Living in an Off-Grid Float Cabin Part 1 - Discovering Float Cabins

Powell River Airport

The Furry Gnome commented that he was amazed we can live in a floating cabin. I thought I'd take a step back to tell the story.

After we purchased our Piper Arrow in 1989, we went airport camping  under the wing each summer. Our route went up the coast from California to Canada. 

We'd stop in Washington to call Nav Canada for a flight plan and CAN-PASS for customs. This became such a frequent route that one time the agent responded, "Welcome, is Margaret with you this trip?"

The cabin we chose, one of only two for sale at that time.

After years of exploring almost every province and territory, we landed in Powell River, BC, in 2000. Without airport camping, we took our gear to ocean-front Willingdon Beach Campsite. We planned to stay two nights, but extended to two weeks to explore. When summer 2001 rolled around, we returned. That was the summer we discovered Powell Lake and floating cabins.

Our first night camping on the deck while the deal finalized.

A tin boat rental let us explore the lake. We contacted Harry Zroback, a real estate agent that owned a cabin himself. He helped us broker a deal for the cabin we wanted, and introduced us to a lawyer to help us get the BC water lease needed to occupy our spot. It all happened so fast, but it was the best decision we ever made.

Our first night inside our part-time float cabin home.

 I invite you to return to read more in Part 2 about how we started living in our off-grid float cabin home. -- Margy

Want to read more about how we discovered Powell River? Wayne's first book Up the Lake in the Coastal BC Stories series tells more of the story. It's available in ebook and print formats at several online booksellers.

Airplane Noise and Blue Skies

If you love to watch military aircraft, Whidbey Island in Washington State is the place.

You can camp at Deception Pass State Park or enjoy the beaches near Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

Take a seat and hear the jets roar or watch the marine patrol aircraft take off and land.

If you have a military ID, you can enter the base for an even closer look at the EA-18G Growler fighter jets ...

... and the larger maritime patrol and reconnaissance P-3 Orions and P-8 Poseidons. All of these planes and their personnel keep our country secure and safe.

In between sorties there are blue skies and white clouds to enjoy. -- Margy

Available Online: "Flying the Pacific Northwest"

Perfect for Pilots
and Aviation Enthusiasts of All Kinds

Flying the Pacific Northwest

by Wayne J. Lutz

Description: Airports of Western Washington and Oregon form the backdrop for adventures in the Pacific Northwest. Take the controls of a Piper Arrow, as your personal flight instructor leads you to out-of-the-way spots where recreational aircraft give us the freedom to pursue personal goals. Hints for cross-county and local flying, as presented by a 7000-hour FAA certified flight instructor. For armchair pilots and experienced pros, this book is an escape so realistic you’ll swear you’re airborne.  

Kindle $5.99

Print from Amazon.com $10.95

Check with your favourite e-book dealer 
for other formats.

Check here if you need a Kindle 

or free Kindle App.

If you enjoy the book, consider writing a review at Amazon.com
Happy reading! - Wayne

997's Annual Inspection

997 on jacks to swing the gear.

We took our Piper Arrow 997 to Vertex Aviation Services for the first time for an annual inspection. Vertex is located at Skagit Regional Airport about fifteen minutes flight time from our homebase at Bellingham International Airport.

We are very happy with the service at Vertex. Owner Lin Holdeman squeezed us into an already busy shop schedule. You can read more about the annual here.

Owner Lin giving us personal attention.

This week we picked 997 up to return her to the hangar at Bellingham. Come along for the ride.

Wayne and I enjoy flying throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Pilots and aviation enthusiasts will enjoy reading about some of our adventures in Flying the Pacific Northwest. Follow us to out-of-the-way spots in Western Washington and Oregon where recreational pilots and their aircraft have the freedom to pursue adventure. It's available in print and e-book formats at Amazon and at most online booksellers. -- Margy

Kurt and His Husky on Floats

We had a friend come visit us at the float cabin this week. He arrived in a very special way. It was Kurt in his Christen (Aviat) Husky floatplane.

