We ask our crew: If you had one piece of life advice to give, what would it be?
Emerging into Civilization and a New Home
Champagne sailing for our last day and Dogbark finds a new berth at the Royal Newfound Yacht Club.
NW Passage Complete, but We’re Not Done Yet!
We’ve conclude the NW Passage of our journey, now to make our way down south!
A New Frontier at Fort Ross
Tracing the steps and exploring the former trading grounds of one of Canada’s oldest companies, Hudson’s Bay Company.
The Day We Did ALL the Things!
Pushing through the ice towards Bellot Strait, we find new edges among belugas and a once in a lifetime experience with the Canadian Coast Guard!
Welcome to the Global Race to the Ice Edge Challenge
It’s a race to the first real ice edge flow in Larsen Sound!
A Full Moon and Friendships
A quick pitstop in Cambridge Bay, but we are rewarded with good laughs and new friendships.
Do You Ever Feel Like You’re Upside Down?
A bumpy few days and wildfire smoke sets a dystopian feel to our adventure.
- Alaska
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Through the Looking Ice
Looking through our crystal ice ball to determine our route through the NW Passage.
We’re in Polar Bear Country Now
So how does one navigate getting onto a beach to meet a taxi but there are two polar bear cubs and probably a mama polar bear not too far in between you? You send a sacrificial lamb of course.
Al and Graeme Have Been Lying…
How did we all get tricked into believing them for all this time? Was it the polar mirage?
Delivery: Sitka to Nome Part 3 (False Pass and Nunivak Island)
With an ominous name like False Pass, one can only wonder what type of trepidation awaits us.
Delivery: Sitka to Nome Part 2 (Anchorage Hopping and Fresh Fish!)
Exploring the beautiful Alaskan Peninsula anchorages and getting a fresh fish delivery in the Aleutian Islands!
Delivery: Sitka to Nome Part 1 (Sitka to Kodiak)
Our skipper Al and his partner Shauna need to get Dogbark to Nome! 1,400nm is a reasonable amount for a shakedown cruise right?
- Featured
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So We’re Back in Nome…
And I wouldn’t be surprised if we have some catching up to do. But I will get to that. For now, the basics. Dogbark arrived in Nome a little after midnight last Friday. And the fearless skipper that you are used to wasn’t aboard… Luckily Dogbark has had many other fearless skippers. And Leg 1 of our journey starts with an introduction to an old friend, Al Hughes. As you can tell, he is a rockstar. And he is the man responsible for getting Dogbark to Nome. He is also a co-owner these days, much to his chagrin! (Perhaps the grimace refers to the state of our batteries? Or the radar dome that we found a star fish in?) More to come. So much news, so many stories, so little time. Much, much more to come, my friends!
- Books
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Strong Leadership
So many issues are top of mind right now: the pandemic, the economy, racial injustice, the climate crisis. It’s going to take many people, from many different spheres of influence, to lead us to health, prosperity, justice, and equilibrium. But who’s going to lead us, and how?
- Books
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Buoyed by Books: Readings on Climate Activism
I’ve been coping with 2020 by reading. I’m thrilled to be doing book recommendations for the awesome Women Who Sail newsletter, which tackles a timely, thought-provoking topic each month.
Alaska Summer of 2020 Rewind
A sailboat is the best quarantine machine ever! Here is a rewind in photos to give you an idea of all the fun we had in Alaska this summer.
Captain’s Report – Day 6 – Off Icy Bay
Currently about 65 miles S of Icy Bay. Some of my favorite coastline is out of sight on the horizon to the north, with Mt. St Elias, the Malaspina glacier and Mount Logan.
Halfway Day!
The following is an update from the boat people, coordinated by the land person known as Talia. Today the crew opened up the halfway box, a traditon running strong on Dogbark for all passages. Mom and I picked everything out and today since the boat is half way to AK, they finally get to see what is inside! Enjoy the update from Graeme!
Captain’s Report – Day 4 – In Alaskan Waters!
We struggled along sailing most of the night under sail, motoring a little as the wind went behind us. We are now clear of Haida Gwaii and “in Alaska waters.”
