The End for this Year

Hey Folks

Well Journeyer is on the hard again due to a faulty dripless bearing. There is no longer time to fix her and head on before the locks close for the winter. I'll winterizer her and come back in the spring to bring her home. I want to thank all who have followed our progress and let you know that there will be another start. Have a great day and winter ahead.

Brett

Goderich

Hey Folks

Motored into Goderich today and got in before dark, thankfully. No range lights here I'm afraid and a very narrow channel into the yacht docks. Good marina though. The operator was about working on his own boat and opened up to sell me fuel. There is internet access and power at the dock and so am all set. Winds are going to be up tomorrow and out of the South so will have a long day bucking them into Sarnia where I will stop tomorrow night. I plan to spend a day on Lake Saint Clair while I change out the raw water pump and look at a boat or two. I may delay as long as Wednesday as a storm front with 50 knot winds is predicted. We shall see. The weather today started out rainy with 20 knot headwinds that diminished to 15 knots and a wee bit of sun by late afternoon when I arrived here. We shall see what the morning brings. Till tomorrow, peace to all.

Brett

Port Elgin

Hello All

Well, I woke up to no wind and blue skys. Motored out of Tobermory and managed to sail for a few hours before the wind disappeared again. Motored the rest of the way into Port Elgin. The rain came a few hours out but was more of a heavy mists. I got in here after dark again and am finding out how much I like range lights. I will head over to Goderich tomorrow and then Port Huron on Monday leaving Lake Erie for mid week. I hope to be in Port Colburn by Friday night where I will do some work on Journeyer until Andrew joins me on Monday night. After that we will motor over to Buffalo and head into the Erie canal system on our way to the Hudson River and eventually New York City. Hope to say hello again tomorrow night. Take care all.

Brett

Tobomory

Hey Folks

She took almost 18 hours slogging against a 20 plus knot wind but were here in Toby. Will head out on Huron tomorrow after a sleep in I think. Totally wiped out right now but wanted all to know we made her alright. Hope your Friday night is going well.

Brett

Weather is changing

Hello All

Well, the wind has finally gone down enough to leave. Will head out at five am and sail or motor to Tobermory tomorrow. From there down Lake Huron over Saturday and Sunday. I hope to be on Lake Erie by Monday afternoon. Weather seems to be in the right space so away we go. There is snow predicted here over the next few days but the wind is in the 15 knot range which makes for good travel. I'll put on the Atlantic Class survival suit and make snowballs all day...:-) Hope all is well for all of you. Will blog in whenever I find a signal and say hello.

All for now.

Brett

Out and Back

Hello All

Well, we gave her a try. Left Bay Moorings at about 5am under fairly calm seas. After 4 hours we were in winds up to 60 knots in clear blue sky under a staysail only. Headed into an anchorage for a few hours and motored back to the Bay for the night or two. Winds are predicted to die down on Friday. Will try again then. For now I will install a few new toys like a fuel gauge and a new oil pressure gauge. I also have a sail to repair so will be busy. The clock is ticking as well but still have lots of time to get to the canals.

Until tomorrow, good winds to all.

Brett

Hmmm Weather???

Hello All

Well, Journeyer is all set to sail south. I've got dock fever, (similar to Cabin fever) and want to feel wind in the sails, but the weather man is saying gale force winds and two to three meter seas. Not the most fun with a crew to help. Not fun at all alone. I will have to wait until morning to see how accurate they are. Right now the wind is out of the South and so it is quite warm here. If it stays this way tomorrow morning I will go out and see how it feels. I could be on a broad reach all the way to Toby if the wind stays the same. Will let the daylight decide. I may have to sit this one out and wait for less wind on Thursday. I have things that could be worked on and will certainly not sit idle all day so there you have it. Hope all are doing well out there. Catch you when I can.

