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| Monday June 17th 2019 |
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Tuesday June 18th New field of sweetgrass.
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| Big guy on the big log that floated in and blocked the landing. |
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| Wednesday June 19th BRNR on the rocks. |
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| Thursday June 20th, Don's dogs love Ward... and sausages. |
July 8th 2019
I'm very excited for our next trip! For the first time Audrey will be joining the expedition. With Catherine, Heidi and me, we almost have a full family vacation! Where are Phil and Christen? We arrived safely to find the cabin stairs that Ward and I built twisted off the deck and askew. When we were last here Ward found a drop of fresh blood in the woods, and now we see dislodged stairs. Very puzzling and yes, unsettling.
Our mission on this trip was to install the wood-burning stove chimney, fire up the stove, and to stain and install cedar siding.
For the chimney, we had to first find the right location for the roof penetration, drill a starter hole, then using a jigsaw and sawzall cut a hole large enough for the pipe to fit through. Cutting a hole in perfectly good roof of a cabin in a rainforest was not something I was happy about but in the end it worked well and I expect the seals will hold. I hope so! The stove and chimney are now hooked up, although some pieces of pipe were missing, so we had to locate the stove in the middle of the not yet installed barn doors. We started the fire and the stove warmed the cabin. It was spectacular to have heated indoor space to be warm and dry. At night before bed, we lit the stove. The warmth and fire light inside were so heartening.
On to the siding. Cliff Rosback from
Shoprite Marine in Port McNeill sourced the most beautiful cedar boards that I've ever worked with. Clear, flat, straight cedar, a full 1" thick by 10" wide and in varying lengths up to 14' had to first be sun dried to get rid of the moisture absorbed in the past year, then stained on one side, dried, turned over, stained on the other side, and sun dried again. When the sun was weak, our operations went slowly. By the end of the week, we had completed the front and half the west side of the cabin siding. The color and style look superb. Fabulous. Staining the backside of the boards took more time and wasn't totally necessary, however now I sleep better knowing we did a thorough job and the cabin will last longer.
While the boards were drying, Audrey took time to create some really unique dynamic art. Along the path from camp to Hull's kitchen, she carefully braided the meadow sweet grasses to form a harmonious and distinct pathway. It looked really cool, very impressive! Thanks Audrey. you've upped the game on Hull.
We also took time to rebuild and strengthen the stairs and add a stone landing. Four stringers and boards screwed down with extra fasteners should do the trick. Let the bears try to scratch themselves on these stairs! Bring it on.
Working in the sun can get hot and sweaty. No problem, we are surrounded by clear cold swimming water. Did I say cold? You have to try it someday to really know the feeling - VERY refreshing. Catherine and Audrey dove right in and even brought along an inflatable ring. It's crazy to see these two swimming, laughing, and playing together out on the frontier in the open natural waters. Life is so precious.
When our children were young and Heidi left for work in the evening, I was in charge. After dinner, we would sometimes watch one of our favorite shows - the original Iron Chef. Most likely, this program and their mother's good cooking fostered our daughters' love of preparing and eating great food. With a tote box full of spices and condiments (shout out to Correll on spices), Audrey, Catherine and Heidi made delicious meals. Never a shortage of food. The crab cakes were particularly tasty and have set a high bar for the future.
Time flew by and soon we were headed home to Woodinville. I can't say enough about how wonderful it was to be together. Peace and harmony and a strong family, life is good.
Bill is back! I'm happy Bill enjoyed his first excursion enough to return. We picked up pretty much where we left off. Building the cabin. Getting things done. Exploring the area. First order of business was adding a temporary handrail to the front steps. I really appreciate Bill's attention to safety and mobility. As we get older handrails and safety become even more important. Thanks Bill!
We brought along more composite decking, cut and fitted the pieces onto the stair treads, then went off by boat in search of driftwood pieces we could use for more permanent handrails on the stairs and around the deck. In between crabbing runs, we surveyed the surrounding islands looking for just the right pieces of wood. The next day, we returned with a chainsaw, made shore, cut and harvested the wood. It was fun to cut and haul over the rocks then load it into BRNR. We had our own mini logging operation. Bill and Jon, the Seafaring Woodsmen.
