Roscoe Bay
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Refuge Cove-Desolation Sound – Showers and Shopping

Showers and shopping at Refuge Cove-Desolation Sound – Last time we stayed at Refuge Cove, they had power and water available for those renting dock space. They have not had those services available for several years now. After two days and nights in Roscoe Bay, we needed warm showers and to get off the boat. Refuge Cove-Desolation Sound offers showers for $5.00. Boats can tie up to the docks for 4 hours, so we took advantage of the showers and the well-stocked grocery store. The store had a nice selection of produce and frozen meats. I would say it is…

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Lund
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Lund for a Fuel Stop!

Lund for a Fuel Stop – Time to refuel while we can, and we stopped in Lund. Lund is at Mile 0 (often called the northern starting or ending point) of Highway 101, which stretches over 15,000 kilometers to Chile. On the Sunshine Coast. As we were tying up to the fuel dock, we noticed a sign on the fuel pump, Sorry, power is out. No FUEL! Jim went to investigate, and I still needed a few items from a grocery store. So, after tying up to the fuel dock, I jumped off the boat and headed to the grocery…

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Nanaimo
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Nanaimo – Shopping, Hot Showers and a Night Out

On Our Way to Nanaimo, We Sheltered in Pirate's Cove for One Night – After Wallace Cove, we spent one night anchored in Pirate’s Cove. Thankfully, we had protection because it was very windy that night. It was a rocky night, but somehow we slept through most of it and woke to a calm morning on the hook. Our plan that morning was to get up early to navigate through Dodd Narrows, tidal rapids, on our way to Nanaimo. No problems getting through the narrows, and we had a beautiful day to arrive at the Nanaimo Municipal Marina, right downtown…

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Road Trip
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Boaterhoming – Michigan to Washington State

Boaterhoming – Michigan to Washington State After saying our goodbyes at home, we were off on an eight-day cross-country trek, boaterhoming our way to Anacortes, WA. It is a pretty heady feeling to close the door on our house and jump into the truck for a three-month adventure. It took us eight days to reach our destination of Anacortes, Washington. We’ve done this route before, so we knew what we were in for. Our chosen path for this trip is the northern Route 2, which took us the whole way across country, just short of Anacortes. This simplified navigation. The…

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Ceramic Coating
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Our Introduction to Ceramic Coating

Kismet Gets a Shining With A Ceramic Coating If you own a boat, you understand there is a great deal of time, effort, and ongoing expense associated with keeping a boat’s finish like new. Even when washed and waxed regularly, gel coat finishes need constant attention, with detailing needing to be done at least once a year. After a few years, oxidation will creep in. The need for compounding the finish comes into play, requiring more time, effort, and expense. A good-looking boat takes effort! With the above statement in mind, I wanted to look into the pros and cons…

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Turnbull
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Turnbull Island Marked Our First Anchorage – North Channel 2019

When we got to Turnbull Island, we were ready to relax – We left DeTour the morning after we launched the boat without a planned anchorage or any real route in mind for the next three weeks. Sometimes it is just nice to wing it. Jim decided the Turnbull Islands would be our first anchorage in the North Channel. We would revisit our favorite spots all the way to Portage Covered Cove, but we also like to scout out anchorages we’ve only heard about from other cruisers exploring Canada’s pristine cruising grounds. Good weather and calm water greeted us as…

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2017 Ranger Tugs Charlevoix Rendezvous
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Own a Ranger Tug or Cutwater Boat? Add to Your Cruising Calendar!

Come One, Come All! Own a Ranger Tug or Cutwater Boat? 2018 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats Summer Rendezvous Orillia, Ontario – Canada on the Trent Severn Waterway Tentative Dates:  August 17 – 19th – Since 2014, the Great Lakes Area Rendezvous has moved to different areas on, or near, the Great Lakes. This way, we can explore different ports. Last year's event was held on Round Lake in Charlevoix, Michigan. This years planned rendezvous will be held in the beautiful Trent Severn Waterway. A must-see boating destination for any serious cruiser. Check Out Last Year's Event..…

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Boaterhoming Cross Country
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Kismet is Heading East – Boaterhoming Cross Country

Boaterhoming Cross Country – Time to head home! – Our 2016 boating trip in the Pacific Northwest came to an end. What an adventure it was! We will be boaterhoming cross-country, back to our home state of Michigan. A slight delay on the first day of our road trip! After we dropped our grandson off at his parent's house, we started the trek home. Within minutes we were on I84 heading east along the Columbia River. If you notice in the photo (above), we are stopped on the shoulder of the highway. Unfortunately, we blew a tire on the trailer…

