This is truly amazing! Everyone's help has exceeded what I ever imagined and leaves me just with the role of getting the ball rolling.

I and the cabin's future visitors thank Daren, Mick, Ken, Bill, and the WCP community for making this happen. Especially Daren.

I hope to follow up by getting up there when I can to take care of whatever else needs doing.

Randy

update:
i still have quite a bit of work to do, but the stove itself is finished. i still have to make 10 feet of pipe, a roof-jack and storm collar, and a rain cap.

here's some pics of the stove:

broken down for shipping:


fully assembled:


adjustable draft control in the bottom of the door:


door will open almost 180 degrees:


Daren.......

Jeez Daren!
That is spectacular!

Jon

Daren,

It is truly awesome - a beautiful job.

Now I'm really going to have to follow up to bring the rest of the place up to this standard!

Randy

WCP campout at Burnett Bay?

Does that mean that you're going to add a sauna? That would be most pleasurable after a long day of paddling.

Awesome job, Daren. That's one fine looking stove. Well done.

And kudos also to the rest of you who chipped in/are chipping in to make this happen. It's a terrific community that we have here.

*****

thanks guys! i build far more complex things than this, as my job, on a daily basis. this has been far more rewarding!

i've been thinking about this for a few days........
i understand that there may be a water taxi from either Port Hardy or Port McNiel that would go to Burnett Bay.
how long to drive from Naniamo to the north end of the island?
i'm thinking i might like to go and install the stove myself, around Christmas-New Years.

Daren.........

Daren, you are the king!
(Just in case some people don't know, but Daren owns, has built, and has designed probably 100's of different kinds of stoves that use all kinds of fuel and meet all kinds of differing exacting parameters. Witness the beautiful work on this one, as well as how it all packs down flat. And witness the great Neufeld Mark 1 tiny, breakdown, woodstove that many of us carry now. His house is filled with all this neat stuff.)
There probably couldn't be a better person to do this.

And of course there'd be nothing there to put it in, if not for Randel Washburne!

Daren,

I didn't know about the Neufeld Mark I, or any of of the other stoves! Where can I see one? I'd love to replace my old kayaking tent's stove.

Regarding water taxis to Burnett Bay, there are at least two in Port Hardy, which would be much closer than Port McNeill. Its about 27 nautical miles to the north end of the beach from Hardy. It would be very expensive - I believe they were charging $500 to go up there about three years ago, and then if you're going to stay a while, double that for the pick-up.

But I think its very unlikely they'll take you anywhere near there in the winter. The surf at Burnett then can be huge (I can only imagine since I've never dared go then.) I'll PM you about an alternative.

Looking South from the North end of Burnett Bay.

Wow, that stove is truly a beauty.

Most awesome work Daren

Very cool Daren!

Hmmm....Sauna......I have an old cast iron bath tub I could donate. I have seen people run copper piping through a wood stove to heat the water!...or just light a fire under the tub!
Just thought you might be interested. I also have an old wood stove that is salvagable. Might be a bit over kill.
cheers
James

Guess you'd have to deck-load that iron tub. Could make for a lot of bracing while paddling in the swells

Fresh water other than rain is a bit scarce there, so a sauna would be easier. A great idea. The only ones I've made were painters drop clothes over cedar branches and a couple of hot rocks.

We have to protect Daren's investment! I've been thinking about things that need doing up there, so for anybody so inclined next summer, etc. here they are:

1. Might as well start with the most onorous: the outhouse hole is filling up and it needs to be moved. It in the woods behind the cabin. Digging there is easy - its just sand - so a small pot etc would do the job. I made the outhouse light and with two planks sticking out if the sides so two people can pick it up and carry it to the new hole.

2. The door hinges are made with driftwood two by fours and cedar- branch pins, which make opening the door sound like the introduction to the old radio program, Tales from the Crypt. Its amazing they've lasted since '85 with just a little reinforcement of plumbers strapping, but soon they'll give out. Some heavy duty gate hinges would fill the bill.

3. The shakes around the lower walls where they touch the ground are rotting out. Hopefully there are still plenty of shakes left from the roofing job in '06 behind the cabin, for that and emergency roof repairs from the next item.

