Busy summer

[Steve in Idaho]

I wish I had some exciting paddling to write about - but that's not the case. We were kept pretty busy with helping our son get moved across the state, among other things (including completing a house remodel and adding another storage shed to the property). Upside is that I now have an "in" for doing all those Upper Snake trips I've longed for. Downside is that my one and only local poling partner is now 4 hours away. Although I spent more time in the sailboat than in a canoe so far this year, I did get out for some paddling and some paddle/camping a few times...but nothing of great note.

Anyway - it's great to see everyone still here, and some completed project threads. A lot to catch up on....I see the software has been updated.

 

[oldie moldy]

Well Steve, Glad to see you're still here and above the sod! Too bad about not much canoeing, I for one was looking for another great trip report, you know like that one where you just barely escaped the rampaging forest fire with blisters on the canoe and your shirt tail on fire! Or something kinda like that anyways.

Be a little braced up: the software is a work in progress, poor Robin is trying to do the best he can but it's complicated and the computer repair guys are expensive.
The real progress is that the third world guys who were such a problem, have been screened out with the new method of checking out new arrivals.
And there are a bunch of interesting new folks who I suspect will add a lot this coming winter when we're all house bound. (those of us who avoided the Ebola that is)

Also, from my perspective it's still a friendly and kind site. Great to see you here again!

Best Wishes, Rob

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Thanks, Rob. I guess I missed the third-world invasion entirely.

I did have a couple of big trips planned, but I had to put those off. It turns out that my wife likes sailing much more than paddling, so that has taken priority when the weather suits. I might have to do some off-topic posts here in the future, just to let you see what's up.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Spent a week at the family reunion. Brought the sailboat instead of canoes....because it was the wife's decision (and her family)...

 

[oldie moldy]

Good gravy wavy, I'm glad it's you portaging that thing and not me! And even if you could get it up on your shoulders wouldn't that long stick get in the way of walking?

I'm sorry you missed the Nigerian Princes and all the rest, really they were a hoot! Poor little guys had only the most nebulous grasp of English and their attempts to work their evil plots were very cartoonish . Now, Robin may well have a different opinion but I thought they were kinda fun.

About the only other event of some import was when Brad nearly got us involved in a war with Finland, the whole thing is chronicled in grim detail under "Traditional Gear" and then "Who still brings axes?"

Best Wishes, Rob

 

[daveo4]

Welcome back, Steve. What is that sailboat of yours?
Regards,
Dave

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Haha - I gotta read the "axes" thread! Rob - that's my deep-water canoe pole, don'tcha know. The wife carries the outboard while I shoulder the boat. No, really - that boat is quite canoe-like. Old-school "double-ender".

Dave, I've missed this place. The sailboat is kind of a cult-boat here in the PNW. It's a Kent Ranger 20 (as in, 20'). They only made about 6-700 of them, but they are in somewhat high demand around here because of their friendly handling and strong build. Pretty simple inside, it's more of a camper than a cruiser.

 

[stripperguy]

Steve,
Have you actually slept in it?
I have a Hunter 19 that I bought damaged a few years ago. My Darling Bride wants to try camping in it. If we, she actually, likes it, we'll sell it for profit and get something bigger/better. If we don't like it, we'll just sell it and not replace it. She confessed the other day that she preferred our old Capri 14.2 to the 19 ft speed demon that I built. Maybe a more sedate boat like that Hunter 19 will make her more comfortable.

So, do you use it to camp with? I am 100% ignorant when it comes to the PNW (other stuff too, but I only will admit the PNW thing for now). Are there ample opportunities to sail and camp? Near me, in the Adirondacks, there are hundreds of fresh water lakes that are good sailing and good primitive camping.
Or maybe your double ender can do some ocean sailing?

And you've gotta give some photos when you're under way...

 

[Steve in Idaho]

SG - we haven't slept in it yet. We have checked out the bed while on the trailer at home. Oh - we have had a couple guests actually take a short nap on the v-berth while sailing. Seems comfortable enough. We've only had this one a year tough, and we're still working up to actually camping in the boat. I wouldn't want to try doing an extended trip in it, but two or three nights out seems do-able. We still have some gearing up to do for that though. My wife prefers this boat for day-sailing over the 14' C-Lark dinghy we had before. Of course, it's dry sailing compared to the dinghy...and it has an outboard to get us back to the dock if the wind fails.

This particular boat was designed for use in the Puget Sound area and inland PNW waters. We have a few lakes within half a day to a day's drive from here that do offer some "cruising" and camping opportunity. Coeur d' Alene Lake, Priest Lake, Pend Oreille Lake, Flathead Lake, and even the much closer Payette Lake have good sailing and areas suitable for anchoring out. C d' A even has "boat access only" campsites with amenities. All those bodies are on our short list as we improve our sailing and seamanship (the above photo was taken at Payette Lake). We may eventually do some protected water sailing in Puget sound, but that's a ways off - and while people have sailed to the San Juan Islands in this and similar boats, I'm not sure we'll be up to it...and the boat is a little small even for that.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Just got a treat in the mail today. My MIL's cousin's 11 year old son, who lives in Alaska, sent me a thank you card. He had his heart set on a ride in the sailboat when he saw it at the reunion. We had a break in the activites just as the wind freshened, so he and his dad joined me for a sail. It was such a steady breeze that I was able to let him have the tiller for a good hour. We brought her back to anchor just as the sun set. The look on the boy's face was priceless, but I didn't think to take a photo.

It's never a mistake to introduce a kid to boating. The Water Rat was right. I smile when I think of how my own kids have taken to paddling. Though I missed out on doing a poling trip with my son this year (due to life getting in the way), moments like that almost make up for it.