S.V. CAMBRIA: the San Juan Islands

Timing Is Everything

Friday, January 30, 2015TheCambrians

Most days you’ll find me awake and moving around the boat hours before David so when he said, “MetVuw has the weather looking really good by the weekend” I was sure he was still asleep . . . or experiencing the first stages of dementia. Either way, it was only Monday morning – surely the weather would break before then.

It did, and we were able to up anchor and cross the border a couple of days later. But if you’ve been following our blog for a while, you know that we’ve had our fair share of bad experiences dealing with US Customs and were concerned about checking back into the country.

When we left in May, the officer we dealt with insisted we import the boat (Cambria carries a British flag) and tried to back us into a corner by asking leading questions. In the end, he let us go but not before leaving a bad taste in our mouths that’s lingered for the last five months. To make things worse, our friends aboard Sarita, another British-flagged sailboat, received an equally frustrating welcome when they checking into the

in September. Richard called customs upon arriving and was told in no uncertain terms that he would be importing the boat. But when he walked up to the office, the agent he had spoken to had to leave and he was checked back into the country without issue.

David and I never really discussed our options, but we both knew what was going to happen if we were greeted in the same manner – we’d simply untie Cambria from the customs’ dock and sail back to

Canada

. It’s no exaggeration to say we were prepared for the worst and, based on our past experiences, had no hope for the best.

So, you can imagine our surprise when we were met by a courteous, helpful and welcoming agent who truly seems to enjoy her work – Officer Merry Graham. She’s been stationed in Friday and Roche Harbors for two and a half years, and we’ve had the good fortune of working with her three times without her ever mentioning that we need to import the boat, what we did wrong when we entered the country or what we need to do in the future to make her life easier. In fact, this time around, she told us all of the things customs could do for us (like we’d ever ask!). She’s truly a breath of fresh air in an office known for being difficult – I bet they hate her there.

After checking back into the

, we were left with one final task before we could officially put the 2014 cruising season behind us – crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca and sailing Cambria to her winter home in Kingston. On Friday, we completed that task.

So, what about that MetVuw forecast?

They got it wrong. Sort of. An approaching low began to intensify on Tuesday, closing the window they’d originally forecasted. By the time Saturday evening rolled around, gale to storm-force winds were blowing out in the Sound and every now and again you could hear one of us say, “For once, I’m really glad we’re tied up.”

Customs the Inside Passage the San Juan Islands

Getting Back to the Life We Know

Wednesday, May 21, 2014TheCambrians

“I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think . . . it's because we all came from the sea. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came."

[Remarks at the Dinner for the America's Cup Crews, September 14 1962]

― John F. Kennedy

A photo of Friday Harbor taken in 2009.

Letting go of the docklines was harder this year than it’s been in the past, especially after seven months. Maybe it was because Sally’s health isn’t the best and we were both worried about how she would do or maybe it was because we felt so much at home in Kingston. Either way, saying good-bye to all of the wonderful people we met over the winter was more difficult than usual. But it had to be done so we finally dropped our lines on Thursday and are back at anchor where we plan to spend the next six months exploring British Columbia to our hearts’ content and the best of Sally’s ability.

The first day of the season didn’t go particularly well. We got off to a late start and weren’t able to make the speed over ground we needed in order to take full advantage of the outgoing tide. By the time it was clear we should have pulled into Port Ludlow for the night, it was too late to turn around so we slogged it out – at times only making 2.9 knots. Sally, on the other hand, handled the passage like a champ and only came out to show her disapproval when we were being pushed around by the wake of a passing freighter. And 54 nautical miles later, we arrived at our destination – Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.

Most people rave about Friday Harbor and can’t seem to get enough of its “quaint” charm. But for us, it’s just a means to an end – a way to get out of the country. Cambria’s a British flagged boat and because of that, we check in and out of the US. There is another way to do it, by cruising permit, but we choose to fill out a vessel clearance statement because it allows us more flexibility in entering and exiting the country. It also presents its fair share of problems.

Over the past seven years, we’ve dealt with US Customs a total of 12 times by sea and it’s no exaggeration to say most of those interactions were negative. No matter what, we always seem to do something “wrong” during the process and have to stand around quietly pretending to care while the agent on duty takes great pleasure in pointing out our mistakes. But we do take their advice, make the appropriate changes and, for the last several years, things have gone well. Unfortunately, Officer Holmes was bound and determined to change that, so he did.

For whatever reason, he was confrontational from the minute we walked through the door and did his best to make the process painful to the point that, once again, I’m embarrassed to call myself an American and kept apologizing to David (who’s British) after all was said and done for his behaviour – as if it were somehow my fault.

