This was shot last winter when Scott and I went out for a stormy sail on his 21 foot version of Manu O Ku
Author: Thomas Nielsen
Pedal Drive Testing
It was a good day on the lake. We even sailed for awhile.
HOW TO DEAL WITH BEARS
I’ve met a few, some up close. One ate the contents of my pack, another a ski boot. So far none have chewed on me.
So… here’s another thing to add to the training program!
Second news article for the day! Ballard News-Tribune
Shane Harms, from the Ballard News-Tribune, interviewed us a couple of weeks ago. Here is that story! …oh and we won’t just be drinking olive oil though that sounds pretty gnarly! We’ll be tossing down a bit of coffee and a whole load of pasta with that!
RACE TO ALASKA makes it to the front page
……I swear this was all Jake Beattie’s idea! R2AK
Nav Lights, Burgees and Anchor Testing
We held Tiki Tuesday on Thursday night this week as Kiko came to town from Hawaii yesterday. He brought us a couple of gems; a big bright yellow sail made by Warren Seaman himself and an intriguing option for the human propulsion side of things.
Shop time was mainly used to catch-up and work on a project for Kiko so he can get his Pahi 26 in the water tomorrow. Thanks to Tim for sharing awesome beer and cat food can alcohol stove designs, and to Ty for lending a hand again.
…So much to read!
Want to learn more from the Bosun’s Locker? It’s all right here along with that tarred flagon of hawser.
I’m wearing one of these!
In all my time sailing, I’ve only fallen overboard once – unintentionally. It was early fall and just on the cold side. I had multiple layers on including a thick wool sweater. Over that a light rain coat and cycling rain pants. I was leaving Port Hadlock completing a solo sail in the San Juans. I was departing from the beach as I often do. I had been chatting to a guy on his boat (The new owner of Tolfea, Matt Johnson’s and then Andy Deltoff’s Wharram Tangaroa Mk I) that was at the dock 15 m away. As I pushed off a creosote soaked piling with a bamboo pole to clear the obstructions, the pole slipped. I followed the trajectory of the pole and then I was in the water. When I came up the boat, my Wharram Tiki 26 – Tsunamichaser with sails up and just catching the zephyr of a wind ghosted away. Here the story could have gone two ways but I have a workboat mentality – never on deck without a work vest PFD. I hooked the boat with the pole but the real difference compared to the story below was that I WAS wearing my PFD. If I hadn’t been the story may have ended differently. The other guy on the other boat never even realized I had gone in the water until he saw me on deck dripping wet pulling off the layers. His head was in the forward lazarette finding treasures. His focus elsewhere. It’s easy to wear your PFD especially in cold environments. They provide a boost to core insulation. Get it on!
Race Burgee
This would look good flying from the spreaders!
Watching our backs.
Most of the miles that will be sailed/rowed or otherwise transited in the R2AK will be in Canadian waters. Only 76 miles of the total 750 miles, as the Salish Sea raven flies, will be in US waters. Hopefully NOBODY gets in trouble deep enough that they have to hit the SOS button on their SPOT. If they do, or we do, there will be a number of safety resources to help us out of a tight spot including the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue. These men and women are volunteers so if you see them on the water thank them for being there – just in case you meet up again later on. Like them on their Facebook page too.