Alyeska 2007

Annual Haul Out

October 29, 2006

Last past week was Alyeska's annual haul out, which in this case was an 18 month haul out. Instead of making the trek back to Port Alberni she was hauled out in Sidney, BC, adjacent to the marina where we are staying for a couple of months.

The yard cleaned and painted the bottom, changed some zincs, emptied the waste oil tank, filled the new oil tank, greased and cleaned the prop, changed the main gear oil and filter, and touched up a few paint spots on the house.

Our surveyor and good friend David flew in from Toronto for the week to help with a number of other maintenance tasks. David (with a LITTLE help from me) repaired the stack damper, fixed an annoying stack vibration, overhauled the Maxwell anchor winch, overhauled the Smith anchor winch, replaced a support bracket on the hot water tank, cleaned the flame tubes on the diesel boiler, sent the spare 250 amp alternator off for rebuild, cleaned and polished the boot stripe, cleaned and primed the emergency hydraulic pump, cleaned the bow thruster compartment, and cleaned and painted the anchor locker. Needless to say, David was a great help, and made the week of work MUCH more pleasant.

Alyeska is now back in the water and ready for another year of cruising.

Lenni Update #2

October 24, 2006

Lenni's nose continues to heal nicely. She is enjoying being able to breath freely and is spending a lot of time sniffing everything in sight!

Lenni Update

October 18, 2006

We've completed our trip south for the winter, arriving in Sydney to spend the next two months at Van Isle Marina.

Last week we had quite a scare with Lenni when she was diagnosed with a nasal tumor/mass. She had been sick for a few weeks, so when we arrived south, we immediately took her to the vet for evaluation.

She had successful surgery last Thursday to remove a benign mass that had been blocking her nose. She is now home resting comfortably. We are quite relieved and happy to have her home.

The pictures are of Carol and Lenni on an outing just before surgery and of Lenni back on Alyeska recuperating on her bed.

Our Last Night On The Hook

October 2, 2006

Tonight is our last night on the hook, as we head back into civilization tomorrow. We are in Thurston Marine Park, Cameleon Harbor, and fall is definitely in the air. The trees here are starting to turn the brilliant fall colors and the night air is crisp and cool. We saw a beautiful moonrise at anchor. We have been "on the hook" for 77 nights this year, and will now go back to the marina life for the fall and winter.

A Perfect Day - Part Two

October 2, 2006

These two pictures are for Vicki....

A Perfect Day

October 1, 2006

After a summer of constant rain, we were finally rewarded with what turned out to be the absolute best day of our entire cruising season. We are in Waddington Bay, located in the Broughton Island Group, British Columbia, and it is sunny and magnificent. David and Lenni had haircuts today, and Lenni went on three boat rides in Squirt. David cooked his world class BBQ ribs for dinner and we enjoyed all of this in a picture perfect setting. Quite a special day for all of us. Thanks Dick for the anchorage recommendation!