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On the cusp of 2023

Caroline is currently wintering in Juneau, Alaska

Dear Friends,

Hope you have a great Christmas and will stay safe from another bout with Covid or Flu.

Well, it’s another winter for me and Caroline in Alaska. It will be the third winter and it’s supposed to be the wettest and coldest on record here in Juneau. Caroline is in pretty good shape for having spent two winters here, and so far, I am able to stay warm and cozy aboard.

Juneau is a culturally significant city with plenty to do if it’s not storming too badly. The net result is that I am happy to be here.

We are staying in Alaska another year, probably until August of 2023. The reason for the extended stay here is that due to weather and project timing problems, I haven’t been able to see all the areas of Alaska I want to see before heading back south and on to the rest of this and other countries.

2022 has been an interesting year in that I did get to do some SE Alaska cruising, although most of it was single handed. Caroline did receive the modification of a bulbous bow which has lengthened the apparent waterline and added about 1 knot of cruising speed @ 1200 RPM. This has given us a fuel consumption of over 3 miles per gallon netting a solid 3,000 mi. range. This is good news as I also discovered that her total fuel capacity is not the professed 1600 gallons but is only 1050 gallons. The other advantage of the bulbous bow is that it has stabilized both vertical motion and horizontal drift, giving her more control in larger sea conditions.

Fuel prices are ridiculously high in Alaska as they are elsewhere in the US. Diesel is priced at about $5.25 per gallon here. This from the state that produces the sweet crude used in the manufacture of the petroleum products used. There is no break for boat fuel versus road fuel, in fact I paid about $.30 a gallon more for diesel than I could buy it for in Auke Bay at the gas station.

The plan for next spring is to head out toward the Aleutian chain, and then cruise back up the gulf to the Bering Sea, and around to Anchorage and the Peninsula and then back southeast toward Juneau and Canada and into Washington by September 2023. Then down to Ca. by November and into Mexico right after Christmas 2023.

I look forward to seeing as many friends and family along the way south and would really like to have as many aboard to accompany me as possible. I miss you all.

Love and best wishes for Christmas the new year!

Pete

April to July 2022

Here it is July 2022 and I’m finally getting back to posting on this web page. I have been down to Wrangell Alaska and had the bulbous bow modifications done by Steve Keller of Keller Marine Svcs. The job went well once we got started, but there were many delays in getting to the starting point and haulout at the shipyard in Wrangell.  I got into Wrangell on May 2, 2022 after texting back and forth with Keller Marine. We finally got hauled out of the water on June 17, 2022. Work began on June 20. The work was finished including faring, epoxy coat, barrier coat and bottom paint on July third. Boat was splashed on July 5th, 2022. It took around five days to get the boat cleaned up after all the fiberglass dust, yard dirt and winter mold so we could get underway again. I single handed back to Petersburg for an electronics program update and installation of a new Furuno SCX 20 Satellite compass. After three days in Petersburg, I took off for Juneau, again solo. Made the trip in one long day but had a great trip, lots of sea life and not too much rain or wind.  Caroline performed well, cruising at 7+ knots and burning less than 2 gph of diesel.

The results of all the time and work have been truly worth it. The net result is about a knot of speed at the same RPMs and increased range. Not sure about the total benefit toward the hobby horsing problem yet as I have yet to experience head-seas of any real size. Got back to Juneau on July 14 at 9:00 pm.

Been Too Long…………..

It has definitely been too long since my last web site post. I could say I’ve been too busy, but the real truth is I’ve been too lazy to deal with the really slow internet in Ketchikan and not being able to seamlessly write and post. While in Ketchikan I have done a lot of work on Caroline, including another new charging system and Alternator, some needed varnish work, even though there is always more to be done and engine /fuel system maintenance. I have gone through four more potential crew members. I’m hoping to eventually come up with one crew member who is honest about his or her motives and is open to the overall cruising agenda that I have loosely planned.

We left Ketchikan headed for Wrangell on July 28th arriving in the evening at 6:30pm. it was a beautiful flat calm trip.

