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
I've used a butane cook stove on boats since 2007. They are easy to use, fairly foolproof and inexpensive. The butane fuel is easy to find. Their limiting issue is the gas is heavier than air and a hazard to use on a boat as butane sinks into the bilge becoming an explosion hazard. SWALLOW … Continue reading Galley upgrade
Weather and a few other things have sent me south to Puget Sound. The extended San Juan Islands gunkholing plan didn't work in part because the continued southerly winds make most of anchorages uncomfortable. I did spend enjoyable times at Parks Bay Shaw Island, Jones Island and Garrison Bay San Juan Island. A friend also … Continue reading Back into Puget Sound
Mother Nature seems to have flipped the switch that starts the transition from Summer to Fall. There is that 'feeling' in the air that says cooler and wetter days are coming. SWALLOW, Dave and Momma Kitty have returned to the US and are now in the San Juan Islands. Coming through customs was a non-event … Continue reading The weather change