Wayne with Kurt and his Husky floatplane at our new dock.

He dropped in from a beautiful mackerel sky and landed right in front our our breakwater.

You can see the long floats under his wings.

Then he taxied in through the opening and docked at our new front deck. The parking spot was perfect, with his wing just fitting over the top of our main deck.

Touchdown, or should I say splashdown.

He stayed for dinner before returning to Courtney Airpark where is is camping next to his airplane after pulling it up onto the grass with a special tug.

An engine off glide into the dock with perfect precision.

He'll be returning next week after some more Coastal BC exploring. -- Margy

Available Online: "Up the Airway"

A great book for any aviation enthusiast.

Up the Airway

Coastal BC Stories
by Wayne J. Lutz

For the pilot and adventurer at heart. Fly high over beautiful Canadian lakes, forests and inlets. Land at remote strips and camp under starry skies. In addition to BC, travel to the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Canadian prairies and Pacific Northwest for a unique travel experience. Read Up the Airway by Wayne J. Lutz and see how much fun flying can be. 

Go to PowellRiverBooks.com for more information.

Kindle version for $1.99
Print version for $12.95
iPad and Ebook versions $1.99

Or check with your favourite online bookseller.

Spring at Powell River Airport

Powell River Airport (CYPW) is all decked out for spring arrivals.

Wildflowers and clearing spring skies at Powell River Airport.

Getting to Powell River, British Columbia, is quick and easy by airplane.

Commercial service is provided by Pacific Coastal Airlines. The Westview Flying Club welcomes private pilots with a cozy clubhouse and aircraft parking. Julie's Airport Cafe is within walking distance for great breakfasts and lunches. Taxis and bus service make all of Powell River easy to access. Come for a day, or stay for a lifetime. We did. -- Margy

Coming Home, Powell River Airport

A picture is worth a thousand words. -- Margy

VIH Kamov Ka-32 Helicopter

Recently, Wayne and I went to the head of Powell Lake for a weekend of quad riding with our friends Dave and Marg. The first day we visited the helipad for heli-logging operations.

VIH Kamov Ka-32 at the helipad at the Head of Powell Lake.

We were surprised to see a large helicopter parked in the middle and two travel trailers nearby. One of the chopper mechanics came out and told us about their current operations.

Getting a personal tour.

VIH Aviation Group was contracted to extract logs in areas inaccessible by conventional logging equipment. Some of their extractions were "standing stem" where fallers on the ground cut part way through the trunks of high quality trees (primarily for phone and power poles) and stabilize them with wedges to keep them upright.

Twin counter-rotating rotors for heavy lifting.

Then the powerful helicopter grabs the tree with a grapple, breaks it loose, and hauls it away to a road where it can be loaded on a truck.

Grapple used to grab and haul tree-sized logs.

In the case of Powell Lake, the trees go to the to log sort for inspection, are skidded into the lake, and towed to Powell River in a log boom.

Logs going into a boom at the Head.

Here's the same VIH Kamov Ka-32 in action at a different logging site doing a standing stem extraction. This YouTube video was produced by Adam Holmes.

That evening, the two mechanics came down to the dock where we were camping and tried their luck fishing. Dave gave them worms to use and they caught a nice sized trout. They were getting pretty tired of Kraft Dinner, so were very appreciative. As a thank you, they invited us back the next day for a personal tour.

Cockpit windows give a full range of view.

Wayne was excited to get into the cockpit of the heavy duty Russian-made helicopter to see the instruments and controls. Rotor craft have similarities to airplanes like our Piper Arrow, but the flight controls are way different.

Wayne checking out the co-pilot's seat.

I'm sure he could visualize lifting off, but grabbing a massive tree must have been way too scary to imagine. -- Margy

Kurt and his Aviat Husky in Powell Lake

Kurt and his Aviat Husky float plane at Hole in the Wall.

