Author: Jeffrey

Time: 1226 Position: 48 45.25N 122 30.26W I just go a call the other night from the woman who truly saved the David B. The story as she told it goes like this:

In 1952 the owner of the David B left it sitting alongside of one of their buildings, on a set of marine ways in Bristol Bay, AK. The following spring the boat was no longer necessary for it’s former duty, because the fishing regulations changed. It went unused until 1980 or so, when Patricia and her (now husband) Vern decided to try to save it. She corked and filled the seams, painted the bottom, and then set about dragging the B back to the water. The water’s edge was quite a ways away because in the almost 30 years that had passed, the river had changed course. They used rollers, jacks, a truck with a winch and finally a D8 caterpiller tractor to move it far enough down the beach that it would float at high tide.

After it floated, they hired a barge to take it to Seattle, where 18 years later we came into the story. It was amazing talking to her. I learned a lot and got the history (finally) from the actual source.

More pictures are possibly coming soon

Time:0908 Position:48 45.25N 122 30.26W

Today I posted a track from a previous trip on the David B to our site. It’s a Google Earth format so if you don’t have Google Earth you’ll have to download it at http://earth.google.com/

Then right click on the link below and select save as file or download to desktop

http://northwestnavigation.com/TRACK_102406.kmz.zip

Google Earth is amazing

Time: 0851 Position: 48 45.25N 122 30.26W

Whisky Golf, the sour dough starter that came alive in the Canadian Military Exercise area WG lives on. Over the winter Christine brings it out for a day or two, feeds it, makes a loaf of bread or two, and sends it back to the fridge. A couple of days ago she made some whole-wheat, sourdough rolls for a dinner with a friend, and today a sourdough, cheddar-jalapeno twist bread

Doesn’t that make you want to come visit? (And sail with us?)

Time: 0845 Position: 48 45.25N 122 30.26W

Just a few more thoughts about the projects… I really love to make the improvements that require the cognative work as well as the physical. For example, how does one build a system to skim the oil from the surface of the bilge water, thats effective at skimming and cost effective? Or how about creating a power generation system that is stable and requires little or no monitoring?

Here’s another picture of the snow that’s still hanging around.

Time: 1158 — Position: the ship is at 48 45.25N 122 30.26W

It’s actually in the harbor right now and the great Winter of Projects is finally, after many delays, in full swing. We’re making the B a lot better for 2007. More places to put and hang things in the cabins, cabin heaters, new ventilation in the staterooms, quieter systems when we’re running and lots more.

Here she is in the snow: