the shakedown cruise
EAGLE ISLAND:
Date: March 4, 2015
Start Time: 2:45 p.m.
Finish Time: 5:05 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise to: Eagle Island Marine State Park
Engine Hrs. Start: 117
Engine Hrs. Finish: 119
Weather/Sea Cond.: Sunny, clear blue skies, low 50's, freezing nights
What a day! We are off on our shakedown cruise, heading north towards Tacoma. We are ready to relax and enjoy the next few days of early March sunshine on our beautiful South Sound waters. After days of provisioning and getting NORTH STAR ready for cruising, most items now have at least a temporary storage spot. This will be a time for us to test everything aboard and figure out what things need more attention.
The mountains are on full display today, but there is little snow on the Olympics. It is a glorious afternoon to be cruising. A lone sailboat passes us off Boston Harbor, with sails spread wing on wing. We keep constant watch for logs and deadheads. Harstine Island glows in the afternoon sun, the water is calm and reflecting everything. A stunning Mt. Rainier is mirrored in the surface as we round Johnston Point. And even Mt. Adams is there in the background! The camera is getting a workout.
Date: March 4, 2015
Start Time: 2:45 p.m.
Finish Time: 5:05 p.m.
Cruise From: Swantown Marina, Olympia
Cruise to: Eagle Island Marine State Park
Engine Hrs. Start: 117
Engine Hrs. Finish: 119
Weather/Sea Cond.: Sunny, clear blue skies, low 50's, freezing nights
What a day! We are off on our shakedown cruise, heading north towards Tacoma. We are ready to relax and enjoy the next few days of early March sunshine on our beautiful South Sound waters. After days of provisioning and getting NORTH STAR ready for cruising, most items now have at least a temporary storage spot. This will be a time for us to test everything aboard and figure out what things need more attention.
The mountains are on full display today, but there is little snow on the Olympics. It is a glorious afternoon to be cruising. A lone sailboat passes us off Boston Harbor, with sails spread wing on wing. We keep constant watch for logs and deadheads. Harstine Island glows in the afternoon sun, the water is calm and reflecting everything. A stunning Mt. Rainier is mirrored in the surface as we round Johnston Point. And even Mt. Adams is there in the background! The camera is getting a workout.
There are several small boats fishing along Anderson Island, and then, there it is, little Eagle Island, our destination for today. A boat is on one of the buoys on the west side, but we head to the eastern shore where a lone buoy awaits us with a great view toward Mt. Rainier.
It is going to be a chilly night. The Webasto heating system gets fired up as the temperatures drop rapidly with the setting of the sun. Mt. Rainier catches the last golden rays of the day, and then up comes a full moon. It is time for our first dinner aboard, the first use of the propane stove. On the menu is parmesan pasta with chicken, asparagus, and fresh pineapple. The larger galley is a real plus! No dishwasher, though. Who gets the first turn at cleaning up?
The night air is filled with the wild sounds of geese as the moon beams down on us. What a stellar day!
TACOMA, DOCK STREET MARINA:
Date: March 5, 2015
Start Time: 10:15 a.m.
Finish Time: 1:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Eagle Island
Cruise To: Dock Street Marina, Tacoma
Engine Hrs. Start: 119
Engine Hrs. Finish: 122
Weather/Sea Cond.: Sunny, clear, calm a.m., hazy p.m., 50's
Morning dawns calm and clear, it is toasty warm in the cabin of NORTH STAR. Geese are paired up along the shore of Eagle Island, making lots of noise. It is sheer pleasure to be immersed in this world of wild sounds, fresh air, the expanses of calm water reflecting our surroundings in the surface, majestic Mt. Rainier rising above everything. We hear the shrill sound of an eagle perched in the treetops, its voice a contrast to the cacophony of the geese. The rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker adds percussion to the avian symphony. On second look, we discover that we have a pair of nesting eagles! What a treat!
