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We left Harbour Village Marina in Kenmore this morning, June 11, 2006 around 6:00 am. It was very overcast with low clouds. It took about an hour to reach Ballard Locks. We were able to go through almost immediately. There was only one other boat. When we reached Shilshoe it was foggy but we were able to see for a short distance. Rebecca had saved our last trip to La Conner on the GPS, so we were able to just follow our tracks up Puget Sound. John kept a lookout for ferries and large container ships. Our trip to La Conner took 8 and one half hours. That also included fuel up time and tying up at the dock. Not too bad.

We walked into town and had some coffee and Rebecca bought some treasures. We also walked to the small grocery store and found some bagels that were crying to be eaten. On our way back to the boat we stopped at the Channel Lodge Hotel and asked about using the wireless. The very nice lady invited us to sit in the lobby and use our laptops. We plan on leaving in the morning for Nanaimo. Weather permitting we should be able to make it in a day�s run. There is a possibility of meeting up with Barb and Trav there. The only disappointment so far is that our sister Mary is not with us.

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When we pulled out of La Conner, the current was going our direction. It was very smooth water and after 11 am the tide was with us�all the way to Nanaimo. Went through Dodd Narrows around 4:10 pm and the current was strong but going our way as well and sailed right though it with no problem. There were high clouds with some shade and the water was flat. We had considered stopping over at Sucia Island, but after looking at how nice the water was and the incoming tide was going our way, we decided to continue on to Nanaimo. Pulled in to the fuel dock around 4:30 p.m. and after refueling (OUCH!) pulled over to �H� dock, right in front of the Bar-T-Na. Alright! Barb and Trav were waiting for our arrival. John made the customs call and we were cleared immediately. Will exchange money, pick up a few extra items and then go anchor out in Marks Bay (protected by Newcastle Island) for the night, prior to leaving for points north in the morning.

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We left Nanamino the morning of June 14. Whiskey Gulf was going to be active at 8:00 am so we had two hours to reach Texada Island. The weather was clear and the seas were smooth. The wind started picking up after we cleared out of Whiskey Gulf. We were surfing around the point and had following seas up to Desolation Sound area.

After we reached the protection of the islands the water calmed down and we had a smooth ride. We decided to spend the night anchored in Squirrel Cove with Barb and Trav. Little did we know that a storm front was approaching our area. Well we spent three days in Squirrel Cove. You couldn�t ask for a better anchorage to ride out bad weather.

We left for Refuge Cove the morning of June 17. We ran into our friends Wayne and Judy aboard the Christy Lee. They are from Victoria and they travel each summer north. We plan on topping off our tanks with fuel and water in the morning and then heading north to Hole in the Wall, Octopus Islands. Hopefully we will have more photos later.

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Today is Thursday June 22 and we are still in the Octopus Islands. We have been fishing, crabbing, exploring, and Just being lazy. I think that I figured out why I�m having trouble with this site that Bill worked up for us. The wireless Signal sometimes is very weak and drifts in and out. If I happen to ftp when the signal drops I believe that causes problems. I�ll have to discuss it with the web master when I see him.

This has been a great trip. We have caught lots of fish, some really big. We have loaded up on crab daily. Trav caught one that was eight inches across. The weather has been very friendly to us. Some rain, cloudy, cold, but usually it warms up in the afternoon. Our friends from Victoria showed up yesterday afternoon in the Christy Lee. We will probably cross paths often this summer. I think we will probably leave tomorrow the 23rd and travel to Oleo�s for dinner. I hope to ftp this when we reach a place that has internet. Hello to all.

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Hello to all. Today is July 1, Canada Day, just like we celebrate on our 4th of July. We are in Lagoon Cove side tied to Barb and Trav. Their docks really fill up over this holiday. We just returned to our boats from the exciting crab races. We didn�t win anything but it is a lot of fun. This is a yearly event here. After the races they cook the crab and all the Boaters go back up with their pot luck stuff and just have a good time visiting.

We have our prawn trap out and Hopefully tomorrow we will have some prawns. We arrived at Oleo’s in Fredrick Arm on June 25. We stayed two nights because the winds were really kicking up on Johnstone Straight. We enjoyed visiting with our friends the Montoya’s. They have made many improvements especially to their kitchen and dining area. Rebecca and Katherina did some kayaking and exploring around Gomer Island. We didn�t try fishing because we had caught 3 lingcod outside of the Octopus Island.

