Almost out of the boat yard

It looks like our earliest launch date will be Monday. That will make for three weeks in the boat yard here in Astoria, Oregon.

Where has the time gone? New engines and sail-drives, modified Yanmar alternators (for external regulation), new fuel filtration systems, new fuel lines, new exhaust hoses, new engine control cables, new boot stripe, miscellaneous paint touch up, new bottom barrier coat, new anti-fouling paint, new propellers, wax and polish of topsides pretty much sums it up.

So we hope to launch on Monday if the weather cooperates.

Fishing on the Columbia River, USA

Fishing buddies Aaron and Kelley showing off a nice Coho Salmon caught on the Columbia River near Ilwaco, Washington, USA.


Dave with a nice 18 pound Chinook Salmon.

Boat Yard Birthday

Dave enjoying a surprise Birthday cake to celebrate his 39th birthday his 5th cruising birthday celebration. Thanks for the 'true' surprise Kathy!!!
Patrick Barry helps celebrate Dave's Birthday. We sailed across the South Pacific one the same time line as Paddy in 2006-2008 . We enjoyed Paddys' visit to Astoria and were treated to some fine champagne, freshly caught (by Paddy) King Salmon and Paddy even helped out with sanding the bottom of the boat to boot! Fun to see you Paddy! We hope we can share an anchorage with you before too long.
Sunset in Astoria, Oregon from the dry docked deck of LightSpeed.
Paddy with a freshly caught King Salmon.
Kathy making good progress sanding off the old boot stripe so we can adjust the waterline on LightSpeed and freshen her look at the same time. A big multi step job.
Work shop under LightSpeed. New Yanmar saildrive SD20 getting a 3 coats of grey primmer on the saildrive leg in preparation for anti-fouling paint.
LightSpeed and her Honda Prelude land dinghy.
Workshop set up under the protection of LightSpeeds' bridge deck. A great place to store materials, tools and work in the shade or out of the rain. Just a few of the benefits of catamaran ownership that no one ever mentions.
New Yanmar 3YM30 and Yanmar SD20 Saildrive just delivered and almost ready to install... except the engine was missing the flywheel dampener plate and the sialdrive was missing it's flexible mounting. UGH!
Kathy wearing her safety gear while sanding off the old boot stripe paint.
Kathy working hard with the sander.

Boat Yard week one

We hauled the boat on Monday and today, Saturday we can say we've made good progress.

Kathy washed and waxed the boat. That's 42' x 4 sides so a major job. Kathy also is making great progress on our project to adjust the waterline and boot stripe. Another big project that requires many many days of preparatory sanding.

I've been working on the prepwork for the new engines and saildrives. While I've had good access to the engine rooms sans engines, I've removed some unused through-hull fittings and old ground plates, A/C piping holes, etc. So lots of grinding, filling and fiberglassing. Less holes in the boat is good... less places she could leak. I also removed a old speed transducer and relocated the SSB radio ground plate. Both saildrives are out and the engine rooms are prepared for the new Yanmar SD20 drives. I'm installing new fuel lines and Racor fuel filters as well as new exhaust hose so lots of little odds and ends are accumulating on the boat and ready for install.

The Astoria Boat Yard is excellent. A well stocked marine chandlery is located within walking distance and historic downtown Astoria is a short bike ride away.

We met lots of really nice folks in the boat yard and scored a ride to Home Depot and Costco.

Tomorrow Kathy may have a ride to Newport to pick up our car.

We estimate about 7-10 more days until we are back in the water.

Port of Astoria, OR (Day 1)

Yanmar 2GM20FC out of the boat and ready for a new home. The engine is hanging on the main halyard and ready to be lowerd to the ground. I'm not looking very happy after a few hours in the cramped engine room wrenching on the engine for removal.
Astoria, Oregon where thick clouds seem to be the norm.
Awesome contrast.
A fishing boat on the next pier.
LightSpeed showing off her sheer and long bows.
Travel lift ready to haul. This lift at the Port of Astoria can take catamarans to 24 feet wide so our 23'-3" beam just slipped in.
LightSpeed from above.
This is a big and tall and wide lift. And a great deal at $273 for a round trip.


