MVVELKOMMEN

Deep-Sea Detectives…..marine mysteries and forensic science

Gerry — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:05:29 +0000

Peter Limberg is a good storyteller. Deep-Sea Dectctives looks at the sinkings of a number of vessels and the methods used to discover the cause. Some of the stories I was familiar with but many of them were new to me. The writing style is a pleasure, just as if Peter were sitting in the living room telling the story. Especially nice is the way the facts are presented, with the value judgements left to the reader. Often there are multiple causes: a storm, a rogue wave, an error in judgement, lack of maintenance. Maybe insurance fraud or just plain bad luck. Some will forever remain mysterious. The technology used for underwater forensics is changing rapidly in favor of remote controlled unmanned submersibles. But even the finest technology is often no match for the sea.

Read the book. You will enjoy every page if you are intrigued by the depths. The indie bookstores have it for bargain prices. Buy two and surprise a friend.

Sitting on a Salt Spring

Gerry — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:09:59 +0000

Sitting on a Salt Spring is book three in David Conover’s trilogy. His easy going romantic-comedy style moves forward a few years. Now his young son has entered the picture and since a daily boat trip across the Trincomali Channel to meet the school bus is impractical the family moves to Salt Spring Island for the school year. Salt Spring Island is a social carnival compared to Wallace Island’s isolation. The island’s characters are great material for good fun and misadventures. You can think “Leave it to Beaver”, “Dennis the Menace” and “I Love Lucy” for a mental picture of Sitting on a Salt Spring. It is wonderful light reading with a local touch. Read it. Read it to your kids or grandkids. You can easily find it in the indie bookstores. Amazon should have a list of candidates. The smaller bookstores are really the most fun.

Girl Hunter – revolutionalizing the way we eat, one hunt at a time

Gerry — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:30:14 +0000

….Girl Hunter should win a National Book Award. Vegans, vegitarians, beware….you are mere adolescents. This is adult stuff. Meat with no excuses. Read it…..be enthralled.

Girl Hunter: instantly the neurons flash — cool-stud-out-cruisin’-on-a-hot-summer……whoa!! There’s a picture of a girl with a shotgun and a skillet on the cover. That nano-second disconnect is the first clue. This book is wicked good! Beautiful writing, fabulous recipes and very unique perspective on hunting and eating and……….on life. This is a book that your hunting buddy will enjoy and his wife will enjoy even more. My recommendation: order several copies. By the time you have finished a few chapters you will want your friends to be reading this one, too.

Sometimes a book comes along that is so good I just have to blog on it, even though it does not have a maritime bias. So read it on your boat or just put on your watch cap and reading glasses. Georgia Pellegrini has moved the conversation to the next level.

Fascinating trip. Welsley College, Investment Banker, Lehmann Bros. – boring or perhaps she saw the writing on the wall. Food is good – French Culinary Institute. Restaurants in France and New York. So if you want the finest vegtables you grow them, but if you want the finest meats they won’t come from the organic garden. They are found in a more rugged backyard and must be harvested and prepared on a more personal level, one on one. Grab the Over-and-Under.

Eleven delicious chapters with prose so compact and rich you can taste the tenderloin. This book is a great read just for the eloquence and imagery, not to mention the uncommon theme and rare perspective. And the recipes……Mmmmmm!!

I recieved generous permission to include two of Georgia’s recipes. Click on the thumbnail for the recipe as a pdf.

Buttermilk Fried Rabbit

Moroccan Elk Stew

From the book Girl Hunter by Georgia Pellegrini. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2011.
Keep in mind these recipes work well for free-range game from the supermarket, too.

Be sure to check out Georgia’s web site: http://georgiapellegrini.com/ and her saucy YouTube vid. I hope she visits the Pacific NorthWet and gives us a Seafood Sequel.

Beachcombers’ Alert – vol. 16 #3

Gerry — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:45:42 +0000

It’s a great time to be tuned in to Beachcombers’ Alert. The first wave of flotsam from the Japanese tsunami of 3/11/2011 has found its way to Northwest shores. Some early predictions said it would take two years; why is it arriving so soon? How about a lost underwater camera covering 2,700 miles to be found on a Florida beach. Its adventures include a ride on a sea turtle. How is it possible to know this? How is it possible to find the camera’s owner? Wonderful detective work. And there is more in this issue. Ever heard of alalone bilster pearls?

I suggest you get your subscription right away.

Be sure to check out Curt’s lastet blog posting, too. And the companion site: Flotsametrics and the Floating World.

Exhaust Elbow Repair

Gerry — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:18:17 +0000

Even products that look absolutely flawless can can occasionally have problems. Right before Christmas I was stretched out in the lazarette attending to a little detail that I wanted to tidy up. A wire going to the starboard courtesy light was wound around a hydraulic line. It didn’t bother anything, but without much effort it could be untangled and everything would look much neater. I had to get my 2XL self into the far corner and reach up under the new stainless steel exhaust elbow to begin. My sleeve got a little wet; that didn’t seem right. A little drip seemed to be forming on the underside of the exhaust elbow and one of the welds was not perfectly smooth. There was a rusty little spot on one of the new ribs that hold the water tank platform.

I didn’t relish the unanticipated job of removing the elbow. The exhaust hoses are short and stiff and not very forgiving or flexible. So everything got put on hold until the New Year arrived. The starboard exhaust elbow came off easier than expected, but when the exhaust elbow gets removed all the water that is in the muffler spills into the bilge……and I had it so dang clean, too. Just so you know: a muffler that looks like it might hold 5 gallons of water spills about 10 gallons of water into the bilge. Trust me.

National Marine Exhaust was excellent. Scott built the elbow about 18 months ago. He polished the weld with a wire wheel and it looked fine, but when he put the torch to it , a big crevasse opened up. So it got rewelded (extra-beefy) and we added a bonding tab for good measure.

Reinstallation was a joy. There are not many places to get leverage or to pry against. But with help from Mark Hanger of Mark’s Marine Repair the elbow finally gave up and slid into place. Usually it’s “two steps forward and one step back”; this was probably “one step forward and two steps back”. But it emphasizes the value of doing business with good local folks who treat ya right, long after the check has cleared.

Once Upon an Island

Gerry — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:04:35 +0000

What a marvelous book; a wonderful romance. Wallace Island is the perfect setting. Totally magical. If you have visited, then you know the special charm. The first thought of the island, that first mental image always says, “I want to go back, I must return.” The island forever calls to all who visit. Like a leprechaun-land, no one leaves without a little blessing, a gift for the soul……but the hook is: there can be no thought of the island without a longing to return.

So it’s easy to understand David Conover’s love of Wallace Island and his desire to share that love. What unfolds is a large pallette of the Gulf Islands, rich with character and characters. All seen through the lens of a love story, between David and Jeanne, between David and Wallace Island.

In addition to being well written and nicely crafted, Once Upon an Island is a true story. No doubt there is a bit of “artistic-license” woven in; but it never detracts. The old black and white photos really lock down the imagery, revealing David Conover’s photographic artistry face to face with his romantic prose.
All images enlarge with a click.

This book will make you smile and laugh and enrich your Gulf Island experience. Whatever you do…..read this book right away!
Then dig deeper. This book has contains added treasures for those who dare to seek them out. Perhaps a subject for a future post.

Kraken

Gerry — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:52:44 +0000

Now here is a cool book that you might have overlooked. Perhaps you don’t have much interest in squid. Perhaps you should. Kraken by Wendy Williams is one of the most compelling and mind expanding books I have come across. Everywhere you look there is praise for this book. Perhaps she was inspried by the ghost of Buckminster Fuller. How else to take a squishy topic and unfold and expand its origami into a fantastic alien universe……and it’s one you live in…..we all live in it. Talk about overlapping universes, the truth is wilder than science fiction. What a ride! And it is so well written that the pages flow effortlessly into a wide panorama with electron microscope vision of a James Michener-esque timeline. Kraken deserves a privledged position in your library; it is one of those books that you will want to reread after a few months. I can’t wait to read her latest book: Cape Wind.

Lost at Sea

Gerry — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:11:17 +0000

Patrick Dillon writes a decent story and one that needs telling. Most of the facts are there, a bit thin in a couple of areas and definietly biased in a few others. What really ticks me off is that Lost at Sea is a whitwash on two levels. First, you have to ‘read between the lines’ to get a glimpse of the real story; the really compelling one. And second, Lost at Sea is written to aggrandize Patrick Dillon instead of really probing deeply into the lives and community directly involved in the tragedy. He gives ‘lip service’ to real human tradgedy and pathos instead of doing his homework. The story should flow with empathy and detail. Since I knew many of those involved, it grates on me that those valuable details will soon be lost, despite our lightening fast hard drives and terrabyte servers.

