ScottMacD – MV Big Smile

2020 Make it Go Away!

Posted on October 28, 2020 by ScottMacDOctober 28, 2020

We all have our stories to tell from this strange and brutal year. For us, 2020 started off promising. We had lots of plans for the entire year starting with several ski trips. We made it to Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine and Loon Mt. in New Hampshire. They were both new to us and made available via the Ikon passes we had purchased. Our big trip was at the end of February and included two weeks skiing out west. Week One was spent at our new favorite mountain, Big Sky, Montana. Week Two had us at Snowmass, Colorado. We flew from Denver to Boston on March 8th with rumblings of a potentially bad virus arriving in the U.S. Little did we know what was in store for the world.

<br><br><br>Sunday River<br> — Sunday River

Five days after our return from out west we flew to Washington DC to celebrate Andrew’s 30th birthday. It was a surprise dinner perfectly orchestrated by Jordan. Tara and Jovan also joined and Andrew was completely surprised as Jordan led him in. Another party on Saturday and we could see what the effects of this new virus were already having. The open air bar was maybe half full and it was a Saturday. We flew back to Vermont on Sunday, March 15th and that’s when we realized all hell was breaking loose.

Our plans for 2020 were many. We would be taking Big Smile to Roche Harbor in Washington for the Selene Rendezvous in April. Big Smile would return to Sidney and from there we would fly to Palm Beach, Florida to meet up with our good friends, Jim and Beth, and their dog Rascal. This spring and summer was supposed to be the year we finally crossed the Atlantic in a boat. Jim and Beth had asked us to help them take their beautiful Nordhavn 55 from Palm Beach to Bermuda to the Azores and finally to Kinsale, Ireland.

It was not to be. The rendezvous was canceled and so was our trip across the pond. Countries were shutting their borders at a torrid pace. In mid- March, Canada and the U.S. mutually agreed to close the border to non-essential travel.

So with Big Smile trapped in Sidney, BC, and no way for us to get there, we spent our days in Vermont waiting for the border to open. And it is now late October and the border is still closed with no end in sight.

Admittedly, it is difficult for us to complain given that we were sequestered in the beautiful state of Vermont. With a pandemic raging around the world, Vermont seemed like a very safe place to be. We hunkered down and did lots of small projects, took many hikes, kayaked a lot, bought a 1948 Farmall tractor, did a brake job, planted flowers, watched a family of red fox frolic in our back field and yes, we Zoomed.

Andrew and Jordan came up and ended up staying 11 weeks working remotely.

Along the way we managed to visit my cousin Nance and husband Rob. We also rented a small cottage in Wellfleet on Cape Cod for a week in early July. While driving there, we were able to catch up with our Atlantic-crossing friends who were heading north but had stopped off at a marina on the Cape for a couple of days. We also got together with my cousin Doug and had dinner at the famous “Lobster Pot” restaurant in P-Town.

In June we started hearing about other Americans who also had boats were trapped in Canada. Many were hiring dual-citizen captains to shuttle their boats the relatively short distance to the states. We decided to wait for the July border announcement. When we heard the border was remaining closed, we said “enough was enough” and hired a captain. We quickly made plans to do a cross-country drive. Nine days later we arrived in Anacortes, Washington and boarded the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Our captain was meeting us on August 5th at Roche Harbor Resort.

Our cross-country trip was fun and uneventful. We made a couple of small detours along the way. Badlands National Park in South Dakota was open so we detoured thru the fascinating landscape there. Our other detour was to the town of Wenatchee, Washington on the Columbia River. It is wine country and we really enjoyed the area. Our Hilton hotel on the river there was immaculate and Covid-aware. We found in our drive out and back that Hiltons and their various brands were very Covid-aware, which we appreciated and applaud them for.

<br><br><br>The handoff<br> — The handoff

We boarded Big Smile at the beautiful Roche Harbor Resort. Our captain cleared us thru customs in short order and off he went. We were lucky to be able to get reservations for a slip for three nights as the marina was packed and abiding by Washington state covid regulations which limited the number of slips that could be rented. In practice, we realized throughout our two-month stay that these regulations were both stupid, impractical and mainly ignored.

Since Canada was off limits, we would spend most of our cruising time in the San Juan Islands. We had been to some of the islands in the past and now had more time to explore them thoroughly. We had a few favorite anchorages. Here they are by location.

Along the way we needed to make an unexpected stop for a repair. While dropping the hook at the end of August our windlass quit. Fortunately only about 30′ of chain had gone down so bringing it up manually wasn’t too difficult. After a stop in Anacortes to sort things out, we found a company in Seattle that was authorized to work on Maxwell anchor windlasses. We got a slip at their marina for three days and while the mechanic worked we visited Seattle. It was not like last year’s visit. Because of the recent protests and riots, much was boarded up and because of Covid, the streets were empty. We had fun anyway and managed to get our bikes out and explore. On the third day the windlass was returned to its spot and we took off.

Mt Rainier in the distance — Olympic Sculpture Park

September came to an end and our abbreviated cruising season did as well. We needed to get some maintenance done and decided to hire a yard in Bellingham, Washington to haul her and do the work. On September 22nd, Big Smile pulled out of Roche Harbor and headed to Seaview Boatyard. Cath drove our car to Friday Harbor to catch the ferry to Anacortes. We met in Bellingham and finished packing our car for the trip home.

Heading to Bellingham — Last night at Roche Harbor

We left Bellingham on the 24th with hotel reservations in Spokane, Bozeman, Riverton, Wyoming, North Platte, Nebraska, and two nights in Kansas City, Missouri. It was our first visit to KC and we really enjoyed the city. There is a terrific WWI museum and we spent four hours going thru the exhibit. The city itself was quiet due to Covid but we will return in better times.

Our trip home this year had an interesting twist. Aside from dodging wild fires blazing throughout the west, we had a schedule to keep. On October 1 we were stopping in Arthur, Illinois to pick up our new puppy. We had arranged to buy her from a breeder called “Bernedoodles of the Open Prairie.” I’d been having a dialogue with them since the early spring. We picked “Chloe” out of a litter of five. We were the second family to choose and fortunately we were able to get our first choice. We left the breeder at 10 AM and with an eight-week old puppy in a crate in the back seat we drove non-stop for over 16 hours. Fortunately, Chloe proved to be a cooperative and quiet traveler. We arrived home in Vermont the next day at 3:30 AM. We sat exhausted on the kitchen floor with a bottle of wine and a new puppy.

So, as I write it is one week til Election Day. We are sequestered in Vermont with a new puppy and some good summer memories, despite the tumultuous year so far. Since our return, we have gotten together with dear and like-minded friends for some kayaking and hiking. We all hope for a Trump loss. And Cath and I are hoping for the U.S.-Canada border to reopen so we can return to Big Smile in 2021 and head to Alaska.

Til then.

The Drive Home, Fall 2019

Posted on November 7, 2019 by ScottMacDNovember 7, 2019

So on September 26th, our wedding anniversary, we packed up the Subaru, with everything just fitting, and headed down the street to the Sidney-Anacortes Ferry. It’s always a nice ferry ride and US customs in Anacortes gets a kick out of our Vermont plates. This time the custom’s official asked which Maple syrup was better, Vermont or Washington State. We got the answer right, Vermont, and he let us go.

Our first days drive repeated one from last year. Route 20, or North Cascades Highway, is very scenic and the northernmost route across the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington State. We spent our anniversary night in Winthrop, WA, a small, funky town with a real old time look. A shout out to Bev and Jerry whom we met and had dinner with early in the season. They live in Winthrop in the non boating season.

