New Year’s Eve is here! We’ve enjoyed a week away from the dock. Our first stop was in Howe Sound, where we did some crabbing and hiking, and now we are in Bedwell Bay, relaxing away the last few days of the year. This fall absolutely flew by, I’ll share some of the highlights.
We volunteered with the North Shore Power Squadron (Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons) this fall, attending weekly boating classes and assisting the teachers and students. We hosted a handful of students aboard Eudora for their student cruise. It was fun to have everyone on board, and rewarding to be part of their boating education. We also attended the squadron’s Christmas dinner. It was time to bring out the party dress, have delicious food and enjoy festive drinks. Squadron has been fantastic for meeting boaters and new friends in our area. We’re happy to volunteer with the group and give back to the boating community.
We undertook some maintenance projects this fall. The first was to re-run the hydronic heating hoses aboard Eudora. The system was installed in 2006, and some of the hoses were starting to wear and crack, so it was time. It wasn’t a fun job as it involved reaching and crawling into tight spaces, but it won’t need doing again for a few years.
Next on the list were the oil and filter changes for the engines and transmissions. I’ve never done an oil change, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit, but Matt was a patient teacher. Using a pump, we removed the old oil from the main engine, the wing engine, and the generator. Then, we rigged the pump to work backwards and pumped fresh golden oil back into the engines. Moment of pride for me, I learned something new, and I’m not intimidated by the task.
Before the winter rains came, we added a cover on our windlass to prevent rain water from dripping down into the anchor locker, and we gave Eudora a thorough scrub from top to bottom, as well as a wax. She looks fantastic and is ready to weather the winter.
We were not expecting the snowfall that came down in Vancouver, but it was cozy to have the white stuff outside. Chaos ensued on the roads and runways, and we’re happy to have winter tires, and fortunate to be able to work from home and stay off the roads.
Christmas has come and gone (as my Oma always says it does). We had a wonderful celebration with our family. We hosted a Christmas Eve dinner aboard Eudora, and enjoyed a turkey dinner on land for Christmas Day. We played board games, drank wine and laughed non-stop. We didn’t get to see everyone we love, as some family is still in Calgary, but hope to see them as soon as we can.
2022 has been a whirlwind of emotions, experiences, frustrations, learning and success. We’ve taken risks and made sacrifices to go on this journey. So far the rewards have definitely outweighed the risks. We’ve been blessed meeting new friends, and maintaining bonds with old ones. The people in it make this life worth living. In 2023, we’ll continue to chase our dream, and hope that you do as well!
“Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about those who don’t. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.” ~ Harvey Mackay
Thanks so much for sharing!