longbranch and gig harbor
Date: May 3, 2018
Time Start: 1:00 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:20 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: Longbranch
Engine Hours Start: 766
Engine Hours Finish: 768
Weather/sea conditions: Warm spring day, upper 60's, hazy sun, north wind with chop
This is one of those unplanned cruises. We know we will stay within South Sound waters, but have lots of options for moorages. We'll head out today and see what strikes our fancy as we take advantage of a great weather forecast and a few free days. Where will we head when the dock lines are released? Let's find out!
First we need to top off our diesel at Swantown's new fuel dock. It turns into a visit with Jean and Steve on Coorie Doon, a lovely red R27. They are from Battle Ground, both are divers, and Steve takes amazing (and professional) underwater marine photos, both here in the Salish Seas, and in tropical waters. We hope to see more of these two! (www.stevezedekar.com)
Time Start: 1:00 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:20 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: Longbranch
Engine Hours Start: 766
Engine Hours Finish: 768
Weather/sea conditions: Warm spring day, upper 60's, hazy sun, north wind with chop
This is one of those unplanned cruises. We know we will stay within South Sound waters, but have lots of options for moorages. We'll head out today and see what strikes our fancy as we take advantage of a great weather forecast and a few free days. Where will we head when the dock lines are released? Let's find out!
First we need to top off our diesel at Swantown's new fuel dock. It turns into a visit with Jean and Steve on Coorie Doon, a lovely red R27. They are from Battle Ground, both are divers, and Steve takes amazing (and professional) underwater marine photos, both here in the Salish Seas, and in tropical waters. We hope to see more of these two! (www.stevezedekar.com)
The mountains are on the hazy side today, but still lovely. Mt. Rainier is like a ghost of a mountain, barely visible. With a chop on the water from northerlies, we decide on today's destination - Longbranch. We haven't visited for awhile, and know we will have protection there.
With the visitor's docks completely empty, we secure NORTH STAR to the end of the pier facing Mt. Rainier, with hopes of getting some clear views. We check out the resident boats, enjoying some of their names. Two fishing vessels, Paragon and Duwam, add interest to the mixture of local boats.
Along the dock is a beautiful memorial tribute to one of the many individuals who have put their hearts into this marina and community, contributing hours and hours of service through the Longbranch Improvement Association (operators of the marina, they raise money for local scholarships and many other causes.)
We read up on the local history at the entry to the marina, and then stretch our legs with a walk along the road.
Date: May 4, 2018
Time Start: 11 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:00 p.m.
Cruise From: Longbranch, Key Peninsula
Cruise To: Gig Harbor
Engine Hours Start: 768
Engine Hours Finish: 771
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy, upper 60's, calmer, lovely day.
After a quiet evening and night as the only ones here, activity is picking up on the docks of Longbranch. The resident boaters are preparing for a celebration of opening day of boating season. Tomorrow, there will be a breakfast on the dock, a live band, and a sailing regatta. This is another activity supported by the Improvement Association. They have also recently been awarded a large grant for work on the docks.
Morning photos:
Time Start: 11 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:00 p.m.
Cruise From: Longbranch, Key Peninsula
Cruise To: Gig Harbor
Engine Hours Start: 768
Engine Hours Finish: 771
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy, upper 60's, calmer, lovely day.
After a quiet evening and night as the only ones here, activity is picking up on the docks of Longbranch. The resident boaters are preparing for a celebration of opening day of boating season. Tomorrow, there will be a breakfast on the dock, a live band, and a sailing regatta. This is another activity supported by the Improvement Association. They have also recently been awarded a large grant for work on the docks.
Morning photos:
With the urge to move on, we enjoy a lovely morning cruise as we make our way to Gig Harbor.
Just a few raindrops hit our windshields as we pass through the Narrows.
We pass homes perched high above the water and colorful homes at the base of the cliffs, a net shed, marinas, the well known Tides tavern, and historic homes on our way to the Jersich Public Dock. We are early enough on this beautiful Friday to have a choice of moorage (tying up is still just 50 cents a foot until Memorial Day!).
Jersich Public Dock with its enormous flag abuts Skansie Brothers Park. The historic Skansie net shed building still stands as a museum. Names like Jersich and Skansie are part of the story of Gig Harbor, where the early settlers were loggers, fishermen, and boat builders, many of them coming from Croatia. Their influence shaped this city.
Walking towards the head of the bay, we pass old buildings that now house modern businesses, docks that once were home to fishing fleets and now are home to pleasure craft, and, in some cases, as in the Gig Harbor Boat Shop building and the local museum, an attempt to restore and preserve skills and treasures of the past. Old mixes with new in this town. Just a few traditional fishing vessels remain in the harbor.
For us, the walk is also nostalgic, as we have done environmental work for many of the restoration or rebuilding projects along this shoreline. Our story intertwines in a small way with the story of Gig Harbor for the past two decades, and we reminisce along the way. Names of the old time families of this town are very familiar to us. Babich, Dorotich, Jersich, Puratich, and others, they all come back to us as we stroll.
For us, the walk is also nostalgic, as we have done environmental work for many of the restoration or rebuilding projects along this shoreline. Our story intertwines in a small way with the story of Gig Harbor for the past two decades, and we reminisce along the way. Names of the old time families of this town are very familiar to us. Babich, Dorotich, Jersich, Puratich, and others, they all come back to us as we stroll.
Our destination is the Harbor History Museum at the head of the bay. It is full of exhibits telling the story of the founding and growth of Gig Harbor from the late 1800's to present day, and well worth a visit.
The restoration of a wood fishing vessel is taking place in part of the museum, a tedious project that will take many years for volunteers to complete. Here is a look:
A historic one room school has been moved to the museum site.