From Winthrop to Spokane we loosely followed the Columbia River and halfway to Spokane we came upon the Grand Coulee Dam. Built between 1933 and 1942, the Grand Coulee originally had only two powerhouses. In 1974 a third power station came online making the Grand Coulee Dam the largest power station in the United States by name-plate (rated) capacity.

One night in Spokane and east we headed on Interstate 90 into Idaho and the Coeur d’Alene National Forest. This was a beautiful interstate drive and we covered 300 plus miles to Butte, Montana. It was in Butte that we were forced to spend two nights because of a very early snowstorm that dropped upwards of three feet of snow in the higher elevations. Butte received maybe five inches, but without snow tires we decided to hole up the extra night.

Last year on our return trip we had to detour past Yellowstone National Park due to snow caused road closures. This year the snow problem wouldn’t happen till the day we left.

We only had a two night reservation at the Old Faithful Inn. It was enough to wet our appetite and promise ourselves a return trip to Yellowstone. The inn itself was rustic and interesting but thoroughly overpriced. And the food was very mediocre. However it is right at Old Faithful and that’s what counts.

The park, established in 1872 and covering nearly 3,500 square miles is breathtaking. How we never visited before this we don’t know. The vistas are spectacular. The steaming hot springs, geysers, and mud pots are otherworldly. Animals and birds abound and the fishing we were told, is fantastic.

The morning of our departure it was snowing lightly at the hotel but roads were passable we thought. Our route out of the park would take us south thru Grand Teton National Park. Our Subaru was handling the drive slowly but steadily. That is until we came to a long incline and in front of us were two stuck and sliding tourist buses and numerous cars. While stopped I got out to walk ahead and see if there was room to sneak thru as our car, sans snow tires, was handling fine. While walking up hill a Yellowstone bus tried to slowly pass our parked car with Cath in it and proceeded to sideslip and then sideswipe us. I didn’t see it happen. The bus only managed to get 100 feet past us until it became stuck. It was easy to catch the bus driver and we exchanged information. We were able to squeeze thru and made it to the turn south to Grand Teton only to find out that all roads were now closed. Fortunately we were near Grant Village, a park facility and there we waited for over three hours. Finally the roads opened and we headed south.

Next stop, Casper, Wyoming. Casper has a superb museum, the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. We spent hours there. The volunteer guides were incredibly knowledgeable and friendly.

From Casper it was a quick one nighter in Gothenburg, Nebraska and on to Omaha. Only one night in Omaha but it included a ridiculously expensive steak house. The food was good, the bill not so.

We enjoyed the The Durham Museum and the historic Old Market section. Two days would have been fun.

Davenport Iowa was next. I don’t know why other than we needed to stop one night before Chicago.

Chicago here we come. O’Hare is my only experience with Chicago and Cath was there once as a child. Our niece Maia, husband Mark and newborn, Skyla live in Chicago so in addition to visiting the city we were able to visit relatives.

Lot’s to do in Chicago. We took in The Field Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, the John Hancock observation deck and an architectural boat tour. We also walked, a lot and ate well. This is another town we will need to return to.

We left Chicago and drove home with one stop in Erie, PA for a nights sleep. We arrived home in Vermont the afternoon of October 10th. All told our trusty Subaru covered 3,485 miles with only a bus sideswipe to complain about. We averaged 29.4 mpg. Pretty good. Better than Big Smile. That’s it for 2019.

August and September, 2019

Posted on October 25, 2019 by ScottMacDNovember 9, 2019

Our next guest on board would be Tara. She had never joined us for an extended solo cruise so this would be a leisurely ten day visit. We were picking her up in Seattle. We arrived ahead of schedule to see an Australian folk band we really like. The Waifs have been performing for years and rarely get to the states but they were playing one night at The Triple Door in Seattle right up the street from Bell Harbor Marina. It was a fantastic venue and a great show.

We really enjoyed Seattle. The Museum of Pop Culture was fascinating and good for all ages. I enjoyed the Chihuly glass museum and gallery. Both are located adjacent to the Seattle Space Needle. Pike Place Market is a major destination for visitors and locals. It is crowded but lots of fun with plenty of restaurants along the waterfront.

After a couple of days in Seattle we slowly cruised back north stopping in Port Townsend, Lopez Island, Sucia Island, Roche Harbor, Deer Harbor Marina on Orcas Island and finally back to Sidney. Tara flew out on the 16th and the very next day we flew back to Vermont for two weeks. It was a great ten days with our number one daughter!

In Vermont we received good news from the orthopedic surgeon. He gave Cath’s knee a clean bill of health. An operation was not required. The torn ACL and crack in the knee had mended thanks to the near daily regimen of physical therapy and exercise. This was not easy to accomplish living on a boat.

Labor Day weekend had us back in Sidney with just enough time to prepare for the arrival of our dear friends, Bob and Tibby. They flew out to visit family in Portland and continued on up to spend three nights with us on board. They had heard all about Big Smile and our adventures and we finally pulled them in. And what a great time we had. We picked them up at our very convenient airport and got them settled. We hustled out of the marina for three fun nights at anchor. A big clockwise loop thru the Gulf Islands started with Tod Inlet and a visit to Butchart Gardens.

From there it was on to Saturna Island. Winter Cove, the anchorage for Saturna was a bit too congested so we dropped anchor 3/4’s of a mile to the NW at Samuel Cove on Samuel Island. The only other boat anchored in Samuel Cove were fellow Selene owners, Bill and Pam Racow, on their beautiful 55, Amavi. Saturna and Samuel Islands were new destinations for Cath and I. The four of us got to explore the shoreline for the first time. The kayaking was breathtaking with views of 10,781 foot tall Mt Baker and a quick kayak ride thru boat passage at the turn of the tide. From Samuel Island it was a delightful 2.5 hour cruise to the anchorage behind Sidney Spit. Three nights went too quickly. It was a wonderful time and we truly miss seeing our old Lake George neighbors.

Three days later cardiologist number two arrived. Marc and Judy, friends we met in Africa a couple of years ago, flew up after visiting their son in San Francisco. We had last seen them on Super Bowl weekend when we stayed at their home in Florida. Like Bob, Marc is a retired cardiologist. The weather had turned a bit cooler for their time with us but it didn’t slow us down. We managed to anchor out for a night and spent two fun nights at our marina. They were our last guests for the season. We hated to see them go.

The season was winding down. We made a quick car trip to the Seattle Boat show but didn’t buy anything. We took Big Smile out for a short trip to the San Juan Islands. We cleared into the US at Roche Harbor. The marina and resort had quieted down now that it was September. From Roche Harbor we stopped for a night at Stuart Island before cruising back to Sidney and clearing customs with Canada Border Services. On September 22nd our season was over. Four days later we left Big Smile and started our long cross country trek back to Vermont.

June and July, 2019

Posted on October 25, 2019 by ScottMacDNovember 9, 2019

After the departure of Barry and Rebecca we headed north to Desolation Sound. There we found superb, uncrowded anchorages and enjoyed two weeks of perfect weather.

