New Dink

     On Saturday, Sharon and I took a trip over to Annapolis, the self proclaimed sailboat capitol of the East (Right) Coast, to pickup the new dinghy. Our intentions were to bring the dinghy back to the boat, hoist it up onto the top deck, install the dinghy chocks and call it a day. Yeah right, somebody forgot to pay homage to mother nature and request good weather. It was a beautiful day except for the 25 MPH winds gusting to 40 MPH. Had we attempted to hoist the dinghy, it would have been to the amusement of about 30 fellow boaters who were working on their boats. They would have thought we were trying out a new dinghy shaped kite. So Sharon and I had a relaxing afternoon out on the backporch, thats Krogenese for cockpit! This photo was taken on Sunday as we worked on placement of the dinghy on the top deck so we could install the dinghy chocks.

The Ladder to Adventure

     One of my winter projects was to finish the wooden steps for the access ladder to the flybridge and top deck. The steps had never been finished and had a dull boring look. After 5 coats of Cetol and double strips of anti-slip on each step, the project is done. One project down and I don't know how many more to do - I lost count. As discussed earlier, most projects are on hold except for the Must-Do projects and the projects that are labor intensive and require minimal expenditures, as in $1.00 or less. Next Must-Do project is bottom paint - wahoo! I can hardly wait. The excitement keeps me up at night.

The Unofficial Start to Boating Season

     We are off and running with the boat repairs so to speak. However I should clarify the title to this blog entry. It should read " The Unofficial Start to the Boat Repair Season. If you have a boat you will understand what I mean. I spent one day down in the engine room taking care of a few necessary items. You got to love those Gulf Coast Filters. The large one used to polish the fuel uses a roll of paper towels as the filter medium. We also have a Gulf Coast junior filter for the generator that uses a roll of toilet paper to filter the oil. No high priced proprietary filters. Yes, those engineers who designed these Gulf Coast Filter units should be highly commended for applying the KISS (keep it simple stupid) method. After all, you can purchase paper towels and TP at almost any store.

     Next week we will be pulling the hydraulic steering pump from the flybridge helm and sending it out to be overhauled. It has been leaking for some time. I had considered overhauling the pump myself but decided to let a professional do it. Then I know it will be done right. Speaking of pumps, I removed the raw water pump from the generator to rebuild it at home on a proper workbench, something that the boat is lacking is a good workbench. Maybe Sharon will share the galley counter top for installation of a hefty vise, it could also be used to crack those stubborn crabs.

     I have decided to scale back on boat work while the boat is on the hard - first is the issue of no running water. Then there is the ladder deal to get on and off the boat. So, slap some bottom paint on her, send her over the side and let the work begin.

    On another note, a pair of Bald Eagles have taken up residence again in the Osprey nest across from the marina office. Last year a pair of Bald Eagles tried to move in on the same nest, that was until the Ospreys returned from down south. Believe it or not, the majestic bird of this great nation, the Bald Eagle, does not stand a chance against the more aggressive Osprey. Well, at least our forefathers did not adopt Ben's Turkey as the national bird.

Not Only Bears Hibernate

     Let's just say we are going to write off January and February. Other than catching up on some reading and taking a few wilderness hikes, those 2 months were a total bust. Now would be the time to get serious and get back on track - boat work. I had generated a boat work list for this season that was comprised of the following categories - Must Do, Safety Issues, Electrical/Mechanical Upgrades and Luxury Gotta-Haves. Well, this year's boat work has been drastically shortened by the economy when it decided to puke all over itself. Sorry, but I will not be doing my part to kick start the economy this year. Although we did try to sustain the local economy in Rock Hall last year. So we are going to apply some bottom paint, install dinghy mounts for the new dinghy, fix the generator raw water pump and a few other must do items. When that short Must Do list is done, we may just slip back into hibernation. By the way, did I say the hibernation was going to be on the boat with a couple of cold ones!

Flashback (Farewell Alaska, until we meet again)

Our trip to Alaska will never be duplicated, although we will try. This was the adventure of a lifetime. We were very fortunate with Sharon's selection of Kayak Transport Company for our mothership kayaking cruise. The "crew" of the Abyssinia, Eric and Kim, provided the stage for us to explore Southeast Alaska, to experience the wildlife and to sample a portion of Alaskan cuisine. Alaska provided the beautiful backdrop while we kayaked around great locations like the Inian Islands and George Islands. Mother nature provided the deer, bears, eagles, sea otters, whales and sea lions to name a few. The weather cooperated and no one cared if it rained, we were in Alaska.

