The Grid and other happenings

Not much of note has been happening of late, but here's a few things that may or may not be worth mentioning.

In April we had a decent spell of weather (not raining and blowing) so we took this opportunity to haul out on the tidal grid. It was our first go at it, and we assume it was Wecantu's first time as well. She took to the grid marvelously, mainly because of her, ahem, ample endowment of a keel. As our friend Richard aptly observed, hauling out in this manner "looks really easy, with the potential for unimaginable disaster." Well put.

Beforehand we had heard a tale or two of others' misfortunes and so understandably were a little on edge. (And the fact that we tied up next to piling number 13 did not inspire confidence...)  But in the end I think I prefer this method over having to watch your beloved boat get lifted from the water by a couple of rather worn and dubious looking straps, then watch helplessly as she swings alarmingly in this cradle as the travelift carries her over a vast expanse of pavement, where she is then finally set down to rest with only a few spidery jack stands to keep her upright.

You cannot see this detail in the photographs, but there are several lines tying her to the pilings, plus a halyard from the mast down to a railing for good measure. The trick is keeping these lines adjusted as the water level changes.

Other items of note:

We saw our first bear of the season, thankfully from the car. He was a black bear, but definitely bigger than the black bears we are used to seeing in the Cascades.

We saw our first bear paw print of the season while out on a hike. It was in the mud on a well hiked trail, and was as big as my head. If that doesn't make one fly up into the boughs, I don't know what will.

We are still addicted to swimming and I have worn out three swim suits already. Matt is still on his first. I am not quite sure what to say about that.

And lastly, we have developed an immense liking for spending our evenings reading Georgette Heyer Regency novels. One of my colleagues (that would be you, Alene) recommended this author to me a few years ago, and I was a ninnyhammer for not pursuing this author's works sooner!

P.S. Our group was able to put that Volvo Penta engine back together correctly, and it actually ran. Never mind all that oil leaking out...

Engine rebuild

The classic Volva Penta diesel engine was often a common choice for powering the Westsail 32. Even with a long and proven track record they, like all high hour diesel engines, need to be rebuilt at some point. This winter has found us elbows deep in oil and parts, but luckily the ailing patient is not our own!

Just steps away from Harris Harbor where we currently reside with our healthy diesel engine is the University of Alaska V- Tech center. We are enrolled in a course which is providing us the opportunity to learn about the magic inner workings of the iron genny. Much to our chagrin there are no hamsters or genies inside. It has yet to be seen if we can put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Spring is here! (sort of...)

A kind soul at work was giving out daffodils, so I ended up bringing a few home. Our boat lacks strong natural light inside due to the small port lights and the flowers were rather reluctant to open. When they did decide to bloom they found two very ardent admirers waiting to worship them. Matt and I finally feel we have made it through the dark wet tunnel of a Juneau winter, and the days are slowly growing longer and brighter. The basil seeds I am  trying to start have remained unconvinced however.

We continue to ski tour on the weekends, and you only need to venture up a few thousand vertical feet to wander around in a still wintry alpine environment. The above photo is from today. I nearly skied right over two ptarmigans who were out for a peaceful Sunday walk in their all white winter plumage. The three of us eyed each other for a while before I finally skied off to let them continue their amble that I had so rudely interrupted.

When we aren't skiing on the weekends we like taking beach walks. Sometimes we get a rare sunny day with spectacular views. A cold spell back in January brought temperatures into the teens, and Matt and I had a rather novel (for us) beach walk. We dressed in our mountaineering down jackets (and were still chilly) and ambled among frozen tide pools, rocks iced up from ocean spray, and some very hardy barnacles, mussels and seaweed.

Powdery Accumulations: A Primer on the Poetics of NOAA Forecasts

Wecantu's 'cocoon' keeps her cozy in all weather

I love reading the text weather forecasts from NOAA, and on occasion I stumble across a gem of a sentence that wonderfully describes the poetic side of a weather event.  "Powdery snow will accumulate quickly" is a recent example. The adjectives 'powdery' and 'quickly' conjure up some heavenly images in my skier's mind.

Here's another: A FEW BREAKS OF BLUE ACROSS THE AREA. If you have ever spent time in rainy Southeast Alaska, you can imagine how the thought of blue sky can make the heart flutter. Waiting for truly good weather however can be a bit like waiting for Godot.

This sums up typical Southeast weather and seems to cruelly state the obvious: VERY WET AND WINDY IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA THROUGH FRIDAY. Just change the  name of the weekday as needed.

Of special concern during the holiday season: PEOPLE MAY WANT TO SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS AND OUTDOOR DECORATIONS.


FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL MIX WITH THE SNOW STARTING EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. Freezing drizzle? When it strikes you in the face, you will come to understand the nature of freezing drizzle.

The following forecast we interpreted correctly to mean that we would not get a wink of sleep Wednesday night or Thursday morning...
* WIND...SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WIND 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH *TIMING...STRONGEST WIND GUSTS EXPECTED LATE EVENING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THURSDAY.

This one sounds like an inscrutable message from a fortune cookie:
PERSONS NEAR STEEP SLOPE SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR CHANGING CONDITIONS.

The following conveys some complex imagery, but the subtext is very clear - wear your Xtra Tufs and if you are a pedestrian try not to get hit by icy sheets of water launched by cars speeding through those ponds.
PONDING OF WATER ALONG STREETS AND PARKING LOTS WILL CAUSE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS...ESPECIALLY WHERE WATER COVERS HARD PACKED ICY SURFACES.

0° F?

This morning we woke up to an outside temperature of about 12 degrees F. That's ice on the port light in the v-berth where we sleep. Oddly enough we both woke up last night feeling much too warm. I think the down sleeping bags on top of the comforter were overkill.

Deciding that 12 degrees just wasn't cold enough we headed out to do our first ski tour of the season. The temps in the alpine were about 0 with a bit of wind chill to keep us on our toes. It was an absolutely beautiful day and we were both very happy to be out trundling about on our skis. We spotted some snowshoe hare tracks, and the trees were covered with rime.

From Douglas Island, looking across towards Juneau.

A view down on Stephens Passage, to the south west of Douglas Island.

Rime covered trees, looking like weird snow creatures milling around.

The Big Snow

Early this morning we woke up to snow again, this time quite a bit more, roughly 10 inches. We knew it was out there, since at around 3am the sound of snow slabs sliding off our tarp and into the water woke us up. The day went on as normal though. The swimming pool was open, and the main roads were plowed. More snowfall is forecast, so we'll see what happens!

Teddy Bear's Picnic?

If you go into the woods today
You'd better not go alone.
It's lovely out in the woods today
But safer to stay at home...

These are all signs one encounters in the woods just minutes away from downtown Juneau.

This one says: Hazardous conditions exist. Walkway slippery when wet, snowy or frozen. Rockslides may occur year round. Avalanches may occur winter & spring. Repair, renovation and/or maintenance may be in progress.

If the bears don't get you, something else might...

Henry Hall's Teddy Bear's Picnic