Mike and Beth's Adventures

Back On The Water Again! I'm back on the water again Out where a fish is a friend And the Orcas jump and play while the Humpbacks splash and spray I'm back on the water again. Ridin' the waves once more Where the rocks do line the shore And the winds do often roar Back on the water again Whoopi-ty-aye-oh Rockin' to and fro Back on the water again Whoopi-ty-aye-yay I go my way Back on the water again Port of Kingston We launched the boat at Kingston Washington and spent a two days getting her sea ready.  This entailed laying in the required stores, setting up all the systems and verifying proper operation as well as stashing the truck and trailer in their storage spots for the duration of our Pacific Northwest cruise.  It all came together.  It sure felt good to cast off the lines and head out on Puget Sound.   Sea Scouts Returning from Cruise Almost immediately we spotted a friend on AIS. (AIS is a system which tracks and displays other vessels on your chart plo...

We visited Butchart Gardens the end of July.  I'm going to "interview" Beth about our visit. Q: Why did you want to visit Butchart Gardens? A: This time of year flowers were in bloom that we had not seen when visiting earlier in the year. For example the zinnias, the dahlias, the begonias, and the roses.  I also wanted visit later in the day,  after 5pm, as the tour busses have all departed by that time reducing crowd size.  We also timed our visit for Saturday evening as live music and fireworks were scheduled. "Ketchup and Mustard" rose Q: Where did you stay for your visit? A: There is a back cove at Butchart Gardens with 4 mooring balls.  It is located at the base of the Japanese Gardens.  It even has a separate ticket booth.  Boats can stay free for 24 hours, so the moorings are a hot commodity.  They are also limited to boats less than 40 feet in overall length.  As an alternative, if the mooring balls are full, boaters can anchor in Tod...

Snug Cove on Bowen Island offers good protection form blustery weather outside.  It is located in the mouth of  Howe Inlet, just north of Vancouver.  From False Creek it was a 12 mile run.  From our slip at Union Steamship Company Marina, we had a spectacular view  of the mountains rimming Howe sound.  I'm sure the scenic nature of this area contributed to it's selection as a filming location for the TV series "Virgin River". We docked on "A" dock near the marina office.  It was very convenient to the onshore attractions.  We particularly liked Tippy's Cookhouse and The Snug Cafe. Adjacent to the marina is a nice collection of restaurants, shops, pubs, a distillery, and a grocery store. We stayed at the Union Steamship Company Marina in Snug Cove Snug Cove offers good protection from the prevailing winds Our first day the clouds swirled around the mountain peaks that line Howe Inlet The ferry from Horseshoe Cove make an early evening arrival in Sn...