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Port McNeill
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Port McNeill for Provisioning – Vancouver Island, BC

Port McNeill – Back to Civilization for a Brief Moment Port McNeill, located on Vancouver Island's northeast shore on Queen Charlotte Strait, is a gateway to the remote spaces of the Broughton Archipelago. An old base camp for loggers and named after Captain William Henry McNeill (Hudson Bay Company), Port McNeill was settled back in 1936. We were in need of many things... phone service, WIFI, water, groceries, post office, and drug store. Before we could go back out into the wild, we needed to take care of some business. Port McNeill is a very walkable town, we found everything we needed…

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Clearing Customs – a Link to a Childhood Friend

We Had a Little Surprise as We Were Clearing Customs After an uneventful cruise across the Strait of Juan De Fuca to Port Townsend from Victoria, we pulled up to the Customs dock at Port of Port Townsend Boat Haven Marina. Earlier in the morning, Jim had called the Customs Office near Port Townsend, this is the protocol for checking back into the United States for clearing customs, specifically Port Townsend, after being in Canada. We don't normally call ahead of time before we arrive, however, Port Townsend does not have an office right there, so we had to call to give a…

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Goodbye Victoria – Parting Shots

It Was Hard Saying "Goodbye Victoria" –  Near the end of our stay in Victoria, we walked downtown with friends Mark and Jodi, on Ranger Tug Irish Mist, for dinner and a nighttime walk. The lights in Victoria at night are spectacular, especially the Parliament building outlined with white lights. It’s a small harbor, but there is a lot happening in that beautiful space, especially at night. Lights from small boats in the downtown marina, old pedestal-style streetlamps, and people walking everywhere. This is a people town with a romantic air to it. I have to say that staying in…

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Pink Dinghy at Coast Hotel and Marina

Why Would You Want a Pink Dinghy? – We love the marina life in Victoria, BC. Not long after we arrived at Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel & Marina, we noticed that we rarely saw the other boaters wintering at this marina in their small boats, but when we got a really nice, warm, sunny day, everybody was outside on the docks either visiting or working on boat projects. On one of those days, I met Paul, a sailor who was on the dock with a table saw making a dodger for his sailboat. I was admiring his old wooden pink dinghy (photo below)…

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Walking Victoria’s Inner Harbour – British Columbia

Victoria's Inner Harbour Kept Us Busy Walking Our month docked in Victoria was somewhat cold and rainy, but as spring arrived we found more sunny days with all the greenery producing flowers and fresh scents. We spent most of our time in Victoria's Inner Harbour walking from downtown along a path that spans the waterfront or through the neighborhood streets. I will never forget our time spent in Victoria, B.C. [huge_it_maps id="12"]                  

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Fishermans Wharf Victoria BC, Canada

Fishermans Wharf Victoria, BC Has a Colorful History Within close proximity to Victoria's Inner Harbour, just a short block away from our marina at Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel, sits Fisherman's Wharf Victoria. This little live-aboard, float community, is a visual delight with the many houseboats there painted in vibrant colors and creatively decorated. We are visiting Victoria off-season, so the many shops, restaurants, fishing boats, and tour boats, that are based there, were closed. We still enjoyed walking around the docks while checking out the often humorous decor. This diverse and eccentric community has a very colorful history. No transient moorage is available here. "All…

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Parliament Tour – Victoria, British Columbia

Just a Short Walk to the Parliament Building British Columbia's Parliament buildings are located just up from Victoria's Inner Harbour. Located on 12.5 acres the building, built in 1898, is in close proximity to Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel Marina (where Kismet is docked for the month of February). Even though I forgot to take my license, we were still allowed to enter security when we arrived at the Parliament Building for lunch and a tour. Not a lot of activity on that day, and the Legislative Assembly was not in session. On other days there were crowds of peaceful protestors outside when we walked by. Even more beautiful at…

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John Lennon’s Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limo

Since 1993, Victoria has been home to John Lennon's Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limo John Lennon's Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limo was put on display at the Royal British Columbia Museum during our stay in Victoria. You are probably wondering how this relates to boating, however, if we had not been visiting Victoria by boat, spending a month exploring this beautiful city, we would not have had the opportunity to view this beauty. One of the interesting things about staying at a marina, located within a short walk from downtown, for a month is the interesting events, museums, shopping, culture, restaurants, etc. available. Not…

