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FLORIDA BAY

FLORIDA BAY

Marathon, Florida

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EVERGLADES

EVERGLADES

Shark River

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RENDEZVOUS

RENDEZVOUS

Palm Island, Florida

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LOVERS LEAP

LOVERS LEAP

San Juan Islands – Stewart Island, WA

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SOUTH SOUND

SOUTH SOUND

Tacoma, Washington

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BLAKE ISLAND

BLAKE ISLAND

Puget Sound, Washington

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FLORIDA BAY

FLORIDA BAY

Marathon, Florida

Unknown's avatar

Newcastle Island Marine Park Anchorage Across from Nanaimo, BC

Newcastle Island Marine Park is Within Easy Access to Nanaimo, BC – Our route from Pirates Cove to Nanaimo took us through Dodd Narrows and eventually to Newcastle Island. This passage through a narrow channel needs to be well-timed to transit at slack tide. If not at slack the currents run up to 9 knots in a very turbulent swirling narrow channel between rocky cliffs. We were up at 6 a.m. to hit Dodd Narrows at the 7:03 a.m. slack. Our end destination was Newcastle Island Marine Park located across from Nanaimo BC, the second largest city on Vancouver Island…

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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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Hike to Conover Cove – Wallace Island, BC

Conover Cove - The Dream of David and Jeanne Conover – The next morning we rowed to the dinghy dock located at mid-point in Princess Cove. We wanted to hike the path at the perimeter of Wallace Island, which leads to Conover Cove. Once there, we stumbled upon a surprising find, the structural remains of Conover Settlement. One of the buildings, in particular, knocked our socks off because of all the, mostly driftwood, carved, painted, and decorated mementos left by boaters to mark their visit to the island over the years. It truly is a work of art in the making. Royal Cedar Cottages Were…

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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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Ganges Salt Spring Island, British Columbia

One Night in Ganges Salt Spring Island –  After we pulled up anchor in Madrona Bay, we headed the short way into Ganges Salt Spring, to stay for one night before we head over to Wallace Island to anchor in Princess Cove. We love Ganges, it's a quaint waterfront town with lots of character. The only other time we were here was during our trip to the Pacific Northwest for the Ranger Tugs Desolation Sound Cruise. The town is just big enough that everything is within walking distance of the marina and docks on the waterfront. The marina was not very…

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Madrona Bay Anchorage – Salt Spring Island, British Columbia

A Quiet Night on the Hook in Madrona Bay – We left Poets Cove and South Pender Island for a three-hour cruise to Madrona Bay, near Ganges on Salt Spring Island. There are two routes to get to our day's destination. We could have transited Boundary Pass, a more exposed route, but we chose Pender Canal due to the high winds we had experienced the last few days. After three days of social activity at Poets Cove, we were looking forward to a night on the hook in a quiet cove. This is just what we found at Madrona Bay. [huge_it_maps id="28"]…

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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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Fox Cove Anchorage – Sucia Island in the San Juan Islands

We Anchored in Fox Cove for a Peaceful Night on the Hook – Our much-anticipated return to Sucia Island did not disappoint. This time we anchored in Fox Cove cove near the beach to the campground, across a small stretch of land from Fossil Bay and the boat docks. When we arrived, one lone sailboat sat anchored between the mooring balls. Another small sailboat arrived near the end of the day. We decided to spend two nights in this spot. [huge_it_maps id="37"]      We found out that this woman's (photo - below) husband built this boat from scratch. We think…

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Jim with Charts
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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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Dinner Date with Bob & Nita on Nellie Too

Bob & Nita Welcome Us to Anacortes –  One thing we love about trailering our boating all over the United States and Canada is all the great people we get to meet, people we may not otherwise have the opportunity to get to know. During our many trips boating in the Pacific Northwest we have bumped into Ranger Tug owners, Bob & Nita, on Nellie Too, several times. The first time we met them was at the Ranger Tug Rendezvous in Bremerton. It was our first experience with the Ranger Tug community. Bob and Nita bring their commercial-size margarita blender to…

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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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Port of Port Townsend – The Big Boy Boat Yard

A Boat Yard with Muscle! Port of Port Townsend Boat Haven is a massive boat yard with 475 commercial and recreational vessels and more than sixty marine trades businesses located on the property. You can get anything from a complete boat restoration to bottom painting, and major or minor repairs. Not only that but, you can have coffee, lunch, dinner, or grab a beer and buy fish all at different establishments right in the yard, it’s that big. With a Laundromat, a couple of restaurants, and a brewery located on the grounds, you don't need to go far to take care of…

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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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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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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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First Nation Woodcarver, Nelson

First Nation Woodcarver, Nelson is Very Talented –  Life is interesting. Sometimes things happen for a reason and maybe there is that element of how things were just meant to be… we call it, Kismet. Our son, Ross had a birthday coming up so we were on the lookout for a memorable gift. During our stay in Victoria, we had lots of time to think about this and do the legwork. He and Sarah were expecting their second child shortly after his birthday, a new playmate for their firstborn, Silas. One day, while walking the waterfront, in downtown Victoria we…

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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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Easy Access to Downtown Victoria BC

Yes! That is a Palm Tree in Beautiful Downtown Victoria BC See photo (above) Downtown Victoria BC sits on the northeast shore of Victoria Harbour along James Bay and the Inner Harbour, just a short walk from our marina, Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel Marina. Our month here in Victoria, British Columbia's capital city started on the first of February. February is not really cruising weather per se, but more of an opportunity for us to explore and absorb our surroundings, interact with friendly Canadians and acquire another perspective on life on the other side of our northern border. While we are not really out on the water…

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