penrose point in july
Date: July 18, 2021
Time Start 1:50 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:50 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: Penrose Point State Park
Engine Hours Start: 1286
Engine Hours Finish: 1289
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny with light breeze from north
Cruising out of Olympia is wonderful on this sunny day, with views of Mt. Rainier along the way. We're headed to Penrose Point State Park, hoping to spend three nights aboard NORTH STAR.
Time Start 1:50 p.m.
Time Finish: 4:50 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise To: Penrose Point State Park
Engine Hours Start: 1286
Engine Hours Finish: 1289
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny with light breeze from north
Cruising out of Olympia is wonderful on this sunny day, with views of Mt. Rainier along the way. We're headed to Penrose Point State Park, hoping to spend three nights aboard NORTH STAR.
The " MOUNTAIN" from Penrose Point:
We drop anchor near the beach on the north side of Penrose Point. The captain is once again the chef. Tonight dinner is simple - caprese sandwiches on french bread with fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, and pesto. It's a perfect summer meal to enjoy in the airy cockpit of NORTH STAR.
Evening is quiet. The captain takes the dinghy for a spin to make sure the Torqeedo electric motor is functioning. And then we have beautiful moonlight reflecting on the water.
Date: July 19, 2021
Penrose Point layover day
Weather: beautiful summer day, sunshine with a breeze, warm
Another summer day to enjoy! After a light breakfast, we motor in the dinghy to Lakebay Marina. It was recently sold and will soon be undergoing much needed repairs. The sale will keep the marina with its long history as a continuing destination for boaters. A lot of fund raising as well as other contributing funds made the purchase possible.
Penrose Point layover day
Weather: beautiful summer day, sunshine with a breeze, warm
Another summer day to enjoy! After a light breakfast, we motor in the dinghy to Lakebay Marina. It was recently sold and will soon be undergoing much needed repairs. The sale will keep the marina with its long history as a continuing destination for boaters. A lot of fund raising as well as other contributing funds made the purchase possible.
Everything is closed today, but we take a look at the historic building. Yes, a lot of restoration work is needed here! The building has a restaurant as well as marina offices, and fuel is available on the dock.
It's a long way to shore from the building, a long way for boaters docked here to access their vessels.
We see that the small park dock near the Lakebay Marina is empty. We motor back to NORTH STAR and move her the short distance to the dock. Now we have a great view of the marina, as well as easy access to shore for walks.
Yes, it is time for a walk. It is easy to stroll the trails here. They are mostly forested, and it is possible to get in a few miles while enjoying shade on a warm day. The trails take us along the shore as well as through camping and picnic areas. Trees are not only beautiful and interesting, they are fun, too!
Madronas seem to prefer growing along the bluffs near the water, easily identified by their red and peeing bark.
The campground and picnic areas are busy, mostly with families and small groups, and the beach is a big draw for sunbathing and wading. Only a few people actually swim. Kids float with their water toys. A few kids enjoy jumping off our dock.
Restrooms in the campground have hot showers. You need a token from the ranger station, A one dollar token gets you six minutes in the shower.
Restrooms in the campground have hot showers. You need a token from the ranger station, A one dollar token gets you six minutes in the shower.
Views of our dock from the beach next to us:
Grilled salmon and fresh green beans are on the menu, followed by motoring in the dinghy to explore Mayo Cove and Lakebay. There are several homes inside the cove on nice property. And we now have company on our dock, a fifty foot yacht with a family aboard.
We come out of the cove and circle around and between the pilings under the Lakebay marina facilities..
Date: July 20, 021
Penrose Point layover day
Weather: Summer continues, but cooler, mid 60's, with westerly winds
We're lazy, with a late breakfast before heading out on a hike to the tip of Penrose Point. We follow the ups and downs of an inland trail and then drop to the shore to make our way to the point. Along the way we pass through the campground. The walking is pleasant and easy. In all we log about four miles.
Penrose Point layover day
Weather: Summer continues, but cooler, mid 60's, with westerly winds
We're lazy, with a late breakfast before heading out on a hike to the tip of Penrose Point. We follow the ups and downs of an inland trail and then drop to the shore to make our way to the point. Along the way we pass through the campground. The walking is pleasant and easy. In all we log about four miles.
We notice typical fungi growing on tree trunks and also see a form of fungus that is new to us. It is almost like there is a layer of fat on the tree with an unusual raised texture at the surface. It is like the tree has blubber!
Along the trail:
And on the beach:
A group of students from Tacoma's Cloverdale school visit the dock. They are fascinated by the marine life attached to the sides of the dock, but have little knowledge of what they see. The captain, marine scientist by profession, enjoys chatting with them and giving them a little guidance. One student can't resist handling a sea star. He gets tips on how to handle it and how to return it to its home. (Yes, that is another Ranger Tug on the dock, only there for a short stay.)
As often happens with our Ranger Tug, we get visitors who want to know all about it. This time we have a couple who are in the market for a small trailerable boat. They have lived aboard a sailboat that they just sold, and are wanting a boat that will allow them to tow it to different places. A Ranger Tug might be perfect for them! They spent 20 years working in Saudi Arabia before retiring, and they actually were on their sailboat in a marina in Columbia at the start of the pandemic and got stuck there for a year! Now they want to return to a land home but still have the ability to cruise. We have a great chat. We are on the Ranger Tugs sales team!
The dock is social, lots of small boats drop by for shore visits, and people on buoys or anchoring bring their dogs for exercise. When evening comes, it is once again quiet.
The dock is social, lots of small boats drop by for shore visits, and people on buoys or anchoring bring their dogs for exercise. When evening comes, it is once again quiet.
Date: July 21, 2021
Time Start: 2 p.m.
Time Finish: 5:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Penrose Point State Park
Cruise To: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 1289
Engine Hours Finish: 1292
Weather/sea conditions: Calm, warming to clear skies, mid 70's
It's our final morning on the park dock. Our neighbor boat leaves early as they are concerned about grounding as the tide recedes. A minus low tide is expected mid morning. We are lucky to have a shallow draft. The possibility of grounding keeps many boats from using this dock where the water is quite shallow at low tide. We plan to walk the sand spit that parallels the north side of Penrose Point when the tide is low.
The ramp is steep to go ashore! As we head to the spit, we see a sailboat that either anchored in too shallow a spot or miscalculated the tides and depth and ran agroud. It will have to wait for high tide - a good example of why charts are important!
Time Start: 2 p.m.
Time Finish: 5:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Penrose Point State Park
Cruise To: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Engine Hours Start: 1289
Engine Hours Finish: 1292
Weather/sea conditions: Calm, warming to clear skies, mid 70's
It's our final morning on the park dock. Our neighbor boat leaves early as they are concerned about grounding as the tide recedes. A minus low tide is expected mid morning. We are lucky to have a shallow draft. The possibility of grounding keeps many boats from using this dock where the water is quite shallow at low tide. We plan to walk the sand spit that parallels the north side of Penrose Point when the tide is low.
The ramp is steep to go ashore! As we head to the spit, we see a sailboat that either anchored in too shallow a spot or miscalculated the tides and depth and ran agroud. It will have to wait for high tide - a good example of why charts are important!
We walk the shoreline trail to the day use area next to the spit. A few others are out exploring. We don't see much difference in the marine life from our previous visits, but enjoy the hike.
The sun breaks out and we cruise home taking advantage of the flood tide. It's been wonderful cruising and wonderful visiting Penrose Point State Park, one of the gems of South Sound. Both the cruise and the destination get high ratings from us!