New from Vancouver

[dawndreamer]

Hi all,

I'm from Vancouver, where I moved in 1981 when I left the Canadian navy. Later that year, I bought a Bill Garden ketch, moved aboard and began a slow process of preparing to sail off the edge of the earth. The next summer, I met a beautiful young lady and never did make it beyond the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The ketch, a house in Crescent Beach, a condo in Whistler and a canal boat in France have all come and gone. But the beautiful young lady is still my beautiful young wife, and my yearn to sail out beyond the horizon is stronger than ever.

For my wife, boating is simply being in the boat, preferably alongside somewhere, anywhere actually, as long as it is only a gentle few hours from the last marina. Our current boat, therefore is the "floating condo" Carver 42 she wanted, rather than the shippy yacht I wanted.

Realizing that if I don't start planning on going off alone, I'll never go. So I have just begun the process of trying to decide on the ideal boat to sail off in. Who knows, maybe she'll join me in a few ports.

[SkiprJohn]

Welcome aboard!! My last big boat was Bill Garden Mariner 35. You'll find lots of interested posts on this site and lots of friendly folks. I've become jealous of all the folks who are currently cruising or hanging out in the areas I want to be in but I'm stuck here in Hawaii working on my dream. Friends of mine are just underway from Campbell River headed up north to Prince Rupert. Wish I was there. Oh well, maybe next year.
Kind Regards, --John--

[CaptainK]

Welcome aboard dawndreamer.

Good thing that you have a lady that likes sailboats. Some other peoples ladies don't like the idea of boating that much. So consider yourself very lucky.

Alot of great people on this forum. And are very knowledgeable.

Welcome aboard.

[rsn48]

Welcome aboard. I don't have to tell you what a wonderful area the West Coast of BC is for sailing. Maybe you could slowly start up the anti as to the distances you sail, maybe a 5 year plan to get her use to longer sails. My wife is willing to come but not enthusiastic. I started her off with barbeque's on the boat - that was it. Then a "big" sail from Horseshoe Bay over to Marion Bay on Bowen Island by Schooner's Cove. The next sail was around Bowen Island then back to Horseshoe Bay.

I just slowly add on to what I have already done so that the natural expansion of sailing time is almost imperceptible. I would eventually like to sail to the Broughton area north of Desolation Sound, and North of that - no sense letting the cruise ships have all the fun.

A forum member here wanted to experiment before her and her husband under took a longer sail; I suggested circumnavigating Vancouver Island in the summer (reduced bad weather off the west coast of the Island).

[dawndreamer]

Originally Posted by rsn48

Maybe you could slowly start up the anti as to the distances you sail, maybe a 5 year plan to get her use to longer sails

We did many Strait crossings under sail through the 80s, with much exploration of the San Juans and Gulf Islands, but she always wanted to be within sight of land. I wanted to head offshore. Our multi-week trips had only one or two anchorages, if any at all. I wanted to explore wilder places.

To guarantee she was within sight of land, we bought a canal boat in France, and for six years we wandered the waters of the Burgundy, the Alsace, the Champagne, Paris, the Loire, the Rhone and the Saone. She could step ashore at every lock. I wanted to sail around the world.

We just spent four days in the Gulf Islands and in Victoria for the long weekend. I thrilled at the adventure of returning on Monday through six hours of fog. She thought the trip was too long.

[rsn48]

I just recently bought, but have not installed yet, radar (JRC 1800 - cheapest colour) for the very condition you were describing of Monday's weather. I was in the Canadian Navy in the 70's and I got used to having all the whistles and bells electronically (not that sophisticated compared to todays chart plotters and radar).

It sounds like you're doing all the right things. The only other solution which you might not like is to sail your boat - with a buddy - to locations you want to go - further away South or North, then have her fly and and join you there for a week or two. I'm thinking of this for my wife.

I was a hyperactive kid in my youth; it took me a couple of years to really learn how to relax on a sailboat. I'm not talking about stressful - I want to leave - kind of stress, but the stress of wanting to go for a walk but not being able to do it. Or, the stress of not really doing anything on the sail boat while underway. I did eventaully adapt and learned to love the Zen like existence of just being in the moment of where you are and listening to all the wonderful sounds nature has to offer.

[CaptainK]

Hmmmmm?

Never heard of JRC brand before.

What other brand of radar equipment would you compare up to the JRC 1800, rsn48?

[Talbot]

JRC radar is very common in UK. It is one of the radars with least additional bells and whistles, but is also about the cheapest.

Your idea of doing the long bits yourself (preferably with A. Nother) and your wife joining you during the close to shore and exotic location bits, is exactly how I will be doing it.

[rsn48]

JRC is an older company that really is designed to cater to the large commercial ships and Navies. There "recreational" line is almost a hobby with them; however people who have relied on them claim very good customer service.

Now why haven't you heard of them? Well it might have to do with the fact they don't advertise their recreational equipment. However they have been the suppliers of other recreational brands. The practical boater did a review of them a couple of years ago (UK magazine) and liked the JRC1500 - its all you really need, though colour is nice.

Because they don't advertise, people are wary of them, thinking there must be something wrong with them, but they work quite well. In actual fact, if you goggle on the company, you'll find they are a very very large corporation. I think some one here said that in reality there is only like 3 major players in radar, and all systems are from one or a composite of them.

[CaptainK]

Sorry rsn48.

I still have not heard about this brand name before. Til you mentioned it.

You said the company does no advertising. That explains alot!!