Last year Kurt and his Aviat Husky floatplane came to share in a summer of fun with the Hole in the Wall gang. He enjoyed his float cabin stay so much, he returned again this summer.

Kurt will be using the float cabin as his headquarters to continue to explore lakes and inlets along the south coast of British Columbia.

Stopping by for a visit at our cabin.

As pilots, it's nice to have an aviation minded summer neighbour. He stops by to share his adventures and take away some of my extra garden produce. But I better be careful, the prolific zucchini may scare him away. Just kidding! - Margy

Helicopter Tree Trimming and Topping

Last week I shared about how a mechanical harvester has revolutionized forestry. At the same Western Forest Products tour, they demonstrated how helicopters help protect the forest from wind damage.

Trimming and topping isolated trees and trees at the edge of a cut block helps prevent blowdowns during strong winter storms.

Western Forest Products contracts with Oceanview Helicopters in Powell River to mechanically trim and top trees in danger of damage. I fly an airplane and know how dangerous down drafts can be. I can't imaging flying at tree level with a heavy cutter hanging below. An accidental snag could really ruin your day. But these guys are brave and careful. They have to be.

Oceanview Helicopters also provides services for heli-logging, personnel transport, powerline support, construction, aerial mapping and photography, medical evacuation, and even backcountry access for hikers, fishermen, and sightseers. -- Margy

iPad with ForeFlight for Pilots

On our recent flying camping trip in 997, the weather was warm, but a bit hazy. That was a good excuse to practice our IFR (instrument flight rules) procedures.

And on this trip, Wayne had a new "third-in-command."  On the ForeFlight website they call it second-in-command, but that's my role and I'm not giving it up.

In anticipation of avionics upgrades, Wayne purchased an iPad and loaded the ForeFlight mobile app.

ForeFlight is a full screen VFR (visual flight rules) and IFR (instrument flight rules) map and chart program.  There are weather overlays with Internet access or an ADS-B data receiver/transmitter in the plane.

There's airport data and diagrams, and if you get the Pro version, you can follow your airplane symbol on the diagrams and approach plates. That's really handy for IFR flights and navigating taxiways at unfamiliar airports.

Other features for flight planning away from home include weather and pilot reports that are available with Internet access.

ForeFlight is a great assistant, but it can also be a distraction for a solo pilot. There's a big temptation to keep your eyes on the screen and not outside where they are needed to watch for traffic. But with two pilots on board, having a third-in-command comes in really handy. -- Margy

A Change of A(l)titude

Approach to Astoria Regional Airport in Oregon.

This week Wayne and I took our plane 997 out for a Pacific Northwest vacation.

We ended up going to three of our favourite camping airports: Chehalis and Orcas Island in Washington, and Siletz Bay in Oregon.

Chehalis Airport campground.

Our first stop was Chehalis Airport. We started out for Siletz Bay, but coastal low clouds made us change our destination. Chehalis is the friendliest airport for campers with locals stopping by to offer assistance. Camping is free in a grass area with covered picnic tables, a restroom, a golf course restaurant nearby (we had dinner and breakfast), and a shopping center within walking distance.

Final approach at Orcas

The next day we tried Siletz Bay again, but no luck. We headed north to Orcas Isalnd Airport. Orcas has a large grass tiedown area for tenting under your wing, no bag drag needed. This is also a very friendly airport. We walked the short trail to Eastsound for a sunset dinner overlooking the bay. The next morning, we used my Meal Kit for breakfast in camp.

Camping at Siletz Bay Airport in Oregon.

Three's a charm. The clouds had just moved off the coast and we finally made it into Siletz Bay. Here there are two campsites nestled in the trees, but we set up our tent on the tarmac because no one else was around. We walked across Highway 1 to the Side Door Cafe for a wonderful dinner. We woke up to fog, but by the time we finished our camp breakfast it was gone.

