Early Morning Wake Up Call

Was it a bird... a drone... a floatplane... an early-morning crew boat? Nothing was visible through the hatch overhead, but something close by was sending noisy vibrations through the air. What did cause the noise that sent us racing up to the pilothouse early this morning? Oh! My! Goodness! It was a small helicopter, landing on the large boat across the dock. Now that was a sight worthy of leaping out of bed just after dawn.

The tide was up, the sun was up (barely) and the wind was down; a perfect time to land I suppose, if there ever is a good time to land on such a small platform! M/V Scorpius is a large vessel, but she carries a tall tower, a crane and tons of antennae on her upper deck. That leaves just enough room for an experienced pilot to keep the rotors away from all of those obstacles when setting down. Larry is a good pilot; he's landed on Scorpius hundreds of times before, but I'm still wide-eyed at this feat. Now just imagine doing this in unsettled weather.

This morning's event reminded me of the small copter we had seen in 2013, perched atop a rock along the channel at the upper end of Smith Inlet. I still wonder "Why?"  

I wonder what new surprises tomorrow will bring. 

Spring and Shipyard Geometry

Photo: the view west from the pilothouse window

The blog has been quiet for a long while, so long that you might have thought we were hibernating like the bears. Nope, February and March we have kept busy with boat projects, all part of the annual Spring Outfitting preparation for our 2015 cruise north. Inside the galley has a new, functioning cooktop; outside the hull sports a new coat of bottom paint; the all-important engine room has accounted for hours of routine preventive maintenance and a snazzy new LED lighting installation...  If you've read my spring prep posts from previous years, you know the routine.

Photo: A sudden microburst hailstorm turned the docks white... briefly. 

Some days weather makes it more comfortable to work on inside projects, but there's always time to take a break and head outside for a visit on the dock or a stroll along the waterfront. That said, I still think heavy rain squalls and hailstorms are best viewed from the dry side of a window - I am such a weather wimp! During our brief stay "on the hard" for the annual haulout, I wandered the shipyard with my camera intending to record an anchor and propeller photoshoot, until shapes edged into my shooting consciousness. Everywhere I turned there were interesting geometric shapes to draw my eye: circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, arcs, ovals, lines parallel or converging... everywhere. These were all standard shipyard items, things like tools and supplies, but they carried such interesting patterns that I had to capture a few. Here's a brief sample: 

Anchors and propellors will have to wait for their closeups, I'm having too much fun with geometry. 

A Sudden Summer Storm

Mother Nature must have a strange sense of humor. Why else, after we spent a spring and summer of cool, wet weather in SE Alaska, would she greet our return to sunshine and warmth with this dramatic show?

Photo: Storm front approaches from the west

Photo: The view to the north as the storm front approaches.

Photo: The view to the east as the storm front approaches.

You know what followed, right? an end to the weeks of hot, dry weather on Vancouver Island. Central Coast B.C. welcomed a much needed downpour, the boats in the harbor were well-rinsed, and we just shook our heads and laughed.