Enough of these winters on the boat

We really enjoyed the first two winters on Bateau as things were new and the winds didn't really take away from the fun. However the last winter (2007-2008) was a bit much for us. We decided to spend only the falls and springs on the boat. Sorry to say even the blog writing went by the wayside. For a long time the pictures have been ready but no words have been put to them. This will be much more brief than Pete's writing style but I guess it's better than nothing. Maybe once he sees this he'll want to re-write it.

For those of you that have been following our journeys it will not be news that our Autohelm was acting up this spring to the point that we could not trust it to steer the boat any longer. We knew it needed to be replaced. Ours was so old that people laughed at us when we brought it in to get repaired so we resigned ourselves to having to purchase a new one and install it. Fortunately technology has improved substantially since the old one was put on Bateau. We ordered over the internet and got a really good price. I don't remember what but I think it was about $500.

Pete was really busy with the landscape business and he didn't want to be on the boat while a major equipment upgrade was going on so we decided I would fly out a week or 10 days before he would drive out. We had invited Gail and Dave Allen to go for a trip with us on Bateau. I think they were to arrive on the 1st of October so I thing I flew in to Naniamo around the 20th. I had with me a rather large box containing everything I thought I would need for the upgrade.

The top thing which says "AUTO 270" is the new control panel which was mounted in the cockpit port of the companionway (to the left of the door). It allows us to control the Autohelm. The bottom gray box is the computer which is the brains to control everything. It got mounted in the Starboard locker. The black thing that kinda has an arm on it is the rudder angle indicator transducer. It got mounted to the whatsit which connects the rudder to the helm. I'm sure there is a nautical name but I don't know it. The bottom black thing is actually a magnetic compass which had to be mounted away from ferrous metals and any electrical. I decided a goo place for it was in the starboard storage locker where we keep dry goods. The gray circle thing on the wheel is the drive which actually steers the boat according to the computer. All the wiring and connectors and computer wiring and all sorts of other stuff had to be modified. I think it took me about 5 days.

Luckily Heather and Marv had me over for dinner (and wine) on several occasions. I also went on a few hikes by myself but missed my honey.

A added bonus was this wireless control which allows us to steer from any location on the boat. It has a little holder which was mounted to the GPS stand. It turned out to be a pretty good system. It didn't work 100% the way I wanted it to but this system would allow us to plot a course on the GPS and the autohelm would follow it. With the old system we would have to keep an eye on the course and make corrections. This system will make the corrections for us, reducing trip time and allowing us to do other stuff while on long tracks like reading, cooking, eating or cleaning. We just have to keep an eye out for other boats and dead heads (big floating logs which go BUMP if you hit them).

Meanwhile Pete was working in cold Calgary and caught a cold. He was not a happy boy and there was not much I could do for him.

Gail and Dave arrived on the 1st but Pete couldn't get away and was delayed until the 3rd. But when he arrived everything was ready to go. So go we did, from Ladysmith to Conover Cove on Wallace Island.


 Those of you who know us also know that we have spent plenty of time in Conover Cove. It is a protected little cove on the Southwest side of the Island. All but a small portion of the island is part of the Gulf Island National Park Reserve. It used to be a resort so there are assorted abandoned structures, infrastructure and roads to explore. Also, in October no one comes to collect moorage fees so the dock is free. We like that.
Somebody must have left some roses as a memorium, we guessed.
Lunch in the cockpit.
Dave is checking out the park information.

We have a book on board called "Once Upon an Island, by David Conover." Conover cove is named after him. He and his wife, from California, Bought the island and almost died trying to make a resort out of nothing. The did succeed. Dave spent a lot of time reading that book cover to cover. It must have meant more knowing that we were moored in the cove that the book was about.
This is Gail posing in front of an old tree on one of our hikes. The tree is so infested with bugs and grubs the the wood peckers have carved big holes in it so they can eat. YUMMM! Grubs!
Another shot of Gail and Dave on one of our hikes
Pete by a gnarly old Arbutus tree on the South end of the island.
I think this is a Douglas Fir on the South end of the island. Gail wanted to paint it from a photo. I don't know if she ever did.
Gail beside that tree.
This is a picture of Bateau at the dock with another boat. There is also another boat anchored and stern-tied in the cove.
I'm not sure of the events between this day (2007-10-08) and our last day at Conover cove with Gail and Dave. But here we are at the Naniamo River Fish Hatchery. These long wooden pipes actually bring water from higher up the river to the Naniamo pulp and paper mill. They are very big and we assume they carry a lot of water. It's surprising how much water must be used to make paper. I bet it doesn't re-enter the environment as clean as when it is taken from the river.
There are many beautiful little reservoirs throughout the fish hatchery area. This one has a little bridge at its mouth.
Another pretty shot. Everything is still green, even in October.
Pete is standing on a bridge over a fish ladder up to one of the reservoirs.
This is a view of the fish ladder from below. Each tier allows the fish to jump up one level and then to rest before proceeding up to the next level and finally back into the river.
A nice photo of clean and tidy Bateau du Vent. I'm guessing that it was crappy outside but nice and warm and dry inside... which oftentimes is  the case in October.

This is taken on the 7th of October. The reason I'm guessing it was crappy outside is from this snap of the weather radar. We would be just south of Nanaimo where the greens and yellows indicate pretty heavy rain. It was probably windy too. It's nice to stay down below and watch movies when the weather is crappy like this.

This is the 13th of October. Although we don't have a record on our logs, we went back to Montague Harbour, probably via Pirates Cove and/or Conover Cove. Always nice to see a friendly neighbourhood blue heron on the dock. Beautiful, majestic birds but boy do the ever make an awful noise.
Pete on the beach at Montague Harbour. Nice sunny day.
The crescent beach at Montague. I think it would be a perfect sun beach in the summer. Maybe one day we'll find out.
A sky taxi landing in Montague. They are quite common here, the fastest way to get anywhere in the islands.
Before we leave Bateau we always check her zincs. They protect the metal parts under the water line from electrical degradation caused by salt water. On the left are the new shiny zincs. On the right are the old ones. They seem to last about a year.

Well that's it for Fall 2007. Back to Calgary for the winter.

See you in the spring.