It’s time to return to Alaska again–to destruction, frozen pipes and this time uprooted trees–lots of them. We had an Easter storm that even the Easter bunny couldn’t stand. Move over Punxsutawney Phil…….
It’s good-bye to Tucson for a few months and time to hit the road again this time driving up Route 93 from Las Vegas to LaGrande Oregon, then west on I-90 to Seattle. I really liked my stay here in Tucson–even if I only furnished the house with a barbecue and a piano. I put all my indoor cacti in the bath-tub and the rest outside. In all I planted four citrus trees and established an irrigation system. I also spent quite a bit of time in the “yard” pruning back mesquite and Palo Verde trees opening up trails. I am surprised how “green” Tucson is–this winter was the wettest on record according to the locals. I kind of like this “snowbird” thing–Tucson winters are better than Alaska summers. This Lantana bloom (purple flowers) coats my entry way. Cactus is now in bloom-but so are my allergies, so it’s north to Alaska!
A drive through Nevada wouldn’t be complete without stopping at this roadside attraction. Not quite Area 51 but close. Here is a crashed UFO:
At first I thought this was one of my missing hubcaps. I stopped a night in Ely Nevada and put up with dogs in my hotel (La Quinta–who boasts a smoke-free environment). What is it with dogs? And sometimes, it’s the other way around. I see them everywhere, licking food samples in supermarkets then licking their you-know-whats. Then they lick their owners face. I think I’ve touched lightly on this subject before, so I’ll get on to more important issues.
The Katahdin is finished with Phase II repairs, which was really more woodwork in another complete restoration. I’m afraid to count up the bills but I can’t leave this boat in disrepair. The whole aft deckbeams, frameheads, decking, bulwarks and guards were rebuilt in Port Orford Cedar. The house up top is also nearly done. I’ve got a painter on this now so Katahdin will be a “new” old boat soon. I hope to have her out this fall. The steering is giving me somewhat of a challenge–the rudder is stuck hard to starboard.
Here’s the boat steering before the destruction of the deck showing 20 years of Alaska winters…..
And here it is again today–completely rebuilt everything including the twin rams and Wagner actuator. I bent the engine bar (1″ solid steel) and then a 1-1/2″ tool steel I got from a machine shop, trying to leverage this back to center. This rudder is stuck.
At least I am taking care of Katahdin. The Arthur Foss, built in 1899, ten years older than Katahdin, and maintained (or should I say neglected) by NW Seaport and is in staggering disrepair. And to make it appear OK, they did a plywood veneer on the hull. This boat needs about $10M to put back right and the people of Seattle should ante up. I’m putting the Katahdin on the market soon and would donate it to a bona-fide museum. however, Seattle doesn’t care about their maritime history. Sad.
Perhaps the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) would be interested. They’ve done a magnificent job of relocating into the old Armory building (built by the WPA, I might add). The Virginia V is moored on the left here–I sat on their board for about 7 years and donated a ton of money to her restoration–the largest wooden passenger steamship left in the country. I toured her and chatted with the steam engineers who were preparing for a US Coast Guard inspection. I predict the Arthur will never leave the dock on her own power.
The adjacent attraction–Center for Wooden Boats–focuses on smaller craft. The Davis boat in the foreground was recently painted. I’ve an identical hull here in Alaska in the South Kupreanof Yacht Club museum.
So let’s hop on the ferry–which leaves Bellingham every Friday at 6pm. I queue up at 3pm as I’m driving my truck on board–$1883 btw–for a one way trip to Petersburg. But, this time, it’s worth every penny. The restaurant is open and the bar, soon to be. Food was Alaska caught halibut and salmon (Sockeye) every night. White tablecloths, fine wines, and friendly hosts. Everyone was very courteous and there were no dogs running around the decks–did I rant yet on dogs……… OK….
These “tree-valanches” are ubiquitous now on the BC and AK coastline. Twenty years ago, when I drove around on Katahdin, I didn’t see as many–these are all fresh and if you extrapolate this in the future, we’re in for a lot more. Our atmosphere is more saturated with water since it’s warmer. This is expressed by more tropical rains instead of the usual Alaska drizzle. Petersburg has had two major ones with several across Frederick Sound visible. Haines had a devastating slide taking out 6 houses and killing two people. Here is a link to that slide. I’ve been in contact with NOAA and they are keeping a log of these….
….But not these, which are another kind of log. This is my back yard. I had eight trees topple over in an Easter windstorm scaring the Easter Bunny. The roots are very shallow but wide–this one nearly 20′ wide, now standing that high. There are four trees in this cluster, one missing my 30′ high wellhouse by about 2′.
This tree is perhaps 200 years old and missed the logging in the 1920s. The locals said this storm was unlike anything they’ve ever witnessed. I believe them.
The power line is from my newly installed hydro system. My plan is to cut the trunks, tip the roots back flat and hoist out the logs and send them to a sawmill. One tree is nearly 4′ in diameter–perhaps good music quality wood. The rest goes in my woodshed.
Fortunately, my hydro intakes were filled and functional except for one breach in the line:
This is simply a displaced boot which I couldn’t repair because the pipe was too full of water. Before I could get to this, I threw out my back again so am flat on my back and on ibuprofen (and a jolt of gin at 5pm). Life at the yacht club goes on! Stay tuned.