Brett

Afloat again

Hello All

Journeyer is back in the water again. She is so much better looking with the masts up. Will spend most of tomorrow rigging her as the weather is not on the favourable side for sailing. If I get an opportunity I will sail out about 15 miles to an anchorage that will allow me a shorter sail to Tobermory. We will see in the afternoon and decide then. The people at Bay Moorings have been just phenomenal and I will always treasure the friendships I have made here. Thanks to Ken, Lynda, Tim, and Al and their great team who did all they could to insure that we were ready to go in time to sail south before the locks close. Their professional team have really allowed Journeyer and I to continue south and we will be forever grateful. Great job guys and gals, and thanks so much. I will sign off for now and may not be able to log in for a few days if we sail out tomorrow.

Take care all until we meet again

Brett

Masts Stepped

Hello All

Well, the bow sprit is on and the Masts are Stepped. Journeyer should hit the water in the morning if all goes well. I have a few things left to do and we should be able to head south again. I am hoping to set sail early Tuesday morning to try and get back to Tobermory in one day. After that it should be clear sailing down Huron and Erie where I will stop at Port Colburn to take the masts down and pick up Andrew in Toronto before heading into the Erie Canal system. If all goes well we should be seeing New York around the 10th of November and head south. I've made some good friends here in Bay Moorings. The crew here is excellent and the work they do top notch. For all who travel by water, if your in the area, drop by if you need anything. These people are great.

Until Tomorrow, Goodnight all.

Brett

Wow, What a Day....

Hey Guys and Gals

We got a ton done today for sure. The new toe rails are all fitted and ready to stick down permanently. The bow sprit is finished except for the final coat of paint. The new masthead light is installed and new wire run from the top of the mast to the cockpit switch panel. The new anchor roller is fabricated and ready to install in the sprit as soon as the paint dries. Half of the new stanchions are installed and the rest will be installed tomorrow. The masts are being stepped on Sunday and we may even launch if things go well. The survey was done today and Journeyer passed with flying colours. The weekend is going to fly by as there are a huge number of jobs to complete as we push to get the boat ready to leave. It will feel so great to be back afloat again. No climbing a 12 foot ladder to get on deck.

Well, all for now. Chat again tomorrow.

Brett

Rain to Sun

Hey Folks

She started a wee bit dreary today but dried out enough by the end to paint the bottom one more coat and start installing the stanchions that came back with the bow pulpit today. If the carpenter comes with the wood tomorrow and the weather holds, should be able to get everything installed by the end of the weekend and get ready to stand masts and launch Journeyer again. The rain delayed the survey for yet another day. He will try again tomorrow morning. Everyone here is trying hard to get us on the road and have been great. With everything coming together tomorrow hopefully we will be ready to rumble monday. I am off to relax and sleep as I will be up early tomorrow to keep things moving along.

Hope all are well.

Brett

Just another day in Paradise

Hey Guys and Gals

Progress everyday though sometimes I feel not enough. The Stainless is ready in Barrie and so may have to drive down in the morning and pick it up. It is supposed to rain tomorrow morning and clear off later in the day. Will be getting the survey done if it is dry out and perhaps start installing the teak toe rails. The bowsprit may be a few days longer but we shall see. I have plenty to do as I need to install new gauges for the oil pressure and temperature on the motor and if its dry, start installing the stanchions and bow pulpit. I'm feeling that Monday or Tuesday, may be more like the time we will get out of here. Things are coming together though and we'll push ahead. I'm very much looking forward to stepping the masts again and doing some sailing instead of motoring. Andrew arrives in Toronto on the first just before midnight so hope to be in Port Colburn a day ahead to arrange car rental and perhaps get the masts down for the motor through the canal system to the Hudson River. We may have Mark V. joining us in New York for a sail to warmer climes though if he comes Mark can only join us for perhaps 10 days. Will finish of for now and get a bit of cleanup done before sack time. Hope all is well out there.
Take Care

Brett

what a Day

Hey Folks

Well, what a day of ups and downs. We started with a call from the carpenter who announced we would have to spend about five grand to build a new bowsprit as there was wood rot in the tip, too, after inspection by the adjuster, a five hundred dollar repair. Nonetheless I got little of the planned work done today so will replace battery bank tomorrow in the morning. The insurance survey will happen tomorrow afternoon, and I will work on installing the teak toe rails if they arrive. Saw them today and they look great, though not quite finished. By this time tomorrow night I should have some idea what changes are required for the survey and will get working on them. The stainless should be ready tomorrow for pickup as well. Hmmm need two of me I guess.

