May 26-28, 2023

Friday I made my first serious provisioning run.  I focused on non-perishables and things I could carry on the bus.  After getting back to Pierless, I began modifying my provisioning spreadsheet to tally up how many calories per day.  For long-term provisioning, you need to have a method to ensure you amass enough for your trip, but not too much, always allowing for some percentage of surplus in case you need it.  When I was hiking and climbing, I found weight to be a very good system to use.  Depending on the type of trip, I would carry 1.8 to 2.2 pounds of food per day.  This always worked well for me up to 5-10 day trips.  Unfortunately, I have no way to weigh food on Pierless, so I decided to go with calories.

I set it up for each item of a specific size.  I put in the total calories in the package, multiplied by the number of packages and I had the total calories.  I added up all the totals and divided by the number of days to get the daily calorie count.  It took a little time, but I think it is a good method.  I ended up at about twice the calories I think I need, but most of my supplies will keep, so I can still use them after I get home.

Saturday I made another provisioning run.  This time Birdie (local expat from Lopez Island) took me in her car.  I focused on heavier items like canned goods, liquids, etc.  Her help was greatly appreciated!

After unpacking and taking a break, I helped my neighbor Harry train his new (and first) dog Elmer.  I showed him how to use treat rewards and to be consistent with commands.  The dog is really cute.

Later I cooked up some beans and veggies for dinner and did some deck caulking.

Sunday I inspected the repaired genoa sail.  It looks pretty good and should get me home.  I took another stab at my leaky port water tank hatch and it appears I finally have it fixed.  That is good because getting to it requires some unpacking and repacking.  I did some more work on my sunshade tarps as well.  I think they will work well, if not look great.