Captain’s Report – Day 3 – South End Haida Gwaii
Had a pleasant, fast sail across Queen Charlotte Sound entrance to Haida Gwaii. We focused on birds, with sightings of brown albatross, petrels, something like sheerwaters, and puffins. Lots of puffins.
Captain’s Report – Day 2 – West Side Vancouver Island
Sailed most of the night under main alone, but have a bit of jib pulled out now on starboard gibe.
Dogbark to Alaska Again – Day 1
Get yer trackers loaded, folks! Dogbark is sailing north to Alaska again. It’s fun to watch their progress as they go.
- Marquesas
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In the Media! In the Ice! In the Movies (sort of)!
We may be back but the journey continues–at home, way south, way north. Dogbark’s voyage lives on thanks to the creative efforts of her friends.
- Boat Stuff
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Top 10 Life Changes Since Being Back
Here’s a big change: Walking to school with a puppy who insists on being picked up, then put down, might make us miss the bus. Not all our changes are good. Not all our changes are bad. But our changes are MANY. So here are ten ways “normal” life is different from cruising life.
Salmon, Rain, and Rainie
Fall has come aboard Dogbark. We are still busy killing salmon, but it is not quite as easy in the Puget Sound as it was in Alaska. With all the rain, and the girls back in school we aren’t getting out as much as (I think) we should.
We’re Back!
Greeted by family and friends with tears in their eyes, there was much hugging and merriment.
Best gifts for cruisers and other friends going on epic adventures (aka Thank you)
We’ve been out a year now and it’s time to reflect on what got us here. Like the gifts, encouragement, help, and hard work from people like you!
Solomon’s Sea Life Essay
Get excited, everyone, because this is saildogbark.com’s first ever guest blogger! Solomon is an eleven year old with a big smile and a big desire for fun. He is also, as it turns out, a very good writer!
A Year of Earth Science
It’s June, which means it’s also almost time for THE END OF BOATSCHOOL!!!!! Dad gave me a fun end-of-year science assignment that I would like to share with y’all. (Actually, I am being FORCED to post this as part of the assignment, sorry Dad for blowing your cover). Anyway, here’s the assignment…
The Cookie Catastrophe!
This was a fun science presentation that I did a few months ago. I just found the pictures and decided to post it!
Being a Cruiser Kid instead of just a Cruiser
What is a cruising kid, you ask? It’s a kid with parents just as crazy as ours who decided to quit school and jobs and head off on a boat to remote and exotic places. Hundreds of boats flock to French Polynesia each year, quite a few of them with kids!
Aloha!
After being away for 2 months of cruising, 5 atolls, 2 amazing volcanic islands, and almost 6000 sea miles, the lights of Diamond Head were a welcome sight.
- Boatschool
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Advocacy
A lesson on advocacy: “This catalogue only has men in it,” she said, furrowing her brow. She flipped a few more pages and shook the magazine in our direction. “Why aren’t I their demographic?”
Humble Pie
The day started out well enough, the girls did great under pressure, and we enjoyed seeing the “mullet ship.” But the performance of the grownups did not pass muster. (Though we did try to pass mustard.)
Taiohae Bay
Just a quick note to say that we arrived in The Marquesas safe and sound. 2360 miles, 11 days, 16 squalls, 97 dolphins, 6 whales, one Mahi Mahi, one big eye tuna, one monster Ono (wahoo), one lost gaff hook, and six tired but happy people.
Aloha Hawaii, Hasta Luego!
Just a quick note to say that Dogbark cast off lines this morning at 0800 bound for the Southern Hemisphere.
Wrapped Up in Aerial Silks
I like aerial silks because it’s one of the those things I can climb on without getting yelled at by my dad.
Talia’s First By-line
Talia wrote an article for SAIL Magazine about our time in the Arctic. It’s a great piece, and we’re so proud!
Jell-O + Calling the Shots + Our (new) New Route
Cruisers say All plans are made in Jell-O. Why? Because old plans are always being molded into new plans as sailing realities shift and actual routes take shape.
Adventures With Albatross
The best adventures always start way earlier in the morning than you want them too. Our albatross hike was no different.
- Books
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Dogbark’s Review of Books
Huey Lewis was addicted to love, but I might as well face it I’m addicted to books.
New Year, New Route!
Happy New Year! For those of you who don’t already know, I will unveil the details of our often-debated, subject-to-small-changes route for 2019.
