Floatation!!

As you can imagine one of the important features of having a floating home is that is stays floating!! Over many years logs used to make the floats become waterlogged and get eaten by torredos (ship worm). This is a slow process but does 'undermine' things. There are many ways of extending the life span of a float, add more logs, put barrels filled with air under or large blocks of styrofoam. These blocks of foam come in blocks 8 feet long by 4 feet wide by 4 feet deep. The trick is getting them under! First the blocks are wrapped in old fishing net and sewn on like a parcel. The reason for this is to be able to hold it in place whilst going under water....more explanations later. Just try holding a piece of styrofoam under water. Even a small piece will try its best to remain on the surface so imagine a block 8x4x4!

In the picture you can see a block floating next to the float that it is going under. At this point the block is attached to another float housing a winch that will pull it down into the water.

From here you can see the tug boat next to the 'A' frame. The 'A' frame is a large winch called a donkey. It is used for many jobs of lifting and pulling and invaluable in this area. The blocks are pulled under the water by the winch through a pully set in the ocean floor. When the block is under the water the float it is going under is pulled into place and the block is released to 'pop' up underneath. These blocks provide a huge amount of 'lift'. Approx 64lb per cubic foot. For those science brains out there you can work out the total but for the rest of us all you need to know is the float gets lifted adding many more years of use.

The usual is to try to put an even number of blocks under the float. That gives even lift all round and makes sure the eggs stay in the middle of the pan! It is also usual to put an extra piece under an area that is going to hold something very heavy. For instance a recent float was to house a container for storage on one corner so extra blocks were placed there to keep things level. So there you have a technical posting about living here. Hard to explain but I hope you get the idea!! Stay on an even keel!! Till next time....

Spring flowers and Humming birds

I suppose late spring and early summer merge into one round here. Not a particularly spring like spring but the flowers seemed to do Ok. The garden is all in tubs and containers. We manage to grow a few flowers and veggies in the greenhouse. The soil is quite poor and has to be supplemented with lots of manure, fertilzers and peat moss. The peat moss gives it some breathing space. My prize plant is an apple tree which produces quite well, especially when it is talked to, which I do most days!!! A few seasons ago I planted some tulips. They seem to survive throughout the winter even when it gets well below zero.

The scenery around here is various shades of green. It is quite amazing how many shades there are at different times of day and the location of the sun. A garden, even a small one, gives a little splash of colour. One problem is the wind, so during the winter many of the containers are moved to a more sheltered spot. During the summer months they are in full sun! That means watering is a priority first thing in the morning to prevent dehydration.

The greenhouse is a good place to get some lettuce growing. Also I like to have a few tomato plants and this year there are three purple brocoli plants. The hanging baskets are planted and awaiting the warmer weather before being hung outside.

Another sign of early summer is the humming birds. They appear as early as april and seem at the moment to be very active.....that might have something to do with the high test sugar water they drink all day long. They are amazing in flight and are the only bird that can fly backwards!

The weather is getting warmer. The bay is alive with people working on the various lodges in preparation for the upcoming season and the wildlife are stirring looking for food. Here's to a good summer.

Long time away!

Yes we have been away...but not for that long. I have become very lax in my postings but here we are again! We had decided that this year we should go back to the UK as we hadn't been for 3 years and we were also invited to a 90th Birthday party! Now going on vacation is not really that hard to plan. Decide on a date, book a flight, get a friend to water the plants and put the dog in kennels! Well it seems to be a bit harder for us! Due to our caretaking commitments we have to have someone present at all times. That means if we go away we have to pay another caretaker. This time we prevailed on some friends who live aboard a converted tug boat and know the coast very well. They also have two 6 month old pups so Rosie was in for a busy month! They were quite eager to be here so that took care of the house and the dog sitting! Next we had to get to Port Hardy, then to Vancouver, then on to the UK. We were going to take the boat to Port Hardy, fly to Vancouver and then on to the UK The flight to Vancouver was purchased, or should I say, exchanged for rewards points from our local supermarket. We spend enough money there so get 2 return flight to Vancouver each year. A value of approx $400. The boat idea had to be abandoned as the weather was not cooperating. That meant flying was also iffy, but a plane appeared on the last minute and we were off. Delays in Vancouver meant we started our journey in Port Hardy at 6.45am thursday and arrived in Manchester at 9.00pm friday!