It’s now days later and we’re still not able to articulate exactly what happened – me especially because I had to excuse myself early on before I said something to worsen the situation – but it boils down to a mediocre man with a 50-pound badge mentality and something to prove. It’s sad, really, and I’d take the time to feel sorry for him if I wasn’t so tired of being treated like a criminal in my own country. But I am. So, I don’t.

After 30 minutes of asking the same questions over and over again, Officer Holmes decided he wasn’t getting the answers he wanted, so he consulted with a colleague behind closed doors. We have no idea what happened then, but he returned with a different attitude and happily checked us out of the country . . . we couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

So that’s pretty much what we’ve been doing this week, putting some distance between ourselves and the US, and the last few days have taken us from Kingston to Nanaimo to Pender Harbour – not a great distance, with only 140 nautical miles separating the two, but world’s apart nonetheless. It’s been a good run so far. Sally’s doing well, better than we could have hoped for. We were really worried about talking her with us this year, but she stepped right back into the cruising life without a hitch and every so often I can hear David sweetly mumble, “this is the life she knows.”

Fireworks in Nanaimo to celebrate Victoria Day.

Fireworks in Nanaimo to celebrate Victoria Day.

Fireworks in Nanaimo to celebrate Victoria Day.

Fireworks in Nanaimo to celebrate Victoria Day.

Puget Sound the San Juan Islands

Finally! The End of the Season

Thursday, October 03, 2013TheCambrians

We left Friday Harbor nearly a week ago to seek shelter from an incoming storm, choosing Reid Harbor off Stuart Island to ride it out. In hindsight, it was a bad decision. Though the anchorage offers protection from all quadrants, the wind was from a more easterly direction and the chop easily entered the bay.

Saturday was uneventful, but Sunday was an entirely different day. A large frontal system sitting to the north of us over Haida Gwaii was forecasted to move south during the day, while an intensifying low was forecasted to deepen and move across central Vancouver Island bringing gale to storm force southeasterly winds. As bad as the forecast from NOAA was, the one from Environment Canada was even worse and called for SE winds 35 to 45 knots in the afternoon increasing to 50 to 60 knots in the evening before turning southwesterly near midnight. There was no question about it; it was going to get ugly. And it did.

The wind started to blow around 8:00 am and built throughout the day. By early evening, the barometer had dropped to 981 MB and we were seeing a steady 40+ knots inside the anchorage (with gusts up to 46 knots). The boat sailed at anchor; and for most of the day, it was too dangerous to take Sally to shore because of the chop. I was beginning to feel nervous. The conditions were already rough and the worst of the storm was forecasted to hit overnight, but it settled down around 7:30 pm and stayed that way for the rest of the night.

Squalls passed through the area on Monday, so we stayed put and waited until the conditions were more settled before moving back down to Friday Harbor on Tuesday. The best day for crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca was forecasted to be today, so we took the time to visit friends and say our good-byes for the season while we waited. And first thing this morning, we upped anchor for what would be an uneventful 53 nautical mile passage and put the islands behind us for another six months.

The Pacific Northwest is by far and away the most beautiful place we’ve ever been. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s easy to feel a connection with nature here. Over the past five years, there have been countless days that we felt like we were the only two people left on earth and while that may not appeal to everyone, it does to us. Yet the weather can make cruising here so difficult – the summer season is short and the spring and the fall can be wet, windy and cold. Without question, this year has been more difficult than most; so it probably comes as no surprise that, for once, we were happy to see the end of it, tie up and plug in.

The calm after the storm.

Customs the Gulf Islands the Inside Passage

Back in the US

Friday, September 27, 2013TheCambrians

After a couple of nights tucked into James bay the weather improved, so we took the opportunity to move down to Winter Cove off Saturna Island on Monday – another first for us. It’s a pretty anchorage, but can be popular during summer months so we’ve always avoided it like the plague . . . until now.

The bay is large, but shallow, and backed by forested land and a large, open meadow on the southeastern edge that makes up the marine park. There’s a nice trail through the woods that leads to Boat Pass, where strong tidal currents from the Strait of Georgia create rapids as they enter the anchorage. It’s quite picturesque and a small taste (very small) of the ruggedness we’ve been pining for ever since we left the West Coast of Vancouver Island. As a bonus, the anchorage is well-protected from all directions; but in a southerly blow, I’d take James bay over anywhere else in the Southern Gulf Islands: It’s that good.

Boat Pass

Looking out to the Strait of Georgia from Winter Cove, Saturna Island.