Nevertheless, it is a highly recommended read, but look beyond its scope at a bigger landscape and you will find the real story. The one Patrick Dillon didn’t tell. First of all the book needs pictures. Pictures to focus the imagery in the minds of the readers. These are recent events, with real people and the small town of Anacortes is a pretty good mirror for every other small community.

This is what Dutch Harbor might have looked like in the early morning hours of Valentine’s Day, 1983.

Images of the Altair and Americus are not easy to find. But if you scour the web you can find these old black and whites, taken before the trawling gear was added. Their Valentine’s Day voyage was truncated; the locations well known. No doubt they were overloaded and top heavy, but the seas were nearly calm, probably a modest swell, but no unusual conditions were noted by other vessels in the same general area.

Running out of Dutch Harbor, past Priest Rock standing in front of Lava Point in search of King Crab. Tons of it. There are a number of unanswered questions, some missed completely in Lost at Sea. The two boats left port 6-1/2 hours apart. Why were they found 3-1/2 miles from each other. Did the Altair slow down and wait for the Americus? Isn’t unusual that both should capsize so close together. Was it a simultaneous event, or hours apart? Questions without answers.

Morning Star is a sistership. Stability test show it actually weights in 60 tons heavier than it’s recorded weight. Why? No explanation.
But a few pics are informative and they show the trawl gear added to the stern.

The unanswered questions keep on coming. The stability expert, the naval architect, the shipyard, the Coast Guard, the owner. Everyone owns a piece of the tragedy, but no one claims their piece of responsibility. Even politics plays a significant role. Unfortunately, with Dillon’s sophmoric bias for the Democratic party, the reader gets a myopic view, intead of the 360° panorama. It’s just one more example of the real story being embedded between the lines on the pages.
But enough of Dillon’s faults (yes, it sucks to be him); let’s look at some Anacortes features to sharpen the focus. The original location of the Seafarers monument was near the pay phone at the head of “B” dock. The gas light was placed here after the A-boat loss. But the gas light kept blowing out in the wind and the heavy monument developed a list from the unstable fill on which it was placed. When Cap Sante Boat Basin underwent a redevelopment in 2004, Seafarers Memorial Park was created and the light moved and electrified and the monument moved and placed on a substantial foundation. There is an interesting plaque on a stone at the head of “B” dock. In a few lines it captures the spitit of the Anacortes townsfolk. The spirit that Dillon missed.

Beyond the Seafarers Memorial is the eternal flame. A lamp, shining with the eternal hope of a happy ending, and lighting the path to the Lady of the Sea, forever looking out over the bay. The park is nicely done and well worth visiting.

Dakota Creek shipyard is the birthplace of the A-boats; a long walk down Commercial Avenue is the Anchor Inn and the salty characters found therein. In particular, George Nations gets painted with a dark, moody and jealous brush. Perhaps Dillon felt his story needed a dark hero, an antagonist, of sorts. In any event, by trying to describe people he does not know, Patrick Dillon looks like a carpetbagger and a lightweight. The more polite fisherman would call him a puke.

So, without delay, read Lost at Sea. Patrick Dillon lays out the story along with plenty of facts and figures; names and places. And for that I commend him. But Patrick Dillon is all about Patrick Dillon. He missed the real story; the great and universal story; the human and empathetic story. Yes, it’s a tragedy. So many of them are.

Jay Hartland to the Rescue

Gerry — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 03:58:06 +0000

Saturday, October 21 was a snotty day. A stiff wind and 45° rain alternating between mist, drizzle and torrential. I had my head in the bilge when I heard the unmistakable sound of twin 454s. The day was so crappy I had to see who was out puttering around. It was Jay and Vernessa, idling down the fairway between “C” dock and “D” dock aboard Destiny. After a few minutes my curiosity got the better of me and I had to see what they were up to. Well….just a micro cruise. Enough to get the engines nice and warm for an oil change. After a few minutes of scuttlebutt we saw a tall mast making its way down the fairway between “B” dock and “C” dock. Since the shoreward end of the fairway is all covered moorage, a tall mast meant something was awry. It soon became obvious that the 45 Beneteau was not under command and was being blown down the fairway. Occasionally the skipper seemed to gain a bit of control and would try to initiate a turn, but as soon as he started to come around he was broadside to the wind and moving more quickly toward the steep rocky shoreline. Then he got really close to “C” dock. The dingy he was towing alongside got squeezed between the Beneteau and the pilings untill it went POP…..and expired. The parking lot gave us a better view and we watched until the boat, totally broadside in the fairway was being poked with boathooks and lassoed by well meaning cowboy bystanders. I’m sure the keel found bottom, but probably not long enough for serious damage. There were half a dozen folks on each dock, all trying to help, but really working at odds with one another. A total cluster. I heard Jay say, “I can’t take this any longer” and down the ramp he charged. In less than a minute he was barking orders to the befuddled skipper and his hapless mates. The stern was secured and a bowline run down “C” dock as far as it would reach. Several hearty lads pulled the bow around against the wind and got the pointy end headed down the fairway. There seemed to be some transmission trouble, or at least some confusion regarding the function of the levers on the binnacle. After a few minutes the Beneteau motored down the fairway and into her slip without further incident. An interesting bit of gossip floated down the dock……this was day 1 of a week long charter. OUCH!

Click on a thumbnail for a more expansive view.

If you look closely, You can see Jay in the third pic in his green sweater between the first two pilings taking charge of the situation. (Better pics next time. All I had handy was an iPhone.)

Bottom Time on B dock

Gerry — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:53:06 +0000

Jim Gardner showed up on “B” dock today. New zincs for Synthia. Twice a year works pretty well for Velkommen, especially with a new galvanic isolator.

Jim’s little Porter-Cable compressor did a fine job as his hookah setup. It made me think….I’ve got a compressor just like that in the garage. All I need is the proper filter. Hmmmmm. And when its time to swap props, change zincs, or maybe just harvest the lettuce off yer hull……give Jim a call. He does a great job and he’s always got a good story to tell.

Beachcombers’ Alert in the mail

Gerry — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 03:09:25 +0000

Hot DANG! The latest copy of Beachcombers’ Alert just arrived in the mail. Great articles and info on upcoming Beachcombers Fairs. Of course you are familiar with Flotsametrics and Curtis Ebbesmeyer, but if you have not subscribed to his great quarterly newsletter you are missing out. Keep current with the Beaufort Gyre, Black Guillemots and tsunami debris. A whole evening of reading coming your way four times a year. A bargain……here’s how to subscribe.

Aloha and Mahalo on B dock

Gerry — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:30:36 +0000

Welcome home, Nuance. After a September adventure in the islands Howard and Nancy eased into their slip just in time for Oyster Run weekend and just ahead of the predicted stormy weather. Check out the clear bottom on the Seward kayaks. I guess you could claim that they are made locally. Chemainus is really nearby, just on the other side of the border.

I was saddened to hear that Legacy, my dock-neighbor for many years, has been sold. She is a 1999 Norstar 30. Built to last in Bellingham. Look close at her brawny Northwest lines. There are several generations of boatbuilding history written there. Word has it that after a few months on the hard she’s moving to Skagway.

Octopus – The Ocean’s Intelligent Invertebrate

Gerry — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:32:24 +0000

Amazing book, but definitely not for the lightweight reader. There are few fanciful tales, but if you are an armchair scientist/biologist you will feast on cover to cover facts, descriptions and details. Ocotpus – The Ocean’s Intelligent Invertebrate has three authors. Jennifer Mather grew up in Victoria; she lends a profound voice to the book that leaves no doubt….she owns the subject. James Wood is associated with the Aquarium of the Pacific and is webmaster of The Cephalopod Page, and Roland Anderson is a former biologist at the Seattle Aquarium. The strong Northwest connection adds even more substance to this comprehensive natural history. Especially, if you have seen the Giant Pacific Octopus up close.

Here is a book you can wrap all eight arms around. Plenty of local connections, even a local (Portland, Ore.) publisher. The octopus world is science fiction right at your swimstep. Dare to be enlightened and amazed; discover a new universe……read it.

