Debbie and I celebrated our maiden voyage on Treylya with an overnight trip to Princess Cove (Wallace Island).  I picked Deb up from work at 15:00 PST and we left Victoria with much anticipation about the weekend ahead.  We picked up a pizza in Ladysmith (Robert’s Street Pizza…  Yum!) and arrived at the marina at 17:00 to load the gear into the boat.  Friday night was spent relaxing, plotting our course, enjoying a drink and chatting about tomorrow’s adventure.  I put the 120v oil heater together so that we would have heat while at the dock and we hit the sack.

We woke refreshed, mixed a shake, grabbed some ice, untied the deck lines and cast off.  I was feeling a little apprehensive about what lay ahead of us on this voyage but tried to live in the moment and enjoy the sun, fresh air and breeze.

We motored out of Ladysmith harbour and into Stuart Channel.  It was a nice fresh 20-25 knot northerly breeze.  We sailed east, beam-reached, across the wind towards Thetis Island and ran south, broad-reached, with the wind at our back which was pushing us along nicely.  We averaged 5.5 knots past Thetis and Kuper Island reaching 7.4 knots at one point!  This was perfect sailing.  This is what sailing is all about and we were both so excited.  The swell was kept to a minimum as the wind was somewhat off the land.  What a great introduction to how smooth Treylya handles.  Almost no weather helm and steering with a wheel felt so natural.  She just rolled in the bit of swell we did get.

We sailed past the light at North Reef and on towards Saltspring Island and tacked about 400 meters from Saltspring.  It appeared close at the time but in hindsight we could have gotten quite a bit closer which probably would have saved us from tacking later.  Oh well, we’re not racing so no added stress needed.

We tacked a few times as we headed north between Saltspring and Kuper.  The wind had lightened up quite a bit and we were making slow progress so we just enjoyed the afternoon sun.  We finally made it to Houstoun Passage and the wind seemed to die away so we drifted past Jackscrew Island and started the Volvo and motored for 25 minutes to Princess Cove.

We motored to the end of Princess Cove and I jumped up on the bow to drop the anchor while Deb reversed Treylya to set it.  Lot’s of mud at the end of the cove so the anchor set well.

We kicked off the evening with a drink of Prosecco to celebrate our maiden voyage and I switched over to Jameson Irish Whisky after a few glasses of bubbly…  A beautiful, cool, still evening fell around us and we watched the stars and reminisced about our adventure thus far.

I woke a few times during the night to check on things but Treylya was sitting where we left her so I drifted back to sleep.  Next morning we woke around 08:30 to another beautiful sunny day and enjoyed breakfast before leaving at 10:50.  We motored out of the cove and set sail but the winds were light and we had only gone about 0.7 NM in 30 minutes so we took down the jib and motored all the way back to Ladysmith.  It was a relatively quick trip back (3 hours) and we packed up and headed back to Victoria.

Total Distance: 32.9 NM (60.9 km)
Engine Time: 4:36
Sail Time: 4:32

Once Debbie and I had made our decision to move to BC I began researching options for purchasing a sailboat.  I owned a 27′ Catalina sailboat while I was in BC previously and knew that if I was heading west again a sailboat would be in my future.  First we decided on a list of qualities a sailboat would need to have…

• blue water capable – although we wouldn’t undertake any blue water sailing in the first couple of years we wanted a boat that was capable of this when we were ready,
• over 30 feet – my previous boat, Alleluia, was 27′ and although there was plenty of space for one or two people it quickly got crowded if more than 2 people tried to spend a few days on the boat.  My next boat would need more space as we planned to sail with our children and friends from time to time.
• able to single hand – I am a firm believer that I should not have to rely on anyone else to handle the boat on my own.  I needed a boat that was easy to sail single handed so that I would not be dependent on other people’s schedules,
• sea worthiness – I wanted a boat that was tough, safe and could handle large seas if required,
• good inventory of sails – this was a nice to have and not really a hard requirement,
• price – good strong boats above 30 feet jump in price but I didn’t want to over extend myself into a large monthly payment so I was thinking of somewhere in the $40K to $60K range…

I spent countless hours researching various 2nd hand boat websites and identified several nice boats which fit the above criteria that were located in the Pacific Northwest region.  I emailed and old friend and coworker, John Day, that I worked with at WebTech in Burnaby, BC for his input into a few of my candidates.  John had previously sailed his boat to Hawaii and was knowledgeable about blue water capable boats and we had kept in touch over the years after WebTech.  A few days later I heard back from John and he discussed some of the strengths and weaknesses in each of my selections.  At the end of his email he mentioned that he might know of just the boat for me and forwarded a link.