 

Unfortunately, about two hours out of Ketchikan I went below to take a visual on the engine room, which is something I always do, and smelling something off kilter, I looked into the engine room and saw hydraulic oil dripping from everything and everywhere.  A brand new hydraulic hose that I had just installed the week before had blown apart at the swaged fitting. The only hydraulic system turned on at the time was the lower pressure stabilizer system. but it still emptied the entire twelve gallons of hydraulic fluid into the engine space and bilge spraying every component in the engine room. what a mess. No hydraulics, no windless, no thrusters and no stabilizers.

I spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday just cleaning up the mess in the engine compartment. It took two bales of Oil-Sorb diapers. Sunday I installed another new hose, this time properly sized to the swage fitting and correctly swaged, added twelve gallons of fluid plus a couple of spare gallons and spent 3  hours bleeding the four hydraulic systems aboard.

Got a bit of rest Monday and Tuesday.

On Wednsday, Aug. 4th we hauled the boat out for an inspection haul. Power washed the bottom and put her back in the water. Two hours total time, but we got the critical measurements for the bulbous bow addition to the forward under-water profile of Caroline. It’s all designed and the 34 inch diameter thick walled fiberglass pipe (1 3/4″ thick, solid glass) being used for the section is ordered and should be ready in 6 weeks. We should be able to start in early October.

 

We left Wrangell for Petersburg on August 7th. Nice short trip, just under 6 hours burning under 2.0 Gal. per hour. Petersburg is a nice little fishing town full of Norwegians and Natives. Very friendly, very cost effective moorage fees compared with Ketchikan.

We stayed in Petersburg for 5 nights, sat through some rain waiting for a widow which never came. Left Petersburg for Juneau Aug. 12th and chose to stop for the night in Hobart Bay and anchor behind entrance Island.

I knew it was not great anchoring there, alternating between too deep to drop a hook and too shallow for us with no swinging room and very steep drop-offs. I tucked into a little spot that was very pretty and flat calm.

 

We grilled Hamburgers for dinner an went to bed at 10. By eleven the wind came up, the tide dropped and we swung to within about 15 feet of a now exposed group of rock with a couple of feet showing on the fathometer. We had to leave. we cautiously pulled the hook in pitch black, clouds, no light whatsoever and carefully exited Hobart Bay. as we got out into Stephens Passage and headed toward Juneau, it started to howl. We had 25 to 30 knots  from the Southeast across the deck and we were making 7 over the bottom bucking chop and incoming tide. At three am it was blowing 30 to 40 and pouring rain. I stayed on watch all night and steered for the last two hours in Stephens Passage, surfing down the growing seas at 8 to 9 knots.

 We made it to Juneau at about 8AM blowing and still raining hard, with gusts to 40 knots. We spent two hours before finally being assigned and getting into a slip. We were able to get below, fire up the Webasto furnace, change into dry clothing and get warmed up.

I haven’t taken any pics yet in Juneau, and I was too busy and it was dark most of the way here from Hobart bay, so no pictures of that trip either.

Snow in Ketchikan

Valentines Day Feb. 14, 2021. Snowing again in Ketchikan. The weather has been pretty bad this winter, blowing a lot and rain/snow. The last four days have been in the teens 14-20 degrees and very windy. Warmed up today, 29-33, but snowing. Most likely it will not stick because the temperature is too high, but it’s still kind of pretty.

These two, the bald eagle and the osprey, are hanging out together on the breakwater about 60 feet apart. This is pretty odd behavior for them as they normally are fighting over fishing/hunting rights here.

That’s about all that is new, I will be starting to prep the boat for some cruising doing oil and filter changes and some other small maintenance items. Hope to actually be able to cruise in two weeks. Supposed to be a weather break. We’ll see.

Winter in Ketchikan

Saturday, Nov. 21

It’s six days to Thanksgiving 2020. Caroline and I are still in Ketchikan. It’s not too bad, really, as the view from the boat is nice and changes a bit every day. Ketchikan, like the rest of Alaska, is now in a lockdown situation with most businesses closed and no social scene at all. I am pretty much confined to the boat except when weather permits me to take a walk or go to the grocery store or shipping office to check on mail etc.

