LIVING ABOARD A BOAT IS RELAXING

To me there is nothing quite as relaxing as living on a boat.  It certainly puts you in touch with the rhythms of nature.  It is not the movement of the boat in the water as everyone might expect, (although that is nice) but just looking out your windows, or stepping out your door, and seeing the water and wildlife all around, that keeps you constantly in touch with and aware of mother nature.   

You also start to live with the rhythms of nature.  There is nothing much to do, in the marina, after dark.  (Unless your partying)  So, once it gets dark, we find ourselves retiring to the captain's quarters and watching a movie, or going to sleep early. 

And of course that early bedtime soon leads to an early awakening.  You end up going to bed with the sun and getting up with the sun.  There's nothing like sitting enjoying your morning Tea (or Coffee) and watching the sun come up.  Dan loves it. 





It's a good thing that the sun doesn't set too early all summer.  We do have lovely long evenings to enjoy. 

 

 

PEACEFUL, RESTFUL, RELAXING

A GREAT CANADA DAY LONG WEEKEND AND A GREAT START TO OUR BOATING SUMMER

I think we can all agree that the long weekend was a great start to our boating summer.  We saw great participation in the planned events. 

Even the mosquito infested Fireworks display was well attended.  

But, we can always do better, so, lets talk all the others that didn't take part, into joining us for future endeavours. 

Our Canada Day Flotilla was well attended, but we hope to get more boats out next year as well. 
 
We have 3 weekends in July with nothing planned. 

We have the Light Parade to look forward to on Saturday night July 27th.  For those that don't know about this, Winnipeg Beach has a huge fireworks display on that night in celebration of their "Boardwalk Days", and us boaters not only take our boats out of the harbour to watch said

fireworks.  A lot of us decorate our boats with Christmas Lights and when the fireworks are finished we turn on our lights and do a similar type of parade, as Canada Day,  along the beach front and back to the harbour. 

We also have a volunteer, to do a deep fried Turkey Pot Luck Dinner ( No Date is set on that yet). But we will circulate a list to get a head count and avoid duplicates.

So, we are looking for volunteers to organize an event.  We have some suggestions, but no volunteers to help out as yet.  Everyone was so overly generous at the weeny roast, throwing extra into the pot, that I have $22.00 left over to contribute, to help defray the costs of some future endeavour that anyone comes up with. 

We have the BCYC Bar-B-Q on August 10th 1:00 - 2:30 to look forward to.  Dean supplies the Bar-B-Q.  

Then the Corn Roast on Aug. 24th at 7:30pm.  Join us on the island for fresh corn roasted and toasted on a wood fired barbecue.  Dean always supplies GREAT corn. 

So, that means we also have 2 weekends in August with nothing planned. 

EZ Dock Olympics are coming up on Sept. 1st. So practise up your boating skills for that one.   


So, put your thinking caps on and there are always lots of people that will be willing to help with whatever idea you come up with or we have a list of ideas that just need an organizer. 

DIY: INSTALLING HARDWOOD FLOORS IN A BOAT

In a hundred years I never would have ever thought of putting hardwood flooring in our boat. 

But, and that's a big BUT.  We needed a replacement for the old vinyl in our galley and when we were talking one day, about new flooring, my daughter Wendy suggested hardwood flooring.  She had a large bundle of real (not laminate), pre-finished hardwood flooring that was left over from the building of their new home.  I immediately said "I don't know."

I was very reluctant at first.  I thought, with all the hatches in the boat, that have to be able to be opened, the hatches would all show badly.  But my son Ken said "No, No Mom, we can line up the seams in the hardwood with the hatch openings and it will look fine.  "Trust me."

So, after much discussion, back and forth and assurances and planning sessions, I gave in and agreed to it.  And lets face it the price was right.  You can't even get cheap vinyl for nothing, let alone top quality hardwood. 











So, in the spring of 2010 this project went forward. 

Our son Ken did all the planning and layout and Dan did all the cutting.  And they both worked on installation.

It was a long hard two weekends of work, for them but it turned out beautifully. 

It's hard to believe when looking at it, that there are 4 different hatches that open in these  Galley and Salon floors. 

A few drinks after a long hard day of work at the hangar.  And,

I didn't contribute anything except cooking meals and doing dishes.

MY SON KEN IS SO TALENTED WITH ANY KIND OF WOOD WORK

OUR ANNUAL CANADA DAY FLOTILLA (CRUISE)

Well, we had pretty good participation in our Canada Day Flotilla.  It could have been better, but we will work on that.  We need more boats for next year, so, everyone work on your dock mates to get them excited and involved.  We can't have a great club if we don't get involved.  It is what WE make it. 

 

Evelyn and Paul Mearon and their Daughter Karen joined us on our boat for our Canada Day cruise this year.   

 

 

 

As we exited the harbour a number of boats were already out there, so we bobbed around snapping pictures of each other until the appointed time.  

 

 

Boyd and Gayle Halliwell of Solitude VI

 

 

Jeff and Les Arnason of Enlesun

 

 

Bob and Susan Inkster of Sommerset

 

 

 Art and Gaye Wilkes of Misprint    

Derek Debets and Guest on Double D  

 

 



Then we fell into line and headed for the water tower. 

 

 

 

 

 

From there we made a slow pass along the beach.  Flags flying and horns blaring.

 

 

Once back at the harbour enterance we dispersed to our personal cruising plans.

 

Our personal plans included a cruise to Gimli harbour with our guests.  But, that's another Blog, for another day. 

 

I am including all the pictures we took, but I'm hoping someone will supply me with a picture that includes my boat.  (Just saying)

 

 

HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE DECORATING AND CELEBRATING

More boats are getting their Canada on. 
 

 

 

 

 

And the celebrating continued with fireworks on Sunday night.   

I apologize in advance for the poor picture quality as I have no expertise in taking these kind of photos.  I can assure you that the fireworks display was much better than my photos would indicate. 

A special "Thank You" goes out to Scott and Jan of "Whiskey Jack",  for not only supplying all those wonderful fireworks, but for sacrificing themselves to the hoards of mosquitoes that came out for the show.       



And the Celebrating continues today with our Canada Day Boat Parade.  We hope to see a lot of boats out, and taking part. 



HAPPY CANADA DAY!!




 

A SUCCESSFUL WEINER ROAST

 

There is nothing like a Weeny Roast to gather everyone together.

 

 

 

To catch up with old friends

 

And make new ones

 

There are a lot of new faces in the Marina this year, I hope everyone will make them welcome.

 

They will be the old friends we are catching up with next year.

 

 

 

SO THE CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE

 

 

 



DECORATING DAY AND BOAT RE-NAMING CEREMONY

Well, the boat decorating has begun, and off to a good start, now lets see some more. 

This morning we had a great turn out for the boat re-naming ceremony.

 

 

 

The Captain and Mate ceremoniously discarded the previous name, into the Seas. 

 

 

 

 

And everyone in attendance toasted the new name from shore. 

 

"Here's to 3 D at Sea"   

 

Even the Marina puppy dogs were well represented. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SO, THE LONG WEEKEND IS OFF TO A GREAT START.