4. The most immediate threat to the cabin is fallen trees. Fortunately they're mostly smallish around there (at least toward the beach), but it would be a good idea to head off any that seem most threatening, particularly dead trees or large branches. I propped up one leaning smaller tree just north of the cabin with a plank since I couldn't figure out how to take it down safely without heavy ropes, etc.

Hope to work on a few of these whenever I can get up there.

Work party?

I wonder how many boats the water taxi can bring in?

You'd probably be much better off flying in. The beach is wide enough at lower tides and probably hard enough for a bush plane to land.

The surf is such that if you are lucky enough to be able to land with a water taxi you likely won't be able to get off when you want to leave.

Lots of wheeled planes land at the mid point of the beach year round - I've seen four or five parked there at a time. But I'm not aware of any that will land paying passengers there. I think that's a good thing. The helicopters from Nimmo Bay Resort land their clientele right in front of the cabin for short visits and picnics with fine wines...

The kayak shuttles do land between the two islets in front of the cabin. In the summer the surf is generally low enough, depending on the stage of the tide. Otherwise they can go into the cove and beach just north of there. Walking to the main beach across the steep rocks from there is nearly impossible, but kayaking around is nothing.

Otherwise Skull Cove is the next closest dropoff, a lot closer and cheaper. You still have to get around the Fox Group and across Slingby Channel, which can be very rough if the current is ebbing and the swells are even moderate.

One of the Port Hardy shuttles will take up to four kayaks and gear, and I think the other may take six.

yesterday morning i started on the stove pipe, and finished it this morning. i also made a 3" to 4" adapter so that, if needs be, the old three inch pipe can be hooked up to the new stove, until someone can complete the installation of the new 4" roofjack and raincap.

when this new stove is fully installed the stove pipe will not need to be taken down at the end of a stay at the cabin. it's all stainless steel, from the floor to the sky.

Daren........

For those of you thinking about going to Burnett Bay, there may be some apprehension about dangerous surf landings there, particularly in light of the report in the journals in 98(?) about the surfing accident which was also included in Matt Broze's Deep Trouble. That has not been my experience over the years at all .

The biggest surf is mid beach down as far as the stream at the south end. It is reduced considerably as it refracts around the south point and it may be very small there. But I've generally found it is smallest behind the two islets directly west from the cabin, compared to the hook at the south end of the beach. This is mainly true at lower stages tide. At higher tides the swells sweep in around the islets from both sides and may collide on the tombolo above them, so try to avoid high tide if the swells are moderate.

I have seen days when I was ashore and thankful I didn't need to go out, since the big swells made for at least moderate surf everywhere, even between the islets. But these were rare in the summer. A friend points out that you can check the surf by listening to the Coast Guard's report on the West Sea Otter MAREP buoy, which is the closest one.

You should always be concerned about crossing the mouth of Slingsby Channel a few miles south of the beach (predicted off Nakwakto Rapids). If the current is ebbing strongly against moderate to large swells, conditions may be very rough. If you have to cross it then, stay offshore about a half mile or more.

Hope this is helpful.

Randy

BUMP

Was just wondering whatever happened to the plan?
I've been waiting for word that the Stove is ready for transport...

Good bump.
I was going to contact you in the next few days after I find out exactly where it should be delivered.
As you and I are most likely to be in Nanaimo on the 30th, it makes the most sense for us to transfer the stove then.
But I'll pm you in the next few days when I know for sure and to rearrange if you're not there on the 30th.
-mick

as for the stove and accesories. it's basicly complete. WCP supplied me with a brass plaque that i will rivet to the front of the door. i'll also pre-drill the stovepipe for screws. then package it for shipping. i'll email Randy and the pilot.

KenB;
would you please PM me your email so that i can put you in touch with Bill, the pilot. (and thanks for your help!)

Daren.......

update on the stove.
with the delivery date looming i decided that i should update everyone on the stove.

in talking with Randy, i decided to make a spark screen for the door opening. some folks just like to lay on the floor and watch the fire burn! note that it simply hangs off the Acorn nuts that hold the stove body together.



the admin folks at WCP supplied a plaque that i riveted to the door.



all the parts and pieces.



Daren.........

Looks great Daren! Glad to see you receive some recognition for all the hard work and effort; I'm sure anyone who uses it will be appreciative. I hope to see/use it one day myself!

Thanks to everyone who had a part in this: Daren, Mick, KenB, Randy, Bill the Pilot, and anyone else I may have missed!