We all don't have to make ALL of our own mistakes. It is possible to learn from the public domain, like Ben Franklin teaching us to not fly a kite with a wire in a lightening storm. I have friend Walter to thank for teaching me to check carefully when topping off water tanks to insure that the word DIESEL is not on the filler cap, and now at great personal expense he has taught us that there are times to be sure that DIESEL is on the filler cap.
During this past month I have learned more than my share of lessons! I will recount some of them for you here...
#6. Without a firm floatplan in place, I ended up purchasing three Canadian fishing licenses, one 3 day and two 5 day. It would have been cheaper to buy an annual tidal license, and I will next year.
#5. I can live on 12 volts! Since leaving Point Hudson in Port Townsend on August 5th, we were rafted to Blue Fin or on the hook all but three nights.
#4. While advised that my Yanmar is most efficient running at 3400 RPMs, I discovered that advise to be defficient. Depending upon the currents, we covered a lot of water and nautical miles at 1500, 2200 but never more than 2800 RPMs, UNLESS trying to keep up with Alan Vogt on Blue Fin.
#3. If you have 100' of line on your crab pot it is best to set it in less than 100' 
of water at highest tide. Seems axiomatic doesn't it? When you set from the dinghy it is not so simple, unless you have a handheld depth wand like Steve Dauzenroth. In the future I will either set from Whisper or at least cruise over the crabbing site to determine depths prior to a dinghy set after anchoring.
of water at highest tide. Seems axiomatic doesn't it? When you set from the dinghy it is not so simple, unless you have a handheld depth wand like Steve Dauzenroth. In the future I will either set from Whisper or at least cruise over the crabbing site to determine depths prior to a dinghy set after anchoring.Bye bye, buy crab pot.
#2. If you or an acquaintance have a counter-top hinged refrigerator lid on a boat that is not dogged or restrained in some way in the open position, if you care about the count of your fingers, fix it NOW!
This is what the hinged portion of Whisper's refrigerator look like before it came down to remove a piece of the 5th digit on my left hand. On the counter top to the left are the pieces of my solution: a 9" spring and 2 pad eyes which were installed to look like 
this. When opened you have to remember to check the spring, which I find to be a good reminder.
this. When opened you have to remember to check the spring, which I find to be a good reminder.Solution installed.
...and now a drumroll for the single most important lesson:
#1. Because of all that has happened, the best lesson is summed up in Wendy Vogt's comment: Joe, just slow down! Thank you Wendy.
With the learning curve of these experiences I look forward to the challenge of the passage to Desolaton Sound next August.
To follow in the next day or two will be a gallery of some of my favorite images...
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