The Port of Astoria yard. Super nice staff. Attention to detail. Low cost. Awesome!


A huge pile of crab trap floats stored in the yard.


LightSpeed

LightSpeed out of the water

Kathy getting her bike ready to roll. Boat yard Port of Astoria, Oregon.
LightSpeed underway on land.

LightSpeed is out of the water.


Oh, the joys of living in the boat yard and working on the boat to come.

Astoria, Oregon

August 8, 2010 5PM
Day 1767
Position: 46°11'N 123°52' W
Location: Astoria, Oregon USA
Miles sailed year to date: 5977 nautical miles
Miles since day 1 in August 2005: 32,510 nautical miles

Astoria, Oregon is a major milestone and the culmination of over 5 months travel from the Caribbean and Belize.

We are hauling LightSpeed tomorrow to replace the starboard engine, install two new saildrives and two new Gori folding propellers. While we have the boat out to the water we'll also paint the bottom with new anti-fouling paint. It should be a few week project then onward to Puget Sound and British Columbia.

Red bouy #4 at the entrance to the Coulumba River Bar. Cape Disappointment is on the left, however it was no disappointment on this day as the bar was calm and tide flooding. Perfect conditions for crossing the bar.

A young sea lion basked on buoy #4 and barked a welcome greeting as we made the turn into the Columbia river. After nearly 6000 nautical miles of sailing this year we're starting to feel like we've arrived in the Pacific Northwest.LightSpeed tied up at the Port of Astoria travel lift. This is one of the best travel lifts values on the Westcoast and perhaps in the USA if you need a lift with a maximum beam capacity of 25'. At 23'-3" LightSpeed just fits.


A pretty nice summer day on the Oregon coast. This photo shows 3+ mile visibility a rare occurrence in the land of persistent fog.
Cape Falcon about 12 miles North of Tillamook, Oregon provides a decent anchorage in settled Northwest weather. We would have dropped the hook here, but the fog was so thick we opted to stop in Tillamook.

August 8, 2010 6AM
Day 1767
Position: 45°36'N 123°59' W
Underway from Tillamook, Oregon to Astoria, Oregon.

No fog this morning which is a nice change. NW wind at 15 knots is going to make our journey to the Columbia bar a little slower than planned and we'll just catch the bar at the end of the flood tide. The most important part of the bar crossing is making it on the flood tide. Once across the bar the tide will change and begin to ebb which will make the remaining 12nm to Astoria very very slow as the ebb current will be 4+ knots in some areas.

Additional phone number

Call us at: 425-954-SAIL
or
425-954-7245

or at our existing number 954-305-2703

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Tillamook, Oregon

After a super foggy day on the water we arrived in Tillamook, Oregon. Tomorrow we are headed for Astoria.

Idaho Cabin July 2010

Bruce enjoys the ride.
Andrew pointing to the rapid where his cousin Tim was thrashed by Three Devils rapids. Tim got thrown from his tube and then held captive by the rapid for quite a while, luckily it let him loose.
Bruce, Tim and Andrew ready to jump of the 'jumping rock' near Three Devils Rapids on the Clearwater river.
Kathy in the river after a jump of the jumping rock.
Dave taking a dive as Bruce and Tim prepare for their jumps.
Dave sitting on the porch of the 1950s Idaho cabin.
Andrew, Annie, Bruce, Jane and Tim.
Yearly picture at the cabin. Andrew, Bruce, Tim, Jane and Annie.
'Fancy' new outhouse at the Idaho cabin.
Dave and Pete work skin a log for the new cabin.
Pippi Annie.
Annie and Jane lead the charge at a cabin feast of hot dogs, baked bean, potato salad and water melon.
Jane, Annie and Tim pose at the Clearwater river beach in front of Dave and Kathys' water front accomodation.
Peter and Dinger navigate the Clearwater river on their kayak.
Kathy (sister) and Kathy (wife) escape the heat.
Tim, Dave and Annie ready for a water fight.
Kathy and Tim at the river.
Annie
Annie, Tim and Kathy at the Idaho cabin readying he fire for some S'mores.
Jane skinning some poles for the new cabin raining.
Tim and Jane helping uncle Dave start a fire.