S.V. CAMBRIA: April 2014

Sum It Up Sunday: 4 . . . I mean 11 Days and Counting!

Sunday, April 27, 2014TheCambrians

Another two weeks have come and gone . . . along with our departure date.

We had some beautiful weather for a while there and David made real progress on the jobs we planned to attack after we left Kingston. But it is spring and the good weather was soon replaced with a series of lows, troughs, fronts and whatever else tickled Mother Nature’s fancy, so we decided to extend our stay here one more week to take advantage of a lovely high pressure system that should greet us by Tuesday and finish up the jobs he started.

Bad weather can lead to boredom, but we squeezed in a moment or two of excitement and managed to avoid a potential disaster last weekend. Our neighbour, Jerry, just happened to be coming back from the laundry room at the right time – as smoke was coming from our shore power box. Somehow our connection was loosened allowing for a higher resistance and creating heat which melted the power prong into the socket . . . all while still supplying power to the boat so we weren’t aware of the problem. In the end, Jerry alerted us and we avoided setting the marina on fire, starting with the shore power box. Phew! We almost blew our chances of being invited back next winter.

Inspecting the damage.

So I guess it’s a good job that we, along with our neighbours, had arranged a spaghetti feed for the staff at the day before as a way of saying thank you for all they’ve done for us this winter. Everyone here has been great and made the seven months we’ve been here fly by. Our only regret – we didn’t find Kingston earlier! It truly is the second best marina we’ve stayed in during our 13 years on the water. When you consider the best is a four-star resort where we had access to all the amenities (not to mention the Pacific Ocean), second place is a real complement!

Saying thanks and good-bye to a great marina staff!

When we weren’t starting fires* or attempting to schmooze the staff, David was busy working on the boat. The cabin top’s been cleaned and polished, and he managed to erase every last speck of green from the teak decks (which look smashing!) and will seal them later this week. It’s been pretty squally over the last few days; so he’s been passing time by pulling apart the boat, going through his things, and deciding what comes with us and what goes into storage (my dream come true!) to make room for this week’s biggest news . . . a new portable freezer!

It’s something we’ve been thinking about for a while and with Sally’s inability to digest dog food, we need to carry more fresh provisions with us and our little 12x10x5 inch freezer box (0.35 cubic feet) isn’t going to cut it. Of course it can’t be simple. Cambria lacks good storage (though that’s not entirely fair – I mean, really, without the 3 guitars, the amp, the Jam Vox, the kayaks, the air chair and the tons of tools we need, there’d be plenty of space). So, finding a place to install it was our first obstacle. We decided on the area we call the “shed”. On paper it’s a pilot berth but in reality, it’s a catchall for our junk. But it’s a secure location and has easy access to a 12-volt power supply, so it’s a logical spot.

But now we have to get it in.

We narrowed our purchase down to two freezers – the Dometic CF50 and CF80. The smaller unit would fit perfectly through the doorway to the shed and the larger one is a half inch too large . . . but 1.5 times bigger. In the end, we decided to go big or go home, but now David has a difficult job to deal with (another reason we decided to stay an extra week). But for now, the freezer is sitting in the back seat of our truck waiting to be unpacked.

The Dometic CF 80 portable freezer.

As for me, I have to be honest and say that I didn’t accomplish a whole heck of a lot over the last two weeks but that’s because the remaining jobs on my to-do list are last minute ones, so I’ve been enjoying a bit of free time and catching up on some knitting. I suppose one could argue that I could help David with his list, but one would be wrong. When it comes to the crappy boat jobs, it’s pretty much every man (or woman) for themselves around here!

Sally continues to do well on her Canna-Pet but had her first bad day last week. It was emotionally difficult for us but, after all was said and done and I could gain a little perspective on the situation, one day out of 20 is really good. And besides, it was my fault. Just a few paragraphs ago I wrote that Sally can’t digest dog food anymore, so what did I give her for dinner Wednesday night? A can of dog food. It’s a long story that doesn’t bear getting into, so I’ll just say a can here and there to see her through the days I’m too busy to cook for her (yes, my wonderfully neurotic dog likes her food to be prepared fresh daily) hasn’t hurt in the past. But apparently, that was the past. Anyway. She’s fine now and back to being a right pain in the ass, which is exactly how I like it.

