This week saw lots of progress on the Tin Hat Project. We stopped in at Fluid Fabrication to see how things were taking shape. They’d begun assembling the framework for the front of the pilothouse. It was the first time we got to see the curving lines of the new house for real. We’re not sure exactly how long it will take them to finish welding, but my feeling is soon. Maybe just a couple more weeks until we can bring the boat over and have the house put on.
While the welders have been busy, Jeffrey, Tim, and Greg have continued on all of their projects. Jeffrey’s work on the refrigeration system is shaping up nicely, and Tim’s been steadily preparing the boat so we can quickly and efficiently install all the systems in the new pilothouse. Greg’s been turning out windows and doors all week. Our good friends Pete and Jackie graciously loaned us the use of their garage to set up a varnish shop, and with the help of their daughter Naomi, I got started on the bright work. I also put together a little video for you to enjoy…
We just got back from our first trip of the 2014 season. It was a lovely 4-day cruise with wonderful family of six on board. We left Bellingham and motored to Stuart Island. Along the way we found a bunch of Steller’s sea lions lazing on Spieden Island’s Green Point. They made a few guttural grunts, but otherwise they took little notice of us.
When we arrived at Stuart Island’s Reid Harbor, our guests went ashore for a walk to the Stuart Island School House. While they were away, I spent the early evening making a Coq au Vin for dinner and a fresh berry parfait for dessert. While I cooked, I listened to the calls of a family of osprey that nest in the harbor.
The next day we went kayaking and slowly paddled along the shoreline to look for sea stars, crabs, and anything else that we could find. While we paddled, two bald eagles came flying in pursuit of an osprey. It was a little like those World War II dog-fights. The osprey eventually gave the eagles the slip and soon returned to its nest. The eagles flew off to the other side of the island.
After we returned from kayaking, we raised anchor and cruised over to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. Our guests went for a walk to the McMillian Mausoleum. Jeffrey went up the dock with them and I stayed on board to prepare a special Mother’s Day dinner. I noticed that it was taking Jeffrey a long time to return to the boat and I wondered what happened to him. When he returned, I discovered that he joined our guests for an ice cream treat from the Roche Harbor General Store.
Sunrise at Garrison Bay at San Juan Island
Later that night we anchored in Garrison Bay. The highlight for me was watching a bald eagle swoop down from a tree and catch a fish. It then took the fish to the beach and was joined by two patient crows who waited from the eagle’s scraps.
On the third day of the trip, we motored back to Roche Harbor. Our guests had arranged for a special side-trip to Zip San Juan for a zip line adventure. The zip line folks met our guests in Roche Harbor. They were gone for about three hours and when they retured, they raved about how much fun it was to fly through the woods.
We left Roche Harbor and cruised up President Channel to Sucia Island. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. Once we were anchored, Jeffrey took everyone ashore for some beach combing. When they got back, they reported that they’d seen a family of river otters.
Sometime after I went to bed, the wind picked up a bit. From my cabin below deck, I could hear the wind in the trees and the lapping of tiny wind waves on the hull. I loved the sound and tried to stay awake longer, but soon I fell asleep.
In the morning the wind was still blowing, but I didn’t think about it too much because it was Croissant Day. I love making pastries, but I really, really love making croissants and pain au chocolat. After they were out of the oven, they (the croissants) didn’t last long.
Once breakfast was finished, we took the kayaks out once more. There were tons of purple sea stars and leather stars. We paddled for almost two hours before returning to the David B.
Steller’s sea lions in the San Juan Island
On our way back to Bellingham one of our guests, an eleven-year old steered the boat with me and Jeffrey. I think he spent most of the way back at the wheel. I enjoyed watching him and answering his questions. It was a fun way to start a new year on the David B.
This is the time, the holidays are nearly over, and in a couple more days it will be back to the January winter grind. The relatives have come and gone, the holiday parties are almost over. It’s not too early to start planning something fun for the summer and give yourself something to look forward to during the rest of the cold winter months.
We Suggest: The Inside Passage
August trips on the MV David B are warm and sunny. Desolation Sound is hot enough that it makes for great swimming (really — often 70°F water and 85°F air temps). We stop there on all of our Inside Passage trips. Or maybe you want to see something new and amazing that you’ve never seen before, like glaciers calving into saltwater fjords, or whales feeding, or salmon spawning or bears meandering along a remote beach in Alaska. Now, there’s an adventure to look forward to!
2014 Trips are Filling Faster Than Ever
The problem is, we’re filling up. We are almost sold out for Alaska trips for 2014. We just posted our 2015 schedule because we’ve had a number of inquiries into dates that far into the future. We’re super excited about finally getting the word out about just how amazing trips on the David B are, but it does mean that you might need to plan a little farther into the future. We still have spaces on 2014 Inside Passage trips.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your patronage and continued support, and look forward to sharing more exciting travel adventures with you in 2014 aboard the MV David. B.
Happy New Year to you and your families, from Jeff and Christine
Don’t miss the boat! Call 360-201-8184 or email us to book your space.
Read the award winning story about how Captain Jeffrey and Christine rebuilt the M/V David B
Traveling as a kid was so much fun. You didn’t have to worry about anything and you still got to enjoy all the same sights. You could watch the world go by, albeit from the backseat window, but you still could see it all. Someone else took care of making sure you got there and making reservations and all that. All you had to do was look out the window and enjoy the ride.
When you finally arrived, you got to explore and find things: the ice machine at the hotel, or the trail to the beach from the campground. It was un-scripted. You could run off and play and “discover” stuff. I even had my own little Instamatic camera that I could use to take photos of the cool stuff I found.
Traveling Aboard the David B.
Cruising aboard the David Bis a lot like traveling when you were young. Yeah, you do have to make your own reservations and get yourself to the boat, but once you’re aboard, you really can just look out the window and enjoy the ride. You can go for a hike and “discover” a few new things (and they’re going to be way more exciting than an ice machine.) You can paddle into a cove you’ve never seen before. You can watch the world go by out the galley windows, or you could also watch it from the Bridge, and capture it with a camera that’s a whole lot better than that one from 1965. And you still won’t have any of the responsibilities.
Earlier this summer my book, More Faster Backwards: Rebuilding David B won 1st place in True Adventure from Chanticleer Book Reviews! We were in the middle of our cruising season (I had just dropped the anchor in Alert Bay, BC. when I got the news.) and so I couldn’t attend the awards ceremony.
Just recently I received a beautiful blue ribbon and a very nice review from Chanticleer.
This week saw lots of progress on the Tin Hat Project. We stopped in at Fluid Fabrication to see how things were taking shape. They’d begun assembling the framework for the front of the pilothouse. It was the first time we got to see the curving lines of the new house for real. We’re not sure exactly how long it will take them to finish welding, but my feeling is soon. Maybe just a couple more weeks until we can bring the boat over and have the house put on.
projects. Jeffrey’s work on the refrigeration system is shaping up nicely, and Tim’s been steadily preparing the boat so we can quickly and efficiently install all the systems in the new pilothouse. Greg’s been turning out windows and doors all week. Our good friends Pete and Jackie graciously loaned us the use of their garage to set up a varnish shop, and with the help of their daughter Naomi, I got started on the bright work. I also put together a little video for you to enjoy…
