Search Results for “drone” – Riveted

Provisioning for the Summer

Laura Domela — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 22:50:09 +0000

Summer provisioning is underway in earnest. Partially filled crates clutter the dining room, and list items are being added and checked off pretty much daily.

We went up to Airship for a few days last week/weekend and managed to take up a good size load of stuff (nice not to leave it all for the final trip to the boat!). Last Friday night I gave a photography presentation at the Anacortes Yacht Club…showing some of my work, giving some tips for getting better photos from a boat, photographing wildlife, a little about camera gear, and some about drone photography. It was a great time and a fun group of people, and I very much appreciate that they invited me!

We’ll be giving a two-hour seminar on photography (from land, boats, and drones) at Trawlerfest in Bremerton on May 2 (plus two other seminars on May 1) so look us up if you’re interested! After that, we’ll be on our way to Alaska!

It rained most of the time we were in Anacortes.

A few the things on our “Take” list this year (that I might not easily find along the route): masa flour for making tortillas, Italian pearled farro (great as a one-bowl meal topped with veggies and grilled protein), and two bags of morita chiles for making this salsa. (We can’t get enough of this delicious, smoky/earthy condiment after trying it in Mexico last month, so I’ve been making my own.) I made a big batch of it at home and brought it up to Airship in this half-liter jar. This oughta last us a while, but I’ve got the supplies to make more!

Morita salsa

Morita salsa is made with chipotle morita chiles — a variety of smoked dried jalapeños. You throw a handful into a pan with some hot oil, wait a few minutes until they start to puff up. (If you leave them too long they’ll get bitter and the first batch of salsa you make will be a bust…don’t ask me how I know that.) Remove the puffed peppers (plus the rest that might not have “puffed” from the oil and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes or so. Remove them from the water, cut them open and remove most of the seeds, and then I like to hand chop the peppers. I tried them in my mini Cuisinart and they just gummed up and didn’t chop well at all. My friend Julie tried it in her Vitamix which worked great, but the intense chopping made the salsa much smoother and alas, much hotter. So far, hand chopping is my recommendation. Add oil (the stuff you used to fry them in) plus more in the jar to cover the mixture. I like to use extra virgin olive oil. The grassy flavor is a nice complement to the smoky chilies. Add salt to taste. This salsa will last quite a while and is great in tacos, on eggs, fish…well, so far it’s good on just about everything we’ve tried it on! (I get my moritas online here.)

Why is it that I can’t ever take a level photo of the inside of a cupboard??

A few weeks ago we tried a bottle of some smoked tequila that was on sale at our local liquor store, and it was surprisingly good! We’ve been on a “tequila martini” kick since we were in Yelapa last month, which means we’re gonna have to keep stocked with fresh limes…how hard is THAT going to be??

Update: I just read on the internet that you can easily freeze fresh squeezed lime juice and it lasts for months! Life-changing!

Tequila Martini (makes 2 cocktails)

4.5 oz tequila blanco
3 oz of fresh squeezed juice (half lime juice, half orange juice)
2.25 oz (or so) of Cointreau
Splash of simple syrup (we used Traeger smoked simple syrup, but plain would be fine)
Tajín for the glass rim (or a combo of salt and your favorite chili/chipotle powder if you like it a little spicy)

Note: Tajín is a seasoning mix made from ground chili peppers, salt, and dehydrated lime juice, and it’s great on the rim of a tequila cocktail. You can get it here.

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker with crushed ice (and a chopped serrano pepper if you want a little spice). Shake well and strain into rimmed cocktail glass.

Another note: We also put some tequila in a bottle with a chopped fresh serrano for 30 minutes or so to infuse the tequila with pepper, which worked a little too well and we ended up only using 1/3 infused tequila to 2/3 regular tequila for the cocktails.

———————–

As far as other pre-made things we plan to have on Airship for the summer, here’s what’s going into the freezer so far:

Homemade bolognese sauce (maybe 10 or so meals worth, vacuum sealed into bags and frozen flat to save space)
Several packages of cauliflower pizza crusts from Cali’flour Foods. These are very thin crusts, kept frozen, and the ingredients are cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, eggs, basil, and garlic. We tested them out last night with friends and they were good!! They are a little finicky to pre-bake because they’re so thin, so I picked up a couple of these baking screens to try out next time.
Chimichurri sauce I made at home and froze…great as a condiment on grilled meats.
Several 1lb vacuum-sealed bags of chicken chorizo (good in breakfast tacos with eggs, slightly healthier than pork chorizo)
Light Flour Tortillas from La Tortilla Factory (for breakfast tacos, and taco nights with the flotilla). These are great, freeze well, and are 1/3 the calories of regular tortillas. Are you starting to sense a theme with some of the carbohydrates yet?
Several 1lb packages of grass-fed ground beef (for tacos, soups, burgers, etc.)
A few pounds of fish and some steaks

Pomi pizza sauce in cartons (for when we’re being lazy and not making our own), one of our favorite hot sauces from El Machete in Los Angeles, and some rosemary sourdough flatbread crackers for happy hours.

Notes about things still to do/make/bring:

A couple weeks ago we smoked some Cotija cheese at home on the Traeger and it turned out great. Cotija is good crumbled on salads or tacos, and we plan to smoke more and then freeze it to bring along.
Grated parmesan also freezes well. I use it to make my own caesar salad dressing, so I freeze it in small batches to grab when I need to make dressing or to use on pizzas or pastas.
I’ve been trying to come up with some healthy/creative alternatives to the “crackers, cheese, salami” happy hour appetizers to throw into the mix for happy hours. I picked up a couple of those round packages of polenta and I’m going to see about cooking some slices of that and topping them with a spoonful of sautéed wild mushrooms and garlic. I think they’d also be good topped with some bright fresh bruschetta.
It seems like this year I’ve focused more on sauces and condiments than in previous years (bolognese, chimichurri, morita salsa…) which is kinda fun since you can use condiments and sauces in such a variety of ways. Pesto is another sauce that freezes well, so I may make some of that before we leave (though it’s not hard to find in most supermarkets).
Last year I tried blanching different vegetables and then vacuum sealing them to freeze for later use. The asparagus was terrible (super watery) and the green beans were just okay. I think I won’t do this again, and I’ll just pick up a few bags of frozen organic green beans and maybe some cauliflower rice at Trader Joe’s, as well as some frozen spinach. Frozen spinach isn’t my favorite on its own, but it’s great to add to soups, an egg scramble, or on top of pizzas for a dose of leafy greens in the boonies.

We’ll let you know if we come up with any other cool ideas, and please feel free to share any of your ideas in the comments!

Sunrise, Sunset, and Fishing in Yelapa

Laura Domela — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 20:15:44 +0000

Yesterday after breakfast in our casa, we walked into the village and caught the 9:30am water taxi into Puerto Vallarta. Not because we wanted to go to Puerto Vallarta…but because we needed a bit more cash. There are no ATMs in Yelapa, so if you come to visit, make sure to get enough pesos to last the entire length of your stay.

Sunrise from Casa Pericos, looking toward the village

We walked around Puerto Vallarta for an hour or so, found the hotel we’ll be staying in for two nights before we come back to Portland, got some cash, and hopped on the 11:30am water taxi back to Yelapa. We relaxed a bit in the afternoon, and Kevin took the Mavic off right from our room to get a few drone shots of our fantastic location.

The water looks SO green when the sun shines on it!

Later in the evening we wandered back into the village to have dinner at Pollo Bollo. This place is a favorite among locals and it did not disappoint. We ordered one plate of BBQ chicken, one plate of arrachera (marinated and grilled beef…can be hangar steak, flank steak…) that came with sides of arroz y frijoles y ensalada.

Sunset from our casa after dinner

We packed up our bag last night for today’s fishing excursion, and tested our alarm sounds to make sure we had the most annoying one that could be heard over the sound of the surf below. It worked!!

Sunrise in Yelapa

So early it was almost still dark!

Our charter boat (Ixa from Garcia Charters…obviously highly recommended…we’re going out with them again in the same week!)) picked us up once again on Playa Isabel and off we went to try to catch some fish! (And by fish, we mean more ceviche.)

We headed south this time, looking for red snapper, but after a few hours of trolling up and down the coast we were still empty-hooked. Luckily, it was beautiful out and we were in good company and Juan Carlos humored us and we were able to practice a LOT of Spanish while we were waiting for the fish that never materialized.

Rocky coastline

Jonas driving the boat!

We noticed a lot of bird action and splashing around a little further out than we were, so we went to check it out.

Seagills, frigates, pelicans…everyone was here!

Most of the splashing came from a ZILLION dolphins (delfínes en espanol)!

Delfínes!

Mas delfínes!

Muchos delfínes!

Kevin and Jonas were still casting lines out, and Kevin got a bite on his…whatever he had was strong! We caught a glimpse of it before it took off with a bunch of line…a Jack Crevalle (in Spanish they call this fish “Toro” — the bull). This is not a good fish to eat, but it’s a REALLY fun fish to catch. It’s a super duper fighter and makes for a great workout just getting it to the boat.