I opened the link and it was for a 1984 Contessa 34′ sailboat that seemed to match my criteria perfectly…  The listed price was in the range of what I was willing to spend and as I read the website it mentioned to email John at Contessa34@shaw.ca.  I thought “Could this be John’s old boat?  The same one he sailed to Hawaii in 2000?”  then I had a flashback to 2005 when I visited John on his boat near Granville Island in Vancouver and I remembered thinking that I’d love to own a boat like this one day when I grow up…  Was this the same boat that was built in the UK by Jermery Rogers, the famed British boat builder? Was this the same make of boat that were raced in many UK races including the famed ’79 UK Fastnet race?  Turns out that indeed this was Treylya, the same boat and that John was selling it as he is looking to upgrade to a larger one.

What a great turn of events…

John and I talked and negotiated for the next several weeks and when we reached consensus I purchased her.  I’m ecstatic about how this all worked out and I’m looking forward to experiencing many new adventures together with the woman I love, aboard this beautiful sailboat…  Life’s good…

After an 18 year stint in Vancouver, BC I finally decided to move back to Newfoundland to get reconnected with my roots.  So I sold Alleluia and packed up my things and headed east.

I purchased a house in central Newfoundland, bought a Sea Breeze 19.5′ fiberglass boat, a river boat, a snowmobile and a little cabin on Southwest beach, Gander Lake.  Oh life’s good…

There’s an old saying that you can take the boy out of Newfoundland but you can’t take Newfoundland out of the boy…  Newfoundland is deeply engrained in each and every one of us who hails from “The Rock” and whether we roam far and wide or stay at home we’re always connected to our island roots.

To move home?  It was a tough decision but one that I had little control over.  The deep yearning to reconnect to the people and place that I left behind when I was a young man was overpowering and now that I had the opportunity to embark on that journey I seized it.

In many respects “going back home” was more important than I had realized.  The people, the connection with the land, to it’s history, to my family-ties all was much more than I understood in 2007.  At the time I was longing for a break from the rat race of city life, dog eat dog, lifestyle of anonymity; toward a communal, easy to live, lifestyle of the Cheers! theme song “Everybody Knows Your Name”.  I was looking forward to pulling a trout out of the pond thru a hole in the ice, to splitting firewood with an axe, listening to stories about where my ancestors came from, enjoying a fire on the beach on a cool fall evening overlooking the majestic beauty of fall colours.

Looking back this was an incredible time of growth and enjoyment.  From running the rapids of Big Chute on Gander river, to casting a salmon fly on a beautiful river in central Newfoundland, to going out the bay looking for the mighty cod, to living off the land by picking a bucket of blue berries, to securing your winter’s meat by calling out and bringing down a 1100 lb bull moose.  Every challenge helped me understand how much a “simple” life has to offer.

It was fulfilling to connect with many family members on a deep level and to learn of and come to terms with the fabric I was made of, to understand who I came from and what they stand for.  It helped me appreciate the blood that was running thru my veins and understand my makeup…  When I was younger I always felt that I was an individual who was my own island, that my personality was built from my daily decisions and experiences of my past.  But this new connection with my family has helped me see that most of the instincts that drive my day to day behaviour is also largely due to the blood lines from my father and mother.

This time also introduced me to the ugly drawbacks of small town living.  How the political BS, that doesn’t exist with the anonymity of city life, is alive and well in rural Newfoundland.  How everyone who knows your name also believe they know you and your business and are quick to pass judgement…  How personal judgements matter more than the facts and how some people feel that they are more superior to others when, in reality, we’re all pretty much the same and just trying to enjoy a happy life.

