S.V. CAMBRIA: January 2017

March | Word of the Week

Friday, January 20, 2017TheCambrians

Bute Inlet | Way Back Wednesday

Wednesday, January 18, 2017TheCambrians

It’s Way Back Wednesday, an opportunity to dig through the files and pull out an old blog post to shed some new light on it. Over the years, I’ve written several posts about anchorages we’ve stayed in, including first-hand anchoring information (i.e. holding, protection, GPS coordinates), historical information and things to do. To date, I’ve done 26 of these (they can all be found on our Destinations page) and they’re some of my favourite posts. For the next six months, I’ll be highlighting one every Wednesday (from south to north) and adding a few new ones in where I can. This week, it’s a return to Bute Inlet (you can read the original post here).

Disclaimer: This blog article is not to be used for navigation. It is purely an account of our personal experience in Bute Inlet, a remote wilderness location, during settled weather conditions. There are no services or VHF reception and any boat that enters should be self-sufficient.

With some cruising destinations, it’s all about what lies at the end of the road – a sandy beach, a waterfall, a special hike. With others, it’s what takes place along the way. Bute Inlet, one of British Columbia’s longest and deepest fjords, falls into the latter category. It’s here that boaters will find themselves surrounded by mile after mile of high, steep mountains and snow-capped peaks as they sail deep into the mainland and through some of the most beautiful scenery in and around the Desolation Sound area.

There’s no question that both David and I are fjord people – we can’t get enough of them – and one of the things we’ve tried to accomplish during the years we’ve been cruising the Inside Passage is to explore as many as we can. But try as we might one fjord, more than any other, has eluded us until recently because of inclement weather – Bute Inlet. In June of 2016, the forecast was in our favour so we seized the opportunity when we could. Unfortunately, our plans to spend a few nights exploring and enjoying several of its anchorages would have to change.

Every Experience is Different

There isn’t a lot of information written about Bute Inlet in the cruising guides and what there is, is out of date and doesn’t provide a complete picture. Some guides have opted to use generalized statements and singular accounts to describe an area that is unpredictable, remote and has its own micro-climate thanks, in part, to the steep mountain ranges and large ice fields. For example, the Waggoner Cruising Guide has been printing the following account from correspondents Gil and Karen Flanagan for several years regarding the head of Bute Inlet, Waddington Harbour:

There is no protection from wind, but we had no wind. We didn’t see much driftwood on the beach, either. We doubt if inflow winds blow hard or long, probably because even on hot days the massive ice fields in the mountains above preclude high land temperatures (p. 267).

And Dreamspeaker makes a similar claim in their guide, “A Dreamspeaker Cruising Guide: Desolation Sound”:

Afternoon inflow winds occur during settled, sunny weather. They are generally light but can be accelerated by the inlet’s length and steep-sided shoreline (p. 111).

While both statements stem from personal experience and Bute Inlet surely has its share of fine days, they’re both somewhat misleading. Inflow winds can blow hard and long . . . and they can reach the entire length of the inlet. Our personal experience is an example of that. The day we went up-inlet, it was sunny and warm. But the further we sailed, the less settled the weather became. The inflow winds didn’t die out; instead, they built to a steady 20 to 25 knots, running the entire length of the inlet. Some cruisers we know had a similar experience and turned around before reaching Waddington Harbour when katabatic winds knocked their sailboat on its side. And while Bute Inlet is better known for strong outflow winds, inflow winds deserve just as much consideration because what few anchorages there are along the 35-mile inlet don’t offer adequate protection.

Lack of Anchoring Possibilities

Before our trip up-inlet, we studied the charts and cruising guides and had a few anchorages in mind: Leask Creek, Orford Bay and Waddington Harbour, in particular. But by the time we reached the head of the inlet on our first day, both David and I were concerned about the changing weather and were ready to get out of there so the only first-hand information we have is for Waddington Harbour. Here’s what the Flanagans had to say in Waggoner Cruising Guide:

Waddington Harbour, at the head of Bute Inlet, has a lot of good anchoring spots in 10 to 50 foot depths (p. 267).