Kevin got it aboard, we took the obligatory photos, and then let it to back in to chase or be chased by dolphins.

So…no ceviche today, but we had a great time regardless. We had a wonderful boat ride down the coast, saw a ton of dolphins and even a mama and baby humpback just south of Yelapa a little way…we even saw the baby whale breach a few times…very cool! Maybe we’ll see the very same whales (las ballenas) in Alaska this summer!

Tonight we’ll probably walk into the village for dinner (because, no fish). Todo bueno.

Headin’ South

Laura Domela — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 11:44:42 +0000

We are headed to Seattle this week for the 2018 Seattle Boat Show, where our Slowboat team will be giving a handful (well, two handfuls — 10!) of seminars about subjects that include cruising the Inside Passage to Alaska, flying drones from boats, photography, and how to live on a boat in Seattle without a permanent slip. Check out the full list here if you’re interested.

We left Anacortes Monday morning just before 10am. We took the Swinomish Channel route since it was an hour before max ebb at Deception Pass and well, we’ve done that before. We had a nice easy cruise down to Langley, with winds in the 5-10kts range, and only one spot with enough chop to get the windows salty. Tuesday in the San Juans is supposed to be a little nasty (E wind 25 to 35kts becoming SE 30 to 40kts in the afternoon. Wind waves 5 to 7 ft) but Puget Sound doesn’t sound bad.

Seals here on the dock at Langley, Whidbey Island

I had the helm all day while Kevin wrote an article and did some work, and when we got settled we showered and did more work before walking up to town for dinner and groceries.

Langley at dusk.

" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4208.jpg?fit=300%2C225" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4208.jpg?fit=1200%2C900" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-23387" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4208.jpg?resize=1200%2C900" alt="" width="1200" height="900" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4208.jpg?resize=1200%2C900 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4208.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_4208.jpg?w=2016 2016w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Langley waterfront at dusk

We had an early dinner at one of our favorites spots in Langley — Prima Bistro (where we took no food photos, but we shared some kusshi oysters and charcuterie for starters, then ordered two entrees to share: the cassoulet and the pan roasted chicken with polenta, braised endive, and rosemary-gorgonzola pan jus). Everything was delicious, and we took more than half the cassoulet back to Airship for another meal.

The Star Store mercantile next door is open until 8pm so we grabbed some fresh produce and eggs and called it an early night!

We left Langley this morning before 9am. The weather was gray and rainy but we never saw more than about 10kts of wind.

We did, however, pass a big submarine as it headed north:

Pretty cool to see at such close range!

Exploring the West Side of Vancouver Island | Part 2

Laura Domela — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 23:30:15 +0000

From Hot Springs Cove we cruised over to Clayoquot Sound. There are many little inlets and anchorages to explore (as well as one of our favorite towns on Vancouver Island — Tofino. Our first stop was Bottleneck Bay, which as the name suggests, has a narrow entrance channel (we never saw less than 25 feet under the keel). Inside is a large, secure anchorage.

Bottleneck Bay anchorage from the air, Clayoquot Sound

Bottleneck Bay, Clayoquot Sound

We spent the following night in Bacchante Bay, and then continued on to Tofino. Tofino is a great town to visit, and as I said in the Part 1 post, the last time we were in Tofino was with the Airstream in 2014. Arriving by boat is a whole different ball game.

Tofino waterfront

Tofino really doesn’t cater to pleasure boats, at all. We tried hailing the harbormaster at the public docks but received no answer. The transient docks appeared full, with small boats rafted two and three deep. We continued down to Crab Dock which looked like it had space, but the current was running to about 4 knots, and the narrow channel there is bordered by sand bars and smaller islands, all with small whale-watching and fishing boats buzzing past at 8-10 knots while you try to figure out where to go. We called Tofino Resort and Marina (formerly Weigh West Marina), and they said they had space for us and told us where to tie up. This facility has recently been completely remodeled and updated. Included in the moorage rate (which is a bit expensive) are power, water, laundry, WiFi, and showers. The staff is friendly and helpful, and they take reservations. We would definitely stay here in the future.

While in Tofino we reprovisioned with groceries, beer, and wine. We also dined out! We had oysters in the afternoon at Tough City Sushi on the waterfront, an evening cocktail (cedar-infused rye!) at Wolf in the Fog, and a delicious late dinner at Shelter.

