Saturday June 16 - Denham Bay Lodge







Peter and Sarah's Place

Mike Washing the Salt off of
the Windows



The grassy knoll

 What  nice slice of Paradise!

                 

              


 Spectacular Scenery
 

After running up from Powell River last night and waiting for the tide at Dent for almost 2 hours, we finally made the run through with a 5 knot tide against us.  Luckily we have the power to power through it, but some would not be able to make it!  I will attempt to post the video I took of the whirlpools and standing water that happens when the tide is roaring through, but I have not been able to turn the stupid video so that it's right side up!  :(

While drifting around at the Yuculta rapids, waiting for slack, we decided that we would stop at Denham Bay Lodge.  So around 630 last night, we pulled in.  What a super surprise!  Your hosts, Peter and Sarah, are lovely and their place is spectacular.  Lots of grass, flowers, trees and hiking trails.  Tired of having stinky guests on your boat? Great place to book them a cabin to get them the heck of your boat.  The dock space is somewhat limited for bigger boats as the beams of some of our boats prohibit getting in all the spots but for the most part, you shouldn't have any problem.  There is also  Wifi and limited cell.  They sometimes do a pizza night as they have an outdoor pizza oven and the place is set up so that the cabin renters and boaties can have a nice happy hour together. Fishing grounds all around and for you thrill seekers, you are a stones throw from Devils Hole (rapids), Aaron Rapids, Dent Rapids, Hole in the Wall, and Yuculta Rapids.

I do believe that Ruby has rated this place with 10 stars.  She absolutely loved this place as there are great trails, beaches and a lovely grassy area! 

We highly recommend Denham Bay Lodge as a destination stop.  For years, we have been going by this place as we are normally trying to catch the rapids at Dent Rapids and also trying to make the run all the way through the other rapids to get up coast, we have unfortunately never made the time to stop in.  The stars all aligned and we decided to try it out. We would highly recommend this stop and we will also go back for a stay again! You have to know we liked it very much as we stayed an extra day!


Book ahead, space is limited - http://www.denhambay.com/  Either via email or telephone.

Check in tomorrow when we try and make the run to Port McNeil and beyond.  Hidey Hole - here we come!

Sunday June 17 - Denham Lodge Resort to "Hidey Hole"

A great day to travel.  We headed out around 7:00 am with a great push of 4 knots to around a happy 2 knots.  A little bit choppy (around one foot) in the lower half of Johnston Strait and gradually flattening out the further north we get.  We just heard from the other two boats who are sitting in Port McNeil waiting to see what we are going to do.  We hope to keep carrying on to the "hidey" hole.  A couple nights of anchoring in there and some fishing tomorrow!  Should be just what the doctor ordered.  I will check in from there and then you won't hear from me for about a week as we head up past Cape Caution and hang around the Rivers Inlet to Hakai area for a while. 

Green Point Rapids, not so rapid today, but we did manage a 5 knot push....

Friday - June 15, 2018 (Gayle's Birthday)

Still getting up with the birds....5:30 am - the prawners and crabbers are leaving the dock in Westview and the sounds of some cheerful young men giving each other the gears wake me up with a start.  Watching the sun come up and taking Ruby for a long walk make me get up, fell asleep on the couch again, so no need to get dressed, saved that step :)   The ocean workers have left and after some breakfast, coffee, moorage paying and chatting with our brother-in-law, its off for the next leg.

 

First, a bit of a fuel stop.  We have to pay for our quick run up yesterday!  1400 litres, some dinghy fuel and we head out into about a 2 foot chop.  Destination unknown although we would kind of like to get through the rapids at slack tonight (around 7:00 ish).

 

Nice cruise from Powell River up into Desolation Sound.  The further up we get, the warmer it's getting.  Soon time to ditch the pants for shorts!  The ocean has flattened out now, no more chop and I am feeling the holiday mode coming up.  Started cooking some dinners to free up some freezer space (Rigatoni anyone, or how about Beef and Barley Soup?) and trying to figure out how to use the breadmaker I have on load from Shannon.

 

Vancouver Island and Mitlenatch Island  in the distance.

 

Savary Island - Island with the white sandy beaches

My going to heaven place, Thulin Pass and the Copeland Islands.  This always signifies holidays are here to me, and conversely when we come through coming home, it also signals the end of the holidays to me (Instant grouchiness! )

Summer 2018 is here - another fantastic cruising year!

