Hard Through-Hull Fittings

Stones Boatyard & Marina, Nanaimo

Friday, June 01, 2012TheCambrians

Cambria coming out of the water.

The first of June is a special day to us. Not only is it my sister’s birthday (and without her, who would I be?), but it’s the anniversary of the day we moved aboard our first boat together – Sky Walker. That was eleven years ago. But more importantly, one-quarter of my life. I’m not sure where the time went or how do we do it? Those are questions I ask myself every day.

So. To celebrate this momentous occasion, what did we decide to do? Go out for dinner? Have a day at the spa? Take in a concert or a play? No! Being the consummate romantics, we hauled the boat out of the water. My absolute least favourite thing in the world to do. And with good reason.

I’ve already mentioned that boatyards are dirty places. Climbing up and down a ladder to get aboard isn’t much fun, especially when you’re afraid of heights. But the real issue, for me, is getting the boat into the slings, out of the water and propped without incident. Cambria can be a difficult boat to haul-out, or at least she has been in the past. On a couple of occasions, we’ve had bad experiences where it took hours to get her out. And worse yet, one time she was lifted on her prop shaft which ended up popping her rear engine mounts, a one thousand dollar repair the yard refused to accept responsibility for. Worse still, I’ve seen lift operators drop boats (twice!) and have heard horror stories about boats that were knocked over during high winds because they weren’t properly secured. So it’s fair to say I’m somewhat of a Nervous-Nelly whenever it’s our turn, even though we’ve had good experiences the last two times we came out of the water.

And today was no different. The staff at Stones is professional and very capable. They had Cambria in the slings and out of the water in a matter of minutes – perfectly balanced in the straps and weighing in at a lean 30,000 pounds. If we don’t stop dealing with competent people, I may have to put away my neurosis. But surely our paths will cross with hacks again, so I’ll just hold on a little longer.

Now the work can begin. Or can it? With my anxiety attack over, it was time for David to have his and fret over how he was going to get what’s left of the through-hull out (come to find out, they’re all embedded into the gelcoat or,in other words, literally built into the boat). Never one to be discouraged by petty details, I assured him we’d figure it out. But it wasn’t until Ian, the owner and manager, asked him if we had a tool called a Sawzall aboard (the name says it all) that he relaxed a bit. We don’t. But the yard does and he’ll lend it to us tomorrow, if need be. See. Problem solved.

And that’s exactly why David hasn’t thrown me overboard (not even once) in the past eleven years, I have complete confidence that everything will work out in the end. It always has. And I just know it always will, even when he doesn’t. That’s our secret. And why haven’t I thrown David overboard? That’s easy: I lack the physical strength.

Prideaux Haven, Desolation Sound Marine Park

Prideaux Haven, Desolation Sound Marine Park

Ballet Bay to Westview (Powell River)

Pender Harbour

Stones Boatyard & Marina, Nanaimo

Stones Boatyard & Marina, Nanaimo

Stones Boatyard & Marina, Nanaimo

Stones Boatyard & Marina, Nanaimo

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