april at mcmicken island
Date: April 20, 2018
Time Start: 2 p.m.
Time Finish: 3:55 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: McMicken Island State Park
Engine Hours Start: 759
Engine Hours Finish: 761
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy, mid 60's, windy, with clouds building
Just as we leave Swantown, our eyes are drawn to a small sailboat that has capsized in the channel. We draw close enough to see if assistance is needed. No! We watch as a very accomplished sailor rights the boat and sails away. Attired in a dry suit, she is prepared for getting wet, and the capsize is most likely practice for her. Looks like she is having a great time!
Time Start: 2 p.m.
Time Finish: 3:55 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: McMicken Island State Park
Engine Hours Start: 759
Engine Hours Finish: 761
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy, mid 60's, windy, with clouds building
Just as we leave Swantown, our eyes are drawn to a small sailboat that has capsized in the channel. We draw close enough to see if assistance is needed. No! We watch as a very accomplished sailor rights the boat and sails away. Attired in a dry suit, she is prepared for getting wet, and the capsize is most likely practice for her. Looks like she is having a great time!
It's an easy cruise to McMicken Island where we have wide open buoys and anchorages to select from. It is just us here at the beginning of a weekend! We choose the buoy closest to shore and to the tombolo.
The tide is low and Dan escapes to shore for a walk. Seattle Shellfish has geoduck beds along one side of the tombolo, and siphons of these giant clams can be seen poking through the substrate.
The tide is low and Dan escapes to shore for a walk. Seattle Shellfish has geoduck beds along one side of the tombolo, and siphons of these giant clams can be seen poking through the substrate.
I get my first row of the year on some tranquil water.
We hear the unmistakeable sound of an eagle, and it is easy to find, perched on a nearby snag.
Date: April 21, 2018
McMicken Island layover day
Weather: Changeable, from sun to clouds to sun, windy and cool, 50's
Guilty! We had a long night's sleep in the comfort of our berth aboard NORTH STAR. Night brought rain, then clear starlit skies. Morning is sparkling, skies are blue, with wind creating lot of ripples to catch the sunlight. And, the tide is high, all the way up to the tree line, with the tombolo completely immersed.
McMicken Island layover day
Weather: Changeable, from sun to clouds to sun, windy and cool, 50's
Guilty! We had a long night's sleep in the comfort of our berth aboard NORTH STAR. Night brought rain, then clear starlit skies. Morning is sparkling, skies are blue, with wind creating lot of ripples to catch the sunlight. And, the tide is high, all the way up to the tree line, with the tombolo completely immersed.
How easy it is to idle the hours away. How? Watching the wind patterns on the water, the geese patroling the beach, eagles soaring over the tree tops and over our heads, fluffy clouds changing shape against the blue sky. Bit by bit, the beach reappears and the tombolo resurfaces with the ebbing tide, and we head to shore. Winds make for a downright blustery walk, but we find much to enjoy as we circle around to the lee side of the island. We have been here many times, but we never tire of exploring here. We love how the shells break down into bits of white shell debris, how the fallen trees become nurseries for mussels, and so much more. It is an ever changing environment.
Back to the windy side, the timing is right for a walk along the tombolo. Soon the tide will change and put it underwater once again. We enjoy the red and green seaweeds (some with tube worms poking through them), a bed of sand dollars, and the chance to stretch our legs in this unique place.
We are no longer alone here, "Rainy Day", one of the new R29 Ranger Tugs, has arrived on the far buoy. The wind dies, and late day is beautiful on the water.
Dinner time is eagle time! We feast in the cockpit of NORTH STAR while an eagle is enjoying a meal while perched on a branch. We have eagles in the trees, and eagles soaring in the air.
The day ends on a beautiful note.
Date: April 22, 2018
Time Start: 11:10 a.m.
Time Finish: 6:50 p.m.
Cruise From: McMicken Island State Park
Cruise To: Stretch Island and Swantown Marina
Engine Hours Start: 762
Engine Hours Finish: 765
Weather/sea conditions: Calm, a few light clouds, afternoon N. winds, upper 50's.
Pancakes and coffee in the cockpit get us off to a great start on this calm and sunny morning. What a good life! (vertical photos, click to find our heads!)
Time Start: 11:10 a.m.
Time Finish: 6:50 p.m.
Cruise From: McMicken Island State Park
Cruise To: Stretch Island and Swantown Marina
Engine Hours Start: 762
Engine Hours Finish: 765
Weather/sea conditions: Calm, a few light clouds, afternoon N. winds, upper 50's.
Pancakes and coffee in the cockpit get us off to a great start on this calm and sunny morning. What a good life! (vertical photos, click to find our heads!)
After solitude here, we are looking forward to a visit with life-long friends Joel and Sarah on nearby Stretch Island today. It is a short cruise from McMicken to Stretch Island.
Joel waves from in front of their green house while we attach NORTH STAR to his mooring buoy and make our way to shore. And there they are, Joel and Sarah, and it is time for giant hugs.
A tour of the gardens, lunch, lots of visiting . . . we so enjoy our time with these two! Celebrating 50 years of our friendship!
Time to cruise home, enjoying this wonderful spring day.
With winds from the north to fill sails, we have the rare experience of following a boat under sail into Swantown.
After pumping out and securing NORTH STAR in her slip, we take in a final view from the marina. The Olympic Mountains are outlined against a clear evening sky. What a beautiful place to live and to cruise!
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