Like so many heads of inlets we’ve visited over the years, Waddington Harbour is a roadstead anchorage at best, and we didn’t feel that there were a lot of good anchoring opportunities despite its shallow depths. Additionally, the flats at the head of the inlet shoal rapidly and the milky, glacial waters make reading the bottom more difficult so careful sounding was required (though there was agreement between the charted depths and the depths we saw along the southeast corner). We were able to find a place to anchor (50°53.64 N, 124°47.65 W) that got us out of the bulk of the wind, but the better protected spots were fouled with deadheads (logs that stand upright in the water with only a few inches or feet showing) and logging equipment from the Southgate River operation that occupies the southeastern section of the bay.

What we can tell you about the other anchorages I mentioned is that none of them provide protection from inflow winds and Leask Creek has been taken over by (what appears to be) a high-dollar fishing resort (we later found out it was an expansion of Michelle Pfieffer’s home), Orford Bay is home to a large-scale logging operation and Waddington Harbour, as I’ve already mentioned, is a roadstead anchorage only suitable in settled conditions. There’s also a little nook along the eastern shore just south of the Orford River at 50°34.38 N, 124°52.46 W (mentioned in Waggoner) that looks like it would provide some protection from inflow and outflow winds on the chart but we didn’t take a look at it ourselves.

Despite their inclusion of the Flanagan account, the 2016 edition of Waggoner Cruising Guide has the most helpful advice when it comes to the anchorages inside Bute Inlet:

Except in small areas near the mouths of rivers and at the head of the inlet, it is not good for anchorage. Usually, the bottom drops away steeply, making a stern-tie to shore necessary. Anchorages should be chosen with an eye to strong inflow winds during the afternoon, followed by calm, then by icy outflow winds in the morning (p. 267).

And the Douglass guide, “Exploring the South Coast of British Columbia”, provides the most information, devoting two and a half pages to Bute Inlet, including excerpts from Sailing Directions.

Our Thoughts

At the end of the day, we’re glad that we finally had the opportunity to make a run up Bute Inlet: It’s a beautiful fjord with arguably the most dramatic and striking scenery in the Desolation Sound area. The shore is lined with steep, rugged mountains but they’ve been heavily logged along the entire length and, for us, that’s huge downside (along with the lack of good anchorages). It’s also very wide, spanning over a mile at its narrowest point, and lacks the intimacy of many of the other fjords along the Inside Passage. And for what’s considered to be a wilderness destination, there’s a lot in the way of commercial development. Having spent so much time along the Central and North Coast of British Columbia exploring pristine fjords, Bute Inlet is somewhat of a letdown and we won’t be back. But if time doesn’t allow a trip beyond Cape Caution, Bute Inlet might be a good alternative for those in search of a more remote cruising experience closer to home.

Boat Heating Boat Maintenance Boat Project

Choosing a Boat Heater (Part One)

Monday, January 16, 2017TheCambrians

When we arrived in the Pacific Northwest eight years ago, Cambria lacked one vital piece of equipment for cruising the Inside Passage: a heater. So, one of the first things we did was to rectify that. David started researching our options while we were still in California and by the time we rounded Cape Flattery, he’d made a decision.

Like everything else on a boat, heating presents some issues that can be difficult and expensive to overcome – available space for equipment and ducting, access to outside air, multiple cabins to heat (to name just a few). But there are several types of marine heaters* on the market and choosing the right one is an important step in overcoming these challenges.

Bulkhead-Mounted Diesel Heaters

Photos courtesy of Dickinson Marine.

Dickinson and others make bulkhead and floor mounted units (also known as potbelly burners) that resemble a piece of art. With the right boat, this would have been my preference. I love the idea of a working fire and, had we been able to go the wood-burning route, collecting fuel from the beach would have become a fun pastime.

In the world of boat heaters, there are a lot of positives to these types of units: They’re tried and true, use diesel fuel (as opposed to propane), have no moving parts (except a fan during startup) and are easy to use. They’re also economically priced. A Dickinson Antarctic Floor Mounted Diesel Heater (their largest unit) is $899 with an additional $300 or so in materials. And they’re economical to use, costing less than US$3.00 for 24 hours of running time.

There are also some negatives to these types of units: They’re spec’d for smaller boats (30 to 40 feet). They’re only effective at heating one space rather than the entire boat (fans can be used to circulate the heat to other areas of the boat but not efficiently). And they shouldn’t be used while underway (or sometimes in strong winds) because back-drafts can blow soot and smoke into the boat.