We met three other boaters while at Oleo’s and enjoyed their company. We left Oleo’s the morning of the 27th even though the wind was still up. Our destination was Forward Harbour. It’s a safe refuge where you can anchor out of the wind before you enter Johnstone Straight. We had a couple of rapids to travel through on the way but both were within the safe range. While entering Whirlpool rapids the wind really kicked up. We were able to keep our speed up around 12 knots but we took a little pounding and lots of water over the bow. We spent two nights in Forward Harbour waiting for the winds to die down.

We left the morning of the 28th around 5:00 am. We arrived in Lagoon Cove around 10:30 am. We had a nice smooth trip, watched for bears, and just enjoyed being on the water. Using Net Stumbler I found a weak wireless signal here at Lagoon Cove and tracked it down. Just like the old Ham hunts Dad used to go on. I was able to FTP our last link and we read all of our email. Here are a few pictures we took. Rebecca is going to send a few also. Our best to all. j&r

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Today is July 3rd and we�re still in Lagoon Cove. This is really a nice lay-over for us. We set our prawn traps yesterday and pulled them This morning. We had caught between us 200 prawns. Some were pretty good size also. We got them all cooked up and refrigerated. We rebaited our traps and reset them. We�ll check them again in the morning. The first two photos are taken at our hot spot. I�m convinced that the signal bounces off the huge water tank. A few chairs, muffins and coffee and we would be right at home. We plan to stay here for two more nights. Your seventh day is free so what the heck, right Mike? We are seeing more sailboats this summer than what we have in the past. Our friends from Victoria showed up this morning and are anchored out in the bay. Our next stop will be Echo Bay where we need to desperately do laundry and stock up on a few supplies. Rebecca just returned from her Kayak trip so we�re off to the happy hour. j&r

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We arrived in Echo Bay July 6 around 10:00 am. We had nice smooth water and just enjoyed the peaceful morning. Echo Bay resort is owned by Nancy and Bob Richter and is currently for sale. This is our jump off point from where we travel to Simoon Sound and other famous places that are part of BC�s logging history. We visited with Bob and Nancy and they brought us up to date as to the sale of their place. We picked up some supplies, shared an ice cream with Barb and Trav, and started doing our little chores.

They have a wireless signal here that is quite stong so we are able to access it from the docks. Part of the history here at the resort is this is where part of the I-90 floating bridge ended up in 1999. The store and boat shed are located on the bridge. No cars, no traffic. Bill remembers the day that the bridge sank . I remember him telling me about the open holes during a storm and seeing the water splashing inside. The rest is history.

We plan on spending the night and leaving tomorrow the 7th. I volunteered to make enchiladas tonight for all of us. Across from the resort is a place called Windsong Sea Village. The Bead Lady has her store there. I�m sure that before we leave the area that we are going to visit her. On the other side of the island is where Billy Proctor has his home and museum. It�s located in Shoal Harbor and is very popular. Alexandra Morton, the lady who has battled the fish farms, lives here also. By way of the kelp-vine, we heard that Tommy Smothers paid a surprise visit to Pierre�s Lodge which is near here, and entertained all the guests with his songs for the evening of the 4th. This may be our last blog for a while. Please excuse the typos. Thanks for your emails. Love J&R

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This, for sure, is our last blog for a while. We spent another night in Echo Bay because a storm front came through. We plan on leaving this morning around 9:00, July 8, 2006. Billy Proctor is a landmark in this area. His museum is a collection of articles that came mostly from walking the beach�s. He is an original logger, fisherman, and friend to all that live here. You have to take your dingy from Echo Bay over to the school/government dock. From there you walk to his place. The trail takes you past the school, through the woods and you will eventually end up on the other side of the island. It was our first visit to his place and it was well worth it. Sun�s out and we�re outta-here.

