Sailaway Sarantium

I’ve had three frustrating but learned days! My brand new chartplotter stopped working three days ago while getting ready to pull anchor. Ugh😳 …. All good, I have charts❣️ My son, David, and I continued on our plan to find some wind! We had an amazing sail in and out of the USA and even had a call from Canadian Coast Guard regarding some missing paddle boarders. Hearing my boat name being hailed made me nervous as I immediately thought to myself “what did I do wrong now?”😃

Then the trouble shooting began! I checked for loose connections and blown fuses! Sure enough a fuse was blown! I replaced it, but the new one also blew! Ok, now there is a problem. So I researched and called around to get some advice! Two days of further trouble shooting and taking the chart potter to a marine store, no answers and I was still scratching my head! Someone said “try putting in a 5 amp fuse instead of the 3 amp”… so I did and it also blew. I must have gone through 5 fuses in total and cut and crimped and rewired cables five times. I’m getting good at using the heat gun and splicing wires! I think the unit is a lemon, so it’s going back on warranty luckily🤞🏼I’ve also traced every wire through walls, floors, helm and boat rails! It’s been an education! Now, it’s beer time🍻

Continue reading “Blowing fuses left, right and center!” →

…. brought us to Cadboro Bay, averaging 7 kn today. Tomorrow might be a good day to head over to the US on a leftover Gale!

The closer to my starting point I get the more I smile! I’m less and less intimidated by the boom furlor. It makes it so easy to raise the main!

When I arrived to Sidney Spit, it was like arriving to the tropics! The white sand, the boats anchored and the wildlife playing! A bit of a taste of what’s coming!

The solar is keeping my batteries topped up and I have no worries! I have everything I need🥰

My boat is upside down, but I’m getting stuff done!

Last solar panel is almost hooked up, I’ve hung through-hull plugs throughout the bilge, filled a tiny hole with epoxy in the cockpit, “sika-flexed” around wires, made a shelf for the AIS and looked over engine. I discovered some bare wires leading into the starter solenoid and engine oil level was mid level so I topped it up! ♥️Feeling productive🛠️

I’m also trying to figure out what to do with all my fenders.. they live here for now🚽

Time for a shower❣️

Coffee, journaling, Müsli and boatcheck! Let’s go to the USA!

I downloaded the app CBP Roam and filled out the forms and submitted! Within a minute I received a phone call from US Customs Border Protections; “you have been denied access, as you did not apply from the USA”. So, I guess I am just going to head over there then…. sailing out of Bedwell Harbour and towards the US border. In the next 2 hours I was met by 5 massive container freighters and oil freighters. Big City Sailing!!! I tried five times to cross Boundary Pass before I decided to turn back to Canada and anchor in Port Browning.

Tomorrow’s forecast calls for rain, so I’ll take advantage of a downday and go over the engine, hook up the last solar panel and look for loose electrical connections.

Today I felt a change! On so many levels! Approaching the southern Gulf Islands and feeling the cool breeze coming around from Juan De Fuca, I felt … At ease. Content. Present. Fulfilled. Free. Incredibly Grateful. Grateful that I’m able to follow my dream. I feel a change in who I am as I’m steering Sarantium south!

Goodnight😘

What can I say… today felt real! The wind pushed me down to Clam Bay, Thetis Island/Penelakut Island! Dodged a few BC ferries, Seaspan and tugs! Perfect winds, perfect current and perfect swell! Full main sail, staysail and Jib up! It just dawned on me…. I’m heading to Mexico😳

I woke up super excited because THE DAY finally arrived after many last minute changes and fixes! I cruised down and out of the channel looking back at Nanaimo and wondering when I would return. Nanaimo was my anchor for 30 adventurous years! This morning I waved goodbye!