The next ten days or so will be busy as we make our final preparations to leave: The headliner’s still a work in progress, but that can probably wait. We’ve got to install the freezer and then I have to fill it (ice cream!). David has to finish the decks. There’s brightwork to be done. And the hull’s screaming for a polish and wax. It doesn’t look like much on “paper” but, like fine wine, these things take time!

* Even though I’ve chosen to write about this in a light-hearted way, I want to make it clear that we took (and take) the situation very seriously. David’s previous profession was in fire and life safety systems and we’re diligent about checking our power connection regularly.

Inside Passage Pacific Northwest Reflections on Cruising

What's So Great About Cruising the PNW?

Tuesday, April 22, 2014TheCambrians

It’s not a question we often hear, but Latitude 38 posed it recently in their online magazine. Here’s some of what they wrote:

We're not asking this in a derisive manner, but out of curiosity. We all have our preferences, and in case anyone hasn't noticed, those of us at Latitude 38 are more inclined to like the tropics than cooler cruising areas . . . . Yet being close-minded isn't the smartest predisposition, as you can miss out on a lot of great things in life . . . . So while lying in our bunk the other night, we got to thinking, maybe we're missing great things in the Pacific Northwest. We know the seafood is great. We know there are some beautiful vistas. Maybe there's even more to it than that.

Maybe doesn’t even come close. Definitely is more like it.

David and I spent six years in

New Zealand

living aboard, cruising, working, doing partial refits on two boats and generally trying to figure out what was next. During that time we met a lot of world cruisers and whenever we asked them where the best cruising grounds where, 9 times out of 10 the answer was British Columbia (if you’re curious, the 10^th was the Tuamotus in French Polynesia).

So what’s so great about cruising in the Pacific Northwest?

Protected Waters

From Puget Sound to Southeast Alaska, you’re protected from the open ocean with two major exceptions, Cape Caution and Dixon Entrance. That’s not to say cruising in the PNW is without its own set of challenges: Currents, fast-moving weather systems, katabatic winds, rapids and major bodies of water like the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Georgia Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait offer plenty of excitement. And when that’s not enough, the West Coast of Vancouver Island takes you back to open-ocean cruising.

Diverse Cruising Grounds

Not only does the PNW have more than 16,000 nautical miles of coastline to explore, the cruising grounds are as diverse as they are expansive: From glaciers to white sand beaches; protected waters to the open-ocean; islands to fjords; anchorages filled with dozens of boats to ones that look like they’ve never seen man, the PNW has it all! On any given day we find ourselves surrounded by mountains, swimming in waterfalls, walking barefoot in the sand or soaking in a natural hot spring (our personal favourite) miles and miles away from civilization. For us, it simply doesn’t get any better!

First-World Cruising

The Inside Passage runs through two first-world countries – the

and

Canada

– although it’s not a plus for everyone, there are some benefits: The charts are regularly updated and generally accurate, unlike some parts of the world where they can be off by a nautical mile or more. The VHF weather reports put out by NOAA and Environment Canada are precise, informative, transmitted on 24-loop and updated every six hours. Because the Inside Passage is the main commercial shipping route north, marine services are usually available within 50 nautical miles, even in the remotest of areas. And yet there are still opportunities for cultural experiences through the many Native American and First Nations communities.

Safe Anchorages

In five years of exploring thousands of miles of coastline, we’ve rarely been more than a few hours away from an anchorage that offers excellent protection, even on the West Coast of Vancouver Island (with one exception – from Cape Scott to Quatsino Sound if the conditions are rough, getting into Sea Otter Cove would be very dangerous). And with the excellent weather forecasts from NOAA and Environment Canada, we’ve always had plenty of time to seek shelter – that’s not to say we haven’t made a bad decision along the way!

