Dear friends.
It has been a while since my last travel update.
Some of you may noticed that Ocean Echo 1 is listed for sale. Will see how it goes next few months. If she is sold fine, otherwise I will do another sailing trip next summer.
I will be still updating this blog with the future travel experiences. I am sharing a few more pictures, Hot Springs Cove video and Light wind sailing video with you in this blog entry. Mentioned videos are at the bottom of this page.
It is time for me to start thinking about different ways of travelling. I am getting older and sailing (operating larger sailboat) is slowly getting more difficult. My body is telling me to slow down. I have been active physically and mentally most of my life. Wise man told me that we have a cup of life energy and it is up to us how fast we drink it. I guess I was drinking little too fast :-).
This year's summer turned out to be very dry in British Columbia. I had less than 10 days of rain in 4 months of cruising. However, the fire season in BC was the worst ever. West coast of Vancouver Island (Pacific Ocean side) has generally cooler temperatures with some fog during the summer, which keeps most of the fires away.
I have visited Hot Spring Cove - Maquinna Provincial Marine Park again after a few years. It might have been my last visit there. I used to go there every summer in the old days with the sailboat. It is a very special and beautiful area to visit. Access to Hot Springs Cove is only via seaplanes (float planes) or boats. There is no road access at all, quite remote. Hot Spring Cove is approximately 50 km NW (northwest) from Tofino. It is serviced by water taxis and also visited by whale watching day tours. I have uploaded a short video and pictures to this blog from Hot Springs Cove.
Overall last summer trip was nice with favorable winds and the weather. Warmer and drier weather was already happening in May, which allowed me to sail to the West coast of Vancouver Island a few weeks earlier.
A little bit of nostalgia was kicking in while visiting familiar places, realizing that it might be the last time to be there. The BC has a beautiful coastline with more than 10,000 islands. However, it can be tough to navigate BC's coast.
Fishing was good this summer, but the prawning was poor. There are some serious issues with our fisheries, but I am not getting into discussions about it!
I have mentioned in my last blog entries that the World is screwed up. It seems to be getting worse.
Please stay positive. Focus on what is important in our lives.
Wishing you all personal freedom and peace.
All the best in year 2024.
Kind regards. JJ (Jara) Holcman s/v Ocean Echo 1
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Any comments can be sent to - oceanecho1@gmail.com
My blog address - https://oceanecho1.blogspot.com/
Please, excuse my poor writing skills and grammar.
Google Translate does a good job converting text to other languages.
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Blog's pictures can be enlarged by clicking or tapping them on the computer or mobile device. The quality of pictures at the blog's page is fairly low, quality is better when clicking or tapping on pictures.
I have also some short videos posted on YouTube (listed in this blog). Swimming with Whale Sharks and Steller Sea Lions, boys playing drums at Bora Bora, Hot Springs Cove, Light wind sailing.
Ocean Echo 1 - index/list of blogs sorted by the date is located at the bottom of this page.
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Jervis inlet mountains - North Thormanby island cliffs
Strait of Georgia - Jervis inlet mountains
Ballenas islands - migrating California Sea Lions
Ballenas islands - migrating California Sea Lions
Ballenas islands - small Cactus
Sunset at anchor - life is good
Jedediah island - beautiful large Arbutus tree
Sunset at anchor - life is good
Sunset at anchor - life is good
Sandstone overhangs - near Gabriola island
Sandstone islands - near Gabriola island
Sandstone overhangs - near Gabriola island
Sunset at anchor - life is good
Barkley Sound near Ucluelet - Dempster island, NE cove
Barkley Sound near Ucluelet - Dempster island, SW cove
Barkley Sound near Ucluelet - sunset
Barkley Sound near Ucluelet - sunset
Barkley Sound - Reeks island, NE cove (clear water)
Barkley Sound - Reeks island, NE cove (nice beach)
Barkley Sound - Effingham inlet (clear water)
Barkley Sound - Alma Russell islands - caves
Barkley Sound - Wouwer island, SE cove (pebble beach)
Barkley Sound - Wouwer island, NW sunset cove
Barkley Sound - Turret island, E cove (nice gray sand beach)
Barkley Sound - Turret island, E cove (nice gray sand beach)
Barkley Sound - beautiful sunset
Barkley Sound - beautiful sunset
Barkley Sound - beautiful sunset
Barkley Sound - 10 peaks mountain at the background
Barkley Sound - Brabant islands (white crushed shell patches)
Barkley Sound - Brabant islands (white crushed shell patches)
Barkley Sound - Brabant islands (clear water)
Barkley Sound - Brabant islands (sunset at anchor)
Hot Springs Cove - Sydney inlet, cave (kelp)
Hot Springs Cove - Sydney inlet, Strathcona mountains
