Another one of those amazing things that happens when spending time on the water - whale spotting! I saw this humpback whale feeding near Tolvia Shoal south of Tacoma Narrows. It is rare to find humpbacks this far south in Puget Sound. It was inspiring to watch this giant creature calmly swimming through these inland … Continue reading Whale!
Being on a boat means being aware of weather under way and at a moorage. Each morning and evening I listen to the weather radio for the forecast and observations. Summer weather is very consistent in the Salish Sea (Gulf and San Juan Islands and Puget Sound). If there is wind, and usually from the … Continue reading Weather awareness
One of many reasons I purchased SWALLOW as my floating home is her woodstove. As the cold damp fall weather has settled in I've really liked having a source of dry heat. The woodstove's heat doesn't produce water as part of the combustion process like propane and alcohol heaters. When using the woodstove any condensation … Continue reading Dry heat
I experienced something that I didn't expect in Puget Sound - dolphins swimming in SWALLOW'S bow wave. YES! Dolphins in Puget Sound. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpk8DyTjWwu/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=7pygoiw52lg8 It seems there is a small group of Long-beaked Common Dolphins in South Puget Sound. Details - Unusual marine mammal sighting: long-beaked common dolphins This group is significantly out of the species … Continue reading Amazing day
As Fall's chill and damp intensifies my enthusiasm to explore decreases. This is because being cold and wet isn't fun when getting warm and dry is challenging. Warming my self isn't to difficult as I can eat, have a warm drink and snuggle with Momma Kitty. Drying things that get wet is more challenging as … Continue reading Just floating
For the past couple of weeks I've been gunkholing my way south. Gunkholing is a boating term referring to a type of cruising in shallow or shoal water, meandering from place to place, spending the nights in coves. The term refers to the gunk, or mud, typical of the creeks, coves, marshes, sloughs, and rivers … Continue reading Gunkholing
I try to be 'off the grid' ... but not having Internet access may be the hardest part (for me). I do use a smartphone and access the www often. Many things these days cannot be done without access to web and it is close to impossible to find a payphone. I've found I can … Continue reading Cellphone coverage
