OK, so we didn’t actually catch any; from the reports, it sounds as though halibut out in the San Juans and Area 9 was pretty slow all around. But we did have a great time for four days out in the Straits. KJ was awesome; we had 9 people on board and never felt crowded at all.
 

It was so beautifully flat calm that we were able to anchor near Kanaka Bay on the southwestern side of San Juan Island – NOT a foul weather anchorage or even one to try with any wind whatsoever. I did find this home on a point that would be ideal if I was ever forced to live on land again. It had a huge view of the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait; they get sunrise, sunset, and all sun in between. I spent some time daydreaming about it, but I can’t imagine wanting to live on solid ground and not be able to take my home anywhere.

My wonderful brother-in-law found these photos of my Magic Brock sailing the little Ranger dinghy on Lake Burien back in 1970. I am completely charmed. And thrilled that we’re refinishing the little vessel so family sailing traditions can continue. Go, Natalie!

So having acquired the lovely Goncalo Alves (aka tigerwood or zebrawood), the next step was to get it ripped and planed to the correct   dimensions. Industrial Strength Dean and his Workshop of Wizardry came in handy for this part. In no time at all, we had produced the boards we needed.

Dean also had some black walnut for which he had no immediate use and he graciously helped us chop those pieces into the blocks that will be sandwiched between the rails.

The right tools make all the difference and Dean has them all. I think my favorite was the heater in the garage. I can work a lot longer if I’m comfortable; few things cut a project day short like me being cold. This won’t be a small project by the time we get done, but both my husband and my daughter will be happy about it. Well worth doing!

My daughter turns 16 in a few weeks. This year, she has expressed interest in learning to sail. In honor of those two things, Magic Brock and I are refurbishing his 1969 Ranger sailing dinghy. Rich Passage still makes a form of this little vessel under the name Minto (for that whole story, see their website) and they will be the ones from whom we get a replacement sail and daggerboard. I’d love to get a spruce mast for her, but for now we will make do with the aluminum one that Brock had used in the past.

It is, of course, immediately obvious that all of the wood around the perimeter will need to be replaced. The teak seats are in decent condition; a light sanding and oil will bring them back to good shape.

I was thrilled because this meant that a trip to the “fancy wood store” was in order. Mahogany, purpleheart, cherry, teak, padouk, all just waiting to be worked into lovely pieces of art on a boat (to my mind, at least). Rockler Woodworking here in Seattle is a great source for hardwoods.

Goncalo Alves was my choice for the project. It has a beautiful reddish tone to it. My understanding is that there are two species of GA, one of which has more distinct striping and is called tigerwood. This one doesn’t have much striping to it, which is fine. It should be gorgeous when finished!

We installed some new LED lighting on the forward staircase. It adds both safety and ambience, plus the electrical draw is next to nothing. Another successful project brought to you by Idea Girl and Implementation Boy!