june: poulsbo and vashon island
Date: June 12, 2017
Time Start: 12:45 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown, Olympia
Cruise To: Eagle Island
Engine Hours Start: 594
Engine Hours Finish: 596
Weather/Sea conditions: Cool, cloudy, windy, chop on water
We are seriously in need of a boat break after an extremely stressful experience! A few days ago, we were part of a six car pile-up on I-5 South that closed the freeway for almost two hours. Our car is a sobering mess, a total loss. But, with all of the modern safety features like air bags, seat belts, and crumple zones, we avoided serious injuries, escaping with just bruises. So, for the next few days, we will unwind and relax on the water, where the traffic is non-existent and the speeds are slow. We actually are able to cruise all the way to Eagle Island today before seeing another boat!
Time Start: 12:45 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown, Olympia
Cruise To: Eagle Island
Engine Hours Start: 594
Engine Hours Finish: 596
Weather/Sea conditions: Cool, cloudy, windy, chop on water
We are seriously in need of a boat break after an extremely stressful experience! A few days ago, we were part of a six car pile-up on I-5 South that closed the freeway for almost two hours. Our car is a sobering mess, a total loss. But, with all of the modern safety features like air bags, seat belts, and crumple zones, we avoided serious injuries, escaping with just bruises. So, for the next few days, we will unwind and relax on the water, where the traffic is non-existent and the speeds are slow. We actually are able to cruise all the way to Eagle Island today before seeing another boat!
The wind makes latching to our favorite buoy a challenge, but we finally succeed. The tide is low, the seals from the resident colony are swimming around us, and we are in our happy place.
We note that the bilge pump is coming on intermittently. Dan checks and finds a leak around the impeller, so he closes the sea cock for a temporary remedy. We had routine maintenance including replacement of the impeller performed just a week ago. Some follow up will be needed.
Date: June 13, 2017
Time Start: 10:15 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Eagle Island
Cruise To: Des Moines Marina
Engine Hours Start: 596
Engine Hours Finish: 599
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy, windy, sun in p.m., pleasant upper 60's
We're headed to Des Moines so that Tim from Ranger Tugs can check the bilge leak. He did our routine maintenance for us a week ago.
Seals swim about us before we leave Eagle Island on a partly cloudy day, the wind is still blowing. The playful seals are too far away for photos, but we love their splashing activities. Leaving them to their world, we make our way through the Narrows to Des Moines, with time to explore the marina and its surroundings before Tim arrives.
We note that the bilge pump is coming on intermittently. Dan checks and finds a leak around the impeller, so he closes the sea cock for a temporary remedy. We had routine maintenance including replacement of the impeller performed just a week ago. Some follow up will be needed.
Date: June 13, 2017
Time Start: 10:15 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Eagle Island
Cruise To: Des Moines Marina
Engine Hours Start: 596
Engine Hours Finish: 599
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy, windy, sun in p.m., pleasant upper 60's
We're headed to Des Moines so that Tim from Ranger Tugs can check the bilge leak. He did our routine maintenance for us a week ago.
Seals swim about us before we leave Eagle Island on a partly cloudy day, the wind is still blowing. The playful seals are too far away for photos, but we love their splashing activities. Leaving them to their world, we make our way through the Narrows to Des Moines, with time to explore the marina and its surroundings before Tim arrives.
Tim arrives to check out our leak, and it turns out to be a faulty O-ring from his impeller installation. Watching him work in the tight space where the impeller is located, we are so glad that he is the one doing the work and not us! it isn't an easy place to work!
Our cousins and great friends, Rod and Susan, arrive for a look at North Star. We have a lovely time visiting in the cockpit before heading together to Wally's in DesMoines for fish and chips. No one is disappointed, the halibut and ling cod are fresh and perfect!
Our cousins and great friends, Rod and Susan, arrive for a look at North Star. We have a lovely time visiting in the cockpit before heading together to Wally's in DesMoines for fish and chips. No one is disappointed, the halibut and ling cod are fresh and perfect!
Date: June 14, 2017
Time Start: 11 a.m.
Time Finish: 3:20 p.m.
Cruise From: Des Moines
Cruise To: Poulsbo
Engine Hours Start: 599
Engine Hours Finish: 604
Weather/sea conditions: Gray skies, some sun, calm, then breezy and mid 60's
It's Flag Day!
Morning is lovely in the marina, and we enjoy shore showers before we leave. "Adagio" next to us flies the New Zealand boating flags, red with the Union Jack and stars. They are en route to Tacoma for the gathering of tall ships.
Time Start: 11 a.m.
Time Finish: 3:20 p.m.
Cruise From: Des Moines
Cruise To: Poulsbo
Engine Hours Start: 599
Engine Hours Finish: 604
Weather/sea conditions: Gray skies, some sun, calm, then breezy and mid 60's
It's Flag Day!
Morning is lovely in the marina, and we enjoy shore showers before we leave. "Adagio" next to us flies the New Zealand boating flags, red with the Union Jack and stars. They are en route to Tacoma for the gathering of tall ships.
An easy cruise to Poulsbo, we see dolphins off of Vashon, the KVI radio tower that sits right on the beach of Maury Island, a cargo ship that is also named "North Star", and a couple of "tall" ships heading to the festivities in Tacoma. We cruise through Rich Passage, triggering memories of the super ferry project that we worked on years ago, resulting in a win for property owners that curtailed use of those vessels. Their wakes were shown to seriously erode beaches in the area.