Will bring you up to date on all tomorrow night. Hope your short work week is going well.

Brett

A Beautiful Long Weekend....

Hello All

Another amazing day weather wise in Penetanguishene. Cool as fall days are but wonderful. Worked on finishing the teak and caulking on the deck joint. Cleaned the engine room and tested the house batteries. Not good news there. The four house batteries are cooked and need replacing. Should have new batteries tomorrow and with a little change over will have a reliable house bank. I'm taking out the old 12 volt batteries and replacing them with golf cart batteries. As they are six volt, will take a little changeover in the wiring but should give me lots of storage. No more power problems. I pulled the newel posts and cleaned them up and will refinish them before reinstalling with the repaired bow sprit and pulpit. Tomorrow looks to be battery day and perhaps installation of some of the new teak toe rails if they arrive. If Barrie Stainless calls I will have to drive back up and pick up the bow pulpit and stanchions that have been made and get ready to install them. Looks like a very busy week, all in all. Need to push as I am hoping for a survey on Friday if it can be done. Am off to watch a movie and get some rest.

More tomorrow night. Hope you all had a great Thanks Giving.

Brett

Long weekend Sunday

Hello All

It's been a good day over all as I managed to install the new aft led light and finish the wiring for the new horn on the mizzen mast. The masts are now ready to go back on the boat as soon as the new bow sprit and Pulpit are installed next week. Put another coat of Ceatal on the port toe rails and the spreaders. I also installed the new BBQ and of course tried it out. I can highly recommend Dickinson equipment. Both the gimballed range and BBQ are great. The weather has been great down here and is supposed to stay fairly good through next week. We should have the boat ready for survey by Friday and with any luck in the water over the weekend. I would love to leave here on Friday but will see what is required on the survey. I am too meet Andrew in Toronto on the 1st of November so will head down to Lake Erie on my own as soon as I get the thumbs up. Anyone interested in a wee 500 mile sail should send me an email and come on down. Hope your long weekend is going well. Until Later.

Brett

Saturday going going....

Hello Again

Well, the bow pulpit will be ready tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning and if all else goes well we will have the stainless hardware back on the boat by Thursday night. The woodwork should be here on Tuesday and we will start to install the toe rails as soon as they arrive. With any luck all will be ready to step the masts on Friday either before or after launching. Best laid plans at any rate. The boat is cleaning up well. I've started putting the cetall on all the bright work. Will put a fresh coat on every nice day until we launch. I managed to pick up some storage bins that fit the starboard storage area so have sorted everything out and am much happier with that area now. I am looking forward to Andrew the Aussie arriving as his help getting through the canals will be needed and company is always nice. Hope all have a great Thanksgiving.

Brett

Friday Night in Penetanguishene

Hello All

Lots of small jobs got done today as I didn't have to go to Barrie. Will be of bright and early tomorrow morning though. We have been promised the bow pulpit by Wednesday so hope all works out. The woodwork is all in progress and I have the new spreaders installed already. The new coaxial is installed and ready to use as is the new wires for the steaming light. The painting is pretty well complete and other than a quick touch up on the bottom paint she is ready to get wet. I've cleaned out most of the different storage spaces and am in the process of drying out everything that is still wet. Will be resealing the deck joint over the weekend and trying to insure things stay dry from now on. We seem to be on schedule to have the boat ready to go by the 15th of October and am pushing for that date. Will keep you all informed on the progress.

Have a good night and Happy Thanks Giving to All

Brett

It's Thursday and things are progressing...