The best aspect of our experience was the camaraderie of those who shared those 8 days in our lives. We all shared a common ground: a passion to kayak, an appreciation of our surroundings and good fellowship. To our new friends, Kim & Eric, who had just as much fun as we did, and to Ron & Mary, our new friends from New Zealand, who added a colorful downunder perspective - Thanks.

Alaska, we will return.

The cast of characters (all deserving academy awards) - Eric, Ron, Bob, Mary, Sharon and Kim.

Flashback (Without me they would have to eat beans)

Did I tell you of the story of the one that got away? Well, we were out in the Icy Strait fishing for salmon, just as I was explaining to everybody on the Abyssinia how great of a fisherman I am...(the bigger the lie the greater the fisherman is)....and all of a sudden the line started stripping off of the reel and the rod was about to break it was bent so hard.......

It doesn't take much skill or luck to be a successful fisherman when you are in Alaska. Having a knowledgeable guide with you has a lot to do with it. It's just a matter of location, location, location. We did go fishing for halibut, dungeness crab and salmon. In the first photo I am holding a small halibut I caught. (I didn't want to embarrass anyone by showing the photo of the ship's crane hoisting up the big one I caught.)

In the second photo is the fruit (crab) of my labor in the plastic tote as Captain Eric fiddles with his dinghy. Actually, we went for a dinghy ride and Eric said, "throw a crab pot over the side right here" and the dungeness crabs voluntarily wandered into the crab pot and made the ultimate sacrifice! Photo credit goes to Mary.

In the third photo, Ron holds up 2 salmon as Captain Eric looks on. "You should have seen the king salmon that got away" exclaimed Ron! Ron is also a great fisherman. Once again, photo credit goes to Mary. (Nothing escapes her!)

Then with a wave of my magical fishing rod and presto we have a platter full of grilled salmon!

Flashback (Running the Gauntlet of Thugs & Bullies)

If you circumnavigate the largest island in the Inian Islands group, you will travel through Middle Passage. Let it be known there is a gang of sea lions waiting for you, and you are trespassing on their turf. At first, prior to entering Middle Passage, we were surprised by how close they would surface to the kayaks, maybe 60 or 70 feet away. Then, as we entered Middle Passage, the sea lions got very bold and it wasn't just 1 or 2 sea lions trying to intimidate us, it was packs of 5 or 6 surfacing 15 or 20 feet away. At times they appeared to be chasing us. The sea lion's curiosity of us is only surpassed by our curiosity of them as seen here with me photographing the sea lions from the red kayak as the events unfolded. Captain Eric of the Abyssinia is in the blue kayak with a front row seat.

The upper photo shows two very close brutes over the stern of my red kayak. In the lower photo, 3 sea lions can be seen over the bow of Eric's blue kayak and 1 very large brute can be seen between Eric and me. This encounter with the sea lions was by far the most exciting wildlife experience we had in Alaska. Our friend from New Zealand, Ron, is credited with these photos.

The sea lion encounter lasted for over two hours as we paddled into Middle Passage and peaked with a very close flurry of activity as shown in these pictures.

Flashback (Call me anything but late for dinner)

This entry has been prompted by our friends onboard the M/V Abyssinia and their top ten food list they recently counted down on their website. There are not too many things I like better than eating, but we are only going to discuss food at this time. While in Alaska for our Mothership Kayaking Adventure I went fishing for halibut, salmon and dungeness crab and was successful each time. There is nothing better than freshly caught seafood served up for dinner. The crew of the Abyssinia have some wonderful recipes including a excellent signature dish, the "Abyssinia Special", which is halibut over crab. The recipe is one of those "I'll tell you but then I would have to kill you" things. Hopefully someday, Kim or Eric will share the full recipe with Sharon, after all food is one of the universal languages. In the above photo, my plate includes some freshly grilled salmon.

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In this photo, Mary captures everybody feasting on the day's catch, fresh halibut.

     Here, Capt. Eric is preparing dungeness crab for the evening's dinner. Got to go, I'm making myself hungry.

Flashback (Everybody knows your business)

One of the great little towns of SE Alaska is Elfin Cove. They actually have a "city dock" which you are welcome to tie up to for a overnight stay. The town itself is up over the bank in the background of the picture. The real purpose of this blog entry is the Porta-Potty at the end of the dock. Although it is a modern outhouse, it does lack a door. Did I also mention that this newer generation outhouse never needs to be pumped out. You see, the outhouse does not have a holding tank. As deposits are made, they are immediately recycled back into the water below. So much for privacy or dropping a crabpot over the stern of your boat! I'll bet there are some very large Dungeness crabs taking up residence here, King crab live next to upscale communities that have sewer treatment facilities!