Bill later referred to the week as "Boat Management Week." A good description, but underplays the major challenges. More like boat major pain in the ass week. As had happened a month earlier with Ward, we had the same wind, big tides and currents that caught the boat on the rocks. Perhaps this was the next major tide cycle? Days one, two and three, BRNR got stranded high on the rocks during the night. Again, we used wood as levers and rollers to make sure the boat was in a good position as the tide came in. While it was reassuring to see we could regularly re-float the boat and there was no damage to the aluminum hull, we weren't sleeping well wondering what could happen. We were exhausted and sore from all the work. We started discussing what would happen if it got stranded on the day we wanted to leave? Would we have to stay up all night watching it and pushing it off the rocks as the tide went out? The next morning we found out.
Bill was up first early Saturday morning and per routine went to check on the boat. Bill reported back that the boat was high and dry again, but not to worry its position was OK. I fell back to sleep for an hour or so when I head Bill yelling. "Jon, Jon, I think we have a problem, come down here. I need help!" I pulled on clothes, rushed out the cabin and down to the east landing area. I arrived on the scene to see BRNRs bow high on a large rock while the stern was tenuously held in place by another rock 5 or 6 feet below. It appeared the anchor had dragged and this time we were really stuck in a bad position. Bill was by the boat watching the tide come in and waves started lapping up against the stern. Would it re-float? Or would the deck fill with water and BRNR sink. As I climbed down to help, a larger wave made by the wake of a boat passing 1/2 mile away rolled in and over the stern. The added water and wave motion caused the boat to slip and BRNR slid deeper into the water. BRNR was sunk and the captain wasn't even on board! The stern and motor were completely underwater with only the bow above water. We still had a bowline attached to shore and held on. We watched helplessly as our charts, a 5 gallon gas tank, some bumpers, our gaff and other boating accessories floated away with the tide.
We were officially shipwrecked on a deserted island. Instead of thinking Robinson Crusoe, Gilligan's Island came to mind. How embarrassing - good lord, we sank the boat! Now what? While Bill continued to hang on I rushed back to camp and made an emergency cell call to Don Wilson. I got his voicemail and left a message. Bill and I grabbed our winch, more long logs for levers and shorter logs for rollers and went to work. It took us over an hour, but we finally managed to winch it forward and up onto some rocks, tilt the boat more level, then jump inside with a 5 gallon bucket and start bailing. By bailing and levering up the stern, we beat the incoming waters and got the boat floating but still full of water like a bathtub. More bailing and a surprisingly operational bilge pump cleared the rest and BRNR was floating again. What a massive relief. Our heart rates and adrenaline levels returned from near panic to merely intense. We hopefully tried the motor, but as expected, it wouldn't start or even turn over. We were stranded.
At this point Don arrived with a massive bilge pump he hauled onto his skiff. Don will never know how much we appreciated his calm, cool and collective support that day. Two days later, he returned to tow my boat away and pass BRNR to Silver King for towing to Port McNeill where Shop Rite Marine cleared out the sea water, refreshed the motor, confirmed that all motor wiring was OK. They then rewired the main boat electronics and instrument panel. I'm told it is as good as new, but I've not yet had the chance to confirm that on the open sea.
In the morning, Bill and I were ready with our pile of gear down by the east landing zone. We thought the approaching boat was James Silver King coming to rescue us. Instead it was Mike Buttle in his new major coastal boat: Shit Happen's II. Mike pulls in close to shore and says something like, "hey what are you guys doing here?" I respond, "our boat sank and we're waiting to be picked up by Silver King." "Holy shit!" says Mike, "what the hell, you should have called me, I could've helped you. What do you need?" So I jumped on it and said, "No worries Mike we're A OK, you know shit happens so no big deal, but I really need that dock put in!" Mike then asks "do you need a boat?" Heck yeah this is getting better all the time - our region has the best people. Next, Mike throws us a couple of cold beers, assures me the dock is going in immediately, and jets off. When I say "jets off," I mean twin 300HP outboard motors firing up and taking off. It really does sound like a jet airplane.