Well it's been a while since I came here.....lots has happened since last year's cruising season!  It was a short season in 2017.  We spent a month in Europe in September so our cruising time was cut short to accommodate the extra time we took in the Fall!  The trip stories could create another whole blog....

Today, June 14, we are on the water again.  Looking forward to catching up with a few friends that are already up coast (those retired people!).  We left Burrard Yacht Club at around 4:00 pm and its now 8:00 pm and we are about 30 minutes south of Powell River.   We had excellent calm seas, warm sun and now its starting to cloud over.  It helps that the we are cruising with the tide and have had a 2 knot push.... nice cruising at 15 knots.  Probably not so nice when we fill up in the morning.

I assume that due to the nice weather coming in, we are going to see some winds come up tomorrow.  We opted to push on to Powell River as its only a short distance to get back into protected waters (Desolation Sound) and then to run the rapids tomorrow night to sit and wait for a window to jump up Johnston Strait.

Welcome back everyone and I look forward to keeping you updated on our escapades and hopefully some great wildlife spotting.

Bye bye City of Vancouver!

A bit hazy but warm!

July 8, 2017 - Port McNeill

Great fuelling up, watering up and getting that laundry done!  The place is 1/2 empty, sign of the lack of boats up here.  Mac's will stay here a few more days waiting for impeller parts to come in.
Off to go fishing in Blackfish Sound!  Hope no-one is in our little spot.

Burdwood Group

 

A Sea Lion Rookery - funny to have so many names to call a group of Sea Lions, if in the water, they are called a raft, if one male and a bunch of females, they are called a harem and if in lounging mode, they are called a rookery!

 

July 6 & 7, 2017 – Lady Boot Cove

A new place to anchor for us.  Friends of ours (Rick and Faye) have said that this is one of their favourites.  Close to the fishing grounds, very protected and the crabbing is great.  They are absolutely correct on all counts.
I dropped the crab trap and in a matter of hours had about a dozen Dungeness crabs in my trap.  1/2 were female and will live to procreate some more, but those males went straight into the pot for a smorgasboard seafood fest.

The boys were able to haul home a 40 lb. halibut, yum, fish and chips with a crab salad for a starter!

Photos for the past few days still to come!

July 4 & 5, 2017 – Burdwood Group of Islands

Such a scenic place, we stay an extra night and will head off to the Halibut fishing grounds in the morning.  Gary and Wendy take a trip to Echo Bay and were promptly told that the fresh groceries in the store are for moorage customers only…..have those people lost their minds???  WTF – why would you have a store and not want to sell everything in it? Desperate way to try and get moorage customers in.  I have spent hundreds of dollars on groceries in preparation for my vacation but know that I will need produce and dairy along the way.  Dumb way to entice moorage customers, trying to get us to spend $1.35 ft. for a nights moorage so that I can have the pleasure of purchasing a lousy head of lettuce?  No thanks, will do without!

There are very few boats in Echo, we suspect that due to the July 4 holiday for the Americans, that all are up at Sullivan Bay for the fireworks.  Although it does make one wonder if others have been treated to the same verbal exchange on fresh produce/dairy and are also staying away.  I’m just stubborn enough to do without and drive 25 miles out of my way to find it elsewhere.

July 3, 2017 – Bond Sound

Off to our favourite anchorage, Burdwood Group.  Enroute, we see two BYC boats, “Kingfisher” and “Escape” who are making their way south.  Both are being “posers” in front of Lacey Falls – great photo you two!  A few dolphins along the way, but nothing in the numbers we are used to seeing.  Perhaps there is no more food for them or the Orca have been chowing down.  Gary and Wendys stay at Kwatsi was a good exchange of stories, one was of the Orca corralling the porpoise into Kwatsi Bay and then having a smorgasboard, Nature is cruel!  This apparently happened twice in the last two years.  The bloodbath continued until the Orca were satiated.

After anchoring, a bickering session ensued. Actually, more like a STFU verbal exchange, good thing we were the only people in there, someone would have made me wash out my mouth with soap!  Getting a sternline to shore is stressful at the best of times, but when the captain forgets to tie the boat end off it gets a little hairier!  Dumb-ass!  A wet butt and pantleg and a un-graceful dumping into the dinghy, we manage to get both ends back to the boat for a tie up.