People

Whether it’s on the water or in the towns we visit, the people living in the Pacific Northwest are the best of the best: They’re generous, friendly, welcoming and trusting. In our experience, locals are eager to help and will offer to lend you their cars, drive you around town, or invite you into their homes within five minutes of meeting.

Wildlife

If the scenery isn’t reason enough to be here, the PNW is teeming with wildlife: Humpback whales and orcas follow the salmon runs. Black bears and grizzlies forage the shorelines of secluded anchorages along with cougars and wolves. Bald and golden eagles soar above head while blue herons, loons and mergansers guard the water (among hundreds of other species of birds). Everywhere you look in the PNW, there’s something new and exciting to see.

Hiking

I love to hike and the PNW offers a lot of opportunities to stretch your legs while on the water, especially in the lower portions of the Inside Passage like the San Juan Islands, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and Desolation Sound. Most trails wind through rainforests and lead to fresh water lakes, beautiful vistas or some of the best beaches in the PNW.

Kayaking

The PNW also offers world-class kayaking and it’s not uncommon to find small groups exploring Desolation or Barkley Sounds for days at a time. More intrepid kayakers will make the trip from Seattle to Ketchikan. Others come from all over the globe to shoot the Skookumchuck Narrows. As for us, we prefer to paddle around whatever anchorage we happen to be in.

Fishing

Fishing in the PNW is world-class (do you see a pattern developing here?). Most cruisers find their traps filled with Dungeness crab or prawns with only a few hours of soaking. While others pull in salmon, halibut or ling cod (to name a few). Others still get straight to the point and fill their BBQs with fresh oysters they peeled off the rocks. It’s all there for the taking, as long as you have a proper license and the area you’re in is open to fishing.

Long Days

But what good is all of this without days long enough to enjoy it? In the height of summer, we can see 20 hours of light (more in the higher latitudes) which means we have plenty of time to move from anchorage to anchorage and still explore our new surroundings.

If any of these things appeal to you, I hope you’ll follow along with our blog as we untie from the dock next week (fingers crossed) and make our way north, highlighting some of the more spectacular anchorages along the way.

Cruising with a Dog Living Aboard a Boat

Cruising With a Geriatric Dog: Everybody's Getting Ready for the Season

Wednesday, April 16, 2014TheCambrians

Cruising with a dog at the best of times can be difficult. Cruising with a geriatric dog can be down-right challenging. But cruising with a geriatric dog with a laundry-list of ailments truly is daunting. Even though we know Sally’s health will be even more difficult to manage once drop our lines for the season, we’re both desperate for one last “hurrah” so that we can spend some quality time with our furry friend at anchor. But it wasn’t looking very promising.

And then the idea hit me.

We’re both supporters of medical marijuana as a natural way to treat people, so why wouldn’t it be just as effective on dogs? I got straight to work and started researching our options. Obviously dogs can’t (and shouldn’t) smoke pot but there had to be other choices available, and I was determined to find them.

And I did.

Most articles that came up during my search kept leading back to the same person – a veterinarian out of Los Angeles who has been using a marijuana tincture successfully to treat dogs with a wide variety of ailments. Unfortunately (and totally unrelated to his research), he passed away last year which seems to have left a void in the MMJ for pets world and left me without the information I was seeking – dosage!

The last thing you want to do is get your pet high. Apparently it’s not a pleasant experience for them and Sally has enough problems without me adding to her laundry list of issues. And then, of course, there’s the issue of legality. Here in Washington, marijuana is legal so it’s perfectly fine for me to give it to Sally. However, without a medical marijuana card, it’s not yet legal for me to buy it. But that wasn’t my biggest problem. We spend six months of the year cruising in British Columbia where MMJ is illegal and there was no way in hell we were going to risk transporting drugs across the border . . . not even for Sally.

So I had to keep looking.

And that’s how I found Canna-Pet – medical cannabis for pets. It’s a hemp-based product and contains almost no THC (the “high” educing component to marijuana), it’s already properly dosed for our pup, AND because hemp is legal in many parts of the world we can bring it with us to

Canada

without fear of arrest (that’s always a good thing!). So we decided to give it a try.