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We arrived in Simoon Sound on July 8. Today is Wednesday July 12. There were two sailboats anchored in our favorite cove but we anchored in a cove just around the point from them. We chose a good spot because of the depth and protection from the wind. This is just what we needed, some peace and quite. It�s very hard to describe our setting other than to say it�s very peaceful and the solitude is wonderful. We have been having some great meals and have enjoyed being anchored together with Barb and Trav. Barb made some home made bread and shared it with us while it was still hot. Yumm! Rebecca and Trav set out the crab traps and we have been doing well. We are going to check the traps today if the rain lets up. There are lots of fish to catch here but so far, no lings. Rebecca and Barb have been kayaking together either taking photos or just exploring. Today is a good day to run our generators and recharge our house batteries. Trav and I have been busy catching up on small chores and reading novels.

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Today is Saturday July 15. We’re still in Simoon Sound, but are all packed up ready to leave in the morning. But for the rain, this has been a great anchorage. We are tucked back in a cove that looks out to the sound. Barb and Trav’s view is more towards the end of the cove that shows many rocks and exposed shoreline at low tide. The rain has left us and our barometers have started to rise. We plan to stop at Echo Bay for fuel and water in the morning. We are then going to another anchorage. Joe’s cove or Gnat Island. Who knows. As you can see from the photos, when the rains cleared, we were out having fun fishing and exploring. We managed to get a few chores done on both of our boats, so that kept us busy. Barb and Rebecca continued their painting and exploring in their kayaks. The rain didn’t stop them. Obviously, you can also see that we are starving to death too. More later when we can. Love, John & Rebecca, Barb & Trav

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Today is Friday July 21. We are anchored in Joe’s Cove and have been since July 19. Joe’s Cove is just a short distance from Old Passage. This is a very nice anchorage. We are in a very protected area, firmly anchored and stern tied to shore. We are both side-tied to each other. There are a few boats anchored in here and a couple of sailboats tied up at an old dock.

Barb and Rebecca has continued their travels in their kayaks. Our first day out fishing in our dingys and kayaks we were treated to a wonderful show of two humpback whales breaching. The show lasted for at least 30 minutes. I tried to take movies of it but they were just too far away. Our memories of it will last longer than a movie would of anyway.

Barb & Trav had us over for home made stroganoff and we furnished brownies. Tonight we plan on sharing dinner again with ham steak and noodles. The brownies are all gone. Barb and Trav are leaving in the morning for Sullivan Bay to pick up their friend Ken who is flying in via Kenmore Air. Rebecca and I will probably stay here in Joe’s Cove for the next few days. We will probably start back south around the 25th. We still plan on being in Tacoma on the 1st of August salmon fishing. Rebecca’s sister Jennifer is flying in from Oregon on the 3rd to spend a few days with us. Our brother-in-law Walt is flying in from Idaho on the 6th. We’re hoping this is the year that he catches the “big one”. Rebecca is going to add a few photos. Love John & Rebecca.

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Barb & Trav (on the Bar T Na) left Joe’s Cove on a foggy Saturday morning, July 22. We didn’t realize it, but when the wind kicked up our boats had drifted over a shallow spot, where we were anchored. Eagle eye Rebecca spotted it and we moved back into deeper water. We all agreed that if it hadn’t been foggy that morning, the Bar T Na having been set to leave at 7:00 a.m., might have hit the rock with unknown results. Thank goodness for the fog.

After the Bar T Na’s departure, we decided to move into a more secluded area because most of the other boats had left Joe’s Cove. We moved into the cove where the old log float is secured. It was very nice and quiet. We spent the day reading and catching up on small chores. We left the next morning after the fog lifted, for Waddington Bay. Reluctantly, we have to start working our way back to Kenmore, WA. We had our choice of a very nice anchorage in Waddington Bay, right behind an island and out of the wind. We left the following morning, July 24th, hoping to make it to Port Harvey near Johnstone Strait. The weather gods are not too friendly right now so we have decided to stop overnight at Lagoon Cove and leave in the morning. Our host, Bill, informed us that tonight they are not having the Happy Hour. Instead, they are having a pot luck and Bill is furnishing crab and prawns. We plan on leaving tomorrow morning, early, to continue our journey south. Love, J&R

