Sailing Gargoyle Archive – Page 2

18 months of cruising without a stop for repairs and maintenance takes its toll. We are now in a marina with the 2 ingredients key to boat maintenance: 1.) Mechanics and 2.) Ready access to parts. We are taking advantage of this to get our overheating engi...

While we have been focusing on the big-ticket items like our engine repair and hot water tank, this week we do a few “odd jobs” on Gargoyle. Decalcifying the heads, replacing freshwater tank level sensors, replacing our defective Raymarine Axiom, and r...

It was just over a year ago that we exited Zihuantanejo harbor to make water and our overheat alarm sounded. At first we assumed our raw water intake had ingested a plastic bag, but it turned out to be the biggest boat challenge of 2020. Mechanics in Mexic...

Through the Panama Canal in 72 hours!! On the Monday before Christmas, Gargoyle anchored in La Playita anchorage to await inspection and measurement. In just a short 72 hour, we would have made the journey from the Pacific to the Atlantic. In this episode,...

After 18 months exploring from the glaciers of Alaska to the boobies of the Galapagos, Gargoyle is in need a trip to the yacht spa. It has been a full two years since Gargoyle was last hauled and we are anxious to see how the bottom paint has been holding ...

Gargoyle has spent one full year in Central America and now it is time to start a new chapter in the journey, exploring the Caribbean. Catching one of the few weather windows before April, we headed out to make the 600nm passage in the company of Seahorse....

Following our 5 day passage from Shelter Bay Panama to the Cayman Islands, the crew settles in for the prescribed 14 day quarantine. While we can order provisions online for delivery to the pier, all activity must be pre-cleared by the port security office...

Free from quarantine, we are exploring Grand Cayman with our friends Travis and Mary from Seahorse. Restaurants, beach bars and sunsets await but the best fun is a tour. A tour of the Cayman Island Distillery and samples of their Seven Fathoms Rum aged in ...

Today we are getting off the boat and going to Hell! Hell is based around a unique geological formation and is also the home to a real Post Office where you can mail things postmarked, Hell. Well, at least if the airlines had not stopped flying. After a le...

Let us check out Grand Cayman! We met a transplanted Canadian, Joe, and he has offered to take us for a tour of his home island. So, we pack up and head in for a day trip around Grand Cayman and the sights to be seen on the South and East Side of the Islan...

This is an exciting week for us as we finally upgrade our outboard motor and then take the dinghy out exploring. We visit Kaibo Beach Bar and Marina, Starfish Point and then make a midnight run to Bio Bay. Bio Bay is known for it's bio luminescence and is ...

This week we take a break from exploring to get Sam and Dean check out by the wonderful vets from the Cayman Animal Hospital. They not only take cats from out of the country, but they also make boat-calls! So, make it possible, we head into the Barcadere M...

YouTube channels often tend to make the sailing lifestyle look so amazing with sunsets, beaches, and frosty drinks at every turn. In this episode we show you a bit of that but give you a glimpse “behind the curtain” at some of the challenges that come ...

It is time for another passage and this time we have created a pre-passage checklist to help us remember to check all those various items before we sail. Check out the checklist in our Extras section at https://www.svgargoyle.com/passage-prechecklist Then...

This is a quite different passage for the crew of Gargoyle as rather than wait for favorable winds we must go during a lull. Getting East in the Caribbean this early in the year is difficult due to the trade winds as well as storms spinning off the northea...

We’ve reached the Turks and Caicos just in time as the winter storm off the northeastern coast of the United States has spun down and hit the islands. After a couple of quick runs to check in to the islands and talk a walk on the beach, we batten down th...

Gargoyle and her crew hail from the deep waters of the Pacific Northwest and the shallow Caicos Bank has everyone on edge. This week we start to get a feel for visual navigation where you must be able to see what is under the water to make your way to anch...

Follow us on.... Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/sv_gargoyle/ Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/svgargoyle50 Website www.sailinggargoyle.com We are a couple who, like many of you out there, built successful, fulfilling lives, families, and ca...

