Log Race Rocks Reports
2015 May 30th and 31st
Arrived at 1.00 PM
Weather conditions and chores
On the 30th of May the wind was pretty strong around 32 knots and down in the evening to 28.4 at 8.00PM and 30 knots at 21.40PM.Westerly 265 degrees.
Guy went to check the water level (38 inches) as soon as Floyd left its spot closed to the water tank . The generator was on for 1 hour.
We finally found the WIFI password for our laptops.
It has been a wonderful first evening in this amazing new world: Race Rocks.
2015 31st May
5.30 AM – light Westerly wind 16 knots. 265 degrees. Visibility: 15 miles excellent!
Flat sea to ripples. Gentle breeze to calm. Sky cleared up around noon.
Question of the day: Where is Floyd? Gone following Anne!
Still 5 seals on the main Island.
8.00 AM: Solar panels done.
Water tank level: 39cm at 9.00 A M.
It has been a very busy day around and in the Island Today: around 20 whale watcher boats and 5 fishing boats and even a paddler’s group. Most of them were slow but some very closed to shore. 1 fishing boat was really too fast! Guy was a little nervous about it and tries pretending of taking pictures but after a while realized that it was normal life on a Spring Sunday in May.
We received 2 groups from the College: 7 people in the morning and 12 in the afternoon. They came with Courtney on Second Nature.
Water sampling in the evening. No need for generator and desalinization
June 1st 2015
This morning 5.00AM it was foggy since 4.00 with our first foghorn waking up! Wind was South West to West 245 Degrees. At 6.45 wind stronger 29/30 knots and fog swept up. 2 young elephant seals were very busy this morning moving and playing together. A lot of activity too on the rocks among the Sea Lions: they spent most part of the morning in water especially when the current was at the most. Many gulls are nesting. When we awake an older elephant still was on the Island maybe Chunk . In our opinion it’s not Floyd. He is still sleeping right now closed to the water tank shed. At 10.45 4 very loud bangs from DND …the first one was a shock for us. The Sea lions didn’t appreciate either they keep barking for a while after each bang. By noon we could totalize 7 bangs!
The sky was overcast the whole day and the wind slowed down at 15 and 20 again around 6.00pm.
No visitors on the Rocks but a few watching boats
Chores as usual were done, plus Guy put the third coat of fiberglass on the boat. Job should be finished tomorrow. I did some and sketching: elephant seals and nesting gulls and I read all about Race Rocks history: Keeper of the lights by Donald Graham Water Sampling was interesting: a Steller Sea Lion was on the jetty …Pretty soon we will have to put on the electric fence!
June 2nd
Weather
West wind from 15 to 28 knots. Visibility was over 10 miles and the sky overcast
Wild life
Another older Elephant seal came back with many scares. By deduction it must have been Chunk and the other one Floyd!! And 4 younger ones two of them spent a long time playing in the water. In the afternoon Floyd went back fishing. Busy day!
Boats
Not a busy day a few Whale watchers and 1 or 2 fishing boats.
DND
7 big bang in total! Disturbing!
Visitors
The last group for the season of 11 people came and spent 1 hour and half.
Activities
Guy finished the first fiberglass work on the whaler (left corner)still more to do on the quill.
The solar panels needed some attention.
We spend some time looking at the website on Marine Traffic.
Artistic painting for me
June 3rd
Helicopter above around 8.00AM
Weather
Westerly wind 27 knots, strong breeze and sky overcast, barometric pressure: 101.7 at 5h30AM. The Forecast was 30 knots in the afternoon. Actually some gusts were around 30knots. After noon the sky cleared up and it was the sunniest day since we arrived.
Marine Life
Guy was the happy witness of some interaction between an eagle and a sea lion: Mr. Eagle was eating a fish and Mr. Sea lion managed to scare him and made him left the fish on the rock and flew away. The whole story in a few seconds! Around 6.00 AM all the Elephants seals came back very tired and went to sleep for the whole day.
3 eagles seen today but on rocks, birds remained quiet
DND
1 bang
Traffic
No boats around today
Activities
More painting for me.
Guy put a leg with a log under the kitchen stairs to make it stronger and some boards will have to be changed.
Solar panels needed attention and we decided in the afternoon to wash the window that makes a difference to sightseeing and if you consider the time spent looking by the 9 windows it was worthy!
June 4th
Guy’ Birthday today: a few were spend on a sailing boat but this one is really special on this little and big Rock! The Rock made its day!
The first thing we do in the morning is counting the elephants: 3 this morning Floyd and 2 youngest. At 10h30 they will be 5 sleeping Chunk will spend the whole day under the jetty in the water like if it was a big bathtub.
The day has been a beautiful one, light wind and exceptional visibility. What a scenery here …Can you imagine how it’s when you have the moon full closed to the light of the tower the 2 together like 2 big eyes in the night and a clear road on the flat sea…How not to take a picture …I did!
And the morning came back. ..As usual for this week a loud bang around 10h30 from DND 3 today… No visitors but around 10 whale watchers.
Guy finished to reinforce the stairs with a 4×4 I can tell you, we could now dance on it.
Now the solar panels get dirty very quickly many gulls …and wood chopping get him busy for a while small sticks are going fast…
In the evening we saw a huge fish stocking boat and after looking on the website Marine Traffic it was something to realize it was heading up to the Bering Sea!!
and will come back full of fish …Scarry!
June 5th
Nice weather, flat sea almost no wind 12 knots at 5.00 A.M. The horn went on at 6.00AM,the fog is on and out depending the moment very beautiful…We had the fog horn for around one hour.
Gulls are getting aggressive. Pretty soon we will have to wear a hat.
Geese and babies were in the water ..maybe the first bath for those 3new ones.
6 big ‘’guys’’ on the rock,I mean Elephant seals…At 6h00 Floyd came back and just after him Chunk…We were pleased .
Generator on today at 9.00 and the 2 desalinisator filters has been changed.
Wind was getting strong at the end of the afternoon from 18 knots to 29.7 and slowly the fog wrapped us . The horn has been on and out but the night was noisy from 2AM to the morning ! You get used!
June 6th
Wind South West to West. Light wind :15 knots .Still pretty foggy at 5h30 but cleared up around 10.00 so the horn let us clean the panels. Barometric pressure 101.7 HPA. Wind should increase.strong wind warning at the end of the afternoon and for the night around 30 knots
A few Whale Watchers and 2nd Nature with Chris Blondeau as a Captain came around the rocks for a boat ride ..For a change almost no wind 0.5 knots. Water temperature those days is around 11 degree Celsius.
4 elephants seals are in and out water. Yesterday we were the surprised witnesses of a very violent fight between 2 seagulls..We don’t know what exactly matters but one was holding the other one and the beak full of feathers at the end . Even the other gulls around were shouting at the aggressor!
Tomorrow is our last day and Anne will come back to this little paradise