I had grown somewhat complacent with how easily life was flowing along.  Everyday was filled with comfort and year after year life seemed pretty much the same.  But in that comfort grew the feeling that I was missing out on life’s adventure.  The feeling that life was passing me by and I needed to go out and seize it once again.  I felt that I’ve experienced all that is good and meaningful of life back home and it was time to set out again.

I was working a contract that required me travel to the US several times a year which was a bit of an escape from the normality of life in rural NL.  It was/is a perfect arrangement.  I travel to large US cities a few times a year and get to experience city life at it’s best but spend most of my time working from the comfort of my home or cottage the rest of the year.  Ah life’s good…

Around this time I met and fell in love with a wonderful woman named Debbie.  Debbie is from a good family from the same hometown I was from and we quickly connected and realized that this was real.  It was amazing to feel the connection and although I didn’t really know Debbie all that well in high school it was like we’ve known each other our whole lives.  We would get each others jokes and know of the same people when we told stories.  We could relate when we talked about growing up as we’ve both grew up in relatively same context.  We enjoyed life at the cabin and she embraced the hunting and fishing lifestyle.  She was everything I ever wanted in a partner and we decided to embark on our journey together and got engaged.

Deb lived in St. John’s and my house was in central NL.  She looked into moving to central but it turned out that relocating to central wasn’t an option with her work so we decided to try living the St. John’s lifestyle.  Back when I moved from Vancouver to NL I did so to live in a rural setting and I wasn’t at all happy with the move to St. John’s.  I found it cold, wet, boring, rude, busy and uncomfortable so we looked into our options on relocating out west.  I have a couple of daughters in Vancouver and Deb has one daughter there so we decided to head to BC.  The only Service Canada office in BC that Deb could get transferred to was in Victoria.  I lived in Victoria for a few years when I was starting my career and loved it.  The more we looked at it as an option the better it seemed.

Back in the late 2000s I loved a life of sailing in the BC gulf islands and we started to research purchasing a new sailboat…  More on this later…

We made up our mind to move, decided on some dates and Debbie put in her relocation request at work.  We began researching and getting ready for a new life in Victoria.

I returned from a fun winter back in Newfoundland and am excited to undertake more adventures onboard of Alleluia.  I touched down in Vancouver and hung out with a couple of friends downtown for a few days before heading over to North Vancouver to see how Alleluia made out after the long winter.  Things were pretty much as I had left them but there was a bit of mould and mildew growth which formed during the cold, wet months.  After a few weeks of cleaning, organizing and provisioning Alleluia was looking ready for another summer of sailing.

I had Alleluia hauled out at the marina and Dad and Mom flew over to give me a hand cleaning and polishing the hull.  We had a nice few days and when we were finished she looked like a new boat, well the hull did anyway…

I felt a bit rusty so spent a few weeks sailing around Howe Sound and Southern Georgia Straight to get my sea legs back in shape.  This year I had plans to venture further north and began to make plans for a trip to Desolation Sound.  A girlfriend flew over from Newfoundland to meet up with me and we provisioned the boat for our trip north.  We set sail from North Vancouver and sailed up the coast for a couple of days, past Powell River and spent the night at Savary Island.  We headed to Desolation Sound the following day.

Desolation Sound is a remarkable place that feels untouched and it’s serenity and vast beauty connects you to the earth.  When you sail into the mouth of the Sound it feels as if you are embarking on an adventure that will change you forever.  We stayed at many beautiful anchorages, visited large waterfalls and hiked ancient trails.

After a couple of weeks it was time for a crew change so we flew back to Vancouver in a float plane and I picked up my father from the airport and we flew back to Desolation Sound.

Dad and I sailed around Desolation Sound for a week or so and then headed towards Vancouver Island.  We spent the night in Campbell River and sailed down to Denman Island and Hornby Island.  Dad grew up around boats his whole life but last year was the first time he had had sailed and he was a little apprehensive about the whole thing.  He didn’t really like his lack of control and how the boat tipped when the sails filled.

