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GILow · 29-07-2015, 19:58

Well this thread certainly restored my faith in my fellow man to think, plan and deliver. Great work so far.

I am sorry I missed this thread to date, I shall watch with interest to see how you progress. Best of luck though you sound like you won't need it, you are making it with your actions.

Matt

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RedHerring · 18-05-2016, 01:37

Guess, another update is due.

Desolation Sound sail last summer went well. Caught a bunch of fish, swam in a freshwater lake in heavy rain, did an overnight passage, had both prop AND rudder tangled by the same piece of line, anchored under sail with not much steering, hit bottom (different story), figured out how to use windvane and sextant, made a couple wondrous discoveries about the enigma which is this boat's plumbing system - the works.

One of our teenagers has left home yesterday, the other one is leaving in a couple of months. The idea for this season looks like this:

* Wrapping up my current contracting gig on July 1 and go to the boat.

* Wife and kid (she's 5) join on the last week of July for a two weeks trip from Vancouver up the Desolation Sound.

* Drop them off at Campbell River, pick up a couple of friends, pass through the Johnstone Strait and take another couple of weeks to complete the circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. This part is the shakedown cruise.

* Spend a couple of weeks in port somewhere to deal with whatever new interesting problems pop up.

* Take on another crew and sail to San-Francisco, using the offshore route.

* At this point, wife quits her job, we get together, sail down the coast of California, join Baja Ha-Ha, then spend some serious time in the Sea of Cortez.

You can find us under #44 in the Ha-Ha roster for this year: Baja Ha-Ha 2015 Roster

RedHerring · 03-07-2016, 03:50

It's finally happening. Yesterday was last day at work. As of today, I'm officially a full-time cruiser. At least, in terms of "fixing boats in exotic ports". Whoever says Richmond, BC is not exotic, let him throw the first stone.

Yay!

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Hanksy · 03-07-2016, 04:18

I'm jealously reading this from work. All the customers are in a bad mood today. If you start to get doubts that you made the right decision call me and I'll remind you what's it like to be a working stiff

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**sneuman** · 03-07-2016, 04:54

Great! You're doing the hardest part right now ... casting off the docklines!

**Hudson Force** · 03-07-2016, 05:04

RedHerring, I just reviewed the three year+ history of this short thread. Congratulations with your focus on the goal and welcome to the full time cruising community!

**Jim Cate** · 03-07-2016, 16:01

Red, I had the faith from your very first post. I dunno what set you apart as a wanabe, but your steady progress and thoughtful updates have shown your true colors, and they are good uns.

Enjoy the trip down the coast as much as possible, with the comforting knowledge that it is likely to be the worst conditions that you will face for some while. Enjoy too the Calif coast and the Channel IIslands... and especially enjoy Mexico... we sure did.

My only advice at this stage is to not get too tied up with the Haha folks. We see too many new cruisers who get so involved with a rally group that they miss out on meeting the locals and non-rallying cruisers whom they encounter along the way.

Good luck with it all!

Jim

**JPA Cate** · 03-07-2016, 18:54

Let me add my "good on ya" to Jim's. Good plans, progress reports, execution. Well done, sir.

Enjoy your travels, big time.

Ann

**Adelie** · 03-07-2016, 21:38

Let me know when you make it to San Diego. Dinner or sum'tin.

A house is but a boat so poorly built and so firmly run aground you would never try to refloat it.

RedHerring · 20-08-2016, 21:43

Vancouver Island circumnavigation: done. Sailing on the ocean side is way better than the inside passages, because, you know, wind. Haven't run into anything scarier than a 35kt wind with 10' waves, downwind surfing with almost no sail in those conditions was just glorious. No major problems with any systems, although we did have to jury rig an autopilot drive belt and rebuild a toilet along the way. Still working on the fishing thing - only three large fishes in a month of sailing around PNW seems below par.

Next up: Victoria to to San Francisco passage.

**Don C L** · 20-08-2016, 22:39

Really enjoy the updates. When are you leaving? Keep us posted along the way. Let me know when you are in my neck of the woods, I'll sail out and catch you out there at the Channel Islands along the way if I can!

RedHerring · 29-08-2016, 11:13

Some pretty moving pixels from Calgary - Vancouver - Campbell River leg of the voyage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFNdWbiX-vQ

RedHerring · 15-09-2016, 22:07

We made it to San Francisco. Kept ~150miles offshore, saw four other vessels in the entire week, not a single one was closer than a couple of miles. No victims, fairly minimal destruction. Tracking data is still at https://share.delorme.com/svSpartan

Had a few problems on the way. The most surprising one: it turns out that there can be too many whales. Someone said so when five of them surfaced pretty close to the boat, including two within a couple of hull lengths.

Fishing was quite good initially, but at the end of day 2 we pulled a 50 pound albacore out of the water. Sort of made further efforts pointless. Still haven't finished eating the thing.

Next steps: buy some nuts and bolts in West Marine, stick around the SF Bay for a week or so then on to Santa Barbara / Channel Islands. Life is good, particularly the sleeping with a dry ass part of it, according to my little brother.

**Don C L** · 15-09-2016, 23:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedHerring

We made it to San Francisco. Kept ~150miles offshore, saw four other vessels in the entire week, not a single one was closer than a couple of miles. No victims, fairly minimal destruction. Tracking data is still at https://share.delorme.com/svSpartan

Had a few problems on the way. The most surprising one: it turns out that there can be too many whales. Someone said so when five of them surfaced pretty close to the boat, including two within a couple of hull lengths.

Fishing was quite good initially, but at the end of day 2 we pulled a 50 pound albacore out of the water. Sort of made further efforts pointless. Still haven't finished eating the thing.

Next steps: buy some nuts and bolts in West Marine, stick around the SF Bay for a week or so then on to Santa Barbara / Channel Islands. Life is good, particularly the sleeping with a dry ass part of it, according to my little brother.

Great! are you planning any stops between SF and SB?