There are plenty of slips to choose from on the docks at Poulsbo. We dock and are ready to explore the town, a charming mixture of Scandinavian themed tourist shops. Flags line the streets for Flag Day, adding color to the hanging flower baskets. The town definitely looks festive today! The bakery is so tempting, and we find a lovely park along the waterfront with boardwalks that continue to a paved trail along the beach and into the forest. We completely enjoy ourselves in this inviting town!
At six p.m., the chimes from the historic church at the top of the hill serenade us. The evening is beautiful as we watch a local scout troop ceremoniously celebrate Flag Day in the shoreline park.
Date: June 15, 2017
Poulsbo layover day
We wake up to a cool and wet day, time to hunker down in the cabin of NORTH STAR and read and rest. We make one shore visit, ducking between the raindrops for a visit to the Sea Discovery Center.
Poulsbo layover day
We wake up to a cool and wet day, time to hunker down in the cabin of NORTH STAR and read and rest. We make one shore visit, ducking between the raindrops for a visit to the Sea Discovery Center.
Evening is stunning, with sun lighting the clouds. The rain has stopped, and we stretch our legs. Dan meets a group of limnologists from Crater Lake moored on the dock with their research vessel. They are having some repairs made to the vessel. Since there are no roads down to Crater Lake, the vessel is taken in and out of the water by helicopter! Sounds like fascinating work! Dan is so interested in their work and collects their contact information. Who knows, a trip to Crater Lake might be on our agenda!
Date: June 16, 2017
Time Start: 10 a.m.
Time Finish: 3:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Poulsbo
Cruise To: Dockton, Vashon/Maury Islands
Engine Hours Start: 604
Engine Hours Finish: 609
Weather/sea Conditions: Cloudy and calm a.m., windy p.m. with lots of sun, upper 60's
It's a clear, calm, fresh morning after yesterday's wind and rain. Shore showers and pastries from the bakery in Poulsbo start our day. As we leave Liberty Bay, we pass by the Yacht Club and Liberty Bay marinas, What a lot of boats in Poulsbo, and it is a perfect place for them. There are nice homes all along the waterfront, too.
Next time Dan will ride his folding bike to explore here.
Time Start: 10 a.m.
Time Finish: 3:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Poulsbo
Cruise To: Dockton, Vashon/Maury Islands
Engine Hours Start: 604
Engine Hours Finish: 609
Weather/sea Conditions: Cloudy and calm a.m., windy p.m. with lots of sun, upper 60's
It's a clear, calm, fresh morning after yesterday's wind and rain. Shore showers and pastries from the bakery in Poulsbo start our day. As we leave Liberty Bay, we pass by the Yacht Club and Liberty Bay marinas, What a lot of boats in Poulsbo, and it is a perfect place for them. There are nice homes all along the waterfront, too.
Next time Dan will ride his folding bike to explore here.
We pass a lot of boats northbound, on their way to Poulsbo for a weekend rendezvous. We are southbound, enjoying fantastic skies on our way to Quartermaster Harbor and Dockton, and dodging crab pots as we make our way into the docks. The docks are a festive place with boats coming and going, everyone enjoying a lovely summer afternoon and evening. It's a "no no", but kids still can't resist climbing to the roof of the dock restrooms for a thrilling leap into the water below.
Date: June 17, 2017
Time Start: 10:45 a.m.
Time Finish: 4:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Dockton, Vashon
Cruise To: Swantown, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 609
Engine Hours Finish: 615
Weather/sea conditions: Clouds and breezy in a.m., cool, light rain in afternoon, 50's to low 60's
Local boats come and go this Saturday morning, setting crab pots and bringing back their catch. Jim and his wife on the Cutwater "This is It" next to us are crabbers and netted two rock crabs yesterday. The boat ramp is busy, too, with locals launching small skiffs for Saturday adventures.
As we head out of Quartermaster Harbor, we pass lot of crab buoys and boats dropping or tending crab pots. It is a quick cruise to the Narrows. Divers are in the water just off of Day Island. We continue past Chambers Creek, Steilacoom, Ketron Island, and the south end of Anderson Island, bypassing our usual route between Anderson and McNeil Islands. Light rain falls all the way to Swantown.
Time Start: 10:45 a.m.
Time Finish: 4:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Dockton, Vashon
Cruise To: Swantown, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 609
Engine Hours Finish: 615
Weather/sea conditions: Clouds and breezy in a.m., cool, light rain in afternoon, 50's to low 60's
Local boats come and go this Saturday morning, setting crab pots and bringing back their catch. Jim and his wife on the Cutwater "This is It" next to us are crabbers and netted two rock crabs yesterday. The boat ramp is busy, too, with locals launching small skiffs for Saturday adventures.
As we head out of Quartermaster Harbor, we pass lot of crab buoys and boats dropping or tending crab pots. It is a quick cruise to the Narrows. Divers are in the water just off of Day Island. We continue past Chambers Creek, Steilacoom, Ketron Island, and the south end of Anderson Island, bypassing our usual route between Anderson and McNeil Islands. Light rain falls all the way to Swantown.
And so ends a relaxing few days on NORTH STAR. We are looking forward to our upcoming summer cruise, stay posted!
Return to Boat Days Index
Continue to next entry
Return to Boat Days Index
Continue to next entry