Kismet Ranger Tugs R-29S

Construction of the New Kismet Ranger Tugs R29S

Marrying the Hull of the New Kismet Ranger Tugs R29S Having something built from scratch, such as a house, car, or in this case, a boat is usually best left to the professionals. As you’ll see from the following photos there is evidence that a tremendous amount of thought and mindful design goes into building a boat, before and during manufacturing. There is a coordinated effort, before the actual production starts, to have on hand all of the hardware, wiring, hoses, batteries, glass, lighting, engine, generator, electronics, solar panel, seating cushions, tanks, etc. This ensures production occurs smoothly and on…

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Shoal Harbour

Shoal Harbour, A Great Hidey-Hole for Bad Weather

Shoal Harbour is Located Close to Pierre's Echo Bay at the North side of Gilford Island – After lunch, we stayed a couple of hours relaxing in the Burwood Group, it was that spectacular. Our plan was to anchor for the night in Shoal Harbour. En route there, we explored while cruising in and out of Scott Cove and eventually Pierre's Echo Bay, taking a quick spin around the famous floating marina (we had reservations secured for the next day). After our exploration cruise, we arrived on the north arm of Shoal Harbour as planned – late afternoon. The harbour is a well-protected, shallow-watered, anchorage. Navigating Shoal Harbour…

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Laura Bay

Laura Bay is a Popular Anchorage in the Broughton Islands

Laura Bay, south of Penphrase Passage, is a popular anchorage with good protection behind a scenic, un-named island. The Broughton Islands are comprised of 200-plus remote islands included in the over 240,000 islands between northern mainland British Columbia and the north end of Vancouver Island. From Anacortes Washington to the Broughtons is about 233 miles. At least a week's worth of cruising for the serious boater to get to the Broughton Islands from the US border. The number of year-round residents in the Broughtons is less than 1,000. Keeping all this in mind, we have a lot of remote wilderness to explore during our three-week adventure. On the day…

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Forward Harbour

Seeking Protection in Forward Harbour

We departed Shoal Bay at noon to time our transit of Greene Point, followed by Whirlpool Rapids, at or near slack tide. All went smoothly until we approached the intersection of Cordero Channel and Loughborough Inlet. It was at this point the waves started to build into wild unpredictable rollers. The swells grew larger the closer we came to the fetch of the Johnstone Strait area. We continued until we made a much-welcomed turn off the strait into Wellborn Channel. Johnstone Strait, 59 nm in its entirety, is notorious for strong winds, swift currents overall uncomfortable cruising. Riding those waves was…

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Roscoe Bay

Roscoe Bay Anchor–Hike to Black Lake for a Refreshing Swim

Roscoe Bay Provincial Marine Park is known for the thousands of moon jellies that congregate there annually. We woke up this morning to a clear blue sky and knew it would be a great day. We only had a handful of miles to travel for our 11 A.M. arrival for a 2-day stay at anchor in Roscoe Bay. Our day started off with freshly baked sticky buns and coffee. It was a slow cruise on calm water as we made our way around the south side of West Redonda Island to get to our destination. Roscoe Bay is known for…

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Grizzly Encounter at Brem Bay – BC, Canada

We Hit the Jackpot of Grizzly Sightings at Brem Bay! During our last day at Toba Wildernest, a sailboat pulled up to the dock late in the afternoon. Soon after, we overheard the crew exuberantly sharing their grizzly bear sighting further up Toba Inlet. Brem Bay to be exact. We decided it was worth the scenic nine-mile trip to see if we’d have any luck spotting a wild grizzly bear, or two, ourselves. Brem Bay lies on the NW side of Toba Inlet. The bay sits at the base of a huge valley at the mouth of the Brem River. The river forks out into…

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Owen Bay Anchor – Discovery Islands, British Columbia

Hiking to View Hole in the Wall Rapids from Owen Bay We pulled anchor at 9:30 the morning on the third day of our stay at Octopus Islands. We timed our departure to coincide with slack tide at the upper rapids of "Hole In the Wall." This time we will be heading to Owen Bay (See map below) and yet another anchorage. Owen Bay is located on the southeastern shore of Sonora Island, one of the outer islands of the Discovery Islands, British Columbia. The rapids were so “slack” the water was absolutely smooth and undisturbed, we idled through effortlessly into Owen Bay. We spotted two more eagles…

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Transiting Rapids at Hole in the Wall – Octopus Islands Marine Park

We Were Surprised – Only a Few Boats Anchored at Octopus Islands! – We timed our departure from our anchorage at Von Donop Inlet, so our arrival at the “Hole in the Wall” rapids would coincide with “slack tide.” Our plan was to get to Octopus Islands Marine Park to anchor for a couple of days. Knowing when slack water, or tide, occurs is important in tidal waters. This is more important when you need to negotiate a narrow pass where water has limited space to move through. With these conditions, the water turns into rapids that can be dangerous to pass through in almost any condition other than slack tide.…

