There's a Whole Other World Out There!

      We are a family of four, Bruce, Lisa, Tristan (12) and Matthew (9), currently sailing around the world in our 42-foot sailboat. We departed from the docks right there at Sinclair Marina in July, 2005, from our home in Port Orchard, Washington and have just a year left to go until we cross our path and complete our circumnavigation. We have seen some amazing sights, met inspiring people and experienced some wondrous adventures around the world thus far. The main goal was to simply spend as much time together with our boys before they grew up and went on adventures of their own. Sailing and the water has always been a passion of ours so it seemed the logical way to go. The added bonus of experiencing the world and traveling firsthand, getting to home school the boys, and helping us all learn how to live more simply are all added bonuses. We just wanted to let our family and friends back home know that we are on the downhill slide. It has taken us three years to travel from Washington State, down the west coast to Mexico, across the Pacific, up through Indonesia, across the Indian Ocean, and up the Red Sea. We are currently exploring the Med until we cross the Atlantic next Christmas, for the final stretch to home. It is a bittersweet process. We miss family and friends from home dearly but this is an amazing lifestyle out here, and we just wanted to share it with you all. There's a whole other world out here!
      Check out our website and read about our journey at www.ohanakai.net It was started to keep family and friends connected. Bruce, Lisa, Tristan and Matthew Martin

crew of s/v Ohana Kai

      WARNING: Visiting their website may lead to intense feelings of envy and a severe case of "why don't we do that." Very nice pictures chronicle a truly full, family adventure.

Blasting Debris Lands Near Cruiser
      Below is a transcript of an email we sent that describes an incident that occurred during our recent cruise in BC. We are generally prepared for the dangers nature throws at us, but the human actions are sometimes difficult to anticipate.

Rich Zehnder

Andrew Ashford, District Manager
North Island - Central Coast Forest District
Port McNeill, BC

Dear Mr. Ashford,

On the morning of Monday, July 28, 2008 my wife and I were aboard our 34' sailboat at anchor in a well-known and publicized recreational anchorage area in Simoom Sound. A forecasted southeasterly gale was brewing in the area and in the main body of Simoom Sound. We were well protected in a cove northwest of Hannant Point that we selected specifically for that purpose. About 8:00 am we heard heavy equipment start working in the nearby forest above the anchorage on what we assumed was logging road construction. Although we could not see the construction activity we estimated that the work was within a few hundred metres of our anchorage location. Shortly before noon and without warning we were were shaken by an extremely loud and powerful blast. About 10 seconds later we saw and heard a large splash about 25 metres from our boat followed very closely by many other smaller splashes that were clearly rocks falling into the anchorage all around our boat. Fortunately, none of the debris struck us or our boat, but we were obviously alarmed by the experience.
      We tried contacting other boats that may be in the vicinity and Comox Coast Guard Radio contacted us, asking if we were in distress. We explained what had happened and shortly thereafter they advised us to abandon our anchorage. As we lifted anchor and left the cove, smoke from the blast wafted out of the forest. From outside the cove we could see smoke or dust rising from the construction site and ascertained that the work and blast were probably within 200 to 300 metres of our anchorage location.
      Although we were able to find another anchorage site approximately 1 km. to the west, that location was much less secure and comfortable than our original anchorage due to more exposure to the wind and waves. This also further endangered us.
      We noted that after the incident the Coast Guard's continuous marine broadcast began issuing warnings of potential blasting in the Kingcome Inlet and Simoom Sound area for the next several days.
      We believe that the actions of the construction crew were clearly irresponsible and negligent. Blasting that close to the shoreline, especially without any warning near a well-known anchorage area during a windstorm is inexcusable. We expect you will check into this matter and take measures to avoid such an incident in the future to prevent any damage, injuries, or worse, to the boating public. Safety should be the top priority.