Toz Bear 5-31-2000 to 8-24-2011 RIP

Gerry — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:03:40 +0000

If your life has been enriched by having had an Akita for a friend, then you are truly blesssed. They are not a boat dog; they are not for everyone. But a finer friend and guardian you will never have. Totally fearless, totally loyal, totally wonderful. I miss him.

I’ve been considering augmenting my maritime education by studying for a Captain’s License. Richard Rodriguez with Zenith Maritime gets wonderful reviews and is an all around nice guy. I have also looked into U. S. Maritime and the class offered by Jeff Sanders. A big attraction to Jeff’s class is a page on his web site: In Memory of Fred. Now I’ve never met Jeff, but anyone with a heart big enough to form that kind of bond is OK by me.

Easy Goin’ in the news.

Gerry — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:36:33 +0000

Did you catch page 49 of the July 2011 issue of Sea Magazine? Looking very relaxed is Deane Hislop aboard his always spotless 38′ Meridian named Easy Goin’. When you walk down the ramp on ‘B’ dock, you can often find the two of them at B-6. You might say Easy Goin’ is Velkommen’s neighbor, once removed. I’ll bet it would surprise him if you mentioned you saw his picture.

Click on the image to find out how your boat can be featured in Sea Magazine. Maybe they can devote a whole section to ‘B’ dock? Now that would be Way Cool. Lord knows ‘B’ dock is the most eclectic in the whole marina. And that’s the truth and ya know it.

Water Tank Project – Phase 5……progress report

Gerry — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:16:23 +0000

It’s been far too long since I’ve posted on Velkommen’s lengthy water tank replacement project. The project grew, like most boat projects, to be much larger than first imagined. Better to get it right than do it twice.

We are looking forward at the port-side space between the hull and the aft deck, approx. 9′ x 9′ x 2′. The third coat of primer is dry and ready to be painted over. On the left is the muffler, temporarily supported by a 1″ x 4″. The black hoses are for the hydraulic steering and coolant routed through the Hurricane Heater. The lines coming out of the hole in the engine room bulkhead run to the remote Sea Freeze compressor mounted high and center on a shelf bent from 1/4″ aluminum plate. It is partly visible on the right edge. Adjacent to the compressor, also partly visible, is the one of the new SS exhaust elbows. The replacement of this particular elbow began the renovations and alterations that you see.

All images enlarge with a click.

The second pic shows the first fitting of the Hurricane heater platform and the battery platform. The starboard side is actually farther along; the painting is complete and the water tank platform and the battery platform have been installed. Besides the battery cables, the water tank fill hoses are wrapped around the red bucket, and then there is the green bonding wire, held up out of the paint by vise grip clamps.

Pic number three shows the first coat of Kirby’s #25 Light Gray gloss coat while it is still nice and fresh. Three coats of primer and three coats of gloss. That’s the treatment. Thankfully, Kirby’s paint does not require special application proceedures. In this case a 4″ nappy-headed roller works pretty well.

No, I’m not going to paint the overhead. Sure, it would be a nice touch, but enough is enough. I’m looking toward ending this project not augmenting it.

BIG Thanks to Ray Robinson (Robinson Woodworking) and Mark Hanger (Mark’s Marine Repair) whose encouragement and advise have been invaluable. And also to Travis Hanson (Hanson’s Marine Services) who matched the gelcoat around the locker doors.

Sex, Drugs and Seaslime

Gerry — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 04:29:47 +0000

What a great attention grabbing title! Ellen Prager is at her best when describing the ocean’s oddest creatures and why they matter. Sex, Drugs and Sea Slime is hugely entertaining, and it’s educational and informative, too. Some of the ocean’s odd creatures seem like they should be on another planet when Ellen Prager describes how strange they really are. Her explanations of these unique creatures elevates them from mere curiosities to creatures that have a direct impact on our lives. Much more than you might suspect.

Especially nice is a more scientific, data based approach, with only a tiny amount of begging for increased funding and a tiny amount of liberal eco hand wringing. (I’m a global warming denyer, and references to Obama and AlGore definitely turn me off.)

Ellen has lived Marine Biology, and she has all the credentials, too. Don’t settle for a book by a stuffy desk jockey. This is the real deal.

Don’t miss it. Order it together with Chasing Science at Sea. Tell your friends……read it twice before you pass it on.

Chasing Science at Sea

Gerry — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 02:50:43 +0000

Chasing Science at Sea is a good read. Ellen Prager certainly has all the credentials. The book is not too deep nor too weighty. The targeted audience would seem to be High School students pondering the wide world of career choices.

The stories and anecdotes are wonderful. I began to think she must have lived her life in double-time to collect so many. From living in undersea habitats to ooids, to sea slugs, Ellen Prager emphasizes that science can be both really interesting and really fun.

At the end of the book there is a section titled, Related Web Sites and another section titled Recommended and Related Reading. Either one of these sections is worth the price of admission. Having both is a bargain.

Don’t miss this book, even though it seems targeted at the younger audience, it’s good stuff. Read it then pass it on to your favorite student; in particular, your favorite student fishing for a career path.

Killer Shrimp with Cabbage

Gerry — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:10:54 +0000

A couple of years ago, along about the end of July, I needed a decompression stop.

Puget Sound Thunder, her Captain and crew were quite accomodating.

It’s not often a pod of killers dances around your boat and your pots. It’s an enchanting experience that most folks will never have. Add an overnight at Port Browning, a little sightseeing and some beachcombing on Cabbage. A weekend packed to the gunnels. But even before it’s over, I want more.

Even though the images are a couple of years old, I think you will enjoy them…..and the guitar of Buckethead.

Tricks, Cheating & Chingaderos

Gerry — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:33:34 +0000

If you enjoy beautifully finished wood, here’s the book for you. Joni has been around Port Townsend for 23 years. Woodwork, leatherwork and music are her passions. Port Townsend has a long tradition of wooden boats, so Joni fits right in.

Within this little self published volume are an amazing amount of tips, tricks and product recommendations for just about every sanding and painting task you you might find on a boat. It won’t give you Joni’s years of experience, but it will put you on the right track. At $23.00 it’s a bargain. For that price, it’s a bargain just for the pics of some stunningly beautiful boats.

I’m not fond of the current trend away from exterior wood on boats. Sure, wood is maintenance intense, but it doesn’t take much well cared for teak to highlight and enhance a boats character. Perhaps it makes a statement that the boat owner is a “character“, too. If so, I plead guilty, but I think the subject is worth discussing over a pint or two.

Send a check for $23.00 to Joni Blanchard, P.O. Box 1561, Port Townsend, WA 98368 jonijobone@hotmail.com

She will mail you a book that has more care and craftsmanship between the covers than you are likely to find on any mega-yacht.

As I’ve said before….there are few absolute truths in this world, but one of them most certainly is: ALL BOATS LOVE MAINTENANCE. Leveraging the knowledge of a real pro is always a wise investment.

San Juan Prawn Video

Gerry — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 15:40:06 +0000

What fun! Prawn fishin’ in the San Juans. It doesn’t get much better. ……except maybe eatin’ those fresh little tasties. Ray Robinson, Steve Kuchin and I made a day of it in early May. A successful day, I might add. So I thought I’d put a few pics into Windows Live Movie Maker and turn out a little YouTube vid. During the process I found some interesting music from Modest Mouse, a local NW indie rock band. Some of their tunes have a nautical bent. Next gen Sea Shanties. I like ‘em; hope you do, too.

Maritime Mermories of Puget Sound

Gerry — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 14:40:25 +0000

Maritime Memories of Puget Sound was first published in 1976. It’s still available at places like Amazon by way of other outlets. The 1st edition hardcover version is probably approaching collectible status, but the paperback is a bargain. Gibbs did the writing and Williamson the photos, the blend of which is superb. The history lesson is excellent. It’s concise, it’s even handed. Its panorama of the past provides a snapshot of the present and a vision for the future of the greater Puget Sound region. Especially interesting are the interactions between the Indians and the first white settlers, written before the political correctness epidemic. It seemes that everyone got along pretty well, but a few bad apples…..ah, you know the rest. What can be said that hasn’t been said? Human nature be human nature, mon.

Don’t wait. Buy Maritime Memories and dive into it. Don’t feel like reading? Buy it for the pics. You will love it. It would make a wonderful gift for your favorite bookophile with a taste for the salt of Puget Sound. If I were King, this book would be required reading in Northwest History 101.

Big thanks to Ray Robinson for the loan of his 1st edition copy.

