My New Mousecatcher

A stray cat was hanging round the marina for the last week or so. I would hear its pitiful howling from under the woodpile whenever I walked by. Finally I decided to try and catch it. I got it out with a can of tuna but it was too scared to follow me down the dock as there were alot of people and dogs about. A little while later Tana managed to catch him and brought him down to me. He jumped on board and wouldnt set foot outside again for a week. Havent seen hide nor hair of a rodent since he has been on board.Yahoo! He is a good cat,very quiet and respectful of my stuff.He has started to go out for long stretches of time now, which worried me the first time but he always comes back at some point. He/she ( Im not quite sure) is quite tiny and finds the strangest hiding spots on the boat. I call him Casper because he can just vanish in here, which is quite a feat in such a tiny overstuffed place!


In other animal news here is a picture of Miss Bridgette and her new babies...sooo cute!


Our neighbor Micheals new kitten managed to get its head stuck in a hole in the cupboard.Try as they may they couldnt get it out , so had to remove the whole board and cut it away.The kitten is fine but was a funny sight to see

The Worlds Shortest Vacation

About mid-month I got the urge to go to Vancouver Island for a few days.I left here in the morning , caught the 10am ferry by the skin of my teeth and was in Qualicum Beach by 12:30.I checked in with my friend Cora and went off shopping in Coombs for a few hours. I found a great deal on a teak staircase shaped cupboard and after much struggle got it into the car with not a millimeter to spare. I envisioned it in my kitchen and thought for sure it would fit.


Next it was backs to Coras where I spent almost $500 dollars in about 15 minutes on a new wardrobe. She has the cutest clothes in her shop and I pretty much bought one of everything.I stayed for dinner and checked out their wedding pics from a trip they just took to a Carribean Island ( St Lucia , I think it was??) Beautiful place, beautiful wedding, congratulations guys xxoo

After dinner , I hightailed it up to Courtenay and dropped in on my friends Wes and Jim. Jim told me about a book detailing how to cover a wooden boat with fiberglass. Ive tracked down a copy on Amazon and have it on order, cant wait to check it out.I left there around midnight and went to a hotel. They had advertised a pool and jacuzzi and I was really looking forward to soaking in some screaming hot water( our on demand propane had been getting colder by the day as we played with the adjustments trying to find some heat), I was desperate for a good long soak.Alas they closed the pool at 10 pm, I missed my shot. The bastards didnt bother to let me know that the roof was being reroofed at the crack of dawn.I didnt even get to sleep in. I made up for it with a 2 hour blazing hot shower,made sure I got my moneys worth out of that room !

Much refreshed, I headed up to the cemetary to bring my Mom some belated Mothers days flowers. When I was done there, I went by Dads old property where I used to live.When I was there it was a mobile home sitting on a acre with a large garage in front. The people who bought the place left the mobile home there and built their house right around it! I dont have a before pic but here's what it looks like now. You would never know there was a mobile home in there from the outside.


I then went to see my Uncle Roland who lives on my Grandmothers old farm.It was the last place I lived when I was in Courtenay and still holds alot of memories for me.He took me up to Merville by the back road which I had never been on before. It was awesome, all nature ,woods and farms, lots of green and fresh air, just what the Doctor ordered. While I was there I went into an RV place to find out what they had for small appliance options. I got a good deal on a Propane cookstove and picked that up.When we got back to the farm, I had Roland cut me some of Grans honeysuckle to try and root back here.It has the most lucious smell, I hope I can get it to grow for me.

Then it was off to town for something to eat and a visit with my Aunt Hilary. We had a nice chinwag out in the sun and then I went to do some power shopping before everything closed for the day.Another couple of hundred dollars later and I was finally on my way back home.

It was a short and sweet trip but I managed to spend $1500 in total in less than 48 hours... not bad if I say so myself.

Unfortunately the wood shelf couldnt find a place on my boat after all.Its at Davids right now while I ponder whether to sell it or keep it in case I get a bigger place someday.Looks like Im building my kitchen storage myself, I cant seem to find anything suitable. Ive never sanded wood and varnished ect, so a bit nervous about the whole thing.Its definately on the project list for sure tho.

Where Does the Time Go?

Whew, so May was a very busy month, kept meaning to get on here, but never had the time or energy. In the last month, the Pacific Express caught on fire( its the big boat beside me)( they managed to save it), another boat sank twice,( you can read more about those incidents on Tanas blog).

David has continued to drag in vast quantities of material,barges and docks ( you can read more about Davids doings on my other blog "The Mad Canadian". I have been busy getting all kinds of stuff done on my boat in between working tons and a quick trip to Vancouver Island.

This month I accomplished quite a bit. The van is finally tuned up, cleaned up and running again. I used it to take in my 2 Mercury motors( a 7.5hp and an 85hp) to see if they can be repaired. They won't get a chance to look at them until next week, I have my fingers crossed in the meantime. I can't wait to get out on the water and go exploring.

I finally found some nice material and am getting my couch reupholstered. Here are some before and after pictures of it.



The local Rona in Richmond is closing their store , so I got a deal on a 6 drawer wicker and wood cabinet that fits in my bedroom for more storage(Its a good thing :))
I also picked up another stain-glass lamp to replace the ugly bit of tracklighting thats over the couch and some nice wood to build a kitchen counter.


I found a deal on a nice 2 burner propane stove top that I will set into the counter with the convection oven below it. Here is a before shot of the stove and oven waiting for their new home to be built.



We finally got a technician in to look at our propane on-demand water heater. He did some adjustments and we now have screaming hot water, Hallaluyah!!!!!! David got his shower up and running the other day and it works awesome. Its a huge shower stall with 2 shower heads, a waterfall and 2 seats built in. I dont mind my tub/shower set-up but what a treat to be able to stand in a shower again.

Davids cousin Paul has moved out here for the summer from Windsor Ontario. He is staying at Davids house and helping him build his empire.Davids off to England next week to see his Daughter so he has Paul servicing all the equipment and re-doing our electrical nightmare before he goes, so all will be safe. Its nice to know I wont be on my own when he goes as something breaks down pretty much every day around here. Id be camping for sure.

We have been getting some sun down here as of late, so Ive dragged over my BBQ, table and umbrellas and have been making good use of Davids floating front deck.Summer at the marina is most definately more fun than winter!! I miss going kayaking, but the freshet has been running very hard this last week and Im worried I'll get swept downstream. As soon as things calm down, I want to load the kayak in the van and take it up to the North Shore where they are supposed to have awesome places to go.

Well I have to go to work but will try and post the rest of the news tonight along with some pics.xxoo

B.O.A.T.= Bring Out Another Thousand

Ya, so its been an expensive week here in boat land. My electric hot water heater died last Monday,so off to the propane shop we went to buy an on-demand hot water heater. A cool thirteen hundred dollars later and we were back in business. I have a smaller one that will eventually get installed right on my boat, but I need to fix the top deck leaky problem first so I can remove the tarp. I cant vent it under the tarp, too dangerous for fumes ect. Im just waiting for warmer drier weather before I rip things apart. The new heater is nice because we have endless hot water now, but I have to say, its not quite as hot as the electric heater got it and the pressure isnt as strong. Still ok for a shower but I miss getting pumelled by screaming hot water to loosen up the old creaky joints in the morning. Hopefully our hydro bill will be alot lower now.

I found a barely used inverter on craigslist the other day and scooped that just for emergency sake.( I already have a generator) I stopped off at a marine shop to get a cord made up for it so I can wire it direct to the batteries. While I was there I was talking to the owner about how I am just running a hose straight into my boat for water. He was horrified and informed me that at least one boat a year sinks because of that. Apparently the water pressure blows the hose off of the fittings and the boat floods. That scared me silly so I decided to look into holding tanks and a pump system. I know I have some tanks kicking around here already just never looked at their capacity. I found a great deal on a metal water pump ( craigslist again bless their soul)which Im picking up tommorrow.I think I have lots of room in the small cockpit deck on the back to store the water tank ,so will try and get that all hooked up in the near future.

I finally got the kayak I wanted for the very reasonable price of $200 with spray skirt, paddle,a lifevest,and a kit to mount to the car for transporting it. Its got a much bigger cockpit that is easy to get in and out of and tracks beautifully. I love it. I also found a used wetsuit for $60 that is a two-piece outfit farmer john and jacket. Im all set now.

I also spent a couple of hundred dollars on planter boxes and flowers. I got inspired by Tana's lovely display all down their dock and wanted a little colour down at our end of things.They have ended up on Davids decks as he gets all the sun at his end.It does take the rough edge off things down here tho. David has moved Meat Locker 17( thats the name of his seriously ugly barge) down beside his house and has stacked several tons of wood and styrofoam on it to start building docks. Its not the most attractive thing to look at so yaaa for the flowers.

I seriously considered buying my friend Rod's boat. Its lovely and has a running motor but in the end it needs to be hauled out, surveyed, painted and I would have to do a ton of interior rearranging of things to fit my life on it. Its alot of money and energy to spend and in the end I still love my boat to bits.

I am now looking at ways I can patch it up without rebuilding the whole thing. Ive considered ferro cement, fiberglass and sprayfoam.I get different opinions from everyone. Someone told me fiberglass would rot my boat even faster while others say it would be the way to go. The inside is fine its just the outside that needs work.As much as I would love to restore the wood exterior its not looking like a viable( read affordable) option. I dont want the boat out of the water for eons just want to get it out, fixed and back in as quick as possible. I know nothing about fiberglassing but met a cool guy at Shelter Island Shipyard that Im sure will help me figure it out. Im hoping to get the decks fixed and the hull redone before next winter hits.

