2026-10-11 Grounded Again! (Sort of...)

It has officially been a month since I've taken the boat out.

There are 3 main reasons why I've (sortr of) been grounded for the last month.

First, it's October now and the weather is starting to get bad. The winter storms in this area are intense and they come on rapidly. I watch the weather apps closely but they are not 100% accurate all the time.

Second, the cost of diesel fuel here in Ketchikan is a little above $6.50 a gallon. My engines burn about 6 gallons an hour at normal cruising speed, and my boat is slow. For most places that I visit in the winter I would normally log 8 to 10 hours of cruising time. That means if I cruise for 10 hours it will cost me almost $400.

Third, and probably the most important, my daughter Karen is out of town for about 3 weeks, so I am in charge of caring for our 2 dogs and 1 cat. I could leave the cat home alone for a couple of nights and I could take my dog Nova with me, but I cannot take her dog Dexter with me. So basically I can't go anywhere until she gets home.

Those are my excuses and I'm sticking to them!