Greetings from 61 degrees north

[alaska pirate]

Hi. My name's Eric. I live aboard Blue Note, a steel 44' cutter here in Valdez, Alaska, with an 11 yo choc lab. I've been on board since fall of 2000, getting ready to aimlessly wander the globe. It's looking like this summer will be the start of the dream.

I caught the sailing bug at age 10, learning to sail sabots. Sailing and informal racing in college in California deepened the love. Now after 27 years of cruising Prince William Sound, I'm ready to wander.

Listing my occupation as writer seems reasonable since I probably spend more time doing that than anything else. I have yet to sell anything so the word occupation could, in those terms, be a little misleading. Actually, I've made more money playing in a cover band in the local bars than doing anything else since retiring from engineering a year and a half ago.

Summer before last, my son introduced me to kiteboarding. Wow, what fun! I'll tell ya though, picking up another extreme sport when one is in their late 50s is interesting to say the least. I was able to get up on the board while in La Ventana, BCS, this January. Making it upwind is the goal for this season.

Other than that I bike, read, do crosswords, and have been known to snowboard and surf.

Fair winds and smooth seas,
Eric

[Celestialsailor]

Welcome to the forum Eric and good luck on your sailing adventures. May your future weather always be warm!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Eric,
Welcome aboard! Good to have you here on the forum. Nope, I'm not going to be doing any kiteboarding. I don't know if I could sail a Sabot again but they certainly were fun. Sold my last one about 10 years ago.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by alaska pirate

Greetings from 61 degrees north Eric

I didn't know the earth went up that high!!!!!!

We are in the tropics. Its warm and toasty Come visit


Mark

[alaska pirate]

Thank you all for the kind wishes.

Yup, Mark. We're very high here.

To Celestialsailor and SkiprJohn: What is the liveaboard experience like where you are? I've heard mixed reviews re Hawaii. I'm contemplating a Pacific loop and need to know more about the Hawaiian end of things.

[captain58sailin]

Hi Eric,
I am just southwest of you in Homer, we are at 59* and change. I am getting ready to shove off, not quite as quick as you are, I opted for a sailing vessel with a freezer hold, if I can't sell my fish at least I'll have something to eat, and when I go cruising, I'll have someplace to put all my supplies. See you around sometime.
Brad

[alaska pirate]

Hi Brad,

Sounds like a good plan. When do you think you can shove off? Which way will you go?

[captain58sailin]

Hi Eric,
I am looking at a couple of years right now. My grand plan is to troll salmon in SE Alaska during the summer and then work my way south in the fall and fish some Albacore. After that it's off to the Marquesas, and Vanuatu during the winter months, just messing around there. I sailed around there when I was a very young man, and I have always had a hankering to return. I have heard from some friends who were in Fiji recently that they loved it and were thinking of staying there for awhile.
Anyway right now I am working in West Africa, to pay for all this fun and the way the timing is working on my rotation it looks like I will miss the salmon season this year. I want to do a serious refit this year and hopefully start fishing again next summer and take off after that. We all know how that goes, it usually takes twice as long as we think it will and cost 4 times as much. All the best.
Brad

[alaska pirate]

Sorry to hear of the delay in your plans. Still, it sounds like a good one. I'm jealous of your So Pac experiences. That's definitely on my bucket list

I used to own a marine electronics shop in Petersburg, now over 28 years ago. I knew quite a few trollers, both power and hand. Fishing is one of the best so-called self-sustaining lifestyles...as long as there are fish.

I know what you mean about plans versus reality. I had planned to retire in 2011, when I reached 62. Pension + SS + 401k looked ideal to provide a very comfortable lifestyle afloat. A bad work situation and the crashing economy conspired to change all that. As it is, I'll not be as comfortable. But it is time for me to go.

Right now I'm looking at a haulout and minor refit then cruising Prince William Sound this summer, with a crossing to SE in August. I'm thinking of wintering in SE but that's still a ways away.

[Portobello]

Welcome aboard Eric - from 42 South - 100 degrees of separation! And I thought we got cold!!!
Regards
Ian

[Pelagic]

Welcome Eric…Would be curious to hear about your wintering experiences on a steel boat in PWS. Condensation and freezing issues?

Have cruised that area only in the summer and it is absolutely amazing the amount of wildlife there like sea otters and what they called salmon sharks??

Also the overlays we had on the charts of the areas towards Whitier and Seward as a result of the great earthquake that changed many of the soundings when you came in to anchorage was certainly something different to me.

Cordova was a great place to visit and I remember on a Saturday night when the fishing fleet was in and the band was playing….(some pretty amazing wildlife there also ).

Hope to hear more from you about your wonderful cruising area and we hope we can help you in your wanders

[alaska pirate]

Ahoy Pelagic,

When purchased, Blue Note had an undersized forced air heater (Webasto). After fighting that for 2 seasons, I installed one of these



on the forward bulkhead in the main salon. It burns a little more than 40 gallons of no2 a month going 24 hrs a day. Except when it is 0F and blowing outside, it can get cool inside but otherwise it is t-shirt weather down below. Clipon fans circulate the air. Haven't had any condensation problems since installing the Sigmar.

I forgot to mention that Blue Note was built to sail the North Sea and has good insulation throughout.

[alaska pirate]

Ahoy Portobello,

I hope to visit your neck of the woods at some point. Thanks for the hail.

Eric

[captain58sailin]

I will basing out of Sitka next spring for the King season, I'll keep a look out for you, when I am there. One thing I have learned is that it is a small world and I expect I'll see you along the way.