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What we found that worked when the windows didn't want to open: push them forward (as when you're closing them), then squeeze in the latch to open. Sounds counter-intuitive, but it seems to break the "seal" from the gunk in the windows. Once you get the window open, clean the track thoroughly...

Wow! I thought about that situation when we were there in September one year... still hot, so we spent the night in the shade of a cliff. Amazing that someone caught that with a camera.

Trying not to belabor the facts, but my last year of driving commercial whale watch boats, the SRKW were rarely in that "protection zone" along the west side of San Juan Island. And when the timing was right that they were in that area, they were just passing through. I made far more trips to...

Five years of driving commercial whale watch boats, just for a reference. "All the salmon" probably means different things to different people (or Orcas): the number of salmon out there is significantly down from years past. The Southern Resident Killer Whales (the salmon eaters) are in a...

With each move we've made in the years we've been married, it seemed we were always looking for what the area we were in didn't have. If you live in the farmlands, you want the mounatins; live in the mountains, you want the beach; live at the beach, you want the dry desert. One thing we...

2013. A fire started in Downriggers Restaurant. The office of the whale watch company we worked for was right underneath the restaurant. The business owner, Joan, and I were the first ones back into the building when the Fire Department allowed it, to retrieve business items. The building...

The trip to Princess Louisa Inlet is spectacular! When we went there, we were working our way to Desolation Sound and not on any schedule. That said, rather than the most efficient, consider what might be the most interesting: if you haven't been through the Gulf Islands, there are some great...

On most of the boats I've owned, the steering got stiffer with speed. Try trimming the motor up (or down) to find the most efficient fuel burn, and that seemed to give me the most comfortable steering, as well.

The difference between birth and berth is just as important for a mariner to know as the difference between winch and wench.

If the iPad is “Wifi Only,” it doesn’t have a GPS in it. If it is “Wifi and Cellular,” it does have a GPS in it.

Harvey, I think you misunderstood sosobol - the iPads that are “Cellular Capable” do NOT depend on a cell signal for receiving GPS. The GPS receiver is built INTO the cell chip. Every iPad we have purchased (6 as of now) has been cellular capable, and not once have any of them been connected...

Good morning, Bud. It is just over 27 miles from Squalicum Harbor to the Port of Friday Harbor... so, of course, the answer is: it depends. Weather and water conditions are a significant factor. Bellingham Bay seems to frequently be lumpy. Crossing Rosario Strait can be flat or ugly...

Local knowledge recommended. :wink:

I had to chuckle while reading the original post. A lot of us go through that "accumulation stage" (some never get beyond it), where bigger must be better, right? I have a couple suggestions: the two of you should sit down and make a list of what are the MUST HAVES for the next boat. Not the...

We used to divide our time between South Dakota and Texas. For a lot of years, both places were "home." Boating (and especially anchoring) in the Tropical Tip is unique. Over the years, we have had a variety of sailboats and powerboats here. I can't say I've tried to do what you are going...

We put a Nicro solar vent fan in the hatch over the v-berth. Silver bubble insulation in the windows. It made a difference whether here in the Tropical Tip or in the Pacific Northwest. Due to the potential for blowing sand and grit, I was not keen on leaving a hatch or window cracked unless...

Hi C-Sniper. We had a CD-25 and our home waters are the same as yours. I have seen your boat on the hard on the island and at Bayside Marine. We have anchored many times in the Laguna Madre and Barracuda Cove over the years. Here's what worked for us: a Delta Fast Set anchor (22 pound) and...

Old? Here's another Sam Landsman story: Joan and I were walking on the walkway that goes by the Cap Sante Marina. We passed by a young man walking by himself. He then came up behind us and asked, "Are you Jim and Joan from Wild Blue? I'm Sam." "Sam...?" I figured he might be the kid of...

Another who used the Hypervent under the mattress, the foam backpacker pads on the sides of the hull - from the bottom edge of the mattress to the shelf (in the CD-25), and a solar vent cut into the v-berth hatch. The foam on the sides was also nice if you happened to "back into" the...

I posted the link earlier in this thread.