A retrospective

While we're working on the paint and such, I thought I'd post a few pictures of the project and process.  First, an overview.

This first pic is the boat at its original assignment, at Point Adams.  The man in the surfboat is Glen's father, the man in the suit Glen's uncle.

 This next picture is the boat in its incarnation as "Pathfinder".  It had been owned by the Johnsons, spotted but passed up by Glen, then purchased by Hoyle.  Later, Hoyle sold it to us.  At this point, we did not know it was the same boat from his father's station back in the 1930s.

And here is the boat restored.  We took these pictures this Spring.

The top pic is us at the Vancouver city dock, our first night.
The bottom pic is our approach to Astoria, rain on the windscreen.  That was our last night before pulling out Friday morning.

Saturday and lots of kudos!

Today is recommendations day for all you who visit Astoria.

After shopping at Englund Marine yesterday and chilling out, and blogging blogging blogging, we finally went in search of dinner.  After two strikes on the gluten-free front, we hit the jackpot.

I **HIGHLY** recommend the Bridgewater Bistro near the west basin in Astoria -- for all diners, but especially those looking for a gluten-free meal.  They had a fabulous menu (for you Goldendalians, think Glass Onion type dishes), which was probably 80% all gluten-free by design (so no special ingredients) and home-baked fresh (still warm from the oven) gluten-free bread.  Incredible dessert menu.  The prices are on the higher end, but not outrageous.  Do yourself a favor and go there, even if it's just for coffee and dessert.  The view and atmosphere are great, too!

Also, if you need a place to stay, we found the Riverwalk Inn very nice, clean and affordable.  It's been renovated and re-done since 2007, and is still overcoming the old-reputation from owners-past and time past.  Nice staff, comfy beds, wi-fi, continental breakfast, views of the marina, short walk to the boats, etc., all for $79 per night even on Memorial Day weekend.

Englund Marine is another recommendation.  Very knowledgeable staff, patient and willing to talk and answer my questions about electronics for over an hour!

Final recommendation -- the crews at the boat yard.  Professional, efficient, competent ... you know they've gotta be good if Glen trusts the baby to them.  And they did great with it.

On the boat front -- the seams are GREAT.  One small drip near the keel.  No wonder the bilge pump hasn't run in two weeks.  We're good 'n tight!  We vacuumed out the bilges, inspected the bottom, and are getting ready to tackle the sanding and painting.  Hope the sun comes out soon.  The paint goes on so much better when it's not raining!!

Guess that's it for now!  No high seas adventures yet, but you'll be the first to know.  :)

Friday, May 24

What an exciting day today!  It stopped raining!!!!  But exciting for more reasons than that.

It started out with our attempt to move the boat from the marina to the boat yard, where we were scheduled to be hauled out at 8am.  When we went to move the boat, we found out she was sitting on the bottom!  Who knew we'd pulled into the shallowest part of the marina.  (We draw less than four feet, but ... well, there was less than four feet of water under us at low tide this morning.)  After a little coaxing, pulling on the lines each time someone's wake gave us a little lift out of the mud, and a little swearing, we got it out.  Didn't even pull any much into the engine cooling system or sea strainers.  WHEW!

So, off to the boat yard.  If you're wondering, we're cleaning & repainting the hull, gunwales and decks, smoothing out the seams, etc.  And, of course, sealing those darn sidelights!  Glen's very pleased with the caulking, there's nary a leak in the seams anywhere, even after that rough start last September with the stressful transport. We just have to sand down the areas where the wood has swelled and pushed out some of the seam compound.  Glen needs it to look perfect-as-possible when we go on the Coast Guard stations tour!

When I figure out how to get the videos out of iMovie and postable on this blog, you'll see the video of the boat coming out of the water on the travel lift.  It's now sitting up on blocks in the yard, awaiting our TLC.

Besides the lift, we've had a great morning, meeting wonderful people, eating hot meals we don't have to cook :), walking here and there throughout Astoria, making plans, re-organizing stuff in the cabin (did I mention that small-space thing?)...  and of course, catching up on this blog!  Well, enough reading for now.  Get back to work, you lazy bilge rats!  :)

Arriving in Astoria

Wet!

