It’s been a year.

It’s that time when I look back at our boating activity over the past season. For 2025, the numbers are a bit different…a lot going on, some of which kept us off the water.

In brief: Sierra & Brian (our daughter & partner) went to NYC for two months. I lost an uncle. And then an aunt. Finlay was born! (To Sierra & Brian.) We bought an RV in Florida and drove it home. Nick had a few medical procedures – nothing serious – just many appointments. The Mariners made it to the playoffs! I ditched Android…and Nick got a phone!

I lost my 96-year-old father just before Thanksgiving.

R.I.P dad.

Herbert Daniel McQuarrie Jr.

October 11, 1929 – November 22, 2025

And now, as David Brancaccio would say, “let’s do the numbers:”

Touch of Gray made just six trips in 2025. Three of those included crossing the border into Canada for a total of twenty-nine nights in B.C. Sixty-three nights at sea in total. Four of those were on mooring buoys and eleven at anchor, with the remainder tied to a dock.

The only completely new destination for us was Gibsons, west of Vancouver B.C. We enjoyed it and are now watching the series “Murder in a Small Town” which is filmed there. We did try a few new-to-us moorages in familiar locales, including anchoring in Garden Bay (Pender Harbour), a buoy in Montague Harbour, a buoy at Macdonald Island (Princess Louisa Inlet), Dock Street Marina in the Foss Waterway (Tacoma), Wharf Street Marina in Victoria, and the False Creek Yacht Club in Vancouver. Oh, and the reciprocal dock at the Poulsbo Yacht Club.

We visited a Washington State Marine Park (Blake Island) only once so not sure if we will buy a permit for 2026. But we used yacht club reciprocal moorage ten times – definitely worth it. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it on any Squalicum Yacht Club cruises but we did attend one meeting. (We’re going to do better in 2026!)

We went crabbing once. We caught zero crabs. (We’re going to do much better in 2026!)

ToG traveled about 850nm.

I’m not complaining – it was an awesome cruising season. However, I am looking forward to more time on the water. (We must do better in 2026!)

We have some plans for 2026, boating and otherwise. We’ll RV to Palm Desert and other southern locations in January/February. We’ll be back from that trip in time to supervise ToG’s haul-out at the beginning of March: time for new bottom paint. Hopefully the Gulf coast of Florida in March before some serious cruising.

Happy New Year from Janine & Nick!