Parents House. Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire During our stay in the UK we also traveled to southern France and Spain. An area we were not familiar with but loved it right from the start. Glorious sunshine, great scenery and wonderful hosts made for a very enjoyable 4 days. It is interesting to note that to get to France we used a discount airline used by many european travellers...Ryan Air! Now there are many horror stories to tell but we were well prepared and had no trouble. For 2 adults return to Barcelona Gerona was equivelant to $179.00. Our flight from home to Port Hardy cost $200.00 one way, one person! I have yet to work out how these airlines price their flights!!

Once back on this side of the Atlantic the holiday was over but we still had the spring shop to do! The 8 page grocery list alone was daunting but that did not include all the other sundry items which make it to the miscellaneous list! Home a week later to unloading and finding space for all the purchasers. The caretaking had gone well. No disasters and the dogs all got on fine. In fact there was a distinct sadness on Rosies face for a few days wondering where her two playmates had gone! We are now back home and rested (I think) from our vacation.The summer season is just around the corner so hope there will be more to post about soon.

Part 19. So what do you do all day?

Ever get asked this question and wonder! We are asked all the time.I am not sure what people think we do all day, sit around staring at the scenery perhaps, or just watching the ducks swimming across the bay!
Well apart from the fire wood chopping, boat maintanance, general house chores, baking,cooking, house work...need i go on?
We do have our hobbies too.
We all read a huge amount. Personally I keep a record of every book I read and at the end of each year see just how much I have read. It works out to approx a book a week. These are everything from romance novels to biographies to poetry to non fiction. We also read a news magazine called Macleans and any other mags that come our way.
We don't have tv but lots of dvd/video movies. There is something like 350 movies on the shelf...but never anything to watch!!!

One of my hobbies is knitting. I am producing hats right now which I sell in a local craft shop and at Dawsons Landing. Easy, colourful and practical I produce them during the winter months to sell during the summer.
Not a huge money maker but a nice little side line.
Charlotte has also done some nice work in the form of cross stitch.

The Eagle is one of mine. It took some time to do as it is 22 count which is very small but the end result was good.
This mornings chore was baking so as the wood stove was actually quite hot it was time for bread making.

Loks like toast is on the menu for the morning!
Of course all our hobbies get put aside when the weather is bad and we are all needed to help with the general running of the property. This last week or so has been VERY cold. Minus 12, the water went off and the bay froze! In the scheme of things minus 12 is not that bad but being on the water means it feels much colder and it is the kind of chill that gets right in the bones. We were listening to an interview with a guy from the BC/Yukon border where it was minus 57!! Coldest spot in the province.

I love the way the ice drapes over the rocks as the tide goes down. Also makes for some pretty pics of ice on the windows.

Here's hoping for some warmer weather to report about next time.

Part 16. A whole New Year!

Well we are now in 2012 and looking forward to all it has to offer.
The holiday season is pretty quiet for us. Time spent with close family and the few neighbours in the inlet.

Our Christmas tree expedition is an event we all look forward to. The boat loaded with mince pies, mulled wine and a chain saw!!
For those worried about safety, the person using the chain saw is not allowed the wine until the tree is in the boat!!

This years weather was very disturbed but we picked one of the good days and were successful in getting a nice tree, albeit a little on the bushy side.
Decorated and lit, it looked well and meant that Christmas was really here.

As I mentioned in a previous posting the latest equipment purchased was a Band Saw Mill. Transported first in the back of the mini van and then on the boat it is now installed on its float and working very well.
It can cut logs of 16 feet long and approx 20 inch diameter. These are not big logs but we have a large amount of junky logs that are not saleable and we always need lumber for general maintenance such as decking etc so this was a good investment and so far has certainly earned its keep.

The logs for cutting are rolled up from the far side of the float and across, up the ramp and onto the bed. Here they are secured and lined up ready for cutting. To get the most out of the logs you turn the log after each cut.
One of the side effects from cutting lumber are the slabs that accumulate. These are put on one side then cut in to smaller pieces and can be used as fire wood. We have been warned by many people that they can ' get away from you' as there always seems to be more slabs and ends than useable lumber, so that is the part of the operation we will be watching.
We are still learning the best ways but each log is different and some lend themselves to planks, others to 2x4's etc.
A great and very easy piece of equipment to use.

Many planks later.............

