We’ve been seeing too much of this stuff here in the Portland-metro area. Photo by Erik Witsoe on Unsplash

This Pacific Northwest winter’s shaping up as a particularly gray and wet one.

What are a couple of sun-starved California cruisers to do when our boat needs to be in covered moorage in a blustery, gray Pacific Northwest winter? 

Simply put: leave! 

Day1, February 16, 2020: Portland, OR > Crescent City CA 

Day 1: California redwoods. Reasonable weather for February.

We kept it simple, hopped in the Prius and headed south. 

We needed our sunglasses, which almost felt like it defeated the purpose of the trip. Nonetheless, we were grateful to get a good start in dry weather.

Simple gluten-free meals we can eat on the go, from the car if needed.

This repast is a little fancier than it looks. Kalamata olive spread provides a tasty binder between the parts.

Up next: more on the trip highlights.

Location Location (& A Brief Catch-Up)
Before and after this road trip, we’ve been busy. 

Pete & Pongi, great friends and our hosts in Seattle when we came for the Seattle Boat Show.

In late January I presented at the Seattle Boat Show on two topics: “Couples’ International Cruising on $60/day for Everything”  and “Shockingly Big Boatwork Bill: What Do You Do?” Fun. Best of all, we got to spend time with Pete, Wayne’s longtime friend, and his fiance, Pongi, as well as visiting Larry and Nancy, who gave us their trawler.

We’ve also been bopping around on house-sits*  in the Portland-Vancouver Washington area since mid-November. House-sitting gets us off the boat and out from under the gloom of covered moorage during the already darkest days of winter. It also cleared the way for tackling some boat projects that don’t meld well with living aboard. For example, Wayne recently refinished the floors in our salon; watch for photos on a future post. 

Meanwhile, we’re still sussing out what, when and where our next adventures will be. More on that as it evolves.

*my affiliate link and a 25% membership discount to Trusted House-sitters, those house-sits we’re doing other than for friends.