Final approach at Olympia Regional Airport.

We tried two new airports for fuel. McMinnville Municipal Airport houses Oregon's Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum with the Spruce Goose. Fuel is self-serve and there's camping on the field, but it's too rough for our Piper Arrow. Olympia Regional Airport is near the Washington State Capitol and has fuel by truck.

You can read more about our Pacific Northwest flying adventures in Wayne's book Flying the Pacific Northwest. It's available in print and e-book formats. Happy flying! Wayne and Margy

Kindle $5.99

Print from Amazon.com $10.95

Check with your favourite e-book dealer for other formats.

Daniels Lake, BC

Kurt arrives in his Husky floatplane.

Last week we had a visitor to Hole in the Wall. Kurt arrived from the States in his Aviat Husky floatplane and stayed across from us in our good friend John's Cabin #2.

While Kurt was here, he took John for a ride up to Daniels Lake.

John at Daniels Lake, BC. Photo by Kurt.

Daniels Lake is extremely difficult to reach by means other than floatplane or helicopter. This sub-alpine location placed the guys on crystal blue waters near year-round glaciers.

Reflections on remote Daniels Lake. Photo by John.

From here, the Daniels River plunges down granite cliffs through well worn gorges to merge with Powell River and ultimately feeds Powell Lake.

Daniels River, BC. Photo by John.

With Kurt as the pilot and John as the guide, they explored some really amazing country. -- Margy

Lopez Island, WA

Having an airplane in the Pacific Northwest can be a lot of fun when the weather cooperates. From our home base at Bellingham Airport, we can easily hop out to the San Juan Islands in less than half an hour.


Earlier this month we did just that. We took 997 out for a little jaunt to Lopez Island. This is one of the quieter spots. We've been here before to take a walk into town for lunch. It's a bit of a hike, but a pleasant one.


This trip was to exercise the plane and for us to get recurrent. Are you looking for interesting places to fly? Check out Wayne's new book, Flying the Pacific Northwest. There's lots of other suggestions for interesting destinations. -- Margy

Clearing Skies

Early in the morning, the coast and nearby valleys often fill with low lying clouds. After sunrise, the warming air helps them dissipate, sometimes in a blink of the eye.


Flying from Chehalis to Bellingham, Washington, we crossed the line between cloudy and clear just as we passed the Olympic range.


By the time we reached Bellingham, only a light haze remained over the Canadian border, the start to a wonderful, summer day. -- Margy

Airplane Camping at Chehalis Airport

Wayne and I love airplane camping. One of our favourite spots is the Chehalis/Centralia Airport (KCLS).

During the disastrous storm of December 2007, the Chehalis River flooded the airport and nearby I-5. Today, there's little evidence of the devastation except for a new administrative building on pilings to weather any future storms.

Chehalis is a friendly airport. Every time we camp, people stop to say hello, or to offer us rides to the nearby shopping center and restaurants. There is even a courtesy car just for the asking. But we like to walk for fun and exercise.

The campground is unique at an airport of this size. You can park your plane at the edge of the grass and put up your tent next to the wing. There are covered picnic tables and spotless restrooms.


If you don't want to cook, there are several options within walking distance. Take the bridge over the canal and across the street to the Riverside Golf Club for lunch or dinner. It's fun to sit on the deck and watch the golfers finish the last hole. You can also walk to the other side of the airport to the adjacent shopping center. There's a gate at the approach end of Runway 34. but the safest way is to walk around the perimeter on the gravel path. There are several fast food restaurants and an Applebees across from Walmart.

If you are looking for a quick gas stop (the cheapest around), a place to camp, a round of golf, or a quick bite, give Chehalis/Centralia Airport a try. For more information, go to FlyCLS.com.

Do you like to read about flying adventures? Take a look at Up the Airway. It includes stories about flying in Canada, Coastal BC, and the Pacific Northwest. - Margy