Day 1

We finally made it, were on our way. We left Port Orchard at about 7 am this morning, cold but no wind. I let Chris sleep while I untied and got us underway. We made it to the Bremerton side of the bay when alarms started sounding and poor Chris was rudly awakened by blaring horns. good thing I put in the alarms when I did, they saved the trip. This was not a good omen or the best way to start a 4 month cruise. . Suffice it to say you need sea water to cool the engines. Once that little oversight was fixed and I checked to engines to make sure they were not over done, we got back underway. Everything seemed to purr right along after than. We debated going the outside route across straits of Juan De Fuca but the coast guard kept broadcasting a gale warning for afternoon, winds up to 35 mph predicted from the West. Smith Rock was reporting 20 mph hour winds at the point I had to make a decision so after checking a couple other weather sites I decided to go the inside route. Not as much push from the current that way but it was calm all the way.
Swinomish channel is hazardous at low tide, No I did not run aground the but the sailboat entering next to me did. I was in four feet of water when lined up with the range markers on the west entrance for most of the way in to the first island on the south side of the channel. A sand bar protrudes out into the channel about a third of the way at the east end of that island. And right in the middle of the channel adjacent to that island are three nasty deadheads, pointed west and set to put a nasty hole in any unwary boat that does not see them. I am not sure if they stay in that position as the tide rises, if they do, anoter two feet and they would be absolutely impossible to see and set perfect to take out the running gear of any boat.
We are tied at the Swinomish yacht club reciprocal dock enjoying some sun at last. Wind had died down finally and it has warmed up nicely.