Date: March 5, 2015
Start Time: 10:15 a.m.
Finish Time: 1:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Eagle Island
Cruise To: Dock Street Marina, Tacoma
Engine Hrs. Start: 119
Engine Hrs. Finish: 122
Weather/Sea Cond.: Sunny, clear, calm a.m., hazy p.m., 50's
Morning dawns calm and clear, it is toasty warm in the cabin of NORTH STAR. Geese are paired up along the shore of Eagle Island, making lots of noise. It is sheer pleasure to be immersed in this world of wild sounds, fresh air, the expanses of calm water reflecting our surroundings in the surface, majestic Mt. Rainier rising above everything. We hear the shrill sound of an eagle perched in the treetops, its voice a contrast to the cacophony of the geese. The rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker adds percussion to the avian symphony. On second look, we discover that we have a pair of nesting eagles! What a treat!
We are reluctant to leave the magical world of Eagle Island - appropriately named today! The water is so clear that the bottom thirty feet below us is visible. We are under way again, heading through the Narrows, riding the current as we pass under the pair of bridges spanning the waterway. Off of Pt. Defiance, in an area with lots of seal activity, we spot porpoises. We slow, and one comes beside us and then swims under NORTH STAR. The heads of seals pop up as if to spy on us. Such fun!
In contrast to Eagle Island, we enter the busy industrial Foss Waterway with urban Tacoma rising along the shore. We arrive at Dock Street Marina and have our pick of dock space. We are the only visiting boat! The marina is right in front of the Museum of Glass, with easy walking access to downtown Tacoma, its museums, and the University of Washington Tacoma campus. We plan to stay for two nights to take advantage of all the city has to offer.
A walk takes us from the marina, past the Museum of Glass and across the Bridge of Glass, where works of Tacoma native Dale Chihuly are on display. We make a stop at the old Union Station, transformed from railroad use to courthouse, where more Chihuly art is featured. On this early spring day, street trees are already in bloom, adding to the welcoming atmosphere of the city.
We spend lingering afternoon and early evening hours at TAM (Tacoma Art Museum) with its Georgia O'Keefe exhibit, collection of Chihuly glass, and new wing filled with western art. Luckily this is a Thursday when the museum is open until 8:00 p.m. We are so taken in by the museum that we purchase an annual pass, one that will be used often as it also gets us into the Museum of Glass and many other establishments in both Washington and British Columbia. Now for a glimpse of the museum and some of the artwork on display:
We enjoy our walk back to NORTH STAR. Lights, the evening sky, a rising moon transform our view of urban Tacoma.
The oven gets tested with a Boboli crust pizza. The oven works, but the pizza is not so great and will not be repeated on our menu. The city lights glow around us. Another stellar day comes to an end.
TACOMA LAYOVER DAY:
Date: March 6, 2015
Moorage: Dock Street Marina, Tacoma
Weather/Sea Cond.: Sunny, 50 degrees at 9 a.m. and warming up! A 60 degree day!
Morning is quiet at Dock Street Marina. Already it is getting warm on this early March day. The water is a mirror for the yachts surrounding us.
Checking in with the dock master, we learn some of the history of NORTH STAR from her "The Boat Guy" days. She is a well known boat here and was kept in the Foss Landing Dry Storage across from the marina. Chip Hanauer, her captain, sponsored some boat gatherings here that are documented in videos available on YouTube.
We pay a visit to the Museum of Glass, using the museum passes purchased yesterday at TAM for complimentary admission. The current exhibit focuses on the drawings and paintings of Dale Chihuly. We love all the color! His works amaze us in their size, their quantity, their use of color, innovative techniques, originality, and the energy used to create them. We had only known him through his glass work, so the drawings are a wonderful surprise.
We pay a visit to the Museum of Glass, using the museum passes purchased yesterday at TAM for complimentary admission. The current exhibit focuses on the drawings and paintings of Dale Chihuly. We love all the color! His works amaze us in their size, their quantity, their use of color, innovative techniques, originality, and the energy used to create them. We had only known him through his glass work, so the drawings are a wonderful surprise.