After three days anchored in Winter Cove, we were ready to move on and cross the border back into the US. So we upped anchor yesterday morning and left with the tide. After an uneventful passage, we tied up to the custom’s dock in Friday Harbor and were greeted by our friends Richard and Jude aboard Sarita, who are making their winter home here. We checked back into the US without incident, though Richard and David did receive a slight scolding from the custom’s officer – something to do with Richard crossing an imaginary line and David was off the boat, but nobody was threatened so it was all good.

With access to the internet again, we learned that our friends who live on their boat in Eagle Harbor have suddenly had to move. It seems the manager there, on a whim, declared that children under a certain age were no longer allowed to live aboard the docks. It’s an issue they confronted earlier in the year and were able to resolve, but it seems after a small dispute with the manger, he made good on his threat to establish the rule. That’s way too flakey for our tastes, so we decided to continue our search and, after speaking to some friends we met in Poulsbo who raved about the marina and staff, have organized a berth for the winter in Kingston.

We had dinner aboard Sarita with Kris and Kurt from Linger Longer who are berthed over in Roche Harbor on the other side of San Juan Island. They’re also waiting for the first of the month so that they can tie up for the winter, but their home port is going to be Victoria in Canada. It was really good to see everybody again, but the reunion was short-lived: There’s another major storm headed our way.

Puget Sound the Inside Passage the San Juan Islands

Perfect Timing

Monday, May 13, 2013TheCambrians

A Trident Sub transiting Admiralty Inlet

Timing is everything in the Pacific Northwest and today was no exception. The forecast for the next couple of days isn’t the best and calls for a strong surface trough to move through the area late this afternoon with increased southwesterly winds followed by a system of high pressure. Small craft advisories are in effect from one o’clock through midnight for the entire area with winds forecasted to build to 25 knots in the afternoon and likely showers. Perfect conditions for sailing north! And for once, we were ready.

About an hour or so outside of Port Ludlow, we picked up a strong current off of Marrowstone Island and started flying, reaching speeds of 12.7 knots over ground (7.2 over water) under jib and motor. Adding to the excitement, a Trident Sub was being escorted back to its home base by the Coast Guard – something that happens occasionally in Admiralty Inlet but we’d yet to experience. It happened rather quickly – with us travelling over 11 knots in one direction and the sub moving more than 20 knots the opposite way – but we were still able to get a few good pictures in the process.

The rest of the afternoon was fairly quiet as we crossed the Strait of Juan de Fuca and started to lose the push from the current. When our speed dropped down to a more reasonable 9 knots, we felt like we were crawling along at a snail’s pace but we still managed to make the 50 nautical mile passage in six and a half hours. Not bad.

Conditions deteriorated during the final leg across the Strait. Within minutes, the temperature dropped at least ten degrees and you could see the trough moving in. As we approached the islands, the wind shifted directions and went from aft of beam to 60° degrees off our bow, and we could feel the full brunt of the 20 knots. Haro Strait, our intended destination, suddenly looked ugly, enveloped by low clouds and rain. So we opted for San Juan Channel, a more inside route, and decided to make way for West Sound on Orcas Island instead.

It was a good decision. Once inside the lee of San Juan Island, the wind dropped to five knots and the sea state went flat. West Sound was a bit livelier, however, and we could feel the brunt of the trough as it moved through the area. But it was fast-moving and things died down by late evening, leaving us with a quiet night.

We’ll stick around Orcas for a couple days to visit some friends who live here before moving over to Friday Harbor to check out of the US. Despite the fact that the San Juan Islands are popular cruising grounds for many boats, we prefer the more remote areas of British Columbia and are anxious to put the miles behind us and make our way north.

Approaching West Sound on Orcas Island

the Inside Passage the San Juan Islands

West Sound, Orcas Island

Thursday, November 01, 2012TheCambrians

Cambria tied to the dock in West Sound, Orcas Island.

The warming trend finally arrived on Sunday, just in time for our passage to Orcas Island to visit our friends, Bill and Sylvia.

Over the course of four days, we wined and dined while we caught up on the news of the summer and discussed what next season might hold. We’re both considering circumnavigating Vancouver Island and would like to do the trip together, though I suspect David would jump at the chance to spend more time along the Central Coast as well. We also had the opportunity to meet the newest member of their family – Skookum, a three month-old Boxer puppy. But as wonderful as it was to see them again, the season has taken a toll on us and we’re ready to move on.

The forecast has kept us guessing and changes nearly every day but, with the current in our favour, we decided to slip our lines and see what today held rather than risk waiting until Monday when they’re calling for favourable winds out of the northwest. As predicted, the wind was from the southeast (right on our nose) blowing 20 knots at times but, despite the fact that it was wind against tide, the sea was flat and we had a comfortable ride.