On to Barkley Sound! Our first anchorage was a lovely, well-protected spot in the Broken Group, behind Turtle Island. We anchored and then took the dinghy out to explore.

Topiary islet near our anchorage in the Broken Group, Barkely Sound

View from our anchorage near Turtle Island, Broken Group in Barkley Sound

Next we headed inside a bit further, and anchored in a spot next to Refuge Island so we could go up Lucky Creek with the dinghies:

Heading out in the dinghies to see what’s up Lucky Creek (anchored at Refuge Bay, Barkley Sound)

At the head…a waterfall and some tallish cliffs

Lucky Creek waterfall

We secured the dinghies to the rocks and climbed up to see what was at the top of the waterfall

…more pools and more waterfalls!

…and a rope swing! If it had been hotter out, we’d have been swimming!

Back at Airship and Safe Harbour, anchored near Refuge Island

We had a calm and sunny cruise back out to the Broken Group, and anchored in Effingham Bay, right on the edge of the ocean.

View from our anchorage in Effingham Bay, Barkely Sound

We beached the dinghies on this sand spit/islet near our anchorage at Effingham Bay and walked around a bit.

More island topiary

Sea caves on the outside of Austin Island, near our anchorage at Effingham Bay, Barkley Sound

Another sandy islet, Broken Group, Barkley Sound

Beach textures

Scratched up bull kelp

The next morning we cruised from Effingham Bay over to the town of Bamfield. Bamfield is a tiny town separated into two halves that border Bamfield Harbour — the east side is where the road is, and the west side is on a peninsula. All the buildings are linked by boardwalks and is not connected to the main part of town by road at all. It’s really a very charming little town! We tied to the government dock on the west side and took off on foot to explore the boardwalk trail.

Bamfield has a small general store on the west side that had a surprising amount of great-looking produce!

Next we took the dinghies across to the east side, which was fine but not as charming. There is another store (called “The Market”) that also had quite a bit of produce. (Is it obvious what we care about as cruisers in remote areas? Fresh produce!!!) We stopped at the pub (called “The Pub”) and had a beer and some yam fries, and then headed back to the boats for some work and a late supper.

It was looking like our window to do the last (long) leg of the outside (and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca) was going to be Saturday, which is why we decided to come into Bamfield instead of staying out in the islands. It’s a good jumping off point, and though we could spend weeks more exploring out here, we need to be in Victoria by the 20th…so we’ll be a little early, but at least we won’t get stuck! The trip is about 75 nautical miles (and about 10 hours underway) from Bamfield to Sooke, and fortunately for us, the forecast for the morning until late afternoon was for minimal winds, low swells, and fog.

Leaving Bamfield at first light:

As soon as we got outside of Barkley Sound we entered the thick fog bank:

Fog can make for a rather boring cruise. There’s not much to see, but you need to keep even more of a watch than on a good visibility day. We have GPS and radar and AIS, and with calm conditions we were pretty low on complaints for the day.

Happily breaking up the boredom were two Orcas (not together) — one younger one (splashy and active, and very close to Airship)…

…and another larger one with a much taller dorsal fin, further away:

We also saw more than a dozen humpbacks (most of them in the fog), including two enormous ones right in our path. We stopped and waited until they dove.

Entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca…conditions were still calm, and the fog eventually cleared for us, but remained thick at the east entrance. Approaching Sooke Harbour:

We anchored just on the inside of Whiffen Spit, which is a lovely location but for all the crab traps and speeding fishing boats zooming in and out all day. Those little guys can throw quite a wake, which is not awesome when you’re rafted to another boat!

Kevin and I decided to see if we could get in for an early dinner at the Sooke Harbour House. (Since we were anchored right out front basically, and could easily dinghy over and back…we figured we’d never be closer!) We managed to score the corner window table, with a killer view of the water, and opted for the three course dinner plus wine pairings. Everything was fabulous, and the food was better than we remembered from when we visited three years ago. Definitely worth a visit!

After dinner we walked the length of the spit and back, and then dinghied home.

From Sooke, we’re heading over to Victoria for a few days. Another new destination for Airship!

Driftwood fort on the beach at Whiffen Spit

Exploring the West Side of Vancouver Island | Part 1

Laura Domela — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 22:20:18 +0000

As you might already know, we decided to take a different route home this summer: the west coast of Vancouver Island. Soon after we bought Airship (September 2014) we attended the Seattle Boat Show in January of 2015. We thought it would be a good idea to attend some boating/education seminars, since we were relatively new to boating (and especially boating in the Pacific Northwest). When deciding which seminars to attend, we opted out of the Alaska seminars and instead went to the presentation on cruising the west side of Vancouver Island. Closer to home, we thought. Alaska’s far, we thought. We’re too new, we thought. And then — we ended up cruising Airship to Alaska just several months later, in May 2015. The west side of Vancouver Island turned out to be the area that sounded the most advanced!

