Mike and Beth's Adventures

Boat trips are about more than just visiting interesting places.  Of course that is the goal, but the boat itself, is a living creature and needs constant care and attention.  Every couple of days of cruising leads to a day of maintenance and repair.  For instance,  a couple of days ago we turned on the inverter and it showed an overload condition.  Most of the time the built in protections will provide a safety net and no damage will result.  We were not so lucky this time.  The surge of current damaged internal components and we now must replace the unit.  I found one online and am having it shipped to the marina we will be visiting in about a week.   The latch that holds the refrigerator closed also broke.  Another online purchase to restore full functionality.  Online seems to be the easiest method for replacing parts as we are in locations that do not have marine chandleries nearby.   Shopping.  When we need...

Morning fog at Joe Wheeler State Park   A mystic softness to start the day

Our visit to the Pacific Northwest is drawing to a close.  We did our final cruises on Labor Day weekend.  We hosted Beth's brother and his wife for a day cruise up the east side of Camano Island.  The day was calm but completely devoid of any marine mammals.  We were hoping to encounter some whales or porpoises.  They all stayed at home.  Still it was fun to cruise the verdant and log filled shore line.  We saw some good beaches where it would be fun to anchor offshore and dinghy into the beach for a picnic or a visit.  Due to pandemic quarantining, we had not seen each other face to face for many months, so it was wonderful to have this time to re-connect and catch up. The following day we took the grandkids and their parents out salmon fishing and crabbing.  We set out on this expedition late morning on a strong ebb tide.  As soon as we exited the marina, the combination of the downstream current in the Snohomish River and the ebbing ...

        I admit, I have a serious case of Port Ludlow house envy.  This guy's boat house is bigger than his house!  What wonderful toys are arrayed inside?  Wouldn't you love to know?  But if I actually lived here I would spend all my time taking care of the house, boat house, boats and other toys.  No doubt leaving little time for play.  So maybe it is best that I don't somehow end up in possession of this scrumptious place.  I like my vagabond existence.  It is so nice to move the boat to a new location when it is time to have new experiences.  The joy of discovery is the gift that keeps on giving.  You never know what is just around the next headland or around the bend in the river. So what did we do in Port Ludlow?  We hiked.  There are 32 miles of trails near the marina.  It was great to get out and stretch our legs.  The area had been logged, so it was all second growth forests.  Yo...

  After getting battered a bit by the overnight storm in Coupeville. We headed north to La Conner.   Given the forecast wind direction it would offer good protection, water and power.   Additionally, we could top off our fuel tank prior to heading to the more remote islands.   The inside of “F” dock, at La Conner Marina, is a good secure place to dock.   There is a kiosk machine where you pay the overnight fee of ~ $1/ft.   Just beyond the kiosk is the building in which the showers and restrooms are located.   All facilities were clean and well maintained. As you leave the grounds of the marina, you are just a short walk away from the downtown area, a good local market, and an auto parts store.   The market, importantly, had a decent wine selection and well stocked produce department. Downtown is centered on the waterfront.   You can walk almost the entire length of town on the boardwalk, which overlooks the Swinomish Cannel.   As yo...

  An essential and valuable piece of equipment decided to take a holiday.   This occured immediately  after my morning coffee if you know what I mean.   Yep, the head died just after a very moving experience.   Too graphic, well sorry, it was very distressing.   Suddenly your plan for the day gets reorganized.   First priority is to decide if an 8-year-old marine head is worth repairing or should it be replaced with a new unit.   I decided to defer that decision until I dis-assembled sufficiently to identify the source of failure.   The next step was to begin disassembly Disassembly began with trying to figure out how to empty the bowl.   Beth came up with the best solution.   Little wonder she is such a valuable member of Amy Marie’s crew.   Her suggestion was to motor to the pump out dock and use the pump out hose to suck the bowl dry.     Once the toilet was clean as a whistle, disassembly began.   First...

 A Nautical Amble of Puget Sound: July 2021 After purchasing Amy Marie we spent some time customizing her to our tastes.  She was well maintained and loved by previous owners so not much was needed.  We focused our efforts on "tuning" storage, becoming familiar with onboard systems, adding a memory foam topper in the V-berth and other items to prepare her for the type of cruising we wanted to do.  The difficult part of the preparation has been trying to fit all the "toys" we want to bring into her 27' length.  The toy list included folding bikes and a stand-up paddle board. Our first day we visited Seattle.  We overnighted in Elliot Bay Marina Seattle has such  a distinctive skyline.  It is especially striking when approaching by boat. Elliott Bay Marina is just north of downtown Seattle.  A good staging spot for traversing the Chittenden Locks into Lake Union and Lake Washington.  It is a clean Marina with great facilities. Cocktail hou...