Our goal was the marina in Port Ludlow, approximately 30 nautical miles north of Poulsbo. But the thought of doing another passage, even one that was only five hours long, was too much for either one of us to consider so we kept going. The decision meant moving in the dark, something we rarely do here because of the debris in the water – logs, kelp or anything else that might damage a prop … or worse, put a hole in the boat. But season-fatigue won out in the end.

Sailing at night on the open ocean is a magical experience: It can be so peaceful as you ghost along the water under a canopy of stars that span from horizon to horizon. There’s nothing else like it. Not in my experience, anyway. But sailing at night in populated areas is adifferent story. The lights from shore create a confusing background and it’s easy to become disorientated. The task is made simpler with the help of modern equipment – everything from radar to chart plotters – but that doesn’t mean it’s not stressful. It is. But it was worth the extra effort and energy because we’re safely back in Poulsbo – some 12 hours and 72 nm later – and are tied to the dock for the winter.

We can now say the cruising season is officially over and, for once, are happy to do so.

the Inside Passage the San Juan Islands

Reid Harbor, Stuart Island

Saturday, October 27, 2012TheCambrians

Customs the Gulf Islands the Inside Passage

US and Canadian Customs

Monday, May 28, 2012TheCambrians

Friday Habor, San Juan Island.

The difference between US and Canadian customs is like night and day. And if that’s the best our tax dollars can buy, I want my money back.

We left West Sound late in the morning and motored down to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island to check out of the country. It’s a long story, one that doesn’t bear repeating in detail. But, because the boat is registered in the UK, we have to check in and out of the US while most people just check in, so we get twice the exposure to custom agents – lucky us!

No matter what, we always seem to do something wrong during the process and have to stand around quietly pretending to care while the agent on duty takes great pleasure in pointing out our mistake. This time we “forgot” to call the custom’s office to state our business upon arrival. We always have to go up to the office to fill out the paper work and pay a $19 processing fee so, for one reason or another, we skipped a step and just went … with four bags of trash in hand. There’s a camera on the dock, and they saw us come in, tie up and leave with the bags. Before we could reach the rubbish bins at the end of the public dock, we were met by an officer who didn’t look very happy.

David said good day, or something to that effect, which was met with a “it was until you showed up” and a rant about seeing people arrive on a boat, tie up and leave with bags without calling in all the while insinuating there could be something dangerous in the bags … yeah, dirty Kleenex. When he asked what we were doing, we replied that we were checking OUT of the US. OUT? Yes. Out. And then I thanked him for his warm welcome. I couldn’t resist. I’m sick and tired of being treated like a criminal in my own country. Sure. I have a vice or two that may raise an eyebrow but, for the most part, I’m a law-abiding citizen (I can’t speak for David … or Sally) and resent being treated otherwise (until proven guilty by a jury of my peers). Besides, what kind of terrorist (or whoever he thought we were) would tie up to a custom’s dock with a video camera to off load bags full of explosives disguised as rubbish in order to attack Friday Harbor (because Seattle is way too obvious) when there are plenty of other places to berth without video surveillance. Is this the kind of training they receive? If so, I really do want my money back.

He softened his position quickly and later explained that we really should have phoned in even though we’re always told to come to the office. We agreed. But the guy was clearly amped up and ready for action when a more appropriate reaction would have been to ask us (in a very friendly and calm way) if he could help us. If part of your job is to carry a firearm, you should be able to keep your cool under stress or, as in this case, no stress at all. It’s Friday Harbor for Christ’s sake. Not Baghdad.

On the other side of the border, we were met with a much different welcome: “Thank you, Mr. Gardiner.” “Welcome back to Canada.” “I remember you from last year.” “How long would you like to stay with us?” “You can leave your boat here longer if you say you’re having work done. It’s good for our economy, you know.” “Would you like a LaBatts and some moose chili, eh?” Okay, maybe not the last one, but you get the idea.

David’s always said his stress level goes down fifty points after we clear into Canada. I had thought he meant because of the slight hassle involved in dealing with customs. But, as it turns out, it’s because we’re leaving all of the craziness behind us and, let’s be honest, 2012 has been nothing short of ridiculous with the upcoming election.

We’ve only been here a few hours, but I can already see the difference in him. And I have to say, it’s nice to have my husband back … I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him.

the Inside Passage the San Juan Islands

West Sound, Orcas Island

Sunday, May 27, 2012TheCambrians

the Inside Passage the San Juan Islands

Reid Harbor, Stuart Island

Wednesday, May 23, 2012TheCambrians

Turn Point, Stuart Island.