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Well here we are in Shoal Bay. We left Lagoon Cove this morning and had a pleasant ride down Johnstone Straight. This area is where they mined gold many years ago. Most of the original buildings are gone but they are trying to build up a business. They are very nice folks and we were hoping for hamburgers but the water here has to be improved before they can open up the restaurant again. In case you can’t read the name on the boat at the dock it’s called “Shit Happens” I wonder how the coast guard answers them on the radio. We met Dwayne and Walli in Lagoon Cove yesterday and they pulled in here right after we did. Hopefully more later on. Love, J&R

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Today is July 26 and of course we stayed at Shoal Bay for the pig roast. This has been fun staying at the docks here. Lots of activity going on. Rebecca is out kayaking and I’m on the boat goofing off. Thank you everybody for your emails. Fun to read and stay in touch. The last photos show Rebecca after 1 beer and one glass of red wine. Mark at Shoal Bay still has their alcohol license but they can’t serve food until they get the water problem straightened out. He thinks next year it will be finished. Oleo’s had the same problem as with all the restaurants up here on the water. These folks really struggle to make a living so we try to support them as much as possible.

The dog in the photos just loves the water. What endurance he has. We met some nice folks, Jim and Karen Pedersen from Edmonds, WA. They have an older 1988 Bayliner 3818 and they are thinking of selling in the near future. They took us on board and gave us a tour. They are very proud of their vessel as well they should be, because they have kept it in excellent condition. As you all know we are selling our 32 and will be in the market for a 38, hopefully in the very near future. They told us that if they do plan on selling that they will contact us first. Their boat’s name is Blue Wave.

The last photo is the government dock that we are tied up to. It is filled beyond capacity. A yacht club from Comox is here for the pig roast. We will be pulling out tomorrow morning for Refuge Cove to top off our tanks and hopefully get across the Straight of Georgia. Love, John & Rebecca

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Well, today is July 28 and we’re back in Nanaimo, BC. After the layover in Shoal Bay we left on the morning of the 27th before o’ dark thirty. We made it to Refuge Cove around 8:20 AM and topped off our tanks. Rebecca grabbed a latte and we headed off to Pender Harbor. We got there around 2:00 PM. We were looking forward to their fish and chips but all we found were deserted docks and a closed restaurant. Irvine’s Landing is part of the history of Pender Harbor and we have stopped here every year on our return south. We were greeted by the current Harbormaster and he filled us in on the details. He did allow us to stay at the docks, no charge. Just a nice guy.

We left Irvine’s Landing around 9:00 AM and headed across the Strait of Georgia. Whiskey Golf was active so we had to take the long route back to stay clear of the subs and ships that were conducting multiple operations. They say the torpedoes are rubber tipped but you can imagine the hole they would make in a 32’ Bayliner.

The water was actually calm except around Ballenas Island, which gave us a small following sea. The rest of the ride into Nanaimo was smooth. We topped off our tanks again and found a slip in the Port of Nanaimo. We went to the store and picked up a few items, came back to the boat, washed it and are all settled in. We will leave early in the morning and catch the slack at Dodd Narrows. If the water’s nice we will travel all day and clear customs in Anacortes, WA. The above photos show the roasting of the pig, (the best) and shots of the area that also include the pub. The Comox Yacht Club contacted Mark at Shoal Bay and arranged for the pig roast. Mark, Robert and Shelly, are the owners and they are gracious hosts. We think that Mark can almost match Bill Barbor at Lagoon Cove, squeezing in boats around the docks. This is going to be one of our favorite stops going up and returning. We highly recommend that you stop here also, during your travels through the area. You will not be disappointed. Mark hopes to have the water problem taken care of prior to next season. His hamburgers are second to none. His email address is: marcosmac@earthlink.net and his web site is found at: www.shoalbaylodge.com . These people are so generous they offer free Wi-Fi Internet access. Thank you again Mark, Robert, Donald and Christina, for your hospitality. Love, John & Rebecca

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Today is August 3. We’re at Breakwater Marina in Tacoma. We’re very close to Point Defiance where we fish for salmon. Dave and his wife Ruth have been good friends to us for as long as we have been coming here. The King Salmon fishing is closed in Port Townsend and has been for many years. The same fish that pass through mid-channel and Craven Rock in Port Townsend eventually wind up here. So all we did was just follow them. Dave has always helped us with our moorage reservations, which get harder to get each year. Dave is responsible for the rebuilding of the docks and fingers, installation of all equipment, and running the fuel dock. Needless to say, he is always busy.

