March 24, 2009

It has been a while since we have returned so I thought I would update the Blog and get ready for a new cruising year.

We have been out a couple of times this winter.
November
Bremerton for Thanksgiving and I can sum it up in a few words. Windy. Docking at Bremerton with a south wind is quite a challenge. There were a dozen boats from the club with us and I managed to get it stuffed into a slip on the third try. Bremerton is like only a 5 minute run for us so we hardly even warmed up the engines. Had a great time despite the cold weather.
Took a tour of the USS Turner Joy, a Viet Nam era destroyer that is on display as a museum. Amazing ship, well worth the 10 bucks to get inside.

January
I decided to skip work and we went out on a Foggy Friday. Fog so thick at home that you could not see 100 feet. By the time we got to the boat however we left the fog behind and it was cold, clear without a cloud in the sky and no wind.
Went out to Blake Island for the night. They have now added 30 amp power to the docks so it makes for a great winter stop. It will be even harder to find a spot there however in the summer months. There is rumor now with the economy that they are going to close the park so that would be a terrible loss to the boating community.

Fuel prices are finally down. We ran up to Brownsville to get fuel as it was below $2 for the first time in several years. I filled up for $1.98. What a bargain since last time I put fuel in the boat in August I got it for $4.04 a gallon and I thought I was in heaven.

March
Cruise again to Bremerton. Such a long distance to go and again the best way to describe the trip was "Windy". The weather service was predicting winds 15 to 25 for the afternoon so I wanted to get there early. We left at about 2 pm and got there about 5 minutes later and got tied up to the breakwater without any problem. There were several of the club members already there for the St Pattys day cruise who helped with the lines. We were visiting on Glens boat when the winds picked up in ernest. My awning that worked so well in Alaska to keep the rain off the rear door tore loose and was flapping in the wind like a loose sail. I clocked the winds at the boat at 30 mph steady. The marina and one sailboat clocked 54 mph gusts.
A couple boats arrived at the peak of the wind and it was a boat rope. One of the boats tried to get turned around and the wind took him broadside down the fairway out of control. He piled into a piling and was getting blown into the slip next to me, we got a line on him to the dock from the stern but could not get the bow line before the wind caught him and swung the bow into my boat. His bow flare caught my aft railing and bent in into my aft cabin and pulled the screws right out of the deck. Damage was light but will require someone with more skill than I have to repair it. the other skipper was quite concerned and said to send him the repair bill when I get it.

The next day was glorious, no wind and blue sky but cold. Had an othewise great time all weekend.

getting ready to take the boat north to Bellingham next month. Will be haveing a hard top installed to replace the 8 year old canvas enclosure. Surfside Marine is doing the work, will keep you appraised of the progress and end result.

the Spot tracker is getting passed off to Jeff and Fran for a new adventure. It is going back to Alaska with them but this time up Mt Mckinley. Check out the new link and follow their adventures up the mountain.