Flashback (Smarter Than The Average Bear)

     The abundance of wildlife together with the scenery makes SE Alaska something that has to be experienced. On our first big paddle day we took a day trip from Spasski Bay, where the Mothership is anchored, to Pulizzi Island. Whales could be seen surfacing in the Icy Straits and the salmon were jumping out of the water all around us. On our return trip to Spasski Bay and the Abyssinia, Downunder Ron notices a grizzly bear off our starboard on Neck Point about 3/4 of a mile away, yeah ol' eagle eye Ron. After a quick turn-n-burn in our kayaks, we were entertained by this brown bear for about 15 minutes and we were only 200 feet from the bear. Having encountered other wildlife while canoeing and kayaking over the years, generally speaking, wildlife does not feel threatened when you are in a canoe or kayak. Providing you remain calm and do not make any aggressive moves. However you must still use extreme caution and be prepared to hightail it. Do you think this bear was styling for the camera?

Ground Hogs VS Geese

When Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Feb 2nd and prognosticated 6 more weeks of winter that put off boat work and boating. I am more inclined to think Phil got out of bed on the wrong side that morning. Today we witnessed a very large flock of Canadian Geese flying north over Central Pennsylvania. Now I don't want to imply anything about spring but I do give all the credit in the world to wildlife for their ability to survive in the elements. Why would geese fly north to Canada in the middle of February if they didn't have good intel from Mother Nature?

PS - The only reason I am rushing winter is because we haven't received any good snow storms that would produce panic among the general public!

Flashback (Did you bring your fishing rod?)

     Did you ever get the feeling that someone or something was following you? Sharon did and turned just in time to see this whale. This photo was taken from the M/V Abyssinia while we were at Elfin Cove, Alaska. This was actually the 2nd whale to surface behind us that week, the first whale surfaced 75 feet behind us and startled us when it's blow echoed off of the nearby mountain on the Inian Islands. Photo credit goes to Kim Boyce of the Abysisinia

Flashback (How it all began)

      Sharon and I weren't always boaters. As a matter of fact, we were what boaters call dirt people. We loved that lifestyle, and as dirt people we were staging ourselves to become fulltimers. Fulltimers are dirt people who abandon the materialistic lifestyle and live in a RV as they roam around like nomads. We were set to become fulltimers when Sharon retired. We already had the RV and the trailer to haul the Harleys. Yes, Sharon had her own Harley, a 2007 Softail Deluxe. Mine (as of this posting) is a 2006 Electra Glide Ultra Classic, the Cadillac of baggers. In October of 2006, Sharon booked us on a Mothership Kayaking Cruise in Alaska for July 2007 and our world was soon to be turned upside down. The owners of the above pictured boat are a husband and wife team who had this vessel custom built so that they could ditch their legal professions and cruise Alaska. While you are cruising Alaska why not offer your boat for hire? Well anyway, together with another couple from downunder New Zealand, Ron and Mary, we set out on the M/V Abyssinia for the trip of a life time. More on the trip later through other Flashback postings. On the return trip to Juneau, Sharon thought to herself, "We can do this". Let me say that Sharon didn't have to twist my arm at all. Basically we will be exchanging one title for another, liveaboard for fulltimer, and Sharon traded in her Harley leathers for a bathing suit.

Baltimore Boat Show

Today, we took a trip to the Baltimore Boat Show at the convention center. Thankfully, we had done our research the night before, so the road trip was great. Although we have been to the Inner Harbour area many times before and did a trade show as exhibitors at the convention center, we still needed to look at the maps of the area. The free parking for the show is well hidden within the Camden Yards complex, and let's not forget about all the one way streets in downtown Baltimore. The first time (1997?) we went to inner harbor for a job related trade show, we ended up heading out of town on I-395 driving past our intended destination, the convention center!

We were disappointed with the show, however, we did find a new dinghy. The dinghy is a 9' ABMarine weighing in at 106 pounds, 20 pounds lighter than another manufacturer we were looking at. The other dinghy we were considering had more bells and whistles, was heavier and cost more. The new dinghy is a plain Jane model but more functional. Look for photos in April when we take delivery.

Sharon and I decided to attend one of the seminars while we were there, Docking Fundamental Techniques: Are you the Circus? The Clown? Or the Lion Tamer? presented by Captain David Appleton. This is the one aspect of boating that you can never have enough training or practice. Sharon found the seminar very helpful and I picked up a few pointers.