Unfortunately, Cambria is compartmentalized in its layout and a bulkhead or floor mounted unit in the salon wouldn’t service the aft cabin or v-berth. More importantly, we don’t have the bulkhead or floor space to accommodate one. And then, of course, there’s the chimney. Cutting a 3-inch hole through the cabin top for the flue isn’t something either of us was willing to do. So, we needed to move on to central heating, a more expensive option.

Forced Air Heaters

The simplest type of forced-air heater is probably the Red Dot which uses engine coolant that’s been circulated through a heat exchanger and a fan to blow heated air into a living space. But it only works when the engine is running so, once again, this wasn’t a viable option for us.

Webasto and Espar are probably the best known forced air heaters on the market. Both companies build for buses and trucks but also offer marinized units for boats in several different sizes to service boats up to 38 feet, though Espar has come out with a newer model (the Airtronic D5) which, according to the specs, will heat sailboats in the 45-foot range**.

Graphic courtesy of Espar.

With forced air systems, the burner draws combustion air from outside the boat as well as from inside and burns it in a chamber with an air-to-air heat exchanger. A blower unit then forces the heated air through flexible ducting to outlets in the boat. The furnace unit is designed to be installed inside the engine room or someplace out of sight. Most burn diesel, consuming 0.02 (lowest) to 0.17 (highest) gallons per hour, so close proximity to the tanks is helpful. They also require battery power and draw anywhere from 0.67 (lowest) amps to 7.1 (highest) amps when they’re running, depending on the size.

Prices for the furnace units range from $1,000 for a 7,000 BTU unit to over $3,800 for a 18,000 BTU unit. Additional costs include the fuel pickup line, exhaust hose, through hull, electrical wiring, thermostat, ducting, fan units, and registers.

Graphic courtesy of Webasto.

While forced air systems are simpler and less expensive to install than hydronic (coolant) systems, the ducting is 4 inches and can be difficult to accommodate on some boats. Another downside is that heat is controlled by a central thermostat so all spaces are heated at the same rate – if it’s 70° F in the salon, it’s going to be 70° F in the aft cabin whether it needs to be or not. They’re also very loud. They do, however, offer heat quickly.

Photo courtesy of Wallas.

Wallas, a company out of Finland, has introduced a forced air heating system to the market that is supposed to be quieter and more efficient than Webasto and Espar while offering options that can service boats up to 46 feet in the same price range. But they also require ample room for large duct work (3 inches) and, once again, heat is controlled by a central thermostat.

Hydronic Heaters

Graphic courtesy of Espar.

Hydronic furnaces (boilers or systems) use an air-to-water heat exchanger to heat a coolant mixture and a pump to circulate it through silicone hoses to fan-forced radiators. The fan speed can be adjusted manually (low and high speed) and temperature controlled by one or more thermostats placed in zones throughout the boat. For example, aboard Cambria, we have three zones set up – one in the v-berth, one in the salon/galley and one in the aft cabin – and can have the thermostat set at 68°F in the salon while keeping it turned off in our stateroom.

The boiler is fueled by diesel from the engine tanks and heats water that is circulated throughout the boat via silicone hoses. The hoses are attached to small radiators (heat exchangers) that trigger a fan once the water reaches a certain temperature. The fans are controlled by thermostat and can be set up to heat individual zones (as mentioned in the previous paragraph). As an added benefit, incidental heating from the circulation loop helps keep bilges, lockers and storage areas warmer and dryer when the heater is in use.

By plumbing the heated water through a water-to-water heat exchanger, the units can be adapted to heat domestic water, preheat the engine before starting and (through the same heat exchanger) heat the boat from the engine (rather than the boiler unit) while underway. Hydronic heaters also require less maintenance than forced air heaters and, according to the research we’ve done, are less expensive to maintain.

The downside to a hydronic system is that there is a delay between turning the heater on and receiving hot air because of the additional time it takes to heat the water and circulate it to the heat exchangers. They’re also a more expensive option than forced air systems. The basic components are similarly priced, but the added cost of labour for the installation is higher due to the amount of time needed (80 to 120 hours). They’re also not as efficient. For example, the 31,000 BTU Webasto Thermo Pro 90 consumes 0.24 gallons of diesel per hour and uses 7 to 11.5 amps of power.