Im slowly working on my vehicles as well. I put all new tires on the car ( that hurt the wallet) , got the flat tire on the van fixed, finally got the van tuned up and just have to do the same for the car now. Now that the van is running again I can take my boat motors in for repairs without the hassle of hauling my whole boat out of the water. Ive spent all my savings this month so the motors will have to wait for a few more weeks but my goal is to have the boat running before the end of June.In the meantime I can enjoy a paddle around here and at least get out on the water finally.Its funny,Ive lived on a boat now for eight months and am just finally getting away from the dock.Whoohoo!!

LIfe or Something Like it

Well Ive officially outlived my Mother. She was the same age as I am now when she passed away 22 years ago on April 13th. It was a strange day for me on the 12th as I thought about her and how I would feel if I knew this was to be my last day on earth. How would I spend it, what would be important to me, could I go gracefully, knowing I had lived my life to the fullest?

Luck was with me and it was a beautiful sunny day, so I got up early and made it to the beach for the first time this year. It was a spectacular day and I was surrounded by many friends I hadnt seen in months. People were jamming all around me, the sun warmed my face and the sights of nature filled my heart. It was a great day to be alive and if it was to be my last, I would have no regrets, I was exactly where I wanted to be.

I feel old and young at the same time. I have no regrets, if I went tommorrow Id be grateful for the life I've led, at the same time I feel I have a few good years left in me yet and every day now is a gift to be treasured.

In mundane life news, my boat never made it to the mechanics. I have a lot of issues to deal with to get it out of the water, onto a trailer and delivered to the shop when they actually have an opening. I dont have a running motor to get the boat to the other shore nor a trailer or a truck to pull one. Trying to organize it all is proving to be difficult. Im thinking of taking my small motor in to get fixed so I can at least move my boat. The shop has a trailer I can borrow ,just need a towtruck and driver to get it there. Hopefully this happens before summer is over.

Everyone Ive talked to about getting the hull fixed on my live-aboard suggests Im better off looking around to see what else is out there for sale that might be in better shape for the same kind of money.A friend of mine has his boat up for sale and Im seriously considering it ,just have to take some measurements to see if my life will fit on his boat. It has about the same size living space ( just not quite as funky looking) and a running inboard motor. My favorite part tho is the back deck which has a removable canopy. So nice to have some outdoor space.

We have been told that we might have to move from our marina. This is a scary prospect for most of us as we are a work in progress and not quite ready for prime- time marine living. I know my boat would never be accepted anywhere else in the condition its in . If we have to move ,Id be better off with an insurable boat. Im thinking of asking my Uncle if I can put this boat on his farm on Vancouver Island as a cabin. Build a foundation and a deck around it and stick it in the woods somewhere. I dont think I have the resources to rebuild it to make it safe on the water but no reason it cant be a cute cabin .

Either way I look at it, I'm looking at some hefty bills in the near future. As much as I dont want too, Im considering taking on Saturdays at the clinic. It means Ill be working the whole weekend from Friday straight through till Monday but the money is best then ,pretty much guaranteed full shifts. Im sorry ,did I say I wanted a social life?? Oh well I guess the sacrifice will be worth it in the end.

What a Difference a Day Makes

I should have posted this last week,but have been working full time ( I decided to take the full time work at the clinic .The goal is to work hard to get all my toys fixed then take off somewhere warm for a few months).

We had one of the strangest weeks for weather Ive experienced in a long time. We had just finally crawled out of old man winters icy grip.The days were longer, the sun slowly gaining strength, the cherry blossoms and daffodils had started to bloom in earnest, when things took a sideways slide to the North. We went from mild sunny days to hail, then snow with flakes the size of "loonies" ( the canadian one dollar coin not the bird), more hail,the day after that we were basking in the sun on Davids deck.

Tana has moved her boat up beside the Bowie and we were surprised to see how much more sun we got on Davids deck once she had left. Ive got a bit of view of water now out my kitchen window. It was cool to see her place out on the river. They just hooked up a small outboard to her back deck and pushed it up river.Reminded me of Tom Sawyer/huckleberry Finn on their raft off to explore the unknown.

Ive got an appointment next week to finally get my boat into the shop to see if they can save the motor or not.Ive got my fingers crossed. Now that things are warming up I cant wait to get out and explore the river myself.

The Amourous Adventures of Miss Bridgette

Miss Bridgette the duck has been hanging around alot of late with her new beau. Today I heard a tremendous squawking and splashing behind my boat and went to investigate. Poor Bridgette had two males fighting over her (literally over her) they were both trying to climb on her at the same time shoving her completly under water. One of the males had the other by the back of the neck and looked like he was trying to break it. Finally one of them flew off and the victor shared a bath with Bridgette before sailing off into the sunset with her. Ahhh duck love....so cute

Well I have a great video of the whole affair but cant get it to download here....so sorry