Fuel Tank Gone Bad

Gerry — Sun, 15 May 2011 02:22:23 +0000

I found some time for boat projects last weekend. When I got out of the truck at the marina I was greeted by a nasty stench. It wasn’t the usual beach smells that accompany a low tide and a warm day. It was more powerful than that. My first inclination was to look toward the nearby refinery, sometimes the source of unusual smells, lights, noises, flames, explosions. I completely overlooked the little white boom on “C” dock. When I reached the dingy dock at the bottom of the ramp the visual helped my nostrils pinpoint the odor. Diesel fuel and too much of it.


	I didn't press for details, but the instant diagnosis would be a leaky fuel tank and a functioning automatic bilge pump. Accidents happen in spite of our best efforts. Luckily this one dispersed quite quickly with detergent and a fresh breeze. Is there a moral to the story? Hmmmm....well.......keep on top of the details, and always remember: ALL BOATS LOVE MAINTENANCE.

Robert Merland “Tolly” Tollefson — RIP

Gerry — Mon, 09 May 2011 14:33:24 +0000

Robert Merland “Tolly” Tollefson, left this world on Friday, May 6th , 2011. He was 100 years old.

Founder of Tollycraft Yachts, Tolly was a visionary leader. He was stoic and always true to his dreams and passions.

Most of all though, he was a fellow cruiser, an adventurer and a friend.

Tolly shoved off at 21:23 hours. It was high tide. Tolly left in time to pick up the evening ebb.

Godspeed Tolly.

—This from the Commodore of the Tollyclub, Brett Peck.

__________

Tolly at his 99th birthday party - January 2010

Tolly built good boats. His designs encompassed the transition from wood to fiberglass. He was an artist, as anyone who has seen his drawings will agree. More than any other boatbuilder, his designs captured the essence of Northwest boating. They appealed equally to Captains and First Mates, giving him a greater market share than others. To many of us, the graceful lines of his boats, the practical use of interior space combined with rugged construction provide the ideal platform to personalize and cruise toward the next century.

Beachcombers’ Alert!

Gerry — Mon, 09 May 2011 04:18:01 +0000

Hey! I just received my first issue of Beachcombers’ Alert!, Curtis Ebbesmeyer’s newsletter. What a treat! Great articles: The Golden Bouy, Coins in a Squash Bank, Mystery Ball, Newfoundland Lobster Pot Tag Orbits Atlantic and more. Beachcombing is a fabulous activity that the whole family can enjoy. A boat is not even a requirement. There is a whole universe of exploration and discovery right along the wrack line: shells, glass balls, rubber duckies…..maybe a message in a bottle. There is a lifetime of learning right on the beach, right in front of anyone who will take the time to look. Tides, waves, currents, shells, unusual plants and animals, driftwood, floatsam and jetsam of all sorts. It’s an adventure at your feet.

Go ahead, spend the $17.50 for a subscription. You can even give a gift subscription. How cool it that? Download a sample issue from 2008 and see what you have been missing. I’ve already blogged about Curtis Ebbesmeyer’s book: Flotsametrics and the Floating World. Now I’m tuned in to Beachcombers’ Alert! I think it’s an ideal adjunct to being a boat owner in the Great Pacific Northwet; just one more reason to explore those out-of -the-way beaches and islands.

Keep tuned in to Beachcomber Fairs.

October 21-22, 2011 Annual Sea Bean Symposium and Beachcombers’ Fair, Cocoa Beach, Florida (www.seabean.com)
March 3-4, 2012 Beachcombers’ Fun Fair, Ocean Shores, WA (www.oceanshores.com)
March 17-18 Annual Driftwood Show, Grayland, WA (www.cranberrycoastcoc.com)

Blind Descent

Gerry — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 02:54:46 +0000

Great book. Superb story, well written. Highly captivating.

I almost didn’t blog this book, but it’s just too bloomin’ good. It does have a substantial amount of diving in it. Cave diving. Really deep cave diving. There are no casual sunburned tourists here. This is the real deal.

Who would imagine that there are explorers willing to put their lives and fortunes on the line to discover the deepest place on earth? The combination of extreme spelunking and cave diving requires not only technical skills, determination, and fitness, but expertise at expedition organization and fundraising. And when the equipment is inadequate for the task…..design your own. OK, design your own rebreather. It’s hard to imagine packing it all into one lifetime. It’s hard to imagine packing tons of gear deep underground and then pulling it back out. James Tabor takes the reader right along with Bill Stone and Andi Hunter exploring Cheve Cave in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico and Alexander Klimchouk, Grennadiy Samokhin and Ekaterina Medvedeva in Krubera Cave in the Abkhazia region of the Republic of Georgia. These people are our contemporaries and they are legends. They have earned the title and the respect.

The page after the dedication contains two quotes:

Welcome to the world of the deep — where the strangest things are the people you meet.
Hazel Barton, microbiologist and cave explorer
There is nothing more powerful than this attraction towards an abyss.
Jules Verne, Journey to the center of the Earth

Blind Descent is near the top of my list. James M. Tabor must have been in a trance when he wrote it. It is that good!

Buy it, buckle up, read it. I promise, you won’t forget it.

Simple Courage – A true story of peril on the sea

Gerry — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:07:55 +0000

This story is immensely compelling. It captured and focused the attention of both America and Europe during Christmas 1951 and early 1952. I was just a wee little pup at that time, but I’ll bet there are plenty of octogenarian-types that remember the events quite sharply. It is a classic story; all the right pieces are in play: one man against the savage storm, against all odds, the whole (English speaking) world enthralled, holding their breath. Duty, love, pride, seamanship, heroism, and enough bull-headed courage to fill the ocean. Volkswagen cars (can you imagine what a pristine 1952 bug would be worth today?) Stradivarius violins, (Don’t cheat and read the final chapters before their time) cash, jewels, nuclear material. Holy smokes this story should keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page…….

But sadly, it doesn’t. And that’s a tragedy, because the story is completely true and it deserves to be told with all the force of Thor’s hammer…..and find its place in the seafaring mythology of future generations. It is a Viking Epic, binding the United States, Europe and Scandinavia.

Simple Courage has more than enough guts to be a legend: A young Danish Captain, Kurt Carlsen, crossing the stormy North Atlantic over the holidays. His freighter is hit by two rogue waves, the hull cracks, the cargo shifts…..the crippled ship rolls 60° to port and doesn’t recover. The propeller and rudder are now out of the water and the 40′ waves keep coming whipped by Force 12 winds. Passengers, crew and cargo in peril; one man entrusted with their safety.

The story is powerful and timeless, but Delaney belabors every tiny detail, looking at it from every angle, trying to reinforce his words by repeating them. How much better this story would have been if it were captured in 200 pages instead of 300. And written as an adventure instead of a chronicle for historians. Then it would have the life it deserves instead of a mere place on the shelf.

Full Moon Flood Tide – Bill Proctor’s Raincoast

Gerry — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:23:17 +0000

I have heard it said that the Broughton Archepelago is more scenic than the Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands put together. Hard to imagine, but that alone should provide enough incentive for an extended visit. Bill Proctor is an “old-timer” in the Johnstone Strait and Broughtons area. This book is a collection of his memories and experiences: people, places and events. Part fisherman, part logger, part naturalist, part conservationist, with an evolving perspective as the tide lifts the past into the future.

At first, I found the book difficult to read because the places talked about didn’t match up to the map on the facing page. But I found myself reading a chapter here and another ancedote there; reading it out of sequence, rather like it is written; a little bit every day or two. It took a long time to finish. I read any number of the short chapters several times. In the process, I felt like I came to know Bill Proctor and the area he calls home. It’s like that aromatic loaf of fresh banana bread. I don’t sit down and eat the whole thing; I enjoy one little slice and then another, and after a week or so it’s time to bake more.

If you plan on cruising the Broughtons, Full Moon Flood Tide will give you a boatload of places to explore; places that you might miss without a bit of local knowledge. Starting at Anacortes, it is less than 200 miles To Johnstone Strait and a little more to the Broughtons. Are we there yet?

Big thanks to Bill and Sharon Robertson for loaning me their copy. Bill is entering the waypoints at this very moment.
Click on the map and push the throttles up a notch.

Cod – a biography of the fish that changed the world

Gerry — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:10:59 +0000

What a great book! Big thanks to Ray Robinson for lending me his copy.