After two weeks on Canna-Pet, Sally is doing markedly better. In fact, it’s literally been the difference between life and death for her . . . and that’s no exaggeration.

Sally looking a lot worse for the wear 24 hours after her first seizure.
Her head's hung low and she's leaning on the bulkhead for support while she stands.

Towards the end of March, Sally had a seizure but started to recover until she had another one a few days later. The second one was much milder than the first, but she wasn’t recovering from it. In fact, she was getting worse: She wouldn’t eat. She wouldn’t drink much. She wasn’t steady on her feet. She didn’t have a lot of energy or interest in what was happening around her. And she was showing signs of stress. For the first time since she fell ill in December, David and I were in agreement – we couldn’t let her go on like that and we had to think about calling a vet.

But I had just made a commitment to Canna-Pet. I had reached out to them and asked if they would like to help sponsor our website, and they accepted. In exchange for their product at a discount, I would document the effects of Canna-Pet on Sally and write a review (this is it!) – not exactly “sailing” material, but Sally IS an important member of our crew.

It was a tough decision to make. Should we fulfill our commitment to Canna-Pet or our promise not to allow Sally to suffer needlessly? Sadly, her health was that bad. But David has a motto of sorts and the older I get, the more I find myself adopting it: Never do anything you can’t undo. Once we bring her to the vet, that’s it. There’s no going back. So, in the end, we decided to give her two weeks on the supplement. If nothing changed or the situation worsened, we’d make the call. And then something wonderful happened. The Canna-Pet started working.

Sally two days ago begging for treats with her head held high and
standing on her own four paws

Before we started the process, Sally scored 36 out of 80 points on Dr. Katie Hilst’s Quality of Life Scale – that’s 45% . . . a failing grade. Two weeks later, she scored a 51 (64%) and grows a little stronger every day.

We had three simple goals:

1. Improve Sally’s appetite.

2. Provide pain relief for her arthritis

3. Improve her level of alertness, resulting in an improved quality of life.

Over the course of the past two weeks, that’s exactly what we saw. But the changes didn’t stop there:

1. Because her arthritis is being managed better, Sally’s posture has improved. Before Canna-Pet, she was walking with a rounded back which, I think, changed the way she stepped on her paws. Long story short, her nails (both front and back) had been worn down to the quick but they’re starting to grow back now.

2. She’s walking more fluidly.

3. She’s holding her head up rather than walking around like a “hang dog”.

4. Her tail is in the air more often . . . and it actually wags again.

5. She started grooming herself again.

6. She interested in what we’re doing again.

7. We’re seeing signs of the Sally we’ve known and loved for all these years – orneriness and stubbornness with a little bit of mischievousness thrown in (they may not sound like positives, but they are).

8. She seems excited about life again.

9. She comes out to greet me when I come home.

We’re now 15 days away from the start of our cruising season and Sally has a quality of life we haven’t been able to provide her with for quite some time: A life free from stress. Not only is she happier, but we’re happier . . . and more relaxed. I feel like we have our lives back as well. It’s still not an ideal situation. Sally will leave us one day . . . soon. That’s just how it goes. And while we know and understand that she can’t be with us forever, at least now we have the opportunity to spend our final time together doing what we love – living at anchor. And for that, we’re eternally grateful.

Disclaimer: I am not a vet nor do I have any experience in veterinary medicine. The previous blog entry is merely an account based on our personal experience with Canna-Pet and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Results for the same or a similar experience can not be guaranteed. Please consult your veterinarian before making any healthcare decisions for your pet.

Boat Project Living Aboard a Boat Sum It Up Sunday

Sum It Up Sunday: 18 Days and Counting!

Sunday, April 13, 2014TheCambrians

Things are starting to look up weather-wise!

It’s that time of year again. Spring is here, the days are growing longer, and the weather has taken at turn . . . for the better!

Cambria’s shaping up nicely for the season, sort of. We put most of the jobs that fall into the TLC category (sanding, varnishing, polishing, etc.) on hold, which eases a lot of the pressure. It’s not that these things don’t need to be done. They do (man, do they ever!) but we decided to work on them while we’re at anchor (famous last words). However, there’s been a significant change in the weather over the last couple of weeks and the nice days have started to outnumber the bad ones, so that could change.

