Cruising Destinations,Featured
Three Sheets NW: Princess Louisa Inlet
September 5, 2023
One of several pleasant surprises about Backeddy Resort & Marina was its walkable proximity to witness the raw power of the tidal exchange at Skookumchuck Narrows. We sat on our boat on a Friday in mid-July, dejectedly…
Three Sheets Northwest: The Homeport
May 16, 2023
When switching marinas is more sentimental than anticipated Rounder in her J Dock slip at her previous homeport of Elliott Bay Marina. For nearly 20 years, we kept a series of boats at our homeport, Elliott Bay Marina; the…
Three Sheets Northwest:One Man’s Treasure in Letting the Clutter Go
March 14, 2023
In an effort to downsize their boat gear, the author’s storage unit is nearly empty. We all know the old saw about the best two days in a boater’s life. But I’d like to nominate a third: the day you finally get rid of all…
Three Sheets NW:A Van Isle Cruiser’s Hat Trick
December 13, 2022
Sunrise over Vancouver Island on approach to their first post-passage anchorage. It was the porpoises that sealed the deal. When your summer cruising plans are to circumnavigate Vancouver Island, you have to be prepared to…
Boat Maintenance & Repairs,Featured
A Reluctant Bilge Dive Reveals Big Trouble
October 4, 2022
Even a well prepared boat like Rounder can have some gremlins lurking in its deepest, darkest corners. Our 1984 Passport 40, Rounder, has a deep bilge. Of course, I’ve looked down into the well at the aft end of it before…
Cruising Destinations,Featured
Cowichan Bay: A Charming Seaside Village with a Throwback Vibe
July 8, 2022
Marinas at Cowichan Bay have a mix of working boats and recreational vessels. The first hint about the place we would be arriving at was the marina. As we headed toward Cowichan Bay, a village on the east coast of southern…
Working on Boats: A Space Odyssey
April 28, 2022
I’ll just come right out and say it — I’m one of those weirdos who actually enjoys working on boat projects nearly as much as I enjoy being out on the boat. Of all the upgrades and repairs we’ve made to our 1984 Passport 40…
Boat Maintenance & Repairs,Featured
Recommissioning: From the Blues to Blue Skies
March 10, 2022
This article was originally published in the March 2022 issue of 48° North Ah, spring at the marina. Full of promise. Renewal. Great times lay ahead. Blah, blah, blah. I trudge down to the boat in early March, dock cart…
Cruising,Cruising Destinations,Featured
Three Sheets Northwest: Spring Surprises in the San Juans
July 13, 2021
We pulled into Rosario Resort on a gloriously warm Thursday afternoon and saw something we hadn’t expected to see — an almost empty marina. I walked up the dock as a group of geese and goslings swam in the shallow water…
Seamanship & Navigation,Featured
Three Sheets Northwest: The Evolution of Log Keeping
May 20, 2021
This article originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of 48° North. Date: August 25-26 Trip: Saltair (Stuart Channel) to Princess Cove (Wallace Island) Weather: Sunny + Hot Notes: First time to Wallace Island and it was…