 

July 2, 2017

A calm ride up to Kwatsi Bay.  Mike and I opted to stay on anchor in Bond Sound (at the head of the sound) in the hopes of seeing some wildlife.  The MacGregors headed off to Kwatsi to stay on the dock.

A quiet night with no wildlife, a few porpoises but certainly not the numbers we usually see in Bond.  In the morning, we were sitting enjoying our morning coffee, when not 50’ off of the boat, a humpback sounded.  At last, wildlife!

The Wagoneer apparently says not to stay here, too windy, we just happened to have a calm night, no drama!  A little bit of chop at tide change, but other than that, a relatively calm night.

July 1, 2017 - Port Harvey

Port Harvey:  Arrived around 5:00 pm after a relatively calm passage up through the all the rapids. 2.5’ chop, a little spray on the windows but quite manageable. We arrive to full docks (reservations a must for July 1, which we thankfully had) to the rousing sounds of Capt Charlie and all the guests decked out in their Canada Day regalia.  Gail and George were busy cooking up Ribs and Corn for dinner (Yum) and we settled in for dinner and a lively game of cards.  At 10:00 pm the fireworks started.  A show that could rival Canada Place display!  After around a 45 minute show, we finished our cards and to bed we headed.  Much to our surprise, dinner and fireworks were compliments of George and Gail, how generous is that!  We thank them so much for being there and their hospitality.  For those boaters that frequent it, send your emails off in support of George and his Marina.  And even those that don’t, if you don’t respond, they won’t be there for you when you make the trek to the Broughtons.  There are too many of the small destination boat resorts that are disappearing.  We must support them.  Heidi Soltau - hsoltau@rdmw.bc.ca

June 29-30, 2017

Leaving Pender and heading to Squirrel Cove in Desolation Sound.  Another great travelling day with flat calm seas and a hot sunny day.  We run into the Mac's and Bubb's and have a nice dinner with both.  Ruby's boundless energy is spent making her swim around Squirrel Cove with Mike encouraging her from the comfort of his dinghy.  Finally she is calmed down!

Entering Desolation sound, another stellar travelling day!

June 28, 2017

Off on another adventure.  Beer and groceries loaded on the boat, work is in fairly capable hands.
A short trip to the Broughtons (Our Happy Place!). 

Our first night, we made it from BYC to Pender Harbour to sleep and get the bridge washed down. A very smooth ride from the club to Pender - just over 3 hours.

Two weeks in a shelter to do our varnish left us with a lot of dust inside our bridge.  Nothing a good hosing down won't fix. All clean and off to Squirrel Cove to meet up with our travelling companions, Gary and Wendy and to see our good friends Terry and Cindy!

Saw this little guy in my morning walk with Ruby in Pender Harbour

"Downy Woodpecker"

Missing these two already!

 

2017 February - Now for something completely different

So its not really related to boating, but I found it quite amusing to call this trip - out to the outer 50.  We went to the Big Island of Hawaii for a week and I drew some different conclusions on how Mother Nature shows off her wares in the warmer climes.

We took a helicopter tour of the live volcanos in Hilo and saw some awe-inspiring lava displays.  New lava river had formed and the vent into the ocean was also on display.

2016 recap

So its been a while since we updated our blog! 

2016 brought us a very toned down adventure as Mike broke his heel.  It was the summer we had planned to go to Alaska, but darned if that plan didn't change!  The winter of 2015-2016 was spent building our new hard top in anticipation of going to Alaska as our old trusty canvas was full of leaks and had done it's job over the years it was on the boat!

Since able-bodied second Mate was doing all the chores associated with going on any outing, she chose a slimmed down version of boating.  Then there was the "what-ifs" to contend with.  Although I am very proficient on the boat, I cannot fix the stuff that goes wrong on any extended boating holiday beyond filling up batteries with water.  Some what if's did occur and we dealt with them as best we could, with Mike hobbling, sometimes crawling to get around on the boat and Betty fetching tools, we managed to overcome most of the problems that arose.

We spent the 2016 summer sitting in our favourite spot in the Broughtons.  Friends came and went and we had a very enjoyable time!  Mike was able to get out fishing with his trusty fishing companion, Ruby.  The weather was spectacular and the fishing was average, but we did get away and even managed to find a few new places to stay.

I will put some highlight photographs in from 2016, but there will be no "blow-by-blow" of our 2016 summer journey.