I will admit that I began as a skeptic. Just how good can a book be with the unusual title of Cod…..a fish that changed the world? Indeed. The back cover tries to set the hook with, “Wars have been fought over it, revolutions have been spurred by it, national debts have been based on it, economies have depended on it, and the settlement of North America was driven by it. Cod, it turns out, is the reason Europeans set sail across the Atlantic, and it is the only reason they could.” Oh really? I don’t recall my history books mentioning anything of the sort. Still, it was rated one of the 25 best books of the year (1997), and a James Beard Award winner, too. What’s that all about? Who is Mark Kurlansky?

What I found was the chronicle of cod. 1000 plus years of it stuffed into less than 300 pages. And it was absolutely fascinating. Beginning in the tenth century Norsemen were following cod from Iceland to Greenland to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Maine. Really, what else could they do? Adventure, pillage and plunder was their heritage (especially after a bit of mead) but it got them expelled from more polite neighborhoods, but they had to eat to fuel Viking furnaces. As I learned, cod has been an important source of food and oil for hundreds of years. It became a major component of early international trade. It drove the technology of the day. Especially enlightening was the large part that the codfish trade had in the U.S. Civil War. It is astounding what I didn’t learn in school.

Another part of the codfish story is the near extinction of the stock. Once thought impossible by prominent thinkers like Thomas Huxley. The idea of limitless bounty dies hard. It’s tough to accept an idea that will devastate families and communities and put entire economies at risk. No fish, no income. Then come treaties, quotas and international agreements, not to mention the clever ways of avoiding them. Some things are changing with technology and some things never change. Well, take your spare change to the bookstore and buy Cod. Then have some fish and chips and settle in for an interesting and informative read. It’s definitely a book you will want to pass around….and I didn’t even mention the recipies.

Starboard Water Tank Update

Gerry — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:19:06 +0000

All images enlarge with a click.

I admit it has taken some time, but then I don’t do water tanks for a living…..and if I did, it would be a wicked way to diet! The image shows the inboard side of the starboard pair of tanks. Made in the U.S.A. by Ronco Plastics, 30 gallons each: #B-189 Everything is solid; all nuts and bolts are stainless. Next, the platform gets mounted on the outboard stringer and ribs, just 1/2 inch away from the muffler. Then the tanks get plumbed together and hooked up to the pump. Half of the fittings will get capped off. When I ordered the tanks, I thought it might be better to have too many rather than too few.

The platform for the port side just needs a few more coats of paint. The floor of the lazarette is getting the same light gray treatment. Three coats of primer and three coats of gloss. Kirby’s Light Gray #25. A web search pointed me to Kirby’s by way of the Woodenboat Forum and Rejuvenation Woodworks. I called the Massachusetts facility to get their input on my project, since I’m applying it to both wood and fiberglass. I like the non-technical application. Thin the gray-tinted primer with a little mineral spirits and apply to a clean surface with a brush or a roller or whatever you have. The same goes for the gloss coat except penetrol is used instead of mineral spirits. I goes on easy and dries hard; just right for a 1st timer like me. Easy is good. Progress is good.

Civilization and the Limpet

Gerry — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 04:32:30 +0000

This is it! The best I have read and reviewed, since I have been piloting this blog. Civilization and the Limpet is captivating, well written and thought provoking; a zoom lens on civilization, marine biology and cephalopods. Zoom in for intricate details and zoom out for multiple-era overview. The buttons on the vest of Herbert George (H. G.) Wells should be popping with pride at how well his son, Martin Wells, walks in his footsteps. But this is not science fiction that reads like fact, this is fact that reads like science fiction.

And the read is absolutely delicious. This is about as precise and as playful as I can remember the English language having been used. Martin Wells dishes out paragraphs as fast as you can ingest them. The richness of the images framed with highly polished punctuation are an absolute joy. As is his succinct logic on such diverse subjects as vegitarianism and animal rights.

Need an example? Sure, limpets are cool, but sex is what sells…..

“Pity the limpet…..likely to suffer severe identity crises, brought about by its sex lives. Lives, not life. For the fact of the matter is that limpets nearly all change sex as they get older. Most set up as males as soon as they are old enough to be troubled by maturity. This is no big deal. A sexually mature limpet sits, as is the way of limpets, and does nothing, most of the time. Not for him the pursuit of nubile lady limpets. No panting scramble across the rocks, no tiny molluscan feet touching as if by magic. A limpet has nothing, or next to nothing, to fantasize about. It develops sperm at an appropriate time of year, triggered perhaps by rising temperatures and high tides, it tosses the lot off into the sea and lets the little beggars get on with it, no doubt heaving a sigh of relief that it is now all over for another year, so it can settle down to serious matters such as feeding and digestion–a vintage year for algae one can always hope–and growth.”

While I was bouncing around the web looking for more Martin Wells information I found a February 26, 2009 post on Deep-Sea News:

“I received the sad news today that Martin Wells, imminent biologist, one of the founders of Churchill College at the University of Cambridge and, a great friend of the cephalopods and all marine invertebrates, has passed away at the age of 80. Son of H.G. Wells, Martin was a highly accomplished biologist who was especially inspired by cephalopods and other marine invertebrates. His wonderful book Civilization and the Limpet portrays his love marine life. While aimed at the general audience, it should be, in my opinion, required reading for any future (or current) marine or invertebrate biologist, indeed it would be good for anyone with any interest in biology. The first time I sat down with it, I read it in one evening, it is that readable and good.”

Don’t miss this book. Your wonder, your insight, your joy will be so magnified. August 24, 1928 — January 1, 2009 “Those whom the gods love die young.” Yes, he was 80, and we would all do well to be so young at 80. R.I.P.

Water Tank Replacement and a Few Other Things – Phase 4

Gerry — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:53:07 +0000

The water tank installation is moving along. Perhaps slowly, but I’m addressing other items as they show up during the process. This is a new type of remodel for me, in a less than ergonomically perfect space. Did I mention I’m getting much more limber? I don’t need yoga or stretching classes now. The pic to the left shows the starboard platform made from 3/4″ plywood with 6 coats of Pettit Old Salem 2018 sealer. The notches in the side correspond with the ribs and the holes allow any condensation to drain into the bilge. The outboard holes are larger so there’s a chance of retrieving a stray fitting that ends up against the stringer. At least it’s possible to see into the space. The second image shows the port tanks as they sit on their platform. They are held in place by a through-bolted oak rail and 2″ seatbelt webbing. The U-bolts are a SeaChoice bow eye from Northeast Marine Parts. They cinch up the webbing until nothing moves. The oak rail is painted with gray primer so it contrasts with the platform and the tanks. Eventually, all wood gets 3 coats of gray primer and 3 coats of gloss gray. There will be a thin rubber mat between the tanks and the platform. Everything is modular and can be disassembled into individual components rather easily. I want to make future modifications and maintenance as easy as possible. The design received the approval of Captain Ray, so with a few coats of gray paint we are good to go.

The original design was stout and secure, and I can see how it went went together quickly, but it certainly did not make the best use of the confined space. As projects go, working on a boat is OK. There is social time at the dock, new tools are always a good thing, and there is always a touch of pride working through an idea, twisting it every which way, until it actually works better than the original.

Suds ‘n’ Sail boat detailing

Gerry — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 05:59:48 +0000

About four years ago I looked for an Anacortes boat detailer. Of course, I wanted to meet, in person, to discuss what I thought needed to be done, and what I could expect the charges to be. Some couldn’t remember to keep the appointment…..after several missed appointments, I quit calling. Some wanted multiple year contracts, that would have totalled many thousands of dollars, just to wash the boat monthly and wax it once or twice a year. One wanted several thousand just to wash and wax it once a year. Hey, it’s only 34′ long! I actually hired one for a few months that wanted to charge me for things that were not done. I thought that was slightly outrageous. “Well”, she said indignantly,”I’m ill and I need the money.” WTF, I became ill when I got the bill.

My wallet felt like it had been on a diet. Velkommen needed more regular attention than I could give her. I wanted to do my home work thoroughly; I called around for referrals. LaConner Yacht Sales recommended Russ Avery.

Russ Avery — Suds ‘n’ Sail Yacht Service

Russ was on time for our first appointment. He explained how he would approach keeping Velkommen looking good. Monthly washing, wax and buff once a year, twice if I wanted to look extra nice for a special rendezvous or event. Work over the stainless as needed. Treat the teak with a light sanding and Cetol annually.
The charges are reasonable. In fact, I can’t make the round trip from Bothell to spend a few hours washing Velkommen for what Russ charges, even if I count the lost work time as zero. That’s the foundation of a solid business relationship. Good value.

