Rob – Page 15 – Cormacks On Cambria

Mounting Our Windpilot Windvane

Here are a few clips showing my brother, Mike, and I mounting our Windpilot windvane. The previous owners removed the windvane because they preferred the autopilot for their coastal cruising. Because we’ll be heading offshore soon, we need the windvane. For us it will be invaluable.

How We Steer

We steer with the steering wheel–right? Well, yes sort of. Cambria has a steering wheel and yes, we use it to steer the boat but actually, I don’t like steering. I find it boring. It’s interesting when we’re entering a harbour, dropping the anchor or manoeuvring into a dock but the rest of the time,Continue reading “How We Steer”

A COVID Christmas Story

It was just another COVID Christmas for us this year. (You need to sing the line to the tune of Manic Monday. ) Last year was a COVID Christmas too. We had a very small quiet Christmas at our family home at Shawnigan Lake. It was just Sharlene, my stepfather and me. We didn’t getContinue reading “A COVID Christmas Story”

That Sinking Feeling

Okay, not that kind of sinking. This is about our kitchen sink(ing.) Specifically, it’s about the faucet at our kitchen sink. A year ago, we replaced the original galley faucet. Sharlene did a lot of research to find a faucet that fit the space around the sink. Most faucets were either too tall to fitContinue reading “That Sinking Feeling”

Snow and Cold

I’ve had a few people comment that I have been neglecting the blog lately. They are right. Here’s a quick update. I was able to get to the boat yesterday for the first time since before Christmas. Sharlene and I caught Covid and have been in isolation for the last week. (Our Christmas with CovidContinue reading “Snow and Cold”

Any Old Port in a Storm: USB Port That Is

Whether on shore or on a boat, one can never have enough USB chargers. On Cambria we rely on USB chargers to charge our iPads, iPhones, sat phone, cameras, headlamps, flashlights… You get the idea. We rely on USB chargers a lot. We had one auxiliary charging port down below and one in the cockpit.Continue reading “Any Old Port in a Storm: USB Port That Is”

New Raw Water Pump

Fall has arrived and with it has come a procession of low-pressure systems that track across Canada’s west coast every few days. For us, it doesn’t mean we stop cruising but it does change how often we go out and how far we go from a protected anchorage. We do not live on Cambria–yet–but duringContinue reading “New Raw Water Pump”

Cruising Ain’t All Palm Trees and Sandy Beaches

Our motivation for this trip is to see new places. Warm places. Warm places with sandy beaches and palm trees. We should know better. This isn’t our first boat. When our kids were young, we bought a boat in the Caribbean and sailed it for nine months. My dad lived on his boat. I sawContinue reading “Cruising Ain’t All Palm Trees and Sandy Beaches”

Ladysmith the Sequel

We liked Ladysmith. When we left, we knew we’d be back. We just didn’t think it would be so soon. From Ladysmith we moved on to one of our favourite anchorages, Pirate’s Cove. We spent two nights there enjoying the easy access to walking trails and getting some boat projects done while avoiding the frequentContinue reading “Ladysmith the Sequel”

Thanks Ladysmith!

Last week we spent a few days enjoying the small town of Ladysmith. Some friends were over from the mainland and only had a short time available to stop by. It made sense to find a dock to make it easier for them to access us. Also, the weather forecast was not good–50 mm ofContinue reading “Thanks Ladysmith!”