Since then, we have spent 5 months per year for the past three years cruising up and down the Inside Passage to SE Alaska, been underway for over two thousand hours, and have over 13,000 nautical miles under our belts. After all that, the west side of Vancouver Island sounded like a great idea — more remote areas full of new places to explore!

Vancouver Island is enormous, and stretches 300 miles from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Queen Charlotte Sound. The inside route we’ve taken numerous times lies east of Vancouver Island is therefore is protected from the Pacific Ocean.

The west side the island has five main sounds along its coast: Quatsino Sound, Kyoquot Sound, Nootka Sound, Clayoquot Sound, and Barkley Sound. These sounds each have quite a few interesting anchorages, small settlements, and miles and miles of remote shoreline. Between these sounds, however, you’ve got to hop out into the open ocean. The distances between are relatively short, but the addition of swells and thousands of miles of fetch can quickly make things uncomfortable.

So far, we’ve had an incredible time with some great weather, and the most challenging bits (like coming around Cape Scott, rounding Brooks Peninsula and Estevan Point) have been calm, foggy, and easy.

Here’s a brief overview in pictures of our first week or so on the outside:

Queen Charlotte Sound, on our way to Cape Scott

Shoreline as we entered Sea Otter Cove

Leaving Sea Otter Cove the next morning

Exploring the Marble River by dinghy. We anchored in Varney Bay in Quatsino Sound the first night, and Julian Cove the next. Lots of rain while we were in Quatsino Sound!

After rounding Brooks Peninsula in the fog, here we are approaching Columbia Cove as it burns off.

Airship and Safe Harbour anchored/rafted in Columbia Cove. Taken from the kayak. We arrived by 10am and had the whole sunny day to explore!

Aerial shot of our anchorage, Columbia Cove

There’s a trail that that leads from the inner part of Columbia Cove out to beautiful sandy beaches!

The Bunsby Islands are a great area to explore by dinghy and/or kayak

Kevin on the rocky landscape

The Bunsby Islands looking almost tropical!

" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bunsbyislands-8721.jpg?fit=300%2C200" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bunsbyislands-8721.jpg?fit=1000%2C667" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-23135" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bunsbyislands-8721.jpg?resize=1000%2C667" alt="" width="1000" height="667" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bunsbyislands-8721.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bunsbyislands-8721.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

The Bunsby Islands looking almost tropical!

Exploring one of the many rivers in the Bunsbys at high tide.

Wolf tracks on the beach. (We also saw cougar tracks, and bear tracks…well, and the black bears that made those bear tracks!)

" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/wolftracks.jpg?fit=300%2C208" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/wolftracks.jpg?fit=1000%2C692" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-23137" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/wolftracks.jpg?resize=1000%2C692" alt="" width="1000" height="692" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/wolftracks.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/wolftracks.jpg?resize=300%2C208 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Wolf tracks on the beach. (We also saw cougar tracks, and bear tracks…well, and the black bears that made those bear tracks!)

Airship on the public dock at Walters Cove. We picked up fresh produce (and ice cream!) at the little general store here.

" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-3653.jpg?fit=300%2C267" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-3653.jpg?fit=1000%2C891" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-23138" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-3653.jpg?resize=1000%2C891" alt="" width="1000" height="891" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-3653.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-3653.jpg?resize=300%2C267 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Airship on the public dock at Walters Cove. We picked up fresh produce (and ice cream!) at the little general store here.

Portrait of the Queen in the Java the Hutt cafe at Walters Cove.

" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-5811.jpg?fit=225%2C300" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-5811.jpg?fit=751%2C1000" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-23139" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-5811.jpg?resize=1000%2C1332" alt="" width="1000" height="1332" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-5811.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-5811.jpg?resize=225%2C300 225w, https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/WaltersCove-5811.jpg?resize=751%2C1000 751w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Portrait of the Queen in the Java the Hutt cafe at Walters Cove.

Taking the dinghies ashore to hike over to Rugged Point.

" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ruggedpoint-5820.jpg?fit=300%2C200" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ruggedpoint-5820.jpg?fit=1000%2C667" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-23140" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ruggedpoint-5820.jpg?resize=1000%2C667" alt="" width="1000" height="667" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ruggedpoint-5820.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ruggedpoint-5820.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Taking a dinghy ashore to hike over to Rugged Point.