We’re still waiting in Reid Harbor for the weather to improve and have used the past couple of days to put all of our ducks in a row. Because the issue with the leak is under control, we decided to stick to our original plan and move down to Orcas Island tomorrow for a couple of nights to visit our friends, Bill and Sylvia Emmens from the yacht Salubrious. From there, we’ll go to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island to check out of the US before crossing the border and checking into Canada at Bedwell Harbour. We’ll take a couple of days to work our way up through the Gulf Islands to Nanaimo where we’ll haul-out, possibly as soon as Tuesday of next week. If all goes well, we may still make it across the Strait of Georgia to Pender Harbour in time for the Blues Festival, but that’s a big IF. As well as things are going, we discovered another serious issue that has to be resolved while we’re hauled out of the water.

After stroking the lever on the valve he removed from the engine room, David could see that the ball wasn’t closing even though the handle was moving properly. In other words, we were no longer closing the hole when turning the valve but had no way of knowing that before removing the fitting, which is obviously unacceptable. We’ll have to check the other seventeen through-hulls while we’re out of the water and may end up replacing all of the fittings, something that would not only be expensive but time consuming.

I absolutely hate hauling out. Boatyards are dirty and dusty places where the work is hard and the days are long. But it has to be done and I’m actually looking forward to this one (or maybe I’m just looking forward to getting it over with). At this stage in the game it’s difficult to have any confidence in the current fittings so, more than anything, this exercise will help restore a piece of mind before we head to some of the most remote areas of the Canadian Coast.

the Inside Passage the San Juan Islands Through-Hull Fittings

Reid Harbor, Stuart Island

Sunday, May 20, 2012TheCambrians

the Inside Passage the San Juan Islands Through-Hull Fittings

Echo Bay, Sucia Island

Saturday, May 19, 2012TheCambrians

Limestone rock formations along Sucia's shoreline.

Coming back from shore with Sally this morning, I was greeted by David standing at the stern of the boat with a grim look on his face and the following words: “there’s a hole in the boat.” I had only been gone an hour … what could have possibly have happened?

A bronze through-hull fitting broke, which is exactly what it sounds like – a fitting that goes through the hull. A series of fittings, actually,with a valve in the middle attached to a hose on one end and the through-hull on the other. When the valve is open, water will enter or exit the boat through the hose, but only to outside the water line. If it needs to travel any further (in the toilet, for example), it must be pumped, either manually or electrically.

The details are fuzzy (they generally are in these situations) but David was taking care of something in the engine room and thinks he disturbed the through-hull while getting out (possibly by standing on it either today or sometime in the past). While he was finishing the job, he noticed water in one of the bilge compartments. He messed with the fittings and the entire piece broke off. Water poured in the boat before he could get his hand over it the hole, grab a wooden plug (every through-hull on the boat has a wooden plug tied to it in case of an emergency), and cap it off. He then spent the morning bailing gallons of water out of the bilge and securing the plug while I stayed out of the way.

At this point, our options aren’t great. We have to haul the boat out of the water in order to replace the through-hull and the closest port with facilities is Bellingham – approximately twenty nautical miles away. With the boat still leaking, neither one of us likes the idea of moving and are concerned that the plug may be disturbed if we have to take on a choppy sea, which has been know to happen more times than we’d like.

I can’t stress enough how serious the situation is. Had this happened when nobody was aboard, the boat could have easily sunk. We have electric bilge pumps, but the amount of water that can enter a boat through even a small of hole is difficult to keep up with … you can only do it for so long. And now there’s the concern about the other eighteen through-hulls on the boat. Are they sound? Or are they ready to give out as well?

Of course these things always take place on a weekend and the boatyard is closed, so we have to wait until Monday to see when they can lift us and whether or not we can source the parts we need to replace the through-hull. In the meantime, I went back to shore to offer Sucia the opportunity to redeem herself by hiking one of her many trails while David stayed aboard to monitor the situation and beat himself up … and, ready to throw a few punches myself, this was the first time I wasn’t going to stand in his way.

Timing Is Everything

Getting Back to the Life We Know

“I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think . . . it's because we all came from the sea. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea - whether it is to sail or to watch it - we are going back from whence we came."

[Remarks at the Dinner for the America's Cup Crews, September 14 1962]

― John F. Kennedy

Finally! The End of the Season

Back in the US

Perfect Timing

West Sound, Orcas Island

Reid Harbor, Stuart Island

US and Canadian Customs

West Sound, Orcas Island

Reid Harbor, Stuart Island

Reid Harbor, Stuart Island

Echo Bay, Sucia Island

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