Thanks to James Wilson (son of Don the neighbor), his wife Valerie and son Donavan who were in the area "only" 15 miles away in Knights Inlet who super graciously offered to interrupt their family time to rescue Bill and me from Hull. James took over Silver King when his dad retired and has provided excellent transport services before, so it was a pleasure to see him again. The ride back was really interesting. James did a masterful job navigating around hundreds floating logs loose in Johnstone Strait with a setting sun directly in our eyes. While he was dodging logs and direct routes into the sun, he and Valerie showed us the local sights and scenes, including the beachfront park the helped create and later got married in. How romantic, sweet memories!
Pro-tip #47...When leaving Port McNeill late on a Canadian Holiday don't expect to find an open hotel room, not even a single room Bill and I might have to share. I mean really? Nothing on the entire island between Port McNeill and Nanaimo available??
Pro-tip #48...At 2 am, with no hotel rooms available, we discovered you can park at the Nanaimo ferry entrance gates even though they are closed for the night. They even leave a side gate open for access to the bathroom. The Rail wasn't horrible to sleep in, either. Bonus! We were first ones through the gates and onto the ferry when they opened at 7 am.
Thank you Bill for keeping the faith and remaining calm during our Boat Management Week. I hope this story helps us remember the good, the bad and the challenges we overcame. Life is an ever unfolding set of experiences and it's good to have variety. It was an honor to spend another great camping adventure together. You are a true friend.
August 2019 Building the Camp Kitchen.
My brother Chris always has big ideas, great vision, and a passion for nature and beauty. He is a motivator. Over the past years, Chris has encouraged me to design and build an outdoor kitchen. This winter, we spent many long phone calls brainstorming ideas and plans, including a very generous offer from Chris to commission the project. What else do we need? We have vision and the means; the project is a go.
I've forgotten when it was I first met Len @TimberMac. I think it was in 2016 after a mention from Don Wilson on West Cracroft Island who has a sawmill and cuts beautiful lumber. Len and Don keep their eyes out for big logs floating free in the fjords that have broken loose from logging rafts or naturally fallen during big storms. They put a spike in them and tow them home for firewood or lumber.
On my first visit, Len gave me a grand tour of the house he and his wife designed and built with his extensive wood recovery and milling operations. He showed me very tight bundles of cedar sticks he hand split for gifts of kindling and stacks of dimensional lumber. Len and I talked about an outdoor post and beam shelter to use as our kitchen on Hull and he was immediately all in. A local project. Excellent. We'll find some great wood for you.
Over the winter we worked together to set the wood dimensions. We settled on a 14' by 16' post and beam "barn" with 6' by 6' posts and cross members, 6' by 10' headers and ridge beams, and 4' by 10' rafters. Very stout and sturdy. Len insisted I use galvanized steel nails, or spikes that were proven in the local salt water environment and thought he could get a 30 pound box of spikes sitting on a dock next island over that the owners might give up. Added to these spikes were some longer ones of different sizes that Len had accumulated over the years. The local connections for acquiring materials are incredible and Len is ready when we are to handle delivery.
Mike Buttle saved the day by lending me a boat. I think it was the original Shit Happens. It was an Argo, about 20' long. Super sturdy, heavy with twin 115 HP motors. Boat and motors were well worn but mostly very operational. One engine would quit at low rpms at the worst time when docking, then take 6 to 10 attempts to restart. I was definitely not complaining - we got great use from that vessel. Mike and Linda even sent a boat over to pick me up at the mouth of Eve River, a 15-mile dirt road access. I really appreciated their generosity.
The dock was in! Hallelujah and what a HUGE relief. There it was, a 40' floating dock tethered by chains to a concrete block sunken deep off shore, tethered by chains to a 50' ramp at the shore end. The ramp on shore is chained to 1" diameter spikes drilled into the stone. Hull Island Safety jumped 37 points with the dock installation.
I had about a week by myself before Jeff Wilson was arriving, so I spent the time on two major tasks: create a trail from the dock to camp and complete more of the cabin siding. While the sun dried the cedar siding, I spent hours cutting branches, cutting and digging out salal, filling and grading the dirt. Coming up from the dock, the first three steps are steep and especially difficult with heavy coolers. Once past these steps, the trail has a very pleasant easy route into the camp. This trail was first started by Henry and Andy about a year ago. I appreciated their initial trailblazing while working to finish the path. I made slow but steady progress on the siding - finished the west side and started on the back.
