Category: Cruising

my time in Victoria was fabulous! The city is festive with Christmas lights and displays everywhere. The capitol building is especially impressive. I was able to spend a lot of time with friends – Peter, Andrea, Julia, (Geordie and Zephryus), Dave Craig (faranda), Peter Harvey (Euphemia II) and jay and Dave from egmont. I was…

I left van isle to cruise to Victoria about 10:00. The trip is about 25 NM. Wind and wave predictions were 2 feet while I was protected running parallel to Vancouver island and then 4 feet from 10 mile point to Victoria harbor. The first 17 NM were as expected – quite windy and 2…

I called Nexus at about 10:00 yesterday to get my clearance # to cross in to Canada. Hold times were over 30 minutes, but the agent was very friendly and the process was quick. I departed Prevost about 11:00 and headed to Van isle marina. It is only about a 10 NM crossing. It was…

as I returned to Prevost harbor from paddling to the lighthouse, I saw a large ship at the community dock – the Salish express. She was all adorned with Christmas lights and merry Christmas banners. As I paddled closer to investigate, I saw a large group in costume … and a group of carolers. Nate…

went for a paddle this morning from Prevost harbor to the lighthouse on the tip of Stuart island (and back). The winter brings a silence and peace but also a sense of isolation and some peril!

I had lunch with Kit P (Sockeye) at Downriggers today. We spent time catching up, but spent most of the time discussing our upcoming trip north to SE Alaska / starting the last week of May 2026 and returning in early September. Kit is very familiar with the routes and stops as she spent years…

cruised from Port Angeles to Friday harbor Thursday 12/11. It is a 35 NM trip across Juan de fuca strait. The first 12 miles are subject to ocean swell traveling west to east from the open ocean. The entire crossing is open to wind waves with substantial fetch – so it can be spicy. Initial…

I hung the Nonchalant painting that Margaryta painted. It is fabulous. It will look even better when Clint fabricates and installs the teak panel that will go behind it. For now it is just mounted on the bulkhead marine plywood.

I left Port Townsend about 0830 and headed to Port Angeles to put Nonchalant in the boathouse for the first time. Seas were calm and it was a nice 33 NM cruise. When I got to Port Angeles, I fueled Nonchalant up and treated the diesel for winter storage. I then temporarily tied Nonchalant to…

Taylor completed some of the electrical fixtures this week in PT. He wired some outlets. He finished the dash panel that he had fabricated and installed some directional lighting.

I have been consulting with Susan Shaw and others on how to “warm up” nonchalant by bringing in some colors and fabrics. Susan found this rug on Etsy and I looked for pillows… ended up just having the rug company make some throw pillows to match (they do not usually make pillow covers). It is…

cruised from mystery bay to port townsend … left at 0800 and arrived at 0900. Moored at the linear dock. Taylor is going to complete some of the electrical work this week and I am going to meet with Clint and Asa to establish a list of interior projects to be completed … this will…

I arrived to calm waters and dropped anchor. It was a beautiful sunset and warm enough to enjoy from the aft cockpit. the calm weather was short lived as a stiff NW breeze developed overnight and with the tide ebbing made for a rolling night… I had an anchor alarm set and slept soundly. Still…

woke to some drizzle and after a couple cups of coffee and yoga practice in the wheelhouse, I had James island all to my self for about an hour! As I was getting ready to hike, a group arrived in a 17’ zodiac … 10 or 12 people. They are aboard the 1932 charter boat…

the gale finally subsided last night and I was able to depart Blaine harbor and head south to James island. Kit Pingree has identified James island as one of her favorite spots but also cautioned that the tidal currents in the bay are very strong and somewhat counterintuitive as a Backeddy forms during the tide…

Clint contracted a local glass artist to fashion the leaded glass panes for the teak cabinets he built in the salon. This leaded glass has been a high design priority of mine. This is the pattern.

