Random Stuff

Hey everyone!!! I drafted four days ago, but have had sketchy/no internet so I haven’t been able to post it yet. I miss you all and will be updating whenever I can!!!


Sunday, July 29
11:30ish AM
Kaizen
We're just leaving Sydney, B.C., Canada!!! Sydney is where I spent a week last summer with my parents and grandparents at a beach house - we just stopped here to clear customs and reprovision, and now we're on our way to Todd Inlet, which is near Butchart Cove (Butchart Gardens), to stay a few nights, and my grandparents will be diving with some other friends who are cruising around on their own boat.

I'm going to enter the log entries from the last two days, so you can get an idea of what's been going on - maybe with a *little* elaboration. ;)

Friday, July 27, 2007
7:00 PM
Kaizen
We left the Anacortes Marina half an hour ago (6:32) and are under way now, hoping to make it to Roche Harbor before sundown. We are all very excited to be on vacation at last! The Kaizen is 36', has two decks and is much wider than Panacea (my granparents' previous boat).

The Skipper, 1st Mate and myself left Seattle at a quarter to 1:00 and drove up to Anacortes, but made good time and se were too early to be checked out of the marina. We drove to a local Safeway and provisioned ourselves at the deli, then went back to the marina to take a look at our ship! Tom, the fleet manager, and Jonah, his assistent (should we be worried?) checked us out, and apart from minor steering difficulties in re-entering our slip, all went very wll. Finally all of our luggage was unloaded from the van (including about 400 lbs. of dive gear, ha-ha) and onboard the Kaizen. I have the vee-berth, which is very spacious and has its own head and TV/VCR set! Mimi and Papa occupy the "master" stateroom with a queen and twin bed, and the larger head with the preffered shower, sinice it is closer to the verboard drain and so uses less water to get there. Amidships is the alley and dining area, and also the lower helm. There are two dinghies: an inflatable and a hard-sided, both of which may be used. Another helm is above on the fly-bridge, which has plenty of seating and a biminy (sp?).

Our cruising speed is about 8 kts, and the Skipper says we should just make Roche Harbor before dark. On our way out of tha marina we saw three sunning sea-lions and a nest of young seagulls!

Now I am going to read and organize my stateroom until there is something more to write about.

Skipper's Log, Friday July 27
Seas Calm/Light winds
We left Anacortes Marina and were lucky to catch the ebb current westbound in Guemes Channel exceeding 9 kts. Crossed Rosario Strait (no commercial
traffic) to Thatcher Pass into Harney Channel. Ferry traffic and lots of crab pot buoys.

Continuing west through Pole Pass, North Pass and into San Juan Channel.

The setting sun made visibility difficult due to the glare and reflection off the water. We entered Spieden Channes and into Roche Harbor as darkness fell. We anchored near the Tug Tyee (my grandparents' friends' tugboat that they live on) and Morning Mist (other friends' tugboat).

7/29/07
10:25 AM
Kaizen
48 degrees 38.6 N
123 degrees 17.3 W
Good luck - leaving Roche Harbr we saw Dolls Porpoises (sp?)!!! Friday night we did make it to Roche, anchored at 9:57 PM after cruising by moonlight for awhile (how romantic, right Em?), then we hitched a ride on Big Bud (the Tyee's dinghy) over to the Tyee. Visited for awhile, were introduced to Eve and Randy, and soon came back to Kaizen for bed.

Saturday mornin we rose early and went to shore to look around. After seeing a poster for "A Comedy of Errors" presented for free at the "Island Stage" and 8PM every night, we spent about 4 minutes walking around trying to locate said stage. It was later decided not to go to the stage again in the evening for the performance, but to spend that night visiting on the Tyee, and to try to see it later next week on our return accross the border.

After lunch with the Sharps on Kaizen, we all headed for Garrison Bay to see the fort there and hike Young Hill, all the time learning about the famous Pig War - in which the only casualty was: you guessed it! the pig.

*Note: we ran out of fuel on the dinghy when returning to the Morning Mist to establish a plan, and just barely made it back to the fuel dock! Our bill for a third of a tank of gas and one ounce of oil: $1.36!*

The hike was beautiful, with a spectacular view! Afterwards, we opted to reture not Roche to spend a few more hours with our friends; Mike and Michele stayed the night at Garrison Bay, and after departing at 9:36 AM, we are both seperated on our way to Sydney to clear customs!

7/29/07
2:26 PM
Kaizen
48 degrees, 42.0 N
123 degrees, 25.8 W
Customs was cleared with no troubles, I have read over 100 more pages of Les Mis, and we are now on our way to Todd Inlet and the area around Butchart Cove for at least two-three days! It will be nice not to travel so much, much as I love boating, it's nice to stay at places for a while too. Maybe I will work on my famous tan! (lol, NOT!) We spent about an hour in Sydney at the bakery and grocery store (if you are ever in Sydney you have to go to the bakery! They have the best meat pies and cream puffs and and and.........lots of stuff.) before heading back to our ships and leaving.
We had a chance to cruise by the house we stayed in last summer, and take some pictures of it from the sea!

The weather is fair with a somewhat calm sea - though with a strong current.
We have supplied ourselves with fruits and vegetables now that we are accross the border (yes!) and I think we will be barbequeing something tonight.




It's very nice to have internet here, but I do want some vacation, so I'm off with my book! Later!

~Verya~




So I didn’t have internet there. Oh well. Customs were cleared no problem, and after Sydney we made our way to Tod Inlet to stay for two nights. It was absolutely heaven!!! Tod Inlet is just on the other side of the Butchart Gardens, and has several walking trails.

I got to go kayaking yesterday in Tod Inlet!!! It’s as still as a lake, but with all kinds of saltwater life, which is really cool. We had chicken for dinner, and again had the Sharps over, but this time we ate on the flybridge where the weather was beautiful! We did finish Déjà Vu, but my grandma fell asleep so we had to tell her what happened. It’s a lost cause…

This morning we got up and took another walk, then made our way here (not entirely sure where here is) and now everyone is out diving except my grandma, whose tank got left open and so there’s not air in it currently.
We’re keeping each other company, but I can’t play my music *sad*. Oh well…guess I’ll have to keep myself occupied the old-fashioned way. Les Mis here I come!


Well, Blogger is being retarded so hopefully this will work now. We left the marina we were in last night (don’t touch anything, it might fall
apart!) (seriously.) and then my grandparents dove again today at some place, and Michele and I kayaked again! Now we are in Maple Bay, getting ready to go to dinner…so I have to cut this short! til later!!!