There is an exhibit room where the walls are covered with faxes that Chihuly has sent over the years. All are hand written using a sharpie pen, and most have sketches on them. It is fascinating to read the notes, they give a feel for the history of Chihuly's many projects as well as insight to his character. He comes across as a warm, generous, likable person.
A team is at work in the hot shop creating a giant seven foot long scorpion out of glass to be installed at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Several research doctors are on hand to witness the creation. They are part of Project Violet, named after a young cancer patient. The project uses a molecule from the venom of a scorpion to mark cancer cells in the brain. The mark highlights only cancer cells so that surgeons can identify and excise the cancer. The hope is that the procedure will be fully approved by 2018. It has already been successful in testing.
A walk along the Foss Waterway takes us to the unique vertical lift bridge (built in 1913 and renovated in 2013) where we take an elevator up to the road level. From here we have views of the waterway and surrounding industrial and city areas.
From the bridge, we walk into the downtown area of Tacoma, making our way to the University of Washington Tacoma campus. The daffodils are in bloom, so are the flowering trees.
We make a quick stop at the Museum of Glass to check on the progress of the scorpion project before making our way to the Swiss Pub (it also has a display of Chihuly glass!) for fish and chips. We run into E.J. at the pub, a coworker of Dan's on one of his Gig Harbor projects. Small world.
We are in for another magnificent moonlit night. Urban Tacoma and its busy Foss Waterway are a good stopover! Later, checking our email, we find a note from Andrew at Ranger Tugs telling us that HOKU KAI has been sold! We are happy that she will soon be back on the water..
CUTTS ISLAND STATE PARK:
Date: March 7, 2015
Start Time: 12:30 p.m.
Finish Time: 3:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Dock Street Marina, Tacoma
Cruise To: Cutts Island State Park
Engine Hrs. Start: 122
Engine Hrs. Finish: 125
Weather/Sea Cond.: Foggy morning and cool, 40's to 50.
A light fog has drifted into the Foss Waterway this morning and it is cool enough to see our breath. We take advantage of the hot showers in the marina before breakfast. The sun breaks through the gray as we eat, and another stunning Northwest day is in store for us.
After morning coffee at nearby "Anthem", we head in separate directions. Dan is off to the sustainability show at the convention center and I am returning to the Museum of Glass to soak in more of the Chihuly exhibit and watch the progress on the scorpion sculpture.
It is back to cruising. We pass the sites along the Foss Waterway, and once again we ride the current through the Narrows. We turn into Hale Passage, follow along Fox Island, passing under the Fox Island bridge and continue on to little Cutts Island, another marine state park.
Date: March 7, 2015
Start Time: 12:30 p.m.
Finish Time: 3:15 p.m.
Cruise From: Dock Street Marina, Tacoma
Cruise To: Cutts Island State Park
Engine Hrs. Start: 122
Engine Hrs. Finish: 125
Weather/Sea Cond.: Foggy morning and cool, 40's to 50.
A light fog has drifted into the Foss Waterway this morning and it is cool enough to see our breath. We take advantage of the hot showers in the marina before breakfast. The sun breaks through the gray as we eat, and another stunning Northwest day is in store for us.
After morning coffee at nearby "Anthem", we head in separate directions. Dan is off to the sustainability show at the convention center and I am returning to the Museum of Glass to soak in more of the Chihuly exhibit and watch the progress on the scorpion sculpture.
It is back to cruising. We pass the sites along the Foss Waterway, and once again we ride the current through the Narrows. We turn into Hale Passage, follow along Fox Island, passing under the Fox Island bridge and continue on to little Cutts Island, another marine state park.
