Abusow's on the Boat

Cathy & Alex, along with grandson Nathan, joined us on Dorian I in mid August for about 10 days. The cruising took us to Squirrel Cove, Grace Harbour, and Rebecca Spit. Great weather made the time very pleasant although we did suffer ongoing water ingress problems and drivetrain issues caused by hitting an unseen submerged buoy in Squirrel Cove.  There was a lot of Red Tide bloom throughout Desolation Sound, so no clams or oysters were eaten.

Nathan after a swim in Squirrel Cove

Gloria, Cathy and Nathan launching the dinghy in Squirrel Cove

Nathan dressing in Squirrel Cove

Yup, that's a jellyfish in Nathan's hands

Rowing in Grace Harbour

Escaping the heat in Grace Harbour

Red Tide bloom

Evening at Rebecca Spit

A Nice Weekend.

Kelly Rowing in Squirrel Cove.

Richard Rowing Josie around Squirrel Cove.

While we had Richard, Judy, Kelly and Josie visiting in Campbell River we decided to jump on the boat and go out for a couple of days. A nice run over to Squirrel Cove was capped by a gorgeous evening.

 The next morning we hauled anchor and headed up and around the top end of Cortes Island on our way to Von Donop Inlet.

Kelly in a Rush to go Somewhere...

 Along the way a Salmon was caught amid much excitement! Dinner would be special that night! Richard was at the helm much of the time - he's a natural.

A rather Strange Boat we Encountered.

First Salmon Caught by us on Dorian I

Josie Jumping at Von Donop Inlet

Richard about to Jump in Von Donop Inlet

Kelly & Richard in the water at Von Donop Inlet

Von Donop is always a delightful place to anchor, and this time was no exception. The water was warm and clear, so swimming was a major part of the activities.

Kelly Diving in at Von Donop Inlet

During our run back to Campbell the next day the rods were out but nothing was caught that didn't bark. (I.e., only Dogfish.) Josie did a lot of the steering.

Douglas & Sherry Enjoy the Boat for the First Time.

Douglas & Sherry out for a row.

Douglas & Sherry exploring the beach in Squirrel Cove.

Although they are equal partners in Dorian I, they had not actually seen it! Finally on July 18 2010 they set foot on her, we provisioned her, and were on our way the next day...

About to Head into Pendrell Sound.

Deploying the Stern Line in Pendrell Sound.

Stern Tied in Pendrell Sound

Douglas Enjoying the Bow

Brothers

Conrad Sailing in Grace Harbour

"The Sky is Falling" in Grace Harbour.

Party on! (And Sherry it's okay to smile!)

Somebody Needs a Hug.

Conrad sailing in Von Donop Inlet.

Douglas & Sherry out for an Evening Row in Von Donop Inlet.

Fun was had by all, we had perfect weather, and visited some very pleasant coves.

Delivering Dorian I to Campbell River in Prep for the Summer

Don & Christine at the dock in Maple Bay

Anchored at Hardy Island

Don having morning coffee at Hardy Island

We decided that our summer 2010 cruising would be primarily out of Campbell River, as the Gulf Islands tend to be quite crowded in July and August. To that end, good friends Don & Christine offered to assist in the delivery, as it would be at least two days to complete the trip. Unfortunately Christine was unavoidably detained so it was up to Don & I to take the boat up.  Leaving on July 14th, we overnighted in Hardy Island Marine Park and Squirrel Cove, arriving in Campbell River on the 16th. Good anchorages and weather all the way. Not sure if Don is a converted mariner yet though!

Mooching geese at Squirrel Cove

Sunset at Campbell River

Conover Cove - Wallace Island

Entrance to Conover Cove.

At the dock with Don inspecting.

One place that is delightful  to visit is Conover Cove on Wallace Island. We'd attempted to explore it a couple of times in the past but always found it overcrowded, so a warm day in February  seemed to be the perfect day to poke our bow in for another attempt. It was empty! The photos here show how beautiful it is; I don't know much about the history of Wallace Island although it appears to have been quite a thriving place in the past. One point of interest is what I call the "House of Signs", where many visiting boaters created and placed signs relating to their families and vessels. One note: there are no vehicles on the island.

The &^%$#$& Hot Water Tank

Down this hatch to eventually get to the hot water tank.

An immediate right turn (to port) starts the journey to the hot water  tank. 

Way down there at the end behind everything is the old hot water tank.

This is all that Don saw of Conrad for three days.

The old tank out and resting in the cockpit. The rusted piece is all that remained of the tank bottom.

The tank is gone but not the rust.

Cleaned up and ready for the new tank.

Don prepping the tank.

The new tank in place and all buttoned up!

The old tank is gone, although it did put up a struggle. What a mess - it's base had completely corroded away so there were shards of rust everywhere. It came out in about three hours, by the time the water bladder was disconnected and removed, the bulkhead was dismantled and removed, and the piping was all disconnected. And of course the tank itself had to be manhandled out. The new one, on the other hand, took two days to install. All of this in a tight little cubbyhole that one (that would be me) had to enter via dropping down a hatch, crawling over to the hull, around a corner, and down a stretch before encountering the object of my affection. Words were spoken, although the noise of the fan drowned out most of my verbal creations. My friend Don was a Godsend in that he was managing everything above the hatch - prepping the new tank, handing down tools etc. and providing advice and moral support.

Our new Pudgy

On May 8 2010 I actually saw our new dinghy for the first time - and she's a beaut! She was on display at the annual Independent Marine  Swap Meet in Coombs where the comments were "what a well thought out dinghy" and "what sweet lines" and the like. Anyway, here are some photos to show her off - better images will be provided once we actually get her in the water.

The photos show the sail rig etc, laid out just before I packed it away in the storage compartment of the dinghy - which is the transom opening shown in the last photo. It fit handily with room to spare.