After a quick stop in the Caicos Marina and Shipyard, Gargoyle departs through the tight entrance and clears the sandbank with eight inches to spare. Now we are off to explore French Cay, once the hideout of French pirate L’Olonnais. The cay is now a bi...

Our next stop as we sail the Turks and Caicos is Six Hill Cay, 30 miles via Starfish Channel. This wonderful little stop is a snorkeler’s paradise with crystal clear waters and great holding for our anchor. After a quick exploration of the island by ding...

This episode as well as the accompanying article on our website, link below, focuses on power requirements and generation on passage as well as how we addressed our own demands by installing a Watt and Sea Cruising 600 on Gargoyle. If you are interested in...

Next stop, South Caicos and Cockburn Harbor. The Turks and Caicos largest and most protected anchorage, we had expected a quick stop to check out this unique place. Unfortunately, strong winds and swell set in, leaving us stuck here for a week. On top of ...

After several weeks at anchor, it is time to head back into the marina as a strong northwest wind threatens the Turks and Caicos. This is good timing for us as we need to pick up a shipment of much needed parts as well figure out how to repair our puncture...

Repairs to our dinghy completed, we are now free to escape and explore West Caicos. This uninhabited island contains the remains of a failed resort development along with 5 miles of the most beautiful beach one could hope to walk. We sail Gargoyle through ...

As we approach the two year anniversary of our passage from Vancouver Island to San Francisco, our initial YouTube episode continues to generate views and questions. In this episode we decided to answer those questions in detail for our viewers and update ...

As the winds turn to the Northeast, Gargoyle tucks into the shelter offered in the lee of the Amanyara resort. We snorkel and relax while the wind blows but our minds are elsewhere. A new outbreak in Bermuda puts our staging area for the Atlantic passage b...

As hurricane season draws near, we get Gargoyle ready to make the 1,000 nm sail south by fixing a nagging issue. Our primary GPS antennae has been giving us errors on an escalating basis, so we take the time to pull the antennae and walk thru the steps to ...

We departed the Turks and Caicos depressed with our inability to complete our journey to Europe and with a half-hearted plan to sail to Puerto Rico for provisions. Less than six hours off the Caicos bank, unexpectedly rough seas, higher than expected winds...

Having arrived in Bocas del Toro in heavy rain Gargoyle has anchored in the first available bay for the night but now it is time to move the boat and check in to Panama once again. We move from Bastimentos to Isla Colon and Bocas town where we are met by o...

Safely tucked into Red Frog Marina, it’s time to take advantage of the luxury of this amazing retreat. Situated on Bastimentos Island, the facilities at Red Frog include numerous restaurants, beaches, nature trails, zip lines, a spa and the best infinity...

When you hear rainy season and you’re from Vancouver, as we are, you don’t get too worried. But there is a huge difference in a tropical rain and the never ending drizzle of the Pacific Northwest. This week we endure a long and nearly continuous deluge...

It has been 20 months since we had our last visitor aboard and to paraphrase that old Who classic “meet the new guest, same as the old guest”. Vancouver bestie Tara rejoins us as crew for her 3rd visit of this journey, this time solo for a 16 day explo...

We continue to explore Bocas del Toro with our friend Tara. This time we’re off to finally see Monkey Island after getting lost last time out. Our perseverance really pays off as the monkeys, the location and our host make this a most amazing stop. After...

A new week and another adventure here in Bocas del Toro. This week we explore Cayos Zapatillo, the islands where God stepped. The two islands, surrounded by coral, make up part of the Bastimentos National Park. Home to a ranger station that is there to pro...

This week we take our first guest to the #1 tourist attraction in Bocas del Toro, Starfish Beach. This fun anchorage provides access to small open air restaurants and bars as well as locals selling their crafts under the shade of the palms. This is family ...

We say goodbye to our friend and frequent crewmember Tara as she prepares to fly home to Vancouver. We get in a quick last sail, get our first COVID vaccination and make a stop at the famous Bocas Floating Bar to celebrate. Finally, we ask Tara what her fa...