Visiting an Ukulele Factory!
Yesterday our friends Jeff and Cheri offered to bring us along to tour their neighbor’s ukulele factory. Of course, we said yes because who wouldn’t want to tour one of the most successful ukulele buisnesses in the world?
A Day in the Life of a Dogbarkian
For those of you that do not know, Dogbark has tied up at the dock in Honolulu at the Waikiki Yacht Club. We have settled in to a casual daily routine, and I’d like to share it with you so you know what it’s like to live at the dock.
Ode to Becca and John
There aren’t many people who could stand being cooped up on a boat with our family of four, twenty-four-seven, for four months, across 7,700 miles, in extreme conditions.
On-the-Water Activities
We haven’t just been lounging around admiring the beautiful landscape. We have been doing lots of unique water adventures…
Ah, Boatschool . . .
The thought of being the lead teacher in our boatschooling endeavor brought to mind voracious reading, real-world science, and rainbows. Lots of rainbows.
How the Hawaiians Discovered Their Paradise
Long long ago in the South Pacific a clan of sailors left their home on a long voyage. They were searching for new islands…
Aloha! A Warm Welcome in Kaneohe
Landfall was spectacular. Huge green mountains, hanging waterfalls, breaking waves over coral green reefs. But the toughest part of the 12-day passage happened in the dark before the sun rose over this glorious view.
- Hawai'i
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Following the Whales
Whales, like us, came north to Alaska for great food, sight seeing, and adventure. They’ll be heading back to Hawai’i soon. And right now we need a plan B…
- Featured
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Dogbark Turns Back
Heeding the warning from the Canadian Coast Guard, Dogbark makes the tough decision to turn back.
Back and Forth, What the Heck?
This is not a retreat, though it may look like it to you tracker junkies. This boat still plans to go to Greenland. We hope that this next weather system will shake things up and let us go forward.
One Big Apology and some Answers to your Questions
After finding oodles of comments languishing in our junk folder, we answer your questions.
Our Wonderful Food
During our overnight passages and in Pt. Hope we have had wonderful food! From homemade pasta to chocolate moose!
Mukluk’s Adventures in Point Hope
Land Ho! DogBark’s crew cheered, (or actually just Savai and I). We had spotted Point Hope in the distance, a place where we were going to anchor to wait out a bad weather system.
Tigvariak Island Gale
For those of you who are not tracker junkies, we have moved to a new island, Tigvariak, which is at the entrance to Mikkelsen Bay. The reason was a weather forecast.
An Island in the Ice
We sailed overnight through ice that sometimes required us to backtrack, once and a while we even had to push ice out of the way. Twice our promising leads through the ice closed down to roughly the width of the boat
Big News: on the TV and on the road!
We think there’s a chance we can finally go! Graeme’s consulting the oracle right now. In the meantime, check out this great TV coverage Dogbark.
Adventures with Dogs (AKA the BEST Kind of Adventure)
I LOVE dogs. So when I heard that we had been offered the chance to go hang out with dogs and go dog sledding, I said “YES!!!”
An Update from Nome: Welcoming People and Fantastic Food
“Look Mom, It’s Dogbark!” I said pointing out the airplane window as the plane coasted down towards Nome…
Real-time Tracker for S/V Dogbark
By popular and parental demand, we now have a real-time tracker for S/V Dogbark so you can see where we are!
My Temporary Retirement
Mom, Savai, and I are all back home in Washington. I consider it to be a temporary retirement from all the work we had to do aboard Dogbark.
Hello Raptors!
After getting to Sitka we had some spare time, well really just a chance for Mom and Dad to kick us off the boat in a kind way to get some work done. So we got to spend a lot of time with our grandparents. To our pleasure.
Blog Update fom the Dogbarkers: Autopilot Pranks
Wilma and Wilbert are the hydraulic autopilots who steer the boat so we don’t have to. And they are acting funky, like they don’t appreciate all the sail changes and configurations.
The Early Expedition
“Uggghhh! I don’t want to get up,” moaned my sister, or maybe it was me. The plan of the day was to wake up at five and drive four hours round-trip to Tow Hill hike and the semi-famous blow-hole hike.