Russ does more than exteriors: engine room, interior woodwork, varnish, carpet cleaning. As much or as little as you want. He’s also a ‘hands on’ guy. He may have employees helping, especially during the busy season, but he’s always there to make sure all the details are just right.

Give Russ a call (360) 421- 2878 or blast him an email. You can thank me and buy me a ‘cold one’, later. Ahoy!

Valentine Pecan Pie

Gerry — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 18:41:51 +0000

Set the hook in the most fearless fisherman by serving a slice of wonderful pecan pie. This recipe is guaranteed to promote the most humble galley-slave to Master and Commander. And it’s so easy; any galley with a microwave and an oven can do this miracle in just over an hour. Besides pecans, the key ingredient is Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet. Don’t leave the dock without it. Gram for gram is has fewer calories than sugar and it substitutes at about a 3/4 to 1 ratio. Double win. Baked goods stay fresh longer and they have a marvelous gentle sweetness very unlike the sharp glucose spike from refined sugar.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet

1/4 cup melted butter

2 cups roasted and lightly chopped pecans

1 tsp molasses

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

9″ pie crust.

First, roast the pecans…..

1.) Toss 2 generous cups of pecans on a plate and microwave for 1 minute.

2.) Mix them all up and microwave for 1 more minute.

3.) Cut the pecans in half. OK, you can leave a few of them whole.

Then,

4.) Blend the melted butter and Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet.

5.) Whisk the eggs, molasses, vanilla and salt together and add it to the Fruit Sweet/butter mixture.

6.) Stir in the pecans.

7.) Pour the whole works into a 9″ pie shell and bake at 350° for 65 minutes.

Mmmmm, what a treat. Bet you didn’t know how nutritious pecans are, or that April is National Pecan Month. When was the last time you baked a fresh pecan pie in your galley stove? This recipe is way too easy for the HUGE bonus points that come with it.

Anniversary Pumpkin Pie

Gerry — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 05:38:23 +0000

Ok the secret is out. Today, February 1, 2011, Luann and I have been married 30 years. Now, that’s a lot of green water through the scuppers, matey. I’m here to tell ya. So I thought I’d bake Luann a loaf of banana bread, but I was fresh out of Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet, and I just don’t bake without it, anymore. Their Woodinville location is close, so I cruised over to fetch a half gallon. While there, they handed me a number of new recipies. Now pumpkin pie is Luann’s all time favorite. And there it was, right on top. The banana bread idea went over the side and I set a course for QFC to garner a few components.

ANNIVERSARY PUMPKIN PIE

2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 — 15 oz. can pumpkin
1/2 cup Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet
1 -1/4 cup evaporated milk (10 oz)
1 — 9″ pie shell
Mix it all together until well blended (I use a stick blender, because it’s so easy.)
Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake at 350° for 60 minutes.

I could only find a 30 oz can of pumpkin pie mix, so I doubled everything and made two pies. Double the bonus points – just makes the case for that new boat toy a whole lot easier.

So after a wonderful salmon dinner, Anniversary Pumpkin Pie was our dessert……with just a touch of vanilla ice cream. You should be so lucky……..

This recipe is so easy. What a delight it would be to have the aroma of fresh baked pumpkin pie fill the cabin after a full day of fishin’. The only thing better would be the eatin’. I guarantee it!

Shadow Divers

Gerry — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:42:35 +0000

Wow! What a story….but it’s so much bigger than that. Shadow Divers is the true story of a German WW2 U-boat and it’s crew. A true story of two divers, John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, chasing discovery and adventure. Although it’s unspoken, both are chasing their future. The future that brings them face to face with death and forges a bond with an encrusted sub and it’s entombed crew lying 60 miles from the New Jersey coast. The mysteries and twists could only have been unravelled by Schicksalsgemeinschaft – a community bound by fate – in which each man is dependent on the other. Only Gandalf could have forseen how this story would unwind over the course of more than 50 years and in two parellel universes: one below the waves and one above.

Adventurers that dive deep wrecks are preparation freaks. They have to be or they don’t last long. The preparation must be so thorough that all the correct choices are habit and no aspect of research is left to chance. Those characteristics are so dominant that a casual view might only see obsessive/compulsive behavior, but that would be myopic. The bigger picture is what eye-widening revelations are made of.

The currents running through the book are contagious. The author Robert Kurson became caught in the thrill, too. Lucky for him and the readers. The book becomes a destiny, revealing the glue that binds humanity, revealing how history works its magic over time. It is the human experience; to live is to seek…..running for the meta. But the metaphor is much more total. We, yes we humans, crew a boat called the Seeker; we are a community bound by fate.

Don’t wait. Buy this book immediately. Don’t miss the interactive NOVA site, either. John Chatterton’s promotional vid is nice, but I can so relate to Richie’s vid. And I love how he ends it: “Why do people ski between the trees and go off the rocks……because they feel it’s something they have to do. That’s why I do it.” Hey Richie….enough said. SFD.

On the Hard – for a few days

Gerry — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 23:27:07 +0000

Right before Thanksgiving, I asked Jim Gardner at Bottom Time Diving to check the status of Velkommen’s zincs and bottom paint. He wasn’t feeling well so he asked one of his dive buddies to take a look. The report was not good. Bottom paint in great shape but the props and rudders looked very weird. It didn’t really look like electrolysis, but he had no other explanation. That really left no choice but to put Velkommen on the hard the sooner the better. The problem was that between work and holidays I just couldn’t find the time to get it done promply. I called Jeff Harman at OceanAire Yachts for his input since he had applied the epoxy barrier coat along with new Sherwin Williams bottom paint and a Petit 6006 Prop Coat on the props and rudders last spring. He said he was not happy with Petit Prop Coat 6006 and no longer used it. On January 14th she came out of the water at Cap Sante Marine for a good examination. I’ve heard that pictures say a thousand words, so to avoid being overly verbose:

Bottom paint: wonderful!
Bottom paint over the new chine mods: double wonderful!!
Props and rudders: Too strange?!?!

The Petit Propcoat 6006 coating had failed. Less than a year ago, when it was applied it was clear and rubbery, about 1/4″ thick. What was left was thin, splotchy and adhesive-like. Rather like the residue that is left if you tear the flap off a sealed envelope. The good news is that the residue came off easily with a little elbow grease and sandpaper. As a precaution, however, we removed the trim tabs and rebedded them with plenty of 3M 5200 and new stainless steel screws plus new stainless steel bolts for bonding wire attachment. The transom zinc was removed and new 3/8″ stainless steel studs installed and locked down to the bonding wires. Even though no evidence of electrolysis was found, we attacked the problem as though it had. After all, it’s a boat…..better to be safe than sorry. We even installed a ProMariner Galvanic Isolator. the final step was to apply Petit Zinc Coat Barnacle Barrier 1792. January 18th Velkommen is back in the water. There was an eagle perched on a nearby sailboat mast all morning. As Velkommen rode the travel-lift toward the water he finally took flight. It must be a good omen for a high-flyin’ boating season right around the corner.

Guess what I discovered when I stopped at the Petit Paint booth at the Great 2011 Seattle Boat Show? Petit has discontinued Prop Coat 6006 and recommends Zinc Coat Barnacle Barrier 1792, instead. Right on! BIG Thanks to Mark Hanger of Mark’s Marine Repair and Ray Robinson of Robinson Woodworking for ensuring that all the details got done expediently and perfectly. Attention to detail is such a blessing in the salt water environment.

Cap Sante Marine did the heavy lifting and found space in their yard while the projects were completed. The service manager, John James, runs a tight ship.

Fish and Ships – this was fishing from the Columbia to Bristol Bay

Gerry — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:08:55 +0000

If you love Northwest history and have a taste for fishing, here’s your book. Most of the stories are from grandpa’s, great-grandpa’s and great-great grandpa’s day, roughly 1850 to 1930. What a fantastic and adventurous time to be part of the fishing industry in the great northwest.

Fish and Ships is a picture history with a cornacopia of short stories told in a refreshing matter of fact manner. The past days of fishing are not cheapened by romantic reminiscing. Long days, brutally hard work and all too many lives lost, but it was also a time of discovery and innovation. More than just canneries and salmon. It’s sailing, it’s steam, it’s early gasoline engines and primitive outboards. Reef nets, seiners, gillneters, longliners. It’s the Columbia river, Puget Sound, Vancouver Island, inside outside and it’s Alaska. It’s halibut, cod, sable, red snapper and even sealing and whaling. No hand wringing, no vegan morality or Greenpeace hauteur. This book is life as a past generation saw and lived it. I don’t doubt that future generations will look back on our enlightened times and see them much the same way.
I’ll bet you are envious of Hjalmar Wilson’s 83 pound King. The old pictures are worth 10 times the price of admission. Don’t run to your local bookseller, unless it’s Powell’s or alibris. Most copies are under $20.