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change, Jim and Lisa Favors Kismet
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“Change is the Only Constant in Life” – Heraclitus

Change is Good! The phrase, "Change is the only constant in life,” was written by a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus of Ephesos (around 500 BC). I’m sure when he wrote these now famous words he was not thinking about the cruising travel plans of Kismet (a Turkish word that stands for "fate" or "meant to be"). Lisa and I have made a complete overhaul of our 2015/2016 fall and winter cruising plans, it must be "kismet." Our original plans, of cruising the Rideau Canal this fall, then heading to Florida for the winter, have changed dramatically. We’ve decided to trailer Kismet west, across the country…

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New River View, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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Rendezvous with Ranger Tug “Pour House”

Fort Lauderdale has it all. On our way for a week's stay in Fort Lauderdale. This Florida boating destination has it all... lots of canals to explore, a beautiful beach to walk on the ocean, shopping on Las Olas Avenue, a beautiful River Walk for leisurely strolls along New River and now we can add one more thing to our ongoing Fort Lauderdale list... the warm and welcoming home of Carolyn and Harry House, (homeport for their Ranger Tug, PourHouse). We left our anchorage at Lake Sylvia to secure our reserved dock space at Cooleys Landing, on the New River at the head of the River…

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Boaterhoming Homosassa Springs
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Spaghetti Dinner and Poker Night – Homosassa Springs, Florida

Boaterhoming Homosassa Springs – Florida Nature's Camp Grounds provided an "Old Florida" experience and a spot to ready the boat for launching in Tarpon Springs. We used the laundry facilities and enjoyed a spaghetti dinner and poker in the activities room at the campground. We liked the spaghetti but really stunk at the poker game. Boaterhoming while traveling to cruising destinations has become one of our favorite activities, second to boating of course. Being able to use our boat as an RV while on the road has opened up a whole new world to us. The boat is very comfortable for living and sleeping…

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Kismet's Captain Jim Chart Review
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Preparing, Packing and Planning for Our Trip West

Planning for the trip west! After spending this past winter holed up at home in northern Michigan remodeling our kitchen, we feel we're more than ready for some new cruising adventure. We are preparing, planning, and packing to head west soon to begin another fun boating season. First, we'll visit the Flaming Gorge  Reservoir on the Green River in Northeast Utah/Southern Wyoming. Then we'll continue on to Puget Sound in Washington State, there we'll put in at Anacortes and cruise north into Canada's Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, and more. Check back often, the fun is soon to start.

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Time To Disembark at Grand Harbor Resort Marina

End of the line, Grand Harbor Resort Marina. After being on the hook a lot lately, a visit to Grand Harbor Resort Marina, located where the Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama borders come together (we're officially down south at this point), hit the spot. It has all the amenities a long-distance boater appreciates including a well-stocked ship's store, an elegant boater's lounge, laundry facilities located right on the dock where you can sit by the water as you wash and dry your clothes, they also have several loaner vehicles and they almost beg you to use one to explore the nearby…

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Ranger Tugs Kismet, Little Current, North Channel
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A Little “Downtime” in Little Current

Little Current – The Biggest Little City in the North Channel! A trip to the North Channel wouldn't be complete without a stop in Little Current, the biggest little city in the North Channel. It's true that Little Current is not only the largest city in the North Channel, but has everything a cruiser might need with gift shops, parks, restaurants, and grocery stores, all within walking distance of the marinas. Little Current is also home to the North Channel's Cruisers Net, somewhat similar to the net we encountered during our trips to the Abaco Islands. We had a great…

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Fort Myers Beach
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Playing Around in Fort Myers Beach

Time to play around a little and enjoy the beach, located just a short walk from the marina and through the little beach town. The sand on Fort Myers Beach is so fine, clean, and white and it provided a fun way for the crew on Kismet to get some much-needed exercise.

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Gig Harbor, Washington
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Gig Harbor Encounters – Washington State

    Our son, Ross, who lives in Portland, OR, joined us for a few days. We explored Gig Harbor together, he helped us get to the store to stock up on groceries and we played a few games of Liverpool. Kismet, sitting pretty in Gig Harbor Captain Ross!             Christopher, (above-left) brother to Sarah, our soon-to-be daughter-in-law (fiancé to son Skyler), lives nearby, just south of Seattle so he made a special trip to Gig Harbor to have lunch with us on Sunday. It was nice to spend some time with Christopher and get to know him a…

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