We fished this morning for a couple of hours. I had a small one on but Rebecca made me lose it. We went to the airport this morning to pick up a special guest. Jennifer Sperling, Rebecca’s sister from North Bend Oregon, is spending a few days with us. Needless to say, Rebecca is thrilled to death having her sister on board. She is very outgoing and has a wonderful sense of humor. We plan on fishing in the morning for a few hours. Later on, Paul Gahr from Port Townsend is driving over to pick us up and we are having a special dinner for Jennifer and Rebecca at the Seven Cedars Casino in Sequim. Friday night is their seafood special and it is well worth attending. We are going to spend the night at Paul’s house and come back to the boat early Saturday. I think we are going to take Jennifer to Kenmore to visit our marina. Hopefully we can stop and see Bill and Marsha before we return to Tacoma.

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We have really enjoyed the company of Rebecca’s sister Jennifer. Even though her visit was short, 3 days, we packed a lot into the time that we had her here with us. We truly believe that everyone that met her secretly wanted to kidnap her. Jennifer is just a wonderful person. She made herself at home with us on our little 2556. Her bed was the double in the cabin and we took the V-berth. Rebecca gave her the tour of the marina and introduced her to our friends. We went to the clay banks drifting for salmon and it wasn’t long before Jennifer had one on. Rebecca netted it and we got it in the box. Just before we were ready to leave to return to our slip Jennifer got another one on. This one was much larger and gave her a little more action. Well, John is going to have to improve on his netting skills because this one we released, not willingly I might add. At least Jennifer has it on her camcorder and has great memories of the occasion.

Paul Gahr drove over and picked us up and we went to the 7 Cedars in Sequim for their seafood smorgy. We had a great time together. Jennifer even had a special piece of pumpkin pie. Paul, being a gracious host invited us to stay the night and we accepted. The next morning we had breakfast at the Chimacum Café and then drove back to the marina. Rebecca and Jennifer toured the Point Defiance Zoo and then had a fun time at the go-cart race track. I think they are permanently banned from returning due to other individuals on the track, but that’s another story.

Sunday morning we drove to Kenmore and spent the day on our 32. Rebecca and Jennifer paddled the kayak around the marina taking pictures. John had to winterize the outboard on the dingy and do some simple maintenance. It was the Seafair weekend so the hydros were running and the blue angels were performing on Lake Washington. We had some folks that wanted to check out the 32. They showed up around 2:30 pm and we left for the airport at 4:00 pm. Reluctantly, we said our goodbye’s to Jennifer then went to Frye’s to do some shopping. Four and a half hours later we returned to SeaTac and picked up our brother-in-law Walt from Idaho.

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Walt arrived Sunday the 6th at 9:30 pm. After getting Walt’s license we went out fishing for salmon. It didn’t take long before Walt and Rebecca both caught fish. They did let John net one of them, very carefully. Walt is really improving in his mooching techniques and in setting the hook. For the number of trollers out fishing, we have been doing pretty well. We work the area called the Clay Banks, fishing between 50 to 150 feet and sometimes ending up at 250’. We were going out to dinner tonight with Mike and Judy however, Mike called and said that Judy had fallen and bumped her head that left her with a small knot. Mexican food will have to wait a few days until that gal gets to feeling better.

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The last two weeks here at Breakwater Marina in Tacoma, Washington have been very enjoyable. First we had the pleasure of the company of Jennifer, Rebecca’s sister from North Bend, Oregon; then our brother-in-law Walt from Boise, Idaho. Last weekend, we also had and enjoyable time of bonding with Bill and Marsha Pratt on the boat in Kenmore. Meanwhile, in Tacoma, we have been fishing almost every morning for salmon. All of us have caught fish by either mooching with a herring, or jigging. A majority of the boaters have been trolling with down riggers but it is very exciting when we catch salmon with herring or jigs.

We have been showing our 32 boat that is for sale but we still have not received a written offer. Most lookers are just that, lookers. If it has not sold by the end of October we will take it off the market and try again next year.

