Sunday, August 27, 2017

           Spent Saturday afternoon sailing around little Mystery Bay in our dinghy with Mike. It was fun but I also wanted to try sailing the dinghy on my own. Mike also saw this as a good idea but in lighter winds than what we’d sailed in that afternoon. So this morning I sailed the dinghy all by myself, with no one on board. For me that was a great triumph. I was extremely cautious. I didn’t want to have to deal with a capsized boat. The breeze was gentle so really there was nothing to worry about except my lack of experience. The only remedy for a lack of experience is to get out there and do whatever it is you need the experience in. I knew this intellectually, but I really had to call on my willpower to make it happen in the real world. I can only learn mechanical and practical things in a hands on way.

             This afternoon we went out into Port Townsend Bay and the head of Admiralty Inlet to sail in the 38 footer. It was a good wind so we had the mainsail in one reef (made smaller) while the wind lasted. Toward the end of the afternoon it began to lessen and we had the whole sail out. We are anchored behind a sand spit close to the foot of the bay for tonight. All in all it has been a very satisfying day.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

          We are currently anchored in a bay off of the Hood Canal, called Port Gamble. It is densely hazy today. We awoke to a very light coat of ash on everything on the outside of the boat. The sun shining through the haze and some cloud cover (?) creates an eerie light. It is mid day but the light looks like sunset. It is just above us but an orangey reddish hue. There are forest fires all over the Northwest right now and the wind is blowing the smoke to Puget Sound and area. We sailed across Puget Sound and back two days in a row and were so tired by yesterday afternoon. So here we are in Port Gamble for a day. 

      We left Port Townsend last Thursday in the morning with new windlass parts installed but not working! As we sailed south down Admiralty Inlet, Mike talked with one of the parts dealers and he suggested he check a few more things before sending it back to the dealership. By evening in the anchorage of Port Ludlow he’d finally gotten the windlass to work. We’d spent three days in Port Townsend. First to pick up the new spare parts, then install them, then find it not functioning properly, then a day spent trouble shooting, i.e. trying to find out why it wouldn’t work. 

          On our second day we heard from Kieran, recently back in Seattle. It happened to be his birthday as well. He was in the midst of getting ready to drive back to New Mexico to pick up his and Betsy’s dog. We convinced him to come the two hours out of his way to celebrate his birthday with us and a couple of good old college friends of his also living in Port Townsend. He arrived in the early afternoon and went off swimming with his buddies. Mike continued to struggle with the windlass still not working even with brand new parts. It was now an electrical problem, no longer mechanical. Very frustrating. I’d spent the morning doing laundry and grocery shopping. This is much more satisfying a task as nothing can really go wrong. I caught up on texts and phone calls at the laundromat and happily took my time with the groceries. When I got back it was to a bewildered Mike. Another puzzle to be solved. Luckily we were distracted from the windlass in the early evening. We were off to Kieran’s friend’s house to celebrate his birthday. They had the grill going and there was wine, a huge pasta dish, a delicious salad full of vegetables from Greg’s garden. The evening was full of stories about Kieran and his friends, lots of joking and laughter. It was thoroughly enjoyable. We got back to the boat around 11:30. Mike went to e-mail Australia, where the parts are made. I read a book. Didn’t get to bed before 1 in the morning. 

           Kieran took off around 10:30 the next morning. Mike went back to trouble shooting, to no avail. We had discussed with Kieran and his friends; all experienced sailors, what to do  if the windlass refused to work. We finally all agreed that we should just get on our way and make due with well protected harbors and bays and our secondary anchor attached to a rope. We spent three days in Port Ludlow. I sailed the dinghy again two of the days. Gradually I’m building up my confidence. The first two days were clear and sunny. Saturday night was calm, clear, and with a moon almost full. We went rowing in the moonlight to a part of the bay with an island. Behind this little island is another secret little harbor. I had sailed around it the day before. Earlier in the day we’d seen a boat like ours sailing into the big harbor. We were doing something and were momentarily distracted. We went sailing and couldn’t find it. But at night rowing we were like kids finding a lost toy. Behind the island was the sailboat we’d seen earlier but couldn’t find. We rowed around it and the people on board came out and invited us onto their boat. They were very nice and we chatted an hour or so before leaving. Calm, warm evenings with a full moon are magical.