For the first time, I saw two large grey whales off Hull Island in Havana Channel. We had heard the sounds before, but I was never sure what they were. A deep whooshing sound. When I heard it again, I grabbed bear spray and headed down to the water. About a 1/4 mile away I saw humpbacks rolling and blowing their spouts. Totally cool to see from our own camp.
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| Thursday August 15th |
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Mike Buttle lent me this beautiful Argo
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| Dock at low tide |
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| Friday August 16th |
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Saturday August 17th
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| Above Hull's Kitchen looking north from the new dock trail. Monday August 19th |
Last Week of August 2019Jeff Wilson was coming for his first trip to Hull to help start the Camp Kitchen build. I met Jeff in the early 1980's when we worked at Boeing in Numerical Control (N/C) programming group for machined parts in Boeing's Fabrication Division in Auburn Washington. We have been friends ever since. Jeff often refers to me as "the human backhoe" as he has seen my love for moving dirt with shovel and wheelbarrow over the past 30 years. After a few days on Hull, I can with confidence call Jeff a "Human Moving Machine".
I don't recall if I forewarned Jeff about how much work we had ahead, but he knows me well enough that no warning is required. It turned out to be one heck of a tough 5 day workout.
We started by visiting Len and checking in on our wood. The pile of wood was impressive in its size, even more impressive were the wood beams. Super straight, clean cuts and well packed. 6' by 6' posts were 6' by 6'. Everything was full size and center cuts. Len was ready to ship today at high tide in the late afternoon.
We could hear Len coming across the channel, his small motor boat pulling a heavy load. We were so excited to see him expertly swing the load up against the shore and untie. Easy! Impressive. As it was late in the day and we needed a low tide to safely get at the wood, we tied it off for the night and relaxed. In the water at high tide the pile looked small, only a part of it above the surface. The next morning with the tide out we saw the entire raft. Huge!
Jeff and I worked for hours on a hot day to get the wood up to the building site. First we had to carefully untie the beams, then get them off the pile without creating a massive slide down the rocky face. Then we had to move the wood across the rocks and up the path. Some of the beams were so heavy and long we had to tie ropes to them and push and pull over wood rollers up the hill. The finished wood pile in camp looked fantastic. An epic effort in lumber hauling without one piece lost or damaged. Total workout. We celebrated with cocktails and great food.
Jeff may have thought the lumber was the real workout. Nope, just the first hurdle. Next, we spent three days clearing and leveling the earth for the 14' by 16' kitchen, digging out and moving 6 large foundation rocks and setting the rocks in holes first excavated then backfilled filled with larger crushed rock and gravel. The rocks and gravel had to be carried in 5 gallon buckets from the beach landing. We must have moved several tons of stone! It was a healthy strong workout and I was psyched we accomplished these major tasks that set things up for the building crew to arrive in a few weeks. After dwelling on my sunken boat for the past few weeks, it was a relief to have such a good friend here and to have everything work out. I felt as though Jeff was an angel sent from heaven. It certainly was a blessing!
In Port McNeill we saw two pods of Orca's about 1/2 mile away in Johnstone Straits. In the distance, we saw about 5 whales in one group and 7 in the other - the most whales I've ever seen at one time. It is always heartening to see such beautiful beings.
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| Camp Kitchen wood at Len's place. Wednesday August 21st |
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| Pop up kitchen has served three years on Hull and one in Black Rock City. |
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| Temporary kitchen - vintage BurningMan |
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Len towed the wood across Havana Channel.
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| Waiting for the tide to go out |
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| Jeff looking good after the first few posts. Thursday August 22nd |
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Friday August 23rd, a well-earned cocktail hour
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| Saturday August 24th |
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| Tsoonakwa Sunday August 25th |
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| Moving the foundation rock on a sled with rollers right through the kitchen. |
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| Rock star Jeff Wilson |
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Battle damaged, but still standing... |
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| Tuesday August 27th Foundation rocks are in |
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