in a previous post I detailed my meeting with Kevin Mallory. Today I received some photos and files regarding his grandfather’s ownership of Nonchalant (which he named Paramus II during his stewardship). it would seem that the information I had received prior regarding the timing of Ernest’s ownership was incorrect. It is more likely that…

both Nicholas and I weighed anchor this morning and headed out of Prevost. Argonaut went to Vancouver for the open boat at the maritime museum this weekend and I headed to Blaine. The weather forecasts for this week are calling for lots of rain (2”) and high winds (25 knots SE). I faced some rolling…

I am going to hike out to the turn point lighthouse this morning. It is supposed to clear by midday when I hope to paddle around Stuart island. Later this afternoon, Nicholas will be coming to Prevost on his boat Argonaut II. Watch the video below to get a great view of Nicholas and Argonaut…

left garrison bay about 9:00 am to meet Kevin Mallory and his wife Julie. We had a good time talking about his family’s history on Nonchalant (Pamanus to them). Then we toured their brand new Helmsman trawler PH 43. When we were done I made a trip to the Roche harbor market and headed back…

I circumnavigated Sucia by kayak this morning. The SE wind, tidal current and swell made for a challenging paddle on the north side of the island. I checked weather when I got back and decided to move to Garrison Bay. The wind is forecast to increase to 15 knots SE overnight and Fossil Bay is…

Tad Roberts was a judge at the Victoria Classic Boat festival. He made this post of Facebook. Tad is a yacht designer and widely respected expert in wooden boat design and structure. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Jm3KcXEeA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

the fairly strong NW wind overnight made for a rolling sleep even at the dock. The swell entered the bay at 2 different points… but knowing I was securely moored I had a sound sleep. The leaves on the deciduous trees are turning and the colors on the shorelines are beautiful. view with coffee through…

hiked the NW loop on jones island this morning and now preparing to cruise to Matia island – Rolfe cove. Hoping for space. tide is ebbing strong (new moon) so I am going against 1.3 knots of current traveling north to Matia. as I entered Rolfe cove I was expecting 3 mooring balls, but there…

I left echo bay Saturday and went down to Liepelt’s on Griffin bay (San Juan island). I had stopped there with the CYA group on the way to port townsend wooden boat festival (from Victoria), but wanted time with them to talk about our sister boats Hulakai and Nonchalant. Had a wonderful dinner at their…

I am loving this anchorage. Great paddling and hiking… a great view of mt baker… and sunrises and sunsets that are stunning! I am planning to circumnavigate clockwise today in my kayak and hike to Ewing cove. Might move to matia this afternoon / might wait until tomorrow. there is a well developed and maintained…

it was very windy overnight but the anchor held and we stayed in place. It is still windy but has diminished a bit. I decided to kayak around Sucia counter clockwise to see all the bays / Moorage spots on the west side of the island. I cut across Ewing cove and then was out…

I paddled the east end of sucia island this morning and explored Snoring Bay, Fossil Bay and Ewing cove. There are two state docks in Fossil. After lunch I hiked back to fossil bay… steep climb up and then down to the other bay… and back. shallow bay

I will be heading to Sucia island this afternoon after paddling in Garrison Bay and walking the grounds of the old English Camp. I spent a little time this morning getting familiar with Sucia via YouTube. 15:30… anchored in echo bay with a view of Mt Baker.

paddled around garrison bay and neighboring west cott bay. Passed both the old English camp in garrison bay and the west cott bay shellfish company. I was hoping to stop in there for lunch but this time of year they are closed mon – weds. Next season! https://www.westcottbayshellfish.com toured the old English camp… got a…

my destination today is Prevost harbor on Stuart Island. I am enthusiastic about this stop as it seems to be on everyone’s “must see” list… Faranda, Sockeye and Argonaut all rave about it. It offers great paddling and good hiking trails. STUART ISLAND Stuart Island is blessed with two large, protected bays on the north…

the fog finally lifted just after lunch and I weighed anchor and made my way to skull island in Massacre Bay… West Sound Orcas island. On the way I transited Wasp passage between several small islands… cliff and crane were especially interesting. I have dropped anchor and am waiting to make sure it is safely…

I was hoping to leave Barlow bay in Mackaye harbor about 08:30 and arrive in Parks Bay around 10:00. The route is past cattle point and transits the San Juan channel. I have been told by some that it should be transited at slack and by others that say “just go” and punch through it….