Hydronic systems are more difficult to price and can require working directly with a distributor for an exact quote. But you can expect to pay $2,000 to $3,500 for the furnace unit and that again for the additional required parts (fan coils, thermostats, wiring, silicone hoses, through-hull, exhaust hose, valves, fittings, pumps etc.). But while hydronic heaters may be the most expensive option on the market, they’re also considered to be the best and most versatile.

In my next blog post on choosing a heater, I’ll discuss which unit we chose and why along with information about the installation.

*Wallas and other companies also make diesel ovens and stoves that can be used as a cabin heater but, because they weren’t a suitable option for Cambria, I’ve chosen not to include them in this blog post.

**Unit size is determined by the number of cubic feet to be heated. A good rule of thumb is to multiply the cubic footage by 12 (sailboats) or 15 (powerboats) to arrive at the number of BTUs required.

#WotW Word of the Week

Landlubber | Word of the Week

Friday, January 13, 2017TheCambrians

David and I have been in Kansas for one month now, acting as temporary landlubbers. If you’ve never heard the term before, a landlubber is someone who’s unfamiliar with the sea and isn’t a sailor. Depending on how it’s used, it can be quite derogatory (just ask any self-respecting pirate). Lubber, after all, means a “clumsy” or “stupid person”. The word has taken on a softer definition over the years and is more often used to describe someone who lives on land: a landlubber. Sadly, that’s us right now . . . and my word of the week.

Since leaving Cambria in December to spend the holidays with my family, we’ve been living on land and have succumbed to all of its trappings: eating out, movies, bars, sporting events, shopping, television . . . even the local zoo. And I have to tell you, we feel like fish out of water: We’re restless. Lost. And disconnected.

Don’t get me wrong. We’re not miserable and are enjoying the relative ease of life on land: No concerns about the weather or the upcoming forecast. Water flows freely straight from the tap. There’s an unlimited supply of electricity. And, yes. It’s nice to flush a toilet rather than pump it out. But Cambria’s our home. Our refuge in a storm. She connects us to nature and to the sea. With her, we know where the sun rises and falls. Which way’s north. From what direction the wind is blowing. Whereas on land, we’re sheltered from those things which can leave us feeling a little out of place.

My life on land is just starting, but David’s will be ending soon. He needs to get back to the boat to take the final steps in getting her ready to sell and it looks like that journey will start sometime next week. Honestly, it’s a bit of a bummer. I know it’s best to divide and conquer (especially when some of that dividing is because paint and glue fumes make me sick) and we both have plenty of work to do to keep us busy. But life is never quite as good without David by my side . . . on land or on the sea.

What word sums up your week? Join the conversation below in the comments section or on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you!

Anchorages Destinations the Discovery Islands

Destination | Shoal Bay

Wednesday, January 11, 2017TheCambrians

Disclaimer: This blog article is not to be used for navigation. It is solely an account of our personal experience and anchor location in Shoal Bay during settled weather conditions. What worked for us at one particular time is no guarantee or indication that it will work for others.

My favourite anchorages are ones with a story to tell, and Shoal Bay on East Thurlow Island has an interesting one. You’d never know it today, but in the early 1900s it was the most populated town along the coast, including the city of Vancouver. More than 5,000 people lived there and supported a thriving gold mine, logging camp and fishing fleet. The waterfront was lined with a 600-foot pier, hotels, markets, a brothel and a school. But the industries that supported the area died out over the years and took the prospering town with it.

The land fell into private hands and, years later, a fourteen-room resort called the Shoal Bay Lodge was built. In 2000, a man by the name of Mark MacDonald bought the property and moved everything he owned up the island, not an easy task considering the only access is by boat or floatplane. A short time later, when he wasn’t home, it caught fire and burned to the ground – destroying everything he owned in the process. Mark stuck with it and over the years has been rebuilding his dream with the help of friends, strangers and his wife, Cynthia. To date there’s their personal home, a private home, a small cottage, a pub with accommodation (all available to rent), a laundry room with showers, a pub, a vegetable garden and walking trails.

Situated off Cordero Channel on the northern side of East Thurlow Island, Shoal Bay is a convenient stopover for boats before and after transiting Yuculta and Dent Rapids. The 600-foot pier is the only remaining sign of its past life and there’s approximately 300 feet of moorage available at the rate of CA$0.75 per foot (plus 5% tax). There’s no power or water at the docks and rafting is required, so be sure to hang out fenders during the busy season. Fees are collected at the pub where you can also buy a drink while enjoying the beautiful view up Phillips Arm and purchase artwork from local artists, including Cynthia who is a talented potter (I have one of her pieces myself and love it).

