super sabrina to the rescue. not too many dentists around that you can call friday and get to see sat morning. tooth feeling much better tnx # bailouts: GM wants 16 Billion before March 09. Proposed Canadian coalition govt bailout for all of Canada: 30 billion. hmmm # 7 weeks without parlaiment. what will cbc … Continue reading BigSnit Tweets for Today: 2009-04-03
Sore from crawling around under Madsu (on trailer) getting set to slide her into the water next weekend. Got my new HSB parking passes !!
oh yum. brand new dual spinlock rope clutches for madsu’s coach top – fine UK workmanship, to clean up my line handling in the cockpit
Evidence of spring: dandelion in front yard, new Cannondale bike for MB from Bicycle Sport Pacific, recharging fire extinguishers on Madsu
But who’s counting. My little sailboat Madsu will be back in the water in 63 days. I was in Horseshoe Bay on other business today and took a walk down the dock. It’s a very different feel this time of year, the docks deserted and today, wet from a light snow fall. Yet as soon … Continue reading Sixty Three Days
It’s white with snow all over the lower mainland, and that makes for a lovely break from the grey. After a morning of snowboarding I started going through some photos I took in Sydney a few years ago. Maybe because my sailboat Madsu is tucked away out of the water and undercover for the winter, … Continue reading Meanwhile Down Under
The answer is simple. Cruising with Madsu on a typical BC summer day. It’s possible it gets better than this, but I doubt it Get the Flash Player to see this content. A little reminder of what to expect (again) in just a few months. And really just an excuse for me to futz with … Continue reading How Long Is Summer ?
I’ve been pretty smug about my low carbon recreational footprint. My little sailboat Madsu does have an auxiliary outboard motor, but it’s only on for a short period of time while I motor in and out of the docks at Horseshoe Bay. The rest of the time, Madsu is under sail. I do have the … Continue reading Sailing to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
A couple of weeks ago I made what I thought was an innocuous remark about river otters at the marina and the various ways boat owners have chosen to keep them off their vessels. River Otters use their scat and urine to mark their territory, and once they find a spot they ‘like’, they return … Continue reading The Otters Revenge
The title of a 1975 album by Supertramp has absolutely nothing to do with the current financial meltdown. But the phrase (also from the movie Day of the Jackal) is my favourite response when things get testy. With every news report laden with the latest stories on the financial crisis, and an election campaign both … Continue reading Crisis? What Crisis?
What a difference a couple of days make. This is the last weekend of summer, and to make sure we get the picture, the sky turned heavy overcast with, yes, some rain today. Walking to the marina ramp, I was stopped by a tourist who was looking out at Horseshoe Bay. “I guess it looks … Continue reading CBC Radio One – Not for Otters
Even though I’ve lived in Vancouver since 1987, I’m still a prairie boy at heart. And the prairie boy in me still finds it amazing to be able to head over to the dock after work, go out for a sail, and still be home for dinner. That’s precisely what I did today. Though I … Continue reading Screw Heading to the Pub
Saying goodbye to August with an afternoon on Madsu in Howe Sound. Plenty of puffs interspersed with dead spots made for a challenging hopscotch across the sound.
We had every intention of getting up early today and doing a circumnavigation of Bowen Island. But given that this is the last weekend before school starts, we decided to let the boys sleep in. So we got a late morning start on the boat, and managed to catch some nice in-flow breeze in Howe … Continue reading Summer Never Ends
When I put Madsu in the water this spring, I challenged myself to get in as many full moon sails as I could this summer. The weather has been super cooperative – with another clear night last night (August 16th) for my third full moon sail this summer (see June and July). It was one … Continue reading August Full Moon Sail
It’s a bit convoluted, but while sailing this morning I was also using the sun to charge my mobile. There’s something magic about silently ghosting along under sail – added bonus is charging batteries at the same time. On a sailboat, you typically charge up your batteries while using the engine. Just like in your … Continue reading Solar Charging My Mobile Phone
Garnet and I had an incredible day on the water Saturday. We sailed Madsu from Horseshoe Bay at Granville Island and back, all for the sake of a little lunch in the market. We logged about 27 miles on the trip there and back, all but 5 of them under sail. It was one of … Continue reading Albertan Makes My Day and other Stories from the Coast
Sometimes things just line up right. Pushing aside the fear I may be turning into a big softie, I’ll just go ahead and say it. We had an incredible, magic day on the water. Madsu is ship-shape after a spring of upgrades/fixes and it’s a real pleasure to see and feel the difference every time … Continue reading Mannion Bay Lunch Hook
Some of my fondest memories of sailing the west coast were as crew on board a Spencer 51 owned by brothers Ian and Colin Morse. We did a lot of night sailing and those cruises under the full moon in the Straight of Georgia will be etched in my mind for a long time. They … Continue reading Hot Moon Cruise
I’m really liking having Madsu moored at Sewell’s in Horseshoe Bay. The downside is that the slip is tight and there’s ferry wash, but its not really a big deal. An extra spring line seems to be handling the turbulent wash all right, and a tight slip is just good practice. The great thing is … Continue reading Howe Sound Perfection
There’s something magic about living in Vancouver, and it’s easy to forget what an amazing place this is. This morning I got up and took transit from North Vancouver to Richmond. One transfer and an hour later, I was sitting on the deck of Madsu at Skyline Marina on the Fraser River in Richmond. I … Continue reading A River Runs Through It