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Laura Cove – Rocky, Scenic and Popular

Laura Cove, Like Most of the Prideaux Haven Area, is Strewn with Large Boulders and High, Rocky Tree Lined Shores. We departed Refuge Cove for a short eight-mile run-up Homfray Channel to the Prideaux Haven area of Desolation Sound Marine Park. Laura Cove, next to Melanie Cove, was in our sights as our preferred anchorage. We anchored here during our trip three years ago, and it was one of our favorite spots. On our way in we cruised through the adjoining Melanie Cove to see how many boats were already anchored. We arrived a couple of days before Canada Day…

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Refuge Cove – A Hub of Activity and Social Gathering Spot in Desolation Sound

Refuge Cove is Chock-Full of Character Situated on the southwest corner of West Redonda Island, Refuge Cove is centrally located in Desolation Sound. The small general store is good for minor provisions, fuel, water, and propane. Besides being a unique little waterside community, it's a hub of activity and social gathering spot for the myriad of boaters spending their vacations cruising Desolation Sound. During this visit to Refuge Cove, we wanted to dock overnight to really experience life in Refuge Cove for more than the two hours we spent in 2013. We typically don’t come back into a marina for a while after we’ve just…

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Jervis Inlet

Jervis Inlet – Deepest Fjord in BC

Jervis Inlet Has a Maximum Depth of 2,402 ft – We untied our lines from our slip at Pender Harbour at 7:45 a.m. to start our 48-mile trek up Jervis Inlet fjord. Timing for this trip needs to be well-thought-out ahead. It's important to time our arrival at Malibu Rapids, the mouth of Princess Louisa Inlet, at slack tide. The rapids are located at the eastern shoreline of Jervis Inlet. At the speed we traveled, 8 miles mph, it took us 5 hours to reach the rapids, from Pender Harbour. We arrived within a half-hour of dead calm. You wouldn’t want to…

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Pender Harbour Dock – A Maze of Islands, Coves and Bluffs

Pender Harbour Dock – Stocking Up and Staging – Before we started the long haul up Jervis Inlet to Princess Louisa Inlet and finally Chatterbox Falls, we first needed somewhere to stock up and stage ourselves – close to the entrance to Jervis Inlet. From Pender Harbour Dock, we could leave early the next morning and be cruising up Jervis Inlet in no time. Our plan was to spend at least three days at the dock at the falls, maybe four with anchoring out or catching a mooring ball the last night. We departed Lasqueti early in the morning to make the 25-mile cruise…

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Hornby Island Anchor, Tribune bay – After Dinner at The Thatch Pub

Smooth cruising to Hornby Island today – Our destination today is Hornby Island. First for dinner at The Thatch Pub, before we throw out the hook in Tribune Bay. We heard about Hornby Island from another boater, Norm, at our marina during our stay in Victoria, BC earlier this year. We were there for the month of February. When cruising an area unknown to us, I always try to ask as many locals as I can about their favorite cruising spots. Norm is in the band, Jolly Mon Band, he travels on his Grand Banks with his band to play on some of the islands during the…

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Burgee Exchange – Nanaimo Yacht Club, BC

Past Commodore Dick Craig Made the Burgee Exchange with Us – If you belong to a yacht club, you most likely know what a burgee exchange is. Most yacht clubs display burgees from other clubs in their clubhouses. The colorful burgees make a room very festive and interesting because you can’t help but wonder where some of them came from. Burgees are usually given to a club by an out-of-town yacht club member who is either boating or just visiting the area. In turn, your own club member could visit another club in another city or state and give them…

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Pirates Cove, De Courcy Island – Gulf Islands

Pirates Cove on De Courcy Island – A Provincial Marine Park – We slated a two-day stay anchored in the well-protected Pirates Cove. The park has two dinghy docks, one on the little peninsula and one on the far, inner side. There are many eye hooks and chains around the cove, making it easier to stern tie an anchored boat to shore. De Courcy Island is 300 acres of beautiful rocky shores, strewn with driftwood and mossy thick woods. There are about 40 private residences on the island and the owners have their own boat dock, Russell Landing, located in the cove across from the entrance. Feeling a Part…

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Ladysmith – Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Ladysmith – Our Next Stop While Cruising in and Out of the Gulf Islands – We pulled anchor at 7:15 a.m. and departed Princess Cove for Ladysmith. The village of Ladysmith is on Vancouver Island and has a long rich lumber history, with active mills, log booms, transport ships, and tug boats. We had one of those calm early morning days where the water was glassy smooth, complimented by a mostly clear sky so we decided to take advantage of the great conditions, cruise at 6 MPH, and soak in the morning….slow motion. We were delighted with the almost new docks,…

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Princess Cove Anchorage – Wallace Island

Poking Our Way Along the Gulf Islands to Princess Cove – Short cruising days are my kind of days on the water. When I planned the Gulf Island part of our summer cruising, I decided to explore most places we had not been to on previous trips. Most travel days now are around 20 miles long or so. Leaving Cowachin, we had only 14 miles to cruise northeast to our planned anchorage at Princess Cove on Wallace Island. Wallace Island is located in the beautiful Trincomali Channel between the northern ends of Saltspring Island and Galiano Island. The island is in…

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Cowichan Bay – Vancouver Island, B.C.

