The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and crew...

A fun day at Friday Harbor with the C-Brats! A discount and donuts at West Marine, boat inspections, lots of visiting, a potluck supper, and my first public "gig" in almost a year...

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/05/pot-luck.html

JimPlaying1e.jpg

MoreCDorysE.jpg

And a guest appearance by the Singing Andersons (see the blog).

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Some of us continued on with the gathering, taking it to Sidney on Vancouver Island...

GroupE.jpg

Weather changed the plans to go to Victoria afterwards. The rest of the group went on north, while we headed "home" to Friday Harbor...

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/05/catching-up.html

Best wishes,
Jim
 
First day at the new job...

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/05/ev ... chool.html

Got some hands-on on both boats, found some minke whales, bald eagles, a Stellar sea lion... and a lovely day on the water.

Heading off this morning (before getting company uniform)...

JRB2e.jpg

Should be an interesting summer. :D

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Jim,
Greetings from Telegraph Harbor on Thetis Is. Blowing a bit but WARM!!!

Sorry to hear about "work", must be tough -:)

Merv, Kathy & da dawgs.
 
Sure sounds like the new job & you are going to mesh well. One thing for sure we'er both going to see many whales & other wildlife this summer only you & Joan are just going to have more people invoved & make some money while we are clearly the opposite. The right job isn't work, so have fun.

Jay
 
Thanks, Merv and Kathy; don't feel too sorry for us - one day on and we are enjoying a day off. :wink:

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/05/day-off.html

------------------

Jay, my friend, I feel absolutely coddled after I read your posts. I am excited for you two that you are doing what you enjoy. When Joan reads your posts, she says, "Don't even think about it." :lol: Not a problem, we look for weather that is a bit tamer than what you've been experiencing.

That said, we have had our own ordeals to work through here... why just today, we had to wait almost 20 seconds before we got seated at a table in the sun, with a lovely view of Roche Harbor. And then, Joan made me eat half of her french fries when she couldn't finish them. I was pretty full, but determined.

I know it isn't going to last, but today was the nicest day we've seen since we arrived in Washington State: 71 degrees, sunny, and a nice breeze. Yes, I got to wear shorts. No bears to be seen on San Juan Island, but we did see a camel, some deer, and a bunch of alpacas and llamas... I was never concerned that one of them might eat me.

You two watch out for each other! Well, not that you should be concerned that Jo-Lee is going to do something to you, but you look after each other and keep an eye out for the stealthy bears. You know what I mean.

Best wishes,
Jim

RocheView2e.jpg
 
First day driving for the whale watch...

I had two trips today; saw Orcas on both trips! There is a lot more to it than just driving the boat... but what beautiful scenery and a great view of the whales from the flybridge!

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/05/my ... g-day.html

Wish I had photos to show you, but the company doesn't allow us to take photos while on the job. (Totally understandable when you know what all goes into this.)

The San Juan Islands are breath-taking, and the water could not have been more beautiful today.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
My first day as house husband...

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/05/house-husband.html

Joan's first day on the job, and I don't have a trip scheduled. Last year, we both put in some long hours. This year, I think she may be working more than I will... and I'm OK with that. 8)

Izzy and I will get some bonding time today. :cat

Best wishes,
Jim
 
During the Friday Harbor gathering, Roger on In Cahoots had a little "electric situation," with the plug on his 30 amp cable arcing. I met Ben from Friday Harbor Marine while he was working on Roger's boat. Fast forward a week or so, and we had exactly the same situation. Ben was out of the Smart Plugs over the holiday weekend and just got more in today. I have to say I didn't sleep well the past couple nights, having concern over that plug.

Not an inexpensive replacement, since the wiring from the plug in the cockpit back to the electrical panel had to be replaced, as well. That bit of wiring wasn't fried all the way back, but there was no extra wire... cut off a few inches, and you're a few inches too short. Now, there's a bit more wire to work with, if we need any kind of service on that in the future.

The burned plug...

ElecPlug1e.jpg

And the replacement...

ElecPlug2e.jpg

The new plug has a deeper connection and a positive lock; it sure looks like a "smarter" connection. We went 6 years with the other, never had an issue. Hopefully, this new one will go even longer.

Just a heads up - you might want to check your cable. Ours was fine... right up until it wasn't.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Been through this more than one time on several friends' boats.

The biggest culprit to this happening is corrosion. Keep those shore power contacts really clean. Buy some $1.39 "bulb grease" from Wal-mart and use it often on the contacts.