Northbound thru Beazley Passage

Andrew joined us for two weeks in early June. He was feverish and not feeling well prior to flying west but his doctor said it was probably nothing. Two days after his arrival we discovered the reason behind his malaise. A red round blotch appeared on his arm and we quickly diagnosed it as Lyme Disease. He had been camping in Pennsylvania two weeks prior and the telltale sign did not show till he was aboard. We motored down to Campbell River where we knew a clinic existed and they concurred with our Lyme diagnosis and got him started on Doxycycline. Within a couple of days he bounced back and was able to enjoy the surroundings. We managed to visit a few islands and got in some great kayaking and hiking. Our plan was to end Andrew’s visit in Vancouver with a stay at Coal Harbour Marina. We knew that the BC Highland Games and Scottish Festival were happening that weekend so we took the train to Lafarge Lake Park in Coquitlam for a day of Scottish culture, music and fun. After two weeks of fun Andrew returned to DC.

We now had over a month to ourselves before we needed to be back in Sidney to pick up our next guest. We thoroughly enjoyed the weather, met new friends, did lots of hiking, and experienced bears and sea lions up close.

We started the month by relocating to False Creek on the south side of Vancouver. We anchored for three nights right in the middle of all the practicing for the Dragon Boat Festival occurring that weekend. We were told we had to weigh anchor by Thursday afternoon so we did not get to see any of the races and festivities. The practices were done in earnest and we are sure the races were tough.

Northwest we headed, away from Vancouver. With overnite anchorage stops at Gambier Island, Pender Harbor, Cortes Bay, Teakerne Arm, Bickley Bay, Forward Harbor, Boughy Bay, finally pulling in at Lagoon Cove Marina on Minstrel Island. We spent two delightful nights at the dock and met several fun couples. The crabbing was excellent and we cought our first Dungeness Crab of the year. Delicious.

We were now out of the Desolation Sound area and in the Broughtons. Several days of anchoring brought us to Sullivan Bay Marina on North Broughton Island. Here we spent the 4th of July and the marina did it up with an outdoor barbecue, music and of course a dock parade.

The festivities ended and we departed the next day. Several more beautiful days of anchoring, a long passage down the 68 mile Johnstone Strait and a timed trip thru Seymour Rapids brought us close to our next destination. One last anchorage in Gowlland Harbour across from Campbell River and it was off to Comox, BC a town in Vancouver Island.

In February, I had made reservations for several days at Comox marina so that we could attend the Comox Music Festival . The festival began Friday morning and went all day and late into the night, all three nights. This was the 23rd year of the festival and the crowds were large.

We had to be back in Sidney in a few days but we arranged to stop at Gorge Harbour Resort and have dinner with our friends and fellow Selene owners Doug and Linda. Don and Gloria motored in unexpectedly so the six of us enjoyed a great meal at Gorge Harbour’s, Floathouse Restaurant.

We hustled back to Sidney for three days of provisioning and getting Big Smile shipshape for our next guest. Joan, a lifelong friend of Cath’s, flew in from the east coast and spent four days with us. She had never anchored out or slept on a boat and really enjoyed the experience.

Back to Big Smile, Spring 2019

Posted on May 21, 2019 by ScottMacDMay 23, 2019

Our winter of 2018/19 was very eventful with lots of skiing until a fall changed all that. In addition to all of our Stratton skiing and my Stratton volunteer work we made it to several other venues around the country. Shortly after our Christmas and New Years celebrations in Vermont we headed up to Smugglers Notch to use our timeshare week. It was the best and snowiest week we have had in our 25 years going to Smuggs. The week saw 30 inches of light, fluffy snow, perfect for skiing.

In late February we flew to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and immediately rented a car and headed north to Big Sky, Montana. We could not have asked for better conditions. Brilliant sunshine with an abundance of snow that stayed with us for the week. We liked it so much we booked the same condo for next winter.

Smugglers Notch
Big Sky Montana
Big Sky Montana

From Big Sky we drove back down to Jackson Hole picking up Tara and Andrew at the JH airport. Jackson Hole has the reputation of being a tough skiing hill and it proved to be just that. After two days of flat light and tough skiing we decided a change was needed and drove to Grand Targhee Resort for the day. We loved it. Perfect weather and snow combined with very few people on the slopes made for an awesome day.

Grand Targhee
Grand Targhee
Grand Targhee
Grand Targhee

The weather and visibility at Jackson Hole improved greatly and we enjoyed our last three days. Except that on the last run on the last day Cath fell coming off the very top of the mountain. Tara, Andrew and I were hundreds of yards down slope but fortunately a young man from Maine stopped and helped her get back into her skis. The damage was done and although she was able to ski to the bottom very slowly on the traverse trails she had torn her left ACL and skiing for 2019 was over.

Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole minutes before the fall
Going home

It wasn’t all skiing this winter. Cath joined a group of women to play Canasta Wednesday afternoons and I played backgammon with a group of men on Wednesday evenings. We also went to the Robert Burns dinner at the Dorset Inn. We dressed for the occasion.

Robert Burns Dinner
Robert Burns Dinner
Canasta group

Winter was over and it was time to drive cross country. We chose April 1 as our departure date. This years car trip would be a northerly route and have us cross into Canada from North Dakota. Along the way we stopped at Niagara Falls and South Bend, Indiana to walk the Notre Dame campus. We visited Milwaukee and stayed at the old Pabst Brewery, recently converted to a small hotel. A night in Minneapolis and Bismarck, ND were fun. Bismarck had a film festival going on and we got tickets for the event. Our first film festival and we really enjoyed it. We crossed the border into Canada and got on the Trans-Canada Highway. This highway is the longest in the world and stretches for 7,821km or 4,860 miles. First stop along the way, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Then Calgary, where we spent two nights. We took a 3 hour private tour and really got to see the city.

Our next stop, Banff, Alberta, was one we were really looking forward too. We missed this stop last year due to a snowstorm but no problem on this trip. Our destination was the Fairmont Banff Springs. This classic grand hotel was originally built in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway. It has undergone substantial changes including a rebuilding due to a 1926 fire. It was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988. We had also made reservations for dinner at Sky Bistro, which you get to by taking a gondola to the 7,510 foot summit. The food was very good and the view amazing.

Niagara Falls
Touchdown Jesus, Notre Dame
Brewhouse Inn
Trans-Canada Highway
Calgary, Alberta
Cool Runnings
Calgary Olympic Venue
Sky Bistro
Fairmont Banff Springs

There were only two more stops to be made, one in the Okanagan wine region to pick up two cases of wine and the other in the Seattle area to pick up kayaking gear and two new folding bikes.

On to the ferry we go. Again we loaded onto the ferry in Anacortes for the couple hour ride to Sidney, BC. Again an easy and uneventful ride with a quick stop in Friday Harbor. We arrived at Big Smile on April 13, just shy of two weeks after leaving Vermont.

We were happy to see our boat and happier to see how clean she looked. On April 24 we were scheduled to cruise over to Roche Harbor for the Selene Rendezvous. Cath and I had volunteered to do the initial setup but as it was our first rendezvous we had no idea what to expect. We arrived on Wednesday, a day before the official start. Half a dozen Selenes were already there and over the next few hours 25 or so more Selenes would arrive. All told there were 38 Selenes at the rendezvous ranging in size from 43′ to 66′. Of the 38 boats, seven were first-timers to the rendezvous.

Cath and I did our little part on Wednesday with help from other couples. The event was fantastic. Days were filled with seminars and nearly one full day was spent on boat safety for couples. A live man-overboard drill was very interesting. We have the equipment on board Big Smile but in seven years of ownership we had never taken out the Lifesling. The nights were filled with food and cheer including a pirate themed dinner. For Cath and I it was a wonderful and educational experience.

