Author: Jeff

We’re in Amsterdam, heading home tomorrow.  Had another travel challenge when we found out last night that our tickets for the flight out of Bergen today had been cancelled due to our no show on the original flight.  And no seats were available that would get us here in time.

We recovered fairly gracefully.  Got off the boat at midnight in Alesund, stayed in a hotel there, and flew here today via Oslo and Stockholm.  Not unpleasant. 

The trip south was stormy much of the time.  Our outer deck was closed at times, but the top deck was open. 

Great trip.  I’m glad we were able to do it.

We’re nearing Tromso, heading back south.  It’s been an interesting few days. 

This ferry route has been serving the communities along the coast since 1893, and provided a vital connection between Finnmark and the south. 

I was struck by how far east we were in Kirkenes, at 30 degrees east longitude.  That line of longitude goes through Ukraine and Turkey.

We’re stopped in Kjollefjord, above 72 degrees latitude near the northern cape.  This is as far north as we get.  Tomorrow morning we arrive in Kirkenes, then turn around.

I’m enjoying all of this. 

We crossed the Arctic Circle this morning.  Smooth sailing, with lots of scenery and small port stops.  As usual, I’ve enjoyed visiting local  marinas.  Small boat cruising opportunities here seem almost endless.

It’s my first time on a cruise ship.  24 hours in, I like it.  A lot.  And Norway too.  We’re aboard the Midnatsol, the oldest ship on the route.  I was hoping to get on a new hybrid ship, but honestly I don’t think the experience would be any different.  There are about 450 passengers aboard, something like 50% capacity.  We’re in an accessibility cabin which is oversized and immediately adjacent to the lifeboats. All good 😊

Today we were off the boat in Ålesund.  Very picturesque.  No rain.  Expected high tomorrow is 10C, which our guide says is summer weather.  We stop in Trondheim for a few hours.

I’m in Calgary, flying home to SW Ontario in the morning. 

I don’t usually post about non-boating activities, but wanted to wrap up the boating season.  At this point my plan for next season is to arrive in NS in early April and get back at it.

All went as planned over the past week or so.  I left the boat Friday, arrived in Toronto Sunday, flew to Vancouver Monday, and spent four days driving the Rockies, with overnight stops in Kamloops, Banff, Hinton, and Canmore. 

This has been on my bucket list for a while.  Lots to see in BC, but mountains have always fascinated me.  I’ve visited alpine areas in other places, but not Canada. Now I’ve traveled the highest road in the country, at 2083m.

It was especially nice to spend a couple of days sharing the experience with son Miles and getting caught up with his life.  It’s good to get off the boat.

I felt good leaving Escapade.  Cold weather has descended on NS.  I got out just in time.  All systems are ready for storage.  No shrink wrapping yet, but I’m sure they’ll get to it.  I forgot to take pics. 

A bunch of things are falling into place.  Darrin assures me that there is a qualified welder nearby that can get Tin Lizzie operational.  My plan is now to bring that boat here to Gold River over the winter, and use both boats in Nova Scotia next summer.  That sounds like a ton of fun.  Race boat and RSV.  I need to start making new friends here.  Anyone who wants to do some racing reach out.  And I hope to see lots of visitors on Escapade.

Today I picked up the polypropylene glycol required in my furnace system, and new hose to replace the chafed hose that I discovered a few days ago.  So my plan is to shut down the heat, drain most of the system, replace the damaged hose, fill it up with antifreeze, and turn it back on.  I’m familiar with the whole process having done it 5 years ago.

This is a clear case of my less-than-perfect installation failing prematurely after five years of heavy use.  All fixed with a bit of effort and $400 in materials, but also a major inconvenience and source of concern over the last month.  Lesson learned.  It could have easily been prevented, and detected earlier.

The clock is ticking now.  Tomorrow I finish the winterizing, load up the car, and head for Toronto. The weather’s not looking great, but I’m not too worried about missing my early morning Monday flight out of Pearson at this point.  Smooth sailing.

I really didn’t fully commit to hauling until the very last minute.  Even then, I knew high tide was at ten on Monday, and I planned to dinghy in to their docks around 930 and check in.  I was anchored just a few minutes away.  I knew from previous contacts that leaving a voicemail wasn’t likely to get attention before then.

Darrin the yard manager called me around 800 and woke me from a deep sleep. I’m a night owl.  ‘Get in here!  We want to haul you now!’

So not quite awake, and far from adequately caffeinated, I started the engine, went forward to get the anchor up, came back and got underway, and stopped.  I had run the fuel tank dry.

I’ve been through the routine several times.  Drop anchor, switch tanks, do the bleed thing and get back underway. 

When I got to the marina the crew came out in the cold rain to meet me and take the boat into the lift.  I wasn’t saying no at that point.

As a result of the rush I didn’t get to do a few things like hoisting my dinghy on deck, but I did empty my holding tank in advance.  That’s the biggie.

The other biggie was power.  I arrived with partially charged batteries, and wanted to run my heat for a few days then disappear with a full charge. 

I discovered on haul out that my prop is a little mangled.  I had a pretty good suspicion when I hit bottom on the Saint John River and noticed high fuel consumption coming back to NS.  My furnace started flaming out yesterday ashore and when I checked my second tank it was dry as well.  I really hadn’t been carefully tracking it.  I filled up with 80 litres that I had in Jerry cans.  That’ll keep heat going for a while.

Darrin and the yard crew have easily solved my concerns. They’ll remove the prop and have it serviced locally.  I was trying to make contact with the shrink wrap crew for several days and Darrin helped get us connected and on their list.  My dinghy and outboard are taken care of.

The panic list is over.  I haven’t winterized a boat since 2017, but it’ll come back to me.  Generator, engine, water system, and furnace.  I have a couple of more days to get that done and do some cleaning and organizing.  Tomorrow I’m visiting relatives for dinner.  Packing up my car and leaving by the weekend for Toronto, then on to BC on Monday.

I really like the idea that I can return over the winter if I want.  There won’t be water on the boat, but if I winterize the heating system properly I should be able to connect power to the boat and turn the heat on.  There are washrooms and a shower here that’s open year round.  I’m not sure I want to visit in the dead of winter, but it opens up the option of coming back a few weeks before early launch to do some maintenance/repairs/upgrades.  All good.

The folks here assure me I can keep an eye on things over the winter.  I’m not worried. 

Sorry no pics. I’ll take a few before leaving.

We hauled today at Gold River Marina.  Snow mixed with rain. It’s time.  They’re winding down for the season here.

I dithered for a couple of days, then decided to go ahead with pulling the boat.  I’ll spend a couple of days here winterizing and tidying up, then I’m leaving until April.  I’ll have the boat shrink wrapped.

This weekend I’m heading for Vancouver to do a road trip with Miles through the Rockies.  It’s time for some non-boating adventures.

I like this yard.  Power is available close by, and I can stay aboard while ashore.  Pricing is reasonable, and they have been supportive and flexible.  All good.