She was restored in 2009, in Brentwood bay.
Actually, thats where we met Shendra for the first time!! She then told me she lived in Pender Harbour, and we had no idea where that was!!
I took photos of Balandra then again, it will give you a better idea how beautiful she is.

SV BALANDRA in the setting sun.

The other mast near her is from the wooden sloop “LUCKY”

SV BALANDRA

Resting at her buoy in Brentwood bay.

Evening sky in Brentwood Bay

Our very dear friend,Shendra, owns a small sail boat, her name is Balandra and she is out of the water right now, sitting just below Shendra’s house, near the waters edge.
This beautiful boat was built by Shendra’s late husband, Collin Hanney, from 1942 till 1945.
She is a Marconi rigged sloop, her hull was designed by William Hand ,Collin designed her mahogany cabin.
her beam is 6’2″,her draft is 4’0″, and she is 22′ long.
She is made from red cedar and has a white oak frame. her keel ballast is 1100 lbs.of cast iron.
The mast is laminated spruce.

She is a beauty, a lovely little boat, Bert has been working on her, as she has a small problem with the sleeve of her rudder, today we brought the rudder away to the welder.
To take the rudder off, everyone thought she would have to be lifted up, somehow….. but Bert had a look, dug a hole, (not easy!!!! big rocks!!!), and pulled the rudder out from the bottom.
Shendra did a dance out of pure joy, this had been so much easier then she had thought it would be!!

Several years ago we helped take her out of the water, before winter, and i have some photos of that event too.
Shendra has rails running from the water up to the shore , on which the boat rides. An electric motor pulls her up.

Shendra is on the boat, Keray Farrell helped out ,slowly aligning the boat to the rials. These photos were taken with my old camera, which ended up in the ocean…..

A happy Shendra, its going well!!!!!

Bert making sure the chain stays on the pulley.

looking good…..

On dry land.

We met up with our friend Judy ,had coffee at the “Copper Sky” coffee shop, and then walked over to the new Bistro after looking around for a while.
There are a lot of artists here, and a lot of music!!
There is something for everyone , but still the place is quiet and peaceful, and has a definite charm!
We had lunch at the Bistro, Frances is the chef, and she does a great job, everything is tasty and the atmosphere is good!! (prices are too)
In a way its nice that not too many people have discovered this area yet, but who ever finds it will not be disappointed!!!

Lots of information about what to do in this area.

LOVE THIS TRUCK!!!!!!!!

Lots of beautiful plants for sale at the garden center, but also this stern looking fellow!

The Gunnera Manicata, a giant of a plant, well worth a second look!!

I was about to write about her engine and her wonderful engine room, and realized i had forgotten what kind of engine she has, and the hp.
So i wrote to Bob!!!
She has a Pegaso Spanish diesel engine, from 1994 ,160 hp. It is a very economical engine Bob told us.

Gaia’s diesel engine with the generator next to it.

Here we have had all this warm weather, sun every day, and wouldn’t you know it, on Pender Harbour days it rained!!!!
It did not stop people from being enthusiastic and being there!
There were displays of wooden boats, beautiful kayaks, row boats, but out in the harbour was a ship that drew us to her, SV GAIA, a gaff rigged ketch,60′ long, 18′ beam, and she draws 8′.
She was built in 1921 in Sweden, and used to be an engine less fishing trawler.
her first engine was a 10, yes 10!! hp diesel installed in 1939.
At that time she was a Norwegian registered vessel.
She now belongs to Bob and Nancy Ingersoll.
We were so lucky that Bob gave us the full tour of the boat, i love going into older wooden boats, and i was fortunate enough to take some photos.
Here she is……

Here she is, moored in Madeira Park,SV GAIA.

Deckhouse of the SV GAIA

Steps going straight down….

and straight up!!!!

Bob showing us the main salon.

Just some photos of the article about the N3N plane.

For a long time, Hospital bay, which is one of the bays in Pender Harbour, housed a plane, a bright yellow water plane, a US navy 1942 biplane,the N3N, owned by Bill Thompson.
Bill used to fly this plane every summer, and in 2009 i was fortunate enough to watch him take off and perform, with his grandson in the passenger seat!!!
Bill flew the plane for the first time on October 11 ,1991, he bought the plane in 1979 for $ 7000, and he completely rebuild it in the next 12 years.
After that he flew the plane every summer, and did acrobatics in the air above Pender Harbour.

Bill died this year in February, and in June, his son Garry lifted the plane off its perch on the dock,into the water , using his boat “closing time”.
Garry flew the plane for a final fly over and did some test landings and takeoffs, before leaving for Pitt Meadows, where it will be shipped to Yellowknife.

here are some photos of when i watched Bill perform.

Bill taking off from Hospital Bay.

Gaining speed…..

Just about up….

Definitely UP!!!!!

Into the clouds!!!