      Approximate anchorage site     Approximate blast site
      Latitude 50° 51.780' N.       Latitude 50° 51.00' N
      Longitude 126° 30.530' W. Longitude 126° 30.370' W

Richard and Peggy Zehnder
SV Kai Mana
Bellingham, WA

      To be fair, I got the following prompt and courteous response from Mr. Ashford.

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Zehnder,

Thank you for your very detailed comments regarding your recent experience in an anchorage area in Simoom Sound. I appreciate that you took the time to contact me.


      I agree with you completely - safety must be a top priority, and at first glance it certainly appears that there is some room for improvement for this particular circumstance. Road construction in coastal areas can be very challenging, and often includes requirements to drill and blast rock in order to build a road to standard. However, safety protocols are mandatory and only certified workers are empowered to use explosives in this way. One protocol includes a notification of blasting to Transport Canada to inform and warn air traffic in the area of the blasting operation. While I am not certain if it is mandatory to file the same notification with the Coast Guard, I can see the utility in doing so, especially when working in foreshore areas adjacent to known mooring locations.
      Your concern certainly merits some follow up, and I will be conducting an investigation of this particular blasting operation to determine if safety protocols were followed, if they were adequate, and if our system can be improved. I regret that you were so inconvenienced by this experience, but hopefully we can use this information to get better, and safer. Once I have more information, I will get back to you on the information I receive, and the outcome.

Best regards,
Andrew Ashford, RPF, District Manager
North Island - Central Coast Forest District Good on you for reporting it. I'm sure you got their full attention on safety issues which need to be addressed.

Missing Some Results?

      I was honored to see my boat and crew are in contention for your Top 25 list this year!

      Unfortunately, I believe you may have made a mistake. My boat Runner, a Ranger 26 with sail No. 69701, was listed as only completing 3 races with a score of 12. In fact we have sailed 4 of the qualifying races including bullets at Swiftsure and the Center Sound Series which I believe gives us a 4-race score of 13 with an average class size of about 10. Our 2008 record is:

    1st in class CSS
    5th in class PSSR
    1st in class Swiftsure
    6th in class WIRW

      We have worked hard to get where we are and hope to improve our standing with the final 3 races. We will be sailing PITCH this weekend and are planning to attend both Star & Bar and PSSC.
      Your annual top 25 list is a great incentive for sailors around the PNW… keep up the good work!!

Thank you,
Dan Randolph
S/V Runner - 69701

      Thanks for contacting us. In figuring out the standings so far, the results from the Juan de Fuca race was left out, skewing things just a bit. They have now been added and will be reflected, as they should be, in the final standings.

Inflatable Found by Point No Point

      I found an inflatable north of Point No Point last Sunday (September 14, 2008) morning. I'm sure the owner is just sick about it and I'd like to get it back to him. Call Duane at 360-929-1696, with a detailed description.

Duane

Listing San Juan County Parks

      I noticed that your website did not list our county parks as an option for your customers. Would you be interested in including our information on your site to help give boaters more options when visiting the "San Juans."

Here are the details:

•Odlin County Park on Lopez Island offers mooring on a first come first serve basis, $8 a day.
•Shaw County Park, on Shaw Island and San Juan County Park on San Juan Island both have boat ramps
•Overnight parking for all three parks is $7.00 a night.

Here is a link to the parks web site.

Thank you for your consideration,
Shannon Laws
SJCP Reservationist

Monocular Stolen at Swap Meet

      My wife and I recently went to the Seattle Swap Meet at Fisheries Supply. We had a night vision Monocular there for sale and during the course of the day someone stole it. If anyone you know is bragging about what a great deal they got on an older night vision unit, they did – to them it was free because they put it in their pocket and walked away with it. There is no other word for it, they are a thief, a shop lifter and a very dishonest person. If they are bragging about their purchase ask them where the case is. A unit that good always comes with a case. If you know someone of this description please call the Seattle police department and contact 48° North.

Barry Gaudin
604-538-3567