Pirate dinner
Lifesling rescue
Some of the 38 Selenes

Back to Sidney we went and using the Canadian customs phone system we reported our arrival and docked in our slip. On May 9, Cath’s brother Barry and wife Rebecca would be joining us for twelve days and we had some vital repairs to address. The most pressing repair was the watermaker. A manifold had cracked and needed replacement. Of course they shipped the wrong manifold and then when the second one arrived one fitting had different threads. Plus we found out that our genset batteries where dead and needed replacement. Dave, at Great White Marine, took care of it all for us and all was fixed before our guests arrived.

Barry and Rebecca arrived at our new favorite airport, Victoria International. Fifteen minutes later we were back on board. The weather had been great for many days and we hoped (but doubted) it would continue. Luck was on our side and only one day of rain, a motoring day, occurred.

Our agenda was loose and after two nights in Sidney showing them our adopted town we pushed off. First stop, Tod Inlet, adjacent to Butchart Gardens. As usual it was impressive.

Butchart Gardens
Butchart Gardens

After Tod Inlet we stopped at several lovely anchorages. The highlight of the twelve days however would be Princess Louisa Inlet. Our first experience through a set of rapids was interesting and thankfully uneventful. Malibu Rapids guards the entrance to the Inlet and must be taken at or near slack water. Entering was simple but leaving two days later was a bit more exciting.

Princess Louisa Inlet is magical. In the spring, powered by the snow melt and rains, the waterfalls are a sight to behold. We lost count of the number we spotted as we cruised up the inlet to the head. At the head you will find Chatterbox Falls. We managed to grab a side tie at the one dock adjacent to Chatterbox Falls. We were greeted by Park Ranger “Ming Neal”, a Parks employee who has been living at the cabin, (May to October) for nineteen years. She was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. We hiked “Ming’s Trail” and did lots of kayaking and took a long dinghy ride to view the many falls up close.

Our last anchorage was at Jedediah Island. Privately owned till 1995, the island was purchased and is now overseen by BC Parks. The island is beautiful and even has feral sheep living on it.

At several of the anchorages we had success crabbing. We caught and cooked Redrock crabs although it was Dungeness crabs that we would have preferred.

Barry and Rebecca left this morning on an early float plane from Harbour Air’s, Sechelt float base. We are tied to a dock in Gibsons, BC and it has been raining all day. A perfect day to write and finish this blog entry and to clean up Big Smile. We had a great time together and look forward to our next guest, Andrew!

Wallace Island
Redrock crabs
Kendrick Island
Wallace Island
Cruising Jervis Inlet
Chatterbox Falls
On the “Ming” Trail
Jedediah Island
Princess Louisa Inlet
Harlequin Duck
Redrock crab
Jedediah Island
Approaching Malibu Rapids

Big Smile’s New Home

Posted on October 28, 2018 by ScottMacDNovember 20, 2018

Getting around the Pacific Northwest often means by ferry. Having landed at 2 AM on August 13th, at Sea-Tac International Airport, and catching just a few hours of sleep, we were ready to find Big Smile. I had set up an account with the Washington State ferry system and with reservation in hand we drove onto the ferry for the trip to Sidney, BC. It was a pleasant hour and three quarter ride through the San Juan Islands.

Our marina in Sidney is only several minutes from the ferry terminal. It took much longer than that to disembark. We ended up being the very last vehicle to enter the customs gate and with our Vermont license plates it was obvious we were an anomaly. No issues though and minutes later we saw our new home.

Port Sidney Marina
Port Sidney at low tide

Our arrival coincided with the haze from the fires burning throughout the northwest. There were fires on Vancouver Island, and many fires on the mainland. Tens of thousands of acres were burning and for about two weeks the air in Sidney was not pleasant. Our admiration and appreciation goes out to the many “smoke jumpers” from the States and Canada who fought the blazes for weeks and months.

It did not take long for us to assimilate. We learned quickly that Vermont plates provoke conversation in parking lots, that Sidney residents love their dogs, and most importantly, that everyone is friendly. The town of Sidney, with a population of just under 12,000, is a maritime community with lots of retirees. It also has many restaurants, three grocery stores, and everything else one would want within walking or biking distance of your boat. Victoria International Airport is actually in Sidney and only ten minutes away.

Part of the several kilometer walking trail
Slip F13
Wonderful Beach walks
The green
Thursday evening street fair
The band shell
Sidney, BC

We only had two weeks to adapt, explore and provision before Tara, Andrew and Jordan flew in from DC for a week. They were the first guests for us to pick up at Victoria Airport. How easy.

A week is way too short to cover much ground. We did manage to get them to Victoria, Vancouver, Galiano Island, and Butchart Gardens. It was a fun, busy week and the weather was perfect.

Irish Times Pub, Victoria, BC
Ditto
Montague Bay, Galiano Island
Victoria, BC
Stanley Park, Vancouver
Hummingbird Pub Bus
Vancouver
Butchart Gardens

It was already September when the kids departed and only a month left in our much shortened season in the PNW. There wasn’t enough time to do any long distance travel so we took some short excursions to try out a couple of the anchorages that had been recommended by our dock neighbors. We really enjoyed Salt Spring Island and its funky waterfront. We anchored there twice. We had been told about a small anchorage near Butchart Gardens, Todd Inlet. We liked it so much we stayed a few days. You can dinghy or kayak over to the Gardens from Todd Inlet and tie up at their dock. We had bought a year pass on our first Butchart visit so subsequent visits were free.

Double Rainbow at Salt Spring Island
Anchored at Montague Harbour North
Anchored at Todd Inlet
Kayaking along the incredible sandstone shoreline
Big Smile underway
Celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary in Victoria
Kayaking the placid waters

Not all was roses at our marina. In early September while we were out riding our bikes a major accident occurred. A transient in a large, 60 foot power boat, was trying to back into a slip on our dock. Somehow he jammed the throttle forward using a wireless remote and plowed into several boats on the opposite dock. We arrived about 20 minutes after it happened and what a mess. Fortunately nobody was seriously hurt considering it was a 50 ton vessel.

This boat took the full impact
Pilings were sheared off

The month of September passed really quickly. With a week left before our drive back to Vermont we had a lot of arrangements to make. Big Smile was spending the off season “winter wet”. The water at the marina never freezes and temps rarely go below the freezing mark. However I was nervous about leaving her in the water for such a long period of time. Vermont is 1000’s of miles away and we needed people we could trust. Our slip on F Dock proved valuable in many ways. There were other Selene’s spending the winter as well as numerous other trawler type boats in the same size range as ours. All of our neighbors, up and down the dock, were very friendly and helpful. They gave us names of service companies and many other helpful hints. While it was sad to leave we felt like we had left her in good hands.

Sunrise over the marina
At anchor
F Dock. Big Smile is the blue hull on the left

On September 30th, with our Subaru stuffed with clothes and equipment, we drove onto the Washington State Ferry for the ride back to Anacortes. This ferry also stopped in Friday Harbor on the way back.

Our drive would take us on the northern route back to VT. All of it would be new to us. North Cascades National Park in Washington State was a beautiful drive despite the damp weather. Crossing the border back into Canada brought us to the Okanagan wine region. There are over two hundred vineyards and the region is home to more than 80% of all vineyards in British Columbia. We based ourselves on the south end of the region at the Hyatt Spirit Ridge in Osoyoos, BC.

Our next stop was supposed to be Banff, Alberta. We had reservations at the Fairmont Banff Springs which we were looking forward to. A very early snowstorm hit Banff National Park with up to 11 inches of snow. The Fairmont suggested we don’t drive up so we hugged the US border and drove 200 miles along Canada Route 3. It was gorgeous. The snow was in the higher elevations but the roads were clear.