Does the gray wintery weather have you in a funk? I’ll bet the crew of the Zapora was glad to see Ketchikan.

The old fishermen now rely on myth and legend to fill the nets. Boats decayed and gone, memories right behind. It’s a blessing that a morsel remains of this rich history, if only to remind us of the strength that lies in our genes. Hmmm……a road trip might be in order to see the restored lumber schooner-turned codfisher C. A. Thayer at the San Francisco Maritime Park.

Don’t wait…..treat yourself. Buy the book and enjoy it. Give it as a gift, read it to your grandkids. Best of all…….read it on your boat. And expect to see the salty smiling faces of old fishermen when you taste the mist through an open hatch or peer through a fogged porthole.

Big thanks to Ray Robinson for loaning me his copy.

The Wave Watcher’s Companion

Gerry — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 15:27:24 +0000

I’m always a bit sceptical of those who choose to have two last names separated by a hyphen. It looks and sounds awkward at best, and at worst……ah, no sense being negative. At the very least Gavin could combine them: Prepin, perhaps, or Torney. As it stands, it refuses to roll off the tongue smoothly as you might imagine a wave rolling up a sandy sun drenched beach. Instead it piles up in the narrow channel of the trachea, like a tidal bore atop the even flow of a stream. It’s like a confused sea with waves of energy passing through each other at odd angles and the wind, with its treble clef, spitting mouthfulls of spume at the veinous green trough.

Perhaps Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s first book “The Cloudspotters Guide” gave some momentum to “The Wave Watcher’s Companion.” Something did.

So it’s a tough subject, a monumental undertaking to enclose the concept of waves, from itty-bitty microwaves to shock waves to giant tidal waves in one volume and make it coherent to the layman. And don’t forget to toss in the stadium wave for levity. Gavin writes well and is at his best describing ocean waves, but the book is a bit tedious. He needs to generate a Richard Feynman type of excitement for his subject. My guess: 97% put the book down at the halfway point and never finish. When the last chapter, entitled ‘The Ninth Wave’, finally arrives….I wish there had been only four. It ends with Gavin on a ‘research trip’ to Hawaii, hanging with the surfers and enjoying the big winter waves. Recuperating. On a positive note: my everyday awareness of waves has increased. Waves are travelling patterns of vibration. It’s not just a bright spot on my desk; it’s light waves, vibrating like crazy and going faster than my bifocals can take in. It’s not just that spine tingling soprano vibrato filling the concert hall (as if that isn’t enough); it’s overlapping pressure waves matching each other, increasing in amplitude then reaching my ears. They are more than just waves running up the beach: they give us a visual representation of energy movement and transfer. With that I say, “Aloha and Mahlo”, and wave bye-bye.

Sooke 2009 – Fishing and Exploring Aboard Puget Sound Thunder

Gerry — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:37:14 +0000

Back in July 2009, Ray Robinson and I ran out to Sooke aboard Puget Sound Thunder. There are times when it’s really nice to have a fast boat, not to mention a skipper capable of handling one. We packed in quite a bit in three short days. I finally processed the pics after reviewing the memories. I bottled them up with Windows Live Movie Maker and received generous permission from Alex Hertz at Blue Note to use a couple of tracks from McCoy Tyner’s superb album “Guitars”. Enjoy the ride….Enjoy this Holiday Season. Merry Christmas!

You can watch the video here, in regular mode, or watch in high definition and full screen by going directly to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHCrRQGNolA. Select the 720p HD or 1080 HD option from the drop down menu and then select the ‘full screen’ button. The Esc key will let you exit full screen mode. High definition requires Big Bandwidth. If the movie does not flow seamlessly, drop back to standard 360p mode.

Mount Baker, Hat Island and ‘A’ dock – in decending order

Gerry — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 04:54:21 +0000

Friday, December 3 offered up a spectacular afternoon view of Mount Baker. I couldn’t resist taking a few pics. I love that dusting of snow up in the alpine.

All pics are thumbnails; CLICK on them for the ‘big picture’…

And I also enjoy the way Hat Island sits atop ‘A’ dock. I have always wondered why they named it Hat Island……now I know.

Will Your Anchor Hold?

Gerry — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 15:54:10 +0000

What do you see in this pic? Of course you see Fidalgo Bay and the Texaco Oil Refinery on March Point. I took the picture yesterday (11/27/2010) from the parking lot of the Anacortes Marina. Tuesday night, (11/23/2010), there was a pretty stiff blow from the NNE. Lots of cold air rushing down from the Fraser River valley and coming right over the top of Cap Sante and Guemes Island. The area between Cap Sante and Anacortes Marina is a popular anchorage and it is common to see several boats anchored out either overnight or for a few days. Unfortunately, a nice two-masted sailboat came loose and lodged against the northern breakwater of Anacortes Marina adjacent to “A” dock. She was not up to the pounding from the wind and waves. I talked to diver Jim, who brought up a couple of hatches and checked out the salvage options…..probably a crane. No one was aboard, heavy fiberglass construction, something like a 36 to 40 footer. A sad Thanksiving ending for some sailors and a caution to all mariners.

(All pics are thumbnails; CLICK on them for the ‘big picture’…some enlarge a 2nd time depending on your settings and monitor capabilities.)

Somehow, it reminds me of that old hymn……..

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,

When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,

Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

This was Seafaring – a sea chest of salty memories

Gerry — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 01:27:28 +0000

Here is a book that anyone with an interest in Northwest maritime history will absolutely love. The pictures themselves are worth the price of admission. Of course, it’s no longer in print, but copies can be found at wonderful bookstores like Powells and others. Perhaps you are looking for that special nautical gift……here it is. This book chronicles the slice of mostly Northwest maritime history that Andrews and Kirwin experienced firsthand. Sailing ships, sail converting to steam; the days when lumber and fishing were the mainstays of the Northwest economy. Harry Kirwin worked the boats and the docks, but he was also a part time newspaperman and an avid photographer. The narrative is crisp and concise and the old photos….you just can’t find anywhere else.

Here’s an example. Most around Seattle are familiar with the historic charter/excursion boat: S.S.Virginia V. If you dig into their website you can fiind that she was damaged after a gale blew her into the Fauntleroy ferry dock, but the old photo says so much more. CLICK on the thumbnail…

And how about this Harry Kirwin photo from 1931 of the four-masted bark Monogahela being towed out of Lake Union before the last span of the Aurora Bridge is placed.

And near Saddlebag Island…..the story of the failed salvage of the tug Bahada complete with pics of the diving bell invented by a Seattle house mover. The stories and wonderful old photos will enhance your historical and maritime perspective; you’ll be totally captivated.

Used copies are not expensive, but you won’t find this book in the big box stores. If you search it out…..you will be well rewarded. And that’s an understatement. BIG Thanks to Ray Robinson for loaning it to me.

Fishing Lesson

Gerry — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 04:10:58 +0000

October 25 was a soggy day, just gray skies and rain. Nevertheless, there was a pro fisherman at work just across the fairway from me on ‘C’ dock. He showed superb concentration and flawless balance with his one-legged stance on the swimstep. He never let on whether he was absorbed in the dancing raindrop ballet or whether he was concentrating on something a bit deeper, minute silver flashes of light, perhaps. His technique was flawless. Quick. Precise. Effortless execution. Sushi on the lunch menu. An then a return to the same nonplussed attitude that began the day.

Roxio just came out with PhotoShow, so I tossed the pics of Ernie Egret into their free program just for fun.

Photo Story slideshow – Chatterbox and Princess Louisa Inlet

Gerry — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:34:46 +0000

Microsoft has a cool little program called Movie Maker and now there’s a version called Live Movie Maker. Both are free downloads and provide a fun format for sharing pics and travels. Ray Robinson and I took a little adventure trip to Chatterbox Falls and Princess Louisa Inlet in July of 2008. Her’s my first attempt at producing a little photo story and publishing it to the web. It took me a little time to edit the pics and climb the learning curve, whch is (thankfully) not too steep. I had fun putting the pieces together; I hope you enjoy it.

Mmmmm, can’t wait to see Princess Louisa again. What fun to be there right now.

Red Star Rogue – the untold story of a Soviet submarine’s nuculear strike attempt on the U.S.