Point Wilson welcomes mariners to port townsend and marks the start of the Juan de fuca strait crossing for northbound vessels.

Daryl sanded the aft cockpit … there was not time before I left on the shakedown cruise. It looks fabulous now!

I am preparing for my September cruise to explore the San Juan islands… busy charting potential routes and stops. I will leave port townsend in the morning. The Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival was a fitting end to the shakedown break in cruise. I left port townsend on August 7th eager to cruise and to…

I came to boat haven marina in port townsend following the sail past that concludes the wooden boat festival. I am here for a couple days. Taylor Clarke is doing some electrical work that did not get completed prior to my cruise north. Daryl is also aboard attending to some finish details that were unfinished….

the port townsend wooden boat festival must be experienced as it is beyond adequate description. There is so much happening… speakers at 4 different locations running all day, vendors of all different types, food trucks, live music all day and late into the night and of course the marvelous collection of wooden boats. then there…

there was very dense fog in the harbor and bay Friday morning. I have paddled the area a lot having spent all of July here after the launch of Nonchalant (waiting for her to be ready to leave!). I decided to paddle even though the conditions were “less than ideal.” I planned to paddle to…

woke in mystery bay to dense fog. I paddled in the fog along the barely visible shoreline of Marrowstone island to scow bay and back before departing to be at point Hudson at noon. It was a foggy trip over and having AIS and radar made it possible / could not have done it in…

we departed Mackaye harbor at 0700 on route to Mystery Bay. In retrospect, we should have waited another couple hours to allow the flood tide/current to start and flatten some of the swell – Thelonius was more concerned with afternoon winds so we left early. It was a nice crossing anyway. I am starting to…

cruised through Cattle Pass to Mackaye Bay with Thelonius… met Compadre already anchored. We will cross the strait of Juan de Fuca this morning and anchor in Mystery Bay – a short distance from Port Townsend and a good staging spot for noon arrival at Point Hudson tomorrow and the Port Townsemd Wooden Boat Festival….

I left Victoria causeway about 8 am to cruise to Richard Liepelt’s home near Friday harbor on San Juan island. I waited to get started until Thelonius was able to get out of their berth and then we cruised together. For the first part of the trip we were alongside Messenger III and Glorybe as…

the Victoria Classic Boat festival ended with an awards banquet where Nonchalant was awarded the “Best Restored Powerboat” award for the 2025 show. Congratulations to everyone who worked on her. It was a large team led by shipwrights Clint Thompson and Asa Clifford. Systems and metal fabrication by Taylor Clarke. Navigation, heating and plumbing –…

cruised from Cadboro bay to Victoria inner harbor – the causeway docks. The docks are directly in front on the Empress Hotel and the Provincial Capital Building is on the side. Close to 100 beautiful classic yachts are here and it is quite a process to get everyone safely tied to docks and rafted between…

I left Ganges a bit later than planned as a few more CYA members requested to come aboard and view Nonchalant. I pumped the Black water tank before leaving … first time – all went smoothly. Wind was from the SE (waves on bow and spray on deck and windshield) and there was a lot…

cruised from Pirate’s cove to Ganges this morning to attend the CYA annual rendezvous. docked without issue and was greeted by many eager to see Nonchalant. my friend and longtime member of the CYA – Diane Lander -presented me with a wonderful “boat warming gift!” Very thoughtful. A monogrammed mat for boarding – protecting the…

I left pirate’s cove and paddled around de courcy island clockwise. There are some wonderful sandstone etchings on the high banks on the outside of the island. At the top of the island there is a narrow passage (isthmus ) that dries at low tide. I portaged across that and gathered some fresh oysters for…

left Madeira at 06:30 to make my way across the strait of Georgia to Pirate’s Cove. Strong wind warning with 20 knot winds from the NW. I could be facing 2 foot waves on the beam! I am traveling on an ebb tide which should help flatten the wind waves. My route takes me south…

Catalin installed the swim ladder today… improves safety and makes it much easier to board from the water. I paddled around the Copeland islands early.. then cruised to Pender harbor to get groceries and spend the night.

after paddling Thursday, I cruised back to Lund and tied to breakwater #2 dock. I do not need shore power as the solar is keeping the batteries at 100% during these clear sunny days. Catalin will install a ladder on the swim grid tomorrow which will make getting aboard from the water much easier and…

the Curme islands are located just at the tip of Mink island. they are a favorite spot for kayak campers in desolation sound as they are in a central location and have platform camping sites as well as pit toilets. Lots of day paddles to the most favored coves and bays are within reach.