Intense foam churned up by waves as they crash over nearby rocks. On our way to Nuchatlitz, at the entrance to Esperanza Inlet.

" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/nuchatlitz-8730.jpg?fit=300%2C191" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/nuchatlitz-8730.jpg?fit=1000%2C637" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-23141" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/nuchatlitz-8730.jpg?resize=1000%2C637" alt="" width="1000" height="637" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/nuchatlitz-8730.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/nuchatlitz-8730.jpg?resize=300%2C191 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Intense foam churned up by waves as they crash over nearby rocks. On our way to Nuchatlitz, at the entrance to Esperanza Inlet.

Colorful west coast sunset, Nuchatlitz

Airship and Safe Harbour anchored in Nuchatliz. Sunset from the drone.

Nootka Lightstation in Friendly Cove/Yuquot

" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Yuquot-5840.jpg?fit=300%2C167" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Yuquot-5840.jpg?fit=1000%2C558" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-23144" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Yuquot-5840.jpg?resize=1000%2C558" alt="" width="1000" height="558" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Yuquot-5840.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Yuquot-5840.jpg?resize=300%2C167 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Nootka Lightstation in Friendly Cove/Yuquot

Native carvings and totems inside the old church at Friendly Cove/Ququot

Kevin and Sam at Hot Springs Cove,

" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3676.jpg?fit=300%2C225" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3676.jpg?fit=1000%2C750" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-23146" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3676.jpg?resize=1000%2C750" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3676.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3676.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Kevin and Sam, Hot Springs Cove, Clayoquot Sound

Sunset at the public dock, Hot Springs Cove. Airship and Safe Harbour are anchored just past the right edge of this shot.

" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3699.jpg?fit=300%2C225" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3699.jpg?fit=1000%2C750" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-23147" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3699.jpg?resize=1000%2C750" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3699.jpg?w=1000 1000w, https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/hotspringscove-3699.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Sunset at the public dock, Hot Springs Cove. Airship and Safe Harbour are anchored just outside the right edge of the photo. I used no filter on this shot — I think the color is largely due to smoke from nearby fires.

We are still in Clayoquot Sound and will be heading to Tofino in a day or two. The last time we were in Tofino we were there with the Airstream and were seriously considering getting into this whole boating thing. (THAT worked out well, didn’t it??)

After Tofino we’ll stop in Uclulet and then head into Barkely Sound where we will probably spend a week exploring before heading around to Sooke and Victoria. For more detailed posts, keep up with Kevin and Sam and I over at Slowboat.com.

The Abandoned Cannery at Namu | British Columbia

Laura Domela — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 16:28:36 +0000

Yep, we’re behind in the posting. We had a successful Dixon Entrance crossing, spent the night in Prince Rupert, then headed down the outside of the Inside Passage to see some new places. Since this part of our trip south is to primarily to scout new territory for future Slowboat flotillas, we’ve mostly been posting updates to Slowboat. But I don’t want to leave you out, so there are some links if you feel like you’ve been missing something!

And now, on to Namu! We anchored back in Rock Inlet (a mile or so past the abandoned cannery), and then dinghied back out to the site for some exploring.

The first cannery at Namu opened in 1893. BC Packers bought the operation in 1928 and developed it into a sprawling complex that included salmon processing plants, giant warehouses, a store, a power plant, and housing for workers and their families. All of it was linked by boardwalks and a good portion of it was constructed on pilings over the water. The cannery partially burned down in a fire in 1962, but was rebuilt and went on operating until…well, I’m not sure. I found reference to it closing at times in the 70s and the 80s. The dates and history is a little fuzzy for such a “known” place.

In any case, the pilings and docks are presently in various stages of falling apart, so we beached the dinghy on the rocks and climbed up the hillside to gain access.

This place has a seriously creepy vibe, and after reading this Wikipedia entry, I get why:

“In its early iteration the cannery at Namu employed a race-based policy of labour; with groups of First Nations, Japanese, Chinese and “Whites” – and was for a time racially and sexually segregated, including but not limited to whites-only bathrooms and the management positions being reserved for Caucasian men.”

Okay, maybe it’s not just that. We’ve been to abandoned settlements with crumbling buildings before, but there’s something about the feel of this place that’s different…the disrepair, the way so much stuff was just left here, combined with the giant piles (and I mean GIANT) of empty alcohol bottles and occasional shotgun shell, well…you get the idea. It feels like somewhere that someone slowly went crazy…like in The Shining. But maybe I’m reading too much into it. I’ll show you what I mean:

There are fire extinguishers everywhere. Lots of them. On the roofs, inside buildings, sitting out in the yard (with bullet holes!).