Part 15. Barkley Sound cont'd

So we left Eagle Nook lodge on a beautiful fall morning. The trip to Bamfield would take approx 30 mins. Once there the plan was to spend a little time looking around and then meeting the Francis Barkley for the return to Port Alberni.

Bamfield.
Bamfield was named after William Eddy Banfield who arrived in the summer of 1859 and was the first white settler in Barkley Sound. Those of you who are observant will notice a deliberate mistake (Banfield/ Bamfield). The change of the spelling was made after a cartographer's error in 1861.
Bamfield realised that this site would take advantage of possible lumber exports, a whaling station, good fishing for both herring and salmon and a better investment for English capital! Today it is a sleepy fishing village, the start of the West Coast Trail, and the home of the Bamfield Marine Station.
The West Coast Trail is known world wide and people come from far and wide to experience this rugged wilderness. The whole trail is 77Km long and a strict booking system helps to keep hikers safe.

The Bamfield Marine Station is a facility offering labs, classrooms, digital imaging facilities etc for schools, universities and other establishments wanting to study marine life. As you can see from the image above it is a large facility and used year round. Charlotte spent a couple of fun packed days here with her school a few years ago, mooching in rock pools and then in the lab looking at their finds.

Bamfield can be reached by both boat and road. The road, however, is not for the faint hearted, being approx 55km on gravel road!!
The village itself is situated on two side of the inlet. One accesible by road the other not. There is a store, post office, hospital, school, library and various houses and cabins including plenty of B and B's.
There are also the ' cat houses'. These house the group of semi feral cats who live there. It is quite the set up with a rotor of volunteers who sign up at the local store for feeding and cleaning duties.

Once you have pulled yourself away from these beautiful houses the people have just as lovely properties. There is a boardwalk that runs along the north side of Bamfield inlet, connecting this side with the road. It is a lovely walk viewing the many eclectic houses, boats and general scenery of the area.
There is also a Coast Guard Station which services the west coast and on call for the hikers on the West Coast Trail.

Back on board the Barkley it was full steam ahead to Port Alberni...Oh we did stop to pick up one man his dog and his boat that needed a tow! Yes it was the same man and dog from a few days before!
You never know what you will encounter on this interesting, working vessel.

Part 15 Barkley Sound

As mentioned in the previous post we made a side trip to Barkley Sound to visit with Richard and Janice. They have moved there to caretake a lodge and so it was a good opportunity to visit and see a part of the coast we are not familiar with.
The journey started in Port Alberni where we boarded the MV Francis Barkley. This is a 128 foot passenger/cargo vessel that delivers people, freight and mail to the remote places in Barkley Sound and Bamfield.

This boat was built in 1958 in Sweden and was used as a car ferry in the Norwegian ferry fleet. She can carry 200 passengers and 100 tons of freight. These details played a major role in the vessel coming to BC as the ALberni Marine Transportation Company were looking for just such a vessel. She was sailed across the Atlantic and through the Panama Canal in June of 1990 on a journey of 51 days. Today she has a schedule from Port Alberni to Bamfield/ Ucluelet and the Broken Islands with passengers and freight.

Our first stop was in Uchucklesaht Inlet and the community of Kildonan. Here we stopped at a couple of houses delivering a dish washer, one man and his dog, and a quick stop at the post office! Yes, that is the post office in the image above! Their mail comes in much like ours, three times a week.
We were the next stop as the skipper so profesionally told everyone, we were doing a boat to boat rendevous. This entailed Richard and Janice coming along side and us taking a step out of the Barkley into their boat. All done with precision if I say so my self and no wet feet!!
As this boat is a 'working vessel' you never quite know what to expect as far as deliveries are concerned which makes it so very interesting.

Our home from home for the next few days was to be at Eagle Nook Lodge. Richard and Janice have moved their sail boat round there and are established for the winter/spring season. This lodge caters to about 25 people at any one time. They arrive by either boat or helicopter and once here can partake in fishing charters, kayak tours, eco tours or just relaxing with one of the many spa treatments on offer.
We enjoyed the area and went on a few hikes on the 70 acre poperty but spent many hours talking and catching up with our freinds who we hadn't seen since early summer.

This is a view from the top of one of the trails.
Of course some of these lodges have many toys to play with! Boys will be boys!!!

It was so good to see our friends are to see a different part of the country. More to come on the return journey and our visit to Bamfield.