July 9, 2025

Not Exactly a Clean Getaway

So… I thought the start of the Great Siberian Sushi Run would feel a little different.
We did technically leave on time—okay, fine, we left half an hour late on July 7 at 11:30 a.m.—but we left. That part happened.

But then we made a detour.
Blaine hadn’t finished building the Subaru for our friend (and bookkeeper), and if you’ve been following this blog, you already know: Blaine finishing what he starts is a big deal.

So instead of heading north in a blaze of glory, we made a pit stop at Sidney Spit. I loaded Blaine into our aluminum dinghy, Punga, and dropped him back off on the island so he could wrap up the car project.

And just like that—I was alone on the boat.

Me, Tangaroa, and a Sleeping Teenager

For two nights, I held down the fort. Just me, Tangaroa, and a teenager who doesn’t wake up before noon. Not exactly the grand departure I’d envisioned.

But Blaine did what he needed to do. He called me about ten minutes ago. The update? He dinged the radiator. Classic. But the mechanic’s on it, and the project won’t be abandoned.

Now it’s logistics mode. He’s racing to make it back to the boat—with eight sheets of insulation, a welder, and a bin of gear that all still needs to come onboard.

Solo Anchor Duty and Strategic Repositioning

Which brings us to today. I’ll be lifting the anchor solo—for only the second time in my life—and moving Tangaroa over to anchor outside Sidney. Izzie’s onboard, but first I’ll have to wake her up.

The move makes sense. Loading gear from shore is a nightmare when Punga is bouncing through waves with a welder onboard. One splash over the bow and that girl is done.

Northbound-ish

Once Blaine’s back onboard, we’ll really start heading north. I mapped out a route—our next stop (hopefully): Jedediah Island. It’s about 65 nautical miles away, which means a 7-hour trip at 9 knots.

Are we going to make it all in one go?

Probably not.

Blaine’s been working around the clock and hasn’t had a minute to rest. I haven’t slept well either. So my plan? Take the helm and send him to bed.

A Walk, a Crab, and a New Instagram Account

Even with the delays, there were some lovely moments.
Yesterday, Izzie and I walked the full length of Sidney Spit to the light at the end of the sandbar. I’ve never gone that far before. It was perfect.

Someone had placed a crab on the light, and Izzie thought it was adorable. She’s started a new Instagram account: @liztouchesgrass.

Now, me being old, I thought that meant she was smoking pot.
Apparently not.
In gamer-speak, “touching grass” means going outside. As in, actually being in nature. Which is hilarious—and kind of sweet.

Meanwhile, Maggie was having the time of her life tearing down the beach. Her back hip is arthritic, but she doesn’t care. She runs till her little legs give out. She needed some Medicam after, but wow—was she happy.

Bittersweet Goodbyes

We also had a surprise from our friend John Harper, who left us a mystery package on the chart table labeled:
“Open when you cross the 49th parallel.”
Don’t worry—he swore it wouldn’t explode.

It’s small things like that, thoughtful gestures from good people, that make leaving so much harder.

If you saw our latest YouTube video, you probably caught my crying moment.

Yeah… saying goodbye is tougher than I expected.

But today? Today we really leave.
Next stop: Jedediah Island (fingers crossed).
Time to start filming. Time to make this dream real.

See you out there!

Janis