From the WBF

Just to give you a non-numeric idea of how many people came onboard Katherine Jane at the Wooden Boat Festival, I offer this photo. Brock and I decided long ago that we were NOT going to begin polishing the rails. They are bronze and would luster up to a beautiful, warm, golden color. However, the upkeep would simply not be worth it ~ neither one of us has the inclination to polish for three hours a week. And so we have been accustomed to the natural verdigris.

During the festival, people boarded on the starboard side and used the handrails as they stepped from Elmore to KJ. It wasn't until after the festival that we noticed that they had managed to polish the bronze to golden beauty, simply by the sheer number of hands to touch it. Wow.

If you prefer a numerical estimate, I would guesstimate that we had easily over a thousand people on the boat that weekend. There were 15,000 through the gates and if even 10% boarded the boats, that puts us at 1500. There were hours every day when we had no less than 20-30 onboard the whole time. I made arrows and signs for a Self-Guided Tour, which cut down slightly on the number of times we had to answer the same questions. I couldn't have done it without my awesome crew, who would take over when I started to get overwhelmed by the vast numbers of people filing through my home.



This, Rob, is for you. You and I both arrived at the idea that the rod holders would make ideal vases...and they did. Liz came through with some very pretty fall bouquets and I now think I need flowers onboard a lot more often! Gives her that extra touch of class...

We Now Return To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Nope, I don't really know what happened. But I went in and tweaked some settings and *poof* there we are again.

Did you miss me??

And Other Reasons I Can't Live Without Him

Found a bad plank in the bow; it was basically disintegrating, as they all do after enough time. Luckily it hadn't got to any of the other planks around it. That is, of course, because Brock constantly has eyes open for every piece of wood on this entire boat.


Before I knew it...Bad wood out, new 2 1/2" fir back in place. He pounded in cotton, followed by filling the seam with 5200. Now we'll let it weather for a few days. That may allow it to blend in a bit (although nothing like 57 years of use!) and then we'll seal it back up.

Just another day in the life of owning a wooden beauty.

Obsessive behavior

New toys can completely occupy an afternoon.


These are My Brock's eyes.


This is the Space Needle from the boat...WITHOUT A TRIPOD! Not perfect, but a good bit better than I could have achieved with the old camera.


Brock wanted to play with ghost pictures. Although the Lumix really is just a point-and-shoot (no ability to adjust aperture, exposure, etc.), it has some fun modes that will allow me to accomplish most of what I want to do. Yay!

Random thoughts and pics

This is the first submarine I've ever seen in the Puget Sound area. Navy Unit 42, I believe it was, listening to VHF 16.


Took this one as we ran around downtown today. We first stopped at the Fisheries Supply swap meet and found 50' of Katherine Jane sized dock line for $15. SCORE!

Then we made a stop at Captain's Nautical Supplies - OMG, heaven on earth! They have everything I've ever wanted, I think. Books and charts and globes and charts and telescopes and sextants and charts and did I mention the charts-on-demand that they can custom print? Wow. Drool city. We did pick up a splicing manual.

Then we went and replaced my camera. Finally! The old one went TU quite some time ago and I've been meaning to get around to it. I've been borrowing a co-workers for the interim, but really needed to return it to her. So we went and picked up a Panasonic Lumix ZS1. Considered lower-end models, but comparing them all side by side (and taking the same pic so we really had apples to apples), there was no doubt that this one was worth it. I've had Perma-Grin on my face all day since then (would you like to see my macro pictures of Brock's shoelaces? I didn't think so...). He's splicing lines (cussing just a little - left-hand strand over the first strand, under then center strand and over the right-hand strand...but where's the first strand? Isn't that the left-hand strand in a three strand line? He'll get it, I'm sure) and I'm reading camera manuals.

That, and the Huskies beat USC! Does it get any better than this for a quiet Saturday afternoon?

My Newest Luxury

Hot AND cold running water on my aft deck. I waved my Magic Brock at the project and *poof* there it was.

He initially tried to convince me that cold would be adequate. So I had to explain about the sense of luxury and being spoiled that comes with things that are just a bit above-and-beyond average. I've coveted a hot external spigot ever since the days of Carolyn, Dodie, and Julie's beach house on Camano Island. And I finally have one!

It was truly decadent the other day when I was washing the salt off the boat (per the great Rebecca Wittman, salt crystals = thousands of tiny heat guns reflecting the suns rays onto your varnish) and there was warm water rinsing over my toes. Mmmmm, pleasure!

We are at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend.

Best comment so far?
"Is she steel?"

Takes all kinds. That being said, she's getting tons of positive attention for the captain's intense attention to detail. Rather rewarding and ego-gratifying. Lots of fun this weekend.

I think the most surreal moment was when I went down to my stateroom and found a guy taking a picture of my bed. That felt...umm, odd. Then a few moments later, we were up to 5 guys and 2 girls in my bedroom - a new personal record, definitely.

M/V Sea Comber

Recognize her? Yep - that's our KJ in her previous incarnation as a charter vessel in Alaska, prior to having her masts cut down. I was going through old documents today, as I'm putting together her history. It's fun to look at the differences ~ the 2 Zodiacs up top, the enclosure on the aft deck, obviously the masts (ooh, I wish they hadn't cut those down - I can just envision a crow's nest up top for my cozy spot. Even SB thought that would be fun!).