Gerry — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:16:20 +0000

Wow what a story! Absolutely exhaustive reasearch has this book placed in the non-fiction category, but there is a good measure of speculation. Many of the documents are still classified Top Secret, even after 40 years, and are unavailable. The author, Kenneth Sewell, is a nuclear engineer and submariner and knows every detail of submarine construction. He makes an almost airtight case for the Soviet submarine K-129 turning rogue and attempting a nuclear strike on Pearl Harbor…making the attack appear Chinese in origin, with the hope of sparking a war between the U.S. and China. Heavy stuff!

The K-129 attack failed; she exploded and sank 350 miles North of Hawaii, March 7, 1968. And then there is the recovery, cloaked in secrecy, the coverup and the disinformation. Howard Hughs, the Glomar Explorer, Project Jennifer, Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Leonid Brezhnev, Gerald Ford. If you remember these people and the international tensions of the time, this book will really come alive and transport you back……..and the way these 40 year distant events evolved into today’s reality……absolutely jaw-dropping. This is Tom Clancy on steroids…..with documentation!

My only criticism: the book is a little dry and reads a bit more like a report than a novel. But disregard that; it’s so compelling and its information so timely that is is definitely a MUST READ. Could terrorists get a nuclear weapon and strike the U.S.? After 9/11 that threat came to the forefront of everyone’s mind……but in fact, the attempt may have already been made.

Red Star Rogue……….surf immediately to your favorite bookstore and order it, now.

Seaworthy – Adrift with William Willis in the Golden Age of Rafting

Gerry — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:16:10 +0000

What do you say about a guy who is major-league eccentric and mentally and physically tough as nails? A guy who has faded into the shadows of history, but whose adventures, even after more than 50 years, are way out on the edge of extreme.

I’ll bet not many people dream of rafting the Pacific…..alone…..at 60 years of age. 6700 miles, from Peru to American Samoa on a craft constructed of Ecuadorian balsa. But this was just a warmup for a second voyage of 11,000 miles from Peru to Australia. Often underprepared with a minimalist voyage plan, William Willis was able to improvise and adapt and keep things afloat. That’s the meat and gristle of the human drama, although most seek safe and secure environs for their life-voyage, not the sharpest knife-edge of existence for a personal challenge.

And there…..is the life-metaphor engine that runs the book and keeps the pages turning. Not always well written with a number of awkward sentences, this book deserves an obscure corner of your library. Why? Well….William Willis is a mirror……..a yardstick, of sorts, to measure oneself against. (especially when suffering a touch of “poor-me”). Are you as eccentric as William? Probably not. Are you as resourceful? Are you as tough? Do you have that kind of stamina?

Seaworthy: Adrift with William Willis in the Golden Age of Rafting. I dare you to read it just to see how you measure up.

If “the adventures of William Willis” pique your intrest, here is a 2006 book review by Seattle Times book critic, Michael Upchurch. (once open, click on the review for larger text size)

Clam Diggin’

Gerry — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 03:42:40 +0000

One fine morning in May, we left Cap Sante in search of the elusive clam. Visions of clams-on-the-half-shell, clam fritters, clam chowder and clams-in-white-sauce just overwhelmed the desire to mow the lawn and work in the yard. Off we went in Puget Sound Thunder. And thunder she does, so fast the wake doesn’t settle, it evaporates. Madrona Beach looked promising. Heavy equipment and provisions were ferried ashore with Bill taking over stevedore duties. The rigors of the adventure soon called for a bit of refreshment, so we relaxed awaiting low tide. We saw a few creatures as we wandered down the beach and our beachcombing turned up a few old floats that probably broke loose in a storm. We picked a likely spot where the wily clams were spouting and began to dig. Now clam diggin’ is not for the faint of heart, a few frantic hours of back breaking digging, through rock and sand, in a race with the rising tide. Completely exhausted, we trudged up the beach with our treasure and found a safe harbor with a barbeque.

My oh my, were those fresh clams ever delicious! Dice ‘em up, blend with butter and garlic….stuff the mix into half a clam shell, top with a bit of grated parmesan and diced chives…..then cook on the barbie until it starts to bubble. Mmmm, clams-on-the-half-shell…..Life is Good!

High Seas High Risk – The Story of the Sudburys

Gerry — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:02:22 +0000

If you enjoy the the rich maritime heritage of the Northwest and if towboats catch your eye….here’s your next book. If you like a true rags to riches story, a real adventure story, with characters that could be your Dad, your Grandpa or your Uncle…..here’s your next book

In overview, the book is really about the accomplishments of H.B. Elworthy, an ambitious Victoria B.C. native who began his career at age 16 working as office boy for the Pacific Salvage Co. He went on to found Island Tug and Barge and although they eventually owned quite a fleet of workboats, the two vessels that dominate the history of Island Tug and Barge are the Sudbury and the Sudbury II.

Built in 1941 in Ontario and designated as a Flower class corvette, the Sudbury was intended to be a convoy escort, submarine hunter and patrol vessel. Her 204′ design came from Smith Dock Co. Ltd. of Middlesbrough, England, who built trawlers and whale-catchers. From these unlikely beginnings, the Sudbury and the Sudbury II became iconoclasts in the towboat world. True stories of their tows, salvages, rescues and never-been-done-before adventures could fill a book…..and here it is. Read it.

Patricia Wastell Norris put her heart into getting all the details correct, and weaving them into a captivating non-fiction story. The era of the Sudburys is over, but not by much. It comes alive when you read the book; you will recognize names and places and be enriched. Now I need to find the four plaques in the stone balustrade that rings the Inner Harbor in Victoria….J.A. (Jack) Daly….Norman James Turner….William Harley Blagborne….Harold Barrington Elworthy. Who were these men? Why are there plaques to mark them? What do the initials H.B. stand for? I won’t give it away. Read the book to find the answers. High Seas High Risk – The Story of the Sudburys, you’ll savor every wonderful chapter.

In Peril – A Daring Decision, a Captain’s Resolve and the Salvage that Made History

Gerry — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:42:17 +0000

Here’s a true story that will raise the hair on the back of your neck. The events surround four vessels whose stories come together off the coast of Florida in November of 1994. One is the tug Orgeron, towing a barge, Poseidon, with an unusual cargo. An enormous aluminum fuel tank on which the space shuttle rides piggyback and draws fuel to propel it beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. (Trivia: NASA spends 4 years and 50 million dollars in the construction of each tank, and it’s used for eight minutes. It burns up in the atmosphere and is not recovered.) Then there is the soon-to-be abandoned and severly listing freighter, Jeano Express, drifting toward the shoals of Tennessee Reef. The Cherry Valley is a 688 foot tanker, loaded with oil and bound from New Orleans to Jasksonville, the Northeast corner of Florida. And another freighter, the Firat, loaded with steel rebar and anchored outside the entrance to Port Everglades at Fort Lauderdale. Toss in a few vessels as supporting cast. Then add a double-shot of Tropical Storm Gordon…..mix well and stir. Finally, in come the lawyers and judges, all sitting on their Blackwall Factors, the governing principles behind salvage awards.

Skip Strong, captain of the Cherry Valley, along with Twain Braden, have done a fine job in providing a concise level of detail, meticulously documented. In Peril A Daring Decision, a Captain’s Resolve, and the Salvage that Made History…..it’s high seas drama, but it’s so much more. It’s a well written page-turner. It’s recent history. It’s all factual. This is a book I just couldn’t put down. No doubt your experience will be the same.

The first part of this vid shows NASA’s external fuel tank. It’s hard to get a sense of it’s enormous size until you see it.

And here is a link to more pics fron “Universe Today” that show the proportions of the external fuel tank that the Orgeron was towing. For the jaw-dropping price tag……it’s gotta be big…..it’s gotta be good.

And this may be just a bit off-topic, but I just couldn’t resist posting this rather long video (45 min) that is a tribute to our space shuttle program and the engineering behind it. Marvelous images and some wonderful views of the external tank, the boosters and the shuttle in super slow-motion — to provide a glimpse of the intricate details engineers look for. There’s narration, too, to inform you of everything you’re seeing.

“This compilation of film and video presents the best of the best ground-based Shuttle motion imagery from STS-114, STS-117, and STS-124 missions. Rendered in the highest definition possible, this production is a tribute to the dozens of men and women of the Shuttle imaging team and the 30yrs of achievement of the Space Shuttle Program.”

The video was produced by Matt Melis at the Glenn Research Center, and “provides highly inspirational and educational insight to those outside the NASA family.”