I left cassel falls after lunch in the rain and by the time I arrived at Melanie cove the sun was shining! Found a nice spot to anchor with a stern tie chain. Got settled and then went for a short paddle. while I was paddling I came across something unusual – a fresh water…

the rain has not relented though the forecast is still calling for sunny skies this afternoon. One thing rain is good for is waterfalls! Cassel falls in teakerne arm is a short distance from refuge cove so I am weighing anchor and heading there for a lunch stop… then back down to Melanie cove to…

it rained most of the night and is raining this morning … so I am enjoying just swinging at anchor in the bay around the corner from refuge cove marina. I plan to head to Prideaux Haven – Melanie Cove today, but I am going to wait until late morning. The tide is very low…

I left Roscoe Bay about 2 pm… multiple boats coming in made for some “negotiating” to get out without having to pass side by side over the sand bar. It is a short (8NM) cruise to refuge cove. I am hoping to drop garbage at Carl’s barge ($2/pound), do laundry, provision with groceries and fill…

I chose to paddle to prideaux haven this morning because it has amazing views, an open water crossing and mostly because I wanted to check out how busy it is as I am planning on anchoring there tomorrow night. It was a great paddle. On the way I passed Glorybe and had a chance to…

woke to calmer weather and the sun trying to break through the clouds. I took advantage of the calmer water and paddled across Waddington channel to Otter island cove. There were two boats anchored there. They were heading to Roscoe today… so I will see them again soon. Otter island cove is quite protected but…

My plan today is to cruise from Grace harbor to Roscoe bay. My batteries need some charging so I am going to go further in to Okeover inlet and explore before heading to Roscoe. Roscoe bay has a sandbar that “dries” at low tide – so I have to time the entrance to coincide with…

it rained a bit over an inch in the last 24 hours exposing some small leaks along the salon house sides. They seemed to close and slow a bit as the wood swelled. Nothing major. More rain in the forecast. Late in the afternoon there was some brief clearing and I went for a paddle….

cruised from Lund to Grace harbor this morning. Low pressure system has arrived, and winds are SE. this is a protected bay. An “atmospheric river” is predicted starting late this afternoon and extending until Tuesday with the heaviest rainfall tomorrow (Friday). Expected total rainfall exceeding 2 1/2 inches. I arrived without issue but then had…

cruised from Egmont to Lund today. About 40 NM. Jervis inlet was 2 1/2 foot waves with whitecaps – nonchalant handles it with ease and was quite comfortable. Lots of spray over the bow, but no banging on waves. The run in Malaspina strait was calmer and by the time I reached Lund seas were…

enjoyed a great paddle in Princess Louisa inlet. A special treat – the wonderful classic yacht Olmaha is on a mooring buoy. It is stunning. https://classicyachtinfo.org/yachts/olmaha

left egmont at 0900 and headed for Princess Louisa inlet … chatterbox falls. There is a narrow opening to the inlet that has to be transited at or near slack. I arrived at the mouth of the inlet with time to have lunch before heading through the rapids. The inlet mooring balls were all occupied…

anchored in Garden Bay after the Pender harbor wooden boat parade. All ground tackle worked flawlessly and Nonchalant stayed in place all night. Weighed anchor about 0900 and headed for Egmont where the new owners of the cottage I sold graciously allowed me to moor overnight. It is great to be back and see friends…

it was a mad dash to get ready to leave Port Townsend and head to Van Isle Marina (north of Sidney BC). I was loading the boat while Clint and Taylor were busy with last details, cleaning and removing tools and materials. Nicole installed the setters and they were perfect. Coincidentally, Doug Lombard and his…

Flagler State Park is across Port Townsend Bay on Marrowstone island. There is a large sandy beach and a tidal spit that extends a long distance at low tide. The water gets shallow about 1/2 mile from the spit and large currents form as water channels between Marrowstone and Indian islands. It is a fun…

the kayaking around port townsend is fabulous. Paddled to Kala point today… about 4 miles south of port townsend. Long stretch of wonderful sandy beach. Mount Baker is visible during the entire paddle.

