Backeddy Resort & Marina, located in the small community of Egmont on British Columbia’s north Sechelt Peninsula, is known for being a small, quiet and relaxing marina. But, there were a couple of other reasons for our two-night visit last summer. First, it made for a perfect location to time our departure and arrival at Malibu Rapids before…
It’s the time of year when boaters up and down the West Coast are looking forward to the cruising season and preparing to head out for one- or two–week trips, or for a summer of extended cruising, and they are establishing their to-do lists. If you’re one of those boaters, what should be on your list?…
Most windlasses will appreciate an occasional cleaning and lube. This doesn’t require major surgery but is basic field-stripping that anyone can do. Use the type of grease recommended in the owner’s manual (if you’ve misplaced it chances are you can download one from the manufacturer’s website), and be careful to keep friction clutches and brakes…
The Broughtons are a beautiful cruising ground located at the north end of Johnstone Strait. Rich in history, with an abundance of protected anchorages within a maze of islands, islets, passages and tidal rapids which has much to offer the adventurous cruiser. Over the years of our exploring the Broughtons, we have established a list…
Transducer mounded on fairing block for best performance. Hidden below the waterline, the transducers are the eyes of our depth sounders and fish finders. They rarely cross our minds until the boat is hauled and we see them protruding from the hull or suspended from the transom. The fact that we can treat them…
In need of a quick escape? Or maybe, you want to take the boat out on a sea trial? Vendovi Island Preserve, a 217-acre island located seven miles north of Anacortes between Guemes and Lummi Islands, south of Bellingham Bay is the perfect day cruising getaway. The Island is a portion of the San Juan…
It’s time to gear up for another memorable season on the water. In the spring rush to get the boat ready, it’s tempting to paint the bottom and get back to cruising again. But to do so without a thorough inspection can be an invitation for trouble. The extra hours that it takes to inspect…
There are so many anchorages to explore that it would take more than a lifetime to visit them all. But with cooler weather affecting us much of the year it only makes sense to have an adequate heating system aboard to extend the cruising season. Now that we have discussed the basics and the types…
The Pacific Northwest is one of the premier cruising destinations in the world, and for good reason. There are so many anchorages and small coves to explore that it would take more than a lifetime to explore them all. So to see as many of them as possible in your lifetime, you have to extend…
As we traversed Commencement Bay, headed for Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway, I kept thinking about when I was a young boy, and our family took Sunday drives to Tacoma to visit relatives. As we approached the tide flats, the car would fill with a stench. The challenge was to hold your breath long enough to…
Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, located on the northeastern side of Vancouver Island, is attractive to boaters as an opportunity to go ashore and stretch their sea legs or load up with provisioning as they travel en route to points north or returning home. For many, Alert Bay, known as the home of the killer…
Have you ever visited a destination and after a couple of days you just don’t want to leave? Where the service is second to none and the people operating the marina love what they do. We had such an experience when we visited Genoa Bay Marina, British Columbia the first time in the summer of…
The beautiful cruising waters of South Puget Sound, south of The Narrows, has so much to offer Pacific Northwest boaters, with its 10 Washington State Parks with saltwater access, secluded anchorages, and large full-service marinas. Some of our favorite South Sound places to visit don’t fit in any of these categories. They are small privately…
A freshly caught salmon on the barbecue or a pot heavy with crab or prawns are what fulfills many Northwest boater’s dreams. Add to that discovering a beach full of clams, mussels or tasty oysters and the cruising life doesn’t get much better. Whether you favor Dungeness crab, fresh-caught salmon or lingcod, mussels or oysters,…
The summer sun is beating down on a deliriously lovely tongue of white sand, warming our bare feet. We walk the mile-long half-moon shaped beach; the turquoise waters roll ashore at a relaxing rhythm. It’s easy to imagine we are visiting an atoll somewhere in the South Pacific, but no. We are one mile north…
The belts that provide life support to your engine’s accessories, the alternator, auxiliary alternator, raw water pump, and circulator pump will typically provide reliable, trouble-free service, provided they are properly maintained and replaced on a regular schedule. Many boaters neglect this all too important system. A broken belt is always bad news because when it…
Suffering from a bad case of cabin fever, Arlene and I were in serious need of a spring boat trip, but the weather was predicted for more of the same – overcast sky, 20 to 25 kt. wind. So, with a few hours of break in the wind, we jumped aboard Easy Goin’ and set…
In the spring we are all in a rush to get the boat in the water, and it’s tempting to launch the boat or paint the bottom and get back to cruising again. But, to do so without a thorough hull inspection can be an invitation for trouble. Begin your hull inspection by checking for…
With the immense wealth of memorable and enjoyable cruising destinations within The San Juan Islands, it can be difficult to narrow down to which island to visit. But our decision was made easy when Arlene, suggested someplace peaceful and scenic, with hiking and plenty of wildlife. It still didn’t narrow our choices too much, and…
Since the year 2000, most new boats have come equipped with shaft seals that require no packing, but inboard powered boats built before then have traditional stuffing boxes with packing. All stuffing boxes work on the same basic principle: Rings of special wax-impregnated flax packing are wrapped snugly around the prop shaft and stuffed into…