Touche was a great help in the first few weeks and we said goodbye to her in Desolation Sound

Solquist came up to the Broughtons on a whirlwind Tour before leaving us

Mike and Ruby trying to catch the big one!

Great Blue Heron Fishing (Probably did better than us!)

Shaman at Anchor off of Sandy Island

Moon rise off of Sandy Island

Shaman at rest, still at Sandy Island

July 5-6 - Fognar Bay

Tony catches his first halibut!  Fish and Chips on the dock in Ocean falls!!! 

July 2 - 3 - Hakai - Pruith Bay

Hakai is a bound with colour and a prospect of a short walk to West Beach is on the menu today.
We have never seen it this hot up here!

Enjoying another hot sunny day ont he beach

A walk over to West Beach
 

July 1 - Fury Cove

Ruby posing on the Beach

Happy Canada Day every one -
Is it stinking hot where u are? We have never seen it so hot as it is up here.  We can only imagine how hot it is down on the lower mainland !
Watched the news last night and due the overwhelming smoke from all the forest fires, sure looks awful down there.
Went to  Duncanby for a drink today via dinghy and filled up with a bit of dinghy fuel.  $1.60 lt for gas, 45.00 per night for power if you stay on the docks.  A bit rich for us.  Glad to see many happy fisherpeople around an that Duncanby is busy.

Joey looking to play with George tonight

Beautiful moon rise tonight.

June 30 - Fury Cove

Sunset at Fury Cove

Roaming the beach to cool off

2 days spent trying to evade the heat at Fury Cove.  We thought that it was time for a rest for the weary travellers and a few days on the beach for the girls and fishing for the boys.  Tons of fish caught off of Calvert Island, but no room in the freezer, so catch and release will be the order of the day!  Lots of laughs, good time and sightseeing.
We went into Goose Bay which has seen a few upgrades and it looks like they might try and make it into a fishing lodge.  Locked up tight so no-one to ask!
Black Gold (Jim and Brenda Rough) is just getting ready for their upcoming season.  Good to see their growth and we wish them a successful fishing season and full house of guests.

Lemon Drops, Corona and dinner on the beach

Kind of says it all

June 29 - Hidey Hole to Fury Cove

A great crossing today - The 40 knot winds forecast did not materialize.  Sometimes its best just to stick your nose out and "Go fer it"......

June 28 - Hidey Hole

"Osprey" Coming through the hidey hole entrance

A great day, Gulf Island, Raven Spirit and Reunion arrived today after slogging their way up Johnson Strait.  We had a great dinner hosted by Reunion and the fog stayed away as did the rain!  Quiet couple of days while the boys go fishing (and Pat!)

"Reunion" coming through the entrance

"Gulf Island" Coming in with "Salt Spring" Attached.

June 27 - Crossing to the "Hidey Hole"

Gorilla in the mist!  Osprey behind us in the fog

Fog is lifting and it look like another smoking hot day.  Still flat calm out.
Will be here waiting for Tony/Gayle, Rick/Faye and Paul and Jane!

June 25-26 - Napier Bay

Swimming Mink

"Osprey" and Shaman in Napier Bay Dock

On our way into Napier Bay, I spotted something in the water in direct line of the bow of our boat, I screamed at Mike to stop or slow down, and at it happens, it was a swimming Mink (I think)  Good thing Mike slowed down, or it would have been death by drowning if we hadn't stopped, he/she swam directly under our bow and went to the other side of the bay.

A beautiful 2 days spent on the old logging dock in Napier Bay.  Marred only by a visit from an ignorant "ugly American" - this fellow from Montana thought he owned the place and it took everything I had to not thrown a rotten ham bone at him.  Too bad he didn't get eaten by a bear, would have probably been spit out anyways.  Its people like this that give some of our neighbours to the south a bad rap on the water!  Letter to follow!

Ruby found a bear on the beach today, she was good and came when called and did not entice the bear to come back with her.  We didn't see him/her again.

Moving on to the "Hidey Hole" - foggy day with flat calm seas.  Photos to follow.

Wildlife seen today - 1 Swimming Mink? 1 black bear - Napier beach, 12 Sea Otters (in a large raft) 25 White Sided Dolphins, 5 red-throated loons, 3 hummingbirds and a plethora of birds heard but not seen!

