Category Archives: Pacific NW

May20

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #28

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #28

SCHOONER COVE YACHT CLUB’S

NON-TRADITIONAL SAIL PAST 2019

It is the beginning of May and Yacht Clubs all over the Pacific NW are celebrating their opening day of the boating season with a dignified Sail Past ceremony. Schooner Cove Yacht Club, located in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island, had such a day planned for their membership. Now if you recall from reading other Prairie Girl Learns to Sail posts and previous COCKPIT CONFESSION stories, Prairie Girl’s husband became Commodore of the SCYC in November, 2018. Of course, the Sail Past is something that all members and guests love to participate in with the dock ceremony and the parade of boats sailing past to salute the Commodore and the Commander of … Read the rest

Mar4

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #27

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #27

Didn’t Prairie Girl and Husband Plan the Perfect Snowbird Get-Away EVER?

Some people were a tad skeptical when Prairie Girl and husband announced that they would be flying to Florida mid-January and returning home at the beginning of March. A quaint little Beach House had been rented, half a block from the beach and they couldn’t wait to leave the damp cold of the Pacific Northwest for their extended stay.  Friends and relatives queried them about what they would do for a couple of months down there. Husband’s response was, “Live the life I’ve always wanted and become a BEACH BUM.” Productive Prairie Girl’s response was more like, “I’m not sure… I visualize long beach walks, beach time for … Read the rest

Feb6

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES#25

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES#25

NEW BOAT DILEMMA

For those of you who follow my Prairie Girl Learns to Sail posts, you will know that husband recently decided that their 28 foot Catalina (the TwoCan) just wasn’t adequate anymore and became the proud owner of a 35 foot Beneteau (the TwoCanXL). And if you read my blog (Prairie Girl Series #23-Dec. 2, 2018), you will also know that Prairie Girl is somewhat challenged in the sailing skills department. This is noted in the author page of her book, WHO’S the CAPTAIN? that states:

“MARY LAUDIEN (alias PRAIRE GIRL) is a fair weather sailor (better known as a cruiser). She has never taken a sailing lesson or a power squadron/VHF Radio

… Read the rest
Feb2

VALENTINES’ DAY PRESSURE

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VALENTINES’ DAY PRESSURE

TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #24

Each year, husband constantly reminds his Prairie Girl  how much he dislikes Valentines’ Day.  Why, you ask? Well, the long and the short of it is that he has an issue with feeling obligated to create a ‘HALLMARK MOMENT’ when someone else deems it necessary. Prairie Girl calls it his “BAH HUMBUG” syndrome. He pretty much feels this way about any contrived gift-giving celebration.  Now don’t get the wrong impression, it isn’t that he resents giving a gift and a card, (although one might regard husband as somewhat frugal); its really about being expected to celebrate something that he hasn’t bought into.  Prairie Girl understands his sentiments, but she does not let him … Read the rest

Dec2

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #23

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #23

HUSBAND TRADES UP TO A TwoCan XL

It’s hard to believe when they visit the marina where husband and Prairie Girl moored their TwoCan, that it is not their sailboat any longer. How is this possible, you ask? Well, dear readers, read on…

It all started last summer when husband and Prairie Girl attended their first CATALINA RENDEZVOUS. They had a great time chatting with the other Catalina boat owners and having opportunities to board those boats of interest. Of course, the 28 foot TwoCan was one of the smallest boats in attendance. It quickly became obvious to Prairie Girl that a BIGGER BOAT for husband would be forthcoming.

After touring all the beautiful 36+ foot yachts… Read the rest

Aug11

TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #22

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TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #22

PRAIRIE GIRL AND HUSBAND SAVE A SEAL PUP

Anchoring out on the serene waters of Winter Cove in July, left Prairie Girl and husband with a completely unique and endearing experience. This post is not one of Prairie Girl’s usual humorous tales… this one actually is a perfect TENDER TUESDAY post.

It all started early morning, after a peaceful nights sleep on the hook. A thumping against the hull awoke Prairie Girl, but she never thought much about it. It wasn’t until they went out to the cockpit to have their morning coffee in the blissful sunshine that they discovered a baby seal pup, sniffing and trying to suckle the bottom of their dinghy. This little seal just never … Read the rest

May31

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #21

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #21

PACIFIC YACHTING MAGAZINE PUBLISHES A 3rd PRAIRIE GIRL BLOG ON COCKPIT CONFESSION PAGE

Prairie Girl loves a surprise, don’t you?  Last week husband and Prairie Girl found a couple of open days free to take the TwoCan out on the water for a short ‘shake down’ cruise to make lists of what they needed for provisioning before setting out to Vancouver after the upcoming BMW Lasqueti Island Regatta weekend. They really didn’t go far… from Stones Marina to Marks Bay – seriously! For those of you not familiar with this area, it is about a 15 minute motor  across to a buoy in the bay. However, in their defense, they did venture out both days for a couple of … Read the rest

May30

TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #20

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TENDER TUESDAYS- PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #20

A FISHY START to the BOATING SEASON’S

OPENING DAY

May 6th was the official start to the BOATING SEASON for our Yacht Club.  Members spent days ahead of the event with haul outs to power wash their boats, scrub the hull and paint the bottoms, finishing off with the onerous process of waxing and buffing.  Prairie Girl, in the past, had never shared in this part of the boat prep. Of course, it didn’t help that husband kept making bookings and cancelling them. (Apparently the forecast was for rain… which, she might add, did NOT materialize on the second booking!).

 

However, the real glitch in the booking process ended up being the timing.  Of course, the pull-out’s 3rd … Read the rest

Apr17

TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #19

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TENDER TUESDAYS-PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #19

PRIMED FOR SAILING SEASON

How did it happen to be mid-April already?   Some of Prairie Girl’s and husband’s friends already had their boats hauled out in March and have them in tip top shape, ready to sail when the weather clears up. They’ll be out on the water in a flash.

Not so for this sailor and her Captain. They’ve actually cancelled their haul- out twice now, believing they didn’t have a good weather window. Wrong! The sun shone after the morning showers and husband freaked out that he had let his coveted haul-out spot go. When will it possibly get done with the many Yacht Club executive meetings and regattas (He is a Vice Commodore, after all…) and … Read the rest

Jan30

TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #18

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TENDER TUESDAYS- Prairie Girl Series #18

PRAIRIE GIRL’S CAPTAIN IS VICE COMMODORE!

Not only did they join the yacht club, but also through questionable circumstances, husband was voted in (by acclamation) at the Yacht Club’s annual meeting! You’re shaking your head at this point, knowing that he probably has the smallest yacht in the club and sails less than anyone else. To affirm your suspicions, just review the Prairie Girl Post #15 – WILL THEY EVER SAIL AGAIN?

In the early fall, husband was called by the Past Commodore to ask whether he would consider letting his name stand for the Yacht Club’s Executive Team. Husband, now retired 9 months, didn’t have his work excuse to fall back on, now did he? So he cautiously … Read the rest