We spent a few nights in Tribune Bay and planned to cross over to Lasqueti Island on the third morning.  We awoke to a sunny but breezy morning with a southwest wind.  I checked the weather and it was calling for 25-30 knot SW winds but the passage across the straight was only 8 NM and with the wind to our back it would make for a quick exhilarating crossing.  Right?  Boy, did I underestimate the seas…  It was only after we were out of Tribune Bay that I realized what a ride it would be.  There were large rolling waves behind us and they kept getting bigger the farther we got across.  Because of my inexperience I was flying full sails and had them reefed in tight…  The boat was heeled over on her side and water was spilling in over the gunnels.  The strong weather helm was trying to turn the boat and I gripped the tiller with both hands as it bent under the strain…  Dad wasn’t doing well and was white in the face as we roared across the straight out of control.  Finally I let the main out a little and the boat straightened up but the rollers kept building behind us.  We would look back and the little row boat that I was towing was above us on the edge of a large wave and we’d be surrounded by walls of water.  And a few seconds later we felt like we were looking down on the world as the wave passed under us.

We rounded a light beacon at the north end of Lasqueti Island and entered Sabine Channel and, as quickly as we found ourselves in the middle of huge turmoil, we now found ourselves in calm water!  There were important lessons learned that day…  Glad I got to share it with dad…

We sailed back to Vancouver and dad caught a flight back home to Newfoundland.  It was an eventful trip which will always be remembered…

I’ve been kayaking for the past few years and have really enjoyed being on the ocean and discovering small inlets and coves.  I’ve been researching sailing for the past few years and feel that it’s time to follow my dream and get a sailboat.  Having only limited experience (via kayaking) with the tides and currents that are associated with boating on the ocean I decided to start with a fairly basic sailboat. I’ll be single handling for most of the time and starting out I know little about handling the sails, navigation, tides, currents, weather, knots, etc…  I figure that if I am going to “cut my teeth” on a sailboat I might as well start out with a cheap one as the risk of grounding is probably pretty high…

I checked the local classified ads and visited the local marinas and after a few weeks of looking around I found one that seems to fit the bill…  It was a 27′ Catalina named Alleluia moored in North Vancouver so I jumped in my jeep and went to check her out.

She appears to be just what I’m looking for.  She has a dinette (kitchen) with a propane stove, ice box, bunks, diesel engine, both a main and jib sail and even a little row boat for getting to shore!  Unknown to me this is pretty basic gear for a sailboat but at the time I was ecstatic with this little gem…

I purchased her and spent a few weeks getting to know the basic systems (electrical, diesel, sails, sanitation, etc) at the dockside…  Then ventured further and further under motor and then under sail.  She had a little Yamar 8HP diesel which wasn’t fast but was very reliable.  Seems like you spent about 50% of your time under power and the little diesel would chug away for hours…

I took day trips out into Vancouver Harbour, then day trips under the Lion’s Gate bridge and out into English Bay.  After a few weeks I ventured over to Bowen Island and spent my first night aboard Alleluia.  Life doesn’t get any better than this…

I spent the entire summer exploring the BC coastline and eventually crossed over to the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.  The weather was warm and life was good.  My parents came over from Newfoundland to sail with me on a few voyages (Saltspring Island, Galiano Island, Gabriola Island, Princess Cove).  The cabin size was small but we really enjoyed each others company.

The summers were relaxing and life was pleasant.  I’m so glad I decided to undertake this adventure and get a sailboat.

As the summer came to a close I decided to moor Alleluia in her berth and fly home to Newfoundland to enjoy some winter fun…

After much deliberation I’ve decided to resign from my role as Director of Engineering at WebTech Wireless and enjoy life for a bit.  I’m planning on sailing the BC coast line in the spring / summer and snowmobiling in Newfoundland during the winter.

I’ve enjoyed my stint at WebTech very much.  It’s been an honour to be involved with such a group of professionals to successful launch a GPS tracking startup from the ground up.  Many great friendships have been formed along the way.  Friendships that could have only been forged by fighting in the trenches together during the formation of a startup.  There have been many lessons learned.  Not all of it has been easy but it’s been a very rewarding experience and has been a catalyst to inner growth.

On to my next adventure…