Captain’s Log: Mr Cummins and Mr Weather had Different Plans:((

9/10-11

Hi All,

Some of you may have noticed that we did not leave Campbell Rover on Tuesday as planned….no tracks on SPOT or OK messages….so, what happened you ask?? Well…went to start Mr Cummins Tues am and nada, zip….whaaaaaaaa. A slight engine turnover then nothing. A quick call to Les, Mystic’s go to guy for this stuff….and, after some diagnostics determined bad starter. Good news we have a spare, bad news one of the bolts is behind the starter and blind….so it takes Kathy with a flashlight to see the bolt and socket and give me directions to mate them up….it was a bit comical at times….like push now, wiggle some more, no that’s not it….cruiser humor at its best me thinks:))) Took 4+ hours to troubleshoot and change out….too late to leave, close to 1pm by then. Now this is 2 items…..Balmar alternator and starter we had rewound/rebuilt in New Zealand….both died prematurely…..ugh, ugh, ugh. We have had issues for most of the season. We even had to jump the battery with Adam and Cindi. We thought it was the start battery slowly dying but now we know the starter was dying as well. OK….high 5’s and happy dance until…..

Mr Weather says hold on folks….first big winter storm a coming….blows hard Wed pm, all day Thursday, ok on Friday, blows hard on Sat….ugh!!! Sadly we had to give up going to Princess Louisa….with the delay just not enough time….whaaaaaaaa!!! By not going over to the east side of Strait of Georgia but staying on the west side we found no good anchorages for 70-85nm south until Nanaimo….looks like we get to stay a few more days here in Campbell River…arghhhhh!!!

This is the forecast we have on 9/11 am:
STRAIT OF GEORGIA – NORTH OF NANAIMO.
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT.
WIND SOUTHEAST 5 TO 15 KNOTS INCREASING TO SOUTHEAST 15 TO 20 THIS
MORNING THEN BECOMING SOUTHEAST 15 TO 25 NEAR MIDNIGHT. WIND
INCREASING TO SOUTHEAST 25 TO 35 THURSDAY MORNING. RAIN BEGINNING
EARLY THIS EVENING.

We could have maybe gone Wed morning but then we need a good anchorage or marina to wait out the gale on Thursday…..nothing really until Nanaimo which is 76nm south.

Here is a recent article on Princess Louisa which we will be missing this year:

At least we have decent internet in Campbell River so gave us more time to catchup on things. And, today we did a massive cleanup on Mystic. I did the outside and just made it before the high winds and rain started. Kathy did the entire inside….Mystic is looking good!!!

The Plan: Has definitely changed a bit: Ride out the storm on Thursday here in Campbell River. We might try and do a few things but it’s supposed to rain over an inch so it could be a “snow” day. On Friday, leave early and go 76nm to Nanaimo….about 10 hours. Wait out the 2nd storm on Saturday in Nanaimo. Sunday, go through Dodds narrows and anchor for 2 nights in the Gulf Islands. Arrive in Sidney on 9/17 and have dinner with Derek and Cathy!!! On 10/18 enter the USA in Friday Harbor and joinup with Les & Rose on 9/19!!!!

Hope all is well!!

John
Mystic Moon
GO MYSTIC GO!!

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