There’s one building that has an insane amount of stuff covered in barnacles, but this is not where the barnacles grew. This stuff has been “collected” presumably from adjacent shorelines and brought into this room. It’s weird, and I don’t get it.

There were tables and tables and TABLES covered with broken pottery and bottles and other random things…covered with barnacles.

Ping pong, anyone?

This giant dead tree structure with birdhouses was actually bolted to the side of this concrete wall. Pretty arty, actually:

The general store:

Most of the paperbacks left here were Harlequin romance novels.

The location is lovely, really:

But I mention PILES of empty booze containers? This is just one of many.

These cans all say “Shrimp Meat” on the labels:

I found a bunch of ready-made still lifes…

As I mentioned, there’s much evidence of people hanging out here, shooting at stuff:

“Danger, Sulphuric Acid” — eeek!

It was definitely an interesting stop. I’m sure the expense to clean this place up is quite large, but boy does it need cleaning up!

The Most Humpbacks We’ve Ever Seen Bubble-net Feeding in One Group

Laura Domela — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 21:35:26 +0000

We had the most amazing day last Friday, cruising from Tenakee Springs to Hoonah. Just outside of Tenakee Inlet we found ourselves in the midst of about 20 humpback whales. This is not the most whales we’ve seen in one spot, but it’s definitely the largest group we’ve ever seen bubble-net feeding together. We counted at least 14 in the same group of cooperative feeders. It was incredible, and difficult enough to describe with pictures, let alone words. Here’s my attempt at some visual highlights (but you really need to be there, hearing the loud breaths and horn-like sounds from the spouts, and the chatter of the seagulls as they compete for the falloff).

There were so many whales, so close, that I couldn’t even fit them all in my frame.

Kevin was able to take the Mavic up and got some cool drone footage:

Flotilla to Alaska | Update from Sitka

Laura Domela — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 07:18:54 +0000

Well, the last thirty days have flown by. We could not have asked for a better group of competent, fun, interesting participants. We made some incredible new friends on this adventure, and we’re thankful to have had no mechanical issues at all. We arrived in Sitka on June 19th and have spent the past couple days sightseeing, doing chores, and eating out. This group still wants to keep hanging out together, after 30 days of togetherness. How great is that??

Tomorrow we’ll leave Sitka and all boats (minus Sam on Safe Harbour, who has a flight to catch out of Juneau in a few days) will continue on together back out Peril Strait to Appleton Cove. From there two boats will head south and two will continue on with us as we head north up toward Hoonah and Icy Strait, and then around to Juneau eventually.

If you haven’t been following but want to catch up on the flotilla’s daily posts, head over to Slowboat and see what we’ve been up to.

In the meantime, here are a few visual highlights since we last posted from Ketchikan:

Petersburg

LeConte Glacier

Le Conte Glacier seals

Le Conte Glacier

Kayaking at LeConte Glacier

Kayaking at LeConte Glacier (bottom of the photo)

The glacier ice cocktail bar, after a day at Le Conte Glacier

Heading up Chatham Strait

So many humpbacks in Frederick Sound

…including this one we had to stop for! Whoa!

Anchored in Cannery Cove, Pybus Bay – on Admiralty Island

Pybus Bay/Cannery Cove anchorage

" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/pybusbaydrone-0526.jpg?fit=300%2C225" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/pybusbaydrone-0526.jpg?fit=999%2C749" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22931" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/pybusbaydrone-0526.jpg?resize=999%2C749" alt="" width="999" height="749" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/pybusbaydrone-0526.jpg?w=999 999w, https://i1.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/pybusbaydrone-0526.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w" sizes="(max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Pybus Bay/Cannery Cove anchorage

Mama brown bear on the hillside while cubs play in the snow near the waterfall (Pybus Bay)

Brown bear on shore, Red Bluff Bay, Baranof Island

Kevin fishing for trout, just above the falls at Warm Springs Bay, Baranof Island

Warm Springs Bay, Baranof Island

Rafted two deep at Warm Springs Bay, Baranof Island

Warm Springs Bay dock, from the drone

" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/baranofwarmspringsdrone-0539.jpg?fit=300%2C225" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/baranofwarmspringsdrone-0539.jpg?fit=999%2C749" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22924" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/baranofwarmspringsdrone-0539.jpg?resize=999%2C749" alt="" width="999" height="749" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/baranofwarmspringsdrone-0539.jpg?w=999 999w, https://i2.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/baranofwarmspringsdrone-0539.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w" sizes="(max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Warm Springs Bay dock and falls

