Again!! SWALLOW drug her anchor even after I felt it was very well set - backed down and the bow swung strongly to the anchor. A few hours later strong gusts came up and after about an hour of this I noticed the mast of another boat where it shouldn't have been. SWALLOW had moved … Continue reading Drag …
Puget Sound winds during the 'boating season', mid-May through early September, are usually light and fairly consistent in their strength. The wind direction is consistent in that the direction is dictated by channels - the Sound being a large fjord. Over the past few weeks the winds have become more erratic in direction and gusty. … Continue reading Winter wind
Off and on for many years I've listened to a podcast by Dan Mattson called Hooked On Wooden Boats, "The world's only podcast fully dedicated to celebrating the Art, Craft, History, and Tradition of wooden boats!" I went back to listen recently and was disappointed to find he has discontinued the podcast ☹️. Over 200 … Continue reading Hooked on Wooden Boats
SWALLOW'S new Origo alcohol galley stove is working well. I'm learning how to cook again as it has a much cooler flame than butane and propane. My backpacking pans work just fine with the cooler alcohol flame. With propane and butane a diffuser is needed to keep from scorching and burning. So far the only … Continue reading Galley stove update
The cold and dry temps are now breaking into a wet and slightly more seasonal, 'chilly', normal temperatures. This pattern usually means a couple of days of wind, usually southerly, and rain followed by a day of calmer conditions. I spent one night on a buoy at Blake Island State Park. The next day at … Continue reading Weather timing
Damn it is cold for this time of year! A year ago I was doing touch-up paint and varnish on SWALLOW. This year it has been overcast, chilly-to-cold, and rainy. This unseasonably chilly and wet pattern starting in the late spring and really never changed. Yes it was warmer in August but not the usual … Continue reading Bundled up
I'm a member of a fair number of Facebook groups and Internet forums for liveaboards. These gatherings of folks are made up predominantly of non-liveaboards so it makes for some interesting perspectives on what living on a boat is like. Most liveaboards I personally know are 'mostly' on the boat 'most of the year'. I … Continue reading Liveaboard test