Why?
Salt water = corrosion
Corrosion = resistance
Resistance = heat
Heat = FIRE! :shock: :shock: (and melty-stuff)

In addition, it is good to have at least 10ga marine wire going from your 30A inlet to the AC panel - 12 just gets really marginal over time, especially if you have AC and heat. I've seen a basic marine air conditioner cause enough heat through 12ga wiring to melt the back-side of the inlet connection. There were complicating factors, but I'm just sayin'

Also have a fuse/breaker (per ABYC, IIRC) at least 7" from the inlet.

JMHO,
Ray
 
Jim,
I wonder how many people plug the shore power cable on the boat with the other end already connected and the power turned on? That will cause some arcing soon enough. :hot
D.D.
 
Jim,

:thup :thup :thup

Made the same adjustment over the Winter.

Being an electromechanoginomaniacal kind of guy by professional deformation I concluded that the smart plug was about 2 light years ahead of the crappy connection that normally comes with a boat. You can't do much about what the marina provides but at least having honest sized contacts and additional thermal protection at the boat end makes soooooo much sense.

Electrons are pretty damned (nearly) infallible but the metallic connections they need to travel from a to b are very unreliable, subject to salt water corrosion and poorly maintained in general.

It's the "simple" things that get ya!

Honked as we passed by FH at 16 Kts yesterday :smiled Keep yer eyes open on the AIS we might just creep up on you one of these days :D

Merv, Kathy Bella and one Patch who has discovered that you only get off one side of a boat at a dock :shock:
 
Grumpy":28s9jcvz said:
...
Merv, Kathy Bella and one Patch who has discovered that you only get off one side of a boat at a dock :shock:
Click to expand...

Ohhhh, did Patch get an up close and personal feel for how cold the water is?
 
Jim,

Yup! Patch now knows that he cannot walk on water. Nice dive though.
:thup

He was very subdued all day after that. We did manage to get him to chase a stick in the water a few days later so he was not totally traumatized.

M & K
 
Grumpy":35hih01s said:
Jim,

Yup! Patch now knows that he cannot walk on water. Nice dive though.
:thup
He was very subdued all day after that. We did manage to get him to chase a stick in the water a few days later so he was not totally traumatized.

M & K
Click to expand...

Sometimes it's good if they have a short memory. ;)

A drizzly day today, off and on. I got in some practice time, Joan worked in the office (before I went in) and then headed off on the big boat. If this keeps up, she may get more sea time than I will. :wink:

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/05/ma ... ctice.html

FoggyMornE.jpg

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Joan is working today; chilly and drizzy, resulting in only one boat going out today... bonus day off for me! And my computer is back from its trip to Apple repair, so I had plenty to keep me busy. I also met another potential C-Brat: my new friend Jim walked up to our boat and stopped; I could tell we'd be visiting. He just ordered a new 22 C-Dory! Of course, I asked if he knew about the C-Brats... he had heard of it, but hasn't been here. Hopefully, this visit will change that; I told him about all the great people and amazing knowledge base here.

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/06/li ... d-new.html

Never a shortage of folks to meet on the docks here.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Pulled into Friday Harbor yesterday just before lunch and asked if anyone knew where Jim B. was berthed. Finally just waked around until I found the CD25 with the portapotty out front. Jim tells me they no longer think it is a portapotty. But the dock wags hang around it discussing it and blocking his reception.

Jim was off for the day, so we had lunch with him and Joan. Great burger at Herb's Tavern....even though I am the same vintage and name, they did not think that was worth a discount.
 
It was a treat to see our friends, Herb, Wilma, and Jake the wonderdog! A bit of home, right here in Friday Harbor.

The way it actually went down: I had just gotten off work from some docking practice with the big boat. As I was walking back to the boat, I saw a golden that looked like Jake being walked by a couple who looked a lot like Herb and Wilma from the back. I shouted, "Hey, you can't walk that dog here without permit!" :twisted:

I was glad to see it was Herb and Wilma when they turned around! 8) After a leisurely lunch with the 4 of us, Joan had to go to work (her night to close), but I was invited to Happy Hour on Willie's Tug. Never a shortage of conversation when we get together. They got to hear me complain about being a workin' boy yet again... I know, I get paid to run fuel through someone else's boat to go look for whales - what's the downside of that? :wink:

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/06/bit-of-home.html

They visited us each summer when we were working in the Tetons... I think they just like to see if we're really working... and then rub it in that they're not!

We didn't get to see them today... they are on NO schedule, and I have an afternoon whale watch trip and an evening charter. And Joan went in early today, and will probably be there all day.

Thanks for sharing your time with us while you're in Friday Harbor, Herb & Wilma!

Best wishes,
Jim
 
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