Tradition has it that every year on August 14th we celebrate Rebecca’s birthday at Hunan’s Restaurant. We are very lucky to have such good friends and family that choose to join us for dinner, birthday cake, and the celebration. Bill’s wife, Marsha, has been feeling under the weather lately and was not able to join us last night. We hope that she gets to feeling better real soon. The down side to Rebecca’s birthday is that we realize that she has to leave Washington and fly back to Woodland, CA in order to prepare for the school year. That also means that John is on a countdown for when he has to return home. No doubt he will come up with some wild excuses that will delay his departure however, that’s another story.

Walt was invited by another fisherman, Arnie, to join him in the morning to go trolling for salmon. Walt’s pretty excited to have the chance to catch a large fish plus learn about how to use downriggers. Of course Rebecca and John will be out there mooching and jigging away. The next post will have the results.

Today is Tuesday, August 15. John is cooking the last corned venison roast, Rebecca is eating sunflower seeds and reading, and Walt is trying to sleep but his snoring keeps waking him up.

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Well this is the final post of the summer. Rebecca has been home and back at school since August 21st. I arrived back home on September 9th. I took Walt to the airport August 19th so he could return home to Idaho. We couldn’t pack all his fish into his luggage so we chose a smaller one that would fit. I was sorry to see Walt leave because he was such good company and is always fun to be around. Hopefully, he had a good time and was able to put up with my cooking.

I packed up a few things and drove over to Kenmore to clean up the Rebecca Ann. The boat still had the salt spray on her since our return from Canada. I spent a few days cleaning and putting things in order because we had several calls asking to look at the boat. I also spent some time with Bill & Marsha over at their place. Any time spent with them is quality time for sure. Bill drove over and picked me up where we store the pickup in Woodinville and then drove me down to the marina in Point Defiance. I spent a few more days on the 25th getting things straightened out and cleaned up for the trip back to Port Townsend.

I left early on the morning of August 29th driving the boat to Port Townsend. The weather was changeable but the water was rippled most of the way. When I reached Fort Warden, Paul Gahr drove down and took me back up to his house where I hooked up the trailer and we both went back down to load the boat. An old friend of ours, Eric Johnson, showed up and offered to help. That was great. I need all the help I can get. We got the boat out, washed the bottom off, and drove over to the fairgrounds where we keep it stored for the winter. It takes several days to get the boat washed and detailed, all fluids changed, and then winterized.

When I was finished on September 6th, I drove the 70 Chevy pickup back over to Kenmore and packed a few more items to take home. I left early the morning of the 9th, drove back to Tacoma to the frozen food locker, picked up and packed our fish to take home. Mike and Judy, bless their hearts, drove over and had breakfast with me in Rustin and then we said our goodbyes. I usually stop in Eugene for the night but I felt good enough and drove all the way home. WOW!

It looks like we have the Rebecca Ann sold to some nice folks who are going to keep her moored in Pleasant Harbor. They had her surveyed and of course the surveyor didn’t find much wrong. Rebecca is flying up Friday the 22nd of September for the sea trial. I fly back up October 4th to finish taking our personal items off the boat. Now the task of finding a nice 38. It’s wonderful to be back home with Rebecca but we both miss being on the water. We have great memories of this last summer and are looking forward to meeting up with friends to share our adventures.

Mike and Judy are nearly finished with their new home on Fox Island. This has been a huge project for both of them, but they are nearly finished. They gave me a tour so I could see what they had accomplished and also so I could inspect our room. I was a little disappointed with our room but they promised to have it finished by Christmas. Mike is a professional carpenter and his workmanship shows it. Of course Judy is right there helping also.

Bill and Marsha, who by the way just recently retired, are on a month long motorcycle trip. He has been sending blogs and photos of the entire trip to everyone. We have really enjoyed following them. They may be here at our place by the end of the week. We received an e-mail from Barb and Trav Wills that they are now in Bellingham, almost home.

We also had a great treat the other night when we met up with my daughter Pam and her husband Steve for dinner. They drove down from Foresthill on their new bike. It was great to see and visit with them. Last item; we have new additions to our family (sort of). Aurora and Maria are our new housekeepers. I finally had to admit that I’m a lousy cleaner and that I really needed help. Thank you Aurora and Maria. Hopefully the next blog will be on our new boat.

Love John and Rebecca

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