october: jarrell cove and mc micken
Date: October 4, 2022
Time Start: 1:40 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: Jarrell Cove State Park
Engine Hours Start: 1478
Engine Hours Finish: 1481
Weather/sea conditions: Gray morning warming and clearing to mid 70's, calm, nice day
October is here, and summer weather is hanging around. It is unbelievably dry, too, we have gone forever without rain, Days still often reach 80 degrees, and nights are warm. Forest fires make some days too smokey to enjoy being outdoors, but our South Sound region has so far escaped most of the smoke. We'll see how things go with a short cruise to favorite nearby destinations. Before we get underway, we need to give NORTH STAR a wash down. And, we get a chat with dock neighbors Denise and Russ before they head home to Tuscon for the winter. Hopefully we will do a joint cruise next summer!
It is flat calm on the water as we leave, the tide is high, and cruising is easy.
Time Start: 1:40 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: Jarrell Cove State Park
Engine Hours Start: 1478
Engine Hours Finish: 1481
Weather/sea conditions: Gray morning warming and clearing to mid 70's, calm, nice day
October is here, and summer weather is hanging around. It is unbelievably dry, too, we have gone forever without rain, Days still often reach 80 degrees, and nights are warm. Forest fires make some days too smokey to enjoy being outdoors, but our South Sound region has so far escaped most of the smoke. We'll see how things go with a short cruise to favorite nearby destinations. Before we get underway, we need to give NORTH STAR a wash down. And, we get a chat with dock neighbors Denise and Russ before they head home to Tuscon for the winter. Hopefully we will do a joint cruise next summer!
It is flat calm on the water as we leave, the tide is high, and cruising is easy.
Just one boat is on the dock at Jarrell Cove, a Grand Banks from Olympia. With NORTH STAR secure on the dock, we stroll through the park, enjoying the water views. We always enjoy being here, a place that has become very familiar to us over the years.
As we have noted so many times before, the cormorants continue to arrive at the end of the day to roost in the fir trees along the cove. Different this time is that they have moved a bit further into the cove so that they are not directly across from the long dock. And they seem to be arriving earlier, before the sun drops. We never tire of watching them arrive, hearing them fly overhead and hearing the sounds of them from the trees.
Date: October 5, 2022
Jarrell Cove layover day
Weather: Gray morning, mid 60's
The tide is low this morning. A heron forages, a kingfisher rattles as is dives for prey, several cormorants are still in the trees, and kelp crabs are circling the pilings, clinging to barnacles as they go and looking much like mountain climbers reaching for the safe grab.
Jarrell Cove layover day
Weather: Gray morning, mid 60's
The tide is low this morning. A heron forages, a kingfisher rattles as is dives for prey, several cormorants are still in the trees, and kelp crabs are circling the pilings, clinging to barnacles as they go and looking much like mountain climbers reaching for the safe grab.
The endless jobs on a boat, cleaning and detailing, take up our morning. Somehow these chores are so much more rewarding that cleaning at home. It must have a lot to do with our surroundings!
We have been alone on the dock today, but a sailboat with two elderly looking crew members approaches the dock, and we realize they are in trouble. The painter for their dinghy has drifted under the boat and wrapped around the propeller, causing the dinghy to be partially submerged under the hull of the boat. They drift toward the dock, and we manage to grab the bow and slowly ease them alongside the dock and secure their lines. The boat is the Feather Crown from Tacoma, 42 feet long, and the captain is 100 years old! We are about to get to know an amazing couple who still actively boat and sail and have incredible strength for their years.
We have been alone on the dock today, but a sailboat with two elderly looking crew members approaches the dock, and we realize they are in trouble. The painter for their dinghy has drifted under the boat and wrapped around the propeller, causing the dinghy to be partially submerged under the hull of the boat. They drift toward the dock, and we manage to grab the bow and slowly ease them alongside the dock and secure their lines. The boat is the Feather Crown from Tacoma, 42 feet long, and the captain is 100 years old! We are about to get to know an amazing couple who still actively boat and sail and have incredible strength for their years.
Dan uses his underwater go-pro attached to a boat hook to photograph the prop. Realizing that a diver is needed to assist (snorkeling won't work for this job), he starts making calls on his cell phone. No one is available in the park office to provide information. Boat US says their diver is ill and not available. The Jarrell Cove Marina across from the park is closed for the season and not answering their phone. Our marina provides a list of divers who service Swantown in Olympia. After several calls, he finds someone who is willing to come, but not for another 24 hours. Meanwhile, Richard, the captain of Feather Crown, decides he can attach a knife to a boat hook and reach under the hull. He does just that! He hones his knife to sharpness, uses a hammer to flatten the handle end of his boat hook, and then lashes the knife to it. For a good hour, he lies on his side on the dock, reaching and sawing away. Will he let anyone assist? No! He makes some progress, and then Dan takes the boat hook with knife in the dinghy to reach under from the outside of the hull, freeing the dinghy and pulling it out from under the hull. Joyce assists Dan from the deck of Feather Crown.
Whew! This is all a ton of hard work. Richard now feels that the prop is free enough from the painter that they can safely cruise again. But there is still work to do, and he still insists on being the one to do it. The dinghy gets bailed out, and then the remnants of the old painter that are firmly embedded in the bow of the dinghy need to be pounded out so that a new painter can be attached. You are looking at the most incredible 100 year old man performing these tasks! His wife tells that he is mad at himself and feels responsible for this incident.
The remainder of the afternoon is a time to relax. We get some sunshine and go rowing on the cove.
The cormorants arrive and amaze us as usual as we enjoy the end of an unusual boat day.
The moon is almost full tonight.