We did get into Astoria mid-afternoon.  We got a guest slip in the West Basin marina, but, since it was still raining, and our sidelights were still leaking, decided to get a motel for hot showers and a comfy bed (and this internet connection!)  The condensation inside the cabin was so bad after so many days of rain, that it was literally raining from the ceiling of the cabin.  Everything was wet.  Off to look for a dryer in the laundry room.

What a week to choose to travel!  But we're still smiling, happy, and glad to be learning stuff about the boat on this "shakedown" cruise, that we'll be able to fix at the boatyard this weekend.

Happy happy, joy joy.

Thursday, May 23rd

Thurs 5/23

We're drenched!  Incessant rain for three days, since Vancouver Monday night.  One thing to remember about boating -- layers,  layers and more layers.  We're both currently wearing about 7 layers:  including silk for warmth, regular shirts & undershirts, sweaters, poly-fleece, sport lifejackets, and rain jackets.  And just barely holding our own against the damp and chill.

Glen thought we could both do without the foul weather gear until Astoria, going coastal.  HAH!  Our experience had been pretty much just nice sunny days on the river.  Didn't expect this kind of wet until we reached the Pacific.  Oy vey.

Well, we should be in to Astoria by mid-afternoon and we'll see what there is to see there.

Wednesday May 22nd

Wed 5/22

"Rain rain rain rain, beautiful rain"  from Ladysmith Black Mambazo.  OK, well, not so beautiful.  We were both damn cold and totally soaked by the time we got to Scappoose yesterday, and it's not letting up today. I was so grateful to Joe and Garla for inviting us to dinner and to stay in their guestroom last night. I hope I can post pictures of our visit.  It was nice to be warm and dry for awhile! 

We've moored in the Cathlamet marina, and it's a sweet place.  (Thanks, Joe, for the recommendation!)  Good neighbors on the guest docks, a nice quiet place, nice walk up to the main street for ice for the cooler.

Learning a lot about compact living.  Everything's in plastic tubs, and compact.  There's no space to leave things about, so you put it away before the next thing comes out.

Made a delicious spaghetti meat sauce tonight.  We both needed the comfort food.

Still looking for a wi-fi connection to post these.

Tuesday morning....

Tues 5/21

Found out last night we had small leaks in the sidelight mountings, such that a drizzle seeps down and ends up …. right where we sleep, of course!  My sleeping bag and pad we pretty wet this morning.

We're waiting for Mark Anderson to come swing our compass.  The rain's mostly cleared off, but from the looks of the clouds, more to come.

{later....}

Glen made a new friend.  (Of course!)  Mark seemed to really enjoy seeing the boat., and it was a very successful compass adjustment.  We're within one to three degrees in any direction.  Yay!

It's raining again.  We're off to meet Joe and Garla, down the back (Multnomah) channel to Scappoose.

Last fall...

Here's the boat last September, before it went into the water at The Dalles.  This was the day of our christening party.  :)  

from 5/20/13....

We made Bonneville Dam just after 2pm.  It was great fun going through those huge locks.  Went right through.  We lunched at Beacon Rock, and it was so early, we decided to forge ahead on to Vancouver.  

We were there by 7pm, but, man, were we exhausted.  The river traffic picked up, as did the wind and spitting rain.  In retrospect....  well, we shoulda stopped a little earlier in hopes of a restful evening.

We tied up at the Vancouver city public docks, below the Red Lion there.  It's nice of them to provide that place / service, but it was a little too popular an evening hangout for us.  Noisy late into the the night.  We didn't sleep well. 

Monday, 5/20

Left The Dalles at 9am.  Frank and Maxine came to see us off.  Thanks, guys!  It was a gorgeous morning, the river glassy calm until well past Hood River.  The boat is running beautifully, and seems eager for the journey.

Naomi spent the morning organizing the "stuff" into waterproof tubs, in the cabin and various nooks and crannies.  It's a small boat, no cupboards!  As Glen says, "tent camping, not a luxury trailer".

After Hood River, both river traffic and wind came up, so we got to see how she handled in some pounding conditions.  Very well, of course!  :)

Welcome!

Welcome to the "grand adventures" of the MLB36391, aka Glen's motor lifeboat.  We're here on blogspot due to popular request, and we'll be posting from our shakedown cruise and maiden voyage, as well as filling in some back story along the way.  We hope you enjoy following our story.