The main reason I am still in Ketchikan is a continuing problem getting a working alternator from the Balmar dealer in Bellingham, Washington. Caroline needs a custom built front end (pulley placement and type) on the high output Balmar alternator. So far I’ve had the new alternator sent to me twice in an inoperable state. I sent it back again last Monday to be properly prepped for installation. I hope it will come back to me in a usable state this time, but I am losing faith in the dealer to even back up their work. They certainly don’t double check to see if they have addressed the problem. Maybe something of a spiritual nature is hinting that I should take a step back and wait out the winter, or spend at least a bit more time, here in Ketchikan before I head further into the Southeastern areas of Alaska. Maybe with the massive spread of Covid here I’m not supposed to go anywhere right now. The original plan was to winter base in Petersburg and spot cruise, weather permitting, to other coves, islands and villages throughout Southeast Alaska until heading to the west in late spring to the Aleutians and the Bering Sea before cruising back down the inland passages to Washington and the rest of the west coast in late summer and fall.

 

I have been given a monthly slip for as long as I need it, even though it’s a bit exposed to weather. The prevailing weather from the SE is fairly protected, but from the WNW it’s wide open. Today, for instance, the wind is gusting to 35 from the SE with heavy rain. Whithecaps blowing past the boat on the Port side but no real swell, so not too uncomfortable. Ketchikan is actually a picturesque little town. Under different circumstances it would be a nice place to visit for a while.

All in all, I am lucky to be here lucky to be poised to continue this cruise when it’s supposed to happen and lucky to be healthy enough to do it too. The parts should get here in another week or so, depending on shipping, and then I can install all the new pieces and hopefully get Caroline up and running again. In the mean-time I need to stay positive and keep busy. More from us soon.

Ketchikan for the Winter?

Lone Eagle standing watch

Saturday, Nov. 21

It’s six days to Thanksgiving 2020. Caroline and I are still in Ketchikan. It’s not too bad, really, as the view from the boat is nice and changes a bit every day. Ketchikan, like the rest of Alaska, is now in a lockdown situation with most businesses closed and no social scene at all. I am pretty much confined to the boat except when weather permits me to take a walk or go to the grocery store or shipping office to check on mail etc.

snow at under 500 feet

The main reason I am still in Ketchikan is a continuing problem getting a working alternator from the Balmar dealer in Bellingham, Washington. Caroline needs a custom built front end (pulley placement and type) on the high output Balmar alternator. So far I’ve had the new alternator sent to me twice in an inoperable state. I sent it back again last Monday to be properly prepped for installation. I hope it will come back to me in a usable state this time, but I am losing faith in the dealer to even back up their work. They certainly don’t double check to see if they have addressed the problem. Maybe something of a spiritual nature is hinting that I should take a step back and wait out the winter, or spend at least a bit more time, here in Ketchikan before I head further into the Southeastern areas of Alaska. Maybe with the massive spread of Covid here I’m not supposed to go anywhere right now. The original plan was to winter base in Petersburg and spot cruise, weather permitting, to other coves, islands and villages throughout Southeast Alaska until heading to the west in late spring to the Aleutians and the Bering Sea before cruising back down the inland passages to Washington and the rest of the west coast in late summer and fall.

Caroline’s slip/end-tie

I have been given a monthly slip for as long as I need it, even though it’s a bit exposed to weather. The prevailing weather from the SE is fairly protected, but from the WNW it’s wide open. Today, for instance, the wind is gusting to 35 from the SE with heavy rain. Whithecaps blowing past the boat on the Port side but no real swell, so not too uncomfortable. Ketchikan is actually a picturesque little town. Under different circumstances it would be a nice place to visit for a while.

view from Stbd. side
looking down on Ketchikan

All in all, I am lucky to be here lucky to be poised to continue this cruise when it’s supposed to happen and lucky to be healthy enough to do it too. The parts should get here in another week or so, depending on shipping, and then I can install all the new pieces and hopefully get Caroline up and running again. In the mean-time I need to stay positive and keep busy. More from us soon.