Hello All

Well, things are progressing. We should have the new spreaders delivered tomorrow and get them on the masts. I will also be driving down to Barrie with the Stainless hardware to have a new Bow pulpit built. They have promised it for next Wednesday and so should have it installed on Thursday if all fits. The stanchions will come at the same time and I should have all the wood on and ceatal on before then. I rewired the mast including new steaming light and wire as well as a high quality coaxial cable designed for lengths over 75 feet and ais compatible today. Will continue running the wire inside the boat tomorrow all the way to the vhs and panel. Things are slowly coming together and I am optimistic that we will be ready in plenty of time to make the Erie and Hudson canal system before it closes on the 15th of November. Hope all is well with all of you. Chat again tomorrow.

Brett

Day two on the hard...

Hey Folks

Another great day for weather and work. All the broken stuff is stripped of Journeyer and some of the fiberglassing is already done. Tomorrow should see the end of the fiberglass repairs and with any luck some of the woodwork will be returned. The stainless guy will be by tomorrow to pick up the Bow pulpit and stanchions to be repaired. I will be wiring the masts and hopefully replacing the damaged halyard for the mizzen as well as installing a second bilge pump and cleaning the boat. The jobs as always pile up and get done as seems the norm for boats. If time allows tomorrow, I will start refinishing the teak toe rail that has not been removed so it looks as good as the new stuff. Much easier right now as the stanchions are all off. I will also be reseating the through hulls and sealing the hull to deck joint while she is out of the water. Hmmm I feel tired just thinking about it....lol Till tomorrow, enjoy.

Brett

Things are getting done...

Hey Folks

Well, Journeyer is back on the hard and looking better all ready. The masts are off the deck and the stainless bow pulpit and the stanchions are removed. The teak that has to be replaced will come off tomorrow and the fiberglassing should be done in a few days. With luck, we may have the new teak toe rails installed by the weekend and be ready for the new stanchions and bow pulpet by early next week. I am optomistic that we will have Journeyer ready to travel by the 22nd of October leaving plenty of time to get into the Erie/Hudson canal system and make it to New York by the 10th of November. Back on schedule to head south to Bermuda. Keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep working hard to get her done. Will keep you informed of the progress as the days go by.

Hope your days ahead are filled with Sunshine.

Brett

Here at Last

Hey Folks

Well, Journeyer and I are in Penetanguishene tied to a dock at Baymoorings. The last 10 miles in the dark gave me some practice at night navigation into a strange to me harbour. Thank Greg for the GPS/Chart-plotter made the navigation easy. A good spotlight helped a lot to as only a few of the Buoys were lit. The rest are just reflectorized. I found a dock open and will get up early and walk over to the main office and see where they want us. For now I just need rest. Thirteen hours of motoring is painful at best. Time to rest and catch up on some cleanup and repacking the boat tomorrow.

Hope you all have a great day tomorrow. Will be back on tomorrow night.

Brett

One Last Leg

Hey Folks

Well, Journeyer and I are in Tobermory tonight and will finish this motoring thing tomorrow evening. I am hoping that we can have her back out of the water and on her way to being repaired by Tuesday. Had a long day today and perhaps a longer one tomorrow but with less wind if the forecast is at all right. It would have been a great sail today with the wind on the Port Quarter all the way but instead we just rocked and rolled all day long. I am too bed early tonight so will sign off for now. Enjoy this great fall weather. Until Tomorrow

Good Night.

Brett

Half way there....

Hey Folks

Well, Journeyer and I are in Little Current for the night having travelled from Sault Saint Marie to Hilton Beach on Day one, Hilton Beach to the North Channel Yacht Club off Serpent harbour on day two and now here. Things have been going very smoothly and the weather which has been good though a little cold is to get better over the next few days. I should be in Penetanguishene by Monday night and hopefully they will be able to start on Journeyer on Tuesday. The new coupling and shaft are working great and the engine has never sounded better. It is a little strange to motor so far but fuel economy has been pretty good and Auto has been doing most of the steering so I get to get caught up on reading and planning for the trip ahead.

I have a little maintenance to take care of and then early to bed as I will be leaving at first light so will sign off for now. Hope all of you are doing well.

Brett