Aug 12 2011 in On Watch by Marty McOmber
The art of cruising is, in some ways, a constant effort to solve little problems t0 make life aboard easier. And on our recent cruise to Barkley Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island, we had an opportunity to confront a few minor challenges to improve life on Three Sheets, our 1989 Island Packet [...]
Jul 15 2011 in On Watch by Marty McOmber
Long before we had auxiliary engines, electronics or even plumbing, for that matter, the most complicated part of most boats was the rigging — that mass of wires or ropes that hold the pointy bits in a vertical position. Like those other systems, getting to understand how your rigging works and — more importantly — how it can [...]
Jul 8 2011 in On Watch by Marty McOmber
I’ve circumnavigated Vancouver Island once, more than 10 years ago, while getting an advanced skipper certificate from the International Sail and Power Academy. It was a fun but grueling two-week marathon that put some 800 nautical miles under the keel and included a truly harrowing night passage around the notorious Cape Scott. But while our [...]
Jun 24 2011 in Boats, On Watch by Marty McOmber
Sometime today, the sailing vessel Ethereal is scheduled to slip her temporary moorage at Elliott Bay Marina and point her bow toward Alaska. Typically, a boat heading off for an early summer cruise along the wild coast of British Columbia and points north would elicit little fanfare. But you’d be hard-pressed not to notice this boat. [...]
Jun 17 2011 in Gear locker, On Watch by Marty McOmber
A regular reader of Three Sheets Northwest recently commented, and I’m paraphrasing a bit, that boaters sure do spend a lot of time talking about poop. And this week’s column is no different. We’ve written a lot about our new composting head, including why we decided to get one and how the installation process worked. [...]
Jun 10 2011 in Gear locker, On Watch by Marty McOmber
The one thing Deborah resents about boating is having to think so much about waste — as in, the kind we humans personally produce. But I’m going to spend the next two On Watch columns talking about just that. Sorry, honey. As many of you know, we’ve been working on upgrading the sanitation system aboard Three [...]
May 13 2011 in On Watch by Marty McOmber
Life is full of important decisions, the kinds of choices that can alter your future and define your destiny. Which school should I go to? What career should I pursue? Who should I marry? But in my experience, the most difficult decisions I’ve had to face in life have been these: What to name the [...]
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