I arrived in Port Townsend Saturday the 28th. I headed to the boathouse in Port Angeles first thing Sunday to check on it and pick up my kayak. It has been way too long since I have been paddling I paddled in Port Angeles Sunday and today in Port Townsend. My paddle today was out…

Photos of Ananda grace the cover of the Waggoner cruising guide (2025) and the Waggoner Ports and Passes. The photos were taken when we were anchored by Mink island in Desolation Sound this past summer.

I sold Ananda yesterday (Sunday the 11th). She will stay in Egmont (and for now in my boathouse). I cruised over 3000 NM on Ananda without a breakdown. I made a lot of system improvements – windlass, macerator, diesel heater, goalzero house battery, solar panel and costway two zone refrigerator – were the big ones….

it is Friday the 9th and the current this morning has ananda’s stern facing Chatterbox falls (still flooding). View is unobstructed as there was a large exodus of vessels at yesterday’s afternoon slack. Doug and Deborah leave on Tango this morning headed for Powell River. I plan to spend another day / night and return…

Left Harmony islands mid day on Monday and cruised to Freil Falls to meet up with Euphemia, Comrade, Thelonius and Black Dave. We rafted, swam and sat in the cool fresh water pools formed under the falls at low tide. Following that, we anchored and spent the night at Harmony Islands.

sunrise Saturday July 27

we cruised from Pendrell Sound to Teakerne arm… famous for Cassel falls and lake… on arrival wind was quite strong from the NW. I scouted a place to anchor, set Ananda’s anchor and scrambled up a rock wall to tie a stern line around a large tree. Faranda and Maverick both set anchors and rafted……

Another cruise to Desolation sound. Copeland islands. Grace harbor. Mink island. Pendrell cove. Teakerne Arm … above…mink island anchorage above…Grace Harbor anchorage some views from Pendrell Cove above… the classic yacht summer wind anchored in Pendrell Sound.

set out for Desolation Sound Tuesday July 3. First stop hardy island. from hardy island, cruised to the anchorage in the Copeland islands and circumnavigated by kayak. from Copeland islands to Grace Harbor hiked the trail in Grace Harbor to a beautiful fresh water lake and had a wonderful swim from Grace harbor to refuge…

back in Smuggler’s Cove. Cruised to Smuggler’s cove Wednesday June 19. After anchoring and stern tying, launched my kayak and paddled to Secret Cove. On the way I had a wonderful encounter in a shallow lagoon. it was delicious! circumnavigated thormanby islands today (June 20).

cruised Ananda to Hardy Island Wednesday afternoon. On the way, I could smell exhaust fumes. On inspection I found a corroded hole where the wet exhaust joint fits to the engine. Fortunately, I carry JB Weld sticks and was able to completely seal the small hole when I anchored. I paddled around hardy island and…

Left Wednesday at 7 am for the 30 NM cruise to Malibu Rapids which must be transited at slack to enter the inlet (in a classic cruiser like Ananda). Peter joined on Euphemia II. He had to transit skookumchuck narrows at slack (5:30 am) prior to joining me. My admiration of Euphemia II was the…

departed home at 0700 for Malibu rapids slack at 1330. Then on to chatterbox falls. Peter H is joining on his wonderful yacht Euphemia II. This yacht was the inspiration for my purchase of Nonchalant.

Ananda is a 32 foot Tri cabin cruiser built in Everett, Washington by Peter Hansen and launched in 1932. I have cruised extensively on Ananda for the past three seasons covering over 1200 Nautical Miles each season. Last season I spent over 80 nights aboard. We have cruised the Salish sea from Victoria to Desolation…