Sailing With Josh

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My landlubber friends sometimes snicker at me when I ride my folding bike. I hope it’s the bike that is drawing the attention. When compared to a conventional one, the proportions are all wrong. The wheels are small like a BMX bike, but the frame is trying to be adult-sized, with high-rise extensions for the handlebars and the seat. That’s why I have taken to calling it the Circus Bike. However, I… Read More

Hi, thank you for stopping by. I have an article, “Life in 240 Inches, Living Aboard A Flicka” published in the northwest sailing magazine, 48ºNorth. Special thanks to editor Joe Cline and the Northwest Maritime Center for giving it a go.

Sampaguita is the name of my 1985 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. She had that name before I ever met her. Who am I to change a 28-year-old’s name? Admittedly, I did not know what it meant before I met her and it turns out, very few Americans are hip to it’s meaning. Sampaguita is the common name for Jasminum sambac (Arabian jasmine) in the Philippines. It is their national flower. Apparently, it… 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

If you are interested in more information about the Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 sailboat beyond what this blog has to offer, check out the following links. There are some great pictures, specs, reviews, articles, newsletters and more. http://www.flicka20.com Tom Davison and Dennis Pratt have published a newsletter called Flicka Friends since 1995 that provides a plethora of information about Flickas and their travels. http://www.flicka20.com/flicka-newsletters Tom was gracious enough to reproduce my “June on the Hook 2017… Read More

Ramsay Hot Springs. I’ve been here before, but it was well worth the return. Plus, it had been almost 2 weeks since my last shower. It was a two night anchorage as I planned a rest day here also. The first night I went in at 9pm and got the place all to myself, which is mostly a lucky break. I got to do a bit of au natural. The second night… 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 spent two nights in Port McNeill waiting out the weather at the Government dock and on a walk I saw an enormous nursery stump in someones yard. It was the largest I had ever seen. When I say nursery stump, I mean that they planted their own flowers in it. I provisioned on some fresh foods and was anxious to get underway. It is a bit of an odd town of… Read More

Not much time for blogging on the go. Taking care of the boat and myself takes everything. I’m in Westview, BC, my first rest stop in a week. My goal is to circumnavigate Vancouver Island. There are no guarantees, and many potential pitfalls. My first night at a dock. I ducked in here to get out of the mighty Northwest winds. I beat up Malaspina Strait yesterday against them, with current against… Read More

I replaced the neoprene/epdm seal on the removable cockpit sole lid. This lid exists to access the inboard motor of Pacific Seacraft sailboats. Since I have an outboard, this space is for storage. The previous neoprene seal was completely compressed and the lid was bottoming out on the base.  I replaced the seal with a 1″ wide and 3/8″ thick neoprene /epdm blend strip, which is about as thick as I could… Read More