Whether you plan to stay one night or several days, there’s plenty of ways to pass the time in Shoal Bay: Walking around the property, particularly the garden, is a popular pastime as are fishing, crabbing and prawning. But for those in need of more strenuous exercise, a trail from the pub leads to the Douglas Pine Mine which used to produce copper, iron and gold. The lower section follows a creek bed and can be wet after a rain, so wear good shoes. And the trail, which runs uphill, is steep in places. If you plan to go all the way to the mine, bring a flashlight and be very careful – many of the shafts are still open. Also be sure to bring a camera. There’s a short path that veers off to the left (as you’re going up) that leads to a lookout with an amazing view of Shoal Bay and Phillips Arm. A round-trip takes an average hiker 45 minutes to complete.

Shoal Bay can be a social place and the hub of most of the activity is the pub (Happy Hour, no discounts, generally starts around 4:00 pm). Mark and Cynthia also host regular events during the cruising season including pig roasts, pizza nights and the world-famous Shoal Bay International Blues Festival (check their website for more information and dates).

Anchorage can be found near the wharf but Shoal Bay got its name for good reason: The water shallows quickly at the head of the bay. The protection is good from most wind directions but the holding is only fair in soft mud and kelp. Dragging anchor is not uncommon, particularly on the west side of the wharf where the bottom is rocky and littered with kelp. Our preferred spot is at 50°27.496 N, 125°21.929 W and while we haven’t dragged anchor ourselves, we’ve had other boats drag down on us so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out.

Top Ten Lists Way Back Wednesday

A Walk Through Point No Point County Park

Monday, January 02, 2017TheCambrians

You’ve got to hand it to the early European explorers. They came up with some interesting and descriptive names for the places they charted: There’s Cape Caution, Foulweather Bluff, Useless Bay and Cape Fear, to name only a few. But my personal favourite has to be Point No Point because it always prompts stupid questions from me and David like, “what’s the point?”

To Charles Wilkes, who named it in 1841, there wasn’t one. But he was wrong.

Now on the National Historic Register and a Kitsap County Park, it’s hard not to see the point: A beautiful, driftwood strewn beach, the site of Puget Sound’s first lighthouse, an Important Bird Area and a trail that runs through a small section of forest offer an excellent place to spend the day . . . and to take a walk.

Only a 20-minute drive north of Kingston to the seaside village of Hansville, the first attraction is actually outside the park boundaries on the road leading to Point No Point Lighthouse. In 1971, the M/V Jupiter Inlet, a 185-foot ocean-going naval tug, was sold for scrap and the bridge and found a second life as a house – I’d love to have a look inside!

We like to start our walk along the beach near the lighthouse keeper’s duplex.

Half of the duplex houses the executive offices of the US Lighthouse Society (which moved from San Francisco to Hansville) and the other half is open for holiday rental. Tours are given on Saturdays at one and three o’clock from April through September, but we’ve never been inside.

In the side yard, there’s a garden with interesting sculptures made out of driftwood.

And a plaque commemorating the signing of the Point No Point Treaty in 1855 between the leaders of the S’Klallam, Chimacum and Skokomish Native tribes and the governor of Washington, ceding land from the crest of the Olympic Mountains to Puget Sound to the United States.

Point No Point Lighthouse is next. Docents are on site from 12 to 4:00 pm on weekends, April through September, to help answer questions and for short tours but it’s not possible to climb the tower to see the Fresnel lens which was taken out of use in 2006 (an automated optic light is now in operation).

We like to follow the shoreline south for a mile or so, enjoying the driftwood forts . . .

. . . before climbing the stairs to the forest along the ridge that leads to another trailhead.

On the way back to the parking lot, we like to walk inland a bit through the wetlands and an Important Bird Area.

And that wraps up our walk through Point No Point County Park in Hansville, Washington. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to read more walks through interesting and unique places, you can check out Restless Jo and Jo’s Monday Walks.

How about you? Have you been on an interesting walk lately? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section below.

March | Word of the Week

Bute Inlet | Way Back Wednesday

Choosing a Boat Heater (Part One)

Landlubber | Word of the Week

Destination | Shoal Bay

Top Ten Blog Posts of 2016

A Walk Through Point No Point County Park

Welcome Aboard

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