Greetings! For those who follow me and/or Jim on Instagram, the photos and stories below won't all be hot-off-the-presses news. But many friends and some family don’t use Instagram, so I'm reaching out to stay in touch as best I can. In 2023 we did our fair share of land traveling, wood-turning (Jim), painting (me), gardening, fund raising for local causes, etc. But this year we made some significant cruising transitions. That’s the focus here. New beginnings for us on an Eagle 40 Pilothouse trawler, and an update on new beginnings for the young couple who bought our Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34 - now named Ghostlight, hailing from Cape Cod. As I write this, Dani and Nick are hightailing it south with chilly weather speeding them along.
So, first things first. In September 2022 we bought the Eagle 40 Pilothouse trawler pictured above. We are keeping the trawler in Anacortes WA where she lives on the hard in the winter. We named the trawler Neverland (of course!). We plan to cruise in the Pacific NW every year from June through September for as many years as we can. We are keeping our home in Annapolis and will not be bringing the trawler to the east coast.
After buying the trawler, we had repairs and maintenance done during the winter and spring in Anacortes before we began cruising the San Juans and Gulf Islands this past June. The trawler is 40' long with a 14' 6" beam and is very comfortable for the two of us to live on for months at a time. It has a 225 hp Perkins engine, bow and stern thrusters, a diesel furnace to provide cabin heat and hot water, lots of interior light with large windows and two sliding pilothouse doors for 360 degree visibility and ventilation, windshield wipers for rainy days, a spacious shower separate from the head, 220 gallons of water, 440 gallons of diesel, a sizable galley with a refrigerator/freezer and ice maker, a flybridge from which you can drive, very sturdy dinghy davits with an electric winch, a new a Highfield dinghy and electric-start 20 hp Tohatsu outboard.
The salon and galley, looking forward
The pilothouse
Looking aft from the pilothouse through the rear salon door to the aft deck
Seating area and table in the pilothouse
Master cabin with lots of light, ventilation and storage space.
Aft deck with dinghy on davits
Although our experience sailing had prepared us well for navigating powerful currents, adverse winds, heavily trafficked waters, rocky coastlines and tight docking maneuvers, we had to figure out a lot of things on our own by trial and error to operate and maintain the trawler as we began to cruise this past summer. Shit happened. The windlass motor and anchor light failed and had to be replaced. The fridge became temperamental and needed the freezer door to be closed just right to work at all. The electric toilet needed a reset to get the right amount of water to refill the toilet bowl. The pilothouse leaked in a rainstorm and needed recaulking in some places. The oven wouldn’t stay lit (operator error). Several things only worked when magic combinations of switches and buttons were pushed in the correct order or simultaneously. Below is the electrical panel…. When opened, you can see all the snaking wires inside ☹️ Kinda intimidating.
Luckily, most of the things that went wrong were pretty easily fixable once we researched each problem to find solutions. We got delayed about 3 weeks leaving the dock in Anacortes, waiting for parts and/or getting mechanical help. We learned a LOT, and each time we mastered something, the boat felt more and more like she belonged to us and we belonged to her, if that makes sense.
Despite all the frustrations and challenges, the stunning beauty of the San Juan and Gulf Islands made every day special. We lived on the boat for 4 months and for all but about 4 days, we had dry, sunny, warm (not too hot!) weather. There were no bugs. The fish and shellfish were plentiful and excellent. The water was clean and clear. We met tons of warm, friendly people. In short, it was the best summer we’ve ever had! We are made for this life and are grateful to be able to live in this new summer home on the water.
We did lots of hiking in state and provincial marine parks, where we would pick up inexpensive (like $10/night) mooring balls for 2 or 3 nights and then dinghy ashore to explore. We visited vineyards and sampled local wines. We explored little towns, fair-sized cities, farmers markets, festivals, museums, galleries, amazing bookstores and restaurants. We took ferries just for fun, watched seaplanes land and take off right beside us in harbors….
We enjoyed stunning sunsets and sunrises…
We visited with dear friends we met along the way. We spent a few days with Wendy and Jim, sailing friends who now live in BC and with whom we’d shared cruising time in the Bahamas.
My son Jake flew in by sea plane for a few days of exploring Salt Spring Island by kayak, bus and bike.
Our British sailing friends Ann and Michael were in Friday Harbor on their Contest 44, the beautiful sailboat on which they’ve cruised (so far!) from England to Alaska.
In Friday Harbor we bumped into friends Rita and Bill, who we met years ago on the Chesapeake. They were on a San Juan Islands bareboat charter.
We love both the San Juans in the US and the Gulf Islands in Canada. One of our favorite places is Reid Harbor on Stuart Island, a real treasure of a marine park.
Always had time to chill at the end of the day with a glass of something…
This is the view from one of the 14 free mooring balls in Eagle Harbor on Cyprus Island, about an hour and a quarter by water from Anacortes.
We hiked well-maintained trails throughout the islands, like this one on Jones Island, a state park.
Reid Harbor again. Gorgeous water.
Not sure where this is!
Jim relaxing on the aft deck at the end of the day in Fossil Harbor on the island of Sucia.
Neverland on a marine park mooring ball. The mooring balls keep cruisers from anchoring in fragile eel grass that the marine parks are trying to protect for sea life.
On our 14th wedding anniversary we took a slip at Poets Cove Marina in the Gulf Islands (photo below) to treat ourselves to a special dinner in a restaurant. The drought in the Canadian Islands was so severe this past summer that boats were not permitted to take on fresh water, even as marina guests. At Poets Cove, we were only allowed 5 gallons of water per day, to be hauled by hand from one available spigot on the dock. Fortunately there weren’t many forest fires and we didn’t experience more than a couple of days of smoke, but every day the drought persisted, the risk of fire in this part of the world increased. It was worrisome. We filled our water tanks by cruising back to Sidney on Vancouver Island where access to water wasn’t a problem.
C
Despite the drought, wild blackberries were abundant along all the roadsides, ready for picking!
The Pacific Northwest has lots of beautiful red-barked trees called “madrona” in Washington state and “arbutus” in British Columbia. The bark peels freely in a couple of copper-colored papery layers. The trees are most often growing out of rocky shorelines, bending precariously towards the sun.
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This was part of a pretty coastal hike on Montague Island in Canada. Crystal clear water.
We had to pay close attention to stay out of the way of the many ferries that hustle from port to port in the islands.
Another beutiful view of an anchorage
We took some public bus rides on Salt Spring Island to explore a little. Passed by this lavender field partly in bloom.
Sunset in Sucia
Must be 5 o’clock…
Ahhh, it was wonderful to see not only dense green forests but snow-capped mountains! This is Mount Baker in the distance.
And now back to Neverland the sailboat, now named Ghostlight by her new owners Dani and Nick. We couldn’t have wished for a better suited couple to take ownership of our much loved Crealock 34. Dani and Nick are now like family to us. We feel like we got to know them pretty well as they worked hard to get the boat ready over about a 3-week stay in the slip at our condo community.They are so excited to be heading south and to the Bahamas for the season. And we’re equally excited for them - they will take excellent care of Ghostlight and she will take care of them in return. Here they are motoring out of Back Creek in Annapolis. They invited us to the naming ceremony at the dock - the name is a nod to their work in theater - a Ghostlight is a light left burning on stage when the theater is dark.
Right now they are freezing their butts off as they make their way steadily south It’s been rainy and cold, and it's always a push to make the most of each shorter and shorter day in December. But ahead of them are blue skies, azure water, warm breezes and the truly amazing world of cruising.
With love and warm wishes for a healthy, safe and peaceful 2024. Happy holidays!
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