Cowichan Bay is a Colorful Fishing Community –  While taking a day tour in a rental car from Victoria, a few months ago, we stumbled upon the small village of Cowichan Bay. We didn’t stop but made a mental note that this would be a place we’d like to return to by boat when we returned in June. Fast forward four months and we made true to our promise. We had glassy waters and a nice clear blue sky for our 14-mile, 6.5 MPH slow-motion cruise to Cowichan Bay, the start to a picture-perfect day. Later we docked at Cowichan…

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Poets Cove – Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Cruise

Our Trip North Started at Poets Cove on South Pender Island –  Poets Cove Resort and Marina, on South Pender Island in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, is where we started the Canadian portion of our summer cruising season. The start of our trip north was conveniently scheduled to match up with a 60-boat Ranger Tug/Cutwater get-together at Poets Cove. After a quick check-in with Canadian Customs, right next to the marina at Poets Cove, we started to feel the excitement for the start of the three-day event. One of the best things about attending a factory-sponsored cruise like this is…

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Jim with Charts

2016 Summer Cruising Season in British Columbia, Canada

Our Summer Cruising Season Will Take Us to the Broughton Islands –  Have you ever been somewhere before that you’ve loved so much you cannot wait to return? Have you ever wondered why it took you so long to discover it? In our early summer cruising adventures, we never dreamed territory such as the Pacific Northwest, San Juan, and Gulf Islands, Princess Louisa Inlet, Chatterbox Falls, and Desolation Sound existed. We’ve returned this year to cruise some of our favorite summer cruising stops from 2013, then we’ll continue further north to explore the Broughton Islands, a territory rich with wildlife and natural wonders. Our trip…

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BUMS Did A Great Bottom Job!

BUMS Did a Professional, Efficient, and Seamless Bottom Job on Kismet –  Lisa asked that I write a post about my bottom. I looked at her with amazement that she wanted me to write about such a personal thing. But here goes! It had been over three years since I prepped Kismet’s bottom and applied two coats of non-ablative bottom paint. It was starting to show. During that three-plus year period, I did touch up the water line and bow area twice when the boat was on its trailer. That area was in good shape but the hull was truly in…

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Southern Vancouver Island Loop

Heading Out on the Southern Vancouver Island Loop – Never one to turn a blind eye to exploration, while docked in Victoria we decided to rent a car for a day-long road trip. Vancouver Island, at 285 miles long and 62 miles at its widest point, is the largest North American Island in the Pacific Ocean. With a one-day car rental, we only had time to carve out a small bit of real estate for our road excursion. We left Victoria to begin our Southern Vancouver Island Loop west towards Sooke and our first stop, French Beach Provincial Park. There we hiked down through the…

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Boaterhoming at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

We Call it Boaterhoming – Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Boaterhoming – Sault Ste. Marie – Soo Locks Campground and RV Park –  Tonight we will be boaterhoming – Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. This border town is just south of the Soo Locks on the St. Mary's River. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada is to the north, over the International Bridge, and is about the halfway mark to our destination. We will arrive in Little Current, Ontario, in the North Channel, one day early for the 2015 Ranger Tug/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous. Some friends of ours gave us the idea to camp at this RV park several years ago when they sent us a photo…

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Group Shot, Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous

Ranger Tugs/Cutwater 2015 North Channel Rendezvous!

Join Us for the Second Annual Ranger Tugs/Cutwater 2015 North Channel Rendezvous! If you've never cruised in Canada's North Channel, this might be the time to trailer or cruise your Ranger Tugs/Cutwater boat to join us in Little Current, Ontario, for the second annual Ranger Tugs/Cutwater 2015 North Channel Rendezvous. With spring in the air the much anticipated boating season in Canada’s North Channel is just around the corner. With that in mind the official registration process for the 2015 rendezvous is in full swing. See the fun we had last year! Rendezvous Location: Little Current Downtown Docks Manitoulin Island Little Current,…

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Wilson Key Anchorage

Doing Research On Two Anchorages Between Key Largo and Marathon

Research and Local Knowledge As with most things in life, we find it comforting to return to places we've been before. Revisiting takes a lot of the guesswork out of the trip-planning process. This is especially true when traveling by boat. With that said, it can also be exciting, rewarding in fact, to try something new. I do a lot of research before we venture out on the road to launch the boat in a new territory. Before heading out I check several mapping resources, such as Active Captain and Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net. I then review the charting resources. These include Navionics and my…

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