An Amazing Adventure in Haida Gwaii
Dogbark has reached Haida Gwaii, a place with huge forests, intriguing wildlife, and lots of Haida culture and history. After a couple stops at Haida Heritage sites complete with totem poles and hot springs, we headed to a beautiful anchorage called Crescent Inlet where we decided to go on a bushwhack!
Week 1 in Photos
This gives you a visual sense of our first week cruising. For a beautiful description in words, check out Becca’s blog post at halcyonwandering.com.
Quick update from the top of Vancouver Island
We are jumping off to Haida Gwaii today. We will be out of service for a bit, so I wanted to share a few photos from the trip so far…
A day with Hula Girl
Well it’s not just Dogbark sailing the Inside Passage. We also have another boat with us, Hula Girl. Someone had the idea for me and Talia to ride on Hula Girl for a day. So we did, and this is what we did!
Islands and Sunshine and Dolphins, Oh My!
We’ve finally set sail, and headed off into the beautiful San Juan Islands and Inside Passage (Not to be confused with the Northwest Passage). Many people have asked “What’s it like?”, or “Where are you?”. Currently, I am on a big sailboat steaming towards the not-so-big town of Port Hardy, on the east side of Vancouver Island.
The Emotional Lowdown
On yesterday morning’s regular bike ride, Savai got teary. “This is the last time we’ll ever do this,” she said.
Roald Amundsen
This is a report Savai did in 4th grade before we plucked her out of school a little early to set sail.
How to use a Chop Saw
I learned how to use a chop saw and by the end of the day, I was a CHOP SAW MASTER! I decided to make a video so that you can become a CHOP SAW MASTER, too!
Cruising Dogbark
So far this blog has been a litany of haul-outs and paint jobs, power washing and chop saw work. But we actually love sailing more than boat work…
Hauled out in P.T.
We hauled Dogbark out of the water last month. She’s now hidden away under two (2!) sheds in the Boat Haven boatyard in Port Townsend. Here are some photos of the haul-out. We lucked out on weather that day!
Are critters also sailing through the Northwest Passage?
GUEST POST BY BECCA–The Northwest Passage is there because the ice is not. So how is this new waterway affecting the lives of critters that were previously turned back by ice?
Introducing our crew: Becca and John
When Graeme and I sailed across the Pacific, we were pretty much solo. For this adventure, however, we want all the help we can get. Enter our illustrious crew: Becca and John Guillote.
Passage Pasta (One of Our Current Dreams)
Once upon a time there was a dad. He had already decided that he and his family were going to move on to a boat. So, he had another idea. He and his two amazing daughters were going to start a pasta company…
Muskoxen are freezing and the Arctic is warm…
If a headline says climate change is causing Muskox to be “entombed in ice” then what does that mean for us?
Boatwork from a Kid’s Perspective
Well there’s fun boatwork, and not so fun boatwork. I like the blogging part of boatwork, but not so much the cleaning out the bilge part… So here are some tips to make boatwork more enjoyable.
Re-configuring My Cabin
My so-called cabin was tiny. Now it’s bigger but still tiny… I thought I could stand up properly but, it’s more of walking trying to touch your toes.
Splash Day!
Dogbark has been on the hard in Anacortes for many years. Now she’s back in the water! Savai and our godson Jake came to watch the show.
Boatwork in the Anacortes Yard
Dogbark had been sitting for several years and needed some love. She had grown a cozy green sweater of mildew on her decks. Exhibit A: Before power-washing. Exhibit B: After power-washing.
Talia’s Northwest Passage and Europe Bucket List
Well, I’m just gonna go ahead and say that so far I have definitely not been the person in my family who is most excited about this trip. But, there are some things that I am really looking forward to. Here is a list…
Why Cruising with Kids? Why the NW Passage? Why Dogbark?
Ever since sailing across the Pacific on our honeymoon, Graeme and I have dreamed of cruising with kids…
Dogbark’s Route (Talia’s Extremely Rough Draft)
It is hard to tell you anything about our route because it is designed to be extremely flexible. But here is a list of our (possible) major stops, and the distance between each one.
What is an Open 60 and Why do we Want One?
Open 60s are a class of sailboats that were designed to sail singlehanded around the world. They are tough, fast, and relatively easy to sail for a boat that is 60′ long…