A buoy at Cutts Island (also know as Deadman's Island as it is thought to have been a burial site for local tribes) becomes our moorage spot for the late afternoon and overnight. What a lovely spot! The island from a distance looks like a decorated cake that has slumped on one side. The Olympics are silhouetted in the distance. We count nine buoys along the more sheltered side of the island, only ours is in use. One other boat is at anchor.
We take our new dinghy, an AB made in Columbia, to shore, using the electric Torqeedo motor. It is a great time to get some photos of NORTH STAR in a very scenic setting - like new baby photos! Once on shore, we see evidence that lots and lots of geese are making use of the island. Footprints are everywhere! There is also an abundance of white shell debris, indicating there are plenty of shellfish here.
We take our new dinghy, an AB made in Columbia, to shore, using the electric Torqeedo motor. It is a great time to get some photos of NORTH STAR in a very scenic setting - like new baby photos! Once on shore, we see evidence that lots and lots of geese are making use of the island. Footprints are everywhere! There is also an abundance of white shell debris, indicating there are plenty of shellfish here.
The geese arrive at sunset, what a noisy bunch! We test the oven once again, using a Jiffy cornbread muffin mix to go with homemade chili - they turn out great. Sunset is not spectacular, but the darkening of the day adds drama to our views of Cutts Island and the distant Olympics.
We use our drop down screen to watch a movie, an old Hitchcock thriller, North by Northwest.
Watches get set ahead an hour before we retire. Daylight savings time starts tomorrow. And so ends another stellar day on NORTH STAR.
BACK TO SWANTOWN:
Date: March 8, 20115
Start Time: 11:15 a.m.
Finish Time: 5:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Cutts Island
Cruise to: Swantown Marina
Engine Hrs. Start: 125
Engine Hrs. Finish: 129
Weather/Sea Cond.: Sunny & warm, upper 50's to low 60's
The geese are ruling the roost at Cutts Island this morning. It is a "summer" day in March, the start of daylight savings time. We are one of three boats on the buoys here, there are nine total. Kopachuck State Park is on the opposite shore about a mile away with more moorage. The sun is highlighting the sparse snow cover atop the Olympics, snowfall is way below normal in this mild winter.
Watches get set ahead an hour before we retire. Daylight savings time starts tomorrow. And so ends another stellar day on NORTH STAR.
BACK TO SWANTOWN:
Date: March 8, 20115
Start Time: 11:15 a.m.
Finish Time: 5:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Cutts Island
Cruise to: Swantown Marina
Engine Hrs. Start: 125
Engine Hrs. Finish: 129
Weather/Sea Cond.: Sunny & warm, upper 50's to low 60's
The geese are ruling the roost at Cutts Island this morning. It is a "summer" day in March, the start of daylight savings time. We are one of three boats on the buoys here, there are nine total. Kopachuck State Park is on the opposite shore about a mile away with more moorage. The sun is highlighting the sparse snow cover atop the Olympics, snowfall is way below normal in this mild winter.
The seat for the dinghy is at home. Dan decides he can row anyway, balancing on his knees. With flat calm water and no current, he easily makes it to the island for some exploration.
Back on NORTH STAR, we untie the mooring line and head toward home. We pass scenic South Head on our way into Pitt Passage where there are several small boats, most likely tribal, harvesting geoducks. We make Longbranch our lunch stop, tying up at the guest dock where we have a great view of Mt. Rainier. We are surprised to learn that friends with a Ranger 31 who usually moor here have moved to an even bigger boat and are no longer tuggers. Feather duster worms, looking like flowers, are making gardens along the tire supports under the floats. By the time we leave Longbranch, it is already 2:00 p.m.
We have "purple mountains majesty" all along the way as we continue south. We stop at Boston Harbor for fuel. And then, Olympia is sparkling in the sun and we are home, back to Swantown. What a great shakedown cruise. We have found only a few minor issues to address on NORTH STAR, the most important being a fix for the fresh water gauge and an A/C outlet that is not working. It has been a stellar first cruise on our new boat.
