A Magical Mini-Tour

We spent the long, record-setting heat and drought-filled summer of 2022 on our Nordic 26 tug tied to the dock in Port Alberni. Week after week of glorious, dry, calm, sunny weather passed us by and we didn't go anywhere in the boat. There were a number of reasons for this, the main one being that we were so preoccupied with our ongoing house building saga that a clear window of opportunity to get away never presented itself. We were never sure when/if workers would be on the job site and might need a decision, or, information from us. There were also some design and purchasing decisions that needed to be made with associated shopping trips, sometimes far afield. We also put in some sweat equity trying to keep the jobsite clean and ordered along with completing a few low-skilled jobs that we could take on.

The enforced period at the dock did give us more time to continue to explore the local area. We did a lot of walking and on the hottest days we went swimming at a couple of nearby freshwater lakes. We also were able to knock a few jobs off the boat list. Over the winter we'd completed most of the interior jobs that made living aboard more comfortable, now it was time to start in on the mechanicals. We ended up rewiring most of the boat, removed/relocated a lot of old electronics and other stuff, added a new chartplotter, new led nav lights, built a new electronics console, replaced the headliner in the pilothouse and fixed some overhead leaks.

As usual, the boat jobs took way much more time and effort than anticipated and we were getting resentful of the time spent on them. The great weather went on and on, enough was enough and we were determined to get out for a mini-cruise. We also needed to test that everything still worked, especially the autopilot (we had relocated its compass) and the new plotter etc. We got to October and knew the weather would break soon. It was our last chance. So, four days over the Thanksgiving weekend saw us heading down the Alberni Inlet to Barkley Sound and the Broken Group of Islands. Anticipation was high, weather was forecast to be perfect, it was almost a full moon and there was very little boat traffic now that most of the fishing boats had left the area after salmon season ended in September. 

It really was a magical mini cruise: the engine started easily and reliably, the batteries held a charge, the anchor didn't drag, nothing broke, everything we'd installed/relocated/rewired worked, the weather was superb, the anchorages were spectacular and we had them all to ourselves. Perfection! We even cranked up the bbq for the first time in over a year and enjoyed some great food. We're back at the dock now and it's been raining steadily for the past week. We're so glad we took the opportunity to finally get out there!

The moonrises and sunrises were equally gorgeous.

Along the way, we had vistas like this. We also spotted many humpback whales in the Sound along with a few seals. It was a treat to see ocean seabirds again as well.

Anchorages looked like this one at Effingham Island.

Mornings were serene and gave us time to row to shore for a walk on the beach.

Early morning mist on the water indicated that autumn really was on the way.

We'd actually planned to be out for five days, but, a storm warning came up and we decided to head back a day early. Four days was enough to feel rejuvenated though. It had been too easy to forget how enjoyable slow cruising can be. Now that we've been reminded we can start planning to do more of it soon.

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House Build - Progress Report

It's been almost three months since I reported that the windows were now in at our house build in Port Alberni. At that time, we really thought we might be occupying the house by now. Instead, we are still waiting...waiting...and waiting. Sure, a few major hurdles have now been passed, but, there's still a very long way to go and we are frustrated. As we've experienced before, there is always a lot of waiting involved in house building, the general contractor only has a limited number of workers and most of the jobs are sub-contracted out to independent firms. This year, after Covid lifted, the pent-up demand for builders was enormous. A lot of contractors took on more work than they could possibly handle effectively. Staff shortages didn't help. Then, instead of concentrating on one job at a time, they tried to keep everybody happy by spreading themselves thinly. This doesn't work. It only leads to more frustration as, in a two-week window, maybe you'd be lucky if your job got one or two days of attention. To make it worse, you'd never know when they would be showing up, or, how long they'd be staying. Promised arrival and completion dates came and went. Weeks seemed to slip by and the occupancy date with it. Everybody was apologetic and seemed to be trying their best, but, nothing ever seemed to get done.

Having said all that, we do feel that the end is at least in sight now. Maybe three more months should do it, but, don't hold me to that! Until then, the days/weeks continue to pass, as they do and future plans (for cruising, or, otherwise) are on hold. 

A few things did get done. Our electrical, water/sewer and gas services have all been connected. Perimeter and slab drains were installed and the slab (garage/suite floor) was poured. The weather was very hot at the time and before we could get these jobs done, we first had to evict a doe and two fauns (deer) that had taken up residence in the cool, concrete environs of the lower level of the house. They are still in residence, but, thankfully no longer inside the house. We'll probably end up hating them when they inevitably start to munch on our eventual garden, but, right now, we love seeing them around, so pretty. There is a black bear around in the neighbourhood too, but, we haven't seen it yet, just the evidence. We did run into a young one (not literally) on the Alberni Inlet walking trail the other day. Luckily, it took one long, squinty look at us and exited quickly off the trail and into the bush.

In addition, the finished roof has been installed (standing seam metal sheets). Backfill to the foundation and exterior grading was completed. Exterior doors were installed (nice that we could lock up now). Both the plumbing and electrical rough-ins were completed. After not seeing anybody onsite for weeks, both trades showed up at the same time and had to work around each other, typical!

The base for our radiant floor heating was installed. We're doing a Schluter system which requires the laying of styrofoam panels (Bekotec) into which the hydronic pex tubing is routed. A cement-based screed is then poured on top. Later will come the addition of an uncoupling membrane topped with ceramic tile, but, that won't get done until much later down the line.

(Photo Credit: Oakehart Construction)

(Photo Credit: Oakehart Construction)

The critical path to completion now is: insulation->drywall->interior paint->floor tile->cabinets and fixtures/finish. Parallel to the critical path we also need to get exterior siding on and the heating system finished along with a bunch of other miscellaneous tasks. It doesn't sound like much, but, who knows when it will be done. We're resigned to the wait, what else can we do? Even though the waiting has taken any enjoyment we might have had from the building process, we're thrilled with the house so far. All the spaces feel right, actually better than anticipated. We're confident that we'll be very happy with the finished result, whenever that might be...stay tuned...

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