The snowstorm that skunked us in Banff also prevented us from visiting Glacier National Park. Although some roads were open most were closed due to snow. Eastward we drove thru Montana and Wyoming on our way to Rapid City, South Dakota. Along the way we stopped at Devils Tower in Wyoming to visit this unique Laccolith Butte.

Northern Cascades National Park
Concrete, Washington
Friday Harbor
Route 20 Northern Cascades Park
Hyatt Spirit Ridge
Route 3 in Canada
Montana
Wyoming
Devils Tower

Rapid City was much larger than we expected. It is the second most populous city in South Dakota and known as the “Gateway to the Black Hills”. The Crazy Horse Memorial is a must see. I had read “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” in the spring so this visit was more fascinating than I expected. It is an ongoing project with decades of work ahead.

Crazy Horse Memorial
Scale Model

Not far from the Crazy Horse Memorial is the iconic Mount Rushmore. Conceived in 1923 to promote tourism, the actual carving commenced in 1927. The project was completed in the fall of 1941, shortly before Pearl Harbor. Project records show no fatalities during the construction. Having seen many photos over the years we were very impressed to finally see it up close.

Mount Rushmore
Lincoln
Cath and old friends

While we were on the shuttle bus that takes you close to Crazy Horse the driver mentioned Needles Highway in Custer State Park. It was not a destination we had thought of but the drivers recommendation was spot on. The “Needles” portion of highway 87 is the northern 14 miles that winds itself through an amazing landscape of eroded granite pillars. The road was completed in 1922. The pillars are famous for its magical rock climbing.

The Needles
Needles Eye Tunnel

Our plans were constantly changing and the next destination was not one I had considered. Cath wanted to visit Minneapolis. It wasn’t my idea of a fun destination but I was proven wrong. It was an easy, boring drive on I-90 and 610 miles later we pulled into the Minneapolis, Radisson Blu, parking garage. Right in the heart of downtown and connected to the Minneapolis Skyway the two night stop was a lot of fun. As we often do when pulling into a destination we look for a potential music venue. Cath found the Dakota Jazz Club. It is a small funky dinner theater several blocks from our hotel. Playing that night was Elvin Bishop, a blues and rock singer we listened to back in college days. Of course he had a new band and he was looking a little old but the music sounded good. In the audience was Wee Willie Walker who came out for two numbers. Smart phones have completely changed travel for us as we are able to make reservations on the fly.

Minneapolis is a very walkable city and the Skyway makes it more doable especially in the cold and rain we had while visiting. The skyway system is an interlinked collection of enclosed pedestrian bridges covering 80 blocks and 11 miles. We enjoyed it although we found the signage to be poor and often had to go to street level to figure out where we were. I suppose locals handle it better. There is an impressive sculpture garden across the highway. Fortunately a pedestrian bridge spans the 16 lanes. We had a fun time but I think the weather would get to me.

No caption needed
Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen
Sculpture by Robert Indiana
Elvin Bishop

With the weather still raw and nasty we decided to head up the west side of Lake Michigan and spend a night near Mackinaw City. Another 500 miles brought us to the town of St Ignace just north of the Mackinac Bridge. From our hotel we were able to view Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

The next day we crossed the border back into Canada and headed to what we hoped would be a Maine type setting on the east side of Georgian Bay. Parry Sound, Ontario is a small shorefront community and is the birthplace of hockey legend Bobby Orr. We don’t see a need to return anytime soon.

Another last minute decision had us heading to Ottawa. This is a city we will return to. Our hotel, the Lord Elgin, is a large, limestone structure that opened in 1941. It has kept its grandeur and is centrally located. Unfortunately we only booked one night but we visited a few sites including the National Gallery of Canada and the Rideau Canal. Both were fascinating. The gallery had a special exhibit, “Anthropocene” which was chilling.

National War Memorial
Rideau Canal
National Gallery of Canada
Parliament Hill Ottawa Capital

We had one last stop to make before the final push to Vermont. Clayton, NY on the St Lawrence River is located in what is known as the Thousand Islands Region. It is a small, somewhat historic town of about 5,000 people. It is home to the Antique Boat Museum, a place I have wanted to visit for decades. If you like boats and history this museum is the place to go. Of course we managed to arrive the week after they took the in-water boats out of the water. The museum buildings and exhibits were all open however and the collection is superb. I grew up knowing many of the brands and my dad rented Lymans, Glastrons, Grady Whites and more during my youth. Outboards were also a love of mine. We spent the morning visiting all the buildings. This is another place we will return to.

The need for speed
Good looking too
The restoration shed
A classic, and still made
Nothing better than a room full of classic runabouts
The year I was born
Sticker Shock

Back home in Vermont, 3,957 miles later. It was a fun excursion. Early winter weather sidetracked us in the beginning but our adjustments worked. Big Smile is resting easy, we hope, in her new home in Sidney. We have put our trust in several people in British Columbia to keep an eye on her. This will be the last post for 2018. Time for some winter sports.

Cheers.

Sweden, Norway & Iceland

Posted on September 11, 2018 by ScottMacDOctober 24, 2018

Four days in Vermont allowed us to pack for a different type of trip with temperatures ranging from the mid 80s F in southern Sweden to the low 30s F in the Arctic. We were heading to Sweden for a week to visit with three au pairs who lived with us over two decades ago. We had not seen our first au pair, Ingela, in over 25 years or met her husband and children. Both Nina and Vivi had visited us in the U.S., but it was before either of them were married and had a family. We were really looking forward to visiting each of them in Sweden, meeting their families and seeing where they grew up and lived now. After a week in Sweden, we were embarking on an 12-day Arctic cruise followed by four days on our own in Iceland. Our Boston to Stockholm trip started on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner flown by Norwegian Air — a beautiful, comfortable plane.

Immediately upon landing, we rented a car and drove to Orebro, Sweden. This is the town where Ingela, who was our very first au pair, grew up and it’s about an hour away from where she now lives. I think all of us were a bit nervous anticipating our long-awaited reunion, but when Ingela walked in the hotel lobby with her daughter Elise, it was a very special moment.

Ingela, Cath and Elise
Elise manning the gun at the Nobel Museum
Ingela and husband Mats
Ingela and family
Ingela, Andrew and Tara, circa 1992

We spent the day sightseeing in Orebro with Ingela and Elise and enjoyed an amazing grilled moose dinner that night at her home in the countryside of Molkom.

From Ingela’s we drove to Onsala to visit with Nina. Nina, husband Jerker and their two boys Rasmus and William live in a beautiful seaside area on the west coast. Nina served us a fabulous lunch and we had a wonderful time walking the nearby waterfront. That night we left her kids with her sister and went out for a dinner at a waterfront restaurant in the picturesque seaside enclave of Saro.

Rasmus
William
Jerker, Cath, Nina, William and Rasmus
An after-dnner selfie
Nina, Andrew and Tara, circa 1995

Our last stop was not far up the road from Nina’s. Molndal is the home of Vivi, who was our very last au pair, and her husband Niclas and their two children, Felicia and Theodor. They brought us to the city of Gothenburg where we boarded a canal boat for a wonderful tour of this delightful, historic city. After a fun day of sightseeing, we returned to Vivi and Niclas’ home where we enjoyed an amazing gourmet meal expertly prepared by Chef Niclas.

