Quidi Vidi

Well we've pushed off over to the main harbour in St John's, leaving Quidi Vidi harbour with the tide at 7:51 this morning. There was a 2 to 3 meter sea from the south east, winds at 12 knots. The wind is to build later in the day to 30 knots. The trip was a bit rough, as we just motored over not using any sails, took us about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Now tided off of another vessel, will get the remaining little things done and secure the interior of the vessel for Saturday morning departure. All is well.

Patric, Karin and Butch

It's Time

Well what can we say it's now almost time to loose the dock lines and head on. We've got about 56 hour's left weather permitting, as we will not be tempting fate, we will move as the weather permits. It seems that 5:00 am on the 15th of May has a good window to get on our way. We've been able to get all of our to do lists done as well today sold the car. We will be able to use it up until Friday evening when Karin will be all done. I must say we are excited about heading on but sad as well as we have made so many great friends, with whom we will certainly miss yet keep in contact with.

For a couple who was to be here at best 2 years it has stretched into 3 and half years. When I think back to when we pushed off from Kingston back in August 2005, we sure were new to sailing then, as we have come along way since then and found our sea legs as well many things which we could only have learned out sailing and living aboard. So it is with that, that I think of the phrase, " somethings just happen in their own good time and one will know when they are ready". We are there now, but still so many things yet to get better at.

The Days are in the teens until we leave

This picture was taken from Signal Hill showing St John’s Harbour

With the weather improving with every day we are getting the last things done before we push off. We have about 12 days left, with the hope the weather will be with us, we will leave from the St John’s Harbour, as the tide from the Quidi Vidi harbour will not permit us a 5:oo am departure the tides will be to low. So it’s hoped that a couple days before departure we will move over to St John’s harbour and for the long waited moment to finally leave after being here for three and a half years. That was four winters the last two being real good. We will be leaving with some real good memories and some real great friends of which I will introduce some of them in the following posts. Not all of our time has been good though but time usually takes care of that.
We have sent out a general email to some people who have showed interest in our trip and given them the opportunity to be placed on our SSB email list, they need only get back to us and let us know. If you didn’t get an email and wish to be included, just forward an email to the email shown on our blog and we will be glad to put you on the list. With being on the list there must be no attachments, only text files.

This site is the calm sea just outside of Quidi Vidi Harbour, home for Artful for 3 and ½ years.

I haven’t figured out how to post to the blog from our SSB or if we even can so whenever we do get some internet will post an update. On the blog in the left top you will see The ArtFul Dodger sailing position, by clinking on that you should be directed to a page which will show where we are and then by clicking on the little balloon and you should see some comments as well our lat and long position.

Will be back here shortly with some more info and updates on departure

Patric, Karin and Butch

We are getting Close

I must say that the passed few weeks have been full of many chores, and some things are finally starting to get cleared up. We now have our SSB working and are listening to Herb talking to other vessels in the south, so that we can get familiar how things are done. We have also been able to listen to people from Russia, France, some where in the eastern part of Europe, southern parts of the United States, Quebec and South America. Our next task is to get the pactor modem working so we can send and receive emails and down load grib files for weather, certainly a new area for us both. So I've been deep into painting, cleaning anchor lockers remarking our chains with length distances, and sorting through all the containers and sorting out and reorganizing.
Between all those chores we take time to go for walks.

Here is Karin on one of our walks taking a rest.














This is the view she is looking at, the fog, as we find ourselves above it. Those two peaks are the harbour entrance to Quidi Vidi and the ocean as well.









from our boat in the morning we have two neighbour's bald eagles. If you click on the picture it will enlarge and you will be able to see them better.













Now this fellow is Butch our buddy, you will find him here in this position in the morning around 6:00 am and same at 6:00 pm or 1800 as we are now using the 24 hour theme. Its treat time and he knows when it is.







I could go on about a lot more but think will save it for the next post as have some exciting information to pass along, but still in the finishing stages.

Cheers all Patric, Karin and Butch

Getting Ready

Karin working Little Dodge

Well time is closing in for our departure. The weather has been some what cooperative for letting me to get somethings off our to do list. With living full time aboard one is able to see how somethings work with that it allows one to rework ideas which when first applied seemed the best. If I was to suggest anything to anyone encountering to live aboard and sail off for distance shores, it would be, live aboard first and see what works and what doesn't. But it must be said living aboard and working can and does create different obstacles.

Karin and I have been attending our Pilot/Seamanship course every Tuesday evening at the Coast Guard Station. Now that we are half way through it has found us with a keener interest, and that is a good thing.

Karin unfortunately is still working for a few more weeks, where with myself not so. Seems with busness slow have been laid off until it picks up. Being that; that it is, it seems that with our closing date of departure a good thing.

Yet moving forward the days are counting down very quickly. I've found myself with this time off not only nailing the to do list, and its long, but also planning departure dates on our charts, entering way points, calculating times, distances and course bearings to steer.