On the more current side, some fantastic black and white photographs by a famous local woman are on display. Some of her photos were for album covers for rock musicians back in the sixties.
We return to the marina in time to enjoy a beautiful evening. A Cutwater 30, the "Jolly Roberts", has tied up next to us with Dave, Nadine, and their young son aboard. They have cruised across the Narrows from their slip at Day Island Marina in Tacoma. It turns out Dan and Dave have a lot in common as he is an engineer with Parametrix, a company that Dan has had many associations with over the years.
A group decked out in their prom finery walk to the end of the pier, and we watch as photos of the big night are taken. Such fun! The public dock is a happening kind of place to be!
A sunset stroll in the direction of the Tides Tavern takes us to one of our past project sites, the Russell Foundation building, gardens, and pier. The Maritime Pier for public access is next door to the project. We are really pleased with the results of this project! Roof gardens are accessible to the public.
Time to call it a day at Jersich Public Dock, where the building resembles one of the historic net sheds of Gig Harbor and the rooftop is open for views of the harbor and for picnics. It's been another great boat day!
Date: May 5, 2018
Gig Harbor layover day
Light clouds, lots of sun, 60's, a nice day!
Today is the official opening day of boating season and it is also Cinco de Mayo. Morning starts with shore showers ($1 for 5 minutes, using a credit card) and a walk to Suzanne's Bakery for pastries and lattes.
Gig Harbor layover day
Light clouds, lots of sun, 60's, a nice day!
Today is the official opening day of boating season and it is also Cinco de Mayo. Morning starts with shore showers ($1 for 5 minutes, using a credit card) and a walk to Suzanne's Bakery for pastries and lattes.
We take a stroll through the nearby hillside neighborhoods, enjoying the stately older homes and their landscapes filled with the colors of spring.
One of the gardens stuns us, and as I am taking photos, the owner approaches us and invites us to enter the yard for a quick tour. We learn that this garden has been featured on garden tours, and we are not the first admiring passersby to get a personal tour. A lot of love has gone into this garden.
As we make our way back toward the harbor, we pass the Babich net storage shed, and wander along a picturesque street of "small" recently built houses, each house being only about a thousand square feet or less. They look so inviting, a street we could easily call "home".
We discover the Harbor General Store, an inviting gathering spot that also has a good selection of pick-up groceries, and an Italian restaurant to remember for a future visit. An old church with a bell tower chimes the hours throughout the day.
This happens to be the first Saturday of the month, when local galleries sponsor an arts walk. We visit a few of them.
The public dock is an active place as groups of teens launch colorful kayaks for lessons and races in the harbor. New to us are the narrow kneeling kayaks, a craze that apparently got its start in Europe. It looks like they require good balance, a strong core, and strong arm and leg muscles. They are paddled more like a canoe, from just one side, instead of with a double bladed kayak paddle.
Skansie Brothers Park and the adjoining Jersich Public Dock are well used on this perfect day.
We are enjoying chats with our Cutwater neighbors, the Roberts family, as well as a lot of dock walkers. The decks of NORTH STAR get a scrubbing. Then, after the sailboat to our stern leaves, a small powerboat arrives. I assist with their dock lines before they head into town. And suddenly, we have a fuel or oil spill coming from the stern of their boat and surrounding our hull. Dan and Dave attempt to find out what is happening, and then the police arrive, along with a couple of firemen. They make the contact with Ecology and are advised to just monitor at this point. They say that booming in the crowded marina to contain the spill could create a fire hazard. The crew finally return to find a note about the leak, and they exit the marina.
Happy hour in the cockpit is Cinco de Mayo style with chips and salsa. We take another walk before dinner, stopping at the Russell Foundation once again (street trees were one of our suggestions for this project and we are thrilled to see the results), up the hill towards the General Store, and then back to our cabin for bowls of chili and salads. The weather has made a quick turn to gray and cool.
Raindrops splash onto the water as the sky glows red and gold, ending yet another stellar boat day on NORTH STAR.
It's been a Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Date: May 6, 2018
Time Start: 8:10 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:00 p.m.
Cruise From: Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula
Cruise To: Swantown, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 771
Engine Hours Finish: 775
Weather/sea conditionss: Sunny, calm, beautiful day, 70's!
It's a beautiful morning for an early start toward Olympia. There is a bit of morning mist hanging over the water, but the sun is out for the day. We pass the familiar sites of Gig Harbor and make our way past the small lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor as we head to the Narrows.
Time Start: 8:10 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:00 p.m.
Cruise From: Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula
Cruise To: Swantown, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 771
Engine Hours Finish: 775
Weather/sea conditionss: Sunny, calm, beautiful day, 70's!
It's a beautiful morning for an early start toward Olympia. There is a bit of morning mist hanging over the water, but the sun is out for the day. We pass the familiar sites of Gig Harbor and make our way past the small lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor as we head to the Narrows.
We seem to have the Narrows all to ourselves!
Lots of blue sky today, and snowy mountains all along the way. The cruise home is one of those perfect ones, making us wish we could stay out longer. We make one stop, just off of Anderson and Eagle Islands, to drift while we fix a pancake breakfast in a gorgeous setting.
We are home in time to clean up NORTH STAR and get ready for SLURP (Shellfish Lovers Ultimate Rejuvenation Party) at the Fishtail Brewery. It is an annual event that features all of the shellfish you can eat prepared by local restaurants, and raises funds for a pet cause, clean water. Dan applies some mussel tattoos that our granddaughter sent him, the perfect accessory for the occasion. Mussels on muscles! And so we move on from this fantastic few days of cruising and fun.