Sam Landsman 
With Thursday (two days away) still looking like our best bet for the Strait of Georgia, we are still pacing ourselves while enjoying the beautiful Gulf Islands. We left Montague Harbour mid-morning for the short jaunt up to Clam Bay – a nice anchorage on the east side of Thetis Island. There is an intertidal passage between Clam Bay and Telegraph Harbour which can be traversed by dinghy at higher … Read more
With the weather still looking windy on the Strait of Georgia until Thursday, we didn’t have far to go today. Our goal is to meander through the Gulf Islands slowly, visiting new places while getting to know each other and providing an opportunity to shake down the boats. So today we made the long, eight mile trip from Ganges to Montague Harbour! Montague Harbour is huge, with room for hundreds … Read more
Our plan originally was to make a really quick trip to the north end of Vancouver Island, then slow down on the Central Coast. Today we were supposed to run through the Gulf Islands to Nanaimo, so we’d be in position to run up the Strait of Georgia to Campbell River the next day. The weather isn’t cooperating, though. The Strait looks too bumpy on Monday, Tuesday, and maybe Wednesday. … Read more
Safe Harbour (Sam Landsman) Off to Alaska! Despite my best efforts, the last few weeks before departure always end up frenzied: endless trips Fisheries Supply, Costco, the supermarket; last-minute boat maintenance; visiting friends and family before the extended absence. Safe Harbour’s trip to Alaska this year started at Salmon Bay Marine Center on the Lake Washington Ship Canal. I’ve been fortunate to have been moored there all winter, and I’m … Read more
The Panama Canal is a crossroads of the maritime world. About 40 ships a day transit the canal, ranging from yachts to warships and everything in between. It’s a critical economic link between the West Coast and East Coast of the Americas, a monumental civil engineering project, an important political achievement, and a milestone for cruisers. The vast majority of circumnavigating yachts transit the canal, and hundreds of cruisers who … Read more
With Seattle in chaos and normal obligations cancelled because of snow in the forecast, we sought refuge on the water. What better place to spend the blizzard than Blake Island, we thought. So on Friday, after doing battle with every other Seattleite at the grocery store (50 minute line at Trader Joe’s!) we cast off. The locks, unlike the grocery store, were deserted—no waiting on a snow day! By mid-afternoon … Read more
Upon arriving in a new port, I, like most cruisers, usually want to explore ashore. Sometimes there are chores to do, other times there are specific attractions, and often I just want to get the feeling of a place. Regardless, land transportation quickly becomes an issue, especially if the supermarket, chandlery, or attraction is beyond easy walking distance. For years I carried a Dahon Mariner folding bike, but seldom used … Read more
Several years ago, I replaced the 15-year-old Norcold refrigerator aboard Safe Harbour with a shiny new NovaKool RFU9000. The new fridge reduced power consumption and was quieter, but it was far from perfect. In fact, it (along with the Force 10 range with the heat output of a Bic lighter) are among the most frustrating pieces of equipment onboard. Temperature control in the NovaKool is, at best, imprecise. The rudimentary … Read more