WORK HARD / PLAY HARD

John and I have always enjoyed a "work hard / play hard" mentality. We may be busy making the new vessel our own, however, we spend plenty of time enjoying ourselves as well. While in Portland during our last trip in August, we entertained family from Washington again. We always love having them along. We enjoyed several day cruises on the Columbia River, as well as family meals,  fun and games.

We spent the night docked at Government Island, what the locals call the "west dock".

John wanted to test the DC power and the rest of the systems without all the hookups. Sister-in Law, Liz (who lives in Vancover, WA) joined us for the trial run. During that time, Liz and I, explored the island, picked blackberries and spied on curious rabbits.

John enjoying a well deserved moment cooling his feet.

When I jumped in the river for a swim and lounge in the sun on an air mattress, I learned a valuable lesson about the river current. I was swiftly swept away and found it difficult to get back to the swim deck.    Even though John put a line out.... it wasn't quite long enough! I had to decide to swim for the mattress, the line or the boat? I managed all three, but it was tough. Definitely NOT a lake!

We spend a lazy afternoon, telling stories, enjoying a fine meal and a fabulous sunset. Liz and I crashed early. However, John woke us early... the generator was tripping the circuit breaker. He was in a hurry to get back and trouble shoot the problem. We poured coffee and got things ship shape, only to learn the freezer was no longer working. We got back, repacked the yeti with food instead of drink. Grilled lunch, made the most of it.

Enough playing around for today. We had to do the research and make a decision regarding replacing the refrigerator. The logical decision was... stay with the Norcold, most economical, in stock at West Marine and the holes matched up in the existing cabinet. It fit in our truck and the store let us borrow their dolly. I was dreading the extraction and installation of said equipment.  It's very different than just replacing fans.
What ever happened to home delivery?

Fortunately our new friend and neighbor, Mike, is always their to lend a hand. The fridge wouldn't fit in the galley walkway, so the guys had to lift it out over the counters. Next up, new equipment in. I was sure to cover handrails and exposed teak with blue painters tape. Learned that one the hard way. Hooked it up and runs great! Door panels didn't fit, so we will order those when we get home, next week... 

Thanks so much Mike, for all your help!

Yikes, this August trip is almost over :-(  The next day, while John was busy scraping the old fridge at a metal recycling outfit and finishing canvas.... I assembled our "bail out bags". Last year for Xmas, my boss, Danny, gave us an "emergency essential" kit for two. He included a bunch of extra stuff like solar flashlights, water filters, headlamps, etc.  I laid it out in the salon and packed both bags. This is all part of the main goal...
Heading to the Pacific Ocean 2016... 

We had a few more days to enjoy Hayden Island and the Columbia River. Growing tired of the Las Vegas summers, we planned another pleasure cruise.  This particular day, we passed a jetski with a couple on board, just floating on the river. Something didn't look right, we agreed to turn around and make sure they were OK. As expected, they were stranded. We invited them onboard and  placed their jetski in tow. While bonding with our new fast friends, we realized their toy was no longer in tow. The owner's knot had failed! We had no idea when it happened or how far we had traveled since losing the ski. John immediately got on the VHF radio. We received a response within minutes. This guy had found it, abandoned and had it in tow. As luck would have it,  he was taking it to the neighboring marina right around the corner from our marina. The guys checked the fuel and plugs. Nothing! So we secured the craft next to our slip and gave them a ride to a motel. The thing was we are moored at Salpare Bay Marina on Hayden Island. There are no launch ramps on Hayden Island.  Their vehicle was somewhere on the Washington side. The following day, we had to visit the canvas shop in Portland.  Upon returning, we found the jetski was gone and our new friends had left us a bounty of prepared food and John a case of beer. Another rewarding learning experience!

Columbia River Regatta

Before heading back to LV, there was time to sit on the dock and check out the twilight  regatta on the river. This is the view from Pairadice. Our new fridge was working great and another new friend and neighbor gave us a giant slab of fresh tuna. (So sorry I didn't get a pic of that). We couldn't resist having brother Mat, Liz and neice, Audri, over for dinner on our last night. Of course we grilled it... the fresh tuna was amazing. Thank you, thank you.... Paul! 

Down side was, it takes quite a bit of effort to ready the boat and head to the landlocked life. Saturday, we pump out, stowed the dingy...(lesson, don't wait to the travel day) clean and stow everything. Packed and loaded the truck.  It was 2 pm when we began our drive home. I insisted on a way point for rest. That was Susanville, CA, at 11:30pm. Nothing photogenic there. The drive from Portland to LV leaves a lot to be desired. I resorted to working on the laptop, creating outlines, lists, etc. The positive side of the driving home is...we have so much time to plan!   And the plan is, back to the boat in October. We are focused on getting her ready for the Pacific next spring! John, having been retired for over 6 months now, is ready to live aboard. I have committed to working thru 2015, last day being Wednesday, December 16th!!