Vivi and the “cook” Niclas
Cath and Vivi
Theodor and Felicia
Viva and Theodor
Vivi, Tara and Andrew, circa 1994

After three whirlwind days of visiting, back to Stockholm we drove. We ditched the car and took a cab to our hotel, Hotel Rival, in the Sodermalm neighborhood of Stockholm. Situated on a small historic park, the hotel was in easy walking distance to Gamla stan, the Old Town area of Stockholm. Unfortunately, we only had two nights to spend in the city and that is not enough. We will be back.

Gamla stan
From our hotel overlooking Mariatorget Park
Stockholm Cathedral, built 1279

From Stockholm we flew to Tromso, Norway, where we would meet “Silver Cloud,” our expedition cruise ship. For the first time in months we encountered cool, wet, dreary weather. Tromso is 217 miles north of the Arctic Circle and the largest city in northern Norway. Tromso would also be our start of Midnight Sun. Seal hunting was a huge Norwegian industry. The boat that is shown below with Cath at the helm below is now part of a museum. It operated for 33 seasons and brought home 97,000 seals. After a couple of days in Tromso, we were ready for our cruise. On July 27 we boarded Silver Cloud Expedition.

Arctic Cathedral, Tromso, Norway
At the helm of the M/S Polstjerna

The Silver Cloud Expedition is a smallish cruise ship owned by Silversea cruise lines. It was completely refurbished in 2017 including the addition of hull reinforcing to allow it to go to Arctic waters. It held 240 passengers. We boarded without issue and were shown to our deck 7 veranda suite. Very nice. Within a few hours we were underway. Our first destination was Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Since photos are the best way to describe this Arctic adventure, I have included a small gallery below and this link to my photography site. Cath and I took most of the photos but we have included several taken by the ship’s onboard photographer. In a nutshell, we loved our trip, although we were disappointed in the lack of wildlife we got to see. The scenery was spectacular and the bird colonies were amazing. However, we saw only one polar bear. We barely saw a blue whale, the largest animal known to have ever existed, and we saw walruses only once. So, on one hand, the expedition portion of this trip was a letdown. On the other hand, the ship’s staff, the accommodations and the food, was amazing. We also met many wonderful people, many of whom said “You must go to Antarctica.” They too were somewhat disappointed with Svalbard. So, I guess we need to go to Antarctica!

Kayaking in Svalbard
An ice sheet “calving”
Walruses
After eating rotten shark Cath examines the head
One of our bear guards and a guide
Puffins on Grimsey Island
Polar Bear
Blue Whale
14th of July Glacier
Standing on the edge of the Arctic Circle
On the Zodiak cruising the ice field

Our adventure on the Silver Cloud ended in Reykjavik, Iceland. The cruise had explored the Westfjords region of Northwest Iceland which was very scenic and interesting. On our last night we cruised from Isafjordur to Reykjavik. We had pre-planned to stay an additional four days based in Reykjavik so we rented a car and explored the southern half of Iceland.

We know many people who have visited this rugged country. Most have enjoyed their visits, but a few others have not. All complained about the cost of visiting. We have the same complaint. Taxes in Iceland are absurdly high, making eating and drinking out extremely expensive. But we knew this ahead of our visit and enjoyed ourselves nevertheless. In the “small world” department, we literally “floated” into a good friend from Vermont at the Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s most popular tourist sites. Lynn and I have worked together at Stratton Mountain for the past 7+ years and unbeknownst to each other, we’d be sipping drinks in the warm waters of the Blue Lagoon on the same day.

A must-do drive in Iceland is called the Golden Circle Route. It covers about 300 kilometers (190 miles) and brings you to Thingvellir, Geysir Hot Springs, and Gullfoss Waterfall. The drive takes you through rugged hills and farms. It is a beautiful, all-day drive with many scenic stops and LOTS of other tourists in the summertime.

Another interesting drive is to the southeastern corner of Iceland to a town named Vik. Along the way, we stopped at Myrdalsjokull Glacier, several beautiful waterfalls and a magnificent beach that is aptly named the Black Sand Beach. The sand is heavily eroded volcanic (igneous) rock. The basalt column cliffs adjacent to the beach are stunning.

Golden Circle Route
Gullfoss Falls
Geysir Hot Springs
Basalt cave at Black Sand Beach
Standing on Myrdalsjokull Glacier
Black Sand Beach
With Lynn at Blue Lagoon

Our long trip eventually had to end, so we dropped off our car at the Reykjavik airport and hopped on a WOW Airlines flight to Boston. Fortunately, our flight on ultra-budget WOW (where even a bottle of water is an upcharge) was only to Boston where we connected with JetBlue for the cross country flight to Seattle. We landed at about 2 AM, found the shuttle to the nearby Airport Hilton and crashed for a few hours. In the morning, we were happy to locate our car in the hotel’s longterm parking lot, right where we had parked it nearly a month earlier. From there we drove north to Anacortes, Washington, where we boarded a car ferry to Sidney, British Columbia — Big Smile’s new home. We had not seen our boat since June 20th when it was loaded onto the freighter, Chipolbrok Moon, and we hoped it had been delivered safely.

Across the country we drove

Posted on August 23, 2018 by ScottMacDOctober 24, 2018

Well the best plans can go wrong and such was the case with our freighter experience. Our early to mid May departure from Port Everglades turned into a June 20th departure. The load on process took a couple of days. While we were not the last boat loaded on the Chipolbrok Moon we were the last boat of day one. That meant we did not get to see the actual lift as the tender driver was done after a 13 hour day and wanted to get home. The last photo is below. We had to hope that she would make it on safely. Daylight was waning when the tender pulled away and the freighters crew were tired.

Chipolbrok Moon arrives in Port Everglades

We left Fort Lauderdale the next day and began our drive to Seattle. We made numerous stops along the way. The trip took twenty five days and is shown in the photos below. Our drive took us across Florida and the panhandle and continued on to New Orleans. There we visited with Cath’s niece and her two young children. We stopped in Austin and stayed at the new Fairmont Hotel. A beautiful place as you would expect from a Fairmont. We really enjoyed the LBJ Presidential Library. Heading west across Texas included suffering thru the heat and ugliness of the Permian Basin in Texas. New Mexico and Arizona were filled with sightseeing and hiking.

Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin AFB
Cath, Eileen and Clare
LBJ Library, Austin TX
114 Degrees driving across the Permian Basin in Texas
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
Hiking in Sedona, Arizona
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Navajo Code Talkers Monument Window Rock, Arizona
Painted Desert, Arizona

We had the fortune of staying at the El Tovar Hotel on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Our friend Bob recommended it at the last minute and we managed to score the last room they had. It is a classic hotel built in 1905 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. We loved it.

While hiking the Bright Angel Trail we even witnessed a Grand Canyon ranger rappelling down to a badly injured hiker. A half hour later as we were ascending a medi-vac helicopter came in for the rescue.

Hiking the Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon
Colorado River in background
Condor in flight
El Tovar Hotel
The trail
Rescue of injured hiker
Grand Canyon

Our last stop in Arizona would be on July 4th. We chose Lake Havasu and what a wild choice it was. The day was hot, well over 100, and sunny and the lake was busy. Lake Havasu City was nuts. You can’t describe the “Americana” scene that unfolded in front of us. The pictures provide a small sampling.

Our low budget motel
4th of July
The scene
Only in America

We crossed the bottom of the Mojave Desert and made our way to California’s Highway 1. Our overnight stops along the coast included Santa Barbara, Cambria, Monterey, Napa, and Mendocino. The weather was perfect for the entire Highway 1 drive. We visited Hearst Castle of course. We detoured off of Highway 1 for a quick trip to Napa to catch up with our friends Marc and Judy.

