Ten Weeks: North to canada
Date: May 30, 2016
Time Start: 11:20 a.m. Time Finish: 4:45 p.m. Cruise From: Swantown, Olympia Cruise To: Des Moines Marina Engine Hours Start: 377 Engine Hours Finish: 382 Weather/sea Conditions: Sunny, clear, breeze with rippled water, mid 60's Memorial Day! We are starting our summer cruise on a sunny and clear day with a light breeze. Our friend Steve delivers us to the docks at Swantown after sharing breakfast with us at the Bread Peddler in Olympia, and friend Fred happens to be at the marina and helps with our dock lines as we depart on our greatest boating adventure to date. We plan to be out for a good two months or longer, and NORTH STAR is well provisioned. Goodbye, Olympia, we will see you in late July . . . or later! It is a stunning day on the water, the mountains are clear, and lots of boaters are out enjoying the holiday. We have company on the water as a rendezvous for Quartermaster and Day Island yacht clubs has just wrapped up at Swantown. All of the visiting boats are heading back north. We can't remember when we have had so many boats around us in South Sound waters, and this is hardly a crowd. |
It is an easy, breezy cruise to Des Moines Marina and moorage for the night. Cruise route: Budd Bay to Dana Passage and Johnstone Point (Mt. Rainier is spectacular here), then Drayton Passage along Anderson Island to Balch Passage along McNeil Island, and through the Narrows, where we leave our beautiful Sound Sound behind us as we pass under the double bridges. Dalco Passage takes us past the Maury Island lighthouse before we cross a stretch of choppy water to the marina.
Fuel is topped off, NORTH STAR gets a rinse, we walk and go to dinner, discovering Wally's, a popular seafood restaurant on the main drag of town. Fresh halibut tacos are delicious! Then, we enjoy a hazy sunset on the docks.
Date: May 31, 2016
Time Start: 11:20 a.m.
Time Finish: 6:00 p.m.
Cruise From: Des Moines Marina
Cruise To: Langley, Whidbey Island
Engine Hours Start: 383
Engine Hours Finish: 390
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny and clear, a breeze, hazy Olympics, mid 60's
We are up early, and so is the sun. Boat maintenance is on the agenda this morning, with the Volvo mechanic from Pacific Power Group arriving to service our engine. He leaves Dan with a much better understanding of our boat mechanics (there is always so much more to learn!).
While the work is underway, I have a morning walk in the marina and adjoining park. Des Moines Creek runs through the park to the sound, making it a perfect gathering spot for birds. Park buildings date from a camp that existed in the 1930's.
Date: May 31, 2016
Time Start: 11:20 a.m.
Time Finish: 6:00 p.m.
Cruise From: Des Moines Marina
Cruise To: Langley, Whidbey Island
Engine Hours Start: 383
Engine Hours Finish: 390
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny and clear, a breeze, hazy Olympics, mid 60's
We are up early, and so is the sun. Boat maintenance is on the agenda this morning, with the Volvo mechanic from Pacific Power Group arriving to service our engine. He leaves Dan with a much better understanding of our boat mechanics (there is always so much more to learn!).
While the work is underway, I have a morning walk in the marina and adjoining park. Des Moines Creek runs through the park to the sound, making it a perfect gathering spot for birds. Park buildings date from a camp that existed in the 1930's.
And we are on our way again! It is a pretty straightforward cruise to Langley, with just one choppy area. Otherwise, we have the same shores and scenery as in past cruises (see 2015 Summer Cruise). Mt. Rainier gets left behind and is replaced with Mt. Baker to the north. Ferry traffic keeps us on our toes, as there are many crossings along our route. Views of Seattle are too hazy for photos today.
Langley is beautiful this evening, with calm winds and a view from our spot on the outer dock across to the Cascades. Dinner is in the cockpit, some simple pasta with chicken marinara. Time to relax!
Date: June 1, 2016
Time Start: 9:05 a.m
Time Finish: 2:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Langley, Whidbey Island
Cruise To: Watmough Bay, Lopez Island
Engine Hours Start: 390
Engine Hours Finish: 395
Weather/sea conditions: Light clouds, sun, calm a.m., windy p.m. with building clouds
IT'S JUNE! We're timing our departure from Langley to coincide with the tide flow at Deception Pass. Breakfast is the simplest today, coffee and toast, as we enjoy a few lovely minutes on the dock before we leave. Herons are along the shore and a few seals swim about the marina. The Cascade mountains are hazy across from us, and the air feels soft and warm. After a few dockside chats with neighbor boaters, we are on our way on glassy water.
Our first eagle sightings of the cruise! And then, our first Ranger Tugs! We will be seeing more along the way as we all head to tomorrow's gathering at Poets Cove. We like an old work boat, Tamarack from Deer Harbor, as it passes us. It is our turn in Deception Pass, we roll through on the wake of Cutwater "Sassy Red". Ranger Tug "Reel McCoy" is on our heels. And now we are in San Juan Island waters!
Time Start: 9:05 a.m
Time Finish: 2:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Langley, Whidbey Island
Cruise To: Watmough Bay, Lopez Island
Engine Hours Start: 390
Engine Hours Finish: 395
Weather/sea conditions: Light clouds, sun, calm a.m., windy p.m. with building clouds
IT'S JUNE! We're timing our departure from Langley to coincide with the tide flow at Deception Pass. Breakfast is the simplest today, coffee and toast, as we enjoy a few lovely minutes on the dock before we leave. Herons are along the shore and a few seals swim about the marina. The Cascade mountains are hazy across from us, and the air feels soft and warm. After a few dockside chats with neighbor boaters, we are on our way on glassy water.
Our first eagle sightings of the cruise! And then, our first Ranger Tugs! We will be seeing more along the way as we all head to tomorrow's gathering at Poets Cove. We like an old work boat, Tamarack from Deer Harbor, as it passes us. It is our turn in Deception Pass, we roll through on the wake of Cutwater "Sassy Red". Ranger Tug "Reel McCoy" is on our heels. And now we are in San Juan Island waters!
It's time to fasten our seat belts (but we don't have any!) as we cross Rosario Strait to Lopez. The winds (westerlies) and swells give us a ride, and Dan revs up to ease the bumps. We drop our anchor in Watmough Bay with an inviting beach at the head and towering cliffs on the sides. The schooner Adventuress is here, just ready to head out for a sail with a group of students. We watch her raise sails and leave.
We dinghy to shore, take a walk up the bluff and through the forest. A few raindrops fall, the wind dies, and we fix bowls of udon for our dinner.
Tomorrow we cross the border to Canada! Our adventures are just in the beginning stages . . . so much more to come!
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