The 2010 Seattle Boat Show seminar schedule has been posted (http://www.seattleboatshow.com/seminar-home.html). We'll be doing two presentations this year. On Saturday January 30th at 1pm, we'll be giving a free one-hour seminar, Waggoner's Secret Coast, that covers some of our favorite destinations between Victoria and Bella Bella. One that we'll cover is Alison Sound at the head of Belize Inlet (pictured above). The scenery there rivals Princess Louisa Inlet, but without the crowds. And the lush Waump Creek at the head is enjoyable to explore, particularly in a kayak. Mergansers and other waterfowl are common, the surrounding forest is healthy and diverse, and big cliffs tower above at every turn.

On Sunday January 31st at 12:30pm, we'll be presenting a three-hour Boat Show University course, Unexplored Anchorages Along the British Columbia Coast. This course covers in detail the cruising grounds of British Columbia's Mid-Coast Inlets, Queen Charlotte Sound and the West Coast of Vancouver Island. British Columbia's Mid-Coast Inlets—Seymour, Belize, Smith and Rivers—have all the beauty and the dramatic scenery of Princess Louisa without the crowds. And unlike the route to Princess Louisa, the mid-coast inlets have sheltered anchorages throughout with lots to see and do. A little farther north is a maze of islands and waterways that border Queen Charlotte Sound, where the terrain is complex, the scenery is varied and impressive, and the anchorage choices are many. And closer to home for most, Vancouver Island’s west coast has some of the best cruising territory in the Pacific Northwest. The trip is easily managed in a well-equipped vessel, but relatively few boaters visit, as traveling there is more of a challenge than the sheltered Inside Passage. We'll also provide navigation advise, and cover tips and techniques for safe and comfortable cruising. Click here to register.

 

L to R: Jeremy Henderson, James and Jennifer Hamilton, Jeff Merrill

Jeff Merrill just posted 5263 Seattle Arrival – Dirona makes a splash! In this article, Jeff covers the build and delivery of Nordhavn 5263. The article ranges from the early discussion phase, through the build in Xiamen, China, to the delivery and first cruise under power, with pictures of all. 

Thanks to Jeremy Henderson, the 47/52 project manager for delivering a great boat, and Jeff for all his help and insight throughout the project.

 

Last Saturday we ran the dinghy down to Tacoma to watched the offload of Nordhavn 5263. Similar to visiting the yard, but on a smaller scale, watching the offload was an adventure, and an exciting part of the purchase and build process. We did have a minor difficulty in the offload, and Don Kohlmann of PAE Northwest handled it with an extraordinary effort.

We’ve posted more details and pictures of the delivery at http://www.mvdirona.com/topics/nordhavn/n5263delivery.aspx

Nordhavn 5263 arrived in Tacoma at 5:22AM this morning assisted by Weddell Foss and Henry Foss. We took our dinghy down and the fog was so thick we couldn't see the bow at times. We'll do a more detailed blog entry with more pictures but here's a quick sampling of some of the pictures.

The first view as the Ever Ethic emerged from the fog:

5263 tucked safely away up on deck:



Getting lowered into the water:



Floating in the sun:



Underway heading North towards Seattle:



When we left this morning at 5:45 it was 28F. Its warmer now at 43F but its been a long cold but exciting day. We'll post more pictures and details soon.

--jrh
jrh@mvdirona.com

Following Hong Kong, we stayed two nights in the Li River area, the first at Guilin and the second at Yangshuo. The area had long been famous for its dramatic karst topography of jagged peaks, sheer cliffs, and complex limestone caverns.  We spent much of the time taking in the scenery from the water, in two different boat trips, but also underground and from atop a mountain.

Read more ...