Hot Springs Cove - Maquinna Provincial Marine Park
Hot Springs Cove - Maquinna Provincial Marine Park
Hot Springs, Maquinna - origin of the hot springs
Hot Springs, Maquinna - 3 meters/10 feet waterfalls
Hot Springs, Maquinna - 3 hot water natural pools
Hot Springs, Maquinna - 3 hot water natural pools
Hot Springs, Maquinna - 3 hot water natural pools
Hot Springs, Maquinna - Pacific Ocean (cool off after hot pools)
Hot Springs, Maquinna - boardwalk (20-40 minutes of walk)
Hot Springs, Maquinna - boardwalk (20-40 minutes of walk)
Hot Springs, Maquinna - boardwalk (20-40 minutes of walk)
Hot Springs, Maquinna - boardwalk (20-40 minutes of walk)
Flores island, Russell channel - Strathcona mountains
Clayoquot Sound - Russell channel sailing
Barkley Sound - Wouwer island, SE cove (pebble beach)
Barkley Sound - Wouwer island, NW sunset cove
Barkley Sound - Wouwer island (lagoon)
Barkley Sound - Wouwer island (lagoon)
Barkley Sound - Wouwer island (brown iron color walls)
Sunset at anchor - life is good
Barkley Sound - Weld island, large cave
Barkley Sound - Weld island, small cave
Barkley Sound - beautiful white sand paradise
Barkley Sound - beautiful white sand paradise
Barkley Sound - beautiful white sand paradise
Barkley Sound - beautiful white sand paradise
Barkley Sound - beautiful white sand paradise
Barkley Sound - beautiful white sand paradise
Barkley Sound - beautiful white sand paradise (swing)
Sunset at anchor - life is good
Barkley Sound - Reeks island (kayaking)
Barkley Sound - Reeks island (kayaking)
Barkley Sound - Reeks island (white patch, mountains)
Barkley Sound - Dempster island, nice East cove
Barkley Sound - Dempster island, twin caves (kayaking)
Barkley Sound - Brabant islands (white crushed shell patches)
Barkley Sound - Brabant islands (white crushed shell patches)
Barkley Sound - beautiful sunset (cloud & light formation)
Barkley Sound - beautiful sunset (cloud & light formation)
Barkley Sound - beautiful sunset (cloud & light formation)
Barkley Sound - large hanging moss
Barkley Sound - light beam sunset
Barkley Sound - light beam sunset
North Thormanby island - sand cliffs
North & South Thormanby islands - sand cliffs
Full moon at night
Jedediah island - Bull island
Beautiful sunset at anchor
Beautiful sunset at anchor
Beautiful sunset at anchor
Going back in the water - time to celebrate
Hot Springs Cove - Maquinna park
Ocean Echo 1 - light wind sailing
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Ocean Echo 1 - index/list of blogs sorted by the date - 42 posts by November 2023
2023 - November - Ocean Echo1 - Beneteau 423 sailboat built in 2007 - reference
2023 - November - Ocean Echo 1 - West coast & Inner coast of BC - summer 2023
2022 - November - Ocean Echo 1 - 2022 update, West coast of BC
2021 - December - West Coast of British Columbia, Ucluelet and Tofino areas
2020 - December - Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls, British Columbia
2020 - January - Philippines 2019 - Coron Island to El Nido, Palawan Island
2020 - January - Philippines 2019 - Manila to Coron/Busuanga Island
2019 - October - British Columbia - Barkley Sound and Strait of Georgia - 2019
2019 - February - B.C.- Vancouver, Whistler, Inside waters - 2018
2018 - November - Clayoquot Sound and Hot Springs Cove - West Coast of B.C.
2018 - November - Vancouver to West Coast of B.C. and return - Barkley Sound
2018 - April - The life goes on - British Columbia CA
2017 - November - The untold truth - British Columbia CA
2017 - January - Ocean Echo 1 - details of investigation
2015 - April - Passage from Fiji to Tuvalu and Marshalls - End of Pacific trip
2014 - September - Lau Islands, Fiji
2014 - September - New Zealand to Fiji
2014 - April - North Island, New Zealand
2014 - January - Tonga to New Zealand
2013 - October - Kingdom of Tonga - Tonga Islands
2013 - September - Bora Bora Island to Niue Island
2013 - June - Tuamotus, Bora Bora
2013 - March - Marquesas Islands - cyclone season
2012 - December - Moorea, Tahiti to Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
2012 - October - Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Bora Bora, Raiatea Islands
2012 - September - Marquesas, Tuamotu and Tahiti Islands
2012 - June - Marquesas Islands
2012 - May - La Cruz, Mexico to Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
2012 - February - La Cruz - Banderas Bay, Mexico - winter 2012
2011 - December - San Carlos to Manzanillo, Mexico's Pacific Coast
2011 - October - Santa Rosalia to BLA and Refugio, Mexico
2011 - July - Loreto to Santa Rosalia, Mexico
2011 - June - La Paz to Loreto, Mexico
2011 - May - La Paz, Mexico
2011 - May - Mazatlan, Mexico
2011 - March - Isla Isabel, Mexico
2011 - March - Ensenada to Banderas Bay, Mexico
2010 - December - San Diego California, USA to Ensenada Mexico
2010 - November - Long Beach, L.A. to San Diego - California
2010 - October - Avila Beach to Long Beach, L.A., California
2010 - October - San Francisco to Avila Beach California
2010 - September - Vancouver, British Columbia to San Francisco, California
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