I guess I was a bit premature

Balmar H/O alternator

Yesterday I posted that I was getting ready to begin cruising again, but apparently that’s not going to be the case. I installed the new ammeter shunt, new ammeter and added new fuses where necessary and was waiting to find out if I have the right sized fuses to protect the circuits involved before I fired up the engine to test the alternator. I was sitting in the engine compartment and decided to turn on the alternator circuit breaker prior to starting the engine and KAPOW, very loud pop and some nice electrical smoke. The fuse between the alternator and voltage regulator blew. No Idea as yet why. So, another problem to deal with and most likely another new Balmar High Output Alternator. These are getting very costly. I think it might be that a diode in the alternator has fried and created a dead short / closed circuit situation, thus the reason for all the problems. We did take some salt water into the engine compartment through the ER vents during the gale on the way up. that’s when the alternator quit working. but I thought it was probably the burnt shunt. Well, more tests are necessary and of course more time spent waiting for parts etc. I’m really not good at the old hurry-up-and-wait game.

400 amp engine charging system

I’ll try to keep you all up to date as I attempt to get underway again.

Crew Day Off

The crew took a day off last Friday to do some rock climbing here in Ketchikan. (Photos by Max Psaledakis)

Josh Cook, on the wall.
Brady Knippa, looking determined

The guys have been learning to climb under the tutelage of our youngest crew-man, Max Psaledakis. Max just turned 21 on the 15th of October.

A photographer, Dustin Safranek, from the Ketchikan Daily news came by and made instant celebs of my crew by running a full page shoot and story. It’s a little tough to have a crew who are local celebrities, but they seem to love it. Caroline is not, by the way, a Bertram Yacht. I think she has way more character than a Bertram Motor-yacht and definitely uses a lot less fuel.

Thursday, we took a leisurely tour around the Island for Max’s birthday. Saw some great sights, learned a bit about the history of Ketchikan and Revillagigado Island. The Island is really a beautiful piece of landscape and we had a great day touring and eating great food at some of the local restaurants. Max took some spectacular pics of some of the road trip.

(photo by Max Psaledakis)
(photo by Max Psaledakis)
(photo by Max Psaledakis)
(photo by Max Psaledakis)
(photo by Max Psaledakis)
(photo by Max Psaledakis)
(photo by Max Psaledakis)

I hope that soon I will be able to publish some photos of my own, but I bought a new non idiot-proof Nikon and, being an idiot, am having torouble learning hoe to take decent pics with it. The parts for repairing the electrical glitch have finally arrived and soon we should be up and running again. Next, off to Misty Fjord National Monument. 103 miles of fjord and spectacular cruising.

Crew Perspective

We are in Ketchikan, Alaska. We left from Port Angeles Wa. on Thursday Sept. 1st at 0800 in dense fog. Our first two days were in pea-soup fog conditions and we didn’t see the sun until late on Saturday, October 3. The prevailing ground swells were very large but, due to a lack of any real breeze, they were pretty far apart and gentle.

That soon changed around 1 PM Saturday as the wind began to increase and the seas began to build. The wind reached about 30 knots mean with gusts to 45k from the SSE, the seas were coming in from NNW creating confused and very large troughs. Our nice comfy ride was turning into a bucking, pitching roller-coaster. We took some deep rolls and the auto-pilot was unable to steer without contributing to the roll. We were forced to hand steer through the night and much of Sunday as well. We had rough seas the rest of the way into the Dixon entrance on Monday albeit less wind.

Caroline on a roll; note the angle of the horizon vs the angle of the deck
900 foot tanker taking seas over her bow

By late Monday afternoon we were able to re-engage the autopilot and finally get some respite from needing to steer. We had a beautiful crab salad for an early dinner to celebrate arrival in Alaska at last. Caroline reached the Port of Ketchikan at 10:45 PM Monday evening and we are now making a few repairs before heading further into Southeast Alaska cruising grounds.

Brady Knippa

I have asked all the crew to add their perspective to the posts and here is a piece from Brady.