David’s been busy working on the headliner and lighting for the galley which meant another trip up to Port Townsend to buy the oak trim; a visit with our friend, Jack, to rip the wood, cut it and route the edges; more planning; measuring and cutting. But the section along the starboard side is now finished and looks fantastic! Last year we changed our halogen bulbs out for LEDs and have been disappointed with how dark the galley’s been since then. But not anymore! We’re now fully lit and David can finally see those remaining bits of food hiding in the fork tines when he’s doing the dishes.

The new galley lighting and headliner fix look great!

I’ve been busy as well doing what I do best – organizing. I arranged a place to store the truck while we’re gone, planned our route for the season, ordered in a Canadian SIM card for the iPhone so we can have better access to the internet this summer, bought and stored most of our provisions, and have been working on securing another sponsor for the website (fingers crossed). I even managed to put together a little art project in the salon. But most of my time has been dedicated to Sally.

Using NOAA printable charts is an easy and inexpensive way to decorate.

You may remember that she had a seizure on the 29^th of March . . . well, she had another, much smaller, one on the 31^st and it didn’t look like she was going to recover from it. In fact, she got much worse: She wouldn’t eat. She wouldn’t drink much. She wasn’t very steady on her feet. She lacked energy. And she was showing signs of stress. It was a difficult time, one full of tears, and both David and I agreed that if she didn’t show any signs of improvement within a few days, it was time to call a vet. And then something wonderful happened. She started to get better. It’s been a difficult couple of weeks, but it looks like Sally’s out of the woods and that her health is stabilized (more on that in a later blog).

In the middle of all the drama, we reached a small milestone – our 9^th wedding anniversary. We’d planned to take the boat down to the South Sound for a test cruise and to celebrate, but Sally wasn’t up to the trip so we stayed here and marked the occasion quietly. The good news is that she’s well enough now that we feel comfortable leaving the marina the first of May – in 18 short days!

Route Planning the Inside Passage

What's Next? The 2014 Cruising Season

Friday, April 11, 2014TheCambrians

The map above marks the anchorages we hope to visit along the way this year.

For the best effect, click the “satellite” button.

2014 was slated to be our sixth and final season cruising these waters and we saved the best for last . . . Southeast Alaska. Unfortunately, it's been a difficult winter for Sally the Dog, so we decided to limit our cruising to more familiar areas closer to civilization (and veterinarians).

We still hope to make it as far north as Prince Rupert, spending some more time along

Canada

’s Central Coast and exploring an often over-looked area called Gardner Channel. Rumour has it that this section of British Columbia rivals Southeast Alaska in beauty with the added bonus of no cruise ships! But, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. We’re just looking forward to untying our lines and spending some quality time together at anchor – just the three of us – as we accompany Sally on what looks to be her final season.

This is a difficult time for us. We always knew Sally couldn’t be with us forever – it’s the nature of the beast, so to speak. But now that the end is clearly coming, it’s harder than we ever imagined possible. Most days we feel overwhelmed and question whether or not we’re making the right decisions for her, especially after she has a bad day. But we’re doing the best we can, and so is she.

Back in December when Sally was at her worst, I didn’t think she was ever going to make it home again. But she did. After we came back to the boat in January, I didn’t think she was going to make the cruising season. But she is. And now I’m not sure if she’ll ever see her 18^th birthday. But she might. Now our only goal is to make sure every day she has with us is the best it can possibly be. Right or wrong, our lives have become centered around Sally and meeting her needs. It’s not easy. And it often means giving up things we’d like to do in order to spend time with her . . . the cruising season is no exception.

So while there are dozens of anchorages and places in British Columbia that we’d still like to see, we’re going to have to take each day as it comes and adjust accordingly. If Sally’s up for it, we’ll hit the places marked on the map. If not, we’ll stick to less remote areas where we have better access to veterinary care. Either way, it’s going to be a memorable year.