Arctic Wandering The Skipper

	Arctic Wandering... Past Updates

April 10, 2008

I got off the tug on March 5th and spent a couple of days with my son and his family, then drove north to Seattle. I had to get a new government document TWIX card (Transportation Workers Identification Card). Then to renew my Coast Guard license I got a physical, took a radar renewal class, then brought that all into the Coast Guard. I also found a travel company that helps people get a Russian visa, which can be difficult. I also had to reapply to get a Norwegian visa to spend next winter in Norway. Lots of paper work, getting passport pictures for the visas, and phone calls. It all got done and now it’s back to work on the tugs. I’ll be out plying the waters along the west coast till' mid June. Some new pictures of the boat buried under snow have been posted.

November 22, 2007

I’ve spent the last month and a half working on San Jose State Universities 133ft research vessel, Pt. Sur. I joined her in Seattle and after ten days we headed for Moss Landing, California. Over the next month we made several day trips out into Monterey Bay. The science consisted of towing various nets, getting bottom cores, Deploying and recovering science buoys. On Veterans Day I was invited to make a trip on Monterey Bay Aquarium’s vessel Pt. Lobos. They were going out to operate their Remotely Operated vehicle in Monterey Bay Canyon. This was very interesting as I have not observed an ROV before. I’m spending Thanksgiving with my son and his family in Sebastopol, Calif. Then I will be going back to work For Sause Bros, towing oil barges up and down the west coast.

Update September 25, 2007

Unfortunately Gary's window of opportunity was to short and he was not able to make it out of Cambridge Bay this year. Winter was setting in and His boat was icing up and he broke a fuel line. The Arctic Wanderer will be resting in Cambridge Bay for one more year. Hopefully next year someone at the Canadian Consulate will know something about weather and what happens to water in cold temperatures, in order to let Gary up there during the summer!!!

Update September 14, 2007

Well the last week has been hectic but things are coming together. Hopefully I'll be leaving Cambridge Bay Sat or Sun. The weather is cold (25-33 degrees). The engine is working good, all the electronics are working. The new batteries are on board but the old ones are working fine so I haven't hooked the new ones up. I'll send another update when I leave.

Update August 19, 2007

Progress was made last week, a new woman is working on my application and it is now in the hands of an immigration officer. Friday I was told they might make a decision in the next two weeks. That would leave very little time to make it out of Canadian waters but I could do it, last year it was open into October. Starpath school of Navigation donated a sun stone to me; it will be used to navigate from Greenland to Norway as the Vikings did 1000 years ago, I will be writing more on this later.

Update July 21, 2007

My hopes of getting back to the boat have been dashed, I went to the consulate on Thursday and the woman handling my application would not see me. So I don’t know if they will let me go back up. The ice has melted in the bay and the boat was floating a week ago. The cover has a rip in one side and the wind vane had come loose, Jim and Shelia were able to put it back up. Thanks to all in Cambridge Bay watching out for Arctic Wanderer. At this point I haven’t a clue as to when I will be allowed back up.

Update June 18,2007

The consulate called a week ago and said it would be a couple of more weeks before they would have an answer for me, so tomorrow I’m going back to work for two to three weeks. The weather in Cambridge Bay has been cold hovering at thirty-two degrees and is slowly rising the last couple of days. There is still snow on the ground although it will melt fast with higher temps. I’ve posted a couple of pictures of Susan who I am staying with and Yodo her cat that wakes me every morning between 4-6am by licking my face so I will feed her. Hopefully I’ll be back in Cambridge the second week in July.

Update May 27, 2007

Hello all, hopefully I will get permission to go back to Cambridge Bay next month. I’ve been working for Sause Bro. Towing the last four and a half months. They have a dozen tugs and I was on two of them towing oil barges up and down the west coast (Tacoma, Wash. To Los Angeles). I spent two weeks at my son’s house in Sebastopol Calif. My daughter had my 4th grandchild while I was there. I drove to Sacramento to house sit for my brother for another week then on to Oregon to visit with my 92yo father and my sisters. I’m currently in Seattle, Wash. awaiting word from the consulate on when I can go back to Cambridge Bay. They are waiting on info about the ice conditions. As soon as I hear anything I will post it.

Update Dec.19, 2006

I finally have a job working on tug Boats for a company out of Coos Bay, Oregon. I drive to Coos Bay today, then have two days of orientation and a Physical. Then on Thurs. I fly to Los Angles to meet the boat. From there I don’t know but I will keep the web site updated. I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Update Dec 10, 2006-12-09

Time is slowly passing; I’ve received most of the documents that Canadian immigration requires. I will be talking with someone at the consulate tomorrow, as I have to be back in Cambridge bay in May. I’m worried if I can’t return then my boat will be vandalized as the kids in town start to stay out all night. Hopefully I have a job on tugs I should know in a week or so.

Update Nov 6, 2006-11-06

The beginning of Oct I sent my resume into UNOLS (University National Oceanographic Laboratory Systems) and within two hours got an email from the University of Oregon, they needed a temporary second mate on their research vessel the Wecoma. So by weeks end I was jetting south to Newport Oregon. I spent aprox. 3 weeks onboard making two trips underway. We recovered three moorings and buoys. My sister Judy and her family came to visit which was great, as I haven’t seen her in a couple of years. I left Newport on Oct 31 drove to Portland to spend a couple of days with my 91 year old father, who last summer drove to Sacramento Calif and back, he’s doing great. And also saw my other sister Cathy and her family. Left Portland on Nov 3rd flew to Seattle then Edmonton in Canada where I ran into a brick wall. Immigration would not let me into the country as I had been living there illegally for the last year and a half and I had a DUI in 1986. So I had to go back to Seattle to deal with this problem their. I’m Staying with my friend Susan who got the boat to Alaska when I bought it. I might be here for up to six months. If this is the case I’ll find work and take some photo classes, and lecture if there is an interest.

Update Sept.10, 2006

I recived the last two engine parts and my deadline for leaving is here, so I’ll be spending another winter in Cambridge Bay. This will give me a chance to build my funds back up as the engine ate up a lot. And I don’t want to cross the north Atlantic after Oct 1 as the storms increase. Many people are glad I’m staying as they need me to house and dog sit when thy go on holiday. Two Polish sailboats were here the Nekton and The Stary. They are headed to Alaska. I’ve gotten some work painting the Arctic Collage buildings, I just finished one and start on the second one tomorrow. The weather is cooling down a couple of days ago I was painting in a snow squall, that’s right in a snow squall. The temps are in the low thirties to upper twenties at night. Last year the bay froze the end of September. Two cruise ships stoped here a last month. Four barges stoped and offloaded fuel, and supplies that are needed for the winter. I have to get Arctic Wanderer ready for another fridged winter.

Aug. 15, 2006

I got the engine to run but it won’t idle. Last Sunday the mechanic from town came down. We worked on it for six hours and it won’t run. I’m checking the compression today to rule out low compression. If its ok then the new fuel injection pump might not be working properly. I have until Sept 1st to fix it. I won’t leave after that as winter is setting in and the sea could start to freeze. I’m better off in Cambridge Bay than stuck in a bay in the middle of no ware. I’ll send updates every few days until then.

Update Aug 9, 2006

The ice has cleared all along the Boothia Peninsula to Bellot Strait. Peel sound still has a lot of ice in it. I received the engine parts and the new fuel filter. I’m having trouble bleeding the fuel system. I loaded one hundred ninety gallons of fuel yesterday and installed the fuel filters. Hopefully will get the engine running today. I’m planning on leaving this weekend if all goes well. The temperature is suppose to hit seventy-five degrees today, which is very hot, for the north.