Archives
Our route in Mapshare The total: June 26-Sept. 26, 2019 The refit: June 26-July 16 (21 days) The voyage: July 17-Sept. 26, 2019 (72 days) St. John’s, Newfoundland, CA to Port Townsend, Washington, USA, via Greenland and the Northwest Passage. The miles: 6658(ish) Nautical Miles The boat: Breskell – an old timey, lo-tech, cold-molded sled What is next for me? A million dollar question! But no worries….things have a way…..
Another Resourceful Sailor Series article dropped on Latitude 38‘s online magazine, ‘Lectronic Latitude, on August 5th while I was away transiting the Northwest Passage aboard S/V Breskell. It’s called Sacrificial Sliding Hatch. It’s about a quick fix (band-aid) for the erosion that can occur on a Flicka 20 hatch over the decades. Thanks to Tim Henry for the publication(his name mistakenly appears as the author.) Click Here for a link to the article. … Read More
Small Boats – Big Adventures “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. “The Stern-Tie Setup,” published in the July-August 2019 issue of Small Craft Advisor, No. 118., explains how I answered this question. A special thanks to the staff at SCA and Duckworks. To… Read More
As the summertime approaches in the Pacific Northwest, I am reminded of my first Canadian single-handing expedition in Sampaguita, a 1985 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20, to the Sunshine Coast. I had read about the cruising destination of Princess Louisa Inlet and fancied a look for myself. There are memories of stopovers, excursions, wildlife, people, sights, and sailing that have flooded back. Upon reviewing the photos, only a fraction of which are… Read More
When other boaters learn that I live on a 1985 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20, a 20-foot sailboat, they tend to raise their eyebrows. For the record, it’s not a stunt. The answer to the title is simple. I could not justify the expense of renting an apartment, marina fees, and paying for a boat’s upkeep. None of those could be considered an investment with the hope of monetary return. I was on the… Read More
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