Some of these plans are to refit in Fermuse, sail southern shore for a bit, then on to Baddeck Nova Scotia. There will be a slight detour at that point to slip over to PEI and visit Fred Karin's dad, really great chap, who has an interesting history, good sailor, not to mention a good chess player. Rose his wife is one person who just bubbles with energy, will be great to see her as well.

It's at this time I would like to relate our story about Fred and his sail boat. It seems as the story goes Fred's sailing days were in the Florida keys. Every winter when Karin was just a young girl, her parents would take her to Florida for a break. To make a long story short, it seemed that for Fred circumstances change and going to Florida had just taken its course and it was now time to get on to other things. Making the move to close everything up in Florida and bring his boat back to Canada which he had bought in Florida, all loaded up for their last trip home, headed for the boarder he went. At this time one has to know that over the years Fred had figured out that a really late crossing was real good especially when there is a young girl a sleep in the back seat on top of a pile of things; you can make your own guesses here with this one. On this last time across the boarder at about 2 or 3 in the morning, Fred comes to a stop at the Guard shack.

The Guard peering into to the vehicle, with a young girl asleep a top a mound of things:


anything to declare Sir

Fred: no sir nothing

Guard: your sure

Fred: no nothing sir

Guard looking to the back of the vehicle where there is a sail boat on a trailer with Florida plates

: your sure

Fred: no sir nothing

Guard: well I'm wondering is that your boat sir

Fred: Oh yeah, gee forgot about that, it's so late and all, been driving non stop all night


Well lets say Fred had to pay the duty but no fine.

Now back to a few of our plans again. Once we reach Halifax, somewhere around the first part of June, Karin's mom will come out to join us for a short visit. We are hoping at the same time to find time to meet with old friends at the Dartmouth Yacht club. This timing should let us cross paths with our friends Mic/Bee/Toot of the sailing vessel Hannah, on their way up from the United States to Labrador.

Withfinding this our fourth winter here in St. John's Newfoundland coming to an end, has let us come to an understanding about Newfoundlander's values, that being that family comes first above all things. There are other as well and will share them in following posts.




Patric, Karin, and Butch









Here in these following pictures one can see the before and afters of Artful's refit

Sea Surge Part II

These pictures are of theBattery

the entrance to St John's Harbour Starboard side through the Narrows

These pictures are showing the aftermath of the sea storm surge, and its destruction. As you can see as one looks at the pictures there is quite a mess. It was also reported that some families were evacuated because water was at their back doors.

To the best of mt knowledge, there were no persons hurt, and they are now trying to repair the Battery stages, as some are still secure and could fall into he harbour.

Storm Surge

On the 5th of February there had been a Blizzard warning issued for St John's Newfoundland and area. The one thing that was not forcasted was a Storm surge from the ocean. At around 8:30 at night we were watching a movie when I heard what I thought was a machine gun going off. When I got out of the boat to investigate I found chunks of ice and debris around the boats and water coming up between the boards of the dock, the slapping noise giving the sound effect of rapid gun fire. The sea had come into appoint where the water was coming over the dock. I also noticed water was up a couple of inches on the tires of our car. Starting to scan around the harbour to see the real story I had noticed Gray's stage behind me, I could see his boat as it is always hauled up; at first it never registered but as I looked longer I realized his cabin was gone, washed away.

If you click on the pictures they enlarge








here in this picture you can see Gray's cabin to the left, the white building











In this picture I took today, after the storm there is no cabin, boat or ramp all gone washed away by the sea surge.












In this picture you can see two cabins in the right side of the picture, a white one and a green one.















This pictures shows no white cabin and the front part of the green cabin gone as well.

This roof in the water is from the white cabin in the previous picture

here you have a better picture of the white cabins roof and hydro stack

In this picture you can see that there is only steps to cabin and no stage

another picture of green cabin and the settling sea surge

this picture now shows the white roof again but now its hitting into another dock and deck, before it was washed out to sea did make some damage

there is debris here between the two stages

further debris

sea finally starting to abate

This is all that is left of Grey's stage his out house floating on its platform, held by anchor in the water.

This has to been one of the most wild things I've ever see or been involved in. While standing on the dock beside our sail boat, water was washing in over the dock to a height of up to my knees. Still standing on the dock at the highest sea surge at 10:30 the boat was so high I could put my hand on the boot strap, which is where the water line is on the boat. I must say to hold back 10 tons of a boat, could not have been able without the way the dock lines had been tied. The other interesting thing was at the same time our car was on the dock but floating, water was up half way on the doors. When the surge went down I moved the car more up on the dock. The evening started at 8:30 and went to 3:30 in the morning, it was a very active night keeping the boat off the dock and keeping all the floating deadheads from causing damage to our boat/home.

This dock although it never got washed out is damaged as all the other docks here in the gute.

In the four winters our boat has been tied here to the dock beside the brewery this has been the most distructive, glad we are pushing on in a number of weeks to warmer weather and most likely more adventerous times.