Date:; October 6, 2022
Time Start: 1240 p.m.
Time Finish: 1:40 p.m.
Cruise From: Jarrell Cove State Park
Cruise To: McMicken Island Marine State Park
Engine Hours Start: 1481
Engine Hours Finish: 1482
Weather/sea conditions: Foggy, cool a.m., clearing to sun
Again this morning the cormorants are lingering in the trees. Soon we see a group in the water, splashing and playing. Our guess is that they could be juveniles having a fun learning time. We watch as they fly away following what must be their elders, cormorants that weren't splashing around. Is this why they are arriving earlier in the evening and leaving later in the morning? Training time for the new generation?
We go for a walk on the forested trails of the park before saying our goodbyes to Richard and Joyce. They plan to stay another night. And Richard is no worse for wear from yesterday's events. He says he slept well and that the two of them spent the morning cleaning house. Now he sits with an assortment of paint brushes in hand, preparing to spend the afternoon doing touch up painting on Feather Crown. Joyce says he always fills his days with projects. Thumbs up to this centenarian! They are an energetic, wonderful couple. We wish them an easy cruise home.
Date:; October 6, 2022
Time Start: 1240 p.m.
Time Finish: 1:40 p.m.
Cruise From: Jarrell Cove State Park
Cruise To: McMicken Island Marine State Park
Engine Hours Start: 1481
Engine Hours Finish: 1482
Weather/sea conditions: Foggy, cool a.m., clearing to sun
Again this morning the cormorants are lingering in the trees. Soon we see a group in the water, splashing and playing. Our guess is that they could be juveniles having a fun learning time. We watch as they fly away following what must be their elders, cormorants that weren't splashing around. Is this why they are arriving earlier in the evening and leaving later in the morning? Training time for the new generation?
We go for a walk on the forested trails of the park before saying our goodbyes to Richard and Joyce. They plan to stay another night. And Richard is no worse for wear from yesterday's events. He says he slept well and that the two of them spent the morning cleaning house. Now he sits with an assortment of paint brushes in hand, preparing to spend the afternoon doing touch up painting on Feather Crown. Joyce says he always fills his days with projects. Thumbs up to this centenarian! They are an energetic, wonderful couple. We wish them an easy cruise home.
There is smoke haze in the air as we cruise from Jarrell Cove to McMicken Island, and we have wide open choices of buoys and anchorages when we arrive. We are the only ones here for now! We tie to the buoy closest to the island and soon the other two buoys fill with sailboats.
Dan squeezes into his wetsuit. It's time to replace the prop zinc, once again it has disappeared. GRR! All the zincs get checked, and he scrapes off some mussels that have attached to the trim tabs. Even with a wetsuit, the water is chilly. Yes, it's October!
We each have some beautiful rowing time.
|
|
Red skies at night, boaters delight!
And then the moon . . .
Date: October 7, 2022
Time Start: 2:25 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:30 p.m.
Cruise From: McMicken Island Marine State Park
Cruise To: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 1482
Engine Hours Finish: 1484
Weather/sea conditions: Fog early, calm, low tide, hazy sun, mid 70's
Beach time! We can't be at McMicken without a walk ashore and on the tombolo at low tide. There is always something to see and enjoy. This fall day is no exception. And the crowds? We have miles of beach to ourselves.
Time Start: 2:25 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:30 p.m.
Cruise From: McMicken Island Marine State Park
Cruise To: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 1482
Engine Hours Finish: 1484
Weather/sea conditions: Fog early, calm, low tide, hazy sun, mid 70's
Beach time! We can't be at McMicken without a walk ashore and on the tombolo at low tide. There is always something to see and enjoy. This fall day is no exception. And the crowds? We have miles of beach to ourselves.
Salicornia, also called pickleweed, is a salt tolerant plant, and there are abundant patches of it near the maintained park area of McMicken. Today it stands out with its reddish fall color, making it look almost like a field of heather. Did you know the stems of salicornia turn color in the fall? Pretty wonderful to see.
The tide has turned, it's time to return to NORTH STAR and head for home.
When we arrive at Swantown, we decide it is much too nice by the water to go home. Yes, let's do one more night right here in the marina! Good choice, we get to really enjoy the full moon.
Date: October 8, 2022
Port of Olympia
Weather: Sunny and warm.
We start the day with a walk to the Olympia Farmers Market to grab breakfast, continuing to the Percival Landing side of the port peninsula. We are glad we did, as a beautiful boat is on the dock. We learn that it has been here for a few weeks and took out some 1500 Olympia school students to learn about the marine world. Today she is being spiffed up before cruising into Tacoma tomorrow where she will be a permanent fixture. Schools, scouts, etc. will utilize her for education. How terrific is that! The vessel originally took workers and supplies to oil rigs, but has been repurposed for marine training. Google Doolin-Rogers and get the full story!
Port of Olympia
Weather: Sunny and warm.
We start the day with a walk to the Olympia Farmers Market to grab breakfast, continuing to the Percival Landing side of the port peninsula. We are glad we did, as a beautiful boat is on the dock. We learn that it has been here for a few weeks and took out some 1500 Olympia school students to learn about the marine world. Today she is being spiffed up before cruising into Tacoma tomorrow where she will be a permanent fixture. Schools, scouts, etc. will utilize her for education. How terrific is that! The vessel originally took workers and supplies to oil rigs, but has been repurposed for marine training. Google Doolin-Rogers and get the full story!
Yes, we finally return to NORTH STAR to pack up and leave her ready for the next cruise. When and where will that be? Stay tuned.
Return to Boat Days Index
Continue to Next Entry
Return to Boat Days Index
Continue to Next Entry