Wednesday July 24 - Shawl Bay

Side by side - water and Sky

A rainy day - good thing, they all need water up here because like the south coast, rain has been sporadic and everyone will be out of water come August.  These few days of rain is enough to top off some of their wells and creeks where the water is piped into these small resorts, marinas and float home communities.  Will slicker up and head out to check prawn and crab traps.  Perhaps Sushi for dinner tonight?  If not, hamburger is out and it will be spaghetti.

A note to those coming up this year to the Broughtons and that are following this blog.  Jennis Bay should be a "maybe" stop.  The cabins and such at Jennis are filled to brim with loggers and the owner of Jennis Bay has sort of put the boating community on the back burner.  They will take mooring customers, but there is nothing to offer the traveller as neither of the girls are there!  No Cajun night, no truck rides to the lake, no pot luck, no singing......might as well anchor off somewhere.  There is rumour that the caretaker is collecting moorage, but then why would you go all the way in there just to tie to a dock, you can do that anywhere.  The allure of Jennis Bay has always been the people!

Old Beauty - Johnston Strait

Tuesday July 23 Port Harvey to Shawl Bay

Morning view at Port Harvey - stellar weather day ahead.  Once I can get capt dumb ass out of bed - we will probably be cruising to our next destination - Shawl Bay for @ 5 hours.  Will check in tonite with today's events.

5:00 pm - We are now at Shawl Bay and the weather is smokin' hot!  Crab trap and Prawn traps have been dropped and now to business at hand!  Mike has gone off to see if he can quieten down the generator......what a noise.  Must be open season on Generators up here....just about everyone up here (as in the resorts/marinas) has had generator problems.  Guess I can try and drown my sorrows with a Lemon Drop Martini!  Might as well before the lemons go off :)

Below is my first attempt at videoing some of the things we see while travelling. A Videographer I am not, but with time, I am sure it will get better. They are just short clips and I hope they can make you feel like you are here with us! :0

Link - Pacific White Sided Dolphins
           Tribune Channel

New toy

So what is it?

 Before leaving Vancouver, many toys were brought on board under the guise of "must haves". This particular toy is "Wi fish".  It has a wireless transducer at the back of the boat and sends signal , much like sonar through a little black "router" box to the tablet.  It has the capacity of taking snapshots along the way. Guess what the shot on the right is of?

Monday June 22 - Port Harvey

Powell River Sunset from my sisters Deck

Up and early - trying to catch the tides @ Campbell River to beat the wind up Johnston Strait.  Up even earlier than anticipated as the clock in my phone is an hour early....hahaha....Betty - One, Lemon Drops - None.  The same can't be said for my bro-in-law and the scotch he consumed and the cigar he smoked....guessing he going to have the sledge hammer effect today!


Seas calm, Sunny, not quite sure if hot yet...too early.  Will check back throughout the day.

Well - it's a few hours since I checked in - stopped in Campbell river for a fuel top up (1.22 plus gst) had a leisurely cruise up Johnstone strait with a nice push until - u guessed it ! Wind came up - 20 knots NW with an ebb tide - same frikkin spot as last year -
Current Passage again! Got the shut kicked out of us with some pretty deep holes. Remind
us again why we do this - this year we calculated it was 10 nm shorter (then going through
the rapids)  so we thought it would would try it again.   Stupid.stupid.stupid - just saying :(

We r safely tied up in Port Harvey and the dog has quit panting and I have cleaned up downstairs.  Looking forward to pizza tonight.

Wildlife seen - add one doe and fawn at the uplands in Powell River from the public docks.
One Orca south of Campbell River, 2 separate pods of white - sided dolphins (around 50 total)

Sunday June 21 - Yea...First Day of Summer

Lots of changes at Pender Harbour - firstly - look at the before photograph to the right.  A bit overexposed from a previous visit.  And then look at the left hand photograph. I feel a complaint letter coming on to the Sechelt Native Band.  What a disgrace that they would allow boat sheds on their water lease and a horrible looking one to boot.  To the upland neighbours who probably were cursing us last night for the loud music and the drunken talk.....it wasn't us.  It was the people in this boat shed or "shed dweller" as I call them :) in the nicest of way of course!  I hope they sort it out and they have to tow it out of here!!!  Guess I kind of sound like "NIMBY" (Not in my Back Yard)

Although it doesn't feel like the first day of summer, today we apparently start the countdown to shorter days.  Just saying!  Oh and happy Fathers Day.  Hope you enjoy your day!