Takatz Bay anchorage

" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/takatzbaydrone-0571.jpg?fit=300%2C225" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/takatzbaydrone-0571.jpg?fit=999%2C749" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-22923" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/takatzbaydrone-0571.jpg?resize=999%2C749" alt="" width="999" height="749" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/takatzbaydrone-0571.jpg?w=999 999w, https://i0.wp.com/www.riveted-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/takatzbaydrone-0571.jpg?resize=300%2C225 300w" sizes="(max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px" data-recalc-dims="1" />

Takatz Bay anchorage

Takatz Bay anchorage (we love this place!)

Takatz Bay, Baranof Island

Coming through Peril Strait

Deep Bay anchorage

The Safe Harbour/Airship raft, Deep Bay

Sunset at Deep Bay

The flotilla coming through Sergius Narrows on our way to Sitka

Eliason Harbor, Sitka

Thompson Harbor, Sitka

Walking home from dinner, Sitka

Sitka sun (for another minute)

Wires, with a raven on top

Here’s how far we’ve come:
Roche Harbor, WA to Sitka Alaska, flotilla total: 30 days, 1,061.6 nautical miles, 145 hours 37 minutes underway

We Made it to Alaska!

Laura Domela — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 16:55:33 +0000

We didn’t leave Prince Rupert on Wednesday until about 2:30pm to cross Dixon Entrance because the weather wasn’t cooperating until then. (More info on our Dixon Entrance crossing here, if you’re interested in the details.) We made a very good choice in our timing, and we rewarded with relatively calm seas (just a few lumpy swells in a couple spots) and little wind.

We anchored in beautiful Foggy Bay for the night…a gorgeous spot, and it cuts up the 80 miles from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan into 50- and 30-mile legs instead of one very long day. (You must call Customs to get permission to stop when heading north from Prince Rupert, but from what I hear, they almost always give it.)

We left Foggy Bay late in the morning on Thursday and made the calm cruise up to Ketchikan, arriving around 2pm. We cleared U.S. Customs easily, fueled up, and headed for our slip at Bar Harbor North.

We walked into town and did some grocery shopping, picked up a few packages from Frontier Shipping (Slowboat T-shirts for everyone!!) and then stopped in at the Arctic Bar.

Paula’s famous “Arctic-Style” spicy Bloody Mary (aka, one of the only Bloody Marys I like)

We had a fun, celebratory dinner with the whole flotilla at the Bar Harbor Restaurant, and yesterday was a (rainy) lay day in Ketchikan for chores and work and exploring. Today, the adventure continues as we head up to Meyer’s Chuck, then Wrangell, Petersburg, LeConte Glacier, Pybus Bay, Red Bluff Bay, and so on.

Here’s how far we’ve come on the flotilla:
19 days, 686.9 nautical miles, 94 hours 17 minutes underway

Flotilla to Alaska | Update from Prince Rupert

Laura Domela — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 14:07:13 +0000

Day 16 of the Slowboat Flotilla to Alaska and we’re about halfway to Sitka. We’ve had some fantastic adventures since I last checked in, and we’ve documented all of them over on Slowboat, but if you aren’t following the flotilla over there, here are some highlights:

Otters at Cape Caution

Orcas outside Fury Cove, in Fitz Hugh Sound

Akeeva (Nordhavn 50) with orca

The flotilla (plus a few extras) anchored in Fury Cove

The dam at Ocean Falls BC

We had a great visit to Ocean Falls that included catching about 10 big Dungeness crabs between us (some of which ended up as crab enchiladas for the whole group the next night), as well as exploring the spooky insides of some abandoned buildings.

North Beach by drone, Pruth Bay, BC

We visited Butedale, an old cannery in various states of ruin (with plans for restoration), and hiked and bushwacked a very muddy, overgrown trail up to the lake.

Butedale, BC

Butedale Lake

We’ve had about a solid week of rain and gale warnings, but this morning in Prince Rupert we awoke to this:

Our plan is to head out in a bit for a Dixon Entrance crossing, but we’re waiting to see if a few weather reporting stations report a trend of lessening winds…we’ll stop over in Foggy Bay tonight if we go, and then on into Ketchikan the next day. So far, conditions might be favoring another night in Prince Rupert, so we’ll just wait and see. Always nicer not to get tossed around out there if you don’t have to, and we’re in no rush.