Sailing With Josh

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“How do you run a stern-tie setup when you have limited working and storage space on board?” This is one of the questions I asked myself in fitting out my Flicka 20, Sampaguita, for Pacific Northwest expeditions. First, I’ll address what a stern-tie is, why you might need one, and the equipment involved. Second, I’ll review the specific issues I faced as a small boat owner and how I personally solved those… Read More

It was Day 15 of my 2017, “June on the Hook” expedition, in Sampaguita, my Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 sailboat, and a leisure day in Canada’s Vancouver, British Columbia. I was anchored in False Creek, and it was here that I considered the international affair of “the boaters’ gaze” and “the anchor stare.” In False Creek it is at its extreme. Most boaters do “the gaze” whether they admit it or not. Being… Read More

Approaching Nootka Sound It’s heady sailing to a place Captain Cook sailed to. Nootka Sound, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, was that place for me. When I left Port Langford on the north side of Nootka Island, headed south, I was undecided whether to go on the outside or inside. With the morning winds light, I headed for the inside. However, they picked up before I had gone very far, so… Read More

What is the most satisfying sailing experience for you? I would expect everyone to have a unique and personal answer. It might be an event or a particular place. Maybe it is weather dependent or a favorite companion. For some, it might be the exhilaration of racing, while others, the calmness of cruising. A few enjoy the zen of building or working on a boat. For me, it is a day of sailing… Read More

I was rinsing down the anchor gear on deck of Sampaguita, my 1985 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20, back in my home port when a dock mate walked by. He asked,” how much anchor rode is that?” “300 feet,” I replied. “Do you really need that much?” “Yes, if I anchor in 60 feet of water and I put out 5:1 scope, I do.” I have used all of it at times. In the… Read More

Sampaguita at rest in Dixie Cove Provincial Park in Kyuqout Sound.  Lyndon, Tiffany and I braved the Northwest rain-forest and climbed the bluff above the Dixie Cove to catch the view and see if we could receive the weather channel on the VHF radio. We succeeded in the climb, but not in the reception. We managed to get pretty earthy (read as dirty) in the process, but it was worth it. Xanadu… Read More

I sailed out of the Utsalady Bay anchorage at 9am with a light South wind and a waning flood tide. I sailed around the North end of Camano Island and beat my way down Saratoga Passage. The flood turned to ebb but the current was “weak and variable” in this area. Still, I made decent progress. As I approached Camano Island State Park, I got a lift from the wind as its… Read More

On Day 3, I went from Mats Mats to Port Townsend via the Port Townsend Canal and Port Hadlock.  I originally planned to take my time in leaving, but upon checking the current chart for the Port Townsend Canal, I realized it would change to a flood earlier than I originally expected. The VHF weather forecast also said it would be blowing 20-25 knots from the South which would have these two… Read More