Posts by Gyrfalcon88
We’re moving on…and looking for the next caretaker for the Gyrfalcon
After 13 years packed with amazing adventures (and occasional moments of outright terror), we have decided that it is time for us to move on. We are selling the Gyrfalcon, and will be looking for a smaller boat that will be easier for 2 senior citizens to handle. As you know, the Gyrfalcon has undergone…
Read MoreFaux fir for a real wooden boat
For the past 12 years, we have had 5 grey painted plywood hatches along with 2 fir hatches in our stateroom. At some point, there must have been either fir hatches that got replaced, or a fir floor that was cut up for renovations and replaced with ply. Mostly the hatches are covered up…
Read MoreUpdates for non-FB folks (trip to AK 2023)
We’ve been busy the last few months, and have been updating more on FB and less on blogs. For those not following us on FB, here’s a summary of the past few months, mostly copied from FB posts mostly. If’ you’ve been reading these blogs, you’ll know that we upgraded our shaft logs and bearings over…
Read MoreSmaller spring projects: Starboard generator seal replacement, electrical upgrades, and others TNTC
At the end of last year, a seal on the starboard generator developed a small leak. While we were hauled out, we decided to replace the seal. Ushana disassembled the generator. It was tight quarters (not usually a problem on the Gyrfalcon, but it was this time due to the tight clearances in the Northern…
Read MoreFloor timber and associated repairs: Part 2
What we’re doing Here is a color-coded diagram that may help explain these repairs. It’s complicated… Dutchmen After removing the shafts and their assorted bearings, struts, etcetera, (see last blog), the delignified wood was removed from the floor timber. Fortunately, the soft wood only extended a short distance into the floor timbers and the floor…
Read MoreFloor timbers and other repairs: Part 1
What’s been happening with the Gyrfalcon? Well, a lot. Late last fall, we took the Gyrfalcon over to Port Townsend for some scheduled upkeep involving bearings, stuffing boxes, shafts, and a generator, and then we took off for New Zealand (by air, not by boat). This blog is about the first part of the project:…
Read MoreWhales, whales, and more whales
Our summer has been wonderful—so much wildlife to see! The whales have been especially spectacular. The only thing that is disappointing is our throttled cellphone hotspot bandwidth, so we’ve mostly been posting on our FB page and on our miniblog through predictwind (see previous blog or website for link). We have a few more hours…
Read MoreFollow the Gyrfalcon as we head to Alaska!
After a few weeks on the hard in Port Townsend, we are on our way to Alaska. You can follow our progress on our own page at Predict Wind (shows a chart including our route and a mostly daily mini-blog–see arrow below). Here’s the website to bookmark: https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Gyrfalcon/ The chart looks something like this. Positions…
Read MoreOPTIMIST’S PRE-SEASON OFFER and COVID-19 Update
We’ve been a little quiet on the GyrBlog front. We’ve been busy with work at Seagen (Nancy), keeping Nancy fed (Peter), several upgrade projects, and pondering the future of the pandemic. We totally understand hesitancy about booking summer plans when there are so many unknowns about the future path of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also…
Read MoreAlaska 2022 Itineraries – trips now posted
We are now taking reservations for summer cruises in Alaska aboard the Gyrfalcon. We are excited to offer these Alaska Itineraries for the 2022 season. As our faithful blog followers, you’re getting the first chance at a reservation! June 16-23, 2022: Juneau to Petersburg June 26 – July 3, 2022: Petersburg to Sitka July 5 –…
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