Ever wonder what it’s like to live and work on a boat? Well buckle up buckaroos, it’s story time.

Caroline has been home for 2 months now, and it has (almost) quite literally been a rollercoaster of a season. As I’ve come to learn, it takes a considerable amount of time and energy to maintain this 44 ton floating home’s seaworthiness. (If you ever need someone to lay fiberglass, install cabinetry, repair marine bodywork, or make decades-old teak sparkle, hit me up). The work was tedious in the beginning, but the end goal was never meant to come easy.

As days and weeks passed in the small US/Canadian border town of Blaine, I saw a seagull fledgling take flight for the first time, witnessed the resident bald eagle’s weekly hunting routine, took countless walks along the bay as fall crept in, and made several friends along the way. Though our stay in Blaine was mildly extended due to minor mechanical failures and a to-do list that read like a Melville novel, I’m thankful for time well spent.

Following another week of work in Anacortes and an overheating issue off Lopez island in the San Juans, our departure date had arrived, albeit a month behind schedule. On October 1st at 8am, Caroline and her personnel weighed anchor for Ketchikan, Alaska.

Still with me? This is the fun part.

The will of Mother Nature bends for no man, as made abundantly clear during our passage. The first 3 days of our 700 nautical mile journey were veiled in a thick fog, cutting visibility across the water to less than 100ft. A drop watch schedule was adopted, with 4 hours on and 6 off, 24/7. Little did we know an Alaskan gale was about to slap us silly. At roughly noon on the 4th, the first swell sent us rolling. Chairs, books, dinnerware, and any other loose object had to be immediately and tightly secured as the boat rocked port to starboard at nearly 45 degrees of tilt. 40 knot gusts and 20 foot breakers pummeled the hull unrelentingly for a full day. The weather was too tumultuous for the autopilot to function properly, leaving us to hand steer in darkness through most of the night. Cooking, sleeping, and showering were entirely out of the question until the seas calmed later on the 5th, bringing us to or current position.

Today I’m happy to announce Caroline and her crew have safely completed the trip up to Alaska. The boat handled the storm like a champ, with only a few small repairs in order. The next few months are sure to be wild, but we’re all very fortunate to be here. More updates to follow!

Finally Underway

anchored in Watmough bay, Lopez Island

We have begun our journey at last. It has been a long time in the preparation. I bought Caroline on June 13 2018 and immediately started the refit process. She is a beautifully built boat, but was sorely out of date and suffered from lack of maintenance of the systems. I have replaced or repaired all the systems aboard and have also continued to test and modify the boat for maximum efficiency.

The boat has been rewired and brought to a “better than code” status electrically. New charging, inverting, battery banks, automatic and manual charge controllers and step-up isolation transformers are in operation.

All electronics are new, fresh water system (which has been a real problem) has been gone through, new water pressure pumps are in and we are replacing lines as necessary. All new bilge pumps (4) and auto switches are installed. The new water maker is in, new salt and fresh water wash-down systems are working well, the Boston Whaler dinghy has been refurbished and runs well. The main engine, a 3304 Caterpillar, has been taken down, looked at and all pumps, hoses and belts replaced, new high output Balmar alternator and regulator installed. Total time on the main is about 2800 hours and these engines typically run for 300,000 hours with regular maintenance. The 20 KW Northern lights generator has had the same service as the main and has about 760 hours on it. Mechanically, she is in top condition. The windlass and 400 feet of chain and SS cable have been serviced.

We are in Port Angeles, Washington as I write this. We are fully fueled, provisioned and prepared to set off for Ketchikan, Alaska later this morning. The Crew consists of Josh Cook, Brady Knippa, Max Psaledakis and myself.

I’m looking forward to posting more often now that the real tedious work is coming to an end. From now on we hope to find more outlying ports to see while we continue work on Caroline. (A boat is never complete. If you are lucky, you get to work on her in beautiful, exotic surroundings)

Mt Baker at dawn

Many thanks to all who have helped me make this next chapter of my life possible, especially Caroline, for whom the boat was named.