Continuing up the coast thru Redwood National Park we left California at the top of Pacific Coast Ranges and spent a night in Grants Pass, Oregon. We detoured to Bend, Oregon to show Cath where I had skied last winter with my friend Pete. On July 14th we parked our car at a SeaTac airport hotel and took the shuttle to catch a flight east to Rutland, Vermont. We had four days to regroup and pack before we took off for three weeks in Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

Santa Barbara, East Beach
Santa Barbara, California
Cambria, California
Swimming pool at Hearst Castle
Morro Bay, California
Cath with “Lone Cypress” behind
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Kayaking on the Little River, Mendocino County
In Napa for a night with Marc and Judy
At Cobbler’s Walk, our Mendocino Inn
One of the many beautiful vineyards in Napa
Mendocino Headlands State Park
Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort, Oregon

Waiting for the Freighter

Posted on May 26, 2018 by ScottMacDMay 26, 2018

On April 3rd we pushed away from the Atlantic Yacht Basin dock and started our trip to Fort Lauderdale. We have done this run before but it’s always a thrill. Our goal was to do as much offshore cruising as possible. We have found that Morehead City, NC, has a perfect inlet to access the Atlantic Ocean. The first days run from AYB was a long 12 hour motor to the bottom of the Alligator River.

Last morning at AYB

An early start from the Alligator River got us to Morehead City around 11AM and from there out through Beaufort Inlet and into the Atlantic. Prior to that, while passing by Oriental, NC, we were hailed on the VHF by a north bound Fleming yacht. He asked for my cell number as he had just taken a couple of shots of us going by and wanted to text them. Below is one of photos he sent.

Big Smile cruising down the ICW

Out into the Atlantic we went and luck was on our side. The wind and waves were off our stern quarter so we had a very pleasant offshore, overnight run to Charleston, SC. We approached the very busy Charleston Harbor entrance around noon and with no plans to to stop in Charleston, we continued on down the ICW for three more hours before dropping the hook in a very pleasant anchorage named Church Creek.

Twelve miles off the Carolina coast

As we motored down the ICW this trip, we decided to stop in a small city in South Carolina that we had passed by in previous years but never visited. Beaufort, SC (as opposed to Beaufort, NC) has a decent marina right in the center of town. Beaufort was chartered in 1711, making it the second oldest city in South Carolina behind Charleston. It is an easy city to walk and we loved the antebellum architecture. It is also well known for its military establishments being close to Parris Island and home to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

Cath liked this house

Parris Island “We Make Marines”

After one full day in Beaufort, we were off to Hilton Head. We had a one night reservation at the iconic Harbour Town Yacht Basin at Sea Pines Resort. The distinctive red and white striped lighthouse has beckoned boaters for over forty years. Unbeknownst to us, there was a golf tournament that week and the entire Sea Pines Resort was decked out for it. We arrived at the beginning of the week so final preparations were taking place. While we saw no golfers, we experienced some of the hype. It’s obvious that lots of corporate money goes into a golf outing and this was no exception. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) was the lead sponsor. It was fun to walk sections of the course and see the manicuring.

RBC Heritage

Perfectly cut and painted greens

And of course the beautiful beach

Leaving Hilton Head late the next morning, we knew we would be arriving at our next anchorage destination late in the evening. What we could not have anticipated was the torrential rain and lightning that descended upon us as we approached St. Mary’s Inlet. There seemed to be more approach lights than needed causing some angst on my part. We made it in and up the ICW a short ways to an anchorage behind Cumberland Island. Visibility was very limited with the driving rain. With the aid of our radar, sounder and chart plotter, we managed to find a spot to drop the hook. It caught immediately. It was 12:30 AM and we were wired.

Due to the nasty weather in the Atlantic, which was forecasted to continue for up to a week, we knew we would have to deal with the Intracoastal from St. Mary’s down to at least Fort Pierce and probably to Palm Beach. We motored down the ICW for five days anchoring in Pine Island, Daytona Beach and Bonaventure. It actually turned out to be an enjoyable ride with the exception of the first six miles. We hit bottom twice near Fernandina Beach, one hour into this part of the trip, and it looked like it was going to be a long five days. However, after that initial keel scrape, we never touched bottom again. At Pine Island (Statute Mile 765) we shared our anchorage with five other boaters. In Daytona it was just us and one other motor yacht.

Cath taking her turn on the ICW

Kayakers drafting behind us

Waiting for the “Bridge of Lions” in St Augustine

Along the way we saw the aftermath of the 2017 hurricane season. Many, many boats were sitting high and dry or on the bottom, as the photos below show.

High and dry

On the bottom

Fort Pierce was a venue we were looking forward to and planned a two day stop at Fort Pierce City Marina. As we have written about in the past, we really enjoy Fort Pierce and have many connections to the city. Our timing brought us to the marina on Friday afternoon with a Sunday departure. The Fort Pierce farmers market is one of the best we have ever been to. On Saturday morning we strolled the market and visited vendors we knew from years earlier.

Olive Oil; can’t resist

My second favorite bakery behind Portland, Maine’s “Standard Baking Co“

Big Smile at the Fort Pierce City Marina

Fort Pierce inlet is one of the best inlets on the east coast of Florida. However, with the seas nasty and wind blowing stink out of the south, we again chose to venture down the ICW from Fort Pierce to Lake Worth in Palm Beach. It was Sunday afternoon when we arrived at the Port of Palm Beach. Just north and west of the inlet is a large, low island named Peanut Island. Well, on Sunday afternoon, despite the 25-30 knot south winds, the lee of the island was like a Walmart parking lot. Every law enforcement boat imaginable cruised the crowd. Homeland Security, Coast Guard, Harbor Patrol, Palm Beach Police; you name it. And they were active. Endless blue flashing lights lit the area. We crept thru and anchored about a mile south of the island.

Peanut Island

Another view

Anchored at Lake Worth with cruise ship departing

The weather finally eased on Monday morning so we headed out of Lake Worth Inlet to the Atlantic. Our seven hour offshore ride to Fort Lauderdale was smooth and clear. As we pulled into the slip at Harbour Towne Marina in Dania Beach, we become stuck in the mud. Apparently at extreme low tides the depth drops to 5-1/2 feet and we draw 5′ 9″. We moved to another slip and managed to power in.

The reason why we were in kind of a hurry to get to Fort Lauderdale was three-fold. First: two days after arrival at Harbour Towne Cath flew out to Austin, TX, for her now annual girls get-together. I flew up to Virginia to get our car and drive it down to FL. Second: the next week we met up in Sonoma, CA, for several days to celebrate the wedding of our niece, Maia to her fiancee Mark. Cath’s brother Barry (father of the bride) had rented a really cool house situated between two vineyards and down a 1/4 mile driveway. Eleven of us piled in and thoroughly enjoyed and took advantage of the facilities. Lots of wine was consumed. Martin Ray Vineyards was conveniently right across the street. Just one of scores we passed (or drank) over the five day weekend. Cath and I took some photos and they can be seen here. Of course there were wedding photographers and we are waiting for them to post their 1000s of shots.

It was a special wedding in an incredible setting. The weather was perfect on wedding day. And the wine and food, all from Arista Vineyard, the wedding venue, was of course delicious. Thanks to all, especially Maia and Mark. A few shots of the event are below.

Mark and Maia

Barry and Rebecca at the house

Walking the beach at Bodega Bay

Maia and Tara

And Third: we were waiting for our freighter to take Big Smile to Victoria, British Columbia. When I signed the contract with the shipping company, we were told that the load-on would occur around the second week in May, so our momentum and travel schedule for the spring was based on this assumption. When we returned from CA, we received an email from the shipping company telling us the name of the freighter and that the load-on was pushed back a bit and was now scheduled for between May 20 – 30. With that, we decided to cool our heels in Dania Beach and take advantage of the downtime to visit some friends in FL, including Jim and Beth and their newly purchased Nordhavn 55 which was docked in Palm Beach.

Nordhavn 55 “Boreas”

We also visited friends Marc and Judy, whom we met on our African safari last September. They are a great couple with a beautiful gulf coast house on Siesta Key. And lucky for them, they also have a cabana on the gulf where sunset dinners can be enjoyed.

Dinner with Marc and Judy

Well, it is now Memorial Day Weekend and we are back at Harbour Towne Marina. We just returned from a week in the Bahamas, which we scheduled on the fly when we learned that our shipping schedule had changed once again. We actually would have stayed longer but a named tropical storm (Subtropical Storm Alberto) was brewing and the weather was expected to take a turn for the worse.

Bimini was our first stop after crossing over and we stayed one night. Customs and immigration were right down the street so clearing in was simple. We spent one night anchored off Gun Cay and then continued on to Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands. Great Harbour Cay Marina is a wonderful little marina with an incredibly protected entrance and basin. We were last there four years ago. This time, we had a lot of company at the marina because many other boaters were docked there waiting for a window to cross over westbound or continue on their Bahamas adventure. The marina holds a “grill and chill” dinner once a week and the turnout was big. We had the pleasure of meeting many couples from all over the US. It is always fun to hear the experiences and adventures of like-minded folks and we hope to run into them again some day.

Bimini

Wreck of the Sapona; south of Bimini

Cocktail time at Great Harbour Cay Marina, Berry Islands

Walking on 7 mile beach

Brunch at Carriearl Boutique Hotel

We are flying back to VT tomorrow, for a week, as we have additional free time due to the continuing delay of our freighter. After a month of heat and humidity, we’re looking forward to some cooler weather. Time to close out this addition of the blog. Next post we will be in British Columbia (I hope).

Winter is over…for us

Posted on March 31, 2018 by ScottMacDApril 2, 2018

What a winter it has been. When we hopped off Big Smile in October we knew that snow was in our future at least for the next few months. What we did not know was that we were in for the wildest winter we have experienced since owning in VT. Temps varied incredibly. Snow came and went. Winds walloped the mountains. Temps in the 60s and 24 hours of rain caused wide spread flooding. Then March arrived. And it snowed and snowed and snowed. Three nor’easter’s and several small snowstorms dropped over five feet of snow. My mountain, Stratton, was wondering in February how long they could remain open. That question became mute.

Before the wild winter began, we spent Thanksgiving at my cousin’s house in Redding, CT. Always a great time with plenty of food and booze. And in the new business department, cousin Nance and husband Rob opened a brewery in Ridgefield, CT. Nod Hill Brewery got off to a fast start in October and is brewing some awesome beer.

The cousins chat it up before dinner

Nod Hill Brewery

In the fall we purchased the MaxPass. This ski pass gave us access to numerous resorts around the country and Canada. We had planned a ski trip to Big Sky, Montana, in mid-December. Unfortunately, I took a big spill while skiing four days before our departure, knocking myself out and suffering a separated shoulder and other bruises. A mild concussion kept me dizzy for several weeks. Yes, it was the concussion. So I missed some work days at Stratton and did no skiing in December.

Christmas arrived and we headed down to PA for a couple of days of fun at Cath’s brother Kevin’s house.

The cousins, plus three others

The older adults

Blue wig — a gift from Tara

This was to be the season of crazy weather. Despite the ups and downs we did get snow and cold and did have numerous guests up to enjoy the season. We also went to the Manchester Christmas parade for the first time. Deb came up from NJ for a few days of skiing in both January and February. Conditions were good. I managed to take a couple of runs with them while working.

Deb and Cath

My buddy’s band played at Grizzly’s at a private party for Stratton employees and volunteers.

Washington County Line

Cath and Allie

Andrew came up to sled for a weekend. Turned out to be perfect conditions. And our friend Mike drove up from CT for one day of skiing.

Andrew on Tabor Rd

Cath and Mike

Even the Patriot cheerleaders came to Stratton.

Carol and Dennis from NC and Joan from PA came for a long weekend.

Joan, Cath, and Carol out for lunch at the JJ Hapgood General Store, Peru VT

Dennis skiing with me at Stratton

Nance and Rob came up for a quick trip. We went to a show in Rutland with our good friends John and Marion. And of course we took them to the Vermont Country Store.

Vermont Country Store

In February the weather got funky. Warm and warmer it became. I worked one day when it hit 62 on the mountain. Not good for the snow.

With the weather not cooperating and MaxPass in hand, we decided to drive to Mont Tremblant, Quebec, for five days. We picked a good week and loved it. The village is nice with very good restaurants and shops. Our suite was 100 yards from the chairlift and the snow and grooming were good.

Mont Tremblant

The base village with Olympics on big screen

With the wild February weather affecting ski conditions in the east we opted, at the last minute, to fly to Colorado and spend several days skiing at Winter Park in Colorado. It was a great decision. The mountain and conditions were superb.

and Cath

Then March arrived. Three nor’easter’s and some smaller snowstorms deposited approximately five feet of snow. Stratton Mountain was thrilled and the conditions were amazing. However, who expects five feet in a month? Cath had made plans to take Tara to Costa Rica the third week of March and I made plans to ski Mt. Bachelor with my buddy Pete.

Mt. Bachelor, located 20 minutes from Bend, Oregon, was as good as Winter Park. The first two days had bluebird skies and the next two days it snowed lightly.

Pete and I at the 9000′ summit

Looking at the “Outback Express Chair”

Halfway between Bend, Oregon (where we stayed) and Mt. Bachelor, the snow quickly disappeared. At a scenic overlook we discovered we had entered an old volcanic battleground. For half a million years the Cascade Volcanoes and Newberry Volcano spewed lava, thus changing the flow and direction of the Deschutes River many times. The picture below shows the Newberry Volcano and the black ancient lava flow behind me.

Newberry Volcano in the background

A great four days of skiing ended and I boarded my flight back to Boston. I had decided to detour thru Portland, Maine, to stop at my favorite seafood store (Harbor Fish Market) and bakery (Standard Baking) to pick up supplies for our trip to Fort Lauderdale on Big Smile.

Harbor Fish Market

While I was skiing in Oregon, Cath and Tara were on a nine day Gate 1 tour to Costa Rica. Although they had a lot of fun, their number one complaint was that too many hours were spent riding on the tour bus. The scenery and beaches were beautiful, they said, and the activities were fun. It is a destination I hope to get to someday.

Ready for the zipline

One of the 15 suspension bridges during the hike

After the suspension bridges and zipline

A flight of beer from La Planta, a small Costa Rican brewery

Cath took her first Amtrak ride when she left Tara’s Baltimore apartment and hopped on the Amtrak “Vermonter.” Nine hours later I picked her up in Bellows Falls.

Cath’s first Amtrak ride

It’s March 31st and we leave tomorrow for the long, ten-hour drive to Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, VA. We expect to push away from the dock on Tuesday morning but won’t know for sure till we check all systems on Monday. It will be good to be back on board.

The March snow was beautiful