Up early to walk the dog and off to Powell River.  Going to drop in to see my little Sistah, Dorothy.  I gave her the choice of dinner out, dinner cooked by me or just plain "day drinking" and going to bed without eating and starting off her week with a bitter hangover and feeling like someone cracked her over the head with a baseball bat.  Guess what she chose?  All of the above - we are heading up to the house to have a barbeque dinner with the starts of Day Drinking.

Booming Metropolis of Powell River.

Sunny and a bit windy, but only @ 2 foot chop.  Nice leisurely cruise to Powell River from Pender Harbour.  Will report in tomorrow if that sledgehammer effect comes into play!

Wildlife spotted today:  one Doe and her fawn on the road by our Docks in Pender Harbour

Saturday June 20

My seat has been permanently taken

 Sunny, warm and windy this morning.  Off to shore for Ruby's constitutional and a run.  More sheep activity but no interest from Ruby this morning.  The Squeaky Ball has her attention and the sheep are but a distant memory.  So much for instinct!

A performance this morning of epic proportion while getting the stern line back to the boat and the anchor raised.  The new switch which was installed on the bridge to allow Mike or I to raise the anchor from the bridge versus going down to the bow, failed.  So, someone other than Mike had to go to shore to untie the stern line so we could raise the anchor, guess what, there was only "I" to do this job.  Off I go, flip flops on, to scale the rocks, untie the stern line while making sure the dinghy didn't float away! Time to go back to working out.....got the stern line unhooked, dinghy back to boat safely with me in and all the stern line piled up on the back deck and then to stand on the bow to lift the anchor via foot pedal.  Whew....that was a work out and a half.  All this while, Mike is holding the boat off the rocks in the wind and 2 foot chop.

Beautiful Red Dragonfly

Next time we go to a dock first!  Safe and sound on the dock at Pender, wash the boat, water up, install new generator board and go to Maderia Park to see if they have any squeaky balls for Ruby!

Wildlife Seen Today - Herd of wild sheep! rather large red dragon fly....what a beaut!  :)

Friday June 19

Shaman in Long Bay

Sunny, warm, calm seas heading to Pender Harbour from BYC.  A last minute Captain decision took us to Long Bay on Lasquiti Island for the night.  Wind started to pick up as we entered Bull Harbour and it was a bit choppy while we anchored.  Enough chop and wind to give us a great set and we choose a sturdy tree to tie our stern line.

Off to shore go Ruby and Mike to play "fetch ball" and to give Ruby a good run from her 5 hours of cruising-sleeping.  Full herding instinct kicked in when they chanced upon the wild herd of sheep on the island.  Ruby must be growing a brain as she came back on command!

A rocky night from the wind and waves, but its just nice to be away! and no Ruby sleeping on my head!

Wildlife Count - 2 Harbour Porpoise in English Bay and 2 Harbour Porpoise by Thormanby Island and if you can count them @ 15 wild sheep!

And we're off again! 2015 Summer Vacay

Bai, bai Bancouver!

A new boating season is upon us and it couldn't come soon enough.  Its been a busy coupe of weeks loading the boat and doing all the chores associated with going away on a long vacay.  This year we were fraught with repairs on Shaman.  Things surely do come in threes, three items wrong with the dingy and 3 items wrong with the big boat.  Oh well, it's all part of the adventure. 

       Dinghy repairs started with our trip to the Gulf Islands in May of this year where we first learned to row the dinghy.  We were cruising along slowly around Wallace Island when "Bam" we hit a rock and tore the bottom shaft out of the outboard.  3 weeks later for the parts and the Tilt part of the outboard breaks.  Another days for that part to come in.  Then while cleaning up the little white pig, mike broke one of the tube fasteners.....wing and a prayer that it holds together. 

  Now to Shaman repairs....we waited patiently for our new front windows, side windows and dinghy seat, to be replaced with new - yesterday (Friday) it was all put back together.  We had a water leak and we were losing @ 100 gallons a week in water - after Betty was blamed for leaving the shower trickling and taps running, again, yesterday (Friday), Mike discovered the hot water tank leaking through fittings.  Off he goes to get "the" fitting, and when he fixes the leaky fitting, it springs a leak in two other places - off again to get two more fittings and spares.  That's using the noggin Mike!  The generator keeps on shutting down but good news, we bought a new board last month - this morning, it ran for a